The latest Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list, described by Steve Braunias NONFICTION
1 The Art of Winning by Dan Carter (Penguin Random House, $40)
Tips on success by the Chemist Warehouse ambassador.
2 On the Record by Steven Joyce (Allen & Unwin, $37.99)
A free copy of the former National maestro's memoirs was up for grabs in last week's giveaway. Readers were asked to either guess the next government, or make an interesting remark about Joyce; the winner is John Cochrane, who did both. He wrote, "Who will form the government? National and Act, with enough margin to relax. The country is grumpy, disillusioned, and resistnik, and someone has to pay. Interesting things about Joyce: 1) He told the Herald ('12 Questions'), 'One of the topics we took during my time at university was the mating displays of the mallard duck and many years ago I used to, if encouraged, do the impersonation of mating behaviour during a dinner party.' 2) His wife Suzanne worked as a nanny for Tony and Cherie Blair's children on her OE when Blair was a rising member of the British Labour Party. (Audrey Young, the Herald, March 2010). These two facts are not related." Or are they? At any rate, huzzah to John; a free copy of On the Record is his.
3 Head On by Carl Hayman & Dylan Cleaver (HarperCollins, $39.99)
4 Summer Favourites by Vanya Insull (Allen & Unwin, $39.99)
New book of over 70 summer recipes by the popular author of Everyday Favourites. It's also set to sell like mad. A forthcoming book on the publishing industry in New Zealand, prepared by students and staff at the Whitireia Publishing Course, includes a chapter by Allen & Unwin publisher Jenny Hellen on how to publish a non-fiction bestseller. No one knows better than her; alongside publisher Michelle Hurley, Allen & Unwin have published hot cake after hot cake these past few years, such as the biggest-selling book of 2022, Straight Up by Ruby Tui, as well as Lost and Found by Toni Street, The Bookseller at the End of the World by Ruth Park, plus political memoirs (Judith Collins, Steven Joyce), self-helpers (Gwendoline Smith, Hira Nathan) – and cookbooks (Annabel Langbein, Vanya Insull). Little wonder Allen & Unwin have won the best publisher of the year award at the Book Industry Awards in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2023.
5 Our Land in Colour by Jock Phillips & Brendan Graham (HarperCollins, $55)
From my review on Tuesday: "A collection of more than 200 old black and white photographs colourised by Wellington digital colourist Brendan Graham. It's the past, but a lot of it looks as fresh as the present. It's one of the best-selling books of the year and I'm pretty sure it's also the best illustrated coffee-table book of the year."
6 From the Pilot’s Seat by Fletcher McKenzie (Penguin Random House, $40)
A free copy of the new bestselling collection of interviews with Kiwi pilots is up for grabs in this week's giveaway. To enter, share any kind of story about flying, and email it to stephen11@xtra.co.nz with the subject line in screaming caps I WANT THAT BOOK OF PILOT INTERVIEWS. Entries close at midnight on Sunday, September 10.
Preference may be given to really dramatic stories; the book contains several such yarns, including the amazing story as told by Carlton Campbell to the book's author, Fletcher McKenzie, about the time he was giving a student flight instructions on how to land a float plane on Lake Wakatipu – but the plane smashed into the lake, and nearly killed both of them. "The plane submarined, and the force was so great that the column slammed into the instrument panel, snapping my fingers off. When the aircraft dove, its nose folded down. The gull-wing doors folded also, and spat us out like torpedoes. We both were blasted down so deep that I couldn’t see the surface. Everything was black…" The full story ran at ReadingRoom the other day.
7 Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sisson (Penguin Random House, $45)
8 Eat Up New Zealand: The Bach Edition by Al Brown (Allen & Unwin, $49.99)
9 Black Gold by Gregor Paul (HarperCollins, $39.99)
From David Cormack's review: "The central thesis of Paul’s book is that money corrupts, and that money has corrupted NZ Rugby absolutely. But he never really proves this point. His thinking barely rises above cliches such as, 'In the professional game, money was going to talk'…But Paul is an experienced journalist who can tell good stories, for example his exploration of the dynamic between players and officials, and the formation of the Players’ Association. There's also a fascinating look into the hunt for a jersey sponsor that came down to two very interested parties – Nike and Adidas."
10 Whakawhetai: Gratitude by Hira Nathan (Allen & Unwin, $36.99)
FICTION
1 The Bone Tree by Airana Ngarewa (Hachette, $37.99)
Number one for the fourth consecutive week! What does this say about Māori writing in 2023? As a white coloniser I have no worthwhile idea but will persist with a few remarks in ReadingRoom next week.
2 The Axeman’s Carnival by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $35)
3 Pet by Catherine Chidgey (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38)
4 Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton (Te Herenga Waka University Press, $38)
5 Kāwai by Monty Soutar (David Bateman, $39.99)
6 Tangi by Witi Ihimaera (Penguin Random House, $30)
7 Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts by Josie Shapiro (Allen & Unwin, $36.99)
8 Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump (Penguin Random House, $15.99)
New edition of the 1986 book that inspired the 2016 Hunt For the Wilderpeople movie.
9 The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera (Penguin Random House, $15.99)
10 Hiwa: Contemporary Māori Short Stories by Paula Morris & Darryn Joseph (Auckland University Press, $45)
Excellent anthology of new writing. Three stories ran recently at ReadingRoom: the inspired flash-fiction "Work and Income Gothic" by Jack Remiel Cottrell, the brilliant satire set in Mt Roskill, "Isn't It", by Paula Morris, and "Alternate Realities" by Pamela Morrow, a fantasy of Kiri Te Kanawa.
