New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 8 Jan – 15 Jan

 

“Doctor Who : The writer’s tale” by Russell T Davies 

 

This book shows how the author plans the series and works with the show’s writers, where he gets his ideas for plot, character and scenes.
“Writing isn’t just a job that stops at six-thirty…It’s a mad, sexy, sad, scary, obsessive, ruthless, joyful, and utterly, utterly personal thing. There’s not the writer and then me; there’s just me. All of my life connects to the writing. All of it.” A unique look into the BBC’s most popular family drama, Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale is a year in the life of the hit television series, as told by the show’s Head Writer and Executive Producer. A candid and in-depth correspondence between Russell T Davies and journalist Benjamin Cook, the book explores in detail Russell’s work on Series Four, revealing how he plans the series and works with the show’s writers; where he gets his ideas for plot, character and scene; how actors are cast and other creative decisions are made; and how he juggles the demands of Doctor Who with the increasingly successful Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures spin-offs. Russell’s scripts are discussed as they develop, and Russell and Ben’s wide-ranging discussions bring in experiences from previous series of Doctor Who as well as other shows Russell has written and created, including Queer as Folk, Bob and Rose, and The Second Coming. The reader is given total access to the show as it’s created, and the writing is everything you would expect from Russell T Davies: warm, witty, insightful, and honest. Fully illustrated with never-before-seen photos and artwork – including original drawings by Russell himself – The Writer’s Tale is a not only the ultimate Doctor Who book, but a celebration of great writing and great television. [Cover]

 ”Living off the smell of an oily rag” by Frank & Dr Muriel Newman

Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag in New Zealand is a new oily rag book that updates the previous publications that are now out of print and adds a great deal of new material. It includes hundreds of never-before-published tips, many coming from readers of the earlier books and visitors to the oily rag website (www.oilyrag.co.nz). This new book is illustrated throughout and has the characteristic oily rag style of humour. Times are tough; many people are looking for ways to reduce living costs and manage their money better. But Living off the Smell of an Oily Rag in New Zealand will also appeal to flatters, conservationists, tightwads, in fact anyone wanting to spend less to save more. [Cover]

 “The stepmother’s diary” by Fay Weldon

The wicked stepmother is a classic figure of literature. From “Cinderella” to “Hamlet”, she is portrayed as an evil manipulator out to do down her husband’s children. Reality is all too often the reverse, with stepchildren using all their cunning to do down daddy’s new wife in a no holds barred, down and dirty fight to the death. [Cover]

 

“Images of war” by Glyn Harper

A collection of photographs of New Zealanders at war. In 1914, despite being forbidden, many a Kiwi soldier’s kitbag included a portable camera, known as ‘The Soldiers’ Kodak’. In a major research project, Glyn Harper and the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum have combined official war photographs with more informal images to produce a moving visual history. While primarily drawn from the Museum’s collection, many photographs from private sources have been included. From more than 25,000 photographs, just over 800 have been selected – most of which have never been published. Chosen to depict each theatre of the 1914-18 war, including Gallipoli, Sinai-Palestine and the Western Front, poignant images from the home front are also included, along with graphic portraits of wounded soldiers, whose treatment marked the beginnings of modern plastic surgery. Despite the First World War being described as the most important and far-reaching political and military event of the twentieth century, pivotal in forging our national sense of identity, relatively little photographic material has been published from a soldier’s perspective. Here, some 90 years after the war ended, is the first collection of photographs of New Zealanders at war. Poignant, stirring and at times unbearable, it records the appalling, brutalising, mundane and touching experiences of those who were there. Lest we ever forget. [Cover]

 

 “Gardening in New Zealand month by month” by Dennis Greville

An irresistible excuse for getting into your garden – whatever the time of year. Dennis Greville delivers expert advice on gardening month by month to produce healthy lawns, borders and crops throughout the year. Whether it’s an invigorating winter pruning, a much-needed mulch or a golden harvest of autumn fruit, his book ensures that any task is tipped for success. [Cover]

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

 

Avril