New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 2 Jul – 9 Jul

 

 “The Angel’s cut” by Elizabeth Knox

It’s Hollywood, 1929. While Conrad Cole is working late on elaborate plans for his aeroplanes and his films, a mysterious stranger appears at his door. Xas soon finds himself caught up in the glamorous and treacherous world of movie-making and entangled with both Cole and a young woman who owes her life to the eccentric director. Both of them are drawn to Xas without knowing his secret – that under his shirt he hides the remnants of great snowy wings that set him apart from humankind, and that he is destined to wander the earth forever, always hearing the beating of feathers behind him, threatening him that his dark brother has found him again. [Cover]

 “The handy astronomy answer book” by Charles Liu

From planetary movements and the exploration of our solar system to black holes and dark matter, this comprehensive reference simplifies all aspects of astronomy with an approachable question-and-answer format. With chapters broken into various astronomical studies-including the universe, galaxies, planets, and space exploration-this resource is an ideal companion for students, teachers, and amateur astronomers, answering more than 800 questions, such as “Is the universe infinite?” “What would happen to you if you fell onto a black hole?” “What are the basic concepts of Einstein’s special theory of relativity?” and “Who was the first person in space?” [Cover]

 “Vision in white” by Nora Roberts

Childhood friends Mackensie, Parker, Laurel and Emmeline have formed a very successful wedding planning business together but, despite helping thousands of happy couples to organise the biggest day of their lives, all four women are unlucky in love. Photographer Mackensie Elliott has suffered a tough childhood and has a bad relationship with her mother, which makes her wary of commitment. But when she meets Carter Macguire, she can’t stop herself falling for him, although his ex girlfriend is prepared to play dirty to keep him. Mackensie soon realises she has to put her past demons to rest in order to find lasting love…[Cover]

 ”Always the sound of the sea” by Helen Beaglehole

Lighthouses have a mystique, a romance, and an almost biblical significance about them. Elegant structures located on remote and exposed sites where the land is challenged by the sea, they beam light into the darkness and transform uncertainty into knowledge and safety. They are the subject of legends and yarns, shanties and poems, written and oral history around the world. New Zealand’s lighthouses – their location, design, construction, operation and demanning – have been well documented in Helen Beaglehole’s comprehensive history, Lighting the Coast. But the lives and work of the men and women behind the lights over the last 150 years deserves closer study. Why did they choose the life? What did the job entail from day to day and year to year? How did it change? How did they feel about their work? What were their fears, frustrations and rewards? In Always the Sound of the Sea, Helen Beaglehole again challenges the myths and the romance as she looks for answers to these questions in the words of the keepers themselves. Drawing on a rich and intriguing mix of letters, diary extracts, official correspondence and interviews – from an 1872 diary to interviews with the last of the lighthouse keepers – she brings together first-hand accounts of the life and work of these resourceful New Zealanders. Illustrated with family snapshots and other photographs, this book is both a sequel and a companion to her highly praised Lighting the Coast. [Cover]

 “How to read a photograph” by Ian Jeffrey

Ian Jeffrey is a superb guide in this profusely illustrated introduction to the appreciation of photography as as an art form.  Novices and experts alike will gain a deeper understanding of great photographers and their work, as Jeffrey decodes key images and provides essential biographical and historical background. Profiles of more than 100 major photographers, including Alfred Stieglitz, Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans, Paul Strand, Lazlo Moholy-Nagy, highlight particular examples of styles and movements throughout the history of the medium. Each entry includes a concise biography along with an illuminating discussion of key works and nuggets of contextual information. [Cover]

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz

 Avril

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 25 Jun – 2 Jul

  “Art at Te Papa” edited by William McAloon

Art at Te Papa tells the story of the evolution of the national art collection – from superb early European prints to exciting contemporary acquisitions – and in doing so, closely reflects the history of Aotearoa New Zealand itself. The book features over 400 beautifully reproduced artworks, accompanied by engaging essays by 38 of New Zealand’s top art curators and scholars. Art at Te Papa spans the Museum’s collection, and provides a fascinating insight into the personalities responsible for developing the collection over more than a century, as well as giving information about the featured artists, their works, and their practice. [Cover]

 “Some other country” edited by Marion McLeod

First published in 1984, Some Other Country quickly became established as New Zealand’s essential single-volume anthology of short stories, and has since been enjoyed by many thousands of visitors, students and readers of all kinds. Now this fourth edition adds six new writers, bringing the collection completely up to date with the diverse energies of New Zealand life and writing. The country to be found in these pages is not the place depicted in glossy picture books or economic profiles. But it is a real place, composed of that blend of accuracy and vision which only the imagination, committed to language and experience, can supply. It is the New Zealand of Janet Frame and Katherine Mansfield, of Frank Sargeson and Maurice Gee, of Witi Ihimaera and Patricia Grace. Some Other Country is a collection of stories from the body of New Zealand writing that began with the work of the young expatriate writer, Katherine Mansfield. It includes well-known stories by major writers including Vincent O’Sullivan, Joy Cowley, C. K. Stead, Owen Marshall and Keri Hulme, alongside stories by writers who have come into prominence in the last 20 years, such as Barbara Anderson, Fiona Farrell, Emily Perkins, Damien Wilkins and Alice Tawhai. [Cover]

 ”Luminous” by Alice Tawhai

Following her debut collection “Festival of miracles” comes a new collection of short stories. Her tales combine characters and occurrences that are at once cripplingly daring yet tinged with a quiet beauty and optimism and she deftly covers subjects such as love, identity, devotion and abandonment. [Cover]

 ”March to the sound of the guns” by Ray Grover

In March to the Sound of the Guns five people tell us the story of their war: the oldest is Colonel Malone, one of the very few who knows what war is about and who trains his men hard but, on going into action, is faced with incompetence at the highest levels. The other four are nineteen-year-olds who volunteer for reasons that derive from the raw colonial society in which they have been born and raised: Harry, the Christian sniper; Jim, the leftwing activist; Frank, the intellectual. Each has no alternative but to endure fear, sickness, wounds, and the immanent prospect of death under the foulest of conditions. Then there is Nelle, the nurse, patching up the remnants of men who have ’survived’. Sharing much with Band of Brothers and Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy, March to the Sound of the Guns has been drawn from over twenty years of research into soldiers’ diaries, letters and memoirs, along with close inspection of the battlefields and study of authoritative historians. It is a searing, searching account of a generation of New Zealanders who went to a war and were changed forever. [Cover]

 ”Ladies, a plate : traditional home baking” by Alexa Johnston

There is a good chance you can remember a time when the family cake tins were always full of biscuits, slices, fruit loaves and cakes baked by mothers, aunts and grandmothers. And, of course, home-made sponges, ginger loaves, lamingtons, custard squares were an integral part of all special occasions – whether it was a birthday, a christening, a wedding or a wake. In Ladies, A Plate, Alexa Johnston looks back to this gentler time and shares her favourite traditional New Zealand recipes. An avid collector of community cookbooks, Alexa also writes about the history of some New Zealand baking classics, showing how our favourite recipes evolved over time. This gorgeous book contains over ninety recipes and will be treasured by every kitchen enthusiast, whether in your twenties or your nineties. [Cover] 

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz

 Avril

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 18 Jun – 25 Jun

 ”A continent on the move” by Ian J Graham

Adrift in the South Pacific Ocean, separated from the rest of the world by vast distances and blessed with some of the most varied and spectacular natural landscapes on Earth, New Zealand is rather special. Generations of geoscientists have developed an increasing understanding of what makes New Zealand geologically unique and why. Highlights of this research, including many discoveries of global significance, are presented in this book. A Continent on the Move explains what makes New Zealand tick geologically, and illustrates the ways that geoscience research can make this country a better place in which to live. This book will be a stimulating addition to any coffee table and an asset in schools and universities. It will also enable politicians, planners, and developers to make more informed decisions regarding appropriate land use, beneficial utilisation of resources, and protection against geological hazards, through a better understanding of the dynamic environment we live in. [Cover]

“How to train a superdog” by Gwen Bailey

Unleash your dog’s potential and build a rewarding relationship that will last a lifetime – from walking on a loose lead to carrying the shopping, everything you need to know to train your dog and ensure you have a happy and contented canine companion. Starting with choosing the right breed for you, to understanding their exercise needs, learn every aspect of owning and training a dog. Get in-depth instruction on training, from basic obedience to advanced tricks, by following clear, step-by-step explanations and illustrations which show you exactly what to do. Understand your dog, with the aid of the latest research into canine behaviour and learn to correct problems and maximise their potential. A well-trained dog is a well-behaved, healthy and happy dog. [Cover]

 ”Victorian farm : rediscovering forgotten skills” by Alex Langlands

No electricity, no gas, no flushing toilet… and no tractor! Could you survive a year on a Victorian farm? This book reveals what the Victorians, ate, wore, how they managed their animals, farmed the land and organized their lives. It also describes advances in detail, including inventions, breeding methods and advances in agricultural science. [Cover]

“The River Cottage veg patch handbook” by Mark Diacono

Drawing directly from his experience as an acclaimed climate-change gardener, and of setting up a kitchen garden from scratch for River Cottage, Mark explains the practical aspects of organic growing, introduces us to a whole world of vegetables we may not have previously considered, and does away with alienating gardening jargon once and for all. Mark begins with a catalogue of vegetables that will grow in this country, explaining for each their benefits, what varieties to go for, dos and don’ts, and popular culinary uses. He then invites us to create a wish list of foods, and shows us his own list from his early gardening days. Next, he explains how to turn this wish list into a coherent kitchen garden plan appropriate for our space, whether it be a patch of acidic soil, a roof-top garden or an allotment, whether we put on our wellies in every free moment or are ‘time-poor’ gardeners. Then he puts all the theory into practice, showing us how to look after nutrients in the soil, how to resist pests and diseases, and how to make our garden sustainable and organic. In clear, concise sections we learn about seed trays, supporting plants with climbing structures, mulching, composting, companion planting, irrigation and promoting pollination, and there are additional tables showing sowing and harvesting times, plant sizes, and alternative varieties of plants for different sites. About thirty recipes and a directory of useful addresses finish the book, and the handbook is complemented by bright colour photography throughout. Practical and inspiring, with a textured hard cover and an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Veg Patch is destined to join Handbooks No. 1, 2 and 3 as an indispensible household reference. [Cover]

 ”Canterbury country houses 111″ by Rodney Wells

This book is a beautifully illustrated account of 70 country houses located in Canterbury. Fine pen and ink drawings by renowned artist Rodney Wells are complemented by Vicky Heward’s text which is a wonderful insight into the people who have done much to shape the culture of our country. [Cover]

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz

 Avril

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 11 Jun – 18 Jun

 ”Maori architecture” by Deidre Brown

Māori architecture charts the genesis and form of indigenous buildings in Aotearoa New Zealand. It explores the vast array of Māori-designed structures and spaces, how they evolved over time and how they tell the story of an ever-changing people. Throughout this story, the book looks at facets of early Polynesian settlement, the influence of Christian and western technology, the buildings of religio-political movements such as Ringatū, Parihaka and Rātana, post-war urban migration, and contemporary architecture. [Cover]

 ”Assegai” by Wilbur Smith

It is 1913 and ex-soldier turned professional big game hunter, Leon Courtney, is in British East Africa guiding rich and powerful men from America and Europe on safaris in the Masai tribe territories. One of his clients, German industrialist Count Otto Von Meerbach, has a company which builds aircraft and vehicles for the Kaiser’s burgeoning army. But Leon had not bargained for falling passionately in love with Eva, the Count’s beautiful and enigmatic mistress. Just prior to the outbreak of World War I, Leon is recruited by his uncle, Penrod Ballantyne, Commander of the British Forces in East Africa, to gather information from Von Meerbach. He stumbles on a plot against the British involving the disenchanted survivors of the Boer War, but it is only when Eva and Von Meerbach return to Africa that Leon finds out who and what is really behind the conspiracy. [Cover]

 ”Bake” by Allyson Gofton

Allyson Gofton has employed her years of baking experience, to create this sumptuous baking book stacked with traditional Kiwi classics and her favourite family recipes. Chapters include: pantry essentials; substitutions – what to do when you’ve started baking and realise you’re missing an ingredient; what went wrong? – how to resurrect a baking disaster so no one will ever know; fast & furious – how to whip up a dessert for unexpected guests; plus, recipes for biscuits, slices, loaves, scones, muffins, cup cakes, cakes, puddings and tarts, yeast. Beautifully designed, with stunning photographs from Alan Gillard, this is an essential addition to every home cook book library. [Cover]

 “The Italian wedding” by Nicky Pellegrino

Settled in London and with their own delicious slice of home in the form of Beppi’s restaurant, ‘Little Italy’, the Martinelli’s are a typical Italian family; fighting, eating and loving in equal measure. Now, Pieta’s sister Addolorata is getting married. Since Pieta is a bridal designer it falls to her to make the wedding gown. But she is distracted by a series of family mysteries. Why is her father feuding with another Italian in the neighbourhood? Why is her mother so faded and sad? And could the man she’s always held a torch for really be getting married to someone else? As Pieta stitches and beads her sister’s wedding gown she uncovers the secrets that have made her family what it is and that stand between her and happiness. The Italian Wedding is a feast of food and love. It’s about discovering who your family really are. [Cover]

 “Sins of the father” by Fleur Beale

Fleur Beale, with Phil Cooper and his son Israel, has written the story of Neville Cooper and the development of the 400-strong Gloriavale Community on the West Coast of the South Island. It begins with Neville’s heady, tent-touring days in Australia and New Zealand, through Phil’s realization that his father means to bend him to his will, to Neville’s public trial and imprisonment for sexual crimes against his flock, and the subsequent life of Phil Cooper and his family as ex-members. [Cover]

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz

 Avril

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 4 Jun – 11 Jun

 ”Secrets to happiness” by Sarah Dunn

Holly Frick just went through the worst kind of divorce: the kind where you’re still in love with the person divorcing you. Alex had left her on January 3rd, like a benevolent CEO who holds off the pink slips until after the holidays. Holly is left to wonder if she’ll ever find happiness again. Like Jane Austen’s Emma Woodhouse, Holly is intimately involved in the lives of those around her, and she’s compelled to give advice with unwavering moral certainty. And, like Emma, she is often completely off the mark. Soon, her advice will get her in over her head, and she’ll find herself playing therapist to her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend while at the same time falling for her married friend’s lover. Smart and touching, “Secrets to happiness” is a hilarious look at the funny things people do to be happy. [Cover]

 “New Zealand’s motorcyle heritage’ by Maureen Bull

The name Maureen Bull is one that is well know in Classic Motorcycle circles for her two previous books on New Zealand’s rich motorcycle history. The new book covers the era from the 1960’s through to the end of 2008 and includes short articles and photos on a combination of machines as well as riders. The book covers such historic machines as Dick Huurdeman’s 350cc Manx Norton Special “Bucephalus”, the iconic Kiwi made Mountain Goat, the Black Adder Harley Davidson, and Don Lowe’s amazing BSA MC1 Prototype replica.
Historic riders also get a mention, including Hugh Anderson, Graeme Crosby, Howard Gregory, Robert Holden, Ben Townley, Aaron Slight and the legendary Burt Munro.
The book even covers the other end of the scale with everyday machines that normally would not get a second glance like the humble LE Velocette and the Ariel Arrow. Mainstream bikes from the era are also covered like the Yamaha XS1100, Suzuki GS1000S, Honda GL1000 Gold Wing, Triumph T140 Bonneville, Kawasaki Voyager and the Yamaha YZ250F.
There are around 100 articles in the book making for some very interesting reading, especially with the historical nature of the bikes and the personal input from the bike’s owners. The articles include some unusual photos, facts and information not previously published. This very diversity and depth of information will make it appealing to a wide range of motorcyclists as well as the general public. [Cover]

 “The cut of love” by Helena Close

The voices of Jane’s mum and dad ring in her ears. These days, they never stop fighting. She squeezes her eyes shut and wishes she could do the same with her ears. She resorts to the only thing she knows to help her cope. When her best friend Leah questions her about the criss-cross marks on her arms, Jane blames the cat. And when Leah tells her that true best friends shouldn’t keep secrets from each other, Jane knows that’s only talk. Everyone has secrets, even Leah. She never mentions her brother Jack, sometimes it’s as if he never even existed. And yet, his absence is so palpable you can almost touch it. Alison, Jack’s mum, escapes into her dreams, where she becomes reunited with her dead son. It is less than a year since he was killed in a tragic road accident, for which she blames herself, and the pain still feels like an open wound in her chest. She struggles to hold herself together for the sake of her family, but the strain is telling, and when she and Jane’s dad Dermot meet, it feels briefly that they are kindred spirits. But darker conclusions lie in wait. The Cut of Love explores two journeys of the heart, one of an adolescent girl, the other of a middle-aged woman. As their paths interweave, a remarkable story unfolds – at once modern and timeless – that is bitingly real, deeply tender and utterly unforgettable. [Cover]

 ”Creative vegetable gardening” by Joy Larkcom

Tells how to create decorative effects in the vegetable garden, where food plants combine with flowers and foliage to create a “tapestry effect”. This book shows how the principles of good design can be applied to a kitchen plot and how to use the vibrant textures, colours, and forms of vegetables, herbs, and fruit to create glorious effects. [Cover]

 ”The girl next door” by Elizabeth Noble

A gorgeous and unforgettable novel set in a turn-of-the-century New York apartment building on the Upper East Side, it features four interwoven stories about love, life and living together. Meet Eve Gallagher in Apartment 7A, newly relocated to New York from London with her ambitious banker husband. But she’s lonely and lost…until she meets elderly neighbour Violet, who’s concealing a tragic story of her own. The Kramers and the Schulmans in Apartments 6A and 6B are about to find their lives intersecting in a most unfortunate manner when Jason Kramer falls head-over-heels for Rachael Schulman. Jackson Grayling III in Apartment 5A is 26, fantastically wealthy and a directionless and hapless layabout…but he’s attracting the attention of a gold-digger in 2B even though he’s far more interested in the beautiful and hardworking Emily Mikanowski in 3B. And finally, plain, dull and self-conscious Charlotte Murphy rents 2A and works in the Public Library…she lives in a dreamworld and is desperate to be anyone but herself. Will any of her neighbours ever take enough notice of her to save her? [Cover] 

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz 

Avril

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 28 May – 4 Jun

  “That’s another story” by Julie Walters

Julie Walters has been described as the nation’s most popular actress and comedienne. She has been delighting us on screen and on stage for over 25 years and we have taken her to our hearts. Now she tells us her own story, in her own words. She was born in fifties Birmingham, daughter of an austere Irish Catholic mother. She was sent to school in a convent and from a young age always wanted to be an actress but to appease her mother she first went into nursing. This didn’t last for long though and she soon went to join the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. West End success followed, and she quickly replicated her success on film, earning an Academy Award nomination for her role opposite Michael Caine in Educating Rita. Julie’s collaborations with her close friend Victoria Wood have given us, among others, the unforgettable character ‘Mrs Overall’ in Acorn Antiques and Petula in ‘Dinnerladies’, and she’s recently charmed a new generation of fans playing Mrs Weasley in the Harry Potter films and alongside Meryl Streep in ‘Mamma Mia!’, as well as co-starring with Helen Mirren in Calendar Girls. The winner of countless awards, Julie has continued to be in some of Britain’s best TV drama and was awarded a CBE for her services to the theatre. A natural writer with an instinctive sense of timing, Julie’s memoirs are warm, moving, painfully felt, fiercely intelligent – and totally entertaining. [Cover]

 “Light the flame” by Christine Rankin

Born in the West Coast mining town of Blackball and with an abusive father, Christine Rankin was a mother at 18, a solo mum of two by her mid-20s and the chief executive of WINZ in her early 40s, in charge of 6000 staff and operating costs of more than $580 million. Then it all went horribly wrong. Since she left WINZ after a spectacular Employment Court case Christine Rankin has carved out a powerful new role as a motivational speaker, career change specialist and child-abuse prevention advocate. This inspiring book distills her views on leadership, activism and effectiveness, twinning the lessons she has learned and the truths she has encountered over her years in the public spotlight with the story of her own difficult upbringing and early adult life. Warm and inspiring this well focused book is an essential tool for anyone involved in leading teams of people. It’s also the story of one of New Zealands’ most well-known women. [Cover]

 ”The winter vault” by Anne Michaels

From the author of the acclaimed “Fugitive Pieces” her first work of fiction in more than a decade: a mesmerizing love story that juxtaposes historical events with the most intimate moments of individual lives. In 1964, a newly married Canadian couple settle into a houseboat on the Nile just below Abu Simbel. Avery is one of the engineers responsible for the dismantling and reconstruction of the temple, a “machine-worshipper” who is nonetheless sensitive to their destructive power. Jean is a botanist by vocation, passionately interested in everything that grows. They met on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, witnessing the construction of the Seaway as it swallowed towns, homes and lives. Now, at the edge of another world about to be inundated, they create their own world, exchanging “the innocent memories we don’t know we hold until given the gift of the eagerness of another”. But when tragedy strikes, they return to separate lives in Toronto: Avery to school to study architecture; and Jean into the orbit of Lucjan, a Polish emigre artist whose haunting tales of occupied Warsaw pull her further from Avery but offer her the chance to assume her most essential life. Stunning in its explorations of both the physical and emotional worlds of its characters, intensely moving and lyrical, “The Winter Vault “is a radiant work of fiction. [Cover]

 “All the nice girls” by Joan Bakewell

“All the nice girls” captures the danger and excitement of wartime Britain with a sweeping story of heroic deeds and painful separations, illicit love and battles at sea, and above all, of the poignancy of longing and loss. 1942, and the war is not going well. As part of the war effort the Ashworth Grammar School for Girls signs up for the Merchant Navy’s Ship Adoption Scheme. The headmistress, who lost her lover in the First World War, believes the project will broaden the horizons of her girls, especially Polly and Jen, bright sixth formers eager to live and love despite it all. Then Josh Percival, captain of the adopted ship, the SS Treverran, comes with his men to visit Ashworth. The choices that follow will disrupt all their lives, reverberating even to the next generation, when, decades later, life and love are on the line again … [Cover]

 “Map of the invisible world” by Tash Aw

Set during the tumultuous “Year of Living Dangerously” in post-colonial Indonesia, a stunning follow-up to the international debut literary sensation The Harmony Silk Factory. Tash Aw burst onto the international literary scene in 2005 with his highly acclaimed, award-winning debut novel. Now, with the same lyrical evocation of an exotic yet tumultuous world that made The Harmony Silk Factory so beloved, Map of the Invisible World is masterful, psychologically rich, and deeply rewarding. Sixteen-year-old Adam is an orphan three times over. He and his older brother, Johan, were abandoned by their mother as children; then Adam watched as Johan was taken away by a wealthy couple; and now Karl, the artist who raised Adam, has been arrested by soldiers during Sukarno’s drive to purge 1960s Indonesia of its colonial past. All Adam has to guide him in his quest to find Karl are some old photos and letters – one of which sends him to the colourful, dangerous capital, Jakarta, and to Margaret, an American whose own past is bound up with Karl’s. Soon, both have embarked on journeys of discovery that seem destined to turn tragic. Woven hauntingly into this page-turning story is the voice of Johan, who is living a seemingly carefree, privileged life in Malaysia, but who is careening out of control as he cannot forget his long-ago betrayal of his helpless, trusting brother. “Map of the Invisible World” confirms Tash Aw as one of the most exciting young voices on the international stage. [Cover]

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz 

Avril

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 18 Sep – 25 Sep

 “Kai ora” by Anne Thorp

Anne Thorp is the sparkling hostess of the winning Kai Ora cooking shows on Maori Television and The Food Channel and her swish Herne Bay and Pakiri homes have been featured in most of New Zealand’s glossy magazines. Her specialty is taking our indigenous foods (from snapper and crayfish to kina, oysters and more exotic shellfish) and cooking them simply and quickly in a modern manner that delivers zest, zing and freshness. She’s been called “the Maori Queen of Cuisine”; but her approach to food is also so much more than that: seafood is her strong suit and she inspires us to use it creatively and sometimes bravely! With over 85 recipes, lifestyle shots and an essay by Anne on her fascinating life in food, this book serves as a quintessential guide to New Zealand indigenous food – from the bounty of our shores through to land-based ingredients such as piko piko and puha. A special feature is an essay by Auckland breast surgeon Trevor Smith who operated on Anne when she had surgery for breast cancer several years ago. Trevor believes that the right diet can prevent the incidence of cancer and has worked with Anne to highlight the ‘cancer busting’ ingredients in each recipes. Featuring stunning photography by Aaron McLean. [Cover]

 “The ladies lending library” by Janice Kulyk Keefer

It is August of 1963, the year of the Taylor/Burton film epic Cleopatra, showcasing a passion too grand to be contained on the movie screen. The women of the Kalyna Beach cottage community gather for gin and gossip, trading the current racy bestsellers among themselves as they seek a brief escape from the predictable rhythms of children and chores. But dramatic change is coming this summer as innocence falters and the desire for change reaches a boiling point, threatening to disrupt the warm, sweet, heady days and the lives of parents and children, family and friends, forever. [Cover]

 “Dark places” by Gillian Flynn

Libby Day was seven when her mother and two sisters were murdered in “The Satan Sacrifice of Kinnakee, Kansas.” As her family lay dying, little Libby fled their tiny farmhouse into the freezing January snow. She lost some fingers and toes, but she survived-and famously testified that her fifteen-year-old brother, Ben, was the killer. Twenty-five years later, Ben sits in prison, and troubled Libby lives off the dregs of a trust created by well-wishers who’ve long forgotten her. The Kill Club is a macabre secret society obsessed with notorious crimes. When they locate Libby and pump her for details-proof they hope may free Ben, Libby hatches a plan to profit off her tragic history. For a fee, she’ll reconnect with the players from that night and report her findings to the club . . . and maybe she’ll admit her testimony wasn’t so solid after all. As Libby’s search takes her from shabby Missouri strip clubs to abandoned Oklahoma tourist towns, the narrative flashes back to January 2, 1985. The events of that day are relayed through the eyes of Libby’s doomed family members-including Ben, a loner whose rage over his shiftless father and their failing farm have driven him into a disturbing friendship with the new girl in town. Piece by piece, the unimaginable truth emerges, and Libby finds herself right back where she started-on the run from a killer. [Cover]

 “The true history of paradise” by Margaret Cezair-Thompson

From the acclaimed author of “The Pirate’s daughter” comes a story of three women born into the divided, troubled paradise of Jamaica. Easter, 1981, with Jamaica in a state of emergency, the Landing family gathers to bury one of its own. For Monica Landing, who had not spoken to her daughter for fifteen years, the death of Lana is the cruellest kind of loss. For Lana’s youngest sister, Jean, it is a tragedy. All she knows is that her beloved homeland holds no future for her. But flight means crossing a landscape where soldiers turned executioners and armed gangs rule. It means making her way through the memories that engulf her, with perhaps the only man she has ever loved by her side. This book captures the grace, beauty and brutality that are indelible parts of the Jamaican experience. [Cover]

 “Pop goes the weasel” by Albert Jack

Who were Mary Quite Contrary and Georgie Porgie? How could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson? And if Ring a Ring a Roses isn’t about catching the plague, then, what is it really about? This ingenious book delves into the hidden meanings of the nursery rhymes and songs we all know so well and discovers all kinds of strange tales ranging from Viking raids to firewalking and from political rebellion to slaves being smuggled to freedom. Children have always played at being grown up and all kinds of episodes in our history are still being re-enacted today in a series of dark games (Oranges and Lemons traces a condemned man’s journey across London to his execution, Goosie Gander is about dragging a hidden Catholic priest to prison) And there are many many more…Full of vivid illustrations and with each verse reproduced, here are a multitude of surprising stories you won’t be able to resist passing on to everyone you know. Your childhood songs and rhymes will never sound the same again. [Cover]

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz 

Avril

 

 

 

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 14 May – 21 May

  “Weathered bones” by Michele Powes

This is a very fine first novel by a promising writer who has already attracted some attention and much praise from her mentors Stephanie Johnson and Siobhan Harvey. It is set in the present day, but has many references back to historical events. The lives of three women interweave in the novel. Eliza McGregor is New Zealand’s only female permanent lighthouse keeper at Pencarrow lighthouse near Wellington in the 1850s. She takes life, and its storms, head on, hardening herself against its wintry gales. In the present day, Antoinette, a widowed grandmother, struggles with her sense of self-worth as she deals with budding loneliness. And emotional Grace, much younger, caught in a cool, loveless marriage with Jason, tries to commit suicide and is assigned to a psychiatric clinic. There she meets Antoinette, and an unusual friendship develops. As the novel develops Eliza, the lighthouse keeper from an earlier century, becomes a presence in Grace and Antoinette’s lives, a ghostly vision who seems to have a life of her own in the present day…[Cover]

 “Journey to the edge of the world” by Billy Connelly

In the summer of 2008 Billy Connolly set sail on a ten-week journey from ocean to ocean: from the Atlantic to the Pacific, by way of the North West Passage – a fabled route deep within the Arctic Circle that has thwarted explorers and fortune-hunters for centuries. For Cook, Drake and countless other adventurers, the North West Passage has been an alluring but impossible journey, a trial of unparallelled physical and mental strength, a haunting and fascinating wilderness. Now the Arctic is melting at a rate of 36,000 square miles a year and the journey is finally possible. For the first time, if you’re quick, you can sail freely, if precariously, from Newfoundland right round to Vancouver. By plane, rail, road and boat, along coastlines and across sweeping landscapes that represent the final Northern frontier of the inhabited world for both man and beast, Billy’s adventure will embrace a memorable mix of bizarre encounters, Hemingway-esque characters, incredible wildlife, forgotten languages, big game hunting and all night carousing under the midnight sun. And he’s taking us with him. [Cover]

 “In the land of invisible women..” by Qanta Ahmed

When British doctor Qanta Ahmed’s U.S. visa wasn’t renewed, the practising Muslim, who’d been living in New York, accepted a position in an exotic land: Saudi Arabia. Ahmed’s memoir of her two years working at a Riyadh hospital describes her life – both professional and personal – as she navigates a strange new world where women aren’t allowed to drive and must lie on operating tables with veiled faces. Ahmed also makes a pilgrimage to Mecca and sees first-hand the reaction to the tragedy of 9/11. [Cover]

 “The New Zealand seafood cookbook”

Five chefs, John Campbell, Peter Chaplin, Mark Dronjak, Petra New and Steve Roberts from the Auckland Seafood School (located at the Auckland Fish Market) share their most popular recipes. Also includes a guide to New Zealand fish species and information on wine matching. [Cover]

 “A dog’s life” by Martin Clunes

Martin Clunes is happy to admit that with Mary, it was love at first sight; her soft, brown eyes, her perfect figure and that unstoppable wagging tail. As cocker spaniels go, she was perfect. It is a love that has taken them through puppy classes to the local dog show, a move to the country and even visits from a dog psychologist, and has often caused Martin to wonder: Where the hell did you come from? To find a satisfying answer to that question, Martin embarked on a worldwide quest to look into the history of dogs, and link the pampered pets of today with their wild ancestors painted dogs in Tanzania, dingoes in Australia and wolves in Yellowstone National Park, USA. He also explores how humans have shaped the dog breeds of today, visiting the Beverly Hills Mutt Club and meeting working dogs in several countries police dogs, hunting hounds and sled dogs. Accompanied by his stunning photography, Martins account of his discoveries, told with his trademark warmth and humour, is compelling and full of surprises. One thing is certain: at the end of this fascinating journey, Martin will never look at his own dogs in the same way again. [Cover]

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz

 

Avril

New books on display at the Hurunui District Library from 8 to 14 May 2009

    “Forgotten Anzacs : the campaign in Greece, 1941″ by Peter Ewer

‘Every school child in Australia and New Zealand is brought up on the legend of the Anzacs. This, though, is the largely unknown story of another Anzac force which fought not at Gallipoli, but in Greece during World War II. Desperately outnumbered, and fighting in deeply inhospitable conditions, these Anzacs found themselves engaging in a long retreat through Greece, under constant air attack. Most of the Anzac Corps was evacuated by the end of April, but many men got only as far as Crete. Fighting a German paratroop invasion there in May, large numbers were taken captive and spent four long years as prisoners of the Nazis. Just as Gallipoli provided military academies the world over with lessons in how not to conduct a complex feat of arms, Churchill’s Greek adventure reinforced fundamental lessons in modern warfare… ‘ [Cover].

   “Handle with care” by Jodi Picoult

‘Willow O’Keefe is born with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, which means she will suffer hundreds of broken bones as she grows, and a lifetime of pain. As the family struggles to cover medical expenses, her mother Charlotte decided to file a wrongful birth lawsuit against her obstetrician for compensation that might ensure a lifetime of care for Willow. But it means that Charlotte has to say in a court of law that she would have terminated the pregnancy if she’d known about the disability in advance. And the obstetrician she is suing isn’t just her physician – she’s her best friend…’ [Cover].

   “The good thief” by Hannah Tinti

‘Young Ren is missing both his parents and his hand. Worse still, he doesn’t know what happened to any of them. All he knows is Saint Anthony’s, the cold New England orphanage in which he has grown up. And he is beginning to fear that no one will claim him: that his dream of a family will come to nothing. But one day an exciting stranger arrives at the orphanage. To Ren’s astonishment, the glamorous Benjamin Nab says that he is his brother, come to bring him home. And even when Benjamin’s stories grow more extraordinary, when he puts Ren’s life in danger again and again and sets him first to theft and then to grave-robbing, Ren cannot quite abandon hope that one day all the hunger and danger and unwanted excitement will be worth it, that he will find a family. But whether Benjamin is to be trusted is another story… Set in the wild, seamy and extremely strange America of the nineteenth century…’ [Cover].

   “William Morris in applique” by Michele Hill

‘Past meets present in this amazing collection of unique applique quilts by Michele Hill. Inspired by the genius of William Morris, each magnificent quilt captures the beauty and richness of nature so exquisitely interpreted by Morris. Michele’s use of colours and patterns and her ability to translate the sumptuous style of William Morris into simple forms appropriate for applique is outstanding. Made from more than forty individual patterns, the six main projects are accompanied by clear and easy to follow instructions and coloured diagrams. Easy to use, full size templates are included on tear out pattern sheets. For those new to applique and quilting a chapter of essential basic  start to finish step-by-step instructions are included’ [Cover].

Other titles on display this week:

“Corsair” by Clive Cussler

“Just take my heart” by Mary Higgins Clark

“The best of times” by Penny Vincenzi

“Memoirs” by Nana Moskouri

“The spend less handbook” by Rebecca Ash

“A reliable wife” by Robert Goolrick

“The gate of air” by James Buchan

“Stray sock sewing” by Daniel.

 

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz 

Sylvia

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 30 Apr – 7 May

 “Attracting birds and other wildlfe to your garden in New Zealand” by Gordon Ell

 

Gordon Ell has built up a wealth of knowledge on the subject since his Encouraging Birds in the New Zealand Garden was published in 1981 (and went on to reprint 11 times). In this highly practical new hardback book, which includes beautiful bird and nature photography by Geoff Moon and others, enticing birds, lizards, butterflies and other animals into your backyard is made simpler than ever, regardless of the size or style of your garden. The contents include: Gordon’s tips, tricks and recommendations culled from decades of experience. An illustrated directory of 34 of the most common visiting and resident garden birds. Garden projects, ranging from building a bird table or a nest box to raising froglets or establishing a nature pond. Tables listing ideal native and introduced shrubs and trees to provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies, bees and more. [Cover]

 

 

 ”Bad science” by Ben Goldacre

 

Full of spleen, this will be a hilarious, invigorating and informative journey through the world of Bad Science. How do we know if a treatment works, or if something causes cancer? Can the claims of homeopaths ever be as true – or as interesting – as the improbable research into the placebo effect? Who created the MMR hoax? Do journalists understand science? Why do we seek scientific explanations for social, personal and political problems? Are alternative therapists and the pharmaceutical companies really so different, or do they just use the same old tricks to sell different types of pill? We are obsessed with our health. And yet – from the media’s ‘world-expert microbiologist’ with a mail-order PhD in his garden shed laboratory, via multiple health scares and miracle cures, to the million pound trial that Durham Council now denies ever existed – we are constantly bombarded with inaccurate, contradictory and sometimes even misleading information. Until now. Ben Goldacre masterfully dismantles the dodgy science behind some of the great drug trials, court cases and missed opportunities of our time, but he also goes further: out of the nonsense, he shows us the fascinating story of how we know what we know, and gives us the tools to uncover bad science for ourselves. [Cover]

 

 

 “Wine dogs New Zealand : the dogs of New Zealand wineries” by Craig McGill

 

The first New Zealand edition in this successful international series with photographs by Kevin Judd, chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay. Kevin’s photography is legendary amongst the wine world and he has released several books of vineyard photography. Actor and winery owner Sam Neill, and renowned wine writer Bob Campbell are among many who have contributed stories. Some local North Canterbury dogs are featured too! Look out for Jonty and Chloe. [Cover]

 

 “When your child is ill : a home guide for parents” by Dr Bernard Valman

 

From asthma to chicken pox, learn to look after your child in times of illness with this home guide for parents covering childhood diseases and disorders. Comprehensive question-and-answer charts help you make informed decisions about your child’s health, giving you the confidence to know when to visit a doctor or hospital, and when to treat them yourself. Plus, updated advice on first aid, specially tailored for children, gives you the knowledge you need instantly if your baby or child gets hurt. For parents and carers of children of any age. [Cover]

 

 

 “Heath Ledger : Hollywood’s dark star” by Brian J Robb

 

Heath Ledger was one of the most charismatic and powerful screen presences of his generation. Having established a high-profile acting career at age 21 in A Knight s Tale, the young Australian went on to pursue a succession of diverse and often subversive roles that challenged the film industry’s initial impression of him as a mere teen idol. [Cover]

 

 

To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz 

Avril