Books & Authors

Harry Broad reviews It Doesn't Take a War: A Life Forever Changed by the Hyde Railway Crash written and published by Elizabeth Coleman. Audio

Once upon a time, there was an enterprising West Australian boy who decided to write a book to plus-size his pocket money. Bodie Howland tells us about his debut book The Love Hearts Explore Exmouth.

Celebrity has become a "weapon of mass distraction" that takes away from real heroism, says Landon Jones, former managing editor of People magazine. He explores how Americans became so… Audio

Ralph McAllister reviews My Friend Anne Frank by Hannah Pick-Goslar, published by Penguin Random House Audio

Studying the science of happiness doesn't always make you happy. Gretchen Rubin is considered a global expert on happiness, with her podcast and books about finding ways to be happier. But she felt… Audio

American futurist Kevin Kelly talks to Jesse Mulligan about the 450 proverbs in his new book Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier. Audio

The $7 trillion dollar wellness movement has encountered a backlash in recent times with many asking if the wellness craze is giving us a new lease on life or is it just an easy way to empty our… Audio

Featuring a chip-lipped duck, a structurally unsound tip truck, and the iconic train cake on the cover, a book of 108 themed cakes has been sparking sugary fantasies for three generations of kids. Audio, Gallery

The gentle, honest books of American writer Judy Blume are well-loved by many people who grew up in the '70s and '80s. Blume, now 85, runs a non-profit bookshop with her husband George Cooper in Key… Video, Audio

Yesterday was the shortest day of the year and with that comes the annual National Flash Fiction Day. The competition has been running since 2012 and it celebrates short stories in all their glory. Audio

Touch is one of our most underestimated senses, says social neuroscientist Professor Michael Banissy. His new book is called 'When We Touch: Handshakes, hugs, high fives and the new science behind why… Audio

Work isn't working. Employees around the world feel burned out and frustrated. Seth Godin is an influential marketing pioneer, teacher, best selling author and blogger. He says workers want dignity… Audio

Are humans really the smartest animal? Animal cognition expert Dr Justin Gregg thinks maybe not. In his new book If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal, he examines our exceptional brain power and finds it… Audio

Best-selling Latin American author Isabel Allende's new book The Wind Knows My Name reveals the brutal reality and lasting trauma caused by forced immigration and family separation. Audio

Carole Beu of the Women's Bookshop in Auckland reviews Where Light Meets Water by Susan Paterson, published by Simon & Schuster Australia. Audio

Shaun Barnett reviews Great Stories of New Zealand Conservation by Alan Froggatt, published by Upstart Press. Audio