Recs if you like The Axeman's Carnival...

Haere Mai, welcome! Here you will find a non-exhaustive list of modern literature that evokes the feeling of what it is like to live in Aotearoa New Zealand today.

All books here are written by New Zealanders and set in modern time New Zealand (or a fictionalised version of).

Very open to recommendations!

want to read more from New Zealand, but not sure where to start? here! start right here

Some are a mix of different genres, but all have a definite case of unreliable narrator, which makes everything very interesting.

A collection of novels that step outside the human perspective, inviting readers into the minds of animals. From intimate character studies to unsettling psychological tales, these stories use animal narrators to explore grief, survival, morality, and what it really means to be human.

Let the animals tell the story! I am trying to be as comprehensive as possible with the exception of children’s books, graphic novels and comics (too many to list!)-although there are some.

Because who doesn’t love birds?? Fiction and non-fiction books all featuring birds prominently on the cover. This is what I spend my time thinking about 😭

Books set in, by, or adapted in NZ

NZ books are underrated! I’d love to share our culture with the world ✨

Aussie and Kiwi Classics to take you far into Oceania

Whether it be the authors, the characters, the setting, or the country itself, these books are some of the essential reads of Aotearoa New Zealand. Fiction to nonfiction, prose to poetry, the stories of our people and our land are here. This list is ever-growing, and I will continue to add to it as I read more pukapuka from our shores.