RDNZ_10-11_Oct_Nov Issue

ILLUSTRATION BY KATE TRAYNOR 6 Dear Reader world of good 8 A Cotton Tale EvEryday HEroEs 19 Halloween’s Costumer by sydney page from the washington post glad to HEar it 23 3 Stories To Make Your Day bEst pEt HElpErs 24 Healing Hearts, One Visit at a Time art of living 29 The Life of the (Responsible) Party 60 Brain Games 140 The ORBISCULATE Challenge, String Theory and More 143 Word Power The Healthy 60 Cookies and Crackers and Chips, Oh My! by beth weinhouse 66 News from the World of Medicine by rachel maidl Departments 13 tHings 31 The Season of the Witch by sarah chassé dEpartmEnt of wit 36 A Night at the Opera by mike reiss inspirational 48 The Village People is it rEally rudE to ... 56 ... Post a Photo of Someone Without Asking First?* by charlotte hilton andersen Just for fun 120 Been to a Destination Wedding? by joey green tHE rd list 128 David Byrne, Heart of the Beast , Lucy Foley and More book rEviEw 130 The Extraordinary Florence Stoker by karen brooks QuotablE QuotEs 138 Ina Garten, Kermit the Frog, Terry Crews and More VOL. 212, NO. 1239, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2026 READER’S DIGEST IS PUBLISHED UNDER LICENCE BY DIRECT PUBLISHING PTY LTD., 431 WARRINGAH ROAD, FRENCHS FOREST, NSW 2086, © 2025 DIRECT PUBLISHING PTY LTD (ABN 81000565471) ALL RIGHTS RESERVED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD, REPRODUCTION IN ANY MANNER INWHOLE OR PART IN ENGLISH OR OTHER LANGUAGES PROHIBITED. REQUESTS FOR PERMISSION TO REPRINT ANY MATERIAL FROM READER’S DIGEST SHOULD BE SENT TO PERMISSIONS@TMBI.COM . FOR LETTER, STORY AND READER INQUIRIES, SEND ALL EMAILS TO LETTERS@READERSDIGEST. COM.AU WITH YOUR NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER. PUBLISHED STORIES AND LETTERS WILL RECEIVE A READER’S DIGEST COLLECTED EDITION BOOK. PUBLISHED STORIES MAY BE EDITED FOR CONTENT OR LENGTH CONSTRAINTS, ANDMAY BE USED ACROSS ALL ELECTRONIC MEDIA. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES, EMAIL SHERON.WHITE@DIRECTPUBLISHING.COM.AU Humour Life ���������������������������� 26 All in a Day’sWork � 34 Laughter ������������������ 70 4 OctOber/NOvember 2026 | readersdigest.cO.Nz reader ’ s digest Contents * Story referenced on cover ★ ★ ★ 2 0 2 1 • V o t e d b y N e w Z e a l a n d e r s • 2 0 2 1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 0 2 o t a 0 2 1 ★ ★ ★ G a r d e n C e n t r e s ★ ★ ★ 2 0 2 2 • V o t e d b y N e w Z e a l a n d e r s • 2 0 2 2 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 0 2 b Z a 0 2 2 ★ ★ ★ G a r d e n C e n t r e s ★ ★ ★ 2 0 2 3 • V o t e d b y N e w Z e a l a n d e r s • 2 0 2 3 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 0 2 b y N e w Z 0 2 3 ★ ★ ★ G a r d e n C e n t r e s ★ ★ ★ 2 0 2 4 • V o t e d b y N e w Z e a l a n d e ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 2 0 2 ★ ★ G a r d e n C e n t r e s 2 0 2 5 • V o t e d b y N e w Z e a l a n d e r s • 2 0 2 5 2 0 2 a e 0 2 5 2 0 2 6 • V o t e d b y N e w Z e a l a n d e r s • 2 0 2 6 2 0 2 d Z a 0 2 6 2 0 2 7 • V o t e d b y N e w Z e a l a n d e r s • 2 0 2 7 2 0 0 2 7