Books Archive
Ethnography of a Ranfurly Man, a story about man and beer
"Darren only drank Ranfurly Draught. Only in the large 440ml cans, and only at room temperature."
The Saturday Poem: I Loan Jeanette Fitzsimons my Pen on the Plane by Murray Edmond
A recent, previously unpublished poem by Auckland poet Murray Edmond.
The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending March 6
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.
The Friday Poem: Party Legend by Sam Duckor-Jones
A new poem by Wellington poet Sam Duckor-Jones.
Book review: A gentle scalding of surprise hit Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Sam Brooks reviews Japanese novel Before the Coffee Gets Cold – which Aucklanders, inexplicably, will not stop buying.
The Ockham finalists just got announced, and two very hot books are missing
Ladies and gentlemen we have a horse race. Books editor Catherine Woulfe offers up some odds.
An essay on love by that ‘bad, sexy girl’, Fiona Kidman
Today Dame Fiona Kidman publishes All the Way to Summer, a new collection of beloved stories. Here, in an essay especially for The Spinoff, she looks back on her life of love.
The Unity children’s bestseller chart for the month of February
What’s the best way to get adults reading? Get them reading when they’re children – and there’s no better place to start than the Unity Children’s Bestseller Chart.
Two secret families: a writer’s true story of upheaval and healing
After decades in journalism Karina Kilmore thought she had her own story sussed. Then she got an email...
The teacher stories
I had planned to write an unabashed rave review, and then another book landed in my letterbox – and I just couldn't read those stories in isolation from my own experience.
The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending February 28
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.
The Friday Poem: i woke up and the day caught me by Kara Jackson
A poem by US National Youth Poet Laureate Kara Jackson.
The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending 21 February
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.
The Friday Poem: The Fight by Joy Harjo
A poem by US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo.
‘You cannot dismiss us’: A review of Booker winner Girl, Woman, Other
Himali McInnes looks past the fact that the first black woman to win the Booker had to bloody share it and focuses on the book – in itself a treasure.
The subtle art of not giving a fuck about swearwords in book titles
After years of swearword-emblazoned book covers, are readers all out of fucks to give about bad language?
Review: 2000ft Above Worry Level, a sublime novel about humdrum things
Eamonn Marra's debut novel makes a study of the mundane: sanding a fence, heating baked beans, three pizzas for $29.99 delivered. Alie Benge reckons it belongs somewhere between Sally Rooney and Elena Ferrante.
Unity Books bestseller list for the week ending February 14
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.
The Friday Poem: Insulation by James Brown
A new poem by Island Bay poet James Brown.
Eamonn Marra is done mining his mental health for art. Here’s why
Writing about depression is panning out brilliantly for Eamonn Marra – his debut novel hit Unity's top 10 list last week well before today's official launch. But now he's prepared to move on.
An awkward, expensive, perplexing night with Margaret Atwood and Kim Hill
Other than the fact that it's a tidy earner, why is famed Handmaid's Tale author Margaret Atwood doing this tour at all, wonders Holly Walker.
An extraordinary, tender response to Witi Ihimaera’s memoir Native Son
Poet essa may ranapiri says this review is one of the hardest things they've written.
Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending February 7
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington.
The Friday Poem: Riding home from work by Marcel Currin
A new poem by Tauranga poet Marcel Currin.
