Artists include Shane Cotton, Judy Millar, Peter Robinson and Yvonne Todd. Drawn from interviews conducted at the artists’ studios, the conversations flow and we are given an insight into what compels these artists to make, how they frame themselves in the world, and the ideas they discuss through their work. Immensely readable, Byrt combines serious art discussion with his own personal take on our contemporary artists, as well as letting us into his world as a critic. If you are looking to keep abreast of developments in contemporary NZ art, go no further than Anthony Byrt’s This Model World. This Model World, by Anthony Byrt (AUP) 9781869408589 The Wish Child is a must-read for this summer. The narrator’s voice is one of haunting sadness, all-telling yet allusive. Chidgey’s novel is reminiscent of Jenny Erpenbeck’s End of Days it’s beautifully crafted, building tension and foreboding and never letting the reader off the hook. Yet there is beauty in the small details and the happenstance relationship between Sieglinde and Erich. Theirs is a story of secrets, fear and overwhelming loyalty – for both the right and wrong reasons – a story that plays out in an atmosphere of paranoia and loss. Recently released, Catherine Chidgey’s The Wish Child is a stunning portrayal of war-time Germany through the eyes of two children, Sieglinde, from a middle-class family in Berlin, and Erich, from a farm near Leipzig.

The Wish Child, by Catherine Chidgey (VUP) 9781776560622

Sarah Forster interviewed him earlier in the year, if you are keen to learn more. Great as a read-aloud, for summer family reading, and for 12+. The language is captivating, the world is fascinating and the plot is both philosophical and beguiling.

Meet Clod and the serving girl, Lucy, and begin an adventure of twists and turns, the unexpected and surprising. In the opening pages we are introduced to the unusual Iremonger family, who live on the outskirts of London where they collect and sift the rubbish which has grown into great moving heaps with a life-force all of its own. The third in the trilogy, Lungdon, has just been published, but start with Heap House. Heap House, by Edward Carey (Hot Key Books) 9781471401572Īfter hearing Edward Carey at the Auckland Writer’s Festival in May, I was fascinated by his description of the world of the Iremongers, and this has been the find of the year for intriguing and excellent children’s writing. And you can win them: just tell us one book you plan to buy for Christmas in the comments, and/or over on Facebook! Here is what Stella is buying for her friends and family this Christmas. Between them, they have decades of experience in bookselling, and Stella has been on our board for many years. Stella Chrysostomou and Thomas Koed have just opened VOLUME, Nelson’s newest bookshop.

Dust by Michael Marder