New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 30 Oct – 6 Nov

 ”Day walks in New Zealand” by Shaun Barnett

Day walks are one of the most popular recreational activities in New Zealand, enjoyed by both New Zealanders and overseas visitors alike. In 2006 nearly half a million tourists completed either a half-day bush walk or a full day of trekking or tramping. This is not surprising given New Zealand hosts a highly accessible network of conservation and reserve areas, offering everything from leisurely 1-2 hour coastal and beach walks, to full on 8-hour plus days through lush beech forest and alpine areas, and everything in-between. Day Walks in New Zealand is the latest tramping guide in the innovative, new Bird’s Eye Guide series. Written by Shaun Barnett, the best-selling author and photographer of Bird’s Eye Guide Tramping in New Zealand, Day Walks in New Zealand also uses latest generation ‘bird’s eye’ computer-generated maps, showing a tramping route in three dimensions something unable to be achieved with a conventional topographical map. Each walk is supported by relevant route information and there are full-colour photographs throughout from Shaun’s own photo-library. Walks are selected from the entire country and include day walks suitable for first-timers and families, as well as options for those with a higher level of fitness and experience. [Cover]

 ”As you do” by Richard Hammond

The wry, honest and often hilarious chronicles of a very brave and clever TV presenter, Arctic Explorer and general drawer of the Short Straw. Moving quickly on from the devastating crash that nearly killed him he ranges widely over his life and times: a visit to Glastonbury with James May reminds of him of his early years of playing in a band and how and why he never quite made it as a rock star; the stunts and other perils that come his way like the TopGear North Pole race (why is it Richard who is out in the howling elements in a dog sled whilst the others are in the heated cab of an all-terrain vehicle?), Africa where he falls in love with and repatriates a stray car, and the US (once to be chased by Rednecks in middle America, the other in pursuit of his mad hero Evel Knievel); his passion for cars, what he owns and why and although he loves his wife why it is a toss-up whether he says hello to the wife or the cars first. Balancing home and family with a crazy, peripatetic working life (or not, sometimes), the hamster is well and truly back on the wheel. [Cover] 

 

 “Over the wide and trackless sea” by Megan Hutching

Facing danger, despair, back breaking work and heart breaking loss and loneliness, the women who forged a new life in New Zealand in colonial times have never been celebrated, and their stories, with a few notable exceptions, have not been widely shared. Best selling historian Megan Hutching has brought together the stories of a dozen women of all walks of life, whose personal tales of triumph and adversity make compelling reading, and whose contribution helped forge the character of contemporary Aotearoa, where their descendants owe their lives, and their lifestyles, to the sacrifices and strength of these women of the late 1800s. [Cover] 

 

 “Keeping bees” by Paul Peacock

More popular than ever, beekeeping is a fascinating craft that is fun to learn and the perfect antidote to the stress of modern life. This practical guide covers everything a new beekeeper needs to know, from buying equipment to harvesting your very own honey. With clear, step-by-step instructions on handling and checking your bees, helpful tips and advice on keeping them healthy and productive and also featuring a collection of tempting honey-based recipes for you to try, “Keeping Bees” contains everything a modern beekeeper should know. [Cover] 

 

 “Presenting New Zealand” by Philip Temple

Presenting New Zealand is a visually sumptuous and informative account of how the country has developed into the independent nation that the rest of the world recognises today. Starting with the huge rifts of prehistoric times that tore it apart from Gondwana, the book traces the arrival of the first Polynesian canoes, the exploration and settlement by Europeans and the modern-day social, economic and political achievements of this remarkable country. In forgoing modern scenic illustration, and instead focusing the text and images exclusively on history, this fully revised edition is a major departure from the work as it appeared in its original edition, which was published in 2001 by New Holland under the title of Presenting New Zealand: a Nation’s Heritage. [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 23 Oct – 30 Oct

 ”First catch your weka” by David Veart

‘First catch your Weka’, the explorer Charles Heaphy advised in 1842, then stuff it with sage and onion and roast it on a stick. In that simple way began a great tradition of New Zealand cooking, from Heaphy to the Edmonds Cookery Book, Alison Holst, Hudson and Halls, and the meal on your plate today. In this book, David Veart tells the story of what New Zealanders cooked through the recipes we used. Analysing the crusty deposits and grubby thumb prints on a century and a half of cook books, Veart chronicles the extraordinary foods that we have loved: from boiled calf’s head to the Bill Rowling cake, Irish famine soup to tinned kidneys with mushrooms. First Catch your Weka illuminates the basic elements that make New Zealand cooking distinctive and reveals how our cuisine and our culture have changed. Throughout that history, Veart finds a people who frequently first liked to catch their weka – building a meal out of oysters taken from the rocks, vegetables from the garden and a lamb from the neighbouring farm. By telling the history of what we ate, First Catch your Weka tells us a great deal about who we have been. [Cover]

 “The angel maker” by Stefan Brijs 

After many years Doctor Victor Hoppe returns to the small village he grew up in. His return after an absence of many years generates a lot of interest – and suspicion – as he is accompanied by triplets, all of whom share the same physical deformity as the doctor – a hare lip. These children are very quiet and are rarely seen in the village. But with time, and a series of apparently miraculous cures and tales of the wife he lost, the doctor begins to win the villagers over. He hires an ex schoolmistress, Charlotte, to look after the children and has strict instructions about the way they are to be brought up. But the longer Charlotte works with the doctor, the more she begins to suspect that the children – and the doctor – aren’t what they seem. As a child, the doctor was locked away in a harsh children’s home run by nuns – because of his autism and his hare lip, he was assumed to be an idiot. He was eventually rescued but was determined never to succumb to the religious zealotry he witnessed in the convent and to dedicate his life instead to the pursuit of science. He began a career as a geneticist but his desire to correct the mistakes of nature lead him to eventual ruin and disgrace. [Cover] 

 “Summer at Fairacre” by Miss Read

Summer at Fairacre charmingly recounts this bright, bustling season and the problems and possibilities that unfold against the backdrop of roses, skylarks and bees. Joseph Coggs finds a temporary home in the schoolhouse while his mother is in the hospital. Miss Read’s friend Amy mysteriously disappears. Perhaps most difficult of all, Mrs. Pringle, the grumpy school cleaner, is unable to work because of her ‘bad leg’. Still, the sounds of children playing and the fragrance of summertime flowers fill the air, as Miss Read shepherds her students and friends through the warm season. [Cover]

 

 “The deportees” by Roddy Doyle

For the past few years Roddy Doyle has been writing stories for “Metro Eireann”, a newspaper started by, and aimed at, immigrants to Ireland. Each of the stories took a new slant on the immigrant experience, something of increasing relevance and importance in today’s Ireland. The stories range from ‘Guess Who’s Coming to the Dinner’, where a father who prides himself on his open-mindedness when his daughters talk about sex, is forced to confront his feelings when one of them brings home a black fella, to a terrifying ghost story, ‘The Pram’, in which a Polish nanny grows impatient with her charge’s older sisters and decides – in a phrase she has learnt – to ’scare them shitless’. Most of the stories are very funny – in ‘57 percent Irish’ Ray Brady tries to devise a test of Irishness by measuring reactions to Robbie Keane’s goal against Germany in the 2002 World Cup. And best of all, in the title story itself, Jimmy Rabbitte, the man who formed The Commitments, decides it’s time to find a new band, and this time no White Irish need apply. Multicultural to a fault, “The Deportees” specialise not in soul music this time, but the songs of Woody Guthrie. [Cover]

 “The encyclopedia of superstitions” by Richard Webster 

Have you ever thrown salt over your left shoulder and wondered why? Richard Webster has travelled the globe collecting superstitions from every country and culture. Documented here are over 500 of the most obscure, curious, and downright bizarre superstitions of the Western world. This all-encompassing compilation features modern practices – blessing someone who sneezes, saving wedding cake, and wearing St. Christopher medals while travelling – as well as centuries-old beliefs. Discover how Friday the 13th, the Bermuda Triangle, ravens, and black cats became so unlucky. And why the number seven, pennies, robins and rabbits’ feet are associated with good fortune. Trivia fans and fun fact fanatics will adore this eclectic collection of superstitions and irrational beliefs surrounding holidays, births, funerals, weddings, colours, gemstones, trees, flowers, fairies, foods, sailing, the theatre, the mystical, and many more. [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 16 Oct – 23 Oct

 ”The good plain cook” by Bethan Roberts

It’s summer 1936, and the world is on the cusp of change, but there’s little sign of this in rural Sussex. So when local girl Kitty Allen answers an advert looking for ‘a good plain cook’, she has no idea what she’s in for. For starters, her employer is an American called Ellen Steinberg who believes in calling the staff by their first names and sunbathing in the nude. Kitty is in no place to criticise – after all she claimed to be a good plain cook, despite hardly knowing how to boil an egg. Utterly out of her depth, she is relieved to have the gardener, Arthur, to talk to. Otherwise she’d never last a summer in this madhouse. Ellen Steinberg wants life to run as smoothly as the love story she imagines her lover George Crane to be writing. But as Kitty arrives, the dream is on the edge of falling apart. [Cover]

 “Ngaio Marsh – her life in crime”

One of the celebrated “Queens of Crime” Ngaio Marsh was probably New Zealand’s first million copy author. Her tightly written, stylish whodunits were perennial favourites, rating alongside Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers. She was also seriously in love with the theatre, and her triumphant return to New Zealand to establish the Court Theatre in Christchurch saw her feted and honoured with the title Dame of the British Empire. With her coterie of ‘luvvies’ – the handsome gay boys who were a part of her entourage and her proteges in many fields of the arts, and her impeccable landed gentry upbringing, Dame Ngaio dominated the New Zealand performing arts scene for many years before her death. Dr Jo Drayton, award winning art historian and writer was awarded the Alexander Turnbull fellowship for 2007 and has used the time to complete the research and writing of this her most exciting book to date. Here is the fascinating biography of Ngaio Marsh, a young woman of ambiguous sexuality who reveled in the abandon of the Bohemian Riviera, whose spurned suitor committed suicide and whose scintillating murder mysteries all took their inspiration, setting or characters from the heady life she enjoyed. [Cover] 

 

 “Rough Justice : The Rex Haig story”

Imagine spending 10 years in prison for a crime you didn’t commit. Rex Haig did just that for the murder of Mark Roderique, a crew member on Haig’s own fishing boat, Antares. The murder conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal in August 2006, nearly two years after Rex Haig’s release on parole. Haig’s nephew, David Hogan, who claimed that he saw his uncle kill Mr Roderique, is now regarded by the Court of Appeal as a suspect for the murder, and, by at least one of the three Appeal Court Judges, as an ‘utterly unreliable’ witness. Rex Haig never gave up fighting against his wrongful conviction. His fight included involvement in a hostage-taking at Paparua Prison, Christchurch in October of 1997. The mediated resolution to that incident led to the government’s commitment to his case being reinvestigated by private investigator, Bryan Rowe and Auckland QC, Kevin Ryan. As a direct result of what Bryan Rowe uncovered, though it took another seven years, the matter finally came back before the Court of Appeal, which quashed the conviction and directed that no retrial take place. The effect of that decision was that Rex Haig was acquitted of this crime. This is Rex Haig’s story, in his own words, as told to Wellington lawyer Rennie Gould. It’s the story of his time in remand prison, the murder of his chief witness, his trial and subsequent conviction and his struggle in prison to be heard and to be listened to.[Cover]

 

 ”Eat, pray, love” by Elizabeth Gilbert

It’s 3 a.m. and Elizabeth Gilbert is sobbing on the bathroom floor. She’s in her thirties, she has a husband, a house, they’re trying for a baby – and she doesn’t want any of it. A bitter divorce and a turbulent love affair later, she emerges battered and bewildered and realises it is time to pursue her own journey in search of three things she has been missing: pleasure, devotion and balance. So she travels to Rome, where she learns Italian from handsome, brown-eyed identical twins and gains twenty-five pounds, an ashram in India, where she finds that enlightenment entails getting up in the middle of the night to scrub the temple floor, and Bali where a toothless medicine man of indeterminate age offers her a new path to peace: simply sit still and smile. And slowly happiness begins to creep up on her. [Cover] 

 

 “Boy and man” by Niall Williams

When a loved one disappears, you can never be sure whether they are alive or dead Jay once content with life in rural Ireland, left his childhood home and those who loved him to embark on the journey of his life in search of his father. Now Jay is fully grown and living in a mission hospital in Africa. Alone without his family or his roots, he has given up his quest. Back in Ireland, the man known as the master is recovering after a terrible accident. Sure that his missing grandson, the only person left of his family, is alive somewhere, he cannot rest until he knows for sure. Both men are seeking, amid the human suffering they are surrounded by, to have their belief in life confirmed. [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 9 Oct – 16 Oct

 ”Rare wildlife of New Zealand” by Rod Morris & Alison Ballance

This book contains 100 New Zealand endangered species of all kinds – plants, birds, insects, fungi, mammals. Organised by habitat – forests, gardens, islands, wetlands, high country, and sea and shore, it gives an important snapshot of the critical state of the wildlife in our country. Beautifully photographed with accessible and informative text, this is a stunning book to have. At the same time, it contains many surprises: among our most endangered species are kiwi, tuatara, flax, grasshoppers, hebes, crabs, dolphins and many other New Zealand icons. [Cover]

 ”The 19th wife” by David Ebershoff

Jordan returns from California to Utah to visit his mother in jail. As a teenager he was expelled from his family and religious community, a secretive Mormon offshoot sect. Now his father has been found shot dead in front of his computer, and one of his many wives – Jordan’s mother – is accused of the crime. Over a century earlier, Ann Eliza Young, the nineteenth wife of Brigham Young, Prophet and Leader of the Mormon Church, tells the sensational story of how her own parents were drawn into plural marriage, and how she herself battled for her freedom and escaped her powerful husband, to lead a crusade to end polygamy in the United States. [Cover]

 ”Outdoor stonework” by Laurel Saville

Stone has been used indoors and outdoors for centuries as both a decorative and practical building material. This stunning book contains a brief history of how and why stone has been used in structures throughout the world. It discusses stonework projects for the home and how to create them, whether they are do-it-yourself projects or ones that require masons and contractors. It will include sketches and discussion on a wide range of possibilities, including freestanding walls, retaining walls, patios, steps, ponds, seats, fireplaces, and sculpture. [Cover]

 ”The spies of Warsaw” by Alan Furst

An Autumn evening in 1937. A German engineer arrives at the Warsaw railway station. Tonight, he will be with his Polish mistress; tomorrow, at a workers’ bar in the city’s factory district, he will meet with the French embassy’s military attache. Information will be exchanged for money. So begins The Spies of Warsaw, with war coming to Europe, and French and German operatives locked in a life-and-death struggle on the espionage battlefield. At the French embassy, the new military attache, Colonel Jean-Francois Mercier, a decorated hero of the 1914 war, is drawn in to a world of abduction, betrayal and intrigue in the diplomatic salons and back alleys of Warsaw. The spies of Warsaw is Alan Furst’s finest novel to date – the history is precise, the writing evocative and powerful, more a novel about spies than a spy novel – exciting, atmospheric, erotic and impossible to put down. [Cover]

 ”Mother nature’s herbal” by Judith Griffin

With ancient folklore, simple instructions for growing an herb garden, and recipes from around the world, “Mother Nature’s Herbal” is hands-down the most unique, thoughtful, and comprehensive guide to growing and preparing herbs. Divided into sections and graced with charming illustrations, this book is the perfect addition to any budding herbalist’s kitchen counter. Part one presents a rich tapestry of centuries-old customs, recipes, and mythology from various cultures, including Native American, South American, Asian, Mediterranean, medieval, colonial, and more. Part two explains how to grow and use your own organic herbs. Make them thrive with tips on tending the soil, guarding against pests, and keeping your plants healthy. Once you’ve harvested your herbs, experiment with an assortment of recipes for foods, teas, tonics, ointments, and medicines. Explore the magical benefits of herbs, and enjoy invigorated health and a rejuvenated spirit! [Cover]

 

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

 

Avril

 

The Glycaemic Loading Diet

“The GL Diet Recipe Book and Health Plan: Everything You Need to Know About the GL (glycaemic Loading) Approach to Weight Loss and Health, with Expert Advice and More Than 70 Delicious and Nutritious Recipes, Shown Step-by-step”  by Maggie Pannell

As the title indicates this book is all about the relatively new Glycaemic Load (GL) diet. This extends the concept of the GI (Glycaemic Index) by considering the quantity of carbohydrate in a typical serving, as well as the effect of that carbohydrate on levels of blood sugar, available energy, and weight gain. 

The introductory section provides clear explanations of the diet, the methods of categorizing foods according to their GL levels, and recommendations about foods to choose and to avoid.  Cooking and shopping tips, ideas for healthy breakfasts and lunches, and comprehensive low-GL meal planners make preparing for and following the diet plan simple.   Each of the more than 70 recipes is beautifully illustrated, carefully explained and uses ingredients which are widely available.

The only improvements I can think of would be a convenient table listing GL levels for a wide range of foods, plus more of the delicious and appealing recipes.  Overall this book provides an attractive, informative and easy-to-read introduction to the GL diet and health plan. 

Alison

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

 “Robbie Deans : a tribute to rugby’s great crusader” by John Matheson

Robbie Deans is Canterbury aristocracy – and comes from a long line of distinguished rugby players who have represented both the beloved province and New Zealand. He has been an assistant coach to the All Blacks, and the driving force behind the Canterbury Crusaders, one of the leading teams in the International Rugby Super 12 and Super 14 competition. Now, controversially the first Kiwi coach of the All Blacks arch nemesis – the Wallabies, he faces a challenging year of divided loyalties. With fierce pride Cantabrian rugby supporters worship the ground he walks on, and this book will capture the essence of a super coach. [Cover]

 “Dark summit” by Nick Heil

Everest – the highest mountain in the world and the ultimate climbing challenge. In 2006, 11 people died attempting to reach the summit, the most fatalities since 1996. But unlike 1996, 2006 saw no surprise blizzard, only the constant dangers posed by unstable ice, merciless cold, thin air – and human nature. Nick Heil tells the shocking true stories of David Sharp, a young British solo climber, who was passed by 40 mountaineers as he lay dying on the slopes of the mountain, and Lincoln Hall who was left for dead yet miraculously survived, and asks: What does climbing the world’s highest peak really mean for those who take on the challenge? And how far will they go in their single-minded pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize? [Cover]

 ”Amenable women” by Mavis Cheek

Flora Chapman is in her fifties when her husband dies. Seizing upon her new found freedom, she decides to finish the history of their village that Edward had begun. A reference to Anne of Cleves, Henry VIII’s fourth wife who he rejected for being ugly, captures her imagination as she begins to delve deeper into the life of this neglected figure. [Cover]

 “Growing organic” by Nick Hamilton

The popularity of organic gardening continues to rise as people increasingly want to control the quality and freshness of the food that they eat. And organic gardening isn’t just about creating delicious healthy food for the table; it’s also about nurturing nature. Specially tailored to New Zealand’s growing conditions, Growing Organic is a handbook of eco-friendly and health-aware gardening techniques for sowing and growing fruit, vegetables and herbs, and much more. From selecting tools to propagation, crop rotation, watering, weed and pest control, all the essentials are here. Learn how to make handy apparatus for the toolshed, and how to attract wildlife to your garden. Growing Organic is the perfect primer for every organic gardener. [Cover]

 ”Top Gear top drives” by Michael Harvey

Pitting man and machine against the most challenging natural and manmade elements, “Top Gear Top Drives” takes six cars across six continents to bring you some of the most spectacular car journeys in the world. From a Smart in Russia to a Ferrari over the mountains of Ecuador, “Top Gear Top Drives” will take you across Polar planes in a pick-up truck, up sand dunes in a Toyota land cruiser, along remote and rugged coastlines, into the Australian outback and through the gates of Dracula’s castle in a Mercedes-Benz. You’ll drive in fast cars, cool cars, inappropriate cars, tiny cars and some very expensive cars in Top Gear’s road trips of a lifetime. Illustrated throughout with over 200 stunning photographs, and with a foreword by Jeremy Clarkson, this inspirational travel book features 20 spectacular behind-the-wheel adventures, and will be irresistible to anyone who dreams of heading for the horizon with a scorch of the tyres in a cloud of dust. [Cover]

 

 

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

 

Avril