Paradises by Iosi Havilio (And Other Stories Publishing)

Reviewed by Vaughan Rapatahana

Havilio’s first novel, Open Door, was published in 2006. The novel tells the story of a young woman who, after losing her job in Buenos Aires, finds herself sliding into a very different lifestyle in the titular domicile in the countryside.

Paradises is a sort-of follow up, and entails a return to the city; but it can also be taken as a stand alone opus (although a sequel seems likely if we take note of the final words: I find it hard to believe a new life is about to begin.)

I really enjoyed – if that is quite the correct word – this long, surreal novel and recommend it to anyone seeking something phantasmagoric and different. Translated from the original Spanish by Beth Fowler, it is all of or any selection you might like care to make from the following fiction-derived adjectives: Borgean/Pynchonesque/Kafkaesque/Carpentieran.

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My New Zealand Story: Lighthouse Family by Philippa Werry (Scholastic, $18.50)

Reviewed by Nikki Slade Robinson

A few years ago, in the adult non-fiction section of our local library, I stumbled across an old typewritten, spiral-bound personal account of lighthouse life in the early 1900s. It was absolutely fascinating – not to mention well written – and a perfect example of that old saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”. I thought it was such a pity the work hadn’t been picked up by a mainstream publisher, so that the stories from this bygone lifestyle were more widely available. Fortunately Philippa Werry has come to the rescue with her latest release for children and young adults.

While Werry’s book is set a few decades later than the rather battered library book, it is equally fascinating. She convincingly captures all aspects of daily life on an isolated (unnamed) coastal island lighthouse during World War Two. While it contains photos, posters and additional factual information about lighthouses, the story is in the form of a journal written by Frances, almost 14. Read more »

Wake by Elizabeth Knox (Victoria University Press, $35)

Reviewed by Patrick Kenzie

Wake will change the way you look at small towns forever.

Elizabeth Knox’s horror story weaves several approaches to the genre into its narrative, all set in and around the fictional town of Kahukura. In the course of one bloody afternoon, normality disappears in a wave of madness and death. In the middle of it all are a small-town cop and 13 other survivors who, for one reason or another, are immune from whatever is causing the insanity around them.

The first 70 pages describe some of the most shocking scenes I’ve read in any novel, and one sequence in particular stands out as particularly brutal. While the initial carnage is astonishing in its harshness, the rest of the book evolves into a very different kind of horror story. The survivors have to learn to live with each other and try to hold out hope for the future despite being hopelessly alone, locked in with a madness monster that would give H.P Lovecraft nightmares. As the back cover of Wake says: “With an invisible monster you never know when you’re in danger and when you’re safe – if you retreat to your fortress you can’t be sure you haven’t locked it in with you”. Read more »

Figaro and Rumba and the Cool Cats by Anna Fienberg & Stephen Michael King (Allen & Unwin, $24.99)

Reviewed by Ruth Brassington

The Cool Cats band from Cuba has taken over the Crocodile Café featured in the first Figaro and Rumba book, but the fun goes on – and the music keeps playing. Adventure follows adventure and suspense is sustained in this musical melodrama about Figaro, a lovable drummer dog, and his singer-composer friend Rumba the cat. I read it to my twin grandchildren, almost seven, who couldn’t wait for each instalment. One had started reading it to himself, but asked me to help as he was so eager to race through the six chapters. His sister wanted it read out to ensure a quicker arrival at a happy ending.
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Rivers: New Zealand’s Shared Legacy by David Young (Random House, $59.99)

Reviewed by Jim Robinson

“Our connection as a nation to the river is deep, complex and fundamental,” writes David Young at the opening of this truly excellent book. “It is about both sheen and layers, identity and belonging, mystery and utility, constancy and volatility; it can be sensual, fun and romantic, but also brutal and dark.”

After reading the next 300 or so pages, you’d be hard pushed to deny it. Young roams 11 of New Zealand’s great rivers, from the Rakaia to the Rangitikei, Whanganui to Waikato, Manawatu to Motu. Along the way, he explores the people and places, the kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and the science, the history and the opportunities. Eels, whio (blue ducks), rafting, bridging, damming, irrigation, erosion, dairying, and way more is delved into. So many issues. So many layers of connection.
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Night Film by Marisha Pessl (Hutchinson, $37.99)

Reviewed by C P Howe

Night Film is Marisha Pessl’s second novel, and it is a richly entertaining read, although this experience feels like more than just reading. Pessl takes what might be called a trope – a combination of characters and their surroundings that feel very familiar – and does something spectacular with it. She has created a layered thriller that keeps you wondering, and exploring, well after the last page has been turned.

At the heart of Night Film is the reclusive horror film director Stanislas Cordova. Only those who’ve had direct contact with him know what he looks like. Photographs in the media or on the internet may or may not be him. Pessl has echoed Roeg, Hitchcock, Polanski, Cassavetes and others to create a character who is familiar yet unknown, and taken it to extremes. Readers will find themselves wishing – hoping, even – that he really existed – even though, if he did, they may never have dared see one of his films.
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Sylvia Plath: Drawings introduced by Frieda Hughes (Faber 2013)

Reviewed by Ruth Brassington

Sylvia Plath: famous as a poet, a poet’s wife, and for taking her own life, but never famous for her artwork. Two years ago, 44 of her drawings were exhibited in London’s Mayor Gallery and all but one sold, the drawing of Ted Hughes being withdrawn from sale by Plath and Hughes’ daughter Frieda. It’s these 44 drawings that compose this book, edited and introduced by Frieda, who writes a fair three-page summary of Plath’s sketching and drawing life, saying “art was always an important element of my mother’s life”.
The drawings, most of them dated (1955-1957), are mainly illustrative style pen and ink sketches presented in four sections relating to the countries of their execution: England, France, Spain and the USA. The first section starts with a letter from Plath to husband Ted, the next two with a letter to her mother, the final section with a journal entry; only the latter does not mention her drawing, although it has plenty of word pictures for story ideas.
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The Life and Art of Lynley Dodd by Finlay Macdonald (Penguin, $50)

Reviewed by Nikki Slade Robinson

The cover of this book, with its classic colours and comfortingly familiar animals, is fittingly reminiscent of a Beatrix Potter classic. And classics are what the Hairy Maclary books have become, so it’s delightful to see this biographical tribute released.

This book is written by Finlay Macdonald, well-known journalist, editor, publisher and broadcaster. He has successfully combined the elements of a traditional biography with a detailed insight into Dame Lynley Dodd’s imaginative world. Read more »

Quake Dogs: Heart-warming stories of Christchurch Dogs by Laura Sessions and Craig Bullock (Random House, $34.99)

Reviewed by Kelly Bold

You know you’re in trouble when just reading the publisher’s blurb for a book makes you teary. But that’s how it was for me as I picked up my copy of Quake Dogs. We all know the devastating effects the Canterbury earthquakes had on the region’s human inhabitants, but what about our faithful four-pawed friends? Author Laura Sessions teamed up with photographer Craig Bullock to answer that question.

The first thing that struck me was just how truly beautiful this book is to look at. Each tale is accompanied by a number of gorgeous photos that capture each dog’s unique character and circumstances. Clearly Craig Bullock is not only a talented cameraman, but a dog lover too. I couldn’t help but marvel at his obvious patience to get the perfect shot and the joy he elicited from his furry subjects.
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Living in a Warmer World by Jim Salinger (Bateman, $39.99)

Reviewed by John Lang

How is climate change going to affect our lives? According to Living in a Warmer World, it won’t just be changes to the weather, but also changes to our water, our wheat and even our wine.

Vastly experienced climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger, who lives in Auckland, has gathered essays from the who’s who of climate specialists in a fast-paced book that moves beyond our preoccupation with the causes of climate change. Rather, it combines observation and foresight to evaluate the looming effects on our world.

Former NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark, now head of the United Nations Development Programme, provides a useful foreword. From there, 20-plus experts across various disciplines leave little unexplored in a series of short (albeit technical) chapters, and help the reader understand the enormity of adapting to a warming planet, with effects on such critical areas as our fisheries, food supplies and access to fresh water.
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