Here are the top five NZ fiction bestsellers in the country in for the two week period ended February 18 (sorry we are a bit late with this one). At number one (drumroll) as our regular mystery correspondent ‘Islander’ said in a recent comment, it’s The Bone People by Keri Hulme (Picador), up from number two last week. Sorry to drag this up yet again, but goodness me, Jane Stafford, I hope you’ve got some good old Watties sauce with that humble pie you’re eating. Probably make it go down a bit easier, eh? Twenty one years later indeed. Who would have thought? Etc, etc.

Anyway, a newcomer to the list at number two is Katy Robinson’s The Linoleum Room, recently reviewed by our new guest writer, Louise Wareham (look out for her next review soon of Rod Bridgeman’s new novella, Volcanic).

At number three is Eating With The Angels, by Sarah-Kate Lynch (Black Swan) down from number one last time, while The Whale Rider (Movie Tie-In Edition) by Witi Ihimaera (Reed Publishing) is at four, down from number three. At number five is good old Jenny Pattrick with Heart Of Coal (Black Swan) hanging in there from the same position last time.

Still at number one in the Non-Fiction category is The Penguin History Of New Zealand by Michael King (Penguin Books); it’s been there forever. At number two is New Zealand Aotearoa by Craig Potton (Craig Potton Publishing), up from number three. Ah, there it is at number three, I hate to be disappointed, it’s the Edmonds Cookery Book Revised Edition (Hodder Moa Beckett), down from number two. At number four we have Furry Logic by Jane Seabrook (Hodder Moa Beckett) up from number six, and finally, there’s A Portrait Of New Zealand by Warren Jacobs & Robin Smith (New Holland) holding the number five spot.

Thanks to Booksellers New Zealand for the info, as always.