The most popular biographies are those that embrace the subject’s life while assuming little prior historical knowledge on the part of the reader.

Journalist Nick Davies pulled at a thread and everything unravelled, exposing the British tabloid phone-hacking scandal. Next month he is in NZ for the Auckland Writers Festival.

Is the unhappiness of beautiful people more significant than that of real people?

Margaret Atwood says Kate hasn’t lived up to the fashion icon reputation of her husband’s late mother, Princess Diana

What if some unfit, unthinking parent considers this advice credible? What local authority would want to be associated with that potential parenting disaster?

On a tropical break, Steve Braunias muses about how it's always worth finding something horrifying to read on your holiday.

Auckland Council will not be removing a controversial book from its libraries, despite a growing petition claiming it "advocates child abuse".

Regular flashes of brilliance in the prose don't entirely steady the wobbles in this second novel from UK actress and writer Emily Woof.

A mum has launched a campaign to ban from public libraries a book that instructs parents to withhold food and whip their children with tree branches and belts.

At the time, the dramatic move was a bid to save their relationship after Scott had a vasectomy, but now he's spoken out to say that he never wanted to see other people.

In the Nineties, when The X-Files was still good, 9/11, broadband and WikiLeaks had not happened.

Authors including Robert Harris, Joanne Harris and Jilly Cooper have condemned an app which allows users to cover up swear words in eBooks.

Author Amanda Craig explores how Alice's Adventures in Wonderland changed the way we see children's books forever.

I really like the actress Celia Imrie, one of the stars of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel movies. So I wanted to like her debut novel, but I struggled at times.

Realising her bookshelves were a bit on the parochial side, Ann Morgan embarked on a quest to read a book from every country over the course of a year, and blog about it. The response from bibliophiles around the globe was a story in itself.

Reliving the fraught decision, Robin Rinaldi wrote: "I refuse to go to my grave with no children and only four lovers. If I can’t have one, I must have the other".

Celebrity chef and paleo enthusiast Pete Evans has announced his controversial diet book for babies will be published independently, after publishers dumped the book.

'We are part of something very special': Pete Evans insists new Paleo book will be in stores within two weeks after being delayed over controversial baby recipe

Indian novels tend to be sprawling, colourful and chaotic affairs. Em and the Big Hoom is some of those things but not all.

Sir Terry Pratchett was one of the most successful authors of his generation.

Celebrity chef Pete Evans was in the classroom on Thursday, teaching students about the benefits of his controversial "Paleo Way" diet, just a day after his children's cookbook was delayed amid fears the recipes could stunt the growth of babies.

Author Terry Pratchett has died at the age of 66 after a battle with Alzheimer's.

"A baby may die if this book goes ahead." Chef Pete Evans' baby cookbook is delayed over fears recipes, including a liver and bone broth one "could stunt growth of kids".

Never mind the name, Kazuo Ishiguro is one of the best British writers in the business, and his dazzling latest novel, The Buried Giant, may just be his best yet.

Sometimes, as a reviewer, it pays to wait a few days after finishing a book before beginning the review.