Latest bestseller listings for NZ fiction has The Captive Wife by Fiona Kidman (Vintage) at number one, on the rise from number two last week. Let Me Sing You Gentle Songs Linda Olsson (Penguin Books) at two, up from three. Jenny Pattrick’s The Denniston Rose (Black Swan) is at three, up from five – I swear, that book sticks to these charts like it’s covered in ... honey. My mum loved it. Down to four this period from number one last last time is Tu by Patricia Grace (Penguin Books) and Catching the Current, Jenny Pattrick’s latest (Black Swan) is at number five down from four last period.

The non-fiction charts sing a patriotic song – it’s all about us with David Lange: My Life by the late great man himself (Viking) steady at number one, followed by the new, much-touted Frontier of Dreams: The Story of New Zealand edited by Bronwyn Dalley & Gavin McLean (Hodder Moa Beckett) at two, up from three. New Zealand Aotearoa, by Craig Potton (Craig Potton Publishing) has entered the charts at number three, while the good old Penguin History Of New Zealand by Michael King (Penguin Books) is back up at number four from seven last week.

Stepping outside the ‘celebrate our homeland’ genre is Behind Closed Doors by Ngaire Thomas (Random House) – this story of her life within the Exclusive Brethren church is in its second edition and is up from number ten last week. Every cloud has a silver lining for someone, I guess Don …