Real-life reads dominate the top 10 bestselling New Zealand books. Images / Supplied
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1. (2) A Year at Awakino Station by Jaz Mathisen (Allen & Unwin)
New memoir-cookbook from longtime farmer taps into the endless Kiwi fascination with country life.
From the publisher: “Set amongst the breathtaking landscape of North Otago, A Year At Awakino Station encourages you to slow down, live alongside the land and embrace the seasons. Join Jaz Mathisen, her partner Dan Devine and their three young daughters as they farm Awakino Station – the third generation to do so.
“As the station cook, Jaz knows that a warm meal at the kitchen table or opening a tin of baking makes all the difference to a busy day. From carving a roast mutton to serving a fruit tart bursting with summer produce, or stocking up the pantry shelves with homemade preserves, this book welcomes you into the heart of their historic Kurow homestead.
“Home to generations of farmers, spanning from the back-breaking days of the early pioneers to now, the 18,500 acres of Awakino Station are also home to fine wool sheep, cattle and deer. Deeply passionate about running a sustainable farming business, Jaz and Dan share the belief that while they are the current managers of Awakino, they are only the custodians for the next generation.”
2. (1) The Crash by Sally Wenley (Massey University Press)
Journalist’s account of life before a horror bus crash and after.
From the publisher: “In 1987 Sally Wenley was the driven, fun-loving and at times naughty sports prefect of her Hawke’s Bay school with everything to live for. When a bus crashed on a school trip, five people were killed and she became a paraplegic, her sporting dreams in tatters.
“Now an award-winning radio reporter, in this engaging, uplifting and at times hilarious memoir, she looks back at the angry, defiant, risk-taking younger self who used alcohol and arrogance to mask physical pain and trauma. And, for the first time in 40 years, she also looks squarely at the accident.