NEW RELEASES (6.11.25)

All your choices are good! Click through to our website (or just email us) to secure your copies, and we will dispatch your books by overnight courier or have them ready to collect from our door in Church Street, Whakatū.

Nova Scotia House by Charlie Porter $45
He said he would understand if it was too much for me, that I could leave him, that I was young, I should be living, I said to him, I am living. Johnny Grant faces stark life decisions.  Seeking answers, he looks back to his relationship with Jerry Field.  When they met, nearly thirty years ago, Johnny was 19, Jerry was 45. They fell in love and made a life on their own terms in Jerry's flat:  1, Nova Scotia House. Johnny is still there today — but Jerry is gone, and so is the world they knew.  As Johnny's mind travels between then and now, he begins to remember stories of Jerry's youth- of experiments in living; of radical philosophies; of the many possibilities of love, sex and friendship before the AIDS crisis devastated the queer community. Slowly, he realizes what he must do next — and attempts to restore ways of being that could be lost forever. Nova Scotia House takes us to the heart of a relationship, a community and an era.  It is both a love story and a lament; bearing witness to the enduring pain of the AIDS pandemic and honouring the joys and creativity of queer life. [Hardback]
”Nova Scotia House is one of the best things I've read in many many years; it is an extraordinary work of the imagination, and there is so much heart and longing in it that it filled my soul. It is a completely imagined work — a kind of gay dystopian story that isn't, a search for family that ends up being a multiple love story about creation. And I want to point out something as powerful as the narrative: the sheer writing force of it. Sentences that reordered my reading DNA from the first, colloquial sentences that are highly literary, a kind of queering of Beckett, a new way of seeing and writing that is not anyone else's but Porter's own. I am really knocked out by this book. It is a profound work.” —Hilton Als
”Beautifully provocative, Nova Scotia House is the most compelling exploration of life, death, love and resistance that I've read for a very long time.” —Eimear McBride
”This book occupies the spaces, the lives in between, the connections we make, the memories still happening in our heads, our bodies' responsibility to the state we put them in, growing, lusting, dying, reviving, sold on, the ruins of our lives, the communities of our past, another kind of economy, of sex and loss and weeds and words, this work of genius, Nova Scotia House.” —Philip Hoare
”I truly think Charlie Porter is doing something new: forging a radically direct language for describing a whole new way of inhabiting the world. Nova Scotia House is about loss and grief, sex and love, but it's also a super-powerful account of change and growth, about metabolising trauma and refusing to relinquish dreams.” —Olivia Laing
>>Catharsis.
>>Loss.
>>Bring No Clothes.

Moderation by Elaine Castillo $38
Girlie, a thirty-something Filipinx-American, works a day job at a social-media moderation centre, flagging and removing the very worst that makes it on to the internet. She's good at it, too — dispassionate, unflinching, maybe because she learned by necessity to cauterise all her emotions when she was still a kid — so it's no surprise to anyone when the social-media company for which she works offers her a big pay rise and an office to start moderating its new venture: virtual-reality theme parks, stunning simulations of civilisations long-since dead. Girlie takes the job, and it almost seems too good to be true. Almost. Sure, she signed up for having to deal with the ambient racism and misogyny of pretty much any virtual space, but as she begins to explore the intricate worlds that she moderates, she notices two deeply troubling things: that there might be something much darker built into the very code of the company, and that William, technically her new boss, a man whose barriers are as mighty as her own, might just awaken in her something long-forgotten. [Paperback]
”Moderation is a novel that refuses to do things by halves. It is a piercing, laser-precise exploration of big tech. Breathtakingly funny, and a highly charged, passionate and tender love story. A wonderful book. —Kaliane Bradley
”Tender and cutting, engrossing and immediate — Elaine Castillo's Moderation is a moving meditation on connection, growth, and how, in a world that's constantly on the verge of ending, one way we move forward is cultivating our own. Castillo's prose is luminous and lucid, balancing humor and emotion with wicked aplomb. Castillo expertly stretches the possibilities of language; Moderation is infinite.” —Bryan Washington
”With its unyielding density of sharply observed detail, high-resolution psychological drama, and driving narrative momentum, Moderation reminded me that the novel is still the best form of virtual reality we have.” —Jenny Odell
>>Labour and trauma.

A Short History of Photography by Walter Benjamin (translated from German by Ben Fergusson) $20
Perhaps more than any other text, A Short History of Photography by the German-Jewish thinker Walter Benjamin has shaped the way in which we understand early photography and the photographic act. One of the first theoretical studies of visual culture, this essay laid the foundation for modern cultural criticism. Instead of regarding the artwork as a unique object, Benjamin emphasized the political and artistic potential of a new technology based on endless reproduction. A Short History of Photography was originally published in the German literary journal Die Literarische Welt in 1931 as three short essays reviewing several books dedicated to early photography. In this text, Benjamin introduced concepts that remain central to critical theory of the medium: the aura, optical unconscious, reproducibility, among other topics. It constitutes a remarkably prescient description of the limits and potentials of photography which remains thought-provoking today. [Paperback]

Bread of Angels by Patti Smith $39
”God whispers through a crease in the wallpaper,” writes Patti Smith in this indelible account of her life as an artist. A post-Second World War childhood unfolds in a condemned housing complex described in Dickensian detail: consumptive children, vanishing neighbours, an infested rat house, and a beguiling book of Irish fairytales.  We enter the child's world of the imagination where Smith, the captain of her loyal and beloved sibling army, vanquishes bullies, communes with the king of tortoises and searches for sacred silver pennies. The most intimate of Smith's memoirs, Bread of Angels takes us through her teenage years where the first glimmers of art and romance take hold.  Arthur Rimbaud and Bob Dylan emerge as creative heroes and role models as Patti starts to write poetry, then lyrics, merging both into the iconic songs and recordings such as ‘Horses’ and ‘Easter’, 'Dancing Barefoot' and 'Because the Night'.  She leaves it all behind to marry her one true love, Fred Sonic Smith, with whom she creates a life of devotion and adventure on a canal in St. Clair Shores, Michigan with ancient willows and fulsome pear trees.  She builds a room of her own, furnished with a pillow of Moroccan silk, a Persian cup, inkwell and fountain pen.  The couple spend nights in their landlocked Chris-Craft studying nautical maps and charting new adventures as they start their family. As Smith suffers profound losses, grief and gratitude are braided through years of caring for her children, rebuilding her life and, finally, writing again — the one constant in a life driven by artistic freedom and the power of the imagination to transform the mundane into the beautiful, the commonplace into the magical, and pain into hope. In the final pages, we meet Patti on the road again, the vagabond who travels to commune with herself, who lives to write and writes to live. [Paperback]
>>Art rats in New York City.
>>’Dancing Barefoot.’

How to Live an Artful Life: 366 inspirations from artists on how to bring creativity to your everyday by Katy Hessel $45
Find daily inspiration for every day of the year in a collection of quotes and ideas from artists, brought together by the founder of The Great Women Artists. The year ahead is a gift that has been given to you. What might you do with it? Dive into the year with the wisdom of artists and writers. Gathered from interviews, personal conversations, books and talks, How to Live an Artful Life moves through the months of the year offering you thoughts, reflections and encouragements from artists and writers such as Marina Abramovic, Anne Carson, Siri Hustvedt, Nan Goldin, Lubaina Himid, Louise Bourgeois and many more. With a thought for every day of the year, whether looking for beginnings in January, freedom in summer, or transformation as the nights draw in, this is a book of words to cherish. The year is full of the promise of work that has yet to be written, paintings that are yet to be painted, people who have yet to meet, talk, or fall in love. With this book in hand, pay attention, and see the world anew. Go out and find it, taste it, seize it, and live it — artfully. [Hardback]

Hayek’s Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right by Quinn Slobodian $65
A exploration of how today's rightwing authoritarianism emerged not in opposition to neoliberalism, but from within it. After the end of the Cold War, neoliberalism, with its belief in the virtues of markets and competition, seemed to have triumphed. Communism had been defeated — and Friedrich Hayek, the spiritual father of neoliberal economics, had just about lived to see it. But in the decades that followed, Hayek's disciples knew that they had a problem. The rise of social movements, from civil rights and feminism to environmentalism, were now proving roadblocks in the road to freedom, nurturing a culture of government dependency, public spending, political correctness and special pleading. Neoliberals needed an antidote. In this book, Slobodian reveals how, from the 1990s onwards, neoliberal thinkers turned to nature, in an attempt to roll back social changes and to return to a hierarchy of gender, race and cultural difference. He explores how these thinkers drew on the language of science, from cognitive psychology to genetics, in order to embed the idea of 'competition' ever deeper into social life, and to advocate cultural homogeneity as essential for markets to truly work. Reading and misreading the writings of their sages, Friedrich Hayek and Ludwig von Mises, they forged the alliances with racial psychologists, neoconfederates, ethnonationalists that would become known as the alt-right. Hayek's Bastards shows that many contemporary iterations of the Far Right, from Javier Milei to Donald Trump, emerged not in opposition to neoliberalism, but within it. As repellent as their politics may be, these supposed disruptors are not defectors from the neoliberal order, but its latest cheerleaders. This book is currently entirely relevant to these shores too, unfortunately. [Hardback]
>>Crack-Up Capitalism.

We Pretty Pieces of Flesh by Colwill Brown $38
A searing novel written entirely in South Yorkshire dialect about three working-class girls whose friendship is torn apart by a devastating secret Ask anyone non-Northern, they'll only know Donny as punch line of a joke or place they changed trains once ont way to London. But Doncaster's also the home of Rach, Shaz and Kel, bezzies since childhood and Donny lasses through and through. They share everything, from blagging their way into nightclubs to taking pregnancy tests at Family Planning when they're late. Never mind that Rach is skeptical of Shaz's bolder plots; or that Shaz, who comes from a rougher end of town, feels left behind when the others begin charting a course to uni; or that Kel sometimes feels split in two trying to keep the peace - their friendship is as indestructible as they are. But as they grow up and away from one another, a long-festering secret threatens to rip the trio apart. Written in a South Yorkshire dialect that brings a place and its people magnificently to life, We Pretty Pieces of Flesh takes you by the hand and drags you through Doncaster's schoolyards, alleyways and nightclubs, laying bare the intimate treacheries of adolescence and the ways we betray ourselves when we don't trust our friends. [Hardback]
”A lacerating, exhilarating debut novel... It manages to be both boisterous and bleak, life-enhancing and life-denying, familiar and yet wholly original. It feels essential. You will read nothing else like it this year.”  —Catherine Taylor, Guardian
”Blistering, brilliant, savage and smart. This is a superb debut and Colwill Brown is the real thing.” —Eimear McBride
”Brilliant and original on every level. She is a writer like nobody else.” —Elizabeth McCracken

The Breath of the Gods: The history and future of the wind by Simon Winchester $38
What is going on with our atmosphere? The headlines are filled with news of devastating hurricanes, murderous tornadoes, and cataclysmic fires. Gale force advisories are issued on a regular basis by weather services around the world. Atmospheric scientists are warning that winds — the force at the centre of all these dangerous natural events — are expected to steadily increase in the years ahead, strengthening in power, speed, and frequency. While this prediction worried the insurance industry, governmental leaders, scientists, and conscientious citizens, one particular segment of society received it with unbridled enthusiasm. To the energy industry, rising wind strength and speeds as an unalloyed boon for humankind — a vital source of clean and ‘safe’ power. Between these two poles — wind as a malevolent force, and wind as saviour of our planet — lies a world of fascination, history, literature, science, poetry, and engineering which Simon Winchester explores with the curiosity and Vigor that are the hallmarks of his bestselling works. In The Breath of the Gods, he explains how wind plays a part in our everyday lives, from airplane or car travel to the ‘natural disasters’ that are becoming more frequent and regular. The Breath of the Gods is an urgently-needed portrait across time of that unseen force — unseen but not unfelt — that respects no national borders and no vessel or structure in its path. [Paperback]

I Am Dyslexic: An interactive and informative guide by Chanelle Moriah $37
An essential guide to understanding dyslexia - for dyslexic people and their families, friends and workmates. Dyslexia is a common condition that affects approximately one in ten people — both adults and children — but information on how to manage it is not as accessible as you might think. Chanelle Moriah has already published bestselling books on autism and ADHD, helping countless people to feel less alone in their experiences. At the age of 25, Chanelle was diagnosed with dyslexia and decided to take another deep dive. Chanelle shines the spotlight on dyslexia in their unique style, creating a simple resource that explains what dyslexia is and how it can impact the different areas of someone's life. I Am Dyslexic is a tool for both diagnosed and undiagnosed dyslexic people to explain or make sense of their experiences. It also offers non-dyslexic people the chance to learn more from someone who is dyslexic. With clear sections explaining the many aspects of dyslexia, accompanied by Chanelle's beautiful illustrations, and with space for readers to write down their thoughts, this book is designed to be personalised to the individual's experience. [Hardback]
>>This Is ADHD (read Stella’s review).
>>I Am Autistic.

Baking and the Meaning of Life: How to find joy in 100 recipes by Helen Goh $60
No one knows the 'why' or 'how' of baking better than Helen Goh, recipe developer with Yotam Ottolenghi for more than a decade, co-author of bestselling books Sweet and Comfort, and practising psychologist. In this, her first solo cookbook, Goh draws on her upbringing in Malaysia and Australia, her acclaimed work with Ottolenghi and her psychology training to share her distinctive approach to baking with 100 delicious sweet and savoury bakes. With recipes like Chocolate Tahini Cake with Sesame Brittle, Plum and Pistachio Bars, Pandan and Coconut Chiffon Cake, and many other shareable treats that offer both tried-and-true and creative flavours, this book is a celebration of community, connection and pleasure through baking. Helen's Champagne and Blackcurrant Celebration Cake will become your new go-to for a special occasion, while a batch of Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes for a picnic or charity bake sale is a small but powerful building block of community and solidarity. All of her desserts are impressively sweet ways to celebrate milestones and connect with family and friends. And after your sweet tooth has been satisfied, there are more than 15 savoury baking dishes, from a Puttanesca Galette with Lemon Ricotta to a Potato, Garlic and Rosemary Focaccia. With inventive flavour combinations that showcase Helen's creativity, a wealth of thoroughly road-tested bakes and her reflections on living and baking well, Baking and the Meaning of Life is a one-of-a-kind companion bakers will return to again and again to spread joy, one cookie, cake, or cheese puff at a time. [Hardback]
>>Look inside!

The ABCs of Socialism edited by Bhaskar Sunkara, illustrated by Phil Wrigglesworth $15
Almost suddenly, socialism has re-entered our political discourse, but it is probably not best left up to the mudslingers and disparagers to shape our understanding of it (though their very opposition to it gives it rather an appeal!). This book steps into this moment to offer a clear, accessible, informative, and irreverent guide to socialism for the uninitiated. Written by young writers from the magazine Jacobin, alongside several scholars, The ABCs of Socialism answers basic questions, including ones that many want to know but might be afraid to ask ("Doesn't socialism always end up in dictatorship?", “Don’t the rich deserve to keep their money?", “Is socialism a Western concept?”, “Socialism sounds good in theory but doesn’t human nature make it impossible to realise?”). Disarming and pitched to a general readership without sacrificing intellectual depth. [Paperback]
>>Look inside.