95bFM's Loose Reads: A Sharp Left Turn by Mike Chunn /  by Time Out Bookstore

Mike Chunn’s new autobiography is the NZ rock bio that everyone is going to want this Christmas.

A founding member of Split Enz, Chunn suffered from debilitating panic attacks that caused him to quit the band two albums in. This didn’t stop his music career however - he moved on to found Citizen Band, worked for Mushroom and Sony records, APRA and founded Play it Strange.

A beautiful hardback book full of endearing yarns about Otahuhu in the 1960’s, the love of music, the NZ music industry and mental health.

We finished the review by playing Late Last Night from Split Enz’s second album, Second Thoughts.

Listen to Jenna, Rachel & Tess chat below:

95bFM's Loose Reads: 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak /  by Time Out Bookstore

Kiran reviewed Booker Prize shortlisted novel 10 Minutes, 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak. The publication of this brave novel has seen Shafak come under investigation by the Turkish government for her unflinching but compassionate look at violence against women in her homeland. This is a profound story of friendship, love and Turkish history, told through the eyes of its marginalised people.

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RNZ's Nine to Noon: The Last of Her Kind by Sigrid Nunez /  by Time Out Bookstore

You may remember that Jenna reviewed Sigrid Nunez’s National Book Award winning The Friend earlier in the year, which still remains one of her favourite reads for 2019. When a prolific, yet not as well known author wins such a prize, publishers often go to their backlist to republish an older title to give it a second life and this is what has happened with Nunez’s The Last of Her Kind, originally published in 2006.

This is a layered, intelligent and considered tale of female friendship, politics and cultural disruption in the 1960’s, New York City. Scholarship student Georgette George is roomed with the wealthy Ann Drayton at Barnard College. An intense friendship develops but ends as Ann’s journey into activism becomes more hard line and extreme.

However, Ann is brought back into George’s life years later after she is arrested for murder.

Listen to Jenna’s review below:

RNZ's Nine to Noon: Girl by Edna O'Brien /  by Time Out Bookstore

On RNZ’s Nine to Noon, Kiran reviewed our Book of the Month, Girl by Edna O’Brien. O’Brien is an important writer who has long given a voice and created a space for girls and women in crisis. This novel tells the story of Maryam, one of a group of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria. Girl will rip your heart out, but you won’t be able to put the book down. What a writer!

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BOOK OF THE MONTH: October, 2019: Girl by Edna O'Brien /  by Time Out Bookstore

Our Book of the Month for October is Edna O’Brien’s Girl. A clear-sighted and gripping novel about Maryam, one of a group of schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria. At 88-years-old, O’Brien is as icicle sharp as ever - on a recent trip to Nigeria on research for this book, she smuggled £15,000 in her knickers to give to people there. Girl will rip your heart out, but you won’t be able to put the book down. What a writer!
You can listen to Kiran’s RNZ Nine to Noon review of Girl here.

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95bFM's Loose Reads: Trick Mirror by Jia Tolentino /  by Time Out Bookstore

On 95bFM’s Loose Reads, Kiran reviewed New Yorker staff writer Jia Tolentino’s piercing collection of essays Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion. It dives deep into the evolution of the internet, the effects of late capitalism, the definitive scams of the millennial era, and the diminishing gap between personal and political delusion. These perfectly pitched essays also come with an endorsement from Rebecca Solnit so what more could you ask for?

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95bFM's Loose Reads: Year of the Monkey by Patti Smith /  by Time Out Bookstore

Jenna is a huge Patti Smith fan and was very happy to step back into her comforting words with Year of the Monkey. Set in the year of 2016 - this is a poetic musing on grief, solitude, dreams & travel. Year of the Monkey is Smith’s third memoir after Just Kids (2010) & M Train (2015).

Today we played The Go-Go’s We Got the Beat after the chapter, Why Belinda Carlisle Matters.

Listen below:

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RNZ's Nine to Noon: Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss /  by Time Out Bookstore

On RNZ’s Nine to Noon Kiran reviewed Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss who will be appearing in conversation at Time Out in October and Verb in November. It’s an atmospheric novel about 17-year-old Silvie who goes on an excursion with her mother and father to live on an archeological replica of an Iron Age settlement with the goal of living like ancient Britons did for a flavour of Iron Age life. This is a very mesmerising novel. It’s an exquisite novel, a tremendous mood piece with a heck of an impact.

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RNZ's Nine to Noon: Doxology by Nell Zink /  by Time Out Bookstore

For fans of the great American novel, Nell Zink’s Doxology takes the reader from 1980’s New York City to the ill fated USA 2016 election.

Investigating generational shifts & responses, Doxology is a compelling, intelligent & witty observation on thirty years of history and cultural change. For fans of Franzen, Wolitzer and Tartt.

Listen to Jenna’s review below:

BOOK OF THE MONTH: September, 2019: The Man Who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy /  by Time Out Bookstore

Deborah Levy’s Booker Prize longlisted The Man Who Saw Everything may not have made the shortlist but it is our Book of the Month for September! An intriguing and expertly plotted novel abut politics, history, surveillance, beauty and envy, this book shows Levy is a clever writer of immense control and clarity. You can listen to Kiran’s 95bFM Loose Reads review here.

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95bFM's Loose Reads: Lanny by Max Porter /  by Time Out Bookstore

On her latest Loose Reads review and in anticipation of the Booker shortlist being announced, Jenna reviewed the longlisted Lanny by Max Porter. This book is an expertly crafted exploration in narrative form and dialogue.

Another longlist title that Jenna mentions is The Testaments by Margaret Atwood - Booker judges can only say that it’s ‘terrifying and exhilarating’. This is out on September 10th!

The shortlist is announced at 9pm (NZ time) on September 3rd.

Listen to the review below:

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RNZ's Nine to Noon: Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry /  by Time Out Bookstore

On RNZ’s Nine to Noon Kiran reviewed Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry which has been longlisted for the Booker Prize. Charlie and Maurice are two ragged Irish gangsters from Cork who are waiting at a Spanish port for a night boat from Tangier. This is a dark novel about crime and its effects, but it’s also very funny and touching, and beautifully deals with love, loss, ageing, parenthood and the fraternity of male friendship.

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95bFM's Loose Reads: The Golden Sword by John Pain /  by Time Out Bookstore

You all know and love the iconic 95bFM logo (you’re not allowed to change it, bFM!) and today Kiran was lucky enough to be joined on Loose Reads by the man who designed it, John Pain, who listeners will also know from Hallelujah Picassos. They talked about his debut novel The Golden Sword published by local outfit Dunbar Noon who describe it as “Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness via Lee Falk’s The Phantom.”

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RNZ's Nine to Noon: Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner /  by Time Out Bookstore

Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner is a book about divorce that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Toby is handling his divorce fairly well. He’s joined dating apps, is working towards a promotion and is spending quality time with his children on the weekends. However, when his ex Rachel does not turn up to pick up the kids as planned, and just doesn’t...come back, Toby’s new life is turned upside down.

A novel with humour and depth, Brodesser-Akner’s journalistic touch explores gender roles and the expectation of working mothers. For fans of Andrew Sean Greer’s Less and Maria Semple’s Where’d you go, Bernadettte?