Category: NZ Fiction
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NZ Ockhams 2026 Shortlists Announced
The Ockhams 2026 finalists have been released, and I have been pleasantly surprised by the line-up. I think it is pretty safe to say that I have more books to read over the next month, as these sixteen shortlisted titles provide a great range of reading and voices to appreciate and experience. Let me remind…
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More Kiwi Goodness from Josie Shapiro in Good Things Come and Go
The end of summer here in the southern hemisphere, and the end of my month of multiple reading genres. From works by African descendants and local New Zealand writers to a few reads on love and romance, February has provided me with a great selection of genres and themes to keep my busy brain engaged…
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A Blast from the Past in Dominic Hoey’s 1985
If you’re looking for a good New Zealand fiction novel with that classic Kiwi flavour, Dominic Hoey’s 1985 might be right up your alley. With its nostalgic setting, chill young perspective, and elements that certainly have you reminiscing about the life and culture of the day, 1985 is as much a laugh as it is…
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Why You Should Read About the Experiences of New Zealanders
Akin to my Why You Should Read About the Experiences of the African Diaspora post, today’s post is about why you should read about the experiences of New Zealanders. We are a small but mighty county, but our diversity and multicultural standing make us a country of many perspectives, backgrounds, cultures, histories, and stories to…
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The 2026 New Zealand Ockhams Longlist Has Been Announced
Earlier this month, the Ockhams 2026 longlist was announced, and with the number of phenomenal books mentioned, I just have to share them with you all. The Ockhams are one of our biggest literary awards, covering fiction, poetry, illustrated non-fiction, and general non-fiction. From well-known authors to debut names, the longlists have so much to…
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My Waitangi Day Read is Airana Ngawera’s The Last Living Cannibal
As soon as I heard Airana Ngawera was releasing another novel, I knew I had to get my hands on it. After several busy months of PhD work and an unfortunate bout of reader burnout, which resulted in me returning my library copy of The Last Living Cannibal unread, I managed to get my hands…
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Ivor Popovich Shows the Harsh Reality of Aotearoa’s Public Healthcare in A Dim Prognosis
I love a juicy and blunt medical memoir, and Ivor Popovich’s A Dim Prognosis delivers just that and more. Akin to the dark humour and stark reality of Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt, A Dim Prognosis delivers sharp and cutting remarks that will tell you just how underresourced and underfunded our public healthcare…
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Classic Kiwi Brilliance in Janet Frame’s A State of Siege
I have read some of Janet Frame’s autobiographical work in An Angel at my Table, and I knew I wanted to find some fiction pieces to read in the coming months. Imagine my surprise when I found A State of Siege recommended by one of my trusted bookstagram accounts (I believe she is UK-based, so…
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Janet Frame’s An Angel at my Table is A Phenomenal Autobiography
I have been meaning to read works by Janet Frame for a long time now, so what better way to get a feel for her narative voice, style, and literary influences than her stunning second autobiography An Angel at my Table. This short novel bursts at the seams with vivid emotion and imagery, and carry…
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Michael Bennet’s Carved in Blood is An Addictive 5 Star Read
The Hana Westerman Thriller series continues to deliver and Carved in Blood may just be my favourite! Following the stellar beginnings in Better the Blood and the tense action of Return to Blood, Carved in Blood goes for the jugular and presents a compelling, addictive, engrossing read that you will not be able to let…
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