Debut novel combines writer’s love of music with her love of words, writes Rebecca Barry Hill.

I would rather read Kelly Link than breathe. Writing about her is another thing again. I do not know why her new book is called Get In Trouble.

New Zealand-born Peter Walker has been living in Britain for nearly 30 years now. He's made a considerable reputation as an author there, under as many as six nom-de-plumes, writing well over 100 books.

As a bloke can I just say that this weekend is simply quite wonderful in that not one but two mighty sporting events are upon us, simultaneously.

He’s the most-capped in All Black history but you won’t hear Tony Woodcock shout about it. He prefers his hard work on the field to tell the story.

Left things too late? here are some fashionable last-minute Valentine's Day gift ideas.

Hawkes Bay, blessed with the kind of undulating landscape and climate that grapes love, is responsible for a fine array of whites and reds. Here are three:

A seaside location is a huge drawcard for a new Takapuna venue — and the food is pretty good, too.

How did a Hollywood novice who hadn’t even read the book come to direct the film version of the mega-hit Fifty Shades of Grey? Sam Taylor-Johnson reveals all.

There’s nothing sexier this season than 50 shades of beige.

Heading out for brunch? Check out the latest review in Canvas magazine for inspiration.

What makes Grumpy Cat so special? Nothing, writes Greg Dixon. His cat is far cuter.

Back in the familiar rural midwest of her previous novels, Moo, Horse Heaven and A Thousand Acres, Pulitzer prize-winner Jane Smiley presents us with the first volume of a projected trilogy.

To modern eyes, the little wagon in a Berlin museum looks like a model of an old horse-drawn cart. Solidly made, about as big as a baby's cot, it is in fact a handcart, to be pulled by people, not animals.

A novel is a place where past and present versions of one person can co-exist, and in his fifth novel Andrew O'Hagan movingly explores the way the "flotsam" of a life can rise to the surface as old age and memory go about their strange and poignant work.

Plaudits to the publisher for their tactile, trim presentation of this small-is-beautiful novella. And to the Australian author herself for a rewarding — and riddling — little read.

Now that the dust has settled, it is possibly a good time for me to step back and think about all the things I learnt from the Eleanor Catton interlude.

Get back to the grind with help from some high-powered accessories.

We tell 10 lies every week — but what’s the reasoning behind so many untruths, asks Olivia Goldhill.

Christchurch crime writer Paul Cleave, whose books have sold more than half a million copies, has no qualms killing people on the page. But now online piracy is killing him, he tells Linda Herrick.

Lucy Wood’s first novel is a magic realist ghost story set in Devon. Lucy Popescu went there to meet her.

New Zealand is simply a much better place to live on days you don't have to go to work. This is why we need many more legally sanctioned holidays. And this is why I am here to suggest a few.

Dylan Cleaver conquers his fears and discovers a new outlook over Sydney.

In the aftermath of a reckless Christmas/New Year/summer holiday spend-up, and faced with a credit card account spinning out of control — here are some great, inexpensive buys.

Cafe Hanoi deserves its fashionable reputation.

You can leave your hat on.

As the film of their life is released, Jane Hawking recalls how she fell in love with the legendary physicist against the haunting backdrop of his developing motor neurone disease.