Where the Heart Is

$35.99 NZD

Category: General Fiction

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

$25.00 NZD

Category: General Fiction | Reading Level: good

Eleanor lives a highly regulated life, struggles with social cues, has no mouth “filter” and relaxes on the weekend eating pizza and consuming two bottles of vodka, feeling she’s completely fine.  When her work computer malfunctions, tech support Raymond enters Eleanor’s lif e, unintentionally ending her profoundly sad and isolated existence.  Eleanor is cranky but so very funny, her humour contrasting her underlying dark past. The human need for connection is the central theme of this endearing, original, heartfelt novel. I absolutely loved it.   No one's ever told Eleanor that life should be better than fine. Meet Eleanor Oliphant: She struggles with appropriate social skills and tends to say exactly what she's thinking. Nothing is missing in her carefully timetabled life of avoiding social interactions, where weekends are punctuated by frozen pizza, vodka, and phone chats with Mummy.   But everything changes when Eleanor meets Raymond, the bumbling and deeply unhygienic IT guy from her office. When she and Raymond together save Sammy, an elderly gentleman who has fallen on the sidewalk, the three become the kinds of friends who rescue one another from the lives of isolation they have each been living. And it is Raymond's big heart that will ultimately help Eleanor find the way to repair her own profoundly damaged one.   Smart, warm, uplifting, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine is the story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine whose deadpan weirdness and unconscious wit make for an irresistible journey as she realizes. . .   The only way to survive is to open your heart. ...Show more

The Children Act by Ian McEwan

$26.00 NZD

Category: General Fiction | Reading Level: good

Now a Major Motion Picture starring Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, and Fionn Whitehead.  One of the Best Books of the Year: The Washington Post, NPR, Vogue, BookRiot Fiona Maye is a leading High Court judge who presides over cases in the family division. She is renowned for her fierce intelligence, exactitude, and sensitivity. But her professional success belies private sorrow and domestic strife. There is the lingering regret of her childlessness, and now her marriage of thirty years is in crisis. At the same time, she is called on to try an urgent case: Adam, a beautiful seventeen-year-old boy, is refusing for religious reasons the medical treatment that could save his life, and his devout parents echo his wishes. Time is running out. Should the secular court overrule sincerely expressed faith? In the course of reaching a decision, Fiona visits Adam in the hospital--an encounter that stirs long-buried feelings in her and powerful new emotions in the boy. Her judgment has momentous consequences for them both. ...Show more

The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide

$24.99 NZD

Category: General Fiction | Reading Level: very good

THE SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER.A couple in their thirties live in a small rented cottage in a quiet part of Tokyo. They work at home as freelance writers. They no longer have very much to say to one another. One day a cat invites itself into their small kitchen. She is a beautiful creatu re. She leaves, but the next day comes again, and then again and again. New, small joys accompany the cat; the days have more light and colour. Life suddenly seems to have more promise for the husband and wife; they go walking together, talk and share stories of the cat and its little ways, play in the nearby Garden. But then something happens that will change everything again.The Guest Cat is an exceptionally moving and beautiful novel about the nature of life and the way it feels to live it. Written by Japanese poet and novelist Takashi Hiraide, the book won Japan's Kiyama Shohei Literary Award, and was a bestseller in France and America. ...Show more

The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan

$26.00 NZD

Category: General Fiction

Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2014. A novel of the cruelty of war, tenuousness of life and the impossibility of love. August, 1943. In the despair of a Japanese POW camp on the Thai-Burma death railway, Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans is haunted by his love affair with his uncle's young wife two year s earlier. Struggling to save the men under his command from starvation, from cholera, from beatings, he receives a letter that will change his life forever. This savagely beautiful novel is a story about the many forms of love and death, of war and truth, as one man comes of age, prospers, only to discover all that he has lost. 'The Narrow Road to the Deep Northis a big, magnificent novel of passion and horror and tragic irony. Its scope, its themes and its people all seem to grow richer and deeper in significance with the progress of the story, as it moves to its extraordinary resolution. It's by far the best new novel I've read in ages.' - Patrick McGrath 'Beyond comparison . . . an immense achievement . . . Wilfred Owen wrote of his Great War verse- "My subject is war, and the pity of war. The poetry is in the pity." Flanagan's triumph is to find poetry without any pity at all.' - Geordie Williamson, The Australian 'A story of war and star-crossed lovers, the novel is also a profound meditation on life and time, memory and forgetting . . . a magnificent achievement.' - Katharine England, Adelaide Advertiser 'A masterpiece . . . The Narrow Roadis an extraordinary piece of writing and a high point in an already distinguished career.' - Michael Williams, The Guardian ...Show more

The History of Bees by Maja Lunde

$26.99 NZD

Category: General Fiction

***THE NUMBER ONE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER*** ''Fans of Cloud Atlas and Never Let Me Go will love The History of Bees'' Good Housekeeping ''Dystopian and electric, this book is set to blow minds everywhere'' Stylist ''Haunting and poignant ... an important and wonderful book'' Dave Goulson, bestselling author of Bee Quest In the spirit of Station Eleven and Never Let Me Go, this dazzling and ambitious literary debut follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees - and to their children and one another - against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis. England, 1851. William is a biologist and seed merchant, who sets out to build a new type of beehive--one that will give both him and his children honour and fame. United States, 2007. George is a beekeeper and fights an uphill battle against modern farming, but hopes that his son can be their salvation. China, 2098. Tao hand paints pollen onto the fruit trees now that the bees have long since disappeared. When Tao''s young son is taken away by the authorities after a tragic accident--and is kept in the dark about his whereabouts and condition--she sets out on a grueling journey to find out what happened to him. Haunting, illuminating, and deftly written, The History of Bees joins these three very different narratives into one gripping and thought provoking story that is just as much about the powerful relationships between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to nature and humanity. Praise for The History of Bees: ''Spectacular and deeply moving. Lunde has elegantly woven together a tale of science and science fiction, dystopia and hope, and the trials of the individual and the strengths of family'' Lisa See, New York Times bestselling author ''Such is the genius of debut novelist Maja Lunde that her tale of three eras--the long past, the tenuous present and the biologically damned future--is strung on the fragile hope of the survival of bees'' Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author ''As a lover of honeybees and a fan of speculative fiction, I was doubly smitten by The History of Bees. Maja Lunde''s novel is an urgent reminder of how much our survival depends on those remarkable insects. It is also a gripping account of how--despite the cruelest losses--humanity may abide and individual families can heal'' Jean Hegland, author of Into the Forest ''By turns devastating and hopeful, The History of Beesresonates powerfully with our most pressing environmental concerns. Following three separate but interconnected timelines, Lunde shows us the past, the present, and a terrifying future in a riveting story as complex as a honeycomb'' Bryn Greenwood, New York Times bestselling author ''Here is a story that is sweeping in scope but intimate in detail'' Laura McBride, author of We Are Called to Rise ''A brilliant and beautiful novel'' Jan Askelund, Stavanger Aftenblad   ''She does everything right [...] She paints on a broad canvas, the topic is highly important and the language is both comprehensive and precise'' Geir Vestad, Hamar Arbeiderblad ''One can easily understand the buzz ...''  Maria Årolilja Rø, Adresseavisa ''The settings portrayed in the novel are impressively visual and each character is perfectly naturally rooted in his or her own era and environment'' Janneken Øverland, Klassekampen ''Maja Lunde will reach a big audience with The History of Bees. (...) She has written a novel many will read in one go, and then sit down and think, about life, the world and the future. That is unique and it is very well done'' Annette Orre, littkritikk.no ''The History of Bees is a fascinating and brilliantly written novel that elegantly moves between the various stories and timelines'' Oddmund Hagen, Dag og Tid ...Show more

The Pearl Sister (#4 Seven Sisters) by Lucinda Riley

$19.99 NZD

Category: General Fiction | Series: The\Seven Sisters Ser.

CeCe D'Apli se has always felt like an outcast. But after the death of her father -- a reclusive billionaire affectionately called Pa Salt by the six daughters he adopted from around the globe -- she feels more alone than ever. With nothing left to lose, CeCe delves into the mystery of her familial orig ins. The only clues she holds are a black and white photograph and the name of a female pioneer who once traversed the globe from Scotland to Australia.   ...Show more

On the Bright Side - The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen by Hendrik Groen

$26.00 NZD

Category: General Fiction

85-year-old Hendrik Groen is fed up to his false teeth with coffee mornings and bingo. He dreams of escaping the confines of his care home and practicing hairpin turns on his mobility scooter. Inspired by his fellow members of the recently formed Old-But-Not-Dead Club, he vows to put down his Custard Cr eam and commit to a spot of octogenarian anarchy. But the care home's Director will not stand for drunken bar crawls, illicit fireworks and geriatric romance on her watch. The Old-But-Not-Dead Club must stick together if they're not to go gently into that good night. Things turn more serious, however, when rumours surface that the home is set for demolition. It's up to Hendrik and the gang to stop it - or drop dead trying . . . He may be the wrong side of 85, but Hendrik Groen has no intention of slowing up - or going down without a fight. Praise for Hendrik Groen 'A story with a great deal of heart, it pulled me in with its self-deprecating humour, finely drawn characters and important themes. Anyone who hopes to grow old with dignity will have much to reflect on' Graeme Simsion 'There are many laughs in this book but it's so much more than just a comedy. It's a story about how friendship, selflessness and dignity lie at the heart of the human experience. When I'm an old man, I want to be Hendrik Groen' John Boyne 'A funny but also touching diary praised for its wit and realism' BBC Radio 4 Front Row 'I laughed until I cried and then laughed and cried some more' David Suchet 'Thoughtful, anxious and gruff... Laced with humour' The Best New Fiction Mail on Sunday 'Amusing [and] wickedly accurate ... I was constantly put in mind of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, another comi-tragedy concerning the tyranny of institutions of the unwanted. Enjoy Groen's light touch but do not be fooled by it. We live in an ageing society. The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen is a handbook of resistance for our time' ***** FIVE STARS Sunday Express 'Highly entertaining ... a delightful and touching saga of one man's way of coping with old age ... we may assume that Hendrik Groen is a character of fiction. But it is a fiction so closely based on the observation of real life that it is utterly convincing' Daily Express 'A joy to read, as much concerned with friendship and dignity as it is with the debilitating effects of aging ... An entertaining and uplifting story of a man in the winter of his days, stoic in the face of bureaucratic nonsense and an unabashed need to wear a nappy. Imagined or not, this is the diary of someone who wants nothing more than to be allowed see out his days with dignity and respect. It's not too much to ask, really, is it?' John Boyne Irish Times 'Full of off-beat charm and quirky characters' Cathy Rentzenbrink, Stylist 'Hendrik pens an exposé of his care home, sets up the Old-But-Not-Dead club and relishes the arrival of a new female resident. This geriatric Adrian Mole made me laugh and think. Terrific' Fanny Blake, Woman and Home ...Show more

Mrs Osmond by John Banville

$26.00 NZD

Category: General Fiction

A MASTERFUL TALE OF BETRAYAL AND CORRUPTION BY THE MAN BOOKER PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE SEA 'Banville is one of the writers I admire the most' Hanya Yanahigara, author of A Little Life 'A brilliant feat of literary ventriloquism' The Times Having fled Rome and a stultifying marriage, Isabel Osmond is in London, brooding on the recent disclosure of her husband's shocking, years-long betrayal of her. What should she do now, and which way should she turn, in the emotional labyrinth where she has been trapped for so long? Reawakened by grief and the knowledge of having been grievously wronged, she determines to resume her youthful quest for freedom and independence. Soon Isabel must return to Italy and confront her husband, and seek to break his powerful hold on her. But will she succeed in outwitting him, and securing her revenge? Mrs Osmond is a masterly novel of betrayal, corruption and moral ambiguity, from the Man Booker Prize-winning author of The Sea. 'A worthy sequel ... His book is not only an impressive recreation of James's atmospheres and pacing, but also full of minor cliff-hangers and page-turning suspenses that keep you guessing' Observer 'John Banville is one of the best novelists in English, and an expert ventriloquist, among other things ... Mrs Osmond is both a remarkable novel in its own right and a superb pastiche' Guardian 'John Banville is simply the finest writer at work today, a prolific prose stylist whose work has only deepened in quality throughout his career' John Boyne ...Show more

The Other Woman (#18 Gabriel Allon) by Daniel Silva

$36.99 NZD

Category: General Fiction | Series: Gabriel Allon Ser.

#1 New York Times Bestseller #1 USA Today  Bestseller #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller From Daniel Silva, the #1 New York Times-bestselling author, comes a modern masterpiece of espionage, love, and betrayal She was his best-kept secret ... In an isolated village in the mountains of Andalusia, a mysterious Frenchwoman begins work on a dangerous memoir. It is the story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason's name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin's most closely guarded secret. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West--a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power. Only one man can unravel the conspiracy: Gabriel Allon, the legendary art restorer and assassin who serves as the chief of Israel's vaunted secret intelligence service. Gabriel has battled the dark forces of the new Russia before, at great personal cost. Now he and the Russians will engage in a final epic showdown, with the fate of the postwar global order hanging in the balance. Gabriel is lured into the hunt for the traitor after his most important asset inside Russian intelligence is brutally assassinated while trying to defect in Vienna. His quest for the truth will lead him backward in time, to the twentieth century's greatest act of treason, and, finally, to a spellbinding climax along the banks of the Potomac River outside Washington that will leave readers breathless. Fast as a bullet, hauntingly beautiful, and filled with stunning double-crosses and twists of plot, The Other Woman is a tour de force that proves once again that "of all those writing spy novels today, Daniel Silva is quite simply the best" (Kansas City Star). ...Show more

To Sir, with Love by E. R. Braithwaite; Ayub Khan-Din (Adapted by)

$9.99 NZD

Category: General Fiction

When a woman refuses to sit next to him on the bus, Rick Braithwaite is saddened by her prejudice. In cosmopolitan London, he had hoped for a more enlightened attitude.   When he begins his first teaching job in a tough East End school, the reactions are the same. Slowly and painfully, some of th e barriers are broken down, but his story is still very relevant today. ...Show more

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

$22.99 NZD

Category: General Fiction

"Sharp, funny, thought-provoking . . . a really great portrait of two young women as they're figuring out how to be adults."- Celeste Ng, "Late Night with Seth Meyers Podcast" Winner of the 2017 Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Frances is a cool-headed and darkly observant young woman, vaguely pu rsuing a career in writing while studying in Dublin. Her best friend and comrade-in-arms is the beautiful and endlessly self-possessed Bobbi. At a local poetry performance one night, Frances and Bobbi catch the eye of Melissa, a well-known photographer, and as the girls are then gradually drawn into Melissa's world, Frances is reluctantly impressed by the older woman's sophisticated home and tall, handsome husband, Nick. However amusing and ironic Frances and Nick's flirtation seems at first, it gives way to a strange intimacy, and Frances's friendship with Bobbi begins to fracture. As Frances tries to keep her life in check, her relationships increasingly resist her control: with Nick, with her difficult and unhappy father, and finally, terribly, with Bobbi. Desperate to reconcile her inner life to the desires and vulnerabilities of her body, Frances's intellectual certainties begin to yield to something new: a painful and disorienting way of living from moment to moment. Written with gem-like precision and marked by a sly sense of humor, Conversations with Friends is wonderfully alive to the pleasures and dangers of youth, and the messy edges of female friendship. ...Show more