books

Finding Mr Right: Melanie, a never-married woman, sends an e-mail at noon to Mark, a divorced dad. She asks about a date the next evening. Around midnight, Mark confirms. But because he waited almost 12 hours, Melanie replies: "I've lost interest."

Nick Cave's new novel is also an iPhone application. It includes not just the text, but also videos, music composed by Cave himself, and audio of the author reading The Death of Bunny Munro. Companies that create books in the form of apps are hot.

It's Bella's 18th birthday, and Edward, the vampire she loves, hosts a party for her. While opening a gift, she cuts her finger. Edward's brother reacts so powerfully to the smell of her blood that he tries to kill her. The symbolism is sexual.

Iconic New Zealand writer Witi Ihimaera has admitted that his latest novel includes plagiarized material. The Torwenna Sea is set in Tasmania during the 1840s.

Electronic book readers allow users to read fact and fiction on a tablet device that downloads content. They are popular with readers and travellers who prefer to avoid heavy books. At the moment, Amazon and Sony dominate the market.