The latest Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list, described by Steve Braunias
FICTION
1 Hoof by Kerrin Sharpe (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $25)
Golly! Sales were obviously brisk at the launch of Sharpe's new poetry collection - the only poetry collection to go to number one all year. A wonderful poem from the book, dedicated to NZSO trumpet player Michael Gibbs, will appear on ReadingRoom next week, with the author's commentary.
2 Kāwai by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99)
3 Light Keeping by Adrienne Jansen (Quentin Wilson Publishing, $37.50)
Blurbology: "In 1977, Robert and Jess are suddenly orphaned. Finding refuge with their lighthouse keeper grandparents, they begin to navigate their loss and rebuild their lives. Their grandparents, Annie and Bill, do their best to give the two children the love and security they need...In 2019, Robert is troubled and disconnected from life; the early grief in his life has cast a long shadow. When not drinking, his solace is creating architectural models. Jess is doing better but has had her share of additional heartbreak as an adult, and she now spends her time repairing old clocks. As Jess tries to help her brother through this difficult period in his life, they find themselves talking about their losses and the lighthouse that featured so prominently in their past."
4 The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $35)
5 The Bone Tree by Airana Ngarewa (Hachette, $37.99)
6 Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38)
7 Te Awa o Kupu by Vaughan Rapatahana & Kiri Piahana-Wong (Penguin Random House, $37)
Nifty anthology of new Māori fiction and poetry, with some of the big names (Airana Ngarewa, Colleen Maria Lenihan, Emma Hislop, Paula Morris, Jack Remiel Cottrell, Anahera Gildea etc).
8 The Penguin New Zealand Anthology edited by Harriet Allan (Penguin Random House, $45)
Nifty anthology of New Zealand short stories, with many of the big names (Charlotte Grimshaw, Alice Tawhai, Eleanor Catton, Frank Sargeson, Witi Ihimaera, Owen Marshall etc).
9 Remember Me by Anne Kennedy (Auckland University Press, $45)
Nifty anthology of New Zealand poetry, with all the big names (James K Baxter, Ashleigh Young, Bill Manhire, Fleur Adcock, Tayi Tibble, Hone Tuwhare, Denis Glover etc). From the Introduction: "To remember a poem is to carry it with you always – the poem a distillation of thought, feeling, sound...There’s a reason we say ‘off by heart’ when we commit words to memory: to remember a poem is to hold that poem close to your heart. This book brings together a wide range of poems, all written by Aotearoa poets, which lend themselves to being memorised and recited."
10 Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro (Allen & Unwin, $36.99)
NONFICTION
1 Untouchable Girls by Jools & Lynda Topp (Allen & Unwin, $49.99)
There were a record number of entries for last week's free book giveaway, a copy of the new Topp Twins look back on their amazing life and times. Readers were asked to make any kind of comment - a story about them, an insight about them, anything that gets to why they're so great. I was struck by the geographical spread, an indication of how far and how wide the Topps reached out and touched New Zealanders. There were emails from Lizzie of Haumoana, Cathie of Blenheim, and Jo of Havelock; Margaret of Waiheke remembered Lynda Topp helping to dig a giant kumara patch with locals, and Sandra wrote about the charity concert they performed in Rotorua with all proceeds going to Hospice.
Thos remembered them, busking in Queen St in the 1970s: "They drew such crowds that traffic couldn't get through, and the police would step in and negotiate with the girls in order to control the audience blocking the road." Hilary remembered the Topps during the 1981 Tour: "My partner and I felt strongly we needed to see for ourselves what was going on. We drove out to Mangere where we knew the Springbok Team were staying and there was a long security line of police across the entrance. There to my amazement were the Topp Twins singing which lightened the atmosphere hugely."
The place they most visited were the places in the human heart and the human spirit. Maggie wrote, "Maybe their authentic happiness gave gay lifestyles the public exposure it desperately needed to be more accepted." And a woman who wished to remain anonymous wrote, "My son is on the autism spectrum and has always been crazy musical. As a small child he was obsessed with Jools and Lynda and I had to record their every TV show which he watched ‘til the tapes wore out. Best of all he would belt out their songs on his guitar and he sounded bloody brilliant! He still loves The Topps and I am sure would love to read their story. They have brought so much joy and laughter to us all, they are tāonga in the truest sense of the word."
Di wrote, "I'm the Topps' vintage, and although it sounds corny - they really did write the soundtrack of my life. They never shied away from the hard stuff, instead fiercely diving straight on in. They made us sit up and take notice, think, and start some serious conversations. And they made us laugh at ourselves - for me, often when I needed to most. We all recognised someone we knew in their characters. I even have a brother called Ken."
The Topps know all about "the hard stuff". Marie was succinct: "I so identify with their devotion to each other as I have a twin sister who I love dearly and who has also had cancer."
But the winner is Carol Webb on Whanganui, who wrote, "Four years ago I cruised through my breast cancer treatment and recovery to the Untouchable Girls soundtrack and, when I had to switch off my phone it was a reliable, always in my head, ear worm. It still works all these years later, whenever I'm in a hole, reminding me that age is no barrier to being an Untouchable Girl."
Thanks to everyone who entered. Huzzah to Carol; a free copy of Untouchable Girls is hers.
2 Smithy by Wayne Smith & Phil Gifford (Upstart Press, $49.99)
3 Gangster’s Paradise by Jared Savage (HarperCollins, $39.99)
A free copy of the latest bestselling chronicle of organised crime and the methamphetamine trade in New Zealand is up for grabs in this week's book giveaway - but you will have to be quick, very quick. It just so happens I am interviewing the author on Sunday at the Tauranga Arts Festival. To enter, send in a question about organised crime, or methamphetamine, or gangs, or policing, or any of those associated subjects, that you think I should put to Jared at our session. Entries close at midnight, Saturday October 28. Email your suggested query to stephen11@xtra.co.nz with the subject line in screaming caps I REALLY WANT THE LATEST CHRONICLE OF ORGANISED CRIME BY NZ'S BEST REPORTER.
4 Meet You at the Main Divide by Justine & Geoff Ross (HarperCollins, $49.99)
The latest blather from New Zealand's most annoying couple.
5 The Dressmaker and the Hidden Soldier by Doug Gold (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)
6 Whakawhetai: Gratitude by Hira Nathan (Allen & Unwin, $36.99)
7 Summer Favourites by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
8 The Art of Winning by Dan Carter (Penguin Random House, $40)
9 Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sisson (Penguin Random House, $45)
10 Our Land in Colour by Jock Phillips & Brendan Graham (HarperCollins, $55)
