Tag: adult book recs

• Shocking Historical Details in Anna Lee Huber’s A Bitter Cut

  I didn’t know what book would get me out of my slumpish reading, especially considering how busy things have been for me as of late. I was thinking it may be a NZ fiction from my shelf, or a translated novel given my library pick up at the end of August contained several. But I…

  annafromuni

  September 11, 2026

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  a bitter cut, a lady darby mystery, adult book recs, adult crime fiction, adult crime fiction series, anna lee huber, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, book recommendations, book review, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, historical fiction book recommendation, historical fiction book recommendations, historical fiction book recs, historical fiction murder mystery, historical fiction mystery, historical fiction reads, historical fiction series, historical fiction thriller, kiera darby, kiera gage, regency era mystery, sebastian gage, series recommendations, the anatomist’s wife

• How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division by Elif Shafak is Still Relevant Today

  As soon as I started reading How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division by Elif Shafak, I felt like I was sitting in a lecture room, awaiting what would be the most wonderful guest lecture. It felt like I had stepped into a space that was intimate and intellectual, friendly yet focus on…

  annafromuni

  September 4, 2026

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  academic chats, academic discussions, academic fiction, academic research, academic writing, adult book recs, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, book recommendations, book review, books about philosophy, books about sociology, contemporary non fiction, creative non-fiction, elif shafak, how to stay sane, how to stay sane in an age of division, Non Fiction, non fiction book recs, philosophical books, social commentary, sociology book recs

• Delightful Historical Fantasy Romance in India Holton’s The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire

  Amidst the chaotic and busy schedule this month, I have sought out some cosy fantasy reading to keep me calm and away from my screen for far too many hours in a row, and India Holton’s The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire felt like the right pick to kick off this little side quest of cute…

  annafromuni

  August 9, 2026

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  adult book recs, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, book recommendations, book review, dangerous damsels series, fantasy academia, fantasy adventure, fantasy book, fantasy romance, fantasy romance series, historical fantasy, historical fantasy adventure, Historical Fiction, historical fiction adventure, historical romance, historical romantasy, india holton, kiwi author, love’s academic, love’s academic books, love’s academic series, NZ author, romance, romance book recs, romance fiction, the antiquarian’s object of desire, the geographer’s map to romance, the ornithologist’s field guide to love

• Angsty Murderbot is Back in Martha Wells’ Platform Decay

  I love this series, I love Murderbot, and I am in absolute fits and giggles with Platform Decay for some reason. Perhaps it is the active giddiness of being up to date with this series and the excitement of reading a new novel upon its release. Maybe it is simply because this series is so…

  annafromuni

  August 2, 2026

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  adult book recs, adult science fiction, adult science fiction book recs, adult science fiction recs, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, book recommendations, book review, exit strategy, martha wells, murderbot, platform decay, science fiction, science fiction book, science fiction book series, science fiction recommendations, science fiction recs, scifi books, space books, space novel, space opera, the murderbot diaries

• My July 2026 Reading Summary

  Overall mood: nervous. As I have entered my third and final year for my PhD, I have found less and less time to read. I pushed through it this month as there were several Māori nonfiction books I wanted to read amidst Matariki celebrations, but I don’t think that will be possible over the next…

  annafromuni

  July 31, 2026

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  2026 july reading summary, 2026 monthly reading summary, adult book recs, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, annafromuni discussions, ara, aroha, banjara, book discussions, book recommendations, book review, discussion post, july reading summary, mana, monthly reading, monthly reading recap, monthly reading summary, te kaikaukau, the good settler, the vanishing place, This Compulsion in Us, watching television in a love motel, wawata, what we remember what we forget

• Grounded Reflections in Richard Shaw’s The Good Settler

  To round off my Matariki month reads, I felt drawn to include something that sits with the other side of the New Zealand experience, the other side of me, of my upbringing, and the histories and experiences many of us Pākehā New Zealanders are wrestling with today. Colonialism struck Aotearoa New Zealand in ways that…

  annafromuni

  July 28, 2026

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  adult book recs, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, aotearoa new zealand, auckland writers festival, book recommendations, book review, colonialism, contemporary non fiction, essay collections, essay writing, kiwi novels, kiwi stories, kiwi voices, maori new year, matariki, new zealand authors, Non Fiction, non fiction book recs, nz essays, nz non fiction, reading new zealand, richard shaw, the good settler

• A Phenomenally Tense Thriller in Zoe Rankin’s The Vanishing Place

  New Zealand crime thriller fiction is a genre that is alive and well, unlike some of the characters in the many stories at our fingertips, and I can think of no better example of such literary brilliance as Zoe Rankin’s The Vanishing Place. To think she is only a debut author with this exceptional novel…

  annafromuni

  July 25, 2026

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  adult book recs, adult crime fiction, adult crime reads, adult crime thriller, adult mystery, adult thriller, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, book recommendations, book review, Crime Fiction, crime mystery, crime reads, crime thriller, dark thriller, mystery, nz crime fiction, NZ Fiction, the vanishing place, thriller, thriller mystery, zoe rankin

• A Wealth of Inspiration in Witi Ihimaera Smiler’s Te Kaikaukau

  One of my favourite sessions of Auckland Writers Festival was Witi Ihimaera Smiler’s free event where he talked about the experiences that make up Te Kaikaukau. Just shy of 80, Witi made the plunge to consciously step into an immersive te reo Māori experience, whereby for a year he learnt from fellow students and his…

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  July 22, 2026

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  adult book recs, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, book recommendations, book review, contemporary non fiction, language learning, languages, maori author, maori lit, maori literature, maori non fiction, maori stories, maori voices, memoir, Non Fiction, non fiction book recs, nz non fiction, studying languages, te kaikaukau, te reo maori books, witi ihimaera, witi ihimaera smiler

• Lessons from Hinengaro in Dr Hinemoa Elder’s Ara

  This pukapuka had me immersed from start to finish, and I usually wouldn’t say that about a nonfiction book. There is just something so special about Ara, so (excuse the pun) mindful, and each rua had me thinking so deeply about so may things in my life, my past, my emotions, and so much more.…

  annafromuni

  July 16, 2026

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  adult book recs, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, ara, aroha, book recommendations, book review, contemporary non fiction, dr hinemoa elder, maori author, maori literature, maori myths, maori non fiction, maori proverbs, maori stories, Non Fiction, non fiction book recs, NZ author, NZ book recs, nz literature, nz non fiction, NZ stories, self help books, self help reads, te reo maori books, wawata

• Tina Makereti’s This Compulsion in Us Mirrors My Own Thinking

  Tina Makereti is a fiction and nonfiction author, with This Compulsion in Us being her first nonfiction book, though essays within the collection have been published separately. That alone should tell you the significance and extreme power of these writings. If you need further compulsion of your own, then consider this: This Compulsion in Us…

  annafromuni

  July 14, 2026

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  2026 ockham awards, 2026 ockhams finalists, 2026 ockhams winner, adult book recs, annafromuni, annafromuni 2026, book recommendations, book review, contemporary non fiction, essay collections, kiwi stories, kiwi voices, maori author, maori literature, maori non fiction, Non Fiction, non fiction book recs, NZ author, nz authors and their accomplishments, NZ book recs, nz essays, nz literature, nz non fiction, nz reading, nz voices, This Compulsion in Us, tina makereti