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Join the Kete community. Stay up-to-date on the latest in new books from Aotearoa, from reviews and events to giveaways.
Read our independent reviews of the latest books from Aotearoa.
Pānuihia ā mātou arotakenga tūhake o ngā pukapuka hou nō Aotearoa.
ReviewIn equal parts adventure and a warning, and with the wisdom and frustration of half a century behind him, The Alarmist is the exhilarating autobiography of a pioneering Kiwi scien...
Reviewed by Jim Eagles
5 May 2021
ReviewIn the urban and rural wildernesses, there is an abundance of food just waiting to be discovered, if only you know what to look for. Foraged food is healthy, economical and sustain...
Reviewed by André Taber
5 May 2021
ReviewAs Nina Mingya Powles’ Magnolia is short-listed for yet another award, Renee Liang finds it deserves the praise.
Reviewed by Renee Liang
3 May 2021
Review'What Jacqueline Bublitz has created with her debut novel is far richer and entertains as readily as it questions and challenge our cultural obsession with dead girls.'
Reviewed by Greg Fleming
3 May 2021
ReviewDatura, or nightshades, include the devil’s trumpet, a plant with irresistibly gorgeous flowers that are highly toxic. … Beautiful and imperiling: that just about sums up the lives...
Reviewed by Maggie Trapp
28 April 2021
ReviewDavid Eggleton, Poet Laureate of Aotearoa 2019–21, has published nine poetry collections, and now, finally, comes a “Best of.”
Reviewed by Michael Steven
26 April 2021
ReviewEveryday food should be quick and easy, using readily available ingredients and simple techniques. Dotted throughout My Darling Lemon Thyme: Every Day, you will find “anything” rec...
Reviewed by André Taber
26 April 2021
ReviewBuying a rundown motel to start a new life — what could possibly go wrong? In this funny and moving novel, prize-winning author Stephanie Johnson turns her wry eye on us.
Reviewed by Maggie Trapp
22 April 2021
ReviewIn this transformative book, 24 Māori academics share their personal journeys, revealing what being Māori has meant for them in their work. Their perspectives provide insight for a...
Reviewed by Atakohu Middleton
21 April 2021
ReviewDiana Morrow tells the story of this remarkable New Zealand woman’s life and, in the process, provides valuable insights into the role of women social reformers in our history and ...
Reviewed by Atakohu Middleton
19 April 2021
ReviewPoet Siobhan Harvey’s latest collection is about migration, outcasts, the search for home, and the ghosts we live with, including the ones who occupy our memories, ancestries and s...
Reviewed by Kiri Piahana-Wong
14 April 2021
ReviewThis fascinating book by three painting conservators invites readers on art detective missions to explore the backs of 33 paintings, ranging from 14th century artworks to the prese...
Reviewed by Peter Carter
13 April 2021
ReviewCouples in last-chance therapy, friends unfriending, racist trolls trawling the comments section for game — this collection of poems is concerned with the things that make us feel.
Reviewed by Paula Green
12 April 2021
ReviewOriginally self-published in 2015, this remarkable crime novel, which won the 2016 Ngaio Marsh best first novel award, has now inspired a TVNZ series. Here’s why.
Reviewed by Greg Fleming
12 April 2021
ReviewWhen war broke out between the British Empire and the Boer republics in 1899, New Zealand was among Britain’s most enthusiastic supporters. But, for a people whose involvement in c...
Reviewed by David Littlewood
7 April 2021
ReviewMaurice Shadbolt’s journalism and his demolition of the myths surrounding the Gallipoli campaign with his ground-breaking play Once on Chunuk Bair are central to Philip Temple’s se...
Reviewed by David Hill
7 April 2021
Review‘It’s material, make a story out of it,’ was the mantra Charlotte Grimshaw grew up with in her famous literary family. But when her life suddenly turned upside-down, she needed to ...
Reviewed by Linda Herrick
5 April 2021
ReviewAuthor: Paul Cleave. Reviewer: Greg Fleming. Cameron and Lisa Murdoch are successful crime-writers. They have been on the promotional circuit, joking that no-one knows how to get a...
Reviewed by Greg Fleming
5 April 2021
ReviewJoy Cowley is one of New Zealand’s most beloved writers. She’s written books for all ages and won lots of awards. But you wouldn’t have thought that could happen if you’d known her...
Reviewed by Dionne Christian
5 April 2021
ReviewWhen Wendyl Nissen's mother was suffering with Alzheimer's, she told some extraordinary stories about her background that Wendyl had never heard before. Determined to get to the b...
Reviewed by Caroline Barron
31 March 2021
ReviewDomestic violence is the leading cause of death by homicide for women in Aotearoa New Zealand yet an estimated 76 per cent of incidents go unreported. In HER SAY, survivors tell t...
Reviewed by Carole Beu
29 March 2021