NEW RELEASES (7.5.26)

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The Valley: Crime and punishment in a New Zealand city by Asher Emanuel $40
”There were two days to Christmas and Lewis felt like everything was spinning out of control. He wondered what he would say to the judge this time. His client, Rikihana, was already on multiple shoplifting charges. What’s a few more? Lewis thought. These supermarkets were still making a killing.” It’s late 2020. Rikihana Wallace, a prolific shoplifter of no fixed abode, is back in prison with little chance of bail. Nathan Morley, unemployed, is facing burglary charges and hoping his other, as yet undetected, offences don’t catch up with him. Lewis Skerrett, their overstretched legal aid lawyer, is trying to do right by them both. The culmination of over two years of field research and hundreds of hours of interviews, The Valley follows these three Hutt Valley men through courtrooms, prison, hospital, rehab, boarding houses and welfare offices. Told largely in verbatim dialogue, this up-close and personal account brings the realities of the New Zealand criminal justice system to life through the voices of those who experience it first-hand. [Paperback]
”The Valley is an extraordinary psychodrama, untangling the justice system from its impacts on the people who witness it, work within it and are subject to it. Asher Emanuel has made a nationally important contribution to literary reportage, policy analysis and our collective understanding of class society.” —Morgan Godfery 
”This is a once-in-a-generation contribution to New Zealand writing about justice, class and wider society. The Valley combines meticulous reporting and deep thinking on the daily grind of the justice system. The result is a monumental book of stories that will stay with you long after you put it down.” —Max Harris 
”This is journalism at its finest — immersive, meticulous, honest and brave. Asher Emanuel brings the messy, gritty, unfair, uneven, imprecise human reality of the criminal justice system into the light. A unique and important new book for Aotearoa New Zealand.” —Rebecca Macfie 
”The public’s understanding of the criminal justice system is largely shaped by the media, which repeatedly amplifies the voices of politicians and the police. This book cuts through that distorted narrative by giving voice to those on the system’s frontlines.” —Aaron Smale
”I think it's going to be a really important book.” —Toby Manhire
”Possibly even a masterpiece.” —Steve Braunias
>>A new standard of immersive jouirnalism.
>>Join our online discussion in June.

Transcription by Ben Lerner $33
The narrator of Ben Lerner's new novel has travelled to Providence, where he is to conduct what will be the final published interview with Thomas, his ninety-year-old mentor, and the father of his college friend, Max.  But after the narrator drops his smartphone in the hotel sink, he arrives at Thomas's house with no recording device, a fact he is mysteriously unable to confess. What unfolds from this dreamlike circumstance is both the unforgettable story of the triangle formed by Thomas, Max, and the narrator, and a brilliant meditation on those technologies that enrich or impoverish our connection to each other, that store or obliterate the memories that make us who we are. [Paperback]
”Transcription is another masterful intervention from a writer of unparalleled exactitude and intelligence. Lerner's linguistic precision, stylistic brilliance and philosophical range are not only thrilling things to encounter on the page, they are gentle surgical tools for a tender existential operation upon the reader. They crack open a profound reckoning with how we are living now, and the effect is genuinely startling. We call this fiction, but it is much, much more.” —Max Porter
”This may be the best novel you'll read all year: brilliant and incisive; intelligent and elegant.” —Telegraph
”A short, smart novel about parenthood and influence; about how much of our lives we have ceded to the black rectangles in our pockets.” —Observer
”Lerner is a linguistic magician and here is another triumphant and beautiful sleight of hand.” —Daisy Johnson
”Slender and subtle.” —LRB
”Transcription is both dizzyingly accomplished and disarmingly tender — an acutely elegant and forensic meditation on the disorientation of what it means to be alive now.” —Sophie Mackintosh
”'Novels of ideas' don't need to wear them on their sleeve. Beneath its superficially simple tale of a man visiting his old mentor, this one has impressive depths: it touches on old age, loss and the double-edged sword of modern technology. Lerner is already, at just 46, established as one of America's leading writers. This book proves why.” —Telegraph
>>Stupifying and overwhelming.
>>Projecting ourselves into the future.
>>The impossible interview.
>>Changing our minds.
>>Also available in hardback: $40 (stock due 12 May).
>>Join our online discussion in July.
>>See you later, alligator.

Light and Thread by Han Kang (translated from Korean by Maya West, e. yaewon, and Paige Aniyah Morris) $35
In this multi-faceted book, her first since being awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, Han Kang draws together the threads of her work and life, tracing the connections between her interior and exterior worlds through a sequence of essays, poems, photographs and diaries. A book of reflections, of words and light, it has at its heart the tiny, north-facing courtyard garden at her home, cultivated solely through the reflected sunlight of the mirrors which she must move throughout the day, as the earth turns on its axis. In a poem written at eight years old, Han Kang imagined a 'gold thread' of connection — an idea which she explores here with luminous attention, beginning with her Nobel Lecture. She writes of the wonder of following the thread we call language into the depths of other hearts, and her profound sense of an electric current which joins writer and reader. [Hardback]
”These essays from the Nobel literature winner open up her novels and offer beautiful imagery.” —Guardian
>>The softest thing.

London Falling: A mysterious death in a gilded city and a family’s search for the truth by Patrick Radden Keefe $40
In 2019, teenager Zac Brettler mysteriously fell to his death from a luxury apartment balcony into the Thames. As his grieving parents began to investigate his final days, they were shocked to learn that he’d been leading a double life, in which he was posing as the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch. This unsolved case is at the heart of London Falling — at once a family tragedy, a psychological portrait of a young fabulist, and an indictment of the greed for extreme wealth that has transformed one of the world’s great cities: London. Hiding in the shadows of its great architecture and imperial history are the malignant, mercenary forces that have come to influence us all — whether we realise it or not. In his inimitably gripping and forensic style, Patrick Radden Keefe explores what brought Zac Brettler (the grandson of famous rabbi Hugo Gryn) to the balcony that night — and how he became involved with some of London’s most notorious gangsters. Following Zac’s parents on a dark journey of investigation, London Falling unearths the unsettling truths they discovered — both about the sinister underworld on their doorstep, and about their son’s secret world. [Paperback]
”Gripping, rigorous and smart, London Falling takes a terrible mystery with an extraordinary cast of characters and somehow manages to make it perfectly encapsulate the weirdness of how London has mutated these past decades.” —Jon Ronson
”Keefe has a real gift for storytelling, an ability to unfurl the narrative in a way that is completely engrossing.” —Louis Theroux
>>Authenticity and lies.
>>The architecture of a lie.

The Ruin of Magic: Longing and belonging in strange times by Kate Holden $45
Is it possible to live wondrously by fluorescent light? In The Ruin of Magic, Kate Holden joins Katherine May, Maggie Nelson and Andre Aciman in crafting essays of intimate personal experience and sharply informed rumination on life in strange times. Holden meditates on her instinctive yearning for long-ago Europe versus the natural belonging she feels to the Australian landscape, and asks, What is a home? The strongest shelter or the most lethal trap, a museum of ourselves or a showcase of fashions? What, then, does it mean to make ourselves at home in an Australia still finding its way amidst old and avoided truths? Is nostalgia a reasonable mourning of timeless lore lost or a dangerous fantasy? And what has happened to magic and beauty in the glare of modern life? Reading Rainer Maria Rilke, Patti Smith, Walter Benjamin and D.H. Lawrence, dreamers and philosophers and poets, pagan history and new criticism, Holden writes with humour and sorrow of all the ways life today warps us under its glare -— and how to find a haven in the subtle shadows. [Paperback]
”Elegant and whip-smart, The Ruin of Magic is a work of beauty — a sober yet joyful quest to find home and belonging.” —Susan Johnson
”Thrillingly erudite, belletristic, yet necessarily raw. Many readers will encounter this ‘almost private’ book as the mirror they've been walking past their whole lives.” —Gregory Day
”A shimmering book that teases, enchants and provokes while offering balm through language and memory for our modern anguish and fear of oblivion.” —Robert Dessaix
>>Read an extract.
>>Sharp thinking.

Peace and Quiet by Dinal Hawken $25
What use is poetry in times of ecological and political turbulence? Peace and Quiet grapples with this question, invoking both human voices and the voices — ‘the silt and the slash’ — of the natural world. Powerful and illuminating, these poems show that peace, gentleness and reflection are a form of resistance. [Paperback with French flaps]
”Dinah Hawken is the high priestess of pin-drop poetry.” —James Brown
”Hawken is a wholehearted, surefooted poet, a gather and protector of precious things that others may ignore.” —Sophie van Waardenburg, Aotearoa NZ Review of Books
”This is poetry that digs deeply into existence, life and death, peace ahead of war, the power of silence and the power of the spoken.” —Paula Green
”Few writers have the skill to return to the land and the sea with such originality and genuine knowing as Hawken.” —Sarah Jane Barnett

The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout $38
Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He goes about his days teaching American history to high schoolers, correcting their casual ignorance, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He spends his free time sailing the beautiful Massachusetts Bay, or with his adult son and his wife of more than three decades — and as Artie does these things, he plans the event that will forever change the world he inhabits. But when a startling accident awakens a new perspective in Artie, and he realizes that life has its own secret it's been keeping from him — along with a lot more to say on the weighty matters of fate and freedom in his home and his country — he charts another course full of grief, hilarity and heart, to a place where the end marks the beginning. [Hardback]
”One of the most profoundly moving books I have read - I envy anyone reading it for the first time. Elizabeth Strout is one of those rare novelists whose books leave you a little wiser, open and more compassionate than you were when you began reading. Emotionally stunning, devastatingly wise, a beautiful read. Her best novel yet.” —Rachel Joyce
”A moving, tender and wise novel about a committed teacher who is utterly confounded by the emotional complexities of daily life. This might be Elizabeth Strout's best yet.” —Clare Chambers
”One of the best novels I have read. I am so stunned by it, how moving and beautiful and perfect it is.” —Anna Funder

Original Sin: The genetics of wrongdoing, the problem of blame, and the future of forgiveness by Kathryn Paige Harden $40
As a scientist examining how our DNA shapes differences in temperament, temptation and behaviour, Harden has seen first-hand how we — in public and in our most private relationships — continue to struggle with the ancient tensions between nature and nurture, freedom and constraint, the desire to punish and the longing to forgive. In Original Sin, she weaves together insights from her own experience as a daughter, mother, wife and scientist with cutting-edge research in genetics and psychology to grapple with some of the most important questions in modern life: How do we take responsibility for the people we become, knowing how we are shaped by both biology and experience? How should we respond when people hurt each other — or themselves? And has science made guilt obsolete? Navigating the psychological and biological terrain of addiction, antisocial behaviour and violence, Harden confronts the discomforting ways science unsettles our understanding of wrongdoing and choice. In doing so she asks us not to absolve, but to reckon differently with notions of fairness and blame. An inquiry into the uneasy space where human behaviour meets inherited biology, Original Sin challenges us to imagine a more humane vision of accountability — for ourselves and for one another. [Paperback]
”This is a serious and knotty book, but it can be beautiful. Harden draws movingly on autobiographical material. Ultimately, this is a well-informed attack on an American style of justice that relies on notions of sin and punishment. Harden acknowledges that retribution feels good — we are human. She wants everyone to be accountable for their actions, whatever their genetics. But she calls for rational measures aimed at reducing offending, and for restorative justice over vengeance. For Norway, not Texas. For compassion, not cruelty. A darkly glittering book.” —James McConnachie, The Times
”A book littered with fascinating scientific findings: Harden is exceptionally skilled at interweaving the personal and the scientific. She writes about her own life experiences — leaving the church, becoming estranged from her parents, the challenges of early motherhood — with rare, dangerous honesty. A complex, thought-provoking book.” —Sophie McBain, Guardian
>>An interesting backlash.
>>At the intersection.

Classic India Recipes by Pushpesh Pant $80
A carefully curated collection of more than 140 dishes, drawn from the pages of India: The Cookbook, a book hailed as a definitive companion to Indian home cooking. The selection showcases recipes that reflect the rich cultural and geographical variety of Indian food traditions, including vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes, sumptuous feasting dishes, and festive sweets. Each recipes is attributed to its associated region, and features a stunning image. There are well-known dishes such as Butter Chicken, Roghanjosh, and Dal Makhani, alongside more traditional and unusual fare Hyderabadi Dum ki Biryani (slow-cooked biryani) and Gucchi Pulau (morel pilaf) in addition to samosas, pakoras, dosas, and chapatis, and a host of accompanying chutneys and drinks. The recipes are perfect for home cooks, yet retain the authenticity that made the original book a global reference point for Indian cooking. Pant offers an essential resource that showcases cultural traditions while embracing simplicity, creating a culinary companion perfect for readers looking for a broad introduction to Indian cuisine. [Hardback]
>>Look inside.

Stock Photo by Simona Supekar $23
Brochures, billboards, websites, menus, and memes. We are immersed every day in the imagery of carefully-curated stock photography. Stock Photo blends memoir and cultural history to mine how this unique medium has cemented an important place in our cultural landscape. Part memoir, part cultural criticism, Stock Photo mines the significance of the stock photo in our everyday lives, from the ads and websites we browse, to the menus and memes that we consume. Through interviews with stock photography experts, photographers, models, consumers, and other stakeholders, Simona Supekar explores the evolution of the industry by tracing the creation of a stock photo from concept to usage while highlighting significant historical moments. Supekar weaves in her own experiences as a keyworder for a stock photography company while reckoning with her Asian American/South Asian identity in a post-9/11 world. Stock Photo also addresses how these images have the power to shape our perceptions about race, class/caste, gender, ability, and more, thus underscoring the importance of representation even in something as innocuous as a stock photo. [Paperback with French flaps]
”Simona Supekar's Stock Photo is a highly insightful and illuminating examination of how culture, commerce, and technology collide to shape our modern visual world. Supekar adeptly traces the powerful lineage of the image, from the human hands of art history and stock modeling to today's endless digital feeds and vast datasets that train artificial intelligence, revealing its immense influence on how we see and are seen. This is an essential, forward-thinking meditation on social change, challenging readers to be inspired to imagine a more diverse, ethical, and dazzlingly inventive new visual era.” —Peter Chow-White
>>Other interesting books in the ‘Object Lessons’ series.

Banned Books: 500-piece jigsaw puzzle by Jane Mount $45
Read and resist with this 500-piece puzzle featuring books that have been banned in the US and abroad.  The Banned Books Puzzle features art from Jane Mount, the brain behind the ‘Bibliophile’ series. With over 65 banned books colorfully illustrated, this puzzle comes with a handy reading checklist and information from PEN America on how to fight book bans, so you can be inspired to resist the pushback and read them all for yourself. [Shelvable box]
>>See the completed puzzle!
>>Some other book-related jigsaw puzzles.