Light Summer Reading to Keep you Entertained these Holidays

Rust Belt

By Jamie Trower

When I heard that M2 writer, Jamie Trower, was releasing his latest book in 2023 under his own BIRDBOY PRESS, excitement ensued. Not meaning to sound too bias, Rust Belt is great. It’s a book that keeps you coming back, wanting more. I’m not a poetry reader, by any stretch, but the hook that drew me in was the title; why was it called Rust Belt? Images of social and economic decline flooded into my head even before I started reading it. When I did start, however, I was blown away by how he twisted that idea and made it relatable to modern-day New Zealand. There are poems that spiral out of control, that leave comments in the margins, there is even a ‘choose-your-own-adventure’ poem. Rust Belt is, in essence, an examination of a world on high alert, a love letter, a confessional, an Absurdist stage play and a train map all rolled into one. Trower at his best.

The Devil’s Sea

By Dirk Cussler

I’ve been a long time fan of Clive Cussler and in particular his Dirk Pitt novels, great action, characters and villans. The latest novel sees that legacy continue with the passing of the baton from Clive (who sadly passed away last February) to his son Dirk Cussler. A great read for the summer holiday.

Plum Island

By Nelson De Mille

I had the pleasure of interviewing De Mille for M2 in the past, so this month I read one of his earlier novels I never got the chance to read. Despite this book being published in 1997, it has aged well and is still a great read today. This is the first John Corey novel, and De Mille has that great sense of humour. I would get a copy of this to really unplug and just relax your mind this summer.