The Emperor Waltz by Philip Hensher        $45.00
Hensher's most ambitious novel yet has just been longlisted for the Booker. Three narrative legs (a woman in a third-century desert settlement on the fringes of the Roman empire, an artist studying at the Bauhaus in the 1920s, and a young man attempting to establish a gay bookshop in 1970s London) move together as a compelling whole. 
"A performance of extraordinary flair and majesty from a writer who seems capable of anything." - Guardian
"Daring, funny, ingeniously observed and humming with revolutionary ideas." - Daily Mail 

Young Skins by Colin Barrett      $39.99
A stunning set of stories set in a small town in rural Ireland where the young live hard and wear the scars.
"Colin Barrett's sentences are lyrical and tough and smart, but there is something more here that makes him a really good writer. What seems to be about sorrow and foreboding turns into an adventure, instead, in the tender art of the unexpected." - Anne Enright
"Incredible. Human violence, beauty, brilliance of language - this book reminds you of the massive things you can do in short fiction." - Evie Wyld 
"Exciting and stylistically adventurous." -- Colm Toibin Irish Times

The Iceberg: A memoir by Marion Coutts      $39.99
A profound and beautiful account of three lives operating in the shadow of catastrophe: the death following a brain tumour of Coutts' husband, the art critic Tom Lubbock.
 "Startlingly beautiful and inspiring. The Iceberg is a book about death, certainly, but it’s also about survival. The miracle here is not only in Coutts coming through such an ordeal, but in finding the wherewithal to observe it, unpick its complex psychology, and commit it to paper. This is human trauma, profoundly and beautifully told." - Independent
"Intimate and unflinching - this is a stunning record." - Guardian
>> Read an extract.

The Unknown Unknown: Bookshops and the delight of not getting what you wanted by Mark Forsyth      $3.00
Or, rather, getting what you didn't know you wanted.
A delightful digressive essay written to celebrate the importance of independent bookshops. From the author of The Etymologicon and The Elements of Eloquence.
Pick one up from the counter when you next come in!

 After Me Comes the Flood by Sarah Perry      $35.00
"An atmospheric novel about a man given shelter by strangers. What makes this novel truly remarkable is its unique vision, its skilful and sophisticated characterisations, and the creation, without unseemly effects, of an atmosphere that will haunt readers long after the final page." - John Burnside, Guardian
"A marvellous novel in which Kafka meets Miss Marple." - Telegraph

Waha / Mouth by Hinemoana Baker      $25.00
Her third collection of poems.
"I’d like to think that opening this book to read is like standing at the mouth of a cave, or a river, or a grave, with a candle in your hand." – Hinemoana Baker

 Men in this Town: London, Tokyo, Sydney, Milan, New York by
Giuseppe Santamaria      $39.99
A striking photographic collection showcasing the street styles of the modern man.
>> Blog here.

Matthew's Dream by Leo Leonni       $19.99
Matthew the mouse lives in a dreary corner of a dusty attic. But a trip to the museum helps him to see his surroundings in a new light. With brush in paw, Matthew sets out to paint "the shapes and colours of joy". A delightful book by a master illustrator.  
>>Here's someone to read you the story.

 My Life as a Foreign Country by Brian Turner      $45.00
A former army sergeant captures US conflict down the generations in a gripping memoir of hallucinatory intensity.
"Brilliant and beautiful. It surely ranks with the best war memoirs I've ever encountered - a human, heartbreaking and expertly crafted work of literature." - Tim O'Brien (author of The Things They Carried)

Chineasy: 100 postcards by Shaolan Hsueh    $29.99
Shaolan's stunningly designed book Chineasy is a natty, fascinating guide to reading Chinese characters based on their basic components. Now there are postcards!
>> Have a look at the Chineasy website.

Breakfast With the Borgias by D.B.C. Pierre     $29.99
An insidious web of secrets and lies is cast across the pages of this Hammer thriller from the author of Vernon God Little. 
"Hell is other people." - Jean-Paul Sartre

 Plan D by Simon Urban    $29.99
What if the Berlin Wall never fell? 
"A superb alt-timeline thriller that recalls Robert Harris's Fatherland." - Financial Times

Astonished Dice: Collected Short Stories by Geoff Cochrane      $30.00
Cochrane has long been a dissenting and original voice in New Zealand poetry and fiction. This volume collects works originally published in very limited editions, his early novella 'Quest Clinic' and more recent stories. 
>>Here he is at home.

 Granta 128: American Wild      $29.99
When every inch of land has been conquered, when every place has been mapped, what is left to explore? This issue of Granta goes into the American wild, metaphorical and real. Vital writing from Andrew Motion, Martin Amis, Thomas McGuane, Melinda Moustakis, Adam Nicolson, Mona Simpson, Claire Vaye Watkins, Callan Wink and others.

 The Girls from Corona Del Mar by Rufi Thorpe     $35.00
"A knockout of a debut novel. Thorpe's worldly, rambunctious, feminist, morally interrogative prose style galvanizes ­every episode with smart, almost cosmic insights, tough talk, elegiac moments of love, dumb wonder, and, of course, further tragic events." - Elle

Agent Storm: My life inside Al Qaeda by Morten Storm      $37.00
Unique insights from the Danish biker-turned-Islamist-militant-turned-spy.
>>Here's an interview.

a knockout of a debut novel . . . Her worldly, rambunctious, feminist, morally interrogative prose style galvanizes ­every episode with smart, almost cosmic insights, tough talk, elegiac moments of love, dumb wonder, and, of course, further tragic events - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.co.nz/books/rufi-thorpe/the-girls-from-corona-del-mar-9780091954208.aspx#sthash.PMlHLJmt.dpuf

a knockout of a debut novel . . . Her worldly, rambunctious, feminist, morally interrogative prose style galvanizes ­every episode with smart, almost cosmic insights, tough talk, elegiac moments of love, dumb wonder, and, of course, further tragic events." - Elle - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.co.nz/books/rufi-thorpe/the-girls-from-corona-del-mar-9780091954208.aspx#sthash.PMlHLJmt.dpuf

 Unspeakable Things: Sex, lies and revolution by Laurie Penny     $37.00
"This is not a fairytale. This is a story about how sex and money and power police our dreams." This book is both a radical critique and a call to arms. 
"Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride. Laurie Penny's "dissection of modern feminism" is a rollercoaster of a book, taking in poverty and prejudice, rioting and mutiny, slut-shaming and cybersexism." - Guardian

 Robot Uprisings edited by Daniel H. Wilson and John Joseph Adams     $26.00
What happens if (when?) our technology rises against us and threatens to usurp our dominance? Have we made our machines too like us?
These stories explore the worst possibilities.

 Falling Upwards: How we took to the air by Richard Holmes    $29.99
"Nominally a history of the hot air balloon, Falling Upwards is really a history of hope and fantasy - and the quixotic characters who disobeyed that most fundamental laws of physics and gave humans flight." - New Republic
"A wonderful book, beautifully written." - Jan
Now in paperback!

 Maurice Gee, A Literary Companion, Volume 1: Fiction for young readers edited by Elizabeth Hale       $35.00
Exciting stories, serious issues, great writing!


If you haven't seen this see this now.

The First Rule of Swimming by Courtney Angela Brkic       $29.99
The violent history of postwar Croatia, from 1945 until the turn of the millennium, created three generations of dislocated people. 
This novel “examines lives bruised and twisted by history, like weather-beaten trees that nevertheless manage to produce the sweetest fruit." - New York Times

Closed Doors by Lisa O'Donnell       $27.00

The dissonance between what a child narrator knows and what adult readers can make out is fully exploited here to great effect, and is reminiscent of Emma Donoghue’s Room … [A] compulsive read, grounded in a realism which, depicted through a child’s eyes – with that hint of a child’s surreal perception – gathers together violence, humour and love in a most believable way." - Scotland on Sunday - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.co.nz/books/lisa-odonnell/closed-doors-9780099559160.aspx#sthash.78NWiZHR.dpuf

"The dissonance between what a child narrator knows and what adult readers can make out is fully exploited here to great effect, and is reminiscent of Emma Donoghue’s Room . A compulsive read, grounded in a realism which, depicted through a child’s eyes – with that hint of a child’s surreal perception – gathers together violence, humour and love in a most believable way." - Scotland on Sunday
The author won the 2013 Commonwealth Book Prize for The Death of Bees.

Speed of Light by Joy Cowley       $19.99
With a father more interested in money than family, a brother in prison, a sister with a secret, and a mother in denial, it's no wonder Jeff buries himself in the safe world of mathematics. When a storm hits Wellington, a strange old woman is blown into Jeff's life, challenging everything he things is true.
Another vital and thoughtful book from the author of Dunger.  

 The Incarnations by Susan Barker       $37.00
"An extraordinary novel. Erudite, intriguing and compulsively readable, The Incarnations takes the reader on an intimate and mesmerising journey through Chinese history. Susan Barker, a born story-teller, has written one of the most remarkable novels of recent years." - John Boyne
"An utterly remarkable novel, important in its historical and cultural sweep." - Independent
For fans of David Mitchell (and other people, too). 
 

California by Edan Lepucki          $38.00
"Edan Lepucki conjures a lush, intricate, deeply disturbing vision of the future, then masterfully exploits its dramatic possibilities.” – Jennifer Egan
“Breathtakingly original, fearless and inventive, pitch perfect in its portrayal of the intimacies and tiny betrayals of marriage, so utterly gripping it demands to be read in one sitting." - Joanna Rakoff

 I am Rebecca by Fleur Beale     $19.99
A gripping New Zealand YA novel about a 16-year-old who begins to question the values and practices of the strict religious cult she has grown up in near Motueka. A sequel to the excellent I Am Not Esther. 
"I read this in one sitting. Compelling and reads well as a stand-alone. Incredibly well-written." - Stella

The Naturalist by Thom Conroy        $38.00
An interesting novel based on the life of Dr Ernst Dieffenbach: scientist, explorer, revolutionary, outcast. Dieffenbach arrived in New Zealand in 1839 as a naturalist and explorer, eager to understand the local people, the land and the unique flora and fauna. What he discovered was fascinating, but what his lively, prescient and detailed records didn't reveal was his own intriguing story and how it counterpointed so poignantly with the aspirations and experiences of the new settlers, as well as of the Maori he encountered.

New Zealand's Historic Samplers: Our stitching stories by Vivien Caughley        $49.99
A unique glimpse into our cultural history, and particularly women's history, through more than 80 historic samplers.

South Sea Vagabonds by J.W. Wray       $45.00
The true story of Johnny Wray's adventures after being fired from his day job in the Great Depression, building his own boat and spending the rest of his days sailing around the Pacific, living the life of his dreams, has become a classic and an inspiration to generations of readers, sailors and landlubbers alike.
First published in 1939. Back in print at last.

Journey by Aaron Becker       $19.99
A lonely girl draws a magic door on her bedroom wall and through it escapes into a world where wonder, adventure and danger abound. Red marker pen in hand, she creates a boat, a balloon and a flying carpet which carry her on a spectacular journey...who knows where? 
We love this book - and now it is here in paperback!
"A masterwork." - New York Times

 Berry Boys: Portraits of World War One soldiers and families by Michael Fitzgerald and Claire Regnault       $50.00
A powerful collection of images from the archives of Wellington photographers Berry & Co, now held at Te Papa. The portraits are accompanied by stories which convey the impact of the war on ordinary New Zealand families. 

Creativity: The perfect crime by Philippe Petit       $38.00
In 1974 Petit walked a tightrope strung between New York's Twin Towers (and was immediately arrested, convicted and sentenced to entertain the public). What makes him tick?
"Anyone curious about Petit's life and art, or hoping to draw inspiration for their own creative coup, will find ideas and insights in Creativity: The Perfect Crime." - BookPage

 The Young World by Chris Weitz     $22.00
After a mysterious Sickness wipes out the rest of the population of New York, the teen survivors assemble into tightly run tribes. How will life be lived?

Mark Cleverly, Designer by Jonty Valentine     $59.99
You may not know his name, but you will know his work - especially through classic Crown Lynn designs, and many New Zealand stamps. This book also covers his work in architecture, packaging and graphic design, and his  concept of 'designing in the third person'. Insights abound into the history of New Zealand design from the 1960s to the 1990s.

 What Milo Saw by Virginia Macgregor      $38.00
Nine-year-old Milo Moon has retinitis pigmentosa: his eyes are slowly failing and he will eventually go blind. But for now he sees the world through a pin hole and notices things other people don't. When Milo's beloved gran succumbs to dementia and moves into a nursing home, Milo soon realises there's something very wrong at the home...
If you enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and/or Wonder, you will be interested in this book.

 Smoked: How to flavour, cure and prepare meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit and more by Jeremy Schmid      $45.00

Deep Sea and Foreign Going: Inside shipping, the invisible industry that brings you 90% of everything by Rose George    $29.99
In this unique investigation, Rose George joins the crew of a container ship to chart the murky waters of international shipping, with its powerful naval fleets, pirate gangs, and illegal floating factories, to reveal the hidden industry upon which our world turns and our future depends.
"Brilliant." - Simon Winchester

 Rebels: My life behind enemy lines with warlords, fanatics and not-so-friendly fire by Aris Roussinos      $38.00
Lybia, South Sudan, Syria: the author embedded himself with various rebel groups and then wrote this book. "The hidden truth about war is how much fun it is." Worrying.

 The Tale of the Duelling Neurosurgeons: The history of the human brain as revealed by true stories of trauma, madness and recovery by Sam Kean    $39.99
For centuries, scientists had only one way to study the brain: wait for misfortune to strike - strokes, seizures, infections, lobotomies, horrendous accidents, phantom limbs, Siamese twins - and see how the victims changed afterwards.

 No Stars at the Circus by May Finn       $19.99
The sensitively written story of a ten-year-old boy in hiding after the round-up of Jews in Paris in July 1942.

 Stop the Train! I Want to Get On: Rediscovering New Zealand railway journeys by Grahame Hutchins      $49.99

 Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli      $19.99
"Spinelli adroitly balances emotional tension with introspective moments in this smart and funny story about a pair of twins growing apart." - Publisher's Weekly
"Double the feelings, double the fun." - Kirkus

 Life or Death by Michael Rowbotham      $38.00
Why would a man escape from prison the day before he's due to be released? A chilling new psychological thriller from a very aware writer. 

Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes       $35.00
In Detroit, the city that's become a symbol for the death of the American dream, a nightmare killer is unravelling reality. Detective Gabi Versado no longer believes in justice. She's seen too much stupidity, corruption and just plain badness.
From the author of The Shining Girls.

 Found and Made: The art of upcycling by Lisa Holzl     $27.00
Make a silk purse from a sow's ear!

 The Witzke Woman by Allan Marriott      $29.99
Juliana Witzke, the mother of Len Coley who features in Mud Beneath My Boots, is the heroine of this novel which gradually knits together the trauma of her early years with her last ones. In 1876, nine year old Juliana Witzke arrives in New Zealand from Poland on a German immigrant ship. She is quarantined on Somes Island before landing in Wellington. Seventy years later, she retains strong links to her Polish heritage and to events on the other side of the world. 

 Fifty Years With The Beatles: 750 classic, rare and unseen photographs telling the whole story edited by Tim Hill     $29.99
As it says. 

 Black Dog Summer by Miranda Sherry      $29.99
Yesterday, Sally was living in a rambling farmstead with her teenage daughter Gigi. Now Sally is dead, murdered, and Gigi is alone in the world. But Sally cannot die. She lingers unseen in her daughter's shadow. When Gigi moves in with her aunt's family, Sally comes too. When Gigi's trauma stirs up long-buried secrets, Sally watches helplessly as the family begins to unravel. Then Gigi's young cousin develops an obsession with African magic, and events take a darker turn. Now Sally must find a way to stop her daughter from making a mistake that will destroy the lives of all who are left behind.

 The Nowhere Box by Sam Zuppardi      $19.99
George needs a place where his annoying brothers can't find him. At last he finds one: Nowhere.  

 The Rain by Virginia Bergin      $19.99
A YA dystopian survival thriller: Ruby must get to London to find her father, but there's something wrong with the rain - just one drop will kill you (the same goes for the drinking water).  

 The Heist by Daniel Silva     $35.00
Gabriel Allon, art restorer and occasional spy, searches for a stolen masterpiece by Caravaggio. 

No Punches Pulled: Offences, outrages and other observations by Bob Jones     $35.00
Collected from the newspaper columns of one of New Zealand's most opinionated men.

It's........ The Pythons' Autobiography by Monty Python      $55.00
The last word in their own words, and some pictures, too. Monty Python have recently reunited for some live performances, during which John Cleese apparently needed a little prompting from the audience.


And now for something completely different....

The Chicken: A natural history by Joseph Barber      $29.99
In September 2009, The New Yorker magazine ran a feature proclaiming the chicken as the new 'It Bird'. The article celebrated the return of the backyard chicken and found in it the perfect convergence of economic, gastronomic, and emotional matters of the twenty-first century. This book is a timely, encyclopaedic, well-illustrated study that offers a deeper understanding of the species, reclaiming it from its commercial status as a mere egg and meat provider.