Tina Shaw recommends Auē by Becky Manawatu - Mākaro Press, 2019 Becky Manawatu is of Ngāi Tahu descent and lives in Waimangaroa with her husband and two children.  She is a reporter for The News in Westport. *** Many years ago, people used to talk about “The Great New Zealand Novel” … was there such a thing? Which novel might it be? It’s a term I haven’t heard for a long time, but this novel brought it to mind. Auē could well be such a mythical beast. The novel opens with an

Robyn Welsh recommends Ephemera by Tina Shaw - Cloud Ink Press, 2019 Tina Shaw is the writer of several novels for teenagers and young adults.  She lives in Taupo. *** Ephemera is scarily relevant and rich in character portrayals, scenery, time and place. I thought I’d need to wait a little longer until after the lockdown levels to read it, but in the end it was, for me, totally the right time to read this novel. I’d say to the faint hearted switch off the daily Covid news an

Kirsty Powell recommends All About Kate by Josie Laird - Swooping Kereru Press, 2019 Josie Laird lives on a lifestyle block outside Auckland and has recently returned to writing. She has three adult sons and a bewildered husband. *** A terrific read that touches more of us than we would care to admit. This coming of age story is set in the small towns of Warkworth and Pukekohe and has a warm familiar touch, as does the subject matter. The novel asks the question - "When you