Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi
Staff-created list
These highly acclaimed award winners are the crème de la crème of fiction. They range from tales of modern politics, environmental activism, civil war and talking magpies. Each one a standout for their masterful writing, exquisite characters and gripping plots. Featuring winners and nominees from New Zealand and around the world. A Christchurch City Libraries list.
A relationship forms from a chance encounter between an older male writer and a young student. A familiar trope, but the novel takes place in East Berlin ...Show more
A relationship forms from a chance encounter between an older male writer and a young student. A familiar trope, but the novel takes place in East Berlin between mid-1986 to early 1992. The weight of history hangs over both the older character and the story itself as the relationship grows darker and runs parallel to the crumbling of the GDR. Erpenbeck does not judge, merely observes what is happening. Winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize.
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A relationship forms from a chance encounter between an older male writer and a young student. A familiar trope, but the novel takes place in East Berlin ...Show more
A relationship forms from a chance encounter between an older male writer and a young student. A familiar trope, but the novel takes place in East Berlin between mid-1986 to early 1992. The weight of history hangs over both the older character and the story itself as the relationship grows darker and runs parallel to the crumbling of the GDR. Erpenbeck does not judge, merely observes what is happening. Winner of the 2024 International Booker Prize.
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This character-based novel provides a portrait of the long-term impact on a Latino family when their 13-year-old goes missing. No-one knows what happened...Show more
This character-based novel provides a portrait of the long-term impact on a Latino family when their 13-year-old goes missing. No-one knows what happened to her, but could she possibly be the unruly, red-haired woman on a reality TV show called 'Catfight'? Told with humor and empathy for her characters, you will feel you get to know each of the family members as they journey through their individual fears, pain and hopes. Winner of the 2024 PEN/Falkner Award
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This character-based novel provides a portrait of the long-term impact on a Latino family when their 13-year-old goes missing. No-one knows what happened...Show more
This character-based novel provides a portrait of the long-term impact on a Latino family when their 13-year-old goes missing. No-one knows what happened to her, but could she possibly be the unruly, red-haired woman on a reality TV show called 'Catfight'? Told with humor and empathy for her characters, you will feel you get to know each of the family members as they journey through their individual fears, pain and hopes. Winner of the 2024 PEN/Falkner Award
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This atmospheric novel is set in a future dystopian Ireland, where the state is turning against sectors of its community. The fear and disbelief is palpab...Show more
This atmospheric novel is set in a future dystopian Ireland, where the state is turning against sectors of its community. The fear and disbelief is palpable as unionists, journalists and the usual suspects become targets. Could it happen anywhere? Though the set-up may feel well-used, this is a very personal account of its effects on families. 2023 Booker winner.
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This atmospheric novel is set in a future dystopian Ireland, where the state is turning against sectors of its community. The fear and disbelief is palpab...Show more
This atmospheric novel is set in a future dystopian Ireland, where the state is turning against sectors of its community. The fear and disbelief is palpable as unionists, journalists and the usual suspects become targets. Could it happen anywhere? Though the set-up may feel well-used, this is a very personal account of its effects on families. 2023 Booker winner.
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If you like talking magpies, wicked farmers and the Otago high country you'll love this stunning novel by Catherine Chidgey. Chidgey skillfully explores t...Show more
If you like talking magpies, wicked farmers and the Otago high country you'll love this stunning novel by Catherine Chidgey. Chidgey skillfully explores the peaks and valleys of rural high country life with humour and grace. Tama, the chatty magpie, takes you on an extraordinary journey, studying human nature, gritty crime dramas and how to be an interent celebrity. Winner of the 2023 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction.
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If you like talking magpies, wicked farmers and the Otago high country you'll love this stunning novel by Catherine Chidgey. Chidgey skillfully explores t...Show more
If you like talking magpies, wicked farmers and the Otago high country you'll love this stunning novel by Catherine Chidgey. Chidgey skillfully explores the peaks and valleys of rural high country life with humour and grace. Tama, the chatty magpie, takes you on an extraordinary journey, studying human nature, gritty crime dramas and how to be an interent celebrity. Winner of the 2023 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction.
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Maali Almeida has died and has awoken in a visa office of the afterlife. He has seven moons to find his killer but during a civil war, the list of suspect...Show more
Maali Almeida has died and has awoken in a visa office of the afterlife. He has seven moons to find his killer but during a civil war, the list of suspects appear endless. The Seven Moons of Maali Almedia reveals the ferocity and violence of Sri Lanka's civil war with macarbe humour, magic realism and authenticity. An instant classic and winner of 2022 Booker Prize.
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Maali Almeida has died and has awoken in a visa office of the afterlife. He has seven moons to find his killer but during a civil war, the list of suspect...Show more
Maali Almeida has died and has awoken in a visa office of the afterlife. He has seven moons to find his killer but during a civil war, the list of suspects appear endless. The Seven Moons of Maali Almedia reveals the ferocity and violence of Sri Lanka's civil war with macarbe humour, magic realism and authenticity. An instant classic and winner of 2022 Booker Prize.
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Solenoid has been called a 'waking-dream book' and it is a fair description of this exquisitely detailed, surreal, Kafkaesque novel, where you can never b...Show more
Solenoid has been called a 'waking-dream book' and it is a fair description of this exquisitely detailed, surreal, Kafkaesque novel, where you can never be sure what is real and what is the narrator's strange perception. If you enjoy lyrical and sometimes surprising writing, where you're never sure where you are being led, you'll enjoy the vibe of this book, set amidst the semi-abandoned landscape of Bucharest. Winner of the 2024 Dublin Literary Award.
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Solenoid has been called a 'waking-dream book' and it is a fair description of this exquisitely detailed, surreal, Kafkaesque novel, where you can never b...Show more
Solenoid has been called a 'waking-dream book' and it is a fair description of this exquisitely detailed, surreal, Kafkaesque novel, where you can never be sure what is real and what is the narrator's strange perception. If you enjoy lyrical and sometimes surprising writing, where you're never sure where you are being led, you'll enjoy the vibe of this book, set amidst the semi-abandoned landscape of Bucharest. Winner of the 2024 Dublin Literary Award.
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This retelling of the traditional tale of Hatupatu is told from the perspective of the bird-woman 'monster' Kurangaituku. But this amazingly lyrical novel...Show more
This retelling of the traditional tale of Hatupatu is told from the perspective of the bird-woman 'monster' Kurangaituku. But this amazingly lyrical novel is so much more. It has an awareness of how the storytellers have made and re-made the characters. It is about the power and importance of having your own voice. 'Do you see what their stories have done?... They have made monsters of us both.' A thought-provoking work and winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction.
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This retelling of the traditional tale of Hatupatu is told from the perspective of the bird-woman 'monster' Kurangaituku. But this amazingly lyrical novel...Show more
This retelling of the traditional tale of Hatupatu is told from the perspective of the bird-woman 'monster' Kurangaituku. But this amazingly lyrical novel is so much more. It has an awareness of how the storytellers have made and re-made the characters. It is about the power and importance of having your own voice. 'Do you see what their stories have done?... They have made monsters of us both.' A thought-provoking work and winner of the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction.
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An 80-year-old turning her back on life at the death of her husband may not sound like a stimulating read, but this warm, playful, engaging novel manages ...Show more
An 80-year-old turning her back on life at the death of her husband may not sound like a stimulating read, but this warm, playful, engaging novel manages to be both intimate and deep. It explores the universal themes of love, loss, grief, identity, and belonging as well as the impact of the 1947 partition of India. The characters come to life and while it is initially a slow burn, it will reward you for staying with it. 'If you cut a border through a heart, you don't call it a border, you call it a wound.' Winner of the International Booker Prize 2022.
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An 80-year-old turning her back on life at the death of her husband may not sound like a stimulating read, but this warm, playful, engaging novel manages ...Show more
An 80-year-old turning her back on life at the death of her husband may not sound like a stimulating read, but this warm, playful, engaging novel manages to be both intimate and deep. It explores the universal themes of love, loss, grief, identity, and belonging as well as the impact of the 1947 partition of India. The characters come to life and while it is initially a slow burn, it will reward you for staying with it. 'If you cut a border through a heart, you don't call it a border, you call it a wound.' Winner of the International Booker Prize 2022.
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Based on a true story, Rami (Israeli) and Bassam (Palestinian) form a bond of friendship through their grief at the loss of their daughters by violence. A...Show more
Based on a true story, Rami (Israeli) and Bassam (Palestinian) form a bond of friendship through their grief at the loss of their daughters by violence. Apeirogon (a shape with a countable number of infinite sides) is the perfect name for this multi-faceted, intricately woven novel. Read it in gulps. Don't miss a word for each one gains in meaning as you continue through the myriad of references that brings home the complexity of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Winner of the National Jewish Book Award and finalist for the Dublin Literary Award and long-listed for the 2020 Booker Prize.
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Based on a true story, Rami (Israeli) and Bassam (Palestinian) form a bond of friendship through their grief at the loss of their daughters by violence. A...Show more
Based on a true story, Rami (Israeli) and Bassam (Palestinian) form a bond of friendship through their grief at the loss of their daughters by violence. Apeirogon (a shape with a countable number of infinite sides) is the perfect name for this multi-faceted, intricately woven novel. Read it in gulps. Don't miss a word for each one gains in meaning as you continue through the myriad of references that brings home the complexity of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Winner of the National Jewish Book Award and finalist for the Dublin Literary Award and long-listed for the 2020 Booker Prize.
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Hugh 'Shuggie' Bain is growing up in poverty in Glasgow in the 1980s. He has fears and feelings he shouldn't have to deal with at his young age, as he wat...Show more
Hugh 'Shuggie' Bain is growing up in poverty in Glasgow in the 1980s. He has fears and feelings he shouldn't have to deal with at his young age, as he watches his mother spiral into an alcoholic haze. The characters are so deftly drawn, they become real to us and we cheer on their triumphs, holding our breathes, hoping they can last. They will live with you long after you finish this 2020 Booker Prize winning book.
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Hugh 'Shuggie' Bain is growing up in poverty in Glasgow in the 1980s. He has fears and feelings he shouldn't have to deal with at his young age, as he wat...Show more
Hugh 'Shuggie' Bain is growing up in poverty in Glasgow in the 1980s. He has fears and feelings he shouldn't have to deal with at his young age, as he watches his mother spiral into an alcoholic haze. The characters are so deftly drawn, they become real to us and we cheer on their triumphs, holding our breathes, hoping they can last. They will live with you long after you finish this 2020 Booker Prize winning book.
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Immersive and moving, 'Celestial Bodies' is a vivid portrait of village life in Oman as the country struggles to adapt to the modern world. Written with e...Show more
Immersive and moving, 'Celestial Bodies' is a vivid portrait of village life in Oman as the country struggles to adapt to the modern world. Written with elegance and full of insights into the culture, folklore, religion and healing practices of Oman, the story centres on three sisters and their different experiences of love, marriage and relationships. Winner of the International Booker Prize 2019.
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Immersive and moving, 'Celestial Bodies' is a vivid portrait of village life in Oman as the country struggles to adapt to the modern world. Written with e...Show more
Immersive and moving, 'Celestial Bodies' is a vivid portrait of village life in Oman as the country struggles to adapt to the modern world. Written with elegance and full of insights into the culture, folklore, religion and healing practices of Oman, the story centres on three sisters and their different experiences of love, marriage and relationships. Winner of the International Booker Prize 2019.
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Based on true events, 'This Mortal Boy' tells the controversial story of Albert Black, the second-to-last person ever hanged in New Zealand. Black was con...Show more
Based on true events, 'This Mortal Boy' tells the controversial story of Albert Black, the second-to-last person ever hanged in New Zealand. Black was convicted of killing a man in a fight in 1955, and many questioned whether the public’s prejudice towards immigrants played a role in his sentence. Fans of true crime and NZ history will enjoy this compelling interpretation of events from award-winning Kidman. Best Fiction winner in the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
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Based on true events, 'This Mortal Boy' tells the controversial story of Albert Black, the second-to-last person ever hanged in New Zealand. Black was con...Show more
Based on true events, 'This Mortal Boy' tells the controversial story of Albert Black, the second-to-last person ever hanged in New Zealand. Black was convicted of killing a man in a fight in 1955, and many questioned whether the public’s prejudice towards immigrants played a role in his sentence. Fans of true crime and NZ history will enjoy this compelling interpretation of events from award-winning Kidman. Best Fiction winner in the 2019 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards.
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Highly acclaimed Indigenous Australian author, Melissa Lucashenko, addresses heavy topics in this portrait of small-town Australia where the characters mu...Show more
Highly acclaimed Indigenous Australian author, Melissa Lucashenko, addresses heavy topics in this portrait of small-town Australia where the characters must navigate family violence, alcoholism, land disputes, and cross-cultural relationships. When Kerry receives news that her grandfather is dying, she returns the hometown she has spent her life trying to avoid and becomes embroiled in family secrets and the ugly truths of life on the margins of society. Gutsy, brutal and topical, 'Too Much Lip' sheds light on the intergenerational trauma suffered by Indigenous Australians. Winner of the 2019 Miles Franklin Award.
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Highly acclaimed Indigenous Australian author, Melissa Lucashenko, addresses heavy topics in this portrait of small-town Australia where the characters mu...Show more
Highly acclaimed Indigenous Australian author, Melissa Lucashenko, addresses heavy topics in this portrait of small-town Australia where the characters must navigate family violence, alcoholism, land disputes, and cross-cultural relationships. When Kerry receives news that her grandfather is dying, she returns the hometown she has spent her life trying to avoid and becomes embroiled in family secrets and the ugly truths of life on the margins of society. Gutsy, brutal and topical, 'Too Much Lip' sheds light on the intergenerational trauma suffered by Indigenous Australians. Winner of the 2019 Miles Franklin Award.
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Lyrical, compelling and impassioned, 'The Overstory' is a novel of two halves – in the first part we meet nine strangers whose lives are all changed in so...Show more
Lyrical, compelling and impassioned, 'The Overstory' is a novel of two halves – in the first part we meet nine strangers whose lives are all changed in some way by trees, and in the second section, the strangers come together to save the trees and fight against logging companies who are destroying forests. A beautiful yet powerful commentary on the modern plight of environmental activism. Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and shortlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize.
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Lyrical, compelling and impassioned, 'The Overstory' is a novel of two halves – in the first part we meet nine strangers whose lives are all changed in so...Show more
Lyrical, compelling and impassioned, 'The Overstory' is a novel of two halves – in the first part we meet nine strangers whose lives are all changed in some way by trees, and in the second section, the strangers come together to save the trees and fight against logging companies who are destroying forests. A beautiful yet powerful commentary on the modern plight of environmental activism. Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and shortlisted for the 2018 Booker Prize.
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