Books
Book review: The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
Louise O'Brien reviews The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North published by Hachette. Audio
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a green crystal-like material found on Superman's home planet - Krypton. The radiation from the rock weakens Superman. Professor Bill Williams tells us if there are any real life… Audio
Book Critic: Catherine Ross
Today Catherine Ross talks to Jesse about books for young readers with the theme 'dystopian'. The books she talks about are: For ages 11+ years The Last Wild, (number 1 in a trilogy) by Piers Torday… Audio
Illustration becomes most valuable Harry Potter item ever sold
The illustration for the first book sold for over NZ$3.1m at auction, more than three times the expected price.
Book review: Tarot by Jake Arthur
Harry Ricketts reviews Tarot by Jake Arthur published by Te Herenga Waka University Press Audio
Why is George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four still relevant 75 years later?
Phrases such as 'Big Brother', 'Thought Police' and 'Double Think' have all made it into our political lexicon, part of the book's darker lessons around mass surveillance and government control. Audio
Book review: Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
Ralph McAllister reviews Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz published by Penguin Random House Audio
The Philosopher's Stone
The Philosopher's Stone in the Harry Potter books can change metal into gold and create an elixir of life. Erin Leitao tells Bryan Crump whether either ability is within our reach. Audio
Book Critic: Claire Mabey
Today Claire talks to Mark about At the Grand Glacier Hotel by Laurence Fearnley, The Garden Against Time by Olivia Laing and Tarot by Jake Arthur. Audio
The No Bullshit Guide to Staying Sober
In author Maree MacLean's The No Bullshit Guide to Staying Sober, she writes that just giving up the drink can turn you into a "dry drunk" - leading to a situation where you're sober but resentful of… Audio
Book review: Parade by Rachel Cusk
Melanie O'Loughlin of Lamplight Books in Auckland reviews Parade by Rachel Cusk published by Faber and Faber. Audio
How 'celebrity menopause' isn't empowering others
Real life for women in midlife shouldn't include comparisons to Jennifer Aniston says health journalist Niki Bezzant. Her new book is called The Everything Guide: Hormones, health and happiness in… Audio
Listening to the world in and around you: Laurence Fearnley at the Grand Glacier Hotel
Ōtepoti Dunedin author Laurence Fearnley’s absorbing new novel At the Grand Glacier Hotel is, impressively, her thirteenth.
In its pages Fearnley beautifully articulates the awkwardness and beauty… Audio
The best books of 2024 so far
RNZ book reviewer Kiran Dass, programme director of Christchurch's WORD festival, picks five favourites from her 2024 reading pile.
Book review: The Skeleton House by Katherine Allum
Laura Caygill reviews The Skeleton House by Katherine Allum published by Fremantle Press Audio
Octiron on Terry Pratchett's Discworld
Kate Andrew tackles Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books in this episode, with a particular focus on the Octiron, the element of magic which makes up the disc's hub. Audio
Juggernaut: Unravelling the 'incredible' story of the 1984 election
A new podcast examines the fall-out of Robert Muldoon's drunken snap election call and the way it changed NZ politics forever. Video, Audio
Book Critic: Anna Rankin
Today Anna talks to Jesse about The Economic Possibilities of Decolonisation by Matthew Scobie and Anna Sturman. Audio
Demand high for book on The Treaty of Waitangi
If the success of a new book is anything to go by, New Zealanders are keen to gain a greater understanding of Te Tiriti, The Treaty of Waitangi. The book was released earlier this year by Roimata… Audio
Book review: Knife by Salman Rushdie
David Hill reviews Knife by Salman Rushdie published by Penguin Random House. Audio
