Posts filed under 'new books'
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 14 August - 21 August
“Up till now” by William Shatner
This is the long-awaited autobiography of one of the most beloved entertainers in the world. William Shatner gets the joke about William Shatner. In fact, most of the time he’s the one telling it. His self-effacing attitude, so perfectly parodied in the bombastic character he now plays on Boston Legal, Denny Crane, is one of the reasons for his huge popularity. While best known for his creation of Captain James T. Kirk, commander of the starship Enterprise on “Star Trek”, William Shatner has been a working actor for more than half a century. He has experienced all the ups (the awards and acclaim) and the downs (having to live for a time in the truck bed of his camper when he couldn’t get work) that are a part of the actor’s world. In “Up Till Now” he tells us about his remarkable life, from training as a Shakespearean actor under Sir Tyrone Guthrie to his time on Broadway, his movie career and, of course, his successful TV series. He also writes, with glee, about some of his less successful ventures, including “Incubus”, the only feature ever made entirely in Esperanto. As funny, charming and self-deprecating as the man himself, this book will delight his many fans of all ages. [Cover]
”Button! Button!” by Terry Taylor
With types to suit every style, buttons are becoming an obvious choice for embellishing home decor, decorating jewellery, and more. These 50 stylish and versatile projects require only a basic knowledge of gluing stitching and stringing and are great fun to make. Clean, contemporary photography showcases each project, whilst titbits on button museums, the self-proclaimed Button King, button lingo and more, are sure to keep crafters entertained. [Cover]
“The forgotten garden” by Kate Morton
A foundling, an old book of dark fairy tales, a secret garden, an aristocratic family, a love denied, a mystery - The Forgotten Garden is a captivating, atmospheric and compulsively readable story of the past, secrets, family and memory from the international best-selling author Kate Morton. Cassandra is lost, alone and grieving. Her much loved grandmother, Nell, has just died and Cassandra, her life already shaken by a tragic accident ten years ago, feels like she has lost everything dear to her. But an unexpected and mysterious bequest from Nell turns Cassandra’s life upside down and ends up challenging everything she thought she knew about herself and her family. Inheriting a book of dark and intriguing fairytales written by Eliza Makepeace, the Victorian authoress who disappeared mysteriously in the early twentieth century, Cassandra takes her courage in both hands to follow in the footsteps of Nell on a quest to find out the truth about their history, their family and their past; little knowing that in the process, she will also discover a new life for herself. [Cover]
“The ten best days of my life” by Adena Halpern
Alex Dorenfield is a 29-year-old personal shopper. She lives in LA and is worried that what she is doing with her life is slightly pointless. Or at least she did…until she was killed by a Mini Cooper while walking her dog, Peaches, at four in the morning. When Alex gets to heaven, she finds herself on the seventh plane…a place with no cellulite, walk-in closets, calorie-free ice-cream sundaes and a straight, single, hunky next-door neighbour. Sure, she misses her parents and is sad that she died so young but things aren’t too bad. In fact, she gets to see her grandparents again and catch up with the other people she loves who have died. Just when Alex thinks things are going to be fine, she finds out she has to earn her right to stay in this heaven…and that means finding ways to right some wrongs she left behind. [Cover]
“The everything guide to C.S. Lewis & Narnia” by Jon Kennedy M.A.
“The Everything Guide to C.S. Lewis and Narnia” will introduce readers to C. S. Lewis as a man of great imagination, great integrity, and great intellect. This straightforward guide provides readers with an introduction to the master storyteller, his life and times, and the world of Narnia. “The Everything Guide to C.S. Lewis and Narnia” is a valuable companion to the “Narnia” series, with an in-depth look at the following: Lewis’ early years and the loss of his mother; his time at boarding school and Oxford; early works; his journey to Christianity; the fantasy world of Narnia; and, finding, and losing, the love of his life. Lewis buffs will find that “The Everything Guide to C.S. Lewis and Narnia” is essential to understanding the man, the people of his life, his motivations and worldview. [Cover]
To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
Avril
Add comment August 14, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 7 August - 14 August
“Under an amber sky” by Pamela Evans
Nostalgia, heartbreak, danger and war: all the ingredients for a bestselling saga … During the Blitz of 1940 the Porter family is bombed and Nell Porter regains consciousness to find her parents dead, her home gone and her little sister Pansy in an orphanage. Helped by her mother’s friend Peg Mills, Nell eventually rescues Pansy and the girls are given a home with the Mills. Nell gets a job on a local newspaper as a shorthand typist and, because the men are away at the war, is promoted to the position of reporter. During her work she stumbles upon a world of crime running parallel with the patriotic selflessness of the majority of the population. When she falls for Gus Granger and subsequently discovers that he is a criminal and their relationship has all been based on lies, she is devastated and fears for her life… [Cover]
“A passion for Egypt” by Julie Hankey
The acclaimed life story of one of the greatest Egyptologists of the last century. Arthur Weigall was Chief Inspector of Antiquities in Upper Egypt in it’s remarkable Edwardian heyday : a time of spectacular discoveries - most notably the tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 - but also one of a glittering European society centred on Luxor. ’Julie Hankey has written a vivid and perceptive biography of her grandfather’. [Cover]
“Trappers, hunters ‘n’ co.” by Wayne Blake
An epic work of outdoors adventure, humour and recorded history from the days when deer cullers were bounty hunters, shooting for reward. The Forest Service was still pushing in back country huts to cater for them. It was a time when every man was his own boss. [Cover]
“A long long way” by Sebastian Barry
In 1914, Willie Dunne, barely eighteen years old, leaves behind Dublin, his family and the girl he plans to marry in order to enlist in the Allied forces and face the Germans on the Western Front. Once there he encounters violence on a scale he could not have imagined and sustains his spirit with only the words on the pages from home and the camaraderie of the mud-covered Irish boys who fight and die by his side. Dimly aware of the political tensions that have grown in Ireland in his absence, Willie returns on leave to find a world split and ravaged by forces closer to home. Despite the comfort he finds with his family, he knows that he must rejoin his regiment and fight until the end. Sebastian Barry renders Willie’s personal struggle as well as the overwhelming consequences of war. [Cover]
”Back & beyond : New Zealand painting for the young & curious” by Gregory O’Brien
Since Maori first painted moa and mythical birds on cave walls, artists in Aotearoa New Zealand have provided an imaginative, lively account of the lives we’ve been leading, the dreams we’ve been dreaming and the stories we’ve been telling. Alongside works painted during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this new book features art by a number of contemporary painters and printmakers, all of them seasoned travellers across time and space. Moa, angels, rugby players, insects and aunts, saws and mountains, the bush and the beaches all play starring roles in this bird’s-eye view of New Zealand painting. A follow-up to the hugely successful and prize-winning Welcome to the South Seas: Contemporary New Zealand Art for Young People, Back and Beyond offers more than forty full-colour plates that will dazzle and entrance the young and the curious and bring new life to the history of this country. [Cover]
To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
Avril
Add comment August 7, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 31 July - 7 Aug
“Growing great girls” by Ian & Mary Grant
After the huge success of Growing great boys, comes this companion title focusing on girls. Despite girls mostly getting great media these days many issues still remain to challenge them and their parents. This book will give support and advice to parents in the same way that Growing great boys has done. [Cover]
“My dad had one of those” by Giles Chapman and Richard Porter
Spanning the 1950s to the ’80s, this work celebrates the heyday of the Dad car. It features great Dad cars from much loved family workhorses like the Ford Cortina and Vauxhall Viva to the rakish excitement and playground kudos of the Rover 3500 and Citroen CX. [Cover]
“The household guide to dying” by Debra Adelaide
A brilliantly moving and darkly comic novel, which charts the attempts of dying heroine Delia - a modern day Mrs Beeton - to prepare her family for the future and lay to rest a ghost from her past. Inspired by her heroine, Isabella Beeton, Delia has made a living writing a series of hugely successful modern household guides, as well as an acerbic domestic advice column. As the book opens, she is not yet forty, but has only a short time to live. She is preoccupied with how to prepare herself and her family for death, from writing exhaustive lists to teaching her young daughters how to make a perfect cup of tea. What she needs, more than anything, is a manual - exactly the kind she is the expert at writing. Realising this could be her greatest achievement (for who could be better equipped to write The Household Guide to Dying?) she sets to work. But, in the writing, Delia is forced to confront the ghosts of her past, and the events of fourteen years previously. There is a journey she needs to make, back to the landscape of her past, and one last vital thing she needs to do. [Cover]
“Animation art” edited by Jerry Beck
Nearly a century before the ground-breaking phenomenon Toy Story, Little Nemo appeared in the New York Herald and ushered in a major new art form. The thrilling journey from such humble origins to the blockbuster movies of today’s CGI extravaganzas like Shrek had begun, capturing the imagination of successive generations and embracing the onslaught of an accelerated technological revolution. Covering every aspect of animation (from the movies to MTV) from every part of the world, Animation Art revels in the techniques, the stories, the technology and the personalities which have fashioned the development of this truly modern art form. The list of authors includes producers, animators, voice artists, animation magazine editors, writers, directors, importers, educationalists and enthusiasts. It includes the Head of Artistic Development at Dreamworks, a director/writer/producer for Disney, Warner and Nickelodeon, and one of the animators of the Sixties classic Yellow Submarine. [Cover]
“The whole truth” by David Baldacci
David Baldacci returns with a stand-alone, international thriller featuring all new characters. This terrifying global thriller delivers all the twists and turns, emotional drama, unforgettable characters and can’t-put-it-down pacing that Baldacci fans expect. [Cover]
To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
Add comment August 1, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 24 July - 31 July
“The world without us” by Alan Weisman
“A year in a bottle” by Sally Wise
“New Zealand filmakers” edited by Ian Conrich & Stuart Murray
Contains twenty in-depth studies of prominent New Zealand directors, producers, actors, and cinematographers. This book displays the diversity of filmmaking in New Zealand and highlights the specific industrial, aesthetic, and cultural concerns that have created a film culture of international significance. [Cover]
“You shut up! : re-defining teenager” by Eva MariaTo reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
Add comment July 24, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 17 July to 24 July
“Felted friends : 25 step-by-step projects to make and enjoy” by Sue Pearl
Soft, squishy felting fun will bring out the playful side of every crafter. Tactile and versatile, feltmaking is easy for the beginner and endlessly rewarding for the seasoned felter. Whether you’re wet-felting the basic body shapes for these irresistible animal projects, using needle-felting skills to add embellishments, or rolling small bits of roving into beaks and spikes, you’ll enjoy creating every critter in this lovable menagerie. [Cover]
“Bachelor boy : fifty years of Cliff in the words of those who have known him best” by Steve Turner
Cliff Richard has been Britain’s longest surviving and most consistent hit music maker. Starting his career as a rock ‘n’ roll threat to decent, upstanding citizens, he is now a friend to Royalty and prime ministers, a Knight and a holder of the OBE. This book tells his story through the voices of his friends, family and colleagues. [Cover]
“The enchanted” by Charlotte Bingham
When Kathleen finds a mare in foal, despite the fact that she and her father can barely afford to feed her, they take her in. Tragically the mare dies, leaving an orphan which they name The Enchanted. But even as he is growing up among Ireland’s lush pastures, Kathleen knows that they will eventually have to sell him, and with him will go her heart. [Cover]
“The book of origins” by Trevor Homer
Everything has an origin. This book is for people who want to know how, or when, things began, where they came from, why they started. Everyday items such as the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the films we watch, the medicines that cure us, the languages we use, all began somewhere (and the answers are often not what you expect). The Book of Origins celebrates the work of explorers, scientists and inventors… people who wanted to know how the world works and ended by discovering something no one had ever seen before. [Cover]
“The brutal art” by Jesse Kellerman
In a New York slum, an elderly tenant has mysteriously disappeared, leaving behind a huge collection of disturbing but brilliant paintings. For forty years he came and went in solitude, his genius undiscovered. For art dealer Ethan Muller, this is the discovery of a lifetime. He displays the pictures in his gallery and watches as they rocket up in value. But suddenly the police want to talk to him. It seems that the missing artist had a sinister past - and the drawings in Ethan’s gallery start to look less like art and more like evidence. A brilliant and thought-provoking thriller that flips between past and present. [Cover]
Add comment July 17, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 3 July - 10 July
”Where underpants come from” by Joe Bennett
When Joe Bennett bought a five-pack of ‘Made in China’ underpants in his local Christchurch hypermarket for $8.59, he wondered who on earth could be making any money, let alone profit, from the exchange. How many processes and middlemen are involved? Where and how are the pants made? And who decides on the absorbent qualities of the gusset? Where Underpants Come From tells you all you need to know -in fact, probably more - about this mystery of global commerce. Funny, wise and insightful, it is another wonderful journey from the bestselling author of A Land of Two Halves and Mustn’t Grumble. [Cover]
“Eggs : 150 great recipes” by Alex Barker
The definitive guide to identifying, preparing and cooking all types of eggs, including delicious dishes shown in more than 800 stunning step-by-step photographs to instruct and inspire. Includes failsafe techniques for boiling, poaching, frying, baking, scrambling and coddling and for making foolproof soufflés, omelettes, frittatas, sauces, pastries, roulades, meringues and batters. [Cover]
“Chosen by a horse” By Susan RichardsTo reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
When Susan Richard agrees to take on one of the abused horses just rescued by the local Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals a new chapter opens in her turbulent life. Caring for this trusting creature she begins a relationship that will change her view of the world. Susan Richards lost her mother at the age of five and was raised by uncaring relatives; married, unhappily divorced she had also become an alcoholic. At forty-three she found herself living with just horses for company. Beautifully-written poignant and often sharply funny this memoir is an inspiring must-read for anyone who ever loved a horse and anyone who has ever lost their lost their way in life. [Cover]
“The complete guide to decorating with ceramic tile” by Jerri Farris
Includes the basics and traditional techniques as well as fresh projects for revamping tile walls with designer accent tiles, dressing up drab surfaces with fresh decorative tile, creating wall art with mosaic tiles, designing with large or three-dimensional tiles, using tile to add an artistic element to any room, and working with specialty tile. [Cover]
“Anything goes” by Billy Hopkins
It’s December 1963 when Billy Hopkins and his wife Laura arrive home in Manchester after five years in Africa. The world has changed beyond recognition: it’s the swinging sixties, with headlines full of the Beatles and the pill, LSD and mini skirts. Billy’s youngest son still believes in Santa Claus and while his daughter’s reading Jackie, she’s not even a teenager yet, so Billy’s not too worried about the impact of modern society on his family. He’s more concerned about the welfare of his increasingly forgetful father and about the daily challenges he faces as a college lecturer. When the four junior Hopkins start to choose their own, unexpected paths in life, though, Billy finds it harder than usual to see the funny side of things… [Cover]
Avril
Add comment July 3, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 26 June - 3 July
“Careless in red” by Elizabeth George
Scotland Yard’s Thomas Lynley discovers the body of a young man who appears to have fallen to his death. The closest town, better known for its tourists and its surfing than its intrigue, seems an unlikely place for murder. However, it soon becomes apparent that a clever killer is indeed at work, and this time Lynley is not a detective but a witness and possibly a suspect. [Cover]
“Long cloud ride” by Josie Dew
The popular cyclist, Josie Dew, cycles round New Zealand and shares her unique and entertaining perspective of Kiwi Life in the perpetual adventure of her life on wheels. [Cover]
“Growing vegetables year-round” by Dennis Greville
Vegetable growing can be an extremely satisfying activity, and growing your own vegetables ensures that the produce you eat is chemical free, flavourful and fresh. This is a practical guide for anyone who wants to enjoy the simple pleasures of growing their own produce. [Cover]
“What a ride, mate!” by Peter Leitch
Peter Leitch, aka the mad Butcher, is a legend in his own lifetime - a larger than life character who left school at 15 and went on to build a nationwide chain of successful butchers shops and a reputation as a foul mouthed league supporter with a heart of gold. Behind the scenes he contributed time, money, energy and his heart and soul to countless charities and good causes, while in public he championed rugby league and his beloved Kiwis and Warriors through thick and thin. For the first time, he has allowed close friend Phil Gifford to write about what his friends have always known, the story of the private family man and grandfather who has embodied the Kiwi dream. In an era of corporate highfliers, business degrees and the old boys network, the working class boy from the Hutt Valley succeeded with hard work, a handshake and a belief that a man’s word was his bond. In a revealing glimpse into the private world of the Mad Butcher, Gifford reveals just what makes the Butcher tick and made him the King of the Sausage Sizzle and everybody’s mate. [Cover]
“Before your teenagers drive you crazy, read this!” by Nigel Latta
By popular demand, New Zealand’s most popular parenting writer has drawn on his extensive experience in family therapy and working with the country’s most difficult teenagers to write the book that will save the sanity of parents everywhere. Once you’ve negotiated the terrors of toddlerdom and the perils of primary school you think you’ve got a pretty good handle on this parenting thing - then along comes Mother Nature with her horrible hormones and suddenly you’re so far behind square one you’re starting to wonder if this raging bundle of contradictions screaming at you was switched in the night by evil aliens. With his now trademark humour and pragmatic common sense approach, Nigel debunks the politically correct nightmare of perfect parenting and argues for sanity first - yours - and reclaiming the ground parents have lost in the great “I’m my child’s best friend” debacle. [Cover]
To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
Avril
Add comment June 26, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 19 June - 26 June
“Sarah’s key” by Tatiana de Rosnay
Paris, July 1942. Sarah, a ten-year-old girl, is taken with her parents by the French police as they go door to door arresting Jewish families in the middle of the night. Desperate to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard - their secret hiding place - and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released. [Cover]
“The best of fathers” by Anne Baker
Childhood sweethearts Mary and Jonty have battled against the odds to be together. Forced to run away from home when Mary’s father disapproved of their relationship, they’ve managed to build a new life for themselves. And their happiness would be complete if they were blessed with a child. But tragically, it seems that’s not to be. Until one night when, in a violent storm, a yacht is dashed upon the rocks near their home. Mary and Jonty rush to the crew’s rescue and, amid terrible carnage, they save a baby. Although they know it is wrong, they keep the baby as their own. [Cover]
“You don’t need to smack” by Glen Stenhouse
This is a practical, encouraging guidebook for parents and caregivers who want to learn more about effective, non-violent ways of parenting children. From toddlers to teenagers, You Don’t Need to Smack offers workable solutions for dealing confidently with children’s difficult behaviour, and also suggests how to prevent problems from occurring in the first place. Glen Stenhouse, a well-known child psychologist, maintains that you don’t have to be an expert in order to be a good parent, but you do need to put simple, clear strategies in place in your home - and stick to them. Glen’s advice has been tried and tested in thousands of homes and has proven its worth. This is essential reading for all parents and caregivers. [Cover]
“Box frame magic” by Lizzie O’Prey
Discover the three-dimensional versatility of box frames, and create fantastic decorative displays for your own home and to give as gifts. Demonstrates in detail how to build box frames in several simple styles, then shows ways to customize them using stains, varnishes, paints, metal leaf and other materials. [Cover]
“Home truths” by Catriona MacLennan
Buying or selling a home can be very confusing. Even if you have been through the process many times before it is common to feel at the mercy of the so-called experts. Should you sell at auction? How effective are Open Homes? How easy is it to sell privately? Do you really need a LIM report before you buy? ‘Home Truths’ shows you how to ask the right questions, find the answers and regain confidence in your own decision-making abilities. [Cover]
To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
Avril
Add comment June 19, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 12 June - 19 June
“Been there, read that! Stories for the armchair traveller” edited by Jean Anderson
Been there, read that! : stories for the armchair traveller is a fascinating collection of short stories from around the world. Some of the authors are well known in their native language, others are relative newcomers; for many, this is the first time their work has appeared in English. In every case, the translators invite you to share the pleasures of their art: encountering a new voice, connecting with another culture, seeing the world through very different eyes. [Cover]
“New Zealand motorhome & camping atlas”
A complete guide to short term parking, camping grounds, caravan parks, rest areas and motorhome dump stations. Featuring over 1200 sites, scenic sites, pet friendly sites and author recommended sites. [Cover]
“The other queen” by Philippa Gregory
Stunning historical novel from the author of THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and THE BOLEYN INHERITANCE, in which Mary, Queen of Scots, is placed under house arrest with the newly-married Bess of Hardwick and the Earl of Shrewsbury, but fights to regain her kingdom and more. [Cover]
“Saltskin” by Louise Moulin
In the late eighteenth century, in a London basement, a gifted boy and his indifferent stepfather are commissioned to weave a tapestry of a famed mythical creature. After a crippling bereavement, and isolated in his grief, the child Angelo becomes perversely enraptured with the tapestry. His imaginings combine with his innocence to set him upon a quest that lures him far from civilisation, to the South Seas. In the present is Southlander Gilda Page, modern and pragmatic, who has decided love is for fools. But what is the secret of the family curse and of the dreams that plague her? Saltskin explores the nature of memory, love and madness, parting the veils of reality. Colourful, haunting and lively, this is a compelling first novel. [Cover]
“Bringing up baby” by Daisy Goodwin
If you are at risk of a guilt-induced nervous breakdown coping with the experts’ conflicting advice, you are not alone. Daisy Goodwin is a mother of two who tried to follow the experts herself and found that they couldn’t all be right. So join Daisy for a realistic look at the best and worst advice that’s been given through the ages and ensure you stay sane through the most exciting (and exhausting) time of your life. [Cover]
To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
Avril
Add comment June 12, 2008
New books on display at Hurunui District Library from 5 June - 12 June
“The crocus hour” by Charlotte Randall
In a village cafe in Crete, 1981, a young backpacker is befriended by a troubled New Zealander, Henry Davis. He reveals that his daughter Sally vanished from the island two years earlier and has come to Crete to explore the baffling circumstances of her disappearance. From the author of the award winning “The Curative” “The crocus hour” is a spellbinding journey through shifting passages of time posing questions about how well we really know those close to us. [Cover]
“The Archimedes codex” by Reviel Netz and William Noel
This is the true story of the greatest scientific codex extant today : the Archimedes Palimpsest. Over a thousand years old, this codex survived against all odds. It travelled through crusades and world wars, from east to west and overseas. But only now - thanks to ultra-modern imaging techniques - are it’s hidden contents finally being brought to light with surprising results that will fundamentally change our understanding of the history of science.[Cover]
“The case of the imaginary detective” by Karen Joy Fowler
What happens when readers steal your characters? Rima Lanisell is about to find out when she visits her estranged godmother, Addison Early, the successful mystery writer of the Maxwell Lane mysteries, and discovers the truth behind Addison’s novels. A wonderfully funny and touching novel about fame, fans and stalkers, about reading and the way readers appropriate their favourite books, and about beginning again when things have not gone as planned. [Cover]
“The woman in the lobby” by Lee Tulloch
Through a series of chance encounters in hotel lobbies, Violet finds herself an object of interest to men rich enough to know the price of everything, including the privilege of bedding supremely beautiful women. As her addiction to grand hotels and haute couture takes hold, she convinces herself that she is only doing what women have done for millennia - trading sex for life’s little luxuries. [Cover]
“Murder’s immortal mask” by Paul Doherty
In the fourth novel in Paul Doherty’s acclaimed Ancient Roman series featuring Claudia, secret agent of Empress Helena, a killer stalks the streets of Rome. [Cover]
To reserve any of these items please contact your local library or email info@hurunuilibraries.govt.nz
Avril
Add comment June 5, 2008
