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...
The family remains
Jewell, Lisa
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "The page-turner will sate fans and win over new readers alike...a solid stand-alone tale of mystery and suspense." --USA TODAY From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell comes an intricate and...
Exiles : a novel
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...
The 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. ...
The dark remains
McIlvanney, William
Paper Book
WINNER of the 2022 British Book Award for Crime & Thriller Book of the Year In this scorching prequel, New York Times best-selling author Ian Rankin and Scottish crime-writing legend William McIlvanney join forces for the first ever case of DC Jack Laidlaw, Glasgow's...
Book Club set. The 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...
The braid
Colombani, Laetitia
Paper Book
In this unforgettable international bestseller, three women from very different circumstances around the world find their lives intertwined by a single object and discover what connects us--across cultures, across backgrounds, and across borders. In India, Smita is an...
Remarkably bright creatures
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
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...
Once there were wolves
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...
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...
The 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,...
A 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
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
A gorgeous new collector's edition of Colleen Hoover's Verity, featuring a gold foil cover, a letter from the author, and an exclusive new chapter. Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller in Hardcover USA...
The Warrior
Aryan, Stephen.
Paper Book
The story of Kell Kressia continues in Book II of the gripping fantasy duology. Kell, two time saviour of the Five Kingdoms, is now the King of Algany. He has fame, power, respect, and has never been more miserable... Bound, by duty and responsibility, Kell is King only in name....
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...
Nyxia
Reintgen, Scott
Paper Book
"A high-octane thriller . . . Nyxia grabs you from the first line and never lets go." --Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Warcross Every life has a price in this sci-fi thriller--the first in a trilogy--that has the...
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 : Maia's story
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
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...
The 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...
The long weekend
Macmillan, Gilly
Paper Book
"Twisty, dark, and packs a punch. . . . Gripping and genuinely nail-biting." -- Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Sanatorium In this pulse-pounding thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Nanny, a group of women travel...
M.O.M. Mother of Madness. Volume 1
Clarke, Emilia
Paper Book
GAME OF THRONES superstar EMILIA CLARKE's debut!The mayhem begins with Maya, under-the-weather scientist by day, over-the-topsuperhero by night, and badass single mom 24/7. DEADPOOL action and FLEABAGcomedy collide when Maya activates her freakish superpowers to take on a...
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!
Tomie : no use escaping
It?, Junji
Paper Book
The complete classic horror series, now available in a single deluxe volume. Murdered again and again, one girl always comes back for more... Tomie Kawakami is a femme fatale with long black hair and a beauty mark just under her left eye. She can seduce nearly any man, and drive...
The sandman. [Vol. 01], Preludes & nocturnes
Gaiman, Neil.
Paper Book
One of the most popular and critically acclaimed graphic novels of all time, Neil Gaiman's award-winning masterpiece The Sandman set the standard for mature, lyrical fantasy in the modern comics era. Illustrated by an exemplary selection of the medium's most gifted artists, the series is a...
Legends in exile : 1. Fables
Willingham, Bill.
Paper Book
When a savage creature known only as the Adversary conquered the fabled lands of legends and fairy tales, all of the infamous inhabitants of folklore were forced into exile. Disguised among the "mundys," their name for normal citizens of modern-day New York, these magical characters created their...
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...
Making it : how love, kindness and community helped me repair my life
Blades, Jay
Ebook
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...
A Paris year : my day-to-day adventures in the most romantic city in the world
Macleod, Janice
Paper Book
Part memoir and part visual journey through the streets of modern-day Paris, France, A Paris Year chronicles, day by day, one woman's French sojourn in the world's most beautiful city. Beginning on her first day in Paris, Janice MacLeod, the author of the best-selling book, Paris Letters,<...
Celtic myths : a guide to the ancient gods and legends
Aldhouse-Green, Miranda J.
Paper Book
The Celtic Myths is accessible for readers new to Celtic mythology, but satisfyingly detailed in its analysis of contexts, cultures and archaeology for those well versed in the stories. Written down in medieval Wales and Ireland, the legends derive from oral poetry composed...
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 : uncovering the wisdom and intelligence 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...
Trejo : my life of crime, redemption and Hollywood
Trejo, Danny
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "If you're a fan like I am this is definitely the book for you." --Pete Davidson, actor, producer, and cast member on Saturday Night Live "Danny's incredible life story shows that even though we may fall down...
Braiding sweetgrass : indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants
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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