Between the lines

Dive into UNO’s top picks for great holiday reading.

Beating Burnout

By Mike McKinney, Exisle Publishing

Clinical psychologist Mike McKinney takes an informed look at the features of burnout, why and how burnout happens, and the signs it might be about to strike. This insightful, practical book is filled with suggestions for positive changes that can be sustained, and offers ways to help you consider a wider (and possibly new) purpose in life, underpinned by ways to enhance resilience.

Charlie and the Christmas Factory

Inspired by Roald Dahl, Penguin

A magical and hilarious Christmas collection of stories from 13 bestselling storytellers inspired by the great Roald Dahl’s incredible characters. Why is Matilda worried about being on the naughty list? What happens when years after the creation of his original marvellous medicine George’s granddaughter Gigi decides to make her own potion? And how does Charlie plan to celebrate Christmas at the chocolate factory? Perfect for Christmas Eve or a fun, nostalgic Christmas present.

Eden Undone

By Abbott Kahler, HarperCollins

This true story of murder is a stranger-than-fiction account of the search for utopia in the Galápagos set against the backdrop of the Great Depression and the march to World War II.  With a mystery as alluring and curious as the Galápagos itself, this novel explores the universal and timeless desire to seek utopia – and lays bare the human fallibility that, inevitably, renders such a quest doomed. Part narrative non-fiction, part Agatha Christie murder mystery, Eden Undone will grip you from start to finish.  

Unreel

By Diana Wichtel, Penguin

New Zealand writer and reviewer Diana Wichtel shares her hilarious and profound memoir about growing up watching the Golden Age of television. In the 1960s, her family fell apart and they left Canada for Aotearoa, minus a father. Here, she witnessed the rise of television again, this time on the other side of the world. Twenty years later she began working for NZ Listener magazine, where she became a renowned television critic. Her story uncovers family secrets and a search for her father, all lived alongside the magic of television.

Lisa Carrington Chases A Champion

By Dame Lisa Carrington, illustrated by Scott Pearson, Huia Publishers

Eight-year-old Lisa is determined to take part in a big surf competition coming up, but she’s nervous. With encouragement from her coach, family and top paddler Māia, she trains hard. But disaster strikes when her canoe capsizes, shaking her confidence. Lisa goes to the river to compose herself and, with the help of her family and dog Colin, she draws on her strength to prepare for the race.