New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 1 Oct – 8 Oct

 ”Your shout : A toast to drink and drinking in New Zealand” by Graham Hutchins

An account of New Zealand’s constant, sometimes troubled, always fascinating and often humorous encounters with alcohol, from the early days of European contact to the present day. While the book will have a skeletal chronological framework to set the scene it will be far less a social history than an entertaining account of an often much-maligned subject. Anecdotes relating to Kiwis and their encounters with alcohol over the years will pepper the book. Some of our most amusing tales have been either associated directly with grog or have been fired by alcohol. Contentious issues like the Temperance Movement, the threat of Prohibition and the ‘Six O’clock Swill’ will be discussed, along with some of the more amusing aspects of issues that were deadly serious to some. The impact of alcohol on New Zealand literature, folklore and songs and poems will represent some of the themes to be covered. Characters associated with the drinking culture – good and bad – will feature prominently. Sly Groggers, hooch makers, main trunk drunks, modern supermarket winos and many others will have their stories told, as will beer barons, colourful barmen and women and modern winemakers. Obviously the book will discuss the downside as well but it will not set out to preach. Such an account will lend itself to lively illustrations, photos and sketches, many of which are available from the Alexander Turnbull Library, private collections and other sources. The market-readership would include readers of New Zealand non-fiction, those with an interest in Kiwi social history and because of the book’s ‘forbidden fruit’ and ’strange fascination’ aspects, not to mention humorous asides, perhaps readers who wouldn’t normally buy non-fiction titles. Because it will be an integrated account of alcohol in general (there have been books on wine, beer and whisky), its appeal would probably widen. [Cover]

 ”The lost symbol” by Dan Brown

The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown’s hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your “Lost Symbol” tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters. [Cover]

 “A case of exploding mangoes” by Mohammed Hanif

Teasing, provocative, and funny, Hanif’s debut novel imagines a connection between the still mysterious 1988 plane crash that ended the life of the Pakistani dictator General Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq and the events of 9/11. [Cover]

 “D-day : The battle for Normandy” by Antony Beevor

The Normandy Landings that took place on D-Day involved by far the largest invasion fleet ever known. The scale of the undertaking was simply awesome. What followed them was some of the most cunning and ferocious fighting of the war, at times as savage as anything seen on the Eastern Front. As casualties mounted, so too did the tensions between the principal commanders on both sides. Meanwhile, French civilians caught in the middle of these battlefields or under Allied bombing endured terrible suffering. Even the joys of Liberation had their darker side. The war in northern France marked not just a generation but the whole of the post-war world, profoundly influencing relations between America and Europe. Making use of overlooked and new material from over thirty archives in half a dozen countries, “D-Day” is the most vivid and well-researched account yet of the battle of Normandy. As with Stalingrad and Berlin, Antony Beevor’s gripping narrative conveys the true experience of war. [Cover]

 “New York” by Edward Rutherfurd

Rutherfurd celebrates America’s greatest city in a rich, engrossing saga that showcases his extraordinary ability to combine impeccable historical research and storytelling flair. As in his earlier, bestselling novels, he illuminates cultural, social, and political upheavals through the lives of a remarkably diverse set of families.
As he recounts the intertwining fates of characters rich and poor, black and white, native born and immigrant, Rutherfurd brings to life the momentous events that shaped New York and America: the Revolutionary War, the emergence of the city as a great trading and financial center, the excesses of the Gilded Age, the explosion of immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the trials of World War II, the near-demise of New York in the 1970s and its roaring rebirth in the ’90s, and the attacks on the World Trade Center. Sprinkled throughout are captivating cameo appearances by historical figures ranging from George Washington to Abraham Lincoln to Babe Ruth. New York is the book that millions of Rutherfurd’s American fans have been waiting for. A brilliant mix of romance, war, family drama, and personal triumphs, it gloriously captures the search for freedom and prosperity at the heart of our nation’s history. [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 24 Sep – 1 Oct

 ”A second helping : More from Ladies, a plate” by Alexa Johnston

In response to the enthusiastic reception for her Ladies, a Plate, Alexa Johnston has gathered another tempting selection of traditional home-baking recipes. This collection has many more old favourites, like Sponge Kisses, Melting Moments and Cream Lilies, as well as a few savoury treats. Alexa has also included a chapter on home-made sweets so that readers will be able to stock the sweet stall at the school fair with Hokey Pokey, Ginger Ice and the very best Russian Fudge. Snippets of social history are once again included throughout as Alexa pays tribute to the women who contributed recipes to the hundreds of community cookbooks that were published over the past sixty years. Like its predecessor, this beautiful book will be essential in every baker’s kitchen and a source of continuing pleasure. [Cover]

  ”Seraphine pick” by Felicity Milburn et. al.

Séraphine Pick’s original and imaginative practice has made her one of New Zealand’s most highly regarded painters. From the spectral dresses, leaky baths and teetering suitcases of the 1990s to the psychologically-charged dreamscapes of more recent years, this large-scale survey brings together more than a hundred works made between 1994 and 2009. Tracing the effects of Pick’s ongoing interest in memory, identity and imagination, the exhibition unveils several new paintings and is accompanied by a richly illustrated publication, featuring essays by Felicity Milburn and Lara Strongman; an interview by Sally Blundell; texts responding to individual works of art by Jonathan Bywater, Felicity Milburn, Allan Smith and Andrew Paul Wood; short story by Elizabeth Knox. [Cover]

  ”The tricking of Freya” by Christina Sunley

A young woman obsessed with uncovering a family secret is drawn into the strange and magical history, language and landscape of Iceland

Freya Morris grows up in a typical American suburb – but every summer, she enters another realm entirely when she visits her relatives in Gimli, a tiny village in Canada settled by Icelandic immigrants. Here she falls under the spell of her troubled but charming aunt Birdie, who thrills her with stories of exotic Norse goddesses, moody Viking bards, and the life of her late grandfather, the most famous poet of “New Iceland.” But when Birdie tricks Freya into a terrifying scandal, Freya turns her back on everything Icelandic and anything that reminds her of the past. She is living an anonymous, bleak existence in Manhattan when she finally returns to Gimli for the first time in two decades – and stumbles upon a long concealed family secret. As Freya becomes increasingly obsessed with unraveling her family’s tangled story, she finds herself delving into the very memories she has worked so hard to forget. When the clues dry up in Gimli, Freya journeys to Iceland itself. On this rugged island of vast lava fields and immense glaciers, Freya’s quest comes to its unsettling conclusion. [Cover]

 ”The white queen” by Philippa Gregory

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen. The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy-king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. [Cover]

 ”Crossing the ditch” by James Castrission

With more than 2,000 km of treacherous seas and unpredictable weather and currents, not to mention the ever-present threat of sharks, it was little wonder no one had ever successfully crossed the Tasman by kayak. But Sydneysiders James Castrission and Justin Jones reached the sand at New Plymouth – and a place in history – on 13 January, 2008. [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 17 Sep – 24 Sep

 “Green architecture now” by Philip Jodidio

These days, green is the name of the game. There has never been so much interest in the ecological impact of buildings as there is today. This is not a negligible fact in the struggle to control pollution and in the search for responsible sustainable methods of construction. Buildings are among the heaviest consumers of natural resources and account for a significant portion of the greenhouse gas emissions that affect climate change. At a certain time, green buildings were ugly and complicated affairs, usually multicoloured as though an entire rainbow in one building might be sufficient to prove a concern for ecology. This is surely no longer the case as buildings published in this current volume demonstrate. However, it may be that green architecture is not so much about architecture as it is about survival; the aesthetics of the architecture are secondary considerations when it comes to finally stopping the war with nature that has resulted in the creation of the asphalt jungle. [Cover]

 “Cockroach” by Rawi Hage

During a bitterly cold winter in a snowy northern city, a self-confessed thief has just tried to commit suicide by hanging himself from a tree in the local park. Rescued against his will and obliged to attend sessions with a well-meaning but naive therapist, our narrator tells her – and us – his heartrending and hallucinatory story. From his childhood in a war-torn Arab country, to his current life in the smoky emigre cafes of his new city, “Cockroach” traces our narrator’s journey – his longing for a place in the world, his guilt over his sister’s death at the hands of her husband, and his love for an Iranian woman, Shoreh, whose life is also a flight from the darkness of the past. As the stories in this remarkable book converge, our narrator must confront the events of the past in the form of another moral but potentially murderous dilemma in the present… [Cover]

 “A year of watching wildlife” by David Lucas

Every week of the year, something astounding happens in the animal kingdom. A million wildebeest trek 800km across the Serengeti; killer whales surf Argentinean beaches; lizards fly like paper planes in the jungles of Borneo; 10 million puffins descend on Iceland; and the world’s biggest feeding frenzy takes place off the coast of South Africa. A Year of Watching Wildlife shows you where, when and how to take part in the natural world’s greatest happenings. It’s the ideal planning tool for adventurers, photographers and animal lovers. Be inspired and go wild! [Cover]

 “Best friends forever” by Jennifer Weiner

Addie Downs and Valerie Adler will be best friends forever. That’s what Addie believes after Valerie moves across the street when they’re both nine years old. But in the wake of betrayal during their teenage years, Val is swept into the popular crowd, while mousy, sullen Addie becomes her school’s scapegoat. Flash-forward fifteen years. Valerie Adler has found a measure of fame and fortune working as the weathergirl at the local TV station. Addie Downs lives alone in her parents’ house in their small hometown of Pleasant Ridge, Illinois, caring for a troubled brother and trying to meet Prince Charming on the Internet. She’s just returned from Bad Date #6 when she opens her door to find her long-gone best friend standing there, a terrified look on her face and blood on the sleeve of her coat. “Something horrible has happened,” Val tells Addie, “and you’re the only one who can help.” Best Friends Forever is a grand, hilarious, edge-of-your-seat adventure; a story about betrayal and loyalty, family history and small-town secrets. It’s about living through tragedy, finding love where you least expect it, and the ties that keep best friends together. [Cover]

 “Home made” compiled by Kim Knight

It seems that most households have at least one favourite recipe or dish, memorable often not for its culinary sophistication, but for the rich associations between the food and the lives of those who prepared it. The pavlova that Mum sat on. The roast lamb named after the dog that ate it while it cooled on the kitchen bench. The boiled condensed milk mayonnaise the widower cooked faithfully to his late wife’s hand-printed instructions. Indeed, we New Zealanders care about food, not just to nourish us, but to remind us of our history; of our place in a particular time. When the Sunday Star-Times asked New Zealanders to hunt out their old recipe books and share their family food memories, it opened a floodgate. Almost 100 readers took the time to respond, and what wonderful stories they had to share. It soon became clear that the Home Made series deserved to be captured in book form. This was further confirmed by the series winning a Qantas Media Award this year. This beautifully packaged collection of New Zealanders’ family recipes and the stories behind them – many of which have been passed down through multiple generations – will simultaneously warm your heart and satisfy your taste buds. [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 10 Sep – 17 Sep

 ”The murder of King Tut” by James Patterson & Martin Dugard

Since 1922, when Howard Carter discovered Tut’s 3,000-year-old tomb, most Egyptologists have presumed that the young king died of disease, or perhaps an accident, such as a chariot fall. But what if his fate was actually much more sinister? Now, in “The Murder of King Tut”, James Patterson and Martin Dugard chronicle their epic quest to find out what happened to the boy-king. The result is a true crime tale of intrigue, betrayal, and usurpation that presents a compelling case that King Tut’s death was anything but natural. [Cover]

 “The crowning glory of Calla Lily Ponder” by Rebecca Wells

In the small river town of La Luna, Louisiana, Calla Lily Ponder enjoys a blissful childhood at her mother’s side, learns the art of healing through the humble womanly art of “fixing hair,” and encounters first love with a boy named Tuck. When Tuck leaves her, Calla transforms her sorrow into inspiration and heads for the wild and colorful city of New Orleans–where she realizes the full power of her “healing hands” and Tuck presents her with an offer that is colored by the memories of lost love. [Cover]

 “After the panic” by Gareth Morgan

Outlines the problems with the products that have collapsed; talks about why the savings and investment sector is still structurally sick; and discussed how best to navigate investing now. This is a must-have book for anyone with super, Kiwisaver or investments of any kind. [Cover]

 “Who dares wins” by Chris Ryan

Two brothers, one mission, SAS through and through. When Jacob is booted from the Regiment for one moment of madness he disappears. Not even his family knows where he is or if he is alive. All this is about to change. Sam is ordered to conduct a dangerous mission which leads him to a choice between his unit and his brother. [Cover]

  ”Kill Khalid” by Paul McGeough

Kill Khalid unveils one of the most bizarre assassination attempts in the last quarter century and ultimately follows its participants as they grapple with the unforeseen outcome of this drama. In a headlong narrative – with high-speed car chases, negotiated prisoner exchanges, and an international scandal that threatened to destabilise the entire region – acclaimed reporter Paul McGeough uses unprecedented extensive interviews with Khalid Mishal himself and the key players in Amman, Jerusalem and Washington, to tell the definitive, inside story of the rise of Hamas, in whose hands the future of the Israel-Palestine conflict now firmly rests. [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 3 Sep – 10 Sep

  ”Walking in light” by Kelvin Cruickshank

A powerful and compelling autobiography of Kelvin Cruickshank, psychic medium on the acclaimed TV2 series Sensing Murder. As a child, Kelvin saw, heard and felt spirits, but had no idea what it all meant. He believed everybody could see and talk to ghosts. ‘Walking in Light’ shares Kelvin’s memories of his earliest psychic experiences and his struggle to accept his gift. Nine years ago, after a complete breakdown, Kelvin finally acknowledged who he was and accepted his gift. With this, his life completely changed. From his early days growing up in an isolated rural environment to travelling the world as an acclaimed psychic investigator, Kelvin’s life story is amazing, inspirational and, at times heart-breaking. Kelvin gives an insight into the process of accessing the spirit world and answers some of the questions that he gets regularly asked at his events, shows and readings. [Cover]

 “Treasures from the Hocken collection”

In 1907 Dr T.M. Hocken of Dunedin – historian, bibliographer and collector – undertook to gift to the University of Otago his magnificent collection of books, manuscripts, paintings and other historical documents relating to New Zealand and the Pacific. Published to celebrate the centenary of the Hocken Collections’ Deed of Trust, this book documents almost 200 items, dating from the seventeenth century to the present day, photographed by Bill Nichol. These include historical and modern paintings, photographs and drawings, maps and plans, books, newspapers and posters, sheet music, sound recordings, and early New Zealand manuscripts. Many items relate to Maori history. Including introductory essays on Dr Hocken and the development of the collections, the book stands as a tribute to the generosity of the Hocken Collections’ many benefactors. This book will be both a surprise and a delight to all readers. [Cover]

 “Charles Kingsford Smith and those magnificent men” by Peter FitzSimons 

Known to millions simply as ‘Smithy’, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was one of Australia’s true twentieth-century legends. In an era in which aviators were superstars, Smithy was among the greatest and, throughout his amazing career, his fame in Australia was matched only by that of Don Bradman. Among other achievements, Kingsford Smith was the first person to fly across the Pacific, he broke the record for the fastest flight from England to Australia, and at one point he held more long-distance flying records than anyone else on the planet. If that wasn’t enough, Smithy was also a war hero, receiving the Military Cross for gallantry in action after being shot – and losing three toes during one of many flying missions during World War I. Smithy was not the lone adventurer of the skies. Early aviation drew to it a company of daredevils who all challenged gravity and fear. This comprehensive biography, written with typical flair by Peter FitzSimons, covers the triumphs and tragedies of not only Kingsford Smith’s daring and controversial life but also those of his companion aviators. [Cover]

 “The Entity : five centuries of secret Vatican espionage” by Eric Frattini

For five centuries, the Vatican—the oldest organization in the world, maker of kings and shaper of history—has used a secret spy service, called the Holy Alliance, or later, the Entity, to carry out its will. Forty popes have relied on it to carry out their policies. They have played a hitherto invisible role confronting de-Christianizations and schisms, revolutions and dictators, colonizations and expulsions, persecutions and attacks, civil wars and world wars, assassinations and kidnappings. For the first time in English (following the bestselling Spanish and French editions), Eric Frattini tells the comprehensive tale of this sacred secret service. The Entity has been involved in the killings of monarchs, poisonings of diplomats, financing of South American dictators, protection of war criminals, laundering of Mafia money, manipulation of financial markets, provocation of bank failures, and financing of arms sales to combatants even as their wars were condemned, all in the name of God. The contradiction between God’s justice and Earth’s justice, Christian beliefs and Christian power all fall before the motto of the Entity: With the Cross and the Sword. [Cover]

  “What really sank the Titanic : new forensic discoveries” by Jennifer Hooper McCarty

On the starry night of April 14, 1912, at the dawn of a century charged with human ingenuity and hope, the largest and most advanced passenger ship in the world struck an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the frigid North Atlantic. In the decades that followed, despite numerous official inquiries and the eventual discovery of the wreck itself, key questions have gone unanswered: Why did the double-bottomed, 46,000-ton RMS Titanic, built above and beyond the most exacting specifications, sink in less than three hours? Was the iceberg alone responsible for the tragedy? Or did other factors contribute to the collision’s deadly toll? A conclusive explanation has not been given-until now. With the same methodology used by forensic scientists in crime-scene investigations, researchers Jennifer Hooper McCarty and Tim Foecke applied new tools to the century-old mystery. By analyzing step by step how the ship was designed and constructed, what vulnerabilities were overlooked, and how this marvel of modern engineering may have been a disaster waiting to happen, they build a compelling new scenario. Grippingly written, What Really Sank the Titanic is illustrated with fascinating period photographs and modern scientific evidence. It includes little-known Titanic facts and lore, colorful portraits of the ship’s designers, builders, and crew, eyewitness accounts, and a dramatic timeline of the ship’s last hours. In an age when forensics can catch killers, this book does what no other book has before: fingers the culprit in one of the greatest tragedies ever. [Cover]   

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

 Avril