Book reviews: April 2023
Explore the latest releases and discover your next favourite read
Brian Johnson
$40
Penguin Random House
Reviewed by Steve Atkinson
If you’ve wondered how Brian Johnson got to front one of the world’s most popular heavy rock bands after the death of original singer Bonn Scott, then this is a must-read.
It follows Brian from his childhood in Newcastle through to the tentative first forays into the music scene. The in-depth story is told well, and we’re not introduced to his first meeting with AC/DC until some way through the book.
While his band at the time was doing good things and perhaps on the cusp of something bigger, one cannot argue that his previous life prepped him well for the life-changing jump that made Brian a superstar. As I already mentioned, this is a must-read.
Diane Grant
$55
Fraser Books
Reviewed By Steve Atkinson
This well-researched book will interest anyone with a connection to South Wairarapa. Made up of memories and memoirs from the 19th century through to the present day, it tells the stories of early European settlers and their relationships with local Māori and others, culminating with how the region developed into what exists today.
There’s a strong focus on land settlement for soldiers from the First and Second World Wars, and the financial and mental hardship that many a family endured to turn some marginal land into profitable farms while trying to keep ahead of the bank and
ever-changing produce markets.
The book centres on one particular region of the country, but I imagine similar events and circumstances have played out in numerous areas of New Zealand in what is a very Kiwi story.
K.M. Tarrant
$35
Mary Egan Publishing
Reviewed by Steve Atkinson
I thought the sleepy suburb of Birkenhead on Auckland’s North Shore was primarily famous for its waterside sugar refinery and Tesla EV ownership stats, but apparently, a depraved sicko has been spending his time dissecting local animals and bodies he acquires during his duties as an embalmer.
Finding an online audience willing to consume his self-produced content, he steps things up a notch (don’t they always) and turns his hand to the living, with sweet Maisie the object of his affection, or should that be affliction? If you’re squeamish, then be prepared, as this romp among the scalpels is descriptive with a capital D.
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