New Zealand Books was founded in 1993 and devoted to all strands of New Zealand literature. In this 2011 issue, reviewers covered a range of genres, including history, biography, poetry and fiction.

The quarterly's first editor was John Mansfield Thomson, a key figure in music criticism in New Zealand and England, and editor of literary and history journals. In his first editorial for New Zealand Books, Mansfield wrote: 'not only do we aim to provide a forum for the finest available writing and criticism of books, but for general issues concerning the quality of New Zealand life, and the preservation and enhancement of its artistic traditions ... We want New Zealand Books to reflect all aspects of publishing, including design, to stimulate pride and critical concern in New Zealand writing, and in the quality of the excellent bookshops which make the country proportionately unparalleled in the world'.

The New Zealand Review of Books Pukapuka Aotearoa, as it was latterly titled, ceased publication in 2019 after Creative New Zealand did not review financial support for it.