Archive for September, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 25 Sep – 2 Oct
“When will there be good news?” by Kate Atkinson
In rural Devon, six-year-old Joanna Mason witnesses an appalling crime. Thirty years later the man convicted of the crime is released from prison. In Edinburgh, sixteen-year-old Reggie works as a nanny for a G.P. But Dr Hunter has gone missing and Reggie seems to be the only person who is worried. Across town, Detective Chief Inspector Louise Monroe is also looking for a missing person, unaware that hurtling towards her is an old friend – Jackson Brodie – himself on a journey that becomes fatally interrupted. [Cover]
“Digging for the truth” by Josh Bernstein
Josh Bernstein, host of The History Channel’s hit series “Digging for The Truth,” takes readers beyond the cameras for an even closer look at his adventures through some of the most intriguing, remote, and physically challenging locations on the planet as he explores the worlds greatest ancient mysteries. No location is too dangerous, no terrain too rough, no culture too exotic for explorer and survival expert Josh Bernstein. With his unique hands-on approach, he travels the globe, seeking answers to some of the most enigmatic mysteries of the ancient world. [Cover]
”Night work” by Thomas Glavinic
How does it feel to be the last man alive? There’s nothing moving outside. No cars. No buses. No people. No birds. Nothing. No one. Anywhere. An ordinary man wakes up on an ordinary day to find that he’s the only living creature in the entire city. The radio and TV are suddenly filled with white noise, there’s no newspaper, the internet is down and no one’s answering the phone. Jonas is the last living being on the planet. What happened? How? Why? And why is he still here? Thriller and philosophical investigation wrapped up in an intensely compelling, eerie mystery, Night Work is compulsive and exhilarating – but don’t read it when you’re all alone… [Cover]
“Women’s encyclopedia of natural medicine” by Tori Hudson
A naturopathic physician shows you how to use the latest in natural therapies to heal your body and promote good health. Now fully revised, this comprehensive guide from a leader in women’s alternative health features up-to- date information on the safest natural therapies, medicines, herbs, and supplements. The new edition also features the latest research on infertility, menopause, heart disease, osteoporosis, and more. [Cover]
“Navigating the empty nest” by Robyn Vickers-Willis
Little has been written about the inter-related developmental issues for both parents and young adult children as they re-create the family nest. In this ground-breaking book, well-known author and psychologist Robyn Vickers-Willis writes about the importance of adults living consciously from midlife and beyond. Using candid interviews and her own personal experiences she provides a mirror for self-reflection. Drawing on current Australian and overseas research Robyn debunks many of the prevailing myths about navigating the empty nest and then with insight and sensitivity explores a variety of practical tools and exercises for increasing self-awareness and self-navigation at this significant stage of family life.
Add comment September 25, 2008
Can any mother help me? by Jenna Bailey
This book took me by surprise. When I ordered it from the website I thought it looked interesting, but once I started reading it I found I couldn’t put it down – which you might expect from a good novel, but not often with a social history.
In 1935 a young mother wrote to a magazine, admitting she was lonely and bored with her domestic life and asking readers for help. The letter drew responses from women all over Britain, from all walks of life, and so a private magazine began – the Co-operative Correspondence Club or CCC. The contributors all wrote under pseudonyms and sent their articles to the editor, who put together a fortnightly magazine which then circulated on a mailing list. The women wrote candidly about most aspects of their lives, readers added comments, and some continued to do so for the fifty year lifespan of the magazine.
The author of this book discovered a number of surviving articles, which had been donated to an archive; tracked down the few surviving members of the club and the families of others, rounded out their biographies and assembled a selection of the articles chronologically and according to subject matter.
I found this book funny, sad and absolutely fascinating and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history and biography. It is available at the Hawarden library.
Susan
Add comment September 22, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 18 Sep – 25 Sep
“1001 Historic sites you must see before you die” edited by R Cavendish
From world-famous sites to forgotten locations that bear the imprint of historical vents, this comprehensive guide to places that bear the mark of history takes in monuments, battlefields, castles, bridges, and more. With succinct reviews of each location from an international team of historians led by general editor Richard Cavendish, this highly visual guide will educate and inform students and travelers (real or armchair) alike. 1001 Historic Sites is a comprehensive one-stop list of the must-see sites around the world for the regular traveler and for armchair travelers it provides a virtual tour of places they can’t reach. From heritage sites that preserve wonders of the ancient world such as The Great Wall of China, to memorials that commemorate significant moments in the 20th century, from concentration camps to Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous point on the Berlin Wall, the timescale covered by the 1001 sites in the book is immense. [Cover]
“The ball is round” by David Goldblatt
Describes the rise of football, from a chaotic folk ritual to a sector of the global-entertainment industry. This is the story of players and managers, fans and owners, clubs and national teams; a chronicle of who won and who lost. It is also a history of states and markets, money and power. [Cover]
“The unbearable lightness of scones” by Alexander Mccall Smith
The story of Bertie and his dysfunctional family continues in this fifth instalment alongside the familiar cast of favourites – Big Lou, Domenica, Angus Lordie, Cyril and others – in their daily pursuit of a little happiness. With customary charm and deftness, Alexander McCall Smith has again given us a clever, witty and utterly delightful new novel.[Cover]
“Cabbages & Roses guide to natural housekeeping” by Christina Strutt
Saving the planet for future generations is a laudable aim, but why wait when quite small changes to your lifestyle can make a big difference here and now? This book is full of advice and information to help you take a more sustainable path. Recycling, reusing and shopping at farmers markets are a good start. Cutting down on the use of poisonous chemicals is just as important. For instance, it’s perfectly possible to clean a house using nothing more than lemons, baking powder, vinegar and water. Old-fashioned methods are complemented by newer ideas and innovations, and applied not only to cleaning but to restoring furniture and woodwork, and to decorating. Growing some of your own vegetables, fruit and herbs can be very satisfying, especially if you use any extras to make jams, oils, beauty preparations and bath oils. These handy tips and delicious recipes can be referred to again and again. Those for making herbal remedies will result in soothing and effective treatments that are a useful addition to your medicine cupboard. Whether you grow your own or not, composting waste is easily accomplished – vegetable peelings, teabags, dust from the vacuum cleaner all go into the compost to rot down for use as natural fertilizer. [Cover]
”Conquering the desert of death” by Charles Blackmore
The ferocious Taklamakan desert, the harshest on earth, is known by the Chinese as the ‘desert of death’ or the ‘place of no return’ – you go in but you don’t come out. It sustains no life and has taken the lives of many of those who have ventured in. Its unknown depths are said to be haunted by demons and spirits and legend has it that ancient cities filled with treasure lie lost and buried beneath its dunes. The only certainty is that no human being in history had ever crossed it from end to end. But, after five years of planning, Charles Blackmore together with a team of British, Chinese and Uyghurs and a caravan of thirty camels, set out to accomplish the seemingly impossible: they would cross the Taklamakan, west to east, directly through its unmapped, untrodden centre. “Conquering the Desert of Death” is at once a deeply personal journey and the story of an adventure that will go down in history as one of the great achievements of exploration. [Cover]
Add comment September 18, 2008
Gardens of water by Alan Drew
This novel, set in Istanbul, tells the story of a Kurdish family whose lives are torn apart by an earthquake which destroys their home, their extended family, their livelihood and their way of life. This brings into focus tensions between the Kurds and the Turks; the people of Turkey and the Americans; Islam and Christianity; parents and their children; conservative Muslim morality and western freedom.
The story is told from two viewpoints – Sinan, the husband and father of the family, and his teenage daughter Irem, both of whom are rounded characters and not just mouthpiecesfor their opposing views. The Romeo-and-Juliet-style romance between Irem and Dylan, the son of one of the American missionaries, is woven through the book, adding to the tension and personalising some of the issues.
I found it a well written, thought-provoking book, which had a few harrowing moments. I would recommend it to those who like a novel with a bit of substance, but not to those who prefer a light, cheerful read. It is available at the Hawarden library.
Susan
Add comment September 14, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 11 Sep – 18 Sep
”Healthy appetite” by Gordon Ramsay
“The plague of doves” by Louise Erdrich
“Digital photography masterclass’ by Tom Ang
“Fiveways” by Ian Commins
“To finish first” by Phil Kerr
Avril
Add comment September 11, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 4 Sep – 11 Sep
”Voices from Vietnam” by Billy Barnz
Voices from Vietnam presents Vietnam War veterans as a cohort of ordinary New Zealanders who did extraordinary things at that time of their lives when they went to serve in an unpopular war. The book demonstrates what fine people they were and what they were able to achieve in their lives despite the fact that many of their compatriots despised them for going to Vietnam. The cohort includes some very impressive individuals. There are captains of New Zealand industry, highly ranked military and air force professionals, a Member of Parliament, a Harkness Fellow and Harvard Graduate, chief executive officers of commercial enterprises and welfare agencies, an expert horticulturalist, a polytechnic lecturer, a respected Maori elder, an All Black and a superintendent of a teaching hospital. New Zealand’s trampers, potters, writers, gardeners, welfare workers, sports coaches, housewives, real estate agents, mechanics, rugby players and musicians are all represented. Above all, the subjects of this book represent the finest examples of New Zealand’s youth of the 1960s; they represent not only the estimated 3,500 who served in Vietnam but also the 37 who died in their country’s service. [Cover]
”Being Emily” by Anne Donovan
An intelligent young Glasgow girl, Fiona’s vibrant and happy family life is shattered when her mother dies, leaving the family struggling to get back to normality. ‘Being Emily’ depicts domestic family life honestly, dealing with touching and familiar scenarios without unnecessary exaggeration. Entirely modest and honest, Fiona is a loveable character that we can all relate to. [Cover]
”Chez moi” by Agnes Desarthe
Myriam’s sudden, characteristically impulsive decision to open a restaurant in her Paris flat transforms her life in a curious way. For the last six years Myriam has been living in self-imposed exile, cut off from her cool, reserved husband and from the son she found herself unable to love, and the opening night of Chez Moi is typically desolate. But little by little, Myriam’s mouth-watering dishes draw people in and as the restaurant sizzles towards success, figures and feelings from Myriam’s past also begin to emerge, gradually re-awakening her appetite for life, both the bitter parts and the sweet. [Cover]
“Breaking dawn” by Stephenie Meyer
To be irrevocably in love with a vampire is both fantasy and nightmare woven into a dangerously heightened reality for Bella Swan. Pulled in one direction by her intense passion for Edward Cullen, and in another by her profound connection to werewolf Jacob Black, she has endured a tumultuous year of temptation, loss and strife to reach the ultimate turning point. Her imminent choice to either join the dark but seductive world of immortals or pursue a fully human life has become the thread from which the fate of two tribes hangs. Now that Bella has made her decision, a startling chain of unprecedented events is about to unfold with potentially devastating and unfathomable consequences. [Cover]
”For your eyes only” by Ben Macintyre
Published to coincide with the 2008 Imperial War Museum exhibition of the same name, this is a thrilling stand-alone book that looks into the entwined worlds of James Bond and Ian Fleming. The book and exhibition will explore how Fleming’s 007 emerged against the background of the Second World War and the Cold War, and how Bond’s world was based on the realities (and fantasies) of Fleming’s life as a wartime spy-master and peacetime bon viveur. They will show how the film version of Bond evolved for a later age, and answer a question that has obsessed generations of Bond fans over the years: where does the world of Ian Fleming end, and that of James Bond begin? Stylishly illustrated, “For Your Eyes Only” will incorporate a treasure-trove of gadgets, costumes, props, and storyboards from the films – Daniel Craig’s blood-stained shirt from Casino Royale, the Aston Martin DB5, complete with weaponry – as well as memorabilia from Fleming’s personal archive: his smoking jacket, the manuscript for Casino Royale, his golden typewriter, his guns, and much more. Alongside this array of extraordinary visuals, Ben Macintyre tells the story of how Fleming created the most popular legend of all time. On the centenary of Fleming’s birth, he looks at the real people on whom the writer based his fictional creations – friends, colleagues, lovers, and of course, the notorious villains. Exploring the tradition of spy fiction past and present – with specific attention to the Cold War – Macintyre explains the astonishing legacy of the Bond books and the enduring appeal of a fictional secret agent who not only lived twice, but proved to be immortal. [Cover]
Avril
Add comment September 5, 2008
Under the Osakan sun : a funny, intimate, wonderful account of three years in Japan by Hamish Beaton
When Hamish Beaton, from Christchurch, New Zealand, steps off the plane and struggles, sweltering in his woollen suit, to his new home in a suburb of Osaka, Japan, to become a teacher of english at the Kanan Town junior high school, it is the beginning of three years of exciting, funny, bewildering and sometimes embarrassing experiences.
He meets an amazing cast of characters among the teachers, pupils, and residents of the town; is always prepared to try something new, and to laugh at himself when he gets it wrong.
I found him a likeable young man with a good sense of humour and the ability to tell a good story. I would have liked to see some photos of the people and events he wrote about, but this is just a small criticism of a very enjoyable book.
Susan
Add comment September 4, 2008
