Good book: Birnam Wood – the third novel by Kiwi author and Booker Prize winner Eleanor Catton. Released earlier this year, it’s very different from The Luminaries – so if that book wasn’t your jam, don’t let it put you off. This is much more gripping, and the ending will leave your jaw on the floor. Follow this up by listening to the Auckland Writer’s Festival session with Catton, talking about the novel and her screen-writing career with broadcaster Noelle McCarthy, in your podcast player of choice.
Good programme: The gritty Irish crime drama Love/Hate (TVNZ+) is a must-watch. Set in the streets of Dublin, among the city’s criminal underworld, it first aired in Ireland in 2010, but all five seasons have now landed in Aotearoa. It features some well-known faces – Aiden Gillen (Game of Thrones), Robert Sheehan (Umbrella Academy, Misfits) and Charlie Murphy (Peaky Blinders, Happy Valley), and its final episode has a 9.2 stars out of 10 on IMDb. Bingeworthy, but not for the faint-hearted.
Good board game: Sequence For Kids is popular in our household and good for young kids – the tricky part is persuading them to aim for four in a row and not just putting the token on their favourite animal.
Good swimming spot: Anchor Bay, Tāwharanui Regional Park. A bit shelly, but mostly white sand, easy access from the car park, picnic areas and safe swimming. Lots of nice walks around the regional park, too.
Good feed: I highly recommend 1947 eatery on Auckland’s Federal Street, down from the Sky Tower. A former Metro Top 50 restaurant, it’s a little hidden away but well worth it for the modern Indian cuisine and cocktails.
Good podcast: You’re more likely to find me listening to a podcast than playing board games. Articles of Interest is a podcast about what we wear. Critically acclaimed, it’s hosted by Avery Trufelman and covers a broad range of concepts, including the rise of casual wear, the environmental impact of the textile industry and why womenswear doesn’t have pockets. It’s so interesting and a welcome change from all those true-crime podcasts.
