You saw it here first – these are the must-reads of the season. Find a comfy seat, prepare a pot of tea and some biscuits, because these books will draw you in from the very first page.

To Paradise – Hanya Yanagihara

From the author of A Little Life, this powerful novel takes place in an alternate version of America, beginning in 1893 when New York is part of the Free States and people are free to love whomever they please. The book is divided into three sections over three centuries, including the AIDS epidemic of 1993, and a plague-ridden totalitarian vision of 2093.

Shackleton – Ranulph Fiennes

This biography of Sir Ernest Shackleton tells the incredible tale of his ill-fated attempt to traverse the Antarctic – cut short when his ship became trapped in ice. Polar adventurer Ranulph Fiennes gives an engaging account of how Shackleton and his men survived being stranded at the frozen South Pole, bringing new insights to this most famous of adventures.

Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters – Steven PinkerAs humanity seems to be reaching new heights of scientific understanding while simultaneously making less sense than ever before, cognitive scientist Steven Pinker examines the question of rationality in what is maybe our least rational age yet, and explores how we can use rationality to regain control of our fates.

A Good Winter – Gigi Fenster

This award-winning psychological thriller from New Zealand author Gigi Fenster ventures into the darkness of grief and the consuming nature of obsession. Olga is there to support her friend Lara when Lara’s daughter Sophie loses her husband, leaving Sophie mired in grief and unable to care for her baby. But Olga’s care and generosity isn’t quite as selfless as it seems, and her need to be the focus of Lara’s attention soon becomes dangerous.

The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley and the Unlikely Ascent of “Hallelujah” – Alan Light

An unforgettable account of a beloved song in pop history – Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ – thoughtfully and captivatingly written by acclaimed music journalist Alan Light. Through interviews and in-depth research, Light uncovers how a song that was initially dismissed by fans and critics alike went on to become one of the world’s most recorded songs.

Solo: Backcountry Adventuring in Aotearoa New Zealand – Hazel Phillips

Kiwi journalist Hazel Phillips spent three years spent living in mountain huts and going on long, solitary tramps in the wild back country of New Zealand. Told with humour, a spot of history and a feminist look at the challenges faced by female explorers, Hazel recounts her adventures; the dangers and loneliness she faced along with the exhilaration and wonder she experienced in getting to know New Zealand’s wilds.

The Leonard Girls – Deborah Challinor

Rowie is a nurse, serving a tour of duty in 1969 Vietnam and a staunch supporter of the war, dedicated to caring for wounded Australia and New Zealand troops. Her younger sister Jo is a student at Auckland University and a fervent anti-war protestor. But when Jo falls for a soldier, her feelings come up against her convictions, and both sisters must confront everything they thought they believed about the costs and sorrows of war.

The Good Mother – Rae Cairns

This taut thriller hooks you right from the beginning, whisking you from Australia to Northern Ireland as Sydney mum Sarah takes her son to a soccer camp in Belfast, only to find that a terrible secret from her past has caught up with her. Forced to testify at a murder trial and caught between an obsessive cop and a terrifying IRA executioner, Sarah’s choice to lie or tell the truth might just cost her everything.

Shelter – Douglas Lloyd Jenkins

In Auckland, twenty-one year old Joe meets sophisticated, handsome Leo, and the two move in together. Leo gives Joe a new appreciation for music, literature, and the historic architecture of Auckland, but then Leo abruptly leaves Auckland, breaking Joe’s heart – only to reappear again years later. A moving love story about the complexities of male relationships and homes found in unexpected places, Shelter is also a love letter to the beauty, hidden places and vanishing past of Auckland.

Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson

When estranged siblings Byron and Benny reunite for their mother’s funeral in California, they discover a voice recording that turns everything they thought they knew about their family upside down. Also among their inheritance is a traditional Caribbean black cake, and a final request from their mother to share it when the time is right – but will her revelations heal the wounds of the past, or tear them even further apart?

Looking for a great local bookseller?

Have a browse of the huge range of new and classic books at University Bookshop Canterbury, sit down with a read at the boutique The Colombo Bookstore, or find a second-hand treasure at Steadfast Books.