Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is said to have hated the character of Sherlock Holmes, which he first created for a short story in 1886.

With Christmas almost here, Canvas book reviewers take the hassle out of gift-shopping with ideas for all ages and tastes.

Going by the feedback we’ve received in the last month, there’s been a great deal of interest in Paula Morris’s new novel Rangatira.

New Zealand's own favourite food writer dishes the dirt on what it's like to be a bookworm.

The characters, once they finally arrive, are great, writes Nicky Pellegrino.

Mirabel Osler, as one friend has said of her, "could make a shopping list seem lyrical".

A new book checks out 70 outlets sure to delight coffee-lovers, writes Jim Eagles.

Many of us go through the daily grind, but sometimes, even those ordinary moments add up to an extraordinary and life-changing day - that's the premise of December's feature book, Animal People.

The epic scale of a tragic story numbs and grips Nicky Pellegrino.

Manolo Blahnik's life story has been made into a unique memoir, blending biographical elements with fairytale.

This month's fiction fix is one of the strongest yet, according to our book bloggers. Reviewers all over the world have been scrambling to invent new ways to effuse over literature.

Jane-ites may quail at first, but should enjoy this, says Nicky Pellegrino.

The producer of 7 Days shares his insight on what it's like to be a bookworm.

Books almost always make the perfect gift. They can be beautiful, challenging, inspirational, educational or simply fun. There is something for everyone.

"The best travel," wrote Paul Theroux in his book Dark Star Safari, "is a leap in the dark".

New Zealand writer Paula Morris has travelled the word in her novels, but the inspiration from her latest release, Rangatira, came from closer to home. It was in her blood.