Taukiri was born into sorrow. Aue can be heard in the sound of the sea he loves and hates, and in the music he draws out of the guitar that was his father's. It spills out of the gang violence that killed his father and sent his mother into hiding, and the shame he feels about abandoning his eight-year-old brother to a violent home.

But Arama is braver than he looks, and he has a friend and his friend has a dog, and the three of them together might just be strong enough to turn back the tide of sorrow. As long as there's aroha to give and stories to tell and a good supply of plasters.

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"I really, really loved this book. It was sad, funny, and heart-warming. It made me think of how society needs to improve.">br/>
"Very moving."

"Good character portrayal. I think Beth is a highlight of the story."

"The book depicts gang life graphically as it does domestic violence."

"There's plentiful supply of bad language, violence and sexual content."

"Some might find the story depressing, but I think it is probably a very realistic account."

"A slice of life only a middle-class, white woman can only imagine!"

A few years ago, I found myself in A & E.

I had never felt so ill. I was mentally and physically broken. So fractured, I hadn't eaten properly or slept well, or even changed my expression for months. I sat in a cubicle, behind paper-thin curtains and I shook with the effort of not crying. I was an inch away from defeat ... but I knew I had to carry on.

Because I wasn't the patient. I was the doctor. [Taken from book cover, Profile Books]

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"I think this is a wonderful book to read - it's so well-written."

"I just really enjoyed the book. It moved me deeply." "The book is written with sensitivity and a wonderful caring attitude."

"This book grabs the reader from the first paragraph."

"The author's narrative in describing her relationship with her clients is beautiful."

"I think this is a book we should all read."

"A moving and beautifully written book which gives a snapshot of a junior doctor's life."

"Even though the book is written in the UK, it has huge parallels here."

Amit Patel is working as a trauma doctor when a rare condition causes him to lose his sight within 36 hours. Totally dependent on others and terrified of stepping outside with a white cane after he's assaulted, he hits rock bottom. He refuses to leave home on his own for three months. With the support of his wife Seema he slowly adapts to his new situation, but how could life ever be the way it was? Then his guide dog Kika comes along ...

But Kika's stubbornness almost puts her guide dog training in jeopardy - could her quirky personality be a perfect match for someone? Meanwhile Amit has reservations - can he trust a dog with his safety?

Paired together in 2015, they start on a journey, learning to trust each other before taking to the streets of London and beyond. The partnership not only gives Amit a renewed lease of life but a new best friend. Then, after a video of an irate commuter rudely asking Amit to step aside on an escalator goes viral, he sets out with Kika by his side to spread a message of positivity and inclusivity, showing that nothing will hold them back. [Taken from book cover, Pan MacMillan Books]

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"An inspiring story."

"A very easy and well-written book with lots of information on the effects of losing one's sight."

"The book is clearly and simply written and I enjoyed the photos which give another dimension."

"An extremely interesting story and the author comes across as a very personable person."

"I learnt so much. Now I know why they have yellow raised markings leading up to pedestrian crossings."

"The description of the interactions between Kika and the humans around her is very moving."

"I liked the inclusion of a chapter by the author's wife about what it is like being married to a blind person."

"I found it very helpful to include information on how to interact with a blind person and their dog."

"I think we should all read such a book as this, to learn of the struggles people with disabilities encounter."

"I've thought about this book a lot since reading it. I'm so impressed with the author, his wife and the dog!"

Pip Murdoch offers us a raw and honest account of her personal journey, giving birth and placing her child up for adoption during early seventies New Zealand. Her frank and gritty portrayal is set against a period of rapid social change within a narrow and judgemental environment.

Pip gives us intimate descriptions of the challenges she faced. She expresses the fear, shame and trauma of having to part with her baby and demonstrates a tireless determination to make the most of every situation. Her story begins with a girl coming of age in the constricting world of the 1960s, when the sexual revolution overlapped the bigotry and puritanism that were our post-Victorian legacy. The cultural context of the time had a big effect on the choices Pip made and profoundly influenced her life. She gives us an insight into the harsh imposed adoption laws and the impact of institutional processes.

Relative Strangers captures the realities of female adolescence, its innocence and excitement, accompanied by new freedoms, with the added ingredients of peer pressure and guilt. The memoir reminds us how far we've come in our societal attitudes.

Pip then takes up the story twenty years later as she endeavours to search for her son. She takes the reader on a roller coaster ride of disappointment and hope through the process of her adoption reunion. [Taken from book blurb, Fern Publishing]

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"A simply told and well-written book."

"The book gives a fascinating background on life in the 1960s. It's hard now to imagine what it was like for unwed mothers in those times."

"A very personal, touching and honest account." "It's an easy-read. It took only a few hours to complete."

"A very honest story. It describes the selfishness of a teenager vividly."

"I myself was adopted and was keen to read this book. Some however may find it traumatic to read, bringing up old memories."

"It reads well, is not repetitive and is informative."

Dr Ruth Hartland of a London Trauma Unit is well aware of the need to keep her private and professional lives separate. However, things start to get messy when a new patient to the unit bears an uncanny resemblance to her missing teenage son, Tom. Dan is a difficult and unstable client and the events that follow serve to reinforce why some boundaries should not be crossed.

Intense and gripping, this is an emotionally charged story that reflects the author's own considerable clinical experience as a psychologist and invites the reader to ponder among other things: was Ruth a good enough mother?

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"An easy to read book that has early engagement."

"A gripping story, it was hard to put it down."

"The book is well written and intense with interesting patient-therapist interactions."

"I really enjoy a thriller and this one was good. There's also plenty to discuss."

"The author's background of clinical psychology made this a great psychological thriller."

"I think readers would have to enjoy a thriller to enjoy this one. It's not a literary read."

In a story that begins with an engagement and ends with a wedding, Margaret Jacobsen is a worthy heroine. About to start her dream job, Maggie is flying high... until she isn't. When her life changes in an instant, during the months of rehabilitation that follow, she has no choice but to start living the life she has been given, not the one she was anticipating.

Both poignant and funny, this is a captivating story with appealing characters and a heart-warming message of hope amidst adversity.

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"The writing style is captivating. I could not put it down."

"This is a devastating story bit it is heart-warming and funny. Shades of Wodehouse humour."

"An unsentimental portrayal of the challenges and lows of adjusting to a spinal injury."

"I think the BDS should have a romance or two and I enjoyed this one."

"Some will think this is Mills and Boon. It is not for those looking for a literary read."

"It's an easy and quick read with appealing characters. I enjoyed the humour in the book."

"Excellent research is evident."

"Interesting to see how it's possible to find joy even in the darkest of circumstances."

"Romance novels are not my preferred genre, however the number of themes for discussion make this an appealing book for the scheme."

All it takes is a single act of defiance… pivoting on Reyna, a single mother in Harlem and her eccentric aunt Kiki, this is a story spanning a generation that links seemingly unconnected people in the US, Turkey and Germany.

Woven through this intricate tapestry of lives is a compassionate portrayal of human fallibility and the possibility of redemption for its many and varied narrators.

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"I enjoyed this book very much. Genuine, real stories about believable characters."

"I like how the stories were linked but also separate - it was a nice structure."

"Easy to read, and the characters were very interesting."

"A very cleverly written story dealing with the far-reaching consequences of one character's action."

"I would certainly read more books from this author."

"The book is easy to read and the characters are interesting and one feels sympathetic towards them."

"I would describe this book as 'quietly successful'."

When Calvin and Najin Cho with daughter Miran in tow, migrate to the US in 1948, they have every intention of sending for their second child once they are established. However the advent of the Korean War throws these plans into disarray, and it is not until Inja is a teenager that she is reunited with her parents and sister.

With its basis in the author's family history, this story offers a richly detailed and thoughtful rendering of both the migrant experience and modern Korean history and culture viewed through the lens of its unique sibling narrators.

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"I loved this book. It isn't fast moving, but every word is important and each page can be savoured."

"It is a love story - and one about family and connections and duties."

"As a cross-cultural novel, it is elegantly handled."

"I enjoyed the book very much and am glad I read it."

"The main characters are well-developed, and their interactions retain the readers' interest throughout."

"Very interesting plot development."

"An interesting topic of Korean history and culture."

"Without gratuitous detail, we learn of the terrible times of the war."

There is nothing wrong with Margery Benson's imagination, it just needs to be set free, and finally at the age of 46, it is unleased! Along with assistant Enid Pretty, these unlikely companions set forth from England in 1950 on the adventure of a lifetime: to find the golden beetle of New Caledonia. Their search for this mythical insect becomes an exhilarating journey of self-discovery requiring large doses of gumption and its twin, risk-taking.

Both comedic and deeply affecting, this is a captivating story of both the power of friendship and the lasting effects of war.

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"Charming, funny and sad."

"A beautifully written story of how two broken women form a deep respect and loving friendship."

"I laughed out loud at times, but there are sad parts too. The book is deeply affecting."

"Absolutely charming story, full of compassion and profound emotion."

"A positive story of strong women who find they are capable of doing great things and finding fulfilment."

"It's easy to read with believable characters." "Great representation of colonial British attitudes."

"Two highly unlikely characters, flawed and wonderful."

Wellington consultant surgeon Elizabeth Taylor has an enviable unblemished record, but when a small error in care leads to catastrophe, Liz and her surgical team come under huge scrutiny. The distraught family, the social media barrage, there is no end to the blaming and shaming coming Liz's way.

An impressive level of medical detail coupled with its exploration of the challenges of professional accountability and culpability delivers an intense and compelling reading experience.

This finely crafted story is enhanced by the parallel retelling of the Challenger space shuttle disaster and its reminder of the consequences of system failures.

Comments from BDS Reviewers:

"The reader is captured instantly the NZ setting feels totally read and the pace is perfect."

"I just kept reading to the unpredictable end. I loved it!"

"While fiction, it feels very real."

"Some could be put off by the sexual lifestyle of the protagonist, but this is only a minor part."

"I didn't like the main character which affected my enjoyment of the book."

"The main woman is a fascinating, flawed character - sharp, fierce, mysterious and talented. I enjoyed her character."

"This is a finely crafted and crisply written novel."

"I think this would be a very good book to discuss, particularly because it's set in New Zealand."

"It's a short, sharp and gripping story."