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

New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 22 Oct – 29 Oct

  ”Mucking in: the gardens and the gardeners”  by Jim Mora

‘Hi, it’s Jim Mora from Mucking In and we’d love to give you a new garden…’ For nearly 10 years, New Zealanders have been thanking those amazing individuals with the biggest hearts, the most generous natures, and (often) the most neglected gardens, by nominating them for Television One’s premier garden makeover show, Mucking In. And for nearly 10 years Jim and the team, which now includes garden designer Tony Murrell, have been working with communities throughout New Zealand to surprise, amaze and delight viewers and garden recipients alike, as friends, colleagues and neighbours come together to show how much these unsung heroes are cherished and appreciated. To celebrate, Jim and Tony share a selection of highlights, garden designs and tips from the last three series, including some of the behind-the-scenes magic that has transformed gardens for the people who transform others’ lives. [Cover]

 “That old cape magic” by Richard Russo

That Old Cape Magic is a novel of deep introspection and every family feeling imaginable, with a middle-aged man confronting his parents and their failed marriage, his own troubled one, his daughter’s new life and, finally, what it was he thought he wanted and what in fact he has. The storytelling is flawless throughout, moments of great comedy and even hilarity alternating with others of rueful understanding and heart-stopping sadness, and its ending is at once surprising, uplifting and unlike anything this Pulitzer Prize winner has ever written. [Cover]

“From image to stitch” by Maggie Grey

Written especially for those with limited art training and drawing skills, this is a book on designing for textiles. It takes a range of techniques – that don’t include drawing – for design development, such as using computers (quite simple programs), digital cameras and images, photocopiers, tracing paper and copyright-free design books. [Cover]

 “The rapture” by Liz Jensen 

In a merciless summer of biblical heat and destructive winds, Gabrielle Fox’s main concern is a personal one: to rebuild her career as a psychologist after a shattering car accident. But when she is assigned Bethany Krall, one of the most dangerous teenagers in the country, she begins to fear she has made a terrible mistake. Raised on a diet of evangelistic hellfire, Bethany is violent, delusional, cruelly intuitive and insistent that she can foresee natural disasters – a claim which Gabrielle interprets as a symptom of doomsday delusion. But when catastrophes begin to occur on the very dates Bethany has predicted, and a brilliant, gentle physicist enters the equation, the apocalyptic puzzle intensifies and the stakes multiply. Is the self-proclaimed Nostradamus of the psych ward the ultimate manipulator, or could she be the harbinger of imminent global cataclysm on a scale never seen before? And what can love mean in ‘interesting times’? A haunting story of human passion and burning faith set against an adventure of tectonic proportions, The Rapture is an electrifying psychological thriller that explores the dark extremes of mankind’s self-destruction in a world on the brink. [Cover]

  ”The Colony : A history of early Sydney” by Grace Karskens

The Colony is the story of the marvellously contrary, endlessly energetic early years of Sydney. It is an intimate account of the transformation of a campsite in a beautiful cove to the town that later became Australia’s largest and best-known city.
From the sparkling beaches to the foothills of the Blue Mountains, Grace Karskens skilfully reveals how landscape shaped the lives of the original Aboriginal inhabitants and newcomers alike. She traces the ways in which relationships between the colonial authorities and ordinary men and women broke with old patterns, and the ways that settler and Aboriginal histories became entwined. She uncovers the ties between the burgeoning township and its rural hinterland expanding along the river systems of the Cumberland Plain. This is a landmark account of the birthplace of modern Australia, and a fascinating and richly textured narrative of people and place. [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 15 Oct – 22 Oct

 ”Whitebaiters never lie” by Anita Peters & Murray Hedwig

This book documents and celebrates the characters who catch that most-prized Kiwi food – the whitebait. Whitebaiters are a breed apart and photographers Anita Peters and Murray Hedwig have spent over three years travelling the country talking to and photographing New Zealanders about their passion, and documenting the, at times, complex unwritten ‘rules’ that surround it. [Cover]

 “Legendary gems” by Eric Bruton

Gems still exert a powerful influence on the modern world, enlightened though it is said to be: once poverty-stricken, Botswana has recently found sudden wealth under the desert sands, where diamonds have been hiding for a hundred million years. In the Congo, Zaire, and Angola, civil war in our times has been inspired partly by mineral riches. And the rivalry of East and West over the African continent is concerned almost entirely with natural resources.This absorbing and often astonishing history of legendary gems is told with style and wit by expert gemmologist Eric Bruton. Amid legends and intrigue are hard facts about gems – classification, valuation and engraving. Prospecting and mining details, plus the inside (and sometimes sordid) stories of how enormous stones were cut and dispersed in great secrecy, make this book a ‘must’ read for the gemmologist and jeweller. [Cover]

 ”Twisting throttle America” by Mike Hyde

Mike Hyde’s goal was a motorcycle trip – 50 states in America in 60 days, and Twisting Throttle America is the result. This is a classic roadside tale of an ordinary Kiwi bloke doing it alone, on the smell of an oily rag and cholesterol pills.
At Buffalo Bill’s there was all manner of grilled and fried food, and this motorcycling connoisseur had a hard job choosing his burger. I decided to make the meal educational. Many will be wondering about the difference between buffalo and bison. Are they the same animal? The answer is a resounding no! Bison comes with a pickle, lettuce, melted cheese and shoestring fries. With buffalo, you get red onion, no cheese and curly fries. It’s good to be able to clear that up. No sooner had the ointment started to work after Mike Hyde’s 17,000-kilometre motorcycle circumnavigation of Australia than his mid-life itch returned. This time his goal was 50 states in America in 60 days, and Twisting Throttle America is the result – classic roadside tales of an ordinary Kiwi bloke doing it alone, on the smell of an oily rag and cholesterol pills. The Land of the Free is also the Land of the Bizarre Roadside Attraction, and, if Bill Bryson was a middle-aged Kiwi biker on a budget, he might have written this book. Come on a road trip with Twisting Throttle – he’s funny, irreverent and definitely not taking himself seriously. Thrill to close encounters with American wildlife, join his fantasy ride around Washington with Motorcycle One, share the excitement and wet underwear of out-running Hurricane Ike, and enjoy his unforgettable attempts to understand diner waitresses. [Cover]

 “Into the light” by David Eggleton

Into the Light is a serious, but readable history of photography in New Zealand. It provides a comprehensive survey of New Zealand’s most significant photographers and is aimed at a general audience. The photographers featured include early colonial professionals such as the Burton Brothers, George Valentine, and William and Fred Tyree, along with those documenting New Zealand’s burgeoning identity in the Twentieth Century, such as John Pascoe during World War II and the gritty, authentic photography of Les Cleveland. Current senior practioners, such as Marti Friedlander, Peter Peryer, Ans Westra, Anne Noble and Laurence Aberhart all are represented, along with more contemporary practitioners such as Fiona Pardington, Gavin Hipkins and Yvonne Todd. [Cover]

 ”Wildlife of Australia” by Louise Egerton

A magnificently illustrated, authoritative and entertaining compendium of the abundant and unique animals that live on the Australian continent today. There is nothing to beat the extraordinary wildlife of Australia. Its colourful parrots, its venomous snakes, its abundance of hopping marsupials and the strange, egg-laying Platypus – these are just a few of the players in a story that began hundreds of millions of year ago. Many members of Australia’s wildlife live nowhere else on Earth. They are unique, the result of evolution on a continent that has been geographically isolated from the rest of the world for 38 million years. Wildlife of Australia is an account of how these animals have developed in response to changing climates and habitats. It describes their day-to-day habits, where they live, how they find partners and care for their young, and how they protect themselves and find food and shelter. Superbly illustrated with over 550 colour photographs by renowned wildlife photographer Jiri Lochman, the book also contains a list of scientific names, good zoos and wildlife parks, useful websites and books, and a comprehensive glossary. Wildlife of Australia reveals the fascinating worlds of the animals that live all around us on this ancient land but remain largely unnoticed. [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 8 Oct – 15 Oct

 “Practical smallfarming in New Zealand”

This book is an indispensable reference tool for all smallfarmers in New Zealand. It is filled with practical advice on everything smallfarmers need to know – whether living on 10 acres or 100. Enjoying a relaxed rural lifestyle on a small farm is the dream of many New Zealanders. But running a few sheep and goats on even a modest block can be anything but relaxing if you don’t have the farming know-how or experience, and don’t recognise the many problems that can occur with livestock and plants. This book has all the answers. Specifically written for New Zealand conditions, it is filled with practical advice on everything smallfarmers need to know to make their dream a successful reality: How to manage and care for livestock, from sheep and horses to chooks and bees – How to manage pasture and trees – How to integrate the vegetable plot – How to site and build fences, drains, tracks and yards…and so much more! Clear, easily understood diagrams and photographs complement the informed, no-nonsense text, making this book an indispensable reference tool for all smallfarmers. [Cover]

 “The man in the shed : stories” by Lloyd Jones 

A boy watches his mother hooked and reeled ashore by a fisherman. A man builds a swing in the backyard to sit between his wife and her lover. A couple gives up their seat on a bus for lovers soon to be parted. A boy sees his mother come to life gliding on roller skates. Lloyd Jones’s The Man in the Shed is a haunting collection of stories about family and longing. Jones’s extraordinary tales take conventional family situations and tilts them sideways, delivering a memorable, beautiful blend of the suburban and the surreal. [Cover]

 “Divas and dictators” by Charlie Taylor

Supermarket tantrums? Insufferable car journeys? Sibling in-fighting? Bedtimes that last hours? Sound familiar? Behavioural expert Charlie Taylor has the answers in this practical handbook which is full of simple, effective techniques for improving your child’s behaviour. Focusing predominately on the under-fives, Charlie Taylor’s straight-talking, no-nonsense approach guides you away from knee-jerk parenting towards a more proactive and positive relationship with your child. With particular emphasis on the power of praise – the basis of his acclaimed 6:1 strategy – and planning in advance for behaviour hotspots, every parent can break the miserable pattern of constant confrontation and repetitive nagging. With the insights and methods of “Divas and Dictators”, including a handy Troubleshooter’s Guide, every household with young children can quickly transform from havoc to harmony. [Cover]

 ”Noah’s compass” by Anne Tyler 

A year in the life of Liam Pennywell who goes to bed one night and wakes in a hospital unable to remember how he got there and determined to fill in his memory gap. [Cover]

 “The Lassa ward” by Ross Donaldson

Ross Donaldson is one of just a few who have ventured into dark territory of a country ravaged by war to study one of the world’s most deadly diseases. As an untried medical student studying the intersection of global health and communicable disease, Donaldson soon found himself in dangerous Sierra Leone, on the border of war-struck Liberia, where he struggled to control the spread of Lassa Fever. The words, “you know Lassa can kill you, don’t you?” haunted him each day. With the country in complete upheaval and working conditions suffering, he is forced to make life-and-death decisions alone as a never-ending onslaught of contagious patients flood the hospital. Soon however, he is not only fighting for others but himself when he becomes afflicted with a life threatening disease. The Lassa Ward is more than just an adventure story about the making of a physician; it is a portrait of the Sierra Leone people and the human struggle of those risking their daily comforts and lives to aid them. [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 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