nzgirl Picks: January Reads

This book is a perfect beach read and will hold your attention from start to finish. It traces Alice and her sister Riley’s relationships with each other, the island they spend each summer on and the boy-next-door Paul, who has always held their hearts. Brashares draws the reader into her character’s lives, led by the narrator Alice. As young women becoming adults, they face a challenge that threatens everything they have planned for themselves. How they deal with this challenge is moving and captivated me - I couldn’t put this book down. Hachette, RRP $36.99

Lisa Andersen grew up as a Virginia farm girl who wanted to become the best surfer in the world. This biography traces her journey to becoming world champion not once but four times, as well as becoming a mother, launching the Roxy brand, and inspiring women to surf. The stunning photos of her surfing are matched by fascinating anecdotes of Lisa’s touring, surfing, and struggles with fame, injury, and love. This book isn’t just for surfie chicks, but for anyone looking for inspiration to succeed. Chronicle Books, RRP $49.99

This little gem will make you a cocktail queen in no time. Packed with over 140 delicious recipes, the book combines easy to follow instructions with mouth-watering photography. The book is handily divided into sections based on the main ingredient, and also has a comprehensive list of mocktails. An introductory section makes sense of all the instructions with a complete outline of how to stock the bar and what to use to produce awesome drinks. From the classic martini and cosmopolitan, to the grasshopper and the pompom, these recipes are guaranteed to get any party started!
Penguin, RRP $19.95

 
Blood is the New Black, Valerie Stivers

A cross between the Devil Wears Prada and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this witty book makes for an entertaining, fast-paced read. Showcasing the writer’s fashion and magazine background, it follows Kate through her first days as an intern at Tasty, the hottest woman’s magazine in New York. Her co-workers are more emaciated than Lindsay Lohan and seem to drink nothing but red smoothies while avoiding sunlight at all costs - leading Kate to believe that this job could be extremely bad for her health. Packed with up-to-the-minute pop culture references, this book won’t tax
your brain, but it will make you laugh. Hachette, RRP $38.99

This gritty look at childhood in the worst part of Montreal is both heart-wrenching and humorous. It traces the transition between childhood and adulthood of Baby, the daughter of a young heroin addict, as she struggles to deal with the demands placed on her by drugs, other children, social workers, and pimps. My favourite part of this book was the way in which O’Neill captured perfectly how a child’s imagination can find magic in any situation, even the most unpleasant one. Although this book depicts a grim world, Baby still discovers moments of light and beauty. Quercus, RRP $35.00

Jessi Phillips