The Good Word - Series Two

Episode One
Emily Perkins returns with a fresh pool of panelists to kick off series two of The Good Word. This week it's comedian Te Radar, actor/director Jennifer Ward-Lealand, and writer/historian Gordon McLauchlan, who gather to discuss Lloyd Jones' short story collection The Man in the Shed. Perkins talks with author Kate De Goldi about her favourite book, Sydney Bridge Upside Down by David Ballantyne. Then the new book club feature introduces the Happy Swap Club, founded by readers tired of bleak stories. Lastly, in classic books slot Under the Covers, Finlay Macdonald speaks with politician Tim Shadbolt about his 1971 autobiography Bullshit and Jellybeans.

Episode Two
Writer Steve Braunias, broadcaster Miriama Kamo, and Chief Censor Bill Hastings join Emily Perkins for a spirited discussion of Philipp Meyer's gritty novel American Rust. Musician James Milne of Lawrence Arabia shares his love for The Mezzanine by Nicholson Baker, exploring one office worker’s thoughts during a single lunch break. Then, a tight-knit book club shares how they formed their community from their neighbourhood's annual street party. Finally Finlay Macdonald interviews journalist Dick Scott about his landmark history book Ask That Mountain, which uncovers the story of Parihaka.

Episode Three
Panelists Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Bill Hastings, and Steve Braunias are impressed by Aphrodite’s Island, anthropologist Anne Salmond's account of the European discovery of Tahiti in . Perkins then speaks with writer Bruce Ansley about his favourite read, a tale of DIY sailing across the Pacific, South Sea Vagabonds by John Wray. Then, a visit to small town Putāruru, home to a book club proud of its open community spirit. Finally, Finlay Macdonald interviews Sue McCauley, whose semi-autobiographical debut novel Other Halves explores the relationship between a Pākehā woman and a younger Polynesian man. 

Episode Four
Te Radar, Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Gordon McLauchlan unpack poet Sylvia Plath’s only novel, The Bell Jar. Musician Dave Dobbyn shares his love for Journal by Hélène Berr, a wartime diary of a Jewish woman in Paris under German occupation. This week’s featured book club is a relaxed, no-pressure group which enjoys the social side of reading. Finally, Finlay Macdonald travels to Hicks Bay to explore the haunting landscape behind David Ballantyne’s Sydney Bridge Upside Down, a gothic coming-of-age novel long overlooked in New Zealand literature.

Episode Five
In this episode, panel regulars Steve Braunias, Gordon McLauchlan, and Te Radar focus on Access Road, Maurice Gee’s novel of buried secrets set in suburban West Auckland. Then Alison Holst, the "patron saint of the New Zealand kitchen", talks with Perkins about her favourite book A Girl of the Limberlost by Gene Stratton-Porter, a tale of resilience that captured Holst’s imagination as a teen. The featured book club is an Auckland group devoted to reading New Zealand literature. Finally, Finlay Macdonald interviews author Margaret Mahy about her imaginative children's classic, A Lion in the Meadow.

Episode Six
Perkins welcomes, Bill Hastings, Miriama Kamo, and Steve Braunias to discuss Rachael King’s gothic novel, Magpie Hall. Journalist and novelist Tim Wilson shares his passion for Marcel Proust’s monumental seven volume novel Remembrance of Things Past. This week’s featured book club is a multicultural group from Governors Bay, who enjoy the wide range of perspectives their diverse backgrounds bring to each discussion. Then, Finlay Macdonald revisits Barry Crump’s bestseller A Good Keen Man, inspired by his days as a deer-culler.

Episode Seven
Show regulars Te Radar, Miriama Kamo, and Bill Hastings offer conflicting opinions on John Irving’s sprawling novel Last Night in Twisted River. Author Rachael King sits down with Emily Perkins to share her love for Emily Brontë’s brooding classic Wuthering Heights, set in the harsh English moors. The featured book club is based in Auckland’s Devonport, where members have found community after returning from time overseas. Then, Finlay Macdonald speaks with historian Ranginui Walker about his landmark account of local history told from a Māori perspective, Ka Whawhai Tonu Mātou: Struggle Without End.

Episode Eight
Gordon McLauchlan, Te Radar, and Bill Hastings  join Emily Perkins to discuss Hilary Mantel’s novel Wolf Hall, reimagining life Thomas Cromwell in the turbulent court of Tudor England. Then endurance athlete Lisa Tamati — who once ran the length of Aotearoa — sits down with Perkins to talk about her favourite book, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. The featured book club is made up of colleagues from Statistics New Zealand, who use their shared reading sessions to foster teamwork. Finlay Macdonald revisits pioneering 1920 novel The Story of a New Zealand River by Jane Mander, following an Englishwoman living in a remote Northland settlement. 

Episode Nine
Bill Hastings, Miriama Kamo, and Steve Braunias gather to discuss Nick Hornby’s bittersweet novel Juliet, Naked. Then writer and art curator Hamish Keith joins Emily Perkins to talk about one of his favourite reads: Bill Bryson’s Shakespeare, a witty biography that dives into the life of the Bard. This week’s featured book club finds it's home in a book store, meeting at Auckland's Time Out Bookshop. Finally, Finlay Macdonald interviews music historian John Dix about Stranded in Paradise, his history of New Zealand rock'n'roll, chronicling the artists, sounds, and cultural shifts that defined the sound.

Episode Ten
Emily Perkins invites Steve Braunias, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, and Gordon McLauchlan to discuss Ned and Katina, Patricia Grace's first non-fiction book. It tells the wartime story of a wounded Māori soldier who finds refuge in Crete. New Zealand Gardener editor Lynda Hallinan shares her favourite book; she describes Nigel Slater's Tender: A Cook and His Vegetable Patch as "a love story with vegetables". This week’s featured book club is made up of women who came together seeking deeper connection beyond the school gate — and found it in books. Finally, Finlay Macdonald heads to Ōamaru to revisit Janet Frame’s childhood home and reflect on her first novel Owls Do Cry, shaped by her time spent at Seacliff Lunatic Asylum.

Episode Eleven
Steve Braunias, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, and Gordon McLauchlan dive into Margaret Atwood’s bleak dystopian novel The Year of the Flood, where ecological collapse, plague, and corporate control have reshaped the world. Musician Shayne Carter sits down with Perkins to talk Peter Guralnick’s twin biographies chronicling the life of Elvis Presley. This week’s featured book club is a newly-formed circle of friends who rotate between each other’s homes each month. Lastly, Finlay Macdonald revisits Michael King’s formative and widely read account of New Zealand history, The Penguin History of New Zealand.

Episode Twelve
Bill Hastings, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, and Te Radar join Perkins to discuss Damien Wilkins’ novel Somebody Loves Us All, a story about a Wellington speech therapist. Artist Dick Frizzell shares his favourite Kurt Vonnegut book with Perkins: The Sirens of Titan, which he calls "philosophy disguised as science fiction". Then, a large book club which began when one woman, unable to find the right fit, decided to start her own. Finally, Finlay Macdonald reflects on My Life, the memoir of former Prime Minister David Lange, and talks to his wife Margaret.

Episode Thirteen
Te Radar, Bill Hastings, and Steve Braunias return to the panel for the final episode of the series, taking on something a little different — a bold graphic novel adaptation of the Bible’s first book: The Book of Genesis, illustrated by Robert Crumb. Then Kiwi comic artist and writer Dylan Horrocks joins Perkins to talk about Tove Jansson’s whimsical tale Moominpappa at Sea. This week’s featured book club brings together a group of high-achieving women and mothers who make space for reading in their busy lives. Finally, Finlay Macdonald explores Season of the Jew by Maurice Shadbolt, a historical novel offering a fictionalised account of Māori leader Te Kooti.