3. Bird Life, by Anna Smaill. A mesmerising novel about grief and madness, set in Japan.

2. Pull Down the Shades, by Richard Langston. The thriving, homemade music journalism we had before the internet.

1. Ithaca, by Alie Benge. Remarkable. The opening essay (on Ethiopia) is one of the best things I read all year.

As a former winner of Best Reviewer at the Voyager Media Awards, I am often asked* for my 10 best NZ books of the year (2023). Here they are, in no particular order. *not really

A Tale of Two Cities

Cute

I never expected Noddy Holder and Jimmy Page to be in political leadership positions in 2023

The arsenal of democracy President Biden described in October 2023 is yet to materialise. But, the Russia-China-Iran industrial complex is now the Arsenal of the Authoritarians. This is a big problem for #Ukrainemickryan.substack.com/p/breaking-o...

Breaking Out of Positional Warfare in 2024

Renewed Commitment is the West’s Secret Weapon

Nice. What a shame.

Abandoned turret, Colombo Street