A quick run-down on the latest books reviewed in the Herald:

Siri Hustvedt’s What I Loved has a reputation for being a little difficult to get into, but hugely rewarding for those who persevere. According to Margie Thomson, it “profoundly constructs the loves and lives of two intellectual couples from the New York art world … a story that's beguiling, rich and moving.”

Duet is a repackaging of Carol Shields’ first two novels, Small Ceremonies and The Box Garden. “Classic Shields, these are to be read at leisure for the perfect character studies and evocations of intricate domestic life that they are.”

Keith Lowe’s New Free Chocolate Sex is a romantic comedy with “serious points to be made about international human rights, and even about the conditions in Britain's factories today … Sweet with dark undercurrents.”

Mr Golightly's Holiday by Salley Vickers is “a tedious book, a routine English comedy of manners, albeit of theological purpose … way too much attention to the dull routines of life.”

Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination is the latest from Helen Fielding. “Wild, silly - it's Bridget Jones on steroids.”

Denis McLean’s The Prickly Pair is a study of the differences between the nations of New Zealand and Australia. Reviewer Greg Ansley comments, “For all the closeness of our ties, we still irritate and frustrate each other. There is, as a result, little political or popular support for a merger of the two countries. But McLean argues for an alternative to enable the two countries to present a united front to the world.”

The Blue Bear is by wilderness guide Lynn Schooler, who has lived in Alaska for 30 years. It’s the story of his 10-year search for the rare blue bear in the Alaskan wilds, and his relationship with a Japanese photographer, Michio Hoshino. “After Hoshino's tragic death in a grizzly bear attack, it finally appears Schooler has made peace with humanity and death … the story is memorable for its adventure and autobiographical detail. It is a story of life and how to live it well.”