Staff Picks 2022

Recommended reads from the staff at Puke Ariki, Community Libraries and the Museum 2022

Updated November 28, 2023
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All systems red
Wells, Martha
Paper Book
Winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Award for Best Novella Winner of the Alex Award A New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Now an Apple Original series from Academy Award nominees Paul Weitz and Chris Weitz and starring Emmy...
FAMILY REMAINS
Jewell, Lisa
Paper Book
" A woman stops at nothing to find her husband's murderer in this psychological thriller about twisted marriages, fractured families, and deadly obsessions in this standalone sequel to the "brilliantly chilling" (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) The Family Upstairs...
EXILES
HARPER, JANE
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "I love Jane Harper's Australia-based mysteries." --Stephen King "Once again Harper proves that she is peerless in creating an avalanche of suspense with intimate, character-driven set pieces...Harper's legions of...
RECOVERY AGENT
EVANOVICH, JANET
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author and "thriller master" (Mystery and Suspense Magazine) Janet Evanovich returns with the launch of a "tense, suspenseful, funny, and wise" (Lee Child) series blending wild adventure, hugely appealing characters, and pitch-perfect humor. ...
MAID
PROSE, NITA
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * "A heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center" (Real Simple), this cozy whodunit introduces a one-of-a-kind heroine who will steal your heart.   FINALIST FOR...
It ends with us
Hoover, Colleen
Paper Book
" In this "brave and heartbreaking novel that digs its claws into you and doesn't let go, long after you've finished it" (Anna Todd, New York Times bestselling author) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All Your Perfects, a workaholic with a too-good-to...
BRAID
COLOMBANI, LAETITIA
Paper Book
Remarkably bright creatures : a novel
Van Pelt, Shelby
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Soon to be a Netflix Film A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! NAMED A BEST BOOK OF SUMMER by: Chicago Tribune * The View * Southern Living * USA Today "Remarkably Bright Creatures [is] an ultimately...
The patron saint of second chances
Simon, Christine
Paper Book
The self-appointed mayor of a tiny Italian village is determined to save his hometown no matter the cost in this charming, hilarious, and heartwarming debut novel. Vacuum repairman and self-appointed mayor of Prometto, Italy (population 212) Signor Speranza has a problem: unless...
Demon Copperhead : a novel
Kingsolver, Barbara
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE * WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION New York Times Readers' Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century * An Oprah's Book Club Selection * An Instant New York Times Bestseller * An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller * A #1 Washington Post...
Bridge of Clay
Zusak, Markus
Paper Book
The unforgettable, New York Times bestselling family saga from Markus Zusak, the storyteller who gave us the extraordinary bestseller THE BOOK THIEF, lauded by the New York Times as "the kind of book that can be life-changing." NAMED ONE OF THE BEST...
Portrait in sepia : a novel
Allende, Isabel.
Paper Book
"Portrait in Sepia is the best book Allende has published in the United States since her first novel of nearly two decades ago, The House of the Spirits." --Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post Book World "Portrait in Sepia tightens the weave of a multigenerational fantasy as...
Once there were wolves : a novel
McConaghy, Charlotte
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Blazing...Visceral" (Los Angeles Times) · "Exceptional" (Newsweek) · "Bold...Heartfelt" (New York Times Book Review) · "Thought-provoking and thrilling" (GMA) · "Suspenseful and poignant" (...
HORSE
BROOKS, GERALDINE
Paper Book
"Brooks' chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling." --The New York Times Book Review "Horse isn't just an animal story--it's a moving narrative about race and art." --TIME "A thrilling story about humanity in all its ugliness and...
A brilliant night of stars and ice
Connolly, Rebecca
Ebook
Based on the remarkable true story of the Carpathia--the only ship and her legendary captain who answered the distress call of the sinking Titanic. Just after midnight on April 15, 1912, the passenger steamship Carpathia receives a distress...
The Hollywood spy
MacNeal, Susan Elia
Paper Book
Maggie Hopeis offto Californiato solve a crime that hits too close to home-and to confront the very evil she thought she had left behind in Europe-as the acclaimed World War II mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Susan Elia MacNeal continues. NAMED ONE...
LITTLE WARTIME LIBRARY
THOMPSON, KATE
Paper Book
An uplifting and inspiring novel based on the true story of a librarian who created an underground shelter during World War II, perfect for readers of The Paris Library or The Last Bookshop in London.  London, 1944: Clara Button is no...
The Lincoln highway
Towles, Amor
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER More than ONE MILLION copies sold A TODAY Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick A New York Times Notable Book, a New York Times Readers' Choice Best Book of the Century, and Chosen by Oprah Daily, Time, NPR,...
The last hours
Walters, Minette
Paper Book
When the Black Death enters England through the port in Dorsetshire in June 1348, no one knows what manner of sickness it is--or how it spreads and kills so quickly. The Church cites God as the cause, and fear grips the people as they come to believe that the plague is a punishment for wickedness....
The turn of midnight
Walters, Minette
Paper Book
"As the year 1349 approaches, the Black Death continues its devastating course across England. In Dorseteshire, the quarantined people of Develish question whether they are the only survivors. Guided by their beloved young mistress, Lady Anne, they wait, knowing that when their dwindling stores are...
SUNLIT WEAPON
WINSPEAR, JACQUELINE
Paper Book
In the latest installment of the New York Times bestselling series, a series of possible attacks on British pilots leads Jacqueline Winspear's beloved heroine Maisie Dobbs into a mystery involving First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.  October 1942. Jo Hardy, a 22-year-old ferry pilot, is...
PAPER CAGE
BARAGWANATH, TOM
Paper Book
This prizewinning debut from New Zealand novelist Tom Baragwanath is both a nail-biting thrill-ride and a beautifully written, acutely observed portrait of a community. How far would you go to keep your family safe? Lorraine Henry is generally content to keep...
A gentleman in Moscow
Towles, Amor.
Paper Book
The mega-bestseller with more than 2 million readers * A New York Times "Readers' Choice: Best Books of the 21st Century" Pick From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway and Table for Two, a beautifully transporting novel about a...
Lessons in chemistry : a novel
Garmus, Bonnie
Paper Book
#1 GLOBAL BESTSELLER WITH MORE THAN 8 MILLION COPIES SOLD * Meet Elizabeth Zott: "a gifted research chemist, absurdly self-assured and immune to social convention" (The Washington Post) in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a ...
Verity
Hoover, Colleen
Paper Book
Whose truth is the lie? Stay up all night reading the sensational psychological thriller that has readers obsessed, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Too Late and It Ends With Us. #1 New York Times<...
The candy house
Egan, Jennifer
Paper Book
From one of the most celebrated writers of our time, a literary figure with cult status, a "sibling novel" to her Pulitzer Prize- and NBCC Award-winning A Visit from the Goon Squad--an electrifying, deeply moving novel about the quest for authenticity and meaning in a world where memories...
TELL ME AN ENDING
HARKIN, JO
Paper Book
Named a Best Science Fiction Book of 2022 by The New York Times "Sharply, beautifully written." --The New York Times Book Review "Intriguing, frightening, witty, and humane." --The Wall Street Journal Black Mirror meets Severence...
Graceling
Cashore, Kristin.
Paper Book
Discover the Graceling Realm in this unforgettable, award-winning novel from bestselling author Kristin Cashore. A New York Times bestseller * ALA Best Book for Young Adults * Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature Winner * Publishers Weekly, School Library...
The seven sisters : a novel
Riley, Lucinda.
Paper Book
The first book in a major new series from the #1 internationally bestselling author Lucinda Riley. Maia D'Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, "Atlantis"--a fabulous, secluded castle situated on the shores of Lake Geneva--having been told that their...
Scythe
Shusterman, Neal
Paper Book
Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology. A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered...
Throne of glass
Maas, Sarah J.
Paper Book
The first book in New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's sweeping fantasy saga - now available in hardcover with a new look to match the series! When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle....
American dirt : a novel
Cummins, Jeanine
Paper Book
Jeanine Cummins's American Dirt, the #1 New York Times bestseller and Oprah Book Club pick that has sold over three million copies Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while cracks...
OVERKILL
Brown, Sandra
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a riveting thriller in which a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives.   Former Super...
CANDY HOUSE
EGAN, JENNIFER
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE of the TOP 10 BOOKS OF THE YEAR by THE NEW YORK TIMES * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY * SLATE* THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER * Also named one of the BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR by Vanity Fair, Time, NPR, The...
The good sister
Hepworth, Sally
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A stunningly clever thriller made doubly suspenseful by not one, but two unreliable narrators." -- People Sally Hepworth, the author of The Mother-In-Law delivers a knock-out of a novel...
East of West. 1
Hickman, Jonathan
Paper Book
This is the world. It is not the one we wanted, but it is the one wedeserved. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse roam the Earth, signaling the EndTimes for humanity, and our best hope for life, lies in DEATH!
Y : the last man : Vertigo ; 1
Vaughan, Brian K.
Ebook
The sandman. [Vol. 01], Preludes & nocturnes
Gaiman, Neil.
Paper Book
An occultist attempting to capture the physical embodiment of Death to bargain for eternal life traps her younger brother Dream instead. After his seventy-year imprisonment and eventual escape, Dream, also known as Morpheus, goes on a quest for his lost objects of power to reclaim his reign. From...
Pride of Baghdad
Vaughan, Brian K.
Paper Book
In the spring of 2003, a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad Zoo during an American bombing raid, roaming the streets in a desperate struggle for their lives. "Pride of Baghdad" raises questions about the true meaning of liberation--can it be given or is it earned only through self-determination...
Legends in exile : 1. Fables
Willingham, Bill.
Paper Book
The world of storybook and nursery rhyme characters who live side-by-side with humans is thrown into turmoil when Rose Red's house is found in shambles and covered with her blood and suspects range from Jack of beanstalk fame to Blue Beard.
The drunken botanist : the plants that create the world's great drinks
Stewart, Amy.
Paper Book
The New York Times-bestselling guide to botany and booze celebrates its 10th anniversary with an updated edition--now including a guide to planting your very own cocktail garden to go with more than fifty drink recipes. This fascinating, go-to text...
The body : a guide for occupants
Bryson, Bill
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST * LONGLISTED FOR THE PEN E.O. WILSON LITERARY SCIENCE WRITING AWARD "Glorious. . .You will marvel at the brilliance and vast weirdness of your design." --The Washington...
Enemy of all mankind : a true story of piracy, power, and history's first global manhunt
Johnson, Steven
Paper Book
Henry Avery was the seventeenth century's most notorious pirate. The press published wildly popular - and wildly inaccurate - reports of his nefarious adventures. The British government offered enormous bounties for his capture, alive or (preferably) dead. But Steven Johnson argues that Avery's most...
The art of frugal hedonism : a guide to spending less while enjoying everything more
Raser-Rowland, Annie
Paper Book
It sounds too good to be true. You can save money and the world, inoculate yourself against many of the ills of modern life, and enjoy everything more on both the sensual and profound levels? Preposterous! Yet here is a toolkit to help you do just that. A tweak here, a twiddle...
Your money or your life : 9 steps to transforming your relationship with money and achieving financial independence
Robin, Vicki
Paper Book
In an age of great economic uncertainty when everyone is concerned about money and how they spend what they have, this updated edition of the bestselling Your Money or Your Life is an essential read. Millennial Money's Grant explains: 'The premise of it is that you exchange your time for money. And...
Finding the mother tree : discovering the wisdom of the forest
Simard, S.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER * From the world's leading forest ecologist who forever changed how people view trees and their connections to one another and to other living things in the forest--a moving, deeply personal journey of discovery "Finding the Mother Tree...
Total meditation practices in living the awakened life
Chopra, Deepak
CD
The definitive book of meditation that will help you achieve new dimensions of stress-free living For the past thirty years, Deepak Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution in the West. Total Meditation offers a complete exploration and...
Braiding sweetgrass
Kimmerer, Robin Wall
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller A Washington Post Bestseller Named a "Best Essay Collection of the Decade" by Literary Hub As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member...

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