Donna_R
Library StaffChristchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi
Donna_R's Completed Shelf
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Zines NZZines NZ, ZinePunk to Present
by Galloway, BryceZine, 2026Zine, 2026
In-library use only at this timeView location availabilityView location availability for Zines NZ, Zine, In-library use only at this time
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2026
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2026
Comment:
I love this book! A visual symphony. This absolutely glorious book introduces collage then has pages and pages of beautifully colourful and fun images.
The WarThe War, Graphic Novel
by Ennis, Garth, 1970-Graphic Novel, 2026Graphic Novel, 2026
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for The War, Graphic Novel, All copies in use
Holds: 0 on 3 copies
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2026
Comment:
A short and brutal graphic novel about nuclear war and its aftermath. Sort of a comic companion to Annie Jacobsen's Nuclear War: A Scenario.
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2026
Comment:
A wonderfully honest memoir by New Zealand writer Barbara Else. She talks about her family, her creative career, and also the times she lives in with a warm and frank voice.
The Long GameThe Long Game, Book
by Reid, RachelBook, 2026First Australian paperback edition.Book, 2026. First Australian paperback edition.
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for The Long Game, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 6 on 5 copies
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2026
Comment:
It's a delight to spend more time with Ilya and Shane,
Game ChangerGame Changer, Book
by Reid, RachelBook, 2026First Australian paperback edition.Book, 2026. First Australian paperback edition.
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for Game Changer, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 7 on 6 copies
Added Jul 05, 2026
BabelBabel, Downloadable AudiobookOr the Necessity of Violence : An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
by Kuang, R. F.Downloadable Audiobook, 2022Downloadable Audiobook, 2022
All copies in use
Holds: 10 on 4 copies
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2026
Comment:
Babel worked well as an audiobook. The story and world-building bring to life a fictional universe where language-powered silver powers the world. It feels somehow like a book aimed at teens, and also that we don't really get to know the inner depths of the characters. It does however bring up such rich ideas about colonialism and language and the power and impossibility of translation.Babel worked well as an audiobook. The story and world-building bring to life a fictional universe where language-powered silver powers the world. It feels somehow like a book aimed at teens, and also that we don't really get to know the inner…
Pepeha PortalPepeha Portal, Book
by Tikao, Ariana, 1971-Book, 2026Book, 2026
In-library use only at this timeView location availabilityView location availability for Pepeha Portal, Book, In-library use only at this time
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jul 05, 2026
Comment:
A stunning and strong debut poetry collection that is full of place, time, whakapapa, and aroha.
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 19, 2026
Comment:
Gisele is known for the crime committed on her by her husband, and a cadre of other vile men. The book covers her whole life, and the shock and horror of what was done to her. The book really has her voice, her feelings and thoughts, and it feels honest and true.Gisele is known for the crime committed on her by her husband, and a cadre of other vile men. The book covers her whole life, and the shock and horror of what was done to her. The book really has her voice, her feelings and thoughts, and it feels…
The Case of the Angry GhostThe Case of the Angry Ghost, Book
by King, Rachael, 1970-Book, 2025Book, 2025
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 19, 2026
Comment:
I love the characters and the fun tight plot and the whole Smokefree Rockquest vibe. I thoroughly relished spending more time with the band.
Added Jun 14, 2026
Taiwan TravelogueTaiwan Travelogue, Downloadable AudiobookA Novel
by Yang, Shuangzi, 1984-Downloadable Audiobook, 2025Unabridged.Downloadable Audiobook, 2025. Unabridged.
Available
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
This book won the International Booker Prize in 2026. The description there is: "The novel, which takes the form of a fictional translation of a rediscovered Japanese travel memoir, explores history, power, class, colonialism and love through the lens of two women’s culinary tour across Japan-controlled Taiwan in the 1930s." Beautifully read by Sarah Skaer who has distinct voices for Chizuko and Chizuru.This book won the International Booker Prize in 2026. The description there is: "The novel, which takes the form of a fictional translation of a rediscovered Japanese travel memoir, explores history, power, class, colonialism and love through the…
Night, MaNight, Ma, BookA Memoir
by Knox, Elizabeth, 1959-Book, 2026Book, 2026
In-library use only at this timeView location availabilityView location availability for Night, Ma, Book, In-library use only at this time
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
Any one of the traumatic events in this book would be destabilising and stressful. To have three happening is beyond comprehension. Elizabeth's beloved Mum has motor neurone disease, her sister has to be hospitalised with mental illness, and her brother-in-law is purposely run over by a man with a van. There's also the matter of childhood abuse by her sister. If this sounds gloomy and depressing, but don't be put off. Elizabeth is wise and is working through it all with the reader as witness. It's a masterpiece of loss and of love.Any one of the traumatic events in this book would be destabilising and stressful. To have three happening is beyond comprehension. Elizabeth's beloved Mum has motor neurone disease, her sister has to be hospitalised with mental illness, and her…
My Lover, the RabbiMy Lover, the Rabbi, Book
by Koestenbaum, Wayne, 1958-Book, 2026Book, 2026
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for My Lover, the Rabbi, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 0 on 5 copies
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
It was the cover that lured me in. It's totally perfect for the book. It is literary and earthy with sex and bodies and hair and effluvia.
American SpiritsAmerican Spirits, Downloadable AudiobookA Novel
by Dorn, AnnaDownloadable Audiobook, 2026Unabridged.Downloadable Audiobook, 2026. Unabridged.
All copies in use
Holds: 0 on 1 copy
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
I have loved Anna Dorn's books but this one didn't work quite as well for me as Perfume and Pain, or Exalted (these were five star reads in my book). Based on Lana del Rey, Blue Velour and her producer Sasha Harlow are shipped on Reddit as a couple. This Reddit is run by Rose Lutz, who ends up working for Blue. These characters are just not as captivating, maybe the ironic distance is why. But it's still a fun read and worth your while.I have loved Anna Dorn's books but this one didn't work quite as well for me as Perfume and Pain, or Exalted (these were five star reads in my book). Based on Lana del Rey, Blue Velour and her producer Sasha Harlow are shipped on Reddit as a couple.…
A Mind of My OwnA Mind of My Own, Book
by Burke, Kathy, 1965-Book, 2025Book, 2025
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for A Mind of My Own, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 24 on 6 copies
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
Kathy might be known best for comedy, but there is so many layers to her. Her mum died young, and her father was an alcoholic but this isn't a misery memoir - it's full of joy, as she discovers her talent and makes a life as an actress, writer, and director. She is ruthlessly honest, unpacking barriers around looks and class, and calling out those in the profession who behave badly but also sharing love. NZ note: she calls co-star Kerry Fox a "charmless prick".Kathy might be known best for comedy, but there is so many layers to her. Her mum died young, and her father was an alcoholic but this isn't a misery memoir - it's full of joy, as she discovers her talent and makes a life as an actress, writer, and…
Quotations
- "I don't tell this story much as it's very showy-offy but, fuck it, isn't that what a memoir's for?"
- "My favourite place in Camden Passage and indeed the whole of Islington was the Angel Bookshop. Sadly no longer there. I couldn't afford to buy anything, we got all our books from the Essex Road Library, but the people who ran it would let me sit on its creaky steps by the children's section and, as long as my hands were clean, I could stay skimming through the pages of its offerings for as long as I liked, quietly farting all the while as the smell of the books put me into a state of relaxation, Asterix was a particular favourite," (page 24)"My favourite place in Camden Passage and indeed the whole of Islington was the Angel Bookshop. Sadly no longer there. I couldn't afford to buy anything, we got all our books from the Essex Road Library, but the people who ran it would let me sit on…
FamesickFamesick, Downloadable Audiobook
by Dunham, Lena, 1986-Downloadable Audiobook, 2026Downloadable Audiobook, 2026
All copies in use
Holds: 38 on 11 copies
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
This is sort of a sequel to Lena's first memoir Not that kind of girl (which I see in op shops heaps, whatever that means). Famesick (Great and apt title) shows her first career moves, making Tiny Furniture, and then the whole Girls experience, her relationship with Jack Antonoff, but the real heart of the book is her toxic friendship and business relationship with Jenni Konner. It's an interesting listen - Lena reads it herself - but there is something dishonest despite the seeming lack of boundaries and TMI.This is sort of a sequel to Lena's first memoir Not that kind of girl (which I see in op shops heaps, whatever that means). Famesick (Great and apt title) shows her first career moves, making Tiny Furniture, and then the whole Girls experience, her…
Quotations
- "If you make yourself out to be a bottomless resource, people will frack."
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
I wonder if the success of Butter has meant the translation of Hooked has got a wider release. It is in the same wheelhouse of complicated and obsessive female relationships, but to me Butter is more compelling. Both were wonderfully translated by Polly Barton.I wonder if the success of Butter has meant the translation of Hooked has got a wider release. It is in the same wheelhouse of complicated and obsessive female relationships, but to me Butter is more compelling. Both were wonderfully translated by…
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
A compelling short book set in 60s Italy with the protagonist interacting with designer Danilo Donati and masters Fellini and Pasolini. There's something icy about this book.
Quotations
- "Fascism never really went away, it just changed form, went underground, periodically exploding back into the daylight ... all these things signify that fascism is still alive, still straining at the leash."
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
A wild little gem. I can envision many of the scenes in here, and the fevered heat and heart of the perimenopausal artist. If they ever make a move of it, I can't wait to see that jewel of a motel room and the dancing of the impossible dream boy. Things get fetid at times, but what a ride.A wild little gem. I can envision many of the scenes in here, and the fevered heat and heart of the perimenopausal artist. If they ever make a move of it, I can't wait to see that jewel of a motel room and the dancing of the impossible dream boy.…
Daisy Jones & the SixDaisy Jones & the Six, Book
by Reid, Taylor JenkinsBook, 2018Book, 2018
All copies in useView location availabilityView location availability for Daisy Jones & the Six, Book, All copies in use
Holds: 9 on 3 copies
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 11, 2026
Comment:
Told in oral history style, this version of a Fleetwood Mac style band has intra-band troubles and romance. I preferred Atmosphere, but this is definitely a fun easy read.
On the Calculation of VolumeOn the Calculation of Volume, Downloadable AudiobookBook I
by Balle, Solvej, 1962-Downloadable Audiobook, 2025Unabridged.Downloadable Audiobook, 2025. Unabridged.
Available
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 04, 2026
Comment:
Groundhog Day, literary style. Tara Selter experiences the 18 November over and over. It details the people, the interactions, the physical places and experiences. It could be small and claustrophobic, but the opposite is true - it's big as the universe and time. It is a seven-novel series - six volumes of this series have been published in Danish, five have been translated into English and fans are anticipating the translation of Book 6.Groundhog Day, literary style. Tara Selter experiences the 18 November over and over. It details the people, the interactions, the physical places and experiences. It could be small and claustrophobic, but the opposite is true - it's big as the…
Quotations
- "There is something reassuring about the sky. It is not like books or plant pots. It is not like jars of olives or boxes of cookies. There is nothing to be done about it. It can be relied upon; it never changes. I cannot influence it and I cannot spoil it. It brooks no intrusion by me. It does not care about monsters on steps. It is full of movement of objects passing by, but nothing that clatters and even if there were sounds up there, if there were such things as harmonies of the spheres or celestial melodies, they would never be heard down here. The distance is too great.""There is something reassuring about the sky. It is not like books or plant pots. It is not like jars of olives or boxes of cookies. There is nothing to be done about it. It can be relied upon; it never changes. I cannot influence it and I cannot…
London FallingLondon Falling, Downloadable AudiobookA Mysterious Death in A Gilded City, and A Family's Search for Truth
by Keefe, Patrick Radden, 1976-Downloadable Audiobook, 2026Downloadable Audiobook, 2026
All copies in use
Holds: 72 on 12 copies
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 04, 2026
Comment:
Read by Patrick Radden Keefe. A book by PRK is an event these days, his popularity has been on the up and up. London Falling is set in London and tells the story of a crime - or was it an accident? Zac Brettler fell from a fancy apartment to his death in the Thames. There is so much research and information, but the magic of PRK is how he weaves it into a story that reveals details like a novel does.Read by Patrick Radden Keefe. A book by PRK is an event these days, his popularity has been on the up and up. London Falling is set in London and tells the story of a crime - or was it an accident? Zac Brettler fell from a fancy apartment to his…
KatabasisKatabasis, Downloadable Audiobook
by Kuang, R. F.Downloadable Audiobook, 2025Unabridged edition.Downloadable Audiobook, 2025. Unabridged edition.
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 04, 2026
Comment:
A strange and wonderful story, quintessential Dark Academia. It's a rich and cinematic journey through university and the courts of Hell - with Alice and Peter, the star students at the heart of the story. It was a treat to hear RF Kuang here in Christchurch at a WORD Christchurch event with Rachael King. She is witty and wise, a deeply impressive person. Read by Morag Sims and Will Watt.A strange and wonderful story, quintessential Dark Academia. It's a rich and cinematic journey through university and the courts of Hell - with Alice and Peter, the star students at the heart of the story. It was a treat to hear RF Kuang here in…
MotherlandMotherland, BookA Feminist History of Modern Russia, From Revolution to Autocracy
by Ioffe, JuliaBook, 2025Book, 2025
Donna_R's rating:
Added Jun 04, 2026
Comment: