New books to hit the spot


TOUCHDOWN is a weekly selection of outstanding new titles: books either anticipated or surprising, just out of the carton! Follow the links for more information, to purchase these books or to have them put aside for you.

SORRY - THIS SITE AND FEED ARE NOW CLOSED.
Thank you for your support. {Thomas}


30 May 2014


http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/771965-TheDig-9781847088789
The Dig by Cynan Jones   $29.99
A searing short novel, built of the interlocking fates of a badger-baiter and a disconsolate farmer, unfolding in a stark rural setting where man, animal, land and weather are at loggerheads.
"By turns brutal and tender (equally devastating, mind you), this portrayal of grief and memory eked out in the desperate space between the soil and the lowering sky is taut and spare and full of affecting and surprising images and observations." - Thomas
"Brilliantly alive; a profound, powerful and utterly absorbing portrayal of a subterranean rural world." - Guardian

http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/788245-TheBoyintheBook-9780755365692
The Boy in the Book: One man's adventure in search of a lost childhood by Nathan Penlington   $38.00
"When the author purchased a second-hand set of ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ books, he discovered, scribbled in the margin, notes from the original owner (a young boy), and in one of the books were pages from his diary. He decided he must track this boy down, who would now be a young man. The book tells this story with heart-aching candidness as we share the life of the author and the personal difficulties that he faces as he pursues his quest." - Peter
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/787565-UtopiaorBust-9781781683279
Utopia or Bust: A guide to the present crisis by Benjamin Kunkel   $25.00
A vital diagnosis of the current recession, and a useful guide to the new wave of theorists (Zizek, Graeber, Harvey, Jameson, &c). Clear, important and well written. 
"Playful and unfailingly lucid." - The Nation
"Nimble, clear, and brave. The book is for anyone who cares about historical necessity, the crisis of capitalism, and our fate." - Rachel Kushner
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789477-GoodPlacetoHide-9781742376141
A Good Place to Hide: How one French community saved thousands of lives in World War II by Peter Grose   $39.99
Ordinary people in an isolated community outwitted the Nazis and saved the lives of 3500 Jews.
"A story resonant in our age ... a grand narrative ... a book to cherish and recommend." - Thomas Keneally
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/779743-BisforBauhaus-AnA-ZoftheModernWorld-9780140515930
B is for Bauhaus: And A-Z of the modern world by Deyan Sudjic    $49.99
A collection of thoughtful, absorbing essays about many aspects of modern design.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/791600-TheRiseandFallofGreatPowers-9781922147875
The Rise and Fall of Great Powers by Tom Rachman   $37.00
"A tale about the mystery of the self, the power of books, and how truth and fiction can inextricably intermingle. Captivating." - Library Journal
"When a Tom Rachman novel lands in the bookstores, I stop living and breathing to devour it. It’s hard to think of anyone who has a better grasp on the world we live in (and I mean, like, the entire planet) and can write about it with such entertainment and panache." - Gary Shteyngart
From the author of The Imperfectionists.

http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/795318-JimsLion-9781406346022
 Jim's Lion by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Alexis Deacon   $26.00
Deep in his dreams, Jim finds a lion to help him when he needs help most. Hoban's life-affirming story of illness overcome meets its perfect match in Deacon's extraordinary illustrations and graphic sequences. A wonderful book! Deacon and Hoban paired up for Hoban's last book, the astounding Soonchild.
"Hoban is the best sort of genius." - Patrick Ness
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/796882-PersianaRecipesfromtheMiddleEastBeyond-9781845339104
Persiana: Recipes from the Middle East and Beyond by Sabrina Ghayour   $49.99 
Excellent recipes, clear instructions and explanations. Delicious and approachable food! Earns its place on the shelf beside Ottolenghi and Tamimi's Jerusalem.
You will like to look at this clip.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/798604-FiveMaoriPainters-9780864632951
Five Maori Painters by Ngahiraka Mason et al    $65
Robyn Kahukiwa, Emily Karaka, Kura Te Waru Rewiri, Saffronn Te Ratana, Star Gossage. What are the foundations upon which these five painters explore their art? An important book.
Meet the artists here
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/791595-TheConfabulist-9781922079176
 The Confabulist by Steven Galloway   $37.00
A darkly fanciful take on the Houdini legend by the author of The 'Cellist of Sarajevo.
"Fascinating. A brilliant novel, and one that virtually demands multiple readings to pick up all the subtleties." - Publishers Week
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789518-WalkingtheWoodsandtheWaterIntheFootstepsofPatrickLeighFermorfromtheHookofHollandtotheGoldenHorn-9781857886177
Walking the Woods and the Water: In the Footsteps of Patrick Leigh Fermor from the Hook of Holland to the Golden Horn by Nick Hunt    $35.00
"Glorious" - Robert Macfarlane

http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/793897-SkeletonCupboard-9781447262077
The Skeleton Cupboard: Stories from a clinical psychologist by Tanya Byron   $35.00
Being a psychologist gives you unique insight into the breadth and depth of ordinary people's experiences. These stories are gripping, poignant and full of black humour.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/790097-Purgatory-9780143571025
Purgatory by Rosetta Allan   $29.99
A novel based on the 1865 Otahuhu murders, drawing on the author's own ancestors' experiences.
"Vivid and engrossing, a novel about the brutal truths of our history, the shadowy secrets of our unwritten story." - Paula Morris
An interview with Rosetta Allan here (she writes in bed).
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/793420-AuthorismsWordsWroughtbyWriters-9781620405406
Authorisms: Words wrought by writers by Paul Dickson    $25.00
When writers can't find the right words, they make them up.
"Thoroughly enjoyable." - Washington Post
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/788856-LoveNinaDespatchesfromFamilyLife-9780241965092
Love, Nina: Despatches from family life by Nina Stibbe   $29.99
In 1982 Nina Stibbe, a 20-year-old from Leicester, moved to London to work as a nanny for a very particular family. It was a perfect match: Nina had no idea how to cook, look after children or do anything much; and the family were delighted by her lack of skills.
"I adored this book and could quote from it forever." - Nick Hornby
"Funny and sharp: no book this year has made me laugh more." -John Lanchester, Guardian
"An unassuming comic genius." - Independent
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789452-Animals-9781782112129
Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth   $35.00
A funny, furious tale about two thirtysomething women whose hedonistic existence is placed in jeopardy.
"I wish I had written this book ... Withnail with girls!" - Caitlin Moran
"Brutally funny and heartfelt. I loved it." - Lauren Beukes
"Like a riotous, careening night out, full of bellowing laughter and absurd details, this is a book you'll be talking about for years to come. It marks Unsworth as a tremendous talent." - Guardian

http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/787137-TheEyeoftheWolf-9781406352573
 The Eye of the Wolf by Daniel Pennac   $18.00
A wolf has lost nearly everything on his journey to the zoo, including an eye and his beloved pack. A boy too has lost much and seen many terrible things. They stand eye to eye on either side of the wolf's enclosure and, slowly, each makes his own extraordinary story known to the other.
An attractive new edition of this remarkable book. 
"Simply beautiful." - Michael Morpurgo
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/773147-DandelionClocks-9780141348995
Dandelion Clocks by Rebecca Westcott    $18.00
"A brilliantly told story about a significant six months in eleven-year-old Olivia's life - it should be sold with a large box of tissues!" - Jacqueline Wilson

http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/776960-AreWeAllScientificExpertsNow-9780745682044
 Are We All Scientific Experts Now? by Harry Collins   $29.99
There is a war against expertise in our society. Surely, Collins argues, science should serve as an example to ordinary citizens of how to think and act, and not the other way round.


http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/788285-Victory-9781775540434
Victory: New Zealand Airmen and the Fall of Germany by Max Lambert   39.99
The definitive account of the New Zealand air crews' role in the invasion of Europe in 1944 to the fall of Berlin the following year.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789472-FamilyLife-9780571224531
Family Life by Akhil Sharma    $35.00
A troubled story about the loneliness and despair of an Indian family whose American dream turns sour.
"Outstanding. Every page is alive and surprising, proof of his huge, unique talent." - David Sedaris
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/790112-TheMinnow-9781922182012
The Minnow by Diana Sweeney    $26.00
"Quietly powerful and compelling. A tender, lyrical book about love, loss and starting over." -Meg Rosoff 
"Diana Sweeney gives Tom a believable voice: innocent, headstrong, anxious but determined…this strong debut will resonate with young people and adults alike." - Books+Publishing
Winner of the Text Prize for Young Adult and Children's Fiction.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/725134-WhatWHAudenCanDoforYou-9780691144733
 What W.H. Auden Can Do For You by Alexander McCall Smith   $39.99
"A surprising little book, written by Alexander McCall Smith - when does that man ever sleep! Smith has written about a poet who is a favourite of mine, W.H.Auden. The author has said it's a self-help book for people who don't like self-help books. Be that as it may, I found it fascinating and illuminating." - Jan
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/795306-TheBowOdysseus2-9781925081015
 The Bow by Catherine Mayo   $19.99
War is coming to Bronze Age Greece. Many challenges face the young Odysseus, not the least of them being the challenges of love.
The sequel to Murder at Mykenai
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789533-TheSecretWorldofOil-9781781687833
The Secret World of Oil by Ken Silverstein    $37.00
 "Silverstein writes with keen reportorial objectivity but also understandable skepticism about the frighteningly tyrannical hold that oil has on the free (and not-so-free) world. The book's revelations make Wall Street corruption seem tame by comparison." - Kirkus Reviews
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/781723-TheBoyontheWoodenBoxTheIncredibleStoryBehindoneoftheYoungestNamesonSchindlersList-9781471119682
 The Boy on the Wooden Box: The incredible story behind one of the youngest names on Schindler's 'List' by Leon Leyson    $15.00
Leon Leyson (born Leib Lezjon) was only ten years old when the Nazis invaded Poland and his family was forced to relocate to the Krakow ghetto, and thence to the Plaszow concentration camp. How did he survive? This is the only memoir from a child saved by having their name added to Oskar Schindler's famous 'list'. 
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/788595-Cracked-9781743316030
Cracked by Clare Strahan   $19.99
When life feels like it’s fracturing, how do you find a way to feel whole? At fifteen, Clover is finding the going tougher than she expected. Her life is close to being derailed on the rocky terrain of family, friendship, first love, acts of defiance and a planet on the brink of environmental disaster. 
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/791572-BettyCornellTeen-AgePopularityGuide-9780141355955
Betty Cornell's Teen-Age Popularity Guide    $26.00
From the 1950s:  "Figure Problems," "Good Grooming," "What to Wear Where" - lots of fun! This book was the inspiration for teen author Maya Van Wagenen's remarkable memoir Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek.
Ten tips from Maya here.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/793887-Smart-9781447272762
Smart by Kim Slater    $18.00
There's been a murder, but the police don't care. It was only a homeless old man after all. Kieran cares. It's a good job Kieran's a master of observation and knows all the detective tricks of the trade. But being a detective is difficult when you're Kieran Woods. When you're amazing at drawing but terrible at fitting in.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/788647-TheElementsofModernArchitecture-UnderstandingContemporaryBuildings-9780500342954
The Elements of Modern Architecture: Understanding contemporary buildings by Antony Radford   $79.99
This ambitious book is aimed at a new generation of architects who take technology for granted but seek to understand the principles of what makes a building meaningful and enduring.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789493-MySalingerYear-9781408855508
My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff    $35.00
At 23, after leaving graduate school to pursue her dreams of becoming a poet, Joanna Rakoff moves to New York City and takes a job as assistant to the literary agent for J.D. Salinger. Poignant and keenly observed, My Salinger Year is a memoir about literary New York in the late 1990s.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789475-TheGardenofErosTheStoryoftheParisExpatriatesandthePost-WarLiteraryScene-9780957452213
The Garden of Eros: The Story of the Paris Expatriates and the Post-War Literary Scene by John Calder     $25.00
John Calder, the most independent of independent publishers, draws on his own experience, and that of Barney Rosset (Grove Press) and Maurice Girodias (Olympia Press), to write about the challenges of being a publisher in the 1950s and 1960s, censorship and political persecution, and the problems faced by such writers as Beckett, Burroughs, Trocchi and Miller to have their work accepted and recognized.
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789520-WarandGoldAFive-Hundred-YearHistoryofEmpiresAdventuresandDebt-9781408848166
War and Gold: A Five-Hundred-Year History of Empires, Adventures and Debt by Kwasi Kwarteng    $38.00
"A clever history of capital and its speculators, and the enduring ability of money to ruin siociety." - Guardian
 

http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/780314-StandinginforLincolnGreen-9780007463015
 Standing in for Lincoln Green by David Mackintosh   $18.00
Lincoln Green has a double to do all the things he doesn't want to do. That can only lead to trouble...
Cool book trailer here (complete with backwards-walking horse!).
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/789532-TheQuestforaMoralCompass-9781848874800
The Quest for a Moral Compass: A global history of ethics by Kenan Malik   $39.99
"A terrific achievement." - Independent
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/791493-ElizabethisMissing-9780241003510
Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey   $37.00
Maud is losing her memory - can she find out the truth?
"Elizabeth is Missing will stir and shake you: an investigation into a seventy-year-old crime, through the eyes of the most likeably unreliable of narrators. But the real mystery at its compassionate core is the fragmentation of the human mind." - Emma Donoghue
"Both a gripping detective yarn and a haunting depiction of mental illness, but also more poignant and blackly comic than you might expect from that description." - Observer
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/779552-BadInfluence-9781408836538
Bad Influence by William Sutcliffe    $25.00
"Dark, witty ... brilliantly dramatizes the human craving for approval and strong leadership and the lengths we'll go to satisfy it." - Kazuo Ishiguro, Observer
"Painfully funny, wonderfully vivid, truly menacing." - Daily Telegraph
http://www.pageandblackmore.co.nz/products/788263-TheCurseoftheHouseofFoskett-9781781853269
 The Curse of the House of Foskett by M.R.C. Kasasian   $29.99
125 Gower Street, 1882: Sidney Grice once had a reputation as London's most perspicacious personal detective. But since his last case led an innocent men to the gallows, business has been light. Listless and depressed, Grice has taken to lying in the bath for hours. Usually a voracious reader, he will pick up neither book nor newspaper. He has not even gathered the strength to re-insert his glass eye. His ward, March Middleton, has been left to dine alone. At last an investigation draws them to an eerie house in Kew, and the mysterious Baroness Foskett...
Follows The Mangle Street Murders.
"One of the most delightful and original new novels of the year... a series that could well become a cult." - Daily Mail