Welcome to this week's Book Briefing where we round up the news for the week!
This week we've got lots of amazing local authors being celebrated, exciting new announcements and reveals, and a little bit of literary drama! We hope you enjoy this week's round up from the world of books!
Co-creator of ‘Call Her Daddy’ to release explosive memoir
For all of us who just want to be a fly on the wall of celebrities and their dramatic lives, this is our book. Sofia Franklyn co-created the hugely popular podcast ‘Call Her Daddy’ alongside Alex Cooper, and now she’s releasing a memoir that will reveal why she left the phenomenon, her side of the story, and her journey of survival and reclamation. Coming in November, we cannot wait to get our hands on this one.
Margaret Mahy Book of the Year Award goes to ‘A Guide to Rocks’
Last week, the industry celebrated the best of the best in NZ children’s and YA books, with Sacha Cotter and Josh Morgan’s beautiful picture book ‘A Guide to Rocks’ taking out the prestigious Margaret Mahy Book of the Year, as well as the BookHub Picture Book Award. Other winners on the night included Graci Kim with ‘Dreamslinger’ and Mat Tait with ‘Kupe and the Great Octopus of Muturangi’.
The epic conclusion to the Divergent series has us fizzing
The conclusion to bestselling author Veronica Roth’s new duology has been announced, with ‘The Last Testimony’ expected to arrive in February next year. It will be the sequel to the upcoming ‘Sixth Faction’, the first book in the brand-new duology. Set in the ‘Divergent’ universe, these books will take us straight back to the series that helped make us dystopian-obsessed, and we can’t wait for the first one to arrive in October!
The Definitive Oral History of ‘Breaking Bad’ is finally coming
Coming in November, just in time for ‘Breaking Bad’s 20th anniversary, ‘Do What You’re Gonna Do’ features exclusive cast interviews, behind-the-scenes stories and an insider account of the TV show that had us all hooked right through to the finale. Written by Dean Norris, who played DEA agent Hank Schrader, it’s part memoir, part oral history and essential reading for any ‘Breaking Bad’ fan.
Children’s Costumes Banned for Book Week
Book Week has kicked off in Australia, but some schools have introduced strict new rules around what kids can wear. One Queensland Catholic school has banned wizards, witches (including Harry Potter) weapons and zombies, while other schools have banned political figures, fanfiction characters, inflatable costumes and characters that don’t originate from books. Some are even discouraging store-bought costumes in favour of homemade creations, leaving plenty of parents scrambling to rethink their Book Week plans.
The Ngaio Marsh longlist for best novel has been announced
Featuring 12 wonderful NZ novels by 12 talented Kiwi authors, the longlist for the 2026 Ngaio Marsh Award for Best Novel has its work cut out for it! The list is laden with gripping thrillers like ‘The Vanishing Place’ by Zoë Rankin and ‘Softly Calls the Devil’ by Chris Blake, alongside ‘A Beautiful Family’ by Jennifer Trevelyan and nine other fantastic novels. The finalists for this and the rest of the 2026 categories will be announced later this spring.
‘The Valley’ is on its third reprint!
Arguably the most important book of 2026 for Kiwis, ‘The Valley’ by Asher Emanuel is already on its third reprint from the publisher. Chronicling three men navigating the New Zealand justice system and exposing the chasms that leave people without support, we loved this book and are so excited that it continues to be one readers are picking up. Published in May by Bridget Williams Books, it’s now on its third round of printing. Grab a copy while you can!
Bluey book coming will be a cultural deep-dive into the best kids show ever
Well-known New York Magazine critic Kathryn VanArendonk is writing the first book about the global phenomenon ‘Bluey’ for adults. Exploring what makes these seven-minute episodes about the Heeler family so powerful for parents and children, ‘The Bluey Years’ will dig into the making of the show, the philosophy behind its approach to issues like screen time, and the magic of its storytelling. ‘The Bluey Years’ releases next April.
Julia Whelan & Jennifer Beals bringing the newest TJR book to audio
As if we weren’t already excited for ‘The Last Days of Vic & Coco’ to arrive in March next year, now we’ve found out that the audiobook will be narrated by an all-star cast including Julia Whelan, Jennifer Beals, Edoardo Ballerini and Danny Burstein. Taylor Jenkins Reid called the casting “an extraordinary gift” and says she “can’t wait for listeners to experience what they’ve created together.” Us too, Taylor, us too!
Crime author dropped by publisher due to ongoing investigations
Following investigations by ‘The Guardian’, the UK’s top-selling true crime author Christopher Berry-Dee is no longer being published by Bonnier Books, while Waterstones has removed his books from sale. Berry-Dee has denied multiple serious allegations of violence and sexual abuse, some involving minors. The criminologist and true crime author has sold nearly one million books over his long career.
People Watching project is being turned into a book!
Kiwi cartoonist Toby Morris has spent the last couple of years capturing everyday New Zealanders through his series ‘People Watching’, sharing his charming encounters with people from all over the motu on social media. Now, with the backing of publisher Allen & Unwin, these delightful portraits of Aotearoa are becoming a book, due for release in November, just in time for Christmas gifting.
Disney is giving ‘Beauty and the Beast’ the romantasy treatment
Disney is stepping into romantasy with ‘Disney Cursed Love’, a new series inspired by some of its most iconic love stories and aimed at an older audience. It kicks off with ‘The Curse of a Forsaken Heart’, written by bestselling author Emily McIntire, which sees Belle and the Beast pulled into a cursed magical kingdom and introduces a new rivals-to-lovers romance. The story will debut as a WEBTOON webcomic before being released in print in 2027.
Dame Julie Andrews is narrating ‘Emma’
After lending her spectacular voice acting skills to ‘Pride and Prejudice’, Dame Julie Andrews is back, this time narrating Jane Austen’s ‘Emma’, unabridged and told exactly as Austen wrote it. The audiobook will be released from August 25 in a serialised format by UK podcast network Noiser. Even better, Julie Andrews’ narration will be accompanied by immersive sound design and beautiful music to really bring this wonderful story to life.
That's all for this book briefing! For more bookish news, new releases, staff picks and plenty more from all the team at Book Hero, follow us on Instagram at @bookheronz and check back here on our blog as we post regularly!
