The end of the year in the book world throws up a wealth of ‘best of’ lists. The books tend to be different on every list, and overall provide a chaotic and delightful picture of the year’s publications. In 2024, as usual, local authors and publishers have delivered works that are thought-provoking, fun, political, knowledgeable, beautiful, timely, helpful, and simply great stories.

This year we asked some of our regular reviewers for their favourites by authors from Aotearoa. Read on to see what they chose and why!

Fiction

Ash, by Louise Wallace

Too easy. My pick is Ash by Louise Wallace. I love a short novel (or shovel as I’m calling them) and this is bite-sized and delicious. It felt honest to me, and in a new way. I have not seen womanhood written like this before, and I ate it up and immediately started reading again from the beginning. It’s a cracking read, beautifully written, and I hope she’s busy writing something new, because I’ll be first in line.

Anna Scaife

The Life and Opinions of Kartik Popat, by Brannavan Gnanalingam

Gnanalingam pulls us under the skin of a character that is at once loathsome, hilarious and wholly realised. It's a book for this age: a timely, incendiary, and chilling glimpse into representational politics, echo chambers and how the algorithm machine has forever changed modern democracy.

Angelique Kasmara

Ōkiwi Brown, by Cristina Sanders

Sanders creates an immersive experience of early colonial Wellington, seen through the eyes of a bunch of chancers and misfits. It combines vivid description and lively characterisation with a black sense of humour, to create a tale that's hard to put down.

Sarah Ell

Crime

Return to Blood by Michael Bennett

The second in a series after the hugely successful Better the Blood. This is even better; Better the Blood had an outsized villain with political aims, who essentially held whole cities hostage. Here the plot is dialled down a little which allows Bennett to tackle multiple storylines and present a more nuanced thriller.

Greg Fleming

Short Stories

Pretty Ugly by Kirsty Gunn

It's definitely the most surprising, possibly the most polarising book I've read this year. It seems odd to say "I loved it" but I really did, both the writing and content of the stories terrified me in the best ways. Not for the faint-hearted, the exquisite prose makes palatable ugly truths Gunn examines in each tale. Each story reads like a thriller, and many consider situations that are at once mundane, but perhaps less thought about, that scratching the surface reveals something much darker, and a hell of a lot more interesting. This is the book I want everyone to read so we can talk about it and gasp!  

Nat Baker

Picture Books

The Very Best Words by Erin Munro and Sarah Trolle

I am a lifelong lexophile and had a soft spot this year for this. There’s a lot going on here: months of the year, seasons, rich and exciting vocabulary expansion, and sibling love, all in a very appealing package. 

Nanny Rina’s Amazing Nets by Qiane Matata-Sipu and Isobel Joy Te Aho White

A well-constructed, information-rich text weaves net-making together with the stars of Matariki, cleverly illustrated with repeating star and net motifs throughout. A great addition to the growing library of books on Matariki.

Melinda Syzmanik

Children’s Fiction

Brown Bird by Jane Arthur

Our schools are currently facing a near-epidemic of children suffering from anxiety. Brown Bird’s main character, Rebecca, is incredibly relatable for these children, providing an empathetic perspective as she deals with anxiety, overthinking, and the pressure to fit in and not be weird. This book is a valuable resource for helping anxious children see themselves in literature and understand that they are not alone. It offers an important message –  that it is okay to be yourself, even with quirks and challenges, or especially with quirks and challenges, because that is what makes you uniquely you.

Barbara Uini

Nine Girls by Stacey Gregg

This book won the supreme award at this year's NZ Children and YA Book Awards. A powerful, poignant Te Ao Māori coming-of-age story, much based on Gregg's own childhood in Ngāruawāhia.

David Hill

Young Adult Fiction

The Mess of Our Lives, by Mary-Anne Scott

This is musician and writer Scott’s sixth novel for young people. It is heartfelt and moving, addressing serious issues like hoarding and child neglect. It also touches upon copyright fraud and the perils of artistic copyright for musicians.

Fleur, 13

Poetry

Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud by Lee Murray

Fox Spirit on a Distant Cloud is an impressive meld of poetry and prose, of mythology and realism; using the nine-tailed spirit húli jīng to illuminate the hidden histories of Chinese diaspora women. Many are stories torn from our headlines, but Murray neither sensationalises nor sanitises them. I found the narrative gripping; the language lyrical, yet sparse when it needs to be. These poems are alive with both beauty and pain: the beauty of húli jīng ascending at last to “the plum-scented skies”, and the pain of immigrant women bound to an unwelcoming country. Fox Spirit is a haunting and memorable book, and one showcasing the possibilities of mixing genre to give voice to the voiceless. 

Anuja Mitra

Essays

Bad Archive by Flora Feltham

This is a stunning debut— a masterclass in essay writing and memoir. Feltham proves that with strong writing, any topic can be captivating, whether it's seagull migration around Wellington's landfill or the renovation of her local New World.

Otherhood, edited by Alie Benge, Kathryn Van Beek and Lil O’Brien

Otherhood brings together a powerful collection of essays from 36 contributors and has a significant social impact. The book gave a platform to voices often unheard — those without children — offering a diverse range of perspectives on the topic. Its nationwide launch events further strengthened its impact, fostering a strong sense of community across the country. 

Becs Tetley

Non-Fiction and Memoir

Feijoa: A Story of Obsession and Belonging by Kate Evans

The best memoirs offer you not only a window into the writer, but also into the passion that moves them – in this case, the humble Feijoa sellowiana. I'd never had a feijoa prior to moving to New Zealand in 2021, and I'm proudly in the "I love them!" camp. Kate's multi-year journey to uncover the fruit's origins in South America, tracing their pathway up into North America, across the ocean to Europe and to the back gardens of so many homes in Aotearoa was a fascinating exploration in how food, heritage and culture entwine. Even if you still don't like the flavour, you will like the book. 

Claire Williamson

Te Hau Kāinga: the Māori Home Front During the Second World War, by Angela Walhalla. Sarah Christie, Lachy Paterson, Ross Webb and Erica Newman 

I read this while following the hikoi’s well planned advance on Wellington, the book a perfect backdrop. Te Hau Kāinga describes another time when Māori planning was to the fore, how for a few years Māori organised and controlled many of the aspects of wartime life that affected them: recruitment, manpower distribution, the Māori home guard, fundraising and much more. The book is timely and my book of the year.

David Veart