Christchurch based, Scottish born, artist Karra Rhodes is rising fast on the New Zealand music scene and she's got a new project in the works.

Her new album, Hometown Therapy, is also being used to shine a light on domestic violence and highlight her fundraising efforts for the charity Shine.

"I like to think that I write music that a lot of people maybe feel uncomfortable writing music on."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yotam Ottolenghi is one of the biggest names in food around the world, and he's set to bring his insights to our shores next year.

After 11 cookbooks, Ottolenghi's built a name for himself in the world of food, and his distinctive way of cooking has earned him praise and critical acclaim.

He says these tours are often 'hectic' and 'intense' - and it's hard for him to juggle the experience of taking in a city on these schedules.

"I'm quite flexible with the way I eat, so I'm just happy to eat whatever's around...cooking on stage is really just about sharing some basic techniques that I've developed over time."

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child. Jack Reacher is back - this time in Baltimore, where he inadvertently gets himself caught up in corrupt goings on at the local Port. He walks into a coffee shop, and someone brushes against him - only later does he realise that a note was slipped into his pocket at that moment, from someone asking for help and requesting a late night rendezvous. The note was clearly intended for someone else but Jack heads along to the meeting anyway, just to see what’s going on. This is classic Reacher - he’s about to dispense a lot of vigilante justice and stand up for the good guys, before he gets onto another Greyhound bus and heads off for who knows where.

Good Things Come and Go by Josie Shapiro. Josie is an Auckland writer whose first book I loved - Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts. This is her second, and it’s equally good - about Penny and Riggs living in LA where things have gone terribly wrong for them, and the chance for Penny to come back to Auckland and hold a solo art exhibition is too good to ignore. They head back to Waiheke Island (and into the midst of complicated family dynamics) and reconnect with an old friend who’s down on his luck. The rekindling of that childhood friendship brings serious undercurrents, with long held secrets to be reckoned with. Josie is a terrific writer and I hope will be bringing us books for years to come.

LISTEN ABOVE

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.