We are ecstatic about the record number of votes received in the People’s Choice award this year, and we are fascinated by what people love to read and buy. Patched earned over one-fifth of the total number of votes received for the People’s Choice award.
With this in mind, here are the twelve top books as voted by the book-loving people of New Zealand. I have linked to our reviews below, or provided partial publishers blurbs.
Patched: The History of Gangs in New Zealand
by Jarrod Gilbert
Published by Auckland University Press
ISBN 9781869407292
‘Patched is excellent for its readability and its hard-nosed search for the truth, but it becomes outstanding because Gilbert’s findings are necessary.’
Annabel Langbein the Free Range Cook: Simple Pleasures
by Annabel Langbein
Published by Annabel Langbein
ISBN 9780958266864
‘Following the phenomenal local and international success of her 2010 cookbook Annabel Langbein The Free Range Cook, Annabel returns to her idyllic lakeside cabin to cook up an exciting new batch of recipes using seasonal ingredients fresh from her kitchen garden.’ (publisher blurb)
Treats from Little and Friday
by Kim Evans
Published by Penguin Books NZ
ISBN 9780143567128
‘You know you’re on to something when the queue for a cafe stretches out to the pavement most weekends. So it is at Little and Friday’s two Auckland locations.’ (publisher blurb)
Civilisation: Twenty Places at the Edge of the World
by Steve Braunias
Published by Awa Press
ISBN 9781877551352
‘I have enjoyed meeting through the pages of this book, the many personalities, the places, and their stories.’
Shelter from the Storm: The story of New Zealand’s
backcountry huts
by Shaun Barnett, Rob Brown and Geoff Spearpoint
Published by Craig Potton Publishing
ISBN 9781877517709
‘One of the defining and unique features of the New Zealand outdoors is the backcountry hut. New Zealand has a remarkably diverse network of these huts, unparalleled anywhere else in the world, and for those who venture into our wild places there is often a passionate attachment to these humble structures.’ (publisher blurb)
Selling the Dream: The art of early New Zealand tourism
by Peter Alsop, Gary Stewart & Dave Bamford
Published by Craig Potton Publishing
ISBN 9781877517778
‘…the posters by themselves are a narrative of how a ‘young’ nation perhaps saw itself, or of how it wanted to be seen by the rest of the world.’
His Own Steam: The Work of Barry Brickell
by David Craig & Gregory O’Brien, with new photographs by Haruhiko Sameshima
Published by Auckland University Press
ISBN 9781869407636
‘His Own Steam follows Barry through his life with beautiful photographs of various works over many years. I love the earthiness of his work, not bowing to fashion and staying true to himself.’
The Food Truck Cookbook
by Michael van de Elzen
Published by Random House NZ
ISBN 9781869798376
‘Series One of The Food Truck was one of the ratings hits of the year on TV One when it screened in mid 2011. In 2012 it’s back for a new season, this time accompanied by a fabulous new cookbook which brings together all the show’s host, chef Michael Van de Elzen’s, recipes from both series – and more’ (publisher blurb)
The Search for Anne Perry
by Joanne Drayton
Published by HarperCollins NZ
ISBN 9781869508883
‘The narrative zips along and in one of the really powerful tools the writer uses, links and weaves Anne`s story with a particular novel that she has written… and in doing so engages the reader in Anne`s journey from the perspective of her life experiences…’
Richie McCaw: The Open Side
by Greg McGee
Published by Hachette NZ
ISBN 9781869712761
‘ Brownlie, Nathan, Tremain, Mourie, Kirkpatrick, Jones, Kronfeld…all products of rugby union’s greatest loose forward factory. Now, though, a name stands alone. Richie McCaw has rightly taken his place at the top of tree – the greatest flanker ever to represent New Zealand and, on sheer results, the greatest captain international rugby has ever known.’ (publisher blurb)
Moa: The life and death of New Zealand’s legendary bird
by Quinn Berentson
Published by Craig Potton Publishing
ISBN 9781877517846
‘Think of Moa as a really great historical biography, in which almost everyone (including the bird itself) is varying degrees of mad.’ (Judge’s report, 2013 New Zealand Post Book Awards)
Buller’s Birds of New Zealand: The Complete Work of
JG Keulemans
by Geoff Norman
Published by Te Papa Press
ISBN 9781877385889
‘A complete, all-new edition of the classic 19th century ornithological paintings of John Gerrard Keulemans for Walter Buller’s iconic A History of the Birds of New Zealand, featuring fresh reproductions of the original watercolour paintings.’ (publisher blurb)
booksellersnz.wordpress.com 
Interesting that it is all non-fiction and cooking!
25% from Craig Potton Publishing and only four from multi-nationals… The future of New Zealand publishing looks bright!
If you’re into non-fiction! Hope fiction and poetry get a look in next time! Two streams maybe?
We agree, it is interesting that there is no fiction in the list. We will mention the idea of two streams to the Governance Group for their upcoming meeting.
Thanks for the thought. (Sarah)
The top 2013 People’s Choice votes for Fiction and Poetry were:
A Man Runs into A Woman
In the Absence of Heroes
The Intentions Book
I Got His Blood on Me
The Big Music
The first fiction/poetry entry hits in at #15 overall.
(Amie)