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Shirl's Favourite Books of 2026

The first half of 2026 has been packed with brilliant books, making it hard to choose favourites but here are a few that have really stood out to me.

1
Yesteryear
Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick

Yesteryear

ByCaro Claire Burke
Liquid error (sections/main-collection-list line 244): Could not find asset snippets/staff-profile-value.liquidYesteryear is a debut novel, but is an absolute stunner of a story that I think will have people talking for a long time! An unsettling novel about Natalie, a tradwife influences who portrays her carefully curated and produced life online to many fans (and many who are not!). One morning she wakes up on the same farm, with the same (almost) family, but it's not quite right and she can't work out why (neither can we!). This book is one that will keep you gripped til the very end, and is such a timely story about the life we portray versus the life we live; the life we dream of and the life we dream of escaping. It's thrilling, entertaining, and I cannot wait for whatever this...
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2
The Correspondent
Women's Prize Winner
Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick

The Correspondent

ByVirginia Evans
Liquid error (sections/main-collection-list line 244): Could not find asset snippets/staff-profile-value.liquidI absolutely adored this book. I don’t read a lot of fiction, but couldn’t put this down and finished it in less than 24 hours. The book is a collection of letters, written to and from Sybil - a wonderful character, who is well, a character! The books makes you laugh, it makes you think - and probably makes you cry (not me!). The letter format is excellent and inspires me to get back into letter (email!) writing myself - something I love to do, but have done less of since starting a business. AAA recommend
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3
Strangers
Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick

Strangers

ByBelle Burden
Liquid error (sections/main-collection-list line 244): Could not find asset snippets/staff-profile-value.liquidI couldn't put this memoir down - reading about the end of Belle Burden's marriage and the impact on her and her whānau was harrowing. Yes, Belle comes from a lot of privilege and wealth, but she is so aware of this as she shares her experience. I felt like it was a reminder that heartbreak and family breakdowns are earth-shatteringly devastating regardless of our wealth. Incredibly written, brutally honest, a must-read memoir that sits up with my favourite Joan Didion's.
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4
Heart the Lover

Heart the Lover

ByLily King

'You knew I'd write a book about you someday' Our narrator understands good love stories — their secrets, their highs, and free falls. But her greatest love story, the one she lived, never followed the rules. She was in her senior year of college when star students Sam and Yash swept her into an intoxicating world of academic fervour, rapid-fire banter, and raucous card games. Their lives became quickly intertwined — with friendship but also with unpredictable passions and the intimations of first love. Decades later, she is a successful writer, living a comfortable life with her husband and children, when a surprise visit brings the past crashing into the present, forcing her to confront the decisions and deceptions of her youth. Written with the precision of poetry...

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5
Banjara
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Banjara

ByShana Chandra
Liquid error (sections/main-collection-list line 244): Could not find asset snippets/staff-profile-value.liquidBanjara is a powerful and beautifully written book. Shana Chandra transports you to the sights and smells of India and Fiji through her immersive writing. I must admit I didn’t know much about the history and relationship between India and Fiji, and this book offers a clear, moving insight into how that shared history has shaped generations. It’s a deeply affecting read that lingers long after the final page, inviting reflection on identity, belonging, and the stories we carry with us.
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6
The Truth About Ruby Cooper
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The Truth About Ruby Cooper

ByLiz Nugent
Liquid error (sections/main-collection-list line 244): Could not find asset snippets/staff-profile-value.liquidThis is not your traditional thriller but a very dark psychological thriller that pulls you deep into the complexities of family, trauma, and secrets. I genuinely could not put this book down and found myself reading until midnight because I was so eager to see how everything would unfold. The ending did not disappoint! The story moves at a great pace and is told through multiple perspectives across many years, which slowly reveals the truth behind the events that shaped Ruby’s life. If you’re a fan of Lisa Jewell or Freida McFadden, this one will definitely be for you. Overall, this is a dark, gripping, and compelling read that will keep you turning pages late into the night!
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7
The Black Monk
Shirl's Pick

The Black Monk

ByCharlotte Grimshaw

The latest novel from Charlotte Grimshaw, best-selling author of The Mirror Book. A woman haunted by family denial, secrets and a shadowy figure . . . While her brother Cedric spirals into addiction, Alice Lidell finds herself confronted not only by his decline, but by memories of the past. From their chaotic Auckland childhood to her present day life, Alice is haunted by a mysterious figure she calls the Black Monk. As Alice tries to hold her family together, the Black Monk appears in various guises - a stranger met in a cemetery, a face on television, a character surfacing in her own writing. Part psychological thriller, part family saga, this is a daring novel that examines the themes of the moment - shame, addiction, truth and the...

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8
Main Characters
Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick

Main Characters

ByBobby Palmer
Liquid error (sections/main-collection-list line 244): Could not find asset snippets/staff-profile-value.liquidMain Characters might seem like a typical love story at first however Bobby Palmer cleverly tells it through the eyes of everyone except the main characters, Clara and Seb. I found myself just as invested in the lives of the surrounding characters, each adding depth and emotion to the central relationship. This book is perfect for fans of Sally Rooney or Coco Mellors.
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9
Stakes
Signed Copy
Shirl's Pick Shirl's Pick

Stakes

ByNoelle McCarthy
Liquid error (sections/main-collection-list line 244): Could not find asset snippets/staff-profile-value.liquidI just love Noelle’s writing, I don’t really know how to describe it, it’s just so unmistakably hers. She writes with such raw honesty and doesn’t hold back as she lays everything out there from her addictions and desires. It surprised me to learn that she had actually started writing Stakes before Grand. Her curiosity with Bram Stoker’s Dracula brought back memories for me as a teen in the 1990s, also obsessed with Dracula, mainly due to Coppola's star-studded film. It was interesting to read how Stoker's book was a part of her life and how she would keep coming back to it at different stages in her life. Her memoir addresses the #MeToo movement and also has her coming back to the Magdalene laundries in Ireland. As...
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10
The Things We Never Say

The Things We Never Say

ByElizabeth Strout
Liquid error (sections/main-collection-list line 244): Could not find asset snippets/staff-profile-value.liquidThe Things We Never Say completely won me over! Elizabeth Strout’s writing is as beautiful as ever and Artie Dam is a character I won’t forget anytime soon. This is one of those books that makes you wonder how your own life might have changed if you’d crossed paths with someone like Artie. I especially loved the classroom scenes and his interactions with his students, as well as the quietly evolving relationship with his son Rob. It’s a thoughtful novel reminding you of the quiet impact one person can have on the lives around them. I can't wait for everyone to meet Artie Dam!
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