{"title":"Shirl's Top 10 Most Recommended Books","description":"\u003cp\u003eThese are my Top 10 books that I always recommend to my friends and whānau when they ask for recommendations for getting back into reading. They are all books I have loved and some that I have revisited. I hope you find joy in reading these as much as I did!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"tomorrow-and-tomorrow-and-tomorrow","title":"Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eStylish and open-hearted, this is a very different kind of love story, elevated and energised by being set in the world of creativity and video gaming.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTHE BESTSELLING PHENOMENON\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI loved this book\u003c\/em\u003e – Jojo Moyes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the story of Sam and Sadie. It's not a romance, but it is about love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Sam catches sight of Sadie at a crowded train station one winter morning, he is catapulted back to the brief time they spent playing together as children. Their unique spark is instantly reignited.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhat comes next is a story of friendship and rivalry, fame and creativity, betrayal and tragedy, perfect worlds and imperfect ones. And, ultimately, our need to connect—to be loved and to love.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLove, friendship and betrayal... gorgeous\u003c\/em\u003e – Sunday Telegraph\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of the best books I've ever read\u003c\/em\u003e – John Green\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eI loved it\u003c\/em\u003e – Celeste Ng\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis blew me away\u003c\/em\u003e – Pandora Sykes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45595868594412,"sku":"9781529115543","price":21.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781529115543_0a99878c-deb0-48df-8879-c4407ee9fdd9.jpg?v=1754958380"},{"product_id":"eleanor-oliphant-is-completely-fine","title":"Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eEleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine\u003c\/i\u003e by Gail Honeyman is a heartwarming and starkly original debut novel that takes readers on an emotional journey through the complexities of human connection and the challenges of breaking free from the confines of an isolated, routine existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEleanor Oliphant leads a simple, meticulously organised life. Each day she wears the same outfit to work, eats the same meal deal for lunch, and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Although her life appears content and perfectly structured, beneath this exterior, Eleanor harbours a haunting past and a unaired loneliness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt isn't until a chance event disrupts her predictable routine that Eleanor's controlled bubble begins to burst. One simple act of kindness sets off a series of events that gradually expose the untouched corners of her heart and her past. As Eleanor ventures into a world filled with social expectations and relationships, she must muster the bravery to confront the traumas she has long avoided.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith wry wit, tenderness, and unflinching honesty, Gail Honeyman delicately portrays Eleanor's journey from a life marked by survival to a new existence filled with possibilities and human connections. \u003cem\u003eEleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine\u003c\/em\u003e encapsulates the essence of what it means to rediscover oneself and to accept the messy, vibrant landscape of life beyond solitary existence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eCritics and readers alike have praised \u003cem\u003eEleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine\u003c\/em\u003e for its poignant storytelling and exceptional characterisation. The Sunday Times bestseller has been lauded as “funny, touching, and unpredictable” by Jojo Moyes and described as “moving, funny, and devastating” by The Herald.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe Daily Mail calls it “unforgettable, brilliant, funny, and life-affirming,” while author Joanna Cannon declares, “I adored it. Skilled, perceptive, Eleanor's world will feel familiar to you from the very first page. 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This novel bursts with energy, humour, and heart as it explores the multifaceted experiences of twelve distinctive characters. A rich narrative ensemble, it captures the voices of mostly Black and British women who navigate the complexities of their identities, relationships, and the changing landscape of London and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eGrace is a Victorian orphan dreaming of the mysterious African father she will never meet, yearning for a sense of belonging and heritage. Winsome is a young Windrush bride recently arrived from Barbados, adjusting to the strange new world of post-war Britain while holding onto her roots. Amma, the fierce queen of her 1980s squatters' palace, embodies the rebellious spirit of a generation yearning for change.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the vibrant cast is Morgan, who once was Megan, carving out a place as a vocal activist-influencer on social media, redefining identity and challenging societal norms. Through these and other stories, including a non-binary social media influencer, a successful investment banker, and a sexually adventurous school teacher, Evaristo weaves a compelling and broad-ranging narrative that touches on themes of feminism, race, politics, and sexuality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMore than just a collection of characters, the novel explores over a hundred years of change, diving deep into personal histories, cultural shifts, and societal transformations. Bernardine Evaristo offers a panoramic and vibrant portrayal of contemporary Britain in \u003cem\u003eGirl, Woman, Other\u003c\/em\u003e, an ever-dynamic, ever-expanding, utterly irresistible story that redefines what a modern novel can be.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis ground-breaking book is a celebration of the diverse, complex, and rich experiences that constitute Black British life. With a deft touch, Evaristo crafts a story that is both intimate and expansive, a love song to an old country forever evolving. 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In fact, she would be the first to point out that there is no such thing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut it's the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute take a very unscientific view of equality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eForced to leave her job at the institute, she soon finds herself the reluctant star of America's most beloved cooking show, Supper at Six.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn't just teaching women to cook.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShe's daring them to change the status quo. One molecule at a time.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e__________\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA Book of the Year for: \u003cem\u003eGuardian, Times, Sunday Times, New York Times, Good Housekeeping, Woman \u0026amp; Home, Stylist, TLS\u003c\/em\u003e, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, Mail on Sunday, Entertainment Weekly, NPR, India Knight, Hay Festival, Waterstones, Amazon, Books are My Bag and many more!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAuthor of the Year at the British Book Awards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWinner of the Goodreads Choice Best Debut Novel Award.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWinner of the Books are My Bag Reader's Choice Award.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWinner of the Books are My Bag Breakthrough Author Award.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eShortlisted for the HWA Crown Award.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePraise for \u003cem\u003eLessons in Chemistry\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Full of humour, heartbreak and characters who feel like real people'\u003c\/em\u003e – Red Magazine\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Thought-provoking and stylish'\u003c\/em\u003e – Guardian\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Laugh-out-loud funny and brimming with life, generosity and courage'\u003c\/em\u003e – Rachel Joyce, author of \u003cem\u003eThe Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'I loved \u003cem\u003eLessons in Chemistry\u003c\/em\u003e and am devastated to have finished it!'\u003c\/em\u003e – Nigella Lawson\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A novel that sparks joy with every page'\u003c\/em\u003e – Elizabeth Day, author of \u003cem\u003eMagpie\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'Witty and sometimes hilarious ... the Catch-22 of early feminism'\u003c\/em\u003e – Stephen King\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e'A beautiful, sharp, funny and dark modern classic. 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Nora Seed’s life has been a series of disappointments and missed opportunities. Struggling with the belief that she has made irrevocable mistakes, Nora's existence takes a surreal turn when she finds herself in a unique library at the stroke of midnight on what she believes to be her last day on earth.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe library presents a unique opportunity for Nora: each book on the shelves represents a different life she could have lived if she had made different decisions at various points in her past. With the assistance of Mrs. Elm, the librarian, Nora embarks on an incredible journey through these alternative realities, exploring what could have been. Through this exploration, she is confronted with profound questions about what it truly means to live well and to be genuinely content.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis moving narrative is not just a tale of second chances but an exploration of the human condition and the burden of regret. As Nora navigates through the myriad possibilities of her life, readers are invited to reflect on their own choices and the myriad paths one's life can take.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTHE BESTSELLING WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWINNER OF THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD FOR FICTION\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e“Beautiful”\u003c\/i\u003e – Jodi Picoult, \u003ci\u003e“Uplifting”\u003c\/i\u003e – \u003ci\u003ei\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e“Brilliant”\u003c\/i\u003e – \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e“Amazing”\u003c\/i\u003e – Joanna Cannon, \u003ci\u003e“Absorbing”\u003c\/i\u003e – \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e“Thought-provoking”\u003c\/i\u003e – \u003ci\u003eIndependent\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Midnight Library\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling and transformative read that has touched readers around the globe. 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Raff, 18 and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, 17, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; 9-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can't stop turning back towards the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThen, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut Rowan isn't telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realises Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. 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Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall Inn who isn't here for the big event.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen the bride discovers her elaborate destination wedding could be ruined by a divorced and depressed stranger, she is furious. She has spent months accounting for every detail and every possible disaster — except for, well, Phoebe… Soon, both women find their best-laid plans derailed and an unlikely confidante in one another.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eHilarious and moving, \u003ci\u003eThe Wedding People\u003c\/i\u003e is an irresistible novel about love, friendship, dysfunctional families, and the unexpected paths that lead to happiness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003e'WICKEDLY FUNNY'\u003c\/b\u003e JENNY JACKSON\n\n\u003cb\u003e'A PERFECT NOVEL'\u003c\/b\u003e CATHERINE NEWMAN\n\n\u003cb\u003e'I LOVED IT'\u003c\/b\u003e PANDORA SYKES\n\n\u003cb\u003e'HUGELY RECOMMENDED'\u003c\/b\u003e INDIA KNIGHT\n\n\u003cb\u003e'CHARMING AND GLORIOUS, AND MADE ME WISH I HAD WRITTEN IT'\u003c\/b\u003e JOJO MOYES\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette New Zealand Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46369590182124,"sku":"9781399622752","price":20.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781399622752.jpg?v=1744794962"},{"product_id":"my-friends-by-fredrik-backman-9781398516403","title":"My Friends","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e#1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMost people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eTwenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted, who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOut of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for Fredrik Backman\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“Backman captures the messy essence of being human...clever and affecting, as likely to make you laugh out loud as it is to make you cry.” —\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“The perfect balance of heartwarming and heart-wrenching… Fredrik Backman has a way of simply yet elegantly describing relationships. We can all be idiots, but we’re still all human beings worthy of connection and love.” —\u003ci\u003eNPR\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“Everything Backman’s pen touches oozes with insight and heart.” —\u003ci\u003eAmazon Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“Backman is a masterful writer, his characters familiar yet distinct, flawed yet heroic.” —\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“As popular Swedish exports go, Backman is up there with Abba and Stieg Larsson.” —\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46389766815980,"sku":"9781398516403","price":31.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781398516403_f1789d67-af71-4cf3-858c-e7a7ea3ce12c.jpg?v=1745301379"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/collections\/shirls-top-10-most-recommended-books.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}