Treasure trove

     ‘Ethnic jewellery from Africa, Asia and Pacific Islands’

This is a beautiful book! It is the result of some 25 years of travel, research and collecting by Dutchman Rene van der Star. The close-up colour photographs show the jewellery in intricate detail and the collection includes items created from beads, precious metals, enamel, and natural materials.

The individual chapters are introduced by experts in the history and culture of the various regions and contain a wealth of information on the production, use and symbolic meaning of the jewellery.

Higly recommended for anyone with an interest in cultural artefacts or those looking for inspiration to create their own jewellery.

Sylvia

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 28 August – 4 September

 ”Plague ship” by Clive Cussler

For four novels, Clive Cussler has charted the exploits of the Oregon, a clandestine spy ship completely dilapidated on the outside, but on the inside packed with sophisticated weaponry and intelligence-gathering equipment. Captained by the rakish, one-legged Juan Cabrillo and manned by a crew of former military and spy personnel, it is a private enterprise, available for any government agency that can afford it – and now Cussler sends the Oregon on its most extraordinary mission yet. The crew has just completed a top-secret mission against Iran in the Persian Gulf, when they come across a cruise ship adrift in the sea. Hundreds of bodies litter its deck, and as Cabrillo tries to determine what happened, explosions rack the length of the ship. Barely able to escape with his own life and that of the liner’s sole survivor, Cabrillo finds himself plunged into a mystery as intricate – and as perilous – as any he has ever known, and pitted against a cult with monstrously lethal plans for the human race…plans he may already be too late to stop. [Cover] “Nuts” By Avner Laskin

Almond, Brazil nut, cashew, chestnut, hazelnut, macadamia, pistachio, walnut: while any nut is great gobbled straight from a bowl, they’re all also delicious and healthy in so many dishes. Over 75 recipes illustrated with photographs showcase the mouth-watering versatility of nuts in cooking, from appetisers to restaurant-ready desserts. Enjoy spreads and sauces; tasty sandwich toppers; vegetable-based delights; elegant entrees. This title also includes baked treats and sweets including breads, savoury pastries, ice cream, biscotti and more. There’s valuable information on purchasing, storing, and roasting nuts, along with basic preparations for sweetening and salting them. [Cover] “A cure for all diseases” by Reginald Hill

Some say that Andy Dalziel wasn’t ready for God, others that God wasn’t ready for Dalziel. Either way, despite his recent proximity to a terrorist blast, the Superintendent remains firmly of this world. And, while Death may be the cure for all diseases, Dalziel is happy to settle for a few weeks’ care under a tender nurse. Convalescing in Sandytown, a quiet seaside resort devoted to healing, Dalziel befriends Charlotte Heywood, a fellow newcomer and psychologist, who is researching the benefits of alternative therapy. With much in common, the two soon find themselves in league when trouble comes to town. Sandytown’s principal landowners have grandiose plans for the resort — none of which they can agree on. One of them has to go, and when one of them does, in spectacularly gruesome fashion, DCI Peter Pascoe is called in to investigate — with Dalziel and Charlotte providing unwelcome support. But Pascoe finds dark forces at work in a place where medicine and holistic remedies are no match for the oldest cure of all! [Cover]

 

 “How to survive the morning” by Kevin Ireland

Kevin Ireland’s seventeenth book of poems cocks an amused, satiric, shrewd and always deadly serious eye at life, love and landscape. There are conversations with the neighbours, thoughts on the weather, birthdays, writers and writing, dreams, milking a cow and the Treaty. Then the book ends abruptly with first reactions to the sudden death of his wife: I reach for a pen. My hand fails. It draws a wavering line under an emptiness. [Cover]

 

 

 ”Gallipoli” by Jonathan King and Michael Bowers

The Gallipoli campaign of 1915 was a series of deadly battles followed by a brilliantly executed retreat. In just eight months, more than 11,000 Australians and New Zealanders died ‘for the glory of Empire’. GALLIPOLI: UNTOLD STORIES provides a day-by-day review of these defining events from the perspective of Charles Bean, Australia’s official war correspondent and Sydney Morning Herald journalist. The entries are supported by his private diaries and newspaper reports. The immediacy of his testimony is illustrated by graphic and rarely seen photographs taken by Age photographer Phillip Schuler. There are also precious accounts of daily life at war, collected in an exhaustive seach for letters, diaries and memorabilia from the families of the young Anzac soldiers who served so gallantly. GALLIPOLI: UNTOLD STORIES takes the reader deep into the thick of the campaign.Through these gripping words and images we can consider again what Gallipoli meant for the nation in 1915 and what it continues to mean to us today. [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 21 August – 28 August

 “Castles” by Plantagenet Somerset Fry

“Castles” is based on the classic work by historian and medieval expert Plantagenet Somerset Fry. Original maps, plans and archive illustrations are presented alongside hundreds of beautiful contemporary photographs, showing ruins and surviving castles in all their glory. This work includes descriptions of hundreds of special buildings, from remote ruins in isolated settings to imposing piles in towns and cities. Discover the awe-inspiring scenes of great historical events that are now popular attractions for families and historians alike. [Cover]

 “Backyard self-sufficiency” by Jackie French

Provides readers with detailed information on self-sufficient gardening. Regardless of whether it is 5 acres or a window box, there are ideas in this book for everyone. Self-sufficient gardens are beautiful: a ramble of productivity and a profusion of smells and colours. We’ve forgotten how beautiful edible plants can be: fat red apples and tendrils of grapes; beautiful red-flowering perennial beans and soft feathery fennel; the wide, bright blooms of passion fruit and the scent of orange blossom on a summer night. It’s like a Garden of Eden in your own back yard. [Cover]

 “Rogue” by Danielle Steel

For Maxine Williams, being married to Blake had been an amazing adventure. Brilliant, and unpredictable, Blake Williams made millions and grabbed headlines as a dot-com entrepreneur. His only shortcoming was as a husband first his work, and then his never-ending quest for fun kept him constantly on the move, far away from Maxine and his family. [Cover]

 “The days of Judy B” by Rose Heiney

On paper, 23-year-old Judy Bishop is a successful journalist, the author of a first-person column in a Sunday newspaper, in which she documents the life of a fabulously social young professional: clothes, men, parties, laughs. In reality, she is a friendless depressive: living alone in Bethnal Green, addicted to Victoria sponge, wallowing in hard liquor and just about sustaining herself through a well-informed obsession with the golden age of musical theatre.
With every week that passes, another exit is boarded up. Things have to change; and soon. Bracing herself to emerge from beneath her washed-out, single duvet, she gives herself 15 weeks in which to conduct the Great Overhaul, 15 weeks in which she can burst out into the functioning world in a flurry of men, wine, and song.

 

 

 “Gadget nation” by Steve Greenberg

Featuring more than 100 quirky innovations and inventions, this visual showcase captures a great can-do spirit and creative energy. All the clever amateur creators profiled here brought their ideas to life right in their own homes; the fruits of their imagination range from the useful (a “Finger Shield” for when you’re chopping food) to the offbeat (a nappy for your pet bird). There are items for people on the go, to help you look your best and to make life easier at home – and electronics too. Get the background story on every invention, along with a statistics-filled sidebar, photographs, illustrations and diagrams to add to the fun! [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 August – 21 August

 “Up till now” by William Shatner

This is the long-awaited autobiography of one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. William Shatner gets the joke about William Shatner. In fact, most of the time he’s the one telling it. His self-effacing attitude, so perfectly parodied in the bombastic character he now plays on Boston Legal, Denny Crane, is one of the reasons for his huge popularity. While best known for his creation of Captain James T. Kirk, commander of the starship Enterprise on “Star Trek”, William Shatner has been a working actor for more than half a century. He has experienced all the ups (the awards and acclaim) and the downs (having to live for a time in the truck bed of his camper when he couldn’t get work) that are a part of the actor’s world. In “Up Till Now” he tells us about his remarkable life, from training as a Shakespearean actor under Sir Tyrone Guthrie to his time on Broadway, his movie career and, of course, his successful TV series. He also writes, with glee, about some of his less successful ventures, including “Incubus”, the only feature ever made entirely in Esperanto. As funny, charming and self-deprecating as the man himself, this book will delight his many fans of all ages. [Cover] 

 ”Button! Button!” by Terry Taylor

With types to suit every style, buttons are becoming an obvious choice for embellishing home decor, decorating jewellery, and more. These 50 stylish and versatile projects require only a basic knowledge of gluing stitching and stringing and are great fun to make. Clean, contemporary photography showcases each project, whilst titbits on button museums, the self-proclaimed Button King, button lingo and more, are sure to keep crafters entertained. [Cover] 

 “The forgotten garden” by Kate Morton

A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied, a mystery – The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory from the international best-selling author Kate Morton. Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra’s life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace, the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century, Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself. [Cover] 

 “The ten best days of my life” by Adena Halpern

  

 

 

Alex Dorenfield is a 29-year-old personal shopper. She lives in LA and is worried that what she is doing with her life is slightly pointless. Or at least she did…until she was killed by a Mini Cooper while walking her dog, Peaches, at four in the morning. When Alex gets to heaven, she finds herself on the seventh plane…a place with no cellulite, walk-in closets, calorie-free ice-cream sundaes and a straight, single, hunky next-door neighbour. Sure, she misses her parents and is sad that she died so young but things aren’t too bad. In fact, she gets to see her grandparents again and catch up with the other people she loves who have died. Just when Alex thinks things are going to be fine, she finds out she has to earn her right to stay in this heaven…and that means finding ways to right some wrongs she left behind. [Cover]

 “The everything guide to C.S. Lewis & Narnia” by Jon Kennedy M.A.

 

“The Everything Guide to C.S. Lewis and Narnia” will introduce readers to C. S. Lewis as a man of great imagination, great integrity, and great intellect. This straightforward guide provides readers with an introduction to the master storyteller, his life and times, and the world of Narnia. “The Everything Guide to C.S. Lewis and Narnia” is a valuable companion to the “Narnia” series, with an in-depth look at the following: Lewis’ early years and the loss of his mother; his time at boarding school and Oxford; early works; his journey to Christianity; the fantasy world of Narnia; and, finding, and losing, the love of his life. Lewis buffs will find that “The Everything Guide to C.S. Lewis and Narnia” is essential to understanding the man, the people of his life, his motivations and worldview. [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 7 August – 14 August

 “Under an amber sky” by Pamela Evans

Nostalgia, heartbreak, danger and war: all the ingredients for a bestselling saga … During the Blitz of 1940 the Porter family is bombed and Nell Porter regains consciousness to find her parents dead, her home gone and her little sister Pansy in an orphanage. Helped by her mother’s friend Peg Mills, Nell eventually rescues Pansy and the girls are given a home with the Mills. Nell gets a job on a local newspaper as a shorthand typist and, because the men are away at the war, is promoted to the position of reporter. During her work she stumbles upon a world of crime running parallel with the patriotic selflessness of the majority of the population. When she falls for Gus Granger and subsequently discovers that he is a criminal and their relationship has all been based on lies, she is devastated and fears for her life… [Cover]

 “A passion for Egypt” by Julie Hankey

The acclaimed life story of one of the greatest Egyptologists of the last century. Arthur Weigall was Chief Inspector of Antiquities in Upper Egypt in it’s remarkable Edwardian heyday : a time of spectacular discoveries – most notably the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 – but also one of a glittering European society centred on Luxor. ’Julie Hankey has written a vivid and perceptive biography of her grandfather’. [Cover]

 “Trappers, hunters ‘n’ co.” by Wayne Blake

An epic work of outdoors adventure, humour and recorded history from the days when deer cullers were bounty hunters, shooting for reward. The Forest Service was still pushing in back country huts to cater for them. It was a time when every man was his own boss. [Cover]

 “A long long way” by Sebastian Barry

In 1914, Willie Dunne, barely eighteen years old, leaves behind Dublin, his family and the girl he plans to marry in order to enlist in the Allied forces and face the Germans on the Western Front. Once there he encounters violence on a scale he could not have imagined and sustains his spirit with only the words on the pages from home and the camaraderie of the mud-covered Irish boys who fight and die by his side. Dimly aware of the political tensions that have grown in Ireland in his absence, Willie returns on leave to find a world split and ravaged by forces closer to home. Despite the comfort he finds with his family, he knows that he must rejoin his regiment and fight until the end. Sebastian Barry renders Willie’s personal struggle as well as the overwhelming consequences of war. [Cover]

 ”Back & beyond : New Zealand painting for the young & curious” by Gregory O’Brien

Since Maori first painted moa and mythical birds on cave walls, artists in Aotearoa New Zealand have provided an imaginative, lively account of the lives we’ve been leading, the dreams we’ve been dreaming and the stories we’ve been telling. Alongside works painted during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this new book features art by a number of contemporary painters and printmakers, all of them seasoned travellers across time and space. Moa, angels, rugby players, insects and aunts, saws and mountains, the bush and the beaches all play starring roles in this bird’s-eye view of New Zealand painting. A follow-up to the hugely successful and prize-winning Welcome to the South Seas: Contemporary New Zealand Art for Young People, Back and Beyond offers more than forty full-colour plates that will dazzle and entrance the young and the curious and bring new life to the history of this 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 31 July – 7 Aug

 “Growing great girls” by Ian & Mary Grant

After the huge success of Growing great boys, comes this companion title focusing on girls. Despite girls mostly getting great media these days many issues still remain to challenge them and their parents. This book will give support and advice to parents in the same way that Growing great boys has done. [Cover]

 “My dad had one of those” by Giles Chapman and Richard Porter

Spanning the 1950s to the ’80s, this work celebrates the heyday of the Dad car. It features great Dad cars from much loved family workhorses like the Ford Cortina and Vauxhall Viva to the rakish excitement and playground kudos of the Rover 3500 and Citroen CX. [Cover]

 “The household guide to dying” by Debra Adelaide

A brilliantly moving and darkly comic novel, which charts the attempts of dying heroine Delia – a modern day Mrs Beeton – to prepare her family for the future and lay to rest a ghost from her past. Inspired by her heroine, Isabella Beeton, Delia has made a living writing a series of hugely successful modern household guides, as well as an acerbic domestic advice column. As the book opens, she is not yet forty, but has only a short time to live. She is preoccupied with how to prepare herself and her family for death, from writing exhaustive lists to teaching her young daughters how to make a perfect cup of tea. What she needs, more than anything, is a manual – exactly the kind she is the expert at writing. Realising this could be her greatest achievement (for who could be better equipped to write The Household Guide to Dying?) she sets to work. But, in the writing, Delia is forced to confront the ghosts of her past, and the events of fourteen years previously. There is a journey she needs to make, back to the landscape of her past, and one last vital thing she needs to do. [Cover]

 “Animation art” edited by Jerry Beck

Nearly a century before the ground-breaking phenomenon Toy Story, Little Nemo appeared in the New York Herald and ushered in a major new art form. The thrilling journey from such humble origins to the blockbuster movies of today’s CGI extravaganzas like Shrek had begun, capturing the imagination of successive generations and embracing the onslaught of an accelerated technological revolution. Covering every aspect of animation (from the movies to MTV) from every part of the world, Animation Art revels in the techniques, the stories, the technology and the personalities which have fashioned the development of this truly modern art form. The list of authors includes producers, animators, voice artists, animation magazine editors, writers, directors, importers, educationalists and enthusiasts. It includes the Head of Artistic Development at Dreamworks, a director/writer/producer for Disney, Warner and Nickelodeon, and one of the animators of the Sixties classic Yellow Submarine. [Cover] 

 “The whole truth” by David Baldacci

David Baldacci returns with a stand-alone, international thriller featuring all new characters. This terrifying global thriller delivers all the twists and turns, emotional drama, unforgettable characters and can’t-put-it-down pacing that Baldacci fans expect. [Cover] 

 

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

 

Avril