Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time has been regarded as one of the of successful books of 2024 - and it's got quite a history attached to it.

The book was initially written as a fanfiction project intended for a small group of friends over the Covid-19 lockdowns, but it went on to become an instant hit.

Ahead of her appearance at the Auckland Writers Festival, Bradley opened up about her creative process - and the journey that led to the creation of the book.

"It's been a real pleasure to see that there are people out there that have connected with it and who care about it - when I started writing is, I didn't expect it to get beyond the original 15 readers. It really is very thrilling."

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The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey. Set in England in 1979, identical 13 year old triplets are part of a Government scheme where they’re constantly monitored and medicated. They’re overseen by Mothers Morning, Afternoon and Night who teach them from the Book of Knowledge, keep records in the Book of Dreams, and write up their misdemeanours in The Book of Guilt. There’s a slow, insidious creep to the narrative and when the Minister for Loneliness decides more social interaction would be good for them, they’re sent to visit a family who have secrets and a shocking connection to these boys, as they discover that the world they thought they knew is an entire fiction. From the author of the award winning The Axeman’s Carnival, this is remarkable.

The Good Mistress by Anne Tiernan. Set in Ireland, this is the story of three women who knew one another as young girls and went on to have very separate lives. Juliet is mourning the loss of her lover, Rory, with whom she’d had a long affair, and who died suddenly; Erica is mourning the loss of her husband, and Maeve mourns the loss of the happy marriage she once had which over time has become increasingly unhappy. They meet up again when Juliet travels from her home in Auckland for Rory’s funeral, and find they need to reconcile the realities of love, betrayal and the limits of forgiveness.

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Tens of thousands of travellers have descended on the city of Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis and the election of a new pontiff.

The region's had its' share of time in the spotlight over the last couple of weeks - but BloggerAtLarge's Megan Singleton says there's plenty to explore and experience no matter what.

She outlined her tips and recommendations here.

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