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Letters from the Bay of Islands (The story of Marianne Williams), Caroline Fitzgerald

Penguin
Reviewed by Jessica Cooksley-Gruys (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Caroline Fitzgerald has reproduced this collection of letters written by her great-great grandmother, Marianne Williams. Williams' letters are an honest account of one woman during her family's journey from England to New Zealand in the 1820s, and their life after arrival.

Full review here

Leviathan, Boris Akunin

Weidenfeld and Nicolson
Reviewed by Rex Trye (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Russian author Grigory Chkhartishvili, who writes under the pen name of Boris Akunin, has created Erast Fandorin, described as the James Bond of the 19th Century.

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Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them, Al Franken

Allen Lane
Reviewed by Mike Bowler (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

The great American culture war continues, this time with the United States' version of the left on the offensive.

Al Franken is a television writer and producer, comedian, radio host and best-selling author. And, more importantly, he's the recently reformated answer to the conservatives' domination of the American airwaves. Franken is a star of Air America Radio – a network set up especially to counter the domination of the likes of Rush Limbaugh.

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Life Expectancy, Dean Koontz

HarperCollins
Reviewed by Lisa Hoult (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Imagine knowing the day disaster is going to strike – counting down the months, weeks and then days until "it" happens.

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Long Live Princess Smartypants, Babette Cole

Puffin
Reviewed by Mark Dwyer (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

My two children (aged four and seven) are very familiar with Babette Cole's offbeat and very humorous stories. Long Live Princess Smartypants is an hilarious royal romp packed with action and drama.

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Lost, Michael Robotham

Time Warner
Reviewed by Sheila Forbes (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Michael Robotham wrote several acclaimed biographies before turning to crime novels. His first, The Suspect, was a sizzler, so I had high hopes of Lost. I was disappointed. Not that there is any lack of action or intrigue; if anything there is too much.

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Lunch with a Soldier, Derek Hansen

Harper Collins
Reviewed by Lindsay Wright (Courtesy of Taranaki Daily News)

Dining with Derek Hansen is a dependable treat. Lunch with a Soldier is the fourth in Hansen's delectable series: Lunch with the Generals, Lunch with Mussolini and Lunch with the Stationmaster, based around four Australian friends who gather each month for lunch and try to outdo each other with their storytelling prowess.

Full review here