New Releases to add to your TBR this week (6th October)

The three huge new releases that I am so excited to have arriving this week include the newest Barbara Kingsolver, a new epic family saga from Min Jin Lee with American Hagwon, and a brand new Catherine Chidgey that is about to take us all by storm. Partita is Barbara Kingsolver's new novel, this time about a musical prodigy who wants to escape the family farm and find a life of her own. After the emotional damage caused by one of my favourite characters, Demon Copperhead, I am a little scared about how much Partita is going to hurt. Shirl and I both luckily already read The Starving Bride by Catherine Chidgey and we both LOVED it - it's another incredible novel from one of our national treasures, this time about the challenge of seeing and being seen, set in a crumbling tower in a strange alternate version of Blackpool. It's gloriously original and unexpected.  

Fans of The Time Traveller's Wife will be excited to know we now have the long awaited sequel, Life Out of Order. Our review community have been raving about it so I guess I'll need to read both! Dodge City by Patrick DeWitt is another one that looks fab if you enjoy literary fiction, it's an amphetamine fueled road trip for a young man in 1967 trying to avoid the war in Vietnam. Shirl loved it and we often have similar taste in those kinds of novels!

If Historical Fiction is more your thing make sure to take a look at the newest Pip Williams, The German Ward. A love story about two enemies behind the WW1 and a woman who discovers the drawings of them. I'm also super excited to read Royal Witch by Philippa Gregory which is her newest novel about Eleanor Cobham, a real woman who ended up at the court of Henry V.

We've got romance readers taken care of as well this week - with Grim Reapers, Vampires, and some Cowboys (covering all the bases!). Grim Tidings is first up for me, the newest paranormal and seasonal romance from B.K. Borison who is one of my favourites for blending steamy and sweet effortlessly. This one is about the Grim Reaper falling in love with an Angel and I'm so on board. 

I've already read You're So Vein by Steffanie Holmes and am not surprised at all to find that I loved it after thoroughly enjoying the first two in her Nevermore Murder Club and Smutty Book Club Coven series. This one is about two mayoral candidates who are trying to be the best for their village of humans and paranormal folks, whilst trying desperately not to fall in love. Steffanie Holmes does quirky paranormal romance with a side of murder mystery and a large serving of fierce female friendships and I love it. 

For the Cowboy Romance Readers we have a new standalone from Jessica Peterson, Colt, which looks and sounds like small town perfection. It's part of the Double U Ranch series but as a standalone story you can jump right in with this one and enjoy the ride. We also have a wonderful holiday themed novella from another fave contemporary romance writer, Hannah Bonam-Young. Set the Record Straight sounds delightful with a friends to lovers/fake dating scenario. Is it too early for Christmas romance? I think not. 

I'm especially excited for the cookbooks this week, with one of my new favourites arriving! Thyme to Cook is the absolutely beautiful new book from Emma Galloway, and it's a guide to cooking and growing plants at home here in Aotearoa. Full of recipes that are both vegetarian and gluten free, I am in love and testing out a bunch of her nourishing meals over the next couple of weeks for myself and my whānau.

I also love the look of Gathering by Monica Galetti. The book itself is so vibrant and unique, and the recipes within are a combination of traditional inspirations from around the Pacific alongside her fresh and lively take on island flavours. Another new cookbook this week comes from the first ever Australian Master Chef who I remember watching! Home for Dinner by Julie Goodwin looks like the perfect guide for those of us struggling along throughout the week with planning out meals and getting everyone fed, full of Goodwin's own tested tips and tricks to make mealtimes easier. 

For the bird watchers and ornithologists this week there are two new books just for you (or for any of us bird-curious readers!). Birdlands by Edin Whitehead and Song of the Birds by Robert Vennell are two stunning hardback books, full of information about our manu here in Aotearoa. Vennell's book deals more with the history of our birds, featuring incredible illustrations and lots of information about the meanings behind many of our special species, whereas Whitehead's Birdlands is a photographic treasure featuring birds that live in isolated spaces that you may not know about.

A book that looks incredibly timely and important which is at the top of my own TBR is The Weight of Witness by Dr Bushra Othman, a testimony from those at the frontline in Gaza with the medics from NZ and Australia sharing their experiences in the face of devastation. For history readers we have Max Hastings' latest, Plunder, an account of many of the extraordinary moments in the last weeks of World War II.

Excitingly we have a new Lottie Brooks story arriving this week with the Twelve Disasters of Christmas sure to be making a lot of younger readers happy! The other one already getting snapped up to help people get through the final days of school holidays is the shiny, new Guiness World Records for 2027 which has just arrived and is brimming with all the record-breaking facts and feats. I think I am most excited for the Detective Beans Colouring Club which takes our favourite kitten characters and scenes from Cat Town and provides 40 removable colouring sheets to enjoy. Delightful.

Picture Books that I am eyeing up which have just arrived and look great include The Most Magnificent Moose by Rachel Bright and Jim Field, a hilarious new story about a lovable moose who can't stop comparing himself. Rabbit & Bear: The Bog of Frogs also looks wonderful, with beautiful illustrations and a funny story that is perfect for those who are making the shift from picture book to illustrated chapter books.

For slightly older readers, 9 and above, The Raven's Gift by Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Tom de Freston is worth a look. Kiran's previous book, Julia and the Shark, was an incredible and award-winning story and this beautiful hardback novel looks just as special with a story about a baby raven that arrives after Harry's big sister dies and gives him something to look after in the face of a big, dangerous storm. This