New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 26 Nov – 3 Dec

 “Wrap,stitch,fold and rivet” by Mary Hettmansperger

Making gorgeous handcrafted jewellery can be a simple process that even beginners will quickly master. This book features 20 projects – including a twisted wire choker, bangle bracelet, bead pod pin and mixed metal earrings – that are created by wrapping, stitching and folding metal, and by making cold connections with basic screws, and bolts. [Cover]

 “Her fearful symmetry” by Audrey Niffenegger 

When Elspeth Noblin dies, she leaves everything to the 20-year-old American twin daughters of her own long-estranged twin, Edie. Valentina and Julia, as enmeshed as Elspeth and Edie once were, move into Elspeth’s London flat and through a series of developing relationships a crisis develops that could pull the twins apart. [Cover]

 “Looking for answers : a life of Elsie Locke” by Maureen Birchfield

“Looking for Answers: A life of Elsie Locke” is a compelling biography of a writer and activist who campaigned for birth control, women’s rights, nuclear disarmament, social justice and the environment long before such causes were popular. She wrote almost 40 books, including historical novels for children and social histories of New Zealand, plus numerous articles and School Journal stories. She won many awards for her writing over the years and in 1987 the University of Canterbury awarded Locke an Honorary Doctorate of Literature for her work in children’s literature and history. Biographer Maureen Birchfield said she was invited to write the book by the Locke family because of the family connection through her parents, Connie and Albert Birchfield, who were friends and fellow members of the Communist Party from the 1930s to mid-1950s. She said she accepted because of her “conviction that this was a very important life story that needed to be written”. [Cover]

 “A week in December” by Sebastian Faulks

London, the week before Christmas, 2007. Over seven days, we follow the lives of seven major characters: a hedge fund manager trying to bring off the biggest trade of his career; a professional footballer recently arrived from Poland; a young lawyer with little work and too much time to speculate; a student who has been led astray by Islamist theory; a hack book-reviewer; a schoolboy hooked on skunk and reality TV; and a Tube train driver whose Circle Line train joins these and countless other lives together in a daily loop. With daring skill, the novel pieces together the complex patterns and crossings of modern urban life. Greed, the dehumanising effects of the electronic age and the fragmentation of society are some of the themes dealt with in this savagely humorous book. The writing on the wall appears in letters ten feet high, but the characters refuse to see it – and party on as though tomorrow is a dream. Sebastian Faulks probes not only the self-deceptions of this intensely realised group of people, but their hopes and loves as well. As the novel moves to its gripping climax, they are forced, one by one, to confront the true nature of the world they inhabit. [Cover]

 “Cooking times” by Kate Fraser

In a salute to our love affair with nostalgia, award-winning food writer Kate Fraser has compiled a beguiling collection of recipes and anecdotes from the kitchens of a series of fictitious characters. Between them, these engaging men and women provide a fascinating retrospective of our culinary traditions. While they are fictitious, the recipes come from the author’s family collection, updated to include modern ingredients, equipment and techniques. Together they represent a culinary journey from the 1930s to the present day, as we learn about hard times in the 1930s with Ettie, growing up in a 1940s village with Janet, see retirement through the eyes of May in the 1950s and Rosemary grow up, and in the 1960s see Marion through her first dinner party and Dot raise a few eyebrows. We turn vegetarian with Peter and Roz in the 1970s, then open a cordon bleu café in the 1980s with Barbara. William is a popular television chef in the 1990s, and we come full circle with Ellie and Carrie who encounters the Slow Food Movement in 2008. While each is enchanting in its own right, together they present a tasty overview of the development of our national food culture, by a talented and highly respected food writer. [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 19 Nov – 26 Nov

 

  ”Shabby chic interiors” by Rachel Ashwell

Rachel Ashwell created Shabby Chic: a peaceful, practical way of living that embraces a respect for the things in our lives we hold dear and keeps them at the heart of our homes. Romantic florals reclining against pure white linen, ruffles of muslin skirting a bed base against bleached floorboards, the deep comfort of a simple nest of fluffy towels – This is Rachel Ashwell’s signature style that for the past 20 years has been a major influence in our modern lives. “Shabby Chic Interiors – My Rooms, Treasures and Trinkets”, an eclectic book of quirky inspiration, falls into chapters according to location, and begins with Rachel’s breathtaking Los Angeles residence. Next, we wander into a photographer’s minimalist mountain-top home in the Hollywood hills before heading to the coast and a beautiful Malibu beach cottage. A truly bohemian hideout in southern California is next on the journey, followed by a peek at celebrity homes, including the house that once belonged to Marilyn Monroe. With rooms combining flea-market finds and objects of pure functionality – an elegant French mirror reflecting a painting, a bejewelled metallic candle holder sitting by a cluster of willow-patterned china, a single faded velvet pillow lounging under the twinkle of a vintage chandelier – this book celebrates all that is wonderfully Shabby Chic. [Cover]

 ”Remarkable creatures” by Tracy Chevalier

In the year of the 150th anniversary of Origin of Species, set in a town where Jane Austen was a frequent visitor, Tracy Chevalier once again shows her uncanny sense for the topical. In the early nineteenth century, a windswept beach along the English coast brims with fossils for those with the eye! From the moment she’s struck by lightning as a baby, it is clear Mary Anning is marked for greatness. When she uncovers unknown dinosaur fossils in the cliffs near her home, she sets the scientific world alight, challenging ideas about the world’s creation and stimulating debate over our origins. In an arena dominated by men, however, Mary is soon reduced to a serving role, facing prejudice from the academic community, vicious gossip from neighbours, and the heartbreak of forbidden love. Even nature is a threat, throwing bitter cold, storms, and landslips at her. Luckily Mary finds an unlikely champion in prickly, intelligent Elizabeth Philpot, a middle-class spinster who is also fossil-obsessed. Their relationship strikes a delicate balance between fierce loyalty and barely suppressed envy. Despite their differences in age and background, Mary and Elizabeth discover that, in struggling for recognition, friendship is their strongest weapon. Remarkable Creatures is Tracy Chevalier’s stunning new novel of how one woman’s gift transcends class and gender to lead to some of the most important discoveries of the nineteenth century. Above all, it is a revealing portrait of the intricate and resilient nature of female friendship. [Cover]

 “The Pavlova story” by Helen May Keedwell Leach

While Australians and New Zealanders have long debated which country invented the pavlova (a large meringue dessert cake said to emulate the lightness of the famous ballerina, Anna Pavlova), the real story of the ballerina’s visit to the Antipodes and the emergence of three different pavlovas was neglected. The contributions of a gelatine manufacturer, a Dunedin spinster, and numerous other New Zealand housewives are all revealed in this fascinating contribution to food history. The book shows the evolution of the three pavlova types, that their recipes have never been set in stone, and that creative and innovative cooks have played the most important roles in transforming a fashionable afternoon tea cake into an iconic dessert. [Cover]

 “The lost art of gratitude” by Alexander McCall Smith

Isabel Dalhousie, philosopher and amateur solver of other people’s problems, meets an old foe, Minty Auchterlonie, at a birthday party attended by their young children. Ambitious Minty, now the head of a small investment bank, is in trouble with her shareholders. Isabel becomes involved, and is drawn into a murky world of financial concealment. Minty is not the only high-flier in Isabel’s life; her niece Cat has just become engaged to a tightrope-walking stuntman. Isabel fears his next job – and the engagement – could end in disaster. Meanwhile, her own boyfriend Jamie has marriage in mind too. [Cover]

 “Landscaping with fruit” by Lee Reich

Fruit trees, shrubs, and vines are true two-for-one plants. Many varieties are strikingly beautiful — well suited to doing double duty as delicious sources of sweet, organic fruit and as ornamental additions to the home landscape. Backyard fruit plants also tie in perfectly with the growing locavore movement. It’s difficult to find food that’s more local than one’s own backyard!”Luscious landscaping,” as author Lee Reich calls it, takes fruit-bearing plants off the commercial farm and replants the prettiest and tastiest specimens in suburban and rural yards. Spring blossoms, summer and fall fruit, and the year-round presence of the plants themselves bring a special magic to the home landscape. Pillowy pink blossoms on peach branches or the bright orange fruit of persimmon trees perk up their surroundings with color and drama. Beautiful plants, yes, but these landscaping additions also provide sweet, nutritious fruit. Homegrown, organic varieties bear almost no resemblance to commercially produced fruits,which are bred and selected to withstand shipping and refrigerated storage conditions. It’s hard to believe that Alpine strawberries and those grown in California and shipped across the country are even related! Fruitscaping is a complete, no-nonsense guide to growing temperate-zone fruit, with information on everything from planting and pruning to pest control and harvesting. Readers will find all the basics of landscaping with fruit — site analysis, climate assessment, understanding soil and sun, plant selection, and optimizing growing conditions. An encyclopedia of 38 plants includes information for each entry on hardiness, size, potential pests, special care and pruning, harvesting, and visual appeal. [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 12 Nov – 19 Nov

 ”Rifling through my drawers” by Clarissa Dickson Wright 

Bestselling author of “Spilling the beans” and champion of the countryside brings us her outspoken views, encounters and stories from her life as she travels around the heart of Britain. With her inimitable wit and outspoken views, Clarissa Dickson Wright opens her diary and takes us on a journey around Britain with this unrivalled collection of stories and anecdotes from her ever-eventful life. As celebrated cook and champion of the countryside, Clarissa’s year includes being propositioned by a burly greyhound courser, meeting the Chairman of the Sandringham branch of the WI, a fishing terrier called Kipper and taking on the Health & Safety officials at a rain-drenched County Show. Criss-crossing the country she introduces us to long-forgotten traditions and colourful local festivals as she meets up with extraordinary characters and friends old and new. Entertaining, poignant, but never politically correct, Rifling through my drawers is a breath of fresh air and proves once again why Clarissa is one of the nation’s true treasures. [Cover]

 “An echo in the bone” by Diana Gabaldon 

As battle-scarred Jamie Fraser and his twentieth-century time-travelling wife Claire Randall flee from North Carolina to the high seas during the American Revolution, they encounter privateers and ocean battles. Meanwhile in the relative safety of the 20th century Brianna (Claire and Jamie’s daughter) and Roger MacKenzie, Brianna’s husband, search for clues not only to Claire’s fate–but to their own fate in the Highlands. [Cover]

 “More peas please” by Kate Di Prima 

Do you dream of enjoyable mealtimes with children who are adventurous about trying a variety of foods? If so, More Peas Please is the perfect book for you, providing a wealth of nutritious solutions for fussy eaters.
The number of children with feeding problems, food fussiness or food group avoidance who are seeing health professionals has doubled in the last two years. Apart from a dislike of certain foods and an aversion to trying new things, some children refuse to eat ‘lumpy’ or ’slimy’ foods. Not many people know there’s a strong relationship between learning to chew and swallow and learning to talk. Likewise, there is a little-known connection between poor appetite, fussy eating habits and constipation. More Peas Please is the first book in Australia to provide an across-the-board guide to helping children learn to happily eat a variety of healthy foods. It examines the importance of feeding kids a balanced diet, helping them overcome negative responses to certain foods, and the significance of early feeding experiences on speech development. It also contains loads of easy, fuss-free recipes for delicious, family-friendly meals. [Cover]

 “The cattleman’s daughter’ by Rachael Treasure 

Born and raised on the rugged Dargo High Plains cattleman’s daughter, Emily Flanagan has lost her way in life. Locked in an unhappy marriage in the suburbs and with her heritage under threat as cattlemen are to be evicted from the mountains, Emily must return to the high country with her daughters to heal herself and seek a way forward in life. [Cover] 

 “Pattern, colour & form” by Carolyn Genders

This highly visual book is an exploration of creativity and ideas, using ‘pattern, colour and form’ as the key areas to explore and develop. The author shows how artists, designers and craftspeople find inspiration from a variety of source material, and how they translate that material into original and highly individual work. The book explores the wide range of ideas and approaches that people have, and how they then apply this to pattern, colour and form. Through interviews and analysis of work from a broad range of craft disciplines, the book discusses creativity in general, the development of ideas, and creators’ use of source material to produce work of vision and presence that is a coherent whole. The book is also a treasure trove of inspiring images that readers can use as a starting point for their own work. [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 5 Nov – 12 Nov

  ”Pixarpedia” by Barbara Balzaldua

Pixar are the animation giants behind incredible movies including Toy Story, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Wall.E and Up. Go behind-the-scenes and find out all there is to know about this extraordinary company. Learn about the fascinating rise of Pixar, from their history and creative talent to the secrets behind their unique movie-making process. From Woody to Lightening McQueen, discover little-known facts and trivia about the characters from all their major and short films. Plus, pick up inside knowledge from ‘which fishy character pops up in Monsters Inc’ to ‘why the number A113 appears in all Pixar films’. Packed with timelines, fantastic -pictures and movie-stills, this is an essential guide to the ultimate movie-making machine. [Cover]

 ”Jasper Jones” by Craig Silvey

Late on a hot summer night in 1965, Charlie Bucktin, a precocious and bookish boy of thirteen, is startled by an urgent knock on the window of his sleep-out. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in the regional mining town of Corrigan. Rebellious, mixed-race and solitary, Jasper is a distant figure of danger and intrigue for Charlie. So when Jasper begs for his help, Charlie eagerly steals into the night by his side, terribly afraid but desperate to impress. Jasper takes him to his secret glade in the bush, and it’s here that Charlie bears witness to Jasper’s horrible discovery. With his secret like a brick in his belly, Charlie is pushed and pulled by a town closing in on itself in fear and suspicion as he locks horns with his tempestuous mother; falls nervously in love and battles to keep a lid on his zealous best friend, Jeffrey Lu. And in vainly attempting to restore the parts that have been shaken loose, Charlie learns to discern the truth from the myth, and why white lies creep like a curse. In the simmering summer where everything changes, Charlie learns why the truth of things is so hard to know, and even harder to hold in his heart. [Cover]

 “NZSAS : The first fifty years” by R.D.Crosby

NZSAS: The First Fifty Years is the first and only official history of New Zealand’s elite Special Forces, the New Zealand Special Air Service (NZSAS). From their first ever engagements in the jungles of Malaya in 1956, through to the Vietnam War and on to modern conflicts in East Timor and Afghanistan, this book traces the history and development of 1 NZSAS Group. Illustrated with maps and never-before-seen photographs, the book provides a rare and fascinating insight into the clandestine world of the NZSAS. [Cover]

 “The monster in the box” by Ruth Rendell

‘He had never told anyone. The strange relationship, if it could be called that, had gone on for years, decades, and he had never breathed a word about it. He had kept silent because he knew no one would believe him. None of it could be proved, not the stalking, not the stares or the conspiratorial smiles, not the killings, not any of the signs Targo had made because he knew Wexford knew and could do nothing about it’. Wexford had almost made up his mind that he would never again set eyes on Eric Targo’s short, muscular figure. And yet there he was, back in Kingsmarkham, still with that cocky, strutting walk. Years earlier, when Wexford was a young police officer, a woman called Elsie Carroll had been found strangled in her bedroom. Although many still had their suspicions that her husband was guilty, no one was convicted. Another woman was strangled shortly afterwards, and every personal and professional instinct told Wexford that the killer was still at large. And it was Eric Targo. A psychopath who would kill again…As the Chief Inspector investigates a new case, Ruth Rendell looks back to the beginning of Wexford’s career, even to his courtship of the woman who would become his wife. The past is a haunted place, with clues and passions that leave an indelible imprint on the here and now. [Cover]

“Jamie’s America” by Jamie Oliver 

Jamie will try real American food and meet the most interesting cooks and producers that this vast country has to offer. His epic journey will take him to the heart of America: its people, culture, music and, most importantly, its food. Along the way Jamie will be getting his hands dirty – meeting hunters, cowboys, fishermen and local producers – as he finds out about the best (and strangest) ingredients on offer. He won’t just be sampling, he’ll be getting involved: entering a gumbo ‘throw-down’ in Louisiana, fishing in California and sampling bison in Montana as he joins life on a ranch. As well as being a visually stunning journey, “Jamie’s America” is a practical cookbook, with each chapter focusing on the food and recipes of a different state. And the food will be as varied as the landscapes – from spicy Mexican in the desert to freshly caught Alaskan salmon. With 120 brand new recipes, and Jamie’s diary narrative running alongside, this will be a celebratory cookbook of a country with a wide food heritage. [Cover] 

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

 Avril