- Sh*t Towns of New Zealand Number Two – Rick Furphy and Geoff Rissole
Based on the hugely popular Facebook page Shit Towns of New Zealand, this is a detailed catalogue of shit towns and cities across Aotearoa. Naturally, the first volume was received as a literary masterpiece, taking home the prestigious Poolitzer Prize, the Poobody Award and the Nobel Prize for Shiterature. The only people upset by the book were the residents of towns that we had missed out. There was only one course of action: we compiled all the towns and suburbs that should probably have been in the first book, added in a bunch of additional material for Kiwis and visitors alike, and did a number two. As well as hitting more towns, this book is an opportunity to share some of the eloquent fan mail that we have received from the erudite residents of the towns we have reviewed (names may have been altered).
- Choose Your Own Apocalypse with Kim Jong-Un and Friends – Rob Sears
There are many ways civilisation could end, even with wise, benevolent leaders like Kim Jong-un, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin watching over us. Now, in this fun interactive story of global doom, YOU decide how humanity perishes. YOU will meet the leaders with the future of civilisation in their hands. And YOUR wits and judgement will decide how we all inevitably die. Or then again, maybe, YOU will find a way to keep us all safe long enough to expire of old age and global warming instead. Just don’t get too hopeful.
- Michael Rosen’s Book of Play – Michael Rosen
These days, we seem to have less and less time to play. At school, children are focused on exams, while at home, we’re glued to technology. The author of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Michael Rosen shows us why we need more play in our lives by delving into its history and explaining why it is a core part of child development. Above all, play should be fun—and this book is full of silliness and laughter, with exercises and prompts for creative indoor and outdoor play for all the family.
- The Royal Geographical Society Puzzle Book – The Royal Geographical Society
Pit your wits against the world’s greatest explorers. Explore hidden routes, decipher geographical details and discover amazing facts as you work through over a century’s worth of geographical wonder. Comprising 50 unforgettable explorer profiles and expeditions retold through a set of increasingly difficult questions, this challenging, informative and entertaining Christmas tome is perfect for the most inexperienced geographer to the most veteran explorer.
- Hollywood Wants to Kill You – Michael Brooks and Rick Edwards
Asteroids, killer sharks, nuclear bombs, viruses, deadly robots, climate change, the apocalypse—why is Hollywood so obsessed with death and the end of the world? And how seriously should we take the dystopian visions of our favourite films? Hollywood Wants to Kill You investigates everything from astrophysics to AI, with hilarious and captivating consequences. Packed with illustrations, fascinating facts and numerous spoilers, it is the perfect way into the science of our inevitable demise.
- A Guinea Pig Nutcracker – Alex Goodwin
As the curtain rises, Clara is opening her presents under the Christmas tree. She falls in love with a present from her godfather: a wooden Nutcracker. When Clara falls asleep that night, she is swept up in a battle between the Nutcracker (who has become a handsome prince) and the terrible Mouse King. This leads to a magical trip into the realms of fantasy, a sweet-filled wonderland where the beautiful Sugarplum Fairy dances. This is the world-famous ballet as you’ve never seen it before—danced by guinea pigs.
- Mind Blown – Dan Marshall
Did you know space is only an hour’s drive away? Did you know there is a jellyfish that is biologically immortal? Or that of all life that has ever existed on Earth, 99.9 percent of it is extinct? Delightful illustrations and beautiful design in Mind Blown bring to life some of the hardest to believe and awesomely real facts you’ll ever see. Prepare to have your mind blown.
- Dog Poems – Various
Since prehistory, dogs have served as man’s best friend, giving us loyalty, assistance and boundless inspiration. To poets, in particular, these beloved creatures are the most bountiful muses, as they bark, yip, hunt, fetch, growl and slumber, reflecting back at us our most heartfelt tenderness and often rewarding us with unconditional love we scarcely deserve. Dog Poems offers a litter of verses in celebration of our most faithful companions by some of the greatest poets of all time.
