{"title":"Hudson Williams' Favourite Reads","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'Heated Rivalry' star Hudson Williams has sparked a surge in sales after sharing a selection of his favourite reads on Instagram. Check them out for yourself below - he's got good taste!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"play-it-as-it-lays","title":"Play It As It Lays","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003ePlay It As It Lays\u003c\/i\u003e is a striking exploration of American life in the late 1960s, penned by the acclaimed author Joan Didion, also known for her works \u003cem\u003eThe White Album\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eThe Year of Magical Thinking\u003c\/em\u003e. \n\nSet against the arid backdrop of the Nevada desert and the insidious glitter of Hollywood, this novel revolves around Maria Wyeth, a once-promising actress now adrift in a fog of despair and disconnection. Maria is in her early thirties, divorced from her husband, and finds herself cut off from meaningful relationships with friends and family. Her life has spiralled into a monotonous routine of incessant freeway driving, where her only companions are the endless miles of asphalt and her haunting memories.\n\nMaria's existence is marked by a numbing detachment from both pain and pleasure, making her the epitome of a generation diseased by an abundance of liberty. She navigates life with an eerie sense of fatalism, embodying a haunting portrait of a woman who has exhausted all desire and motivation.\n\nMore than five decades after its original publication, \u003ci\u003ePlay It As It Lays\u003c\/i\u003e continues to resonate with readers, shedding light on the disintegrating fabric of American society during a tumultuous era. Didion's masterful prose ruthlessly dissects the underbelly of the American dream, revealing the emptiness that can lurk beneath its glamorous facade. This novel is undeniably a profoundly disturbing yet compelling narrative that captures the essence of a time and place with unflinching honesty.\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45686329082092,"sku":"9780007414987","price":22.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780007414987.jpg?v=1725465619"},{"product_id":"slouching-towards-bethlehem","title":"Slouching Towards Bethlehem","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eSlouching Towards Bethlehem\u003c\/i\u003e by Joan Didion is a seminal collection of essays that offers an incisive look into the 1960s America. Published in 1968, this work captures the tumultuous spirit of the era, delving into the cultural and political upheavals that defined the decade. With an unparalleled reportorial voice, Didion chronicles her experiences and observations, shedding light on the rapid societal changes and the personal disillusionments that characterised the time.\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn this masterful collection, Didion explores an array of subjects that paint a vivid picture of America in transition. From her own reflections on a shifting New York, to the bizarre account of a murderous housewife, and the innocent yet surreal world of a little girl trailing a rock band, she covers it all with both brutal honesty and delicate scrutiny. One can also encounter the millionaire secluding himself in his fortress-like mansion, signifying the isolation and alienation permeating the society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDidion’s writing is not merely a description of events and characters; it is a profound and poetic meditation on the human condition. She navigates through themes of memory, identity, and the inevitable passage of time. Her poignant assertion that \"We forget all too soon the things we thought we could never forget\" resonates deeply, capturing the ephemeral nature of human experiences - the loves and betrayals, the whispers and screams, and the essence of who we once were.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHer prose strikes a balance between the terrifying and the tender, presenting a world that is both ominous and intimately familiar. Didion’s unparalleled ability to convey her unique visions delivers a broader perspective on life that compels readers to reflect on their perceptions of reality. Each essay in \u003ci\u003eSlouching Towards Bethlehem\u003c\/i\u003e serves as a window into the era's psyche, reverberating with relevance even today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis collection remains a touchstone of American literature, offering timeless insights into the ever-evolving landscape of cultural and personal identity. Joan Didion’s voice continues to be celebrated for its clarity, elegance, and piercingly accurate portrayal of a world in flux.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"HarperCollins New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45686515106028,"sku":"9780008284640","price":26.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780008284640.jpg?v=1725467318"},{"product_id":"stoner","title":"Stoner","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eStoner\u003c\/i\u003e by John Williams is a profound exploration of the quiet, unassuming life of William Stoner, a man whose story unfolds with poignant simplicity and deep emotional resonance. Set in the early 20th century, the novel begins with Stoner's modest upbringing on a small farm in Missouri. Seeking a way out of the relentless labour of agricultural life, he enrols at the University of Missouri to study agronomy. However, a revelatory experience in an English literature class leads him to abandon his original plans and pursue a career in academia.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAs Stoner transitions from a hopeful student to a dedicated professor of English, the novel meticulously chronicles his personal and professional life. He marries Edith, a woman who proves to be incompatible and unfulfilling as a partner. Yet, despite the challenges and the lack of recognition from his peers, Stoner's dedication to his work and his pursuit of literary truth remain unwavering. Throughout the novel, Stoner encounters various challenges, but his steadfast commitment to his principles and his quiet endurance make his story both heart-wrenching and inspiring.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis beautifully written novel delves into themes of love, ambition, isolation, and the passage of time. The narrative is imbued with truthfulness, compassion, and quiet power, capturing the essence of an ordinary life that holds universal significance. Through Stoner's personal conflicts, defeats, and small victories, the novel shines a light on the often uncelebrated but profoundly meaningful aspects of human existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eStoner\u003c\/i\u003e has garnered high praise for its understated elegance and emotional depth. Ian McEwan describes it as \"a beautiful, sad, utterly convincing account of an entire life,\" while Nick Hornby hails it as \"a brilliant, beautiful, inexorably sad, wise and elegant novel.\" Julian Barnes calls it \"a terrific novel of echoing sadness,\" capturing the essence of a man whose contributions might otherwise pass unnoticed yet are deeply felt by those who engage with his story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eRediscovered and re-embraced as a literary classic, \u003ci\u003eStoner\u003c\/i\u003e is a testament to the power of quiet dignity and the enduring influence of literature on the human soul. Its narrative, marked by introspection and understated heroism, makes it a timeless piece that continues to resonate with readers today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45692357214444,"sku":"9780099561545","price":23.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780099561545.jpg?v=1725559148"},{"product_id":"martyr","title":"Martyr!","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e‘I will carry this story, and the people in it, with me for the rest of my life' \u003cem\u003eJOHN GREEN, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Fault in Our Stars\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAN INSTANT \u003ci\u003eNEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e BESTSELLER\u003cbr\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES DEBUT FICTION PRIZE 2024\u003cbr\u003eA NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST 2024\u003cbr\u003eA BARNES \u0026amp; NOBLE DISCOVER PRIZE FINALIST\u003cbr\u003eSHORTLISTED FOR THE BOOKS ARE MY BAG READERS AWARD 2024\u003cbr\u003eNAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2024 BY \u003ci\u003eTHE NEW YORK TIMES\u003c\/i\u003e, AMAZON, \u003ci\u003eTIME\u003c\/i\u003e AND SARAH JESSICA PARKER\u003cbr\u003eON BARACK OBAMA'S SUMMER READING LIST 2024\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'Smart, dazzling, different . . . This book is thrilling.'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAnn Patchett, author of \u003ci\u003eTom Lake\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'An absolute jewel of a novel'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTommy Orange, author of \u003ci\u003eWandering Stars\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e'A kaleidoscopic debut'\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCyrus Shams has always been lost. He’s grown up tangled in the mysteries of his past – an uncle who rode through Iranian battlefields, a haunting work of art by an exiled painter, and his mother, whose plane was shot down over the Persian Gulf when he was just a baby. Now, newly sober and maybe in love, he’s headed for an encounter that will transform everything he thought he knew. Can a final revelation change the truth of Cyrus's life?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eElectrifying, funny, and all-consuming, Kaveh Akbar's \u003ci\u003eMartyr!\u003c\/i\u003e is a masterpiece.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003csub\u003e* \u003ci\u003eMartyr!\u003c\/i\u003e was an instant \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller w\/c 27\/1\/24\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"The Distribution and Logistics Company (TDLC)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45719316758764,"sku":"9781035026081","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781035026081_5a8e1dbf-84e4-4cdd-b4b9-69d2c1daeadd.jpg?v=1728621986"},{"product_id":"didion-babitz-by-lili-anolik-9781805463993","title":"Didion \u0026 Babitz","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA TOP 12 BOOK OF THE YEAR PICK IN \u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e AND \u003cem\u003eSunday Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTHE BELLETRIST BOOK CLUB PICK FOR NOVEMBER 2024\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis book is magic. It's all I ever needed.\u003c\/em\u003e – LENA DUNHAM\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEve Babitz died on December 17, 2021. Found in the wrack, ruin, and filth of her apartment, a stack of boxes packed by her mother decades before. The boxes were pristine, the seals of duct tape unbroken. Inside, a lost world, centred on a two-story rental in a down-at-heel section of Hollywood in the sixties and seventies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e7406 Franklin Avenue was the making of one great American writer: Joan Didion, a mystery behind her dark glasses and cool expression, an enigma inside her storied marriage to John Gregory Dunne. Franklin Avenue was also the breaking and then the remaking – and thus the true making – of another great American writer: Eve Babitz, goddaughter of Igor Stravinsky, nude of Marcel Duchamp, consort of Jim Morrison (among many, many others), a woman who burned so hot she finally almost burned herself alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDidion and Babitz formed a complicated alliance, a friendship that went bad, amity turning to enmity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith deftness and skill, journalist Lili Anolik uses Babitz, Babitz's brilliance of observation, Babitz's incisive intelligence and, most of all, Babitz's diary-like letters – letters found in those sealed boxes, letters so intimate you don't read them so much as breathe them – as the key to unlocking Didion.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDidion \u0026amp; Babitz\u003c\/em\u003e is a captivating exploration of these two remarkable women and their intertwined destinies.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House Distribution","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46530093383916,"sku":"9781805463993","price":36.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/22654233482830.jpg?v=1749247951"},{"product_id":"it-lasts-forever-and-then-its-over-by-anne-de-marcken-9781923106000","title":"It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIt Lasts Forever and Then It's Over\u003c\/em\u003e asks how much of yourself can you lose before you are lost...and then what happens?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe heroine of this haunting, spare novel is voraciously alive in the afterlife. 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I was absolute putty in this book's hands.' - Alexandra Kleeman\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e'Anne de Marcken must write in a charmed ink that first erases the line between the living and the dead, and then - with prose as elegant as it is spooked - tells the story of what lies underneath. I have never read anything like this brilliant debut.' - Sabrina Orah Mark\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46712015159532,"sku":"9781923106000","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/19471123482872.jpg?v=1754269131"},{"product_id":"sex-rage-by-eve-babitz-9781786892744","title":"Sex \u0026 Rage","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is the 1970s in LA, and Jacaranda Leven - child of sun and surf - is swept into the dazzling cultural milieu of the beautiful people. 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A semi-autobiographical novel, it charts the highs and lows of a life lived at the limits, and transports the reader to a sunnier, dreamier, more reckless time and place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Allen \u0026 Unwin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46714724417772,"sku":"9781786892744","price":27.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/5456483482824.jpg?v=1754364044"},{"product_id":"les-miserables-by-victor-hugo-9781454959786","title":"Les Misérables","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLes Misérables\u003c\/em\u003e by Victor Hugo is a tale of injustice, heroism, and love that follows the fortunes of Jean Valjean, an escaped convict determined to put his criminal past behind him. Valjean's attempts to become a respected member of the community are constantly under threat.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHis journey is plagued by his own conscience, especially when an innocent man is mistakenly arrested in his place. Moreover, the relentless investigations of the dogged Inspector Javert add to his woes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is not simply for his own sake that Valjean must remain free. 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