THE GROOVE BOOK REPORT

❝ I spent my life folded between the pages of books. In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. I lived love and loss through stories threaded in history; I experienced adolescence by association. My world is one interwoven web of words, stringing limb to limb, bone to sinew, thoughts and images all together. I am a being comprised of letters, a character created by sentences, a figment of imagination formed through fiction. ❞ — Tahereh Mafi #WorldBookDay 

23 April is #WorldBookDay📚! Let's highlight today the power of books to promote open and inclusive knowledge societies.  UNESCO World Book Day During the last year when most countries have seen periods of confinement and people have had to limit their time spent outside, books have proved to be powerful tools to combat isolation, reinforce ties between people, expand our horizons, while stimulating our minds and creativity. In some countries the number of books read has doubled.   During the month of April and all year round, it is critical to take the time to read on your own or with your children. It is a time to celebrate the importance of reading, foster children's growth as readers and promote a lifelong love of literature and integration into the world of work.  Through reading and the celebration of World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April, we can open ourselves to others despite distance, and we can travel thanks to imagination.  In the prepar...

Here's the latest from the AWF: "This year's Festival is jam packed with fěted authors in possession of prestigious national and international awards and honours, including  four New Zealand Poets Laureate  presenting rich and original voices. Current holder  David Eggleton , is joined by poets  Selina Tusitala Marsh ,  Vincent O'Sullivan  and  Brian Turner .  International Prize Winners are well represented, too with just some of the highlights being:  Isabel Allende  winner of the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction and the Chilean National Prize for Literature;  Behrouz Boochani  and  Laura Jean McKay  both winners of Australia's richest prize, the Victorian Prize for Literature;  Neil Gaiman  winner of numerous awards includ ing the  Newbery and Carnegie Medals;   Kazuo Ishiguro   winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature;  Marilynne Robinson ...

Former journalist Murray Mason, found dead in the Auckland Domain; the mysterious death of Socksay Chansy, found dead in a graveyard by the sea; the tragic disappearance of backpacker Grace Millane, victim of public enemy #1; the enduring mystery of the Lundy family murders... These are stories about how some New Zealanders go missing - the wrong person in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Twelve extraordinary tales of disappearance: a collection of true crime writing by New Zealand's award-winning master of non-fiction.  CoffeeBar Kid has a chat to author Steve about writing this book and what he found out about these extra-ordinary cases. Steve Braunias is a well-known writer who works for the New Zealand Herald, serves as books editor at Newsroom, and is life president of the Hamilton Press Club. He has won over 50 national writing awards and is the author of 10 books, including Civilisation'' (winner of the 2013 NZ Post award for best book of non-fiction) and...

  Let's be real, book club meet-ups are mostly about gossip and wine. But if your reading group is looking for literary suggestions on the side, we've got an excellent list of books that are bound to entertain, challenge, provoke thought and delight.  Check out Text publishing's  downloadable discussion notes that take all the prep work out of your next meet-up. More time for putting together the perfect cheese platter! Happy reading Looking to join a book club? Join the Text Publishing  Common Room  – Their very own online reading group. In May, we're reading  Stranger Care   by Sarah Sentilles.  Browse Text  Book Club notes  

“Guy interviews innovators but he is also one himself. He upended the traditional ‘business’ podcast by telling the less told story before the story, all while creating something engaging and digestible for his listeners. The subtlety of these insights demonstrates his thoughtfulness and creativity but also the idea that big ideas are often versions of what we know coupled with a whole lot of hard work rather than bolts of lightning. I can't think of a better placed person to tell us if starting and growing a company is really about hard work or good luck!” - Tim Brown, co-founder and co-CEO of Allbirds  Based on his acclaimed NPR podcast , this book offers a selection of priceless insights and inspirational viewpoints from some of the world's top entrepreneurs on how to start, launch, and then build on a successful venture.  While great ideas often come from a simple spark, it's the follow through and execution that make them really fly.  Speaking of which, Raz...