Teen Fiction with a Kiwi flavour

Sally was really impressed with Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey saying "It's one of the best pieces of New Zealand fantasy I've read for a long time." and she's not the first person to have said that about this book. Here is the rest of her review.

By that I mean not just a book written by a New Zealander, but set in New Zealand too. I think it's something that's hard to get right. Most times I feel like the New Zealand setting is superfluous - like the author feels obligated to set it in New Zealand, because they're a New Zealand author. Otherwise, the story could take place anywhere. In Guardian, where the story draws heavily on Maori myth and legend, the setting is not only essential, it's an asset.

Just a few months ago I was thinking that the Maori stories of patupaiarehe would make an interesting starting point for a fantasy novel - and then Anne put this on my desk, hinting (rather heavily) that wouldn't it just be lovely if I reviewed it. Just reading it on my lunch breaks soon became frustrating. I'm not good at nibbling away at books; I like to gobble them whole. So, about halfway through I took it home and finished it that night (somewhat ignoring the guests we had, but they're family so they should be used to me by now).

The theme running through the book is that the stories we're raised on shape us and the world we see. Because it's set in New Zealand that means a decent helping of Maori myth and legend. And while the well-known figures of Rangi, Papa and Maui make cameos, it's the lesser known race of the patupaiarehe who are the main antagonists.

Te Ara (Encyclopedia of New Zealand) describes patupaiarehe as "fairy-like creatures of the forests and mountain tops. Although they had some human attributes, patupaiarehe were regarded not as people but as supernatural beings (he iwi atua).They were seldom seen, and an air of mystery and secrecy still surrounds them." I hadn't heard of them until quite recently, but they immediately caught my imagination.

This book has a bit of everything: magic, adventure, romance, and a heroine with a black belt in tae kwan do. Our heroine, Ellie, is a teenager with the requisite self-esteem issues, but she's got enough fight and feistiness in her to make her a likeable and relatable character.

What does it mean to be Brave?

The Brave by Nicholas Evans is the author’s first book in five years, and while it is a departure from the wilderness and nature that feature in some of his other titles (e.g. The Horse Whisperer, The Smoke Jumper), it retains strong characterisation. Several people complete journeys of discovery and there are very mixed destinations.

Nicholas Evans skilfully intertwines the stories of 1950’s England and Hollywood, with present day America. The constant running through both is Tom Bedford. In earlier times he was Tommy, bullied at boarding school, and taking refuge in a fantasy world of TV Westerns. Today he is Tom, slightly bitter, living alone and estranged from his son who is fighting in Iraq.
Despite the fact that (for me at least) parts of the book were telegraphed, it still kept me entertained and interested to the end. Characters were developed, innocence destroyed and with everyone confronting their demons, true bravery was discovered.

It wasn’t the book I was expecting from Nicholas Evans. It reminded me slightly of the Sidney Sheldon novels of Hollywood that I used to devour. But it had an innocence and naivety to the storytelling which came from much of the story being told from the viewpoint of the younger Tommy and this lifted it above some of the other books and sagas which use the darker side of Hollywood as their base. It is well worth a read.

As well as being available in print, The Brave will also shortly be available in audio book in the Library. Or request some of the author's other titles by clicking on this author link.

A "pot pourri" of a book

I was looking for just the right words to describe Joy Cowley's memoir Navigation and yesterday I was struggling. Today over lunch I read an interview with her in the latest Next magazine and she nailed it for me. It's a pot pourri.

It is funny and thought-provoking, interesting and insightful. And through it all the warm smile and friendly essence of one of our most prolific and loved authors and advocates of Good reading for Kiwi kids shines through. I would have expected no less from Joy Cowley.

If Margaret Mahy is the “Word Witch” of New Zealand children’s literature, then Joy Cowley must surely be the Magician. Observations and memories from her past and her present mingle with commentary on a wide range of subjects. Magical word pictures of her special place in the Marlborough Sounds dance through the pages. Laugh out loud interactions with children around the world prove that are a deceptively perceptive as well as sometimes brutally honest and logical. Joy’s commonsense blends with her love of life in telling her story from childhood, to a teenager coveting a motorcycle, motherhood to author and sought after speaker.

This book was long overdue and a pleasure to read.

Another Movie

Here's something that snuck in under the radar of this Librarian. I was sitting in the theatre last night getting ready for my fix of Prince of Persia - Sands of Time, when I saw a whole lot of owls fill the screen. It's a preview of a new movie heading our way.

The Guardians of Ga'hoole is a series of popular children's fiction books by Kathryn Lasky. They follow young Soren and his friends who are inspired by great stories which lead them all to even greater adventures. The first book in the series is The Capture. The School Library Journal review reads "The story's fast pace, menacing bad guys, and flashes of humor make this a good choice for reluctant readers, while the underlying message about the power of legends provides a unifying element and gives strong appeal for fantasy fans".

The movie is called Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole. It is going to be shown later this year in 3D and comes from the same team that brought us Happy Feet. The animation on it looks absolutely amazing and I see today that there are some great names voicing the owls, including Kiwi's SamNeill and Jay Laga'aia. As it is not coming out until September there is plenty of time for everyone to catch up on the book before then so they can sit back and see how the movie makers turn the writer's vision into a tale for the big screen.

Petrol-Heads

Having discovered over Easter that I am the member of the family who can do the MOST damage to a rally car in 8 minutes on a Play Station game, I am probably not the right person to be writing today's post. However, with the V8's in Hamilton this weekend, it seemed an opportune time to let the petrol heads know that there are things at Rodney Libraries that could interest them.

Books Feeling slightly mischevious, I did a keyword search in our catalogue for petrol heads and to my surprise got a result. However, if you had to guess at what it was, it probably wouldn't take you long. Top Gear: The official annual 2010 is apparently "perfect for little petrol heads! Ages 10+".

Whether you are looking for sports cars, muscle cars, classic cars or something inbetween, a subject search for automobiles will give you a number of options and is the starting point regardless of what you are looking for. V8 Kiwis: New Zealanders making it big in touring cars is a couple of years old now but is still an excellent start for enthusiasists. Hamilton 400 profiles the inaugral race and cars.

Magazines Search under Automobiles or Automobiles Driving. Currently we subscribe to Evo, NZ Driver, NZ Classic Car and Top Gear New Zealand.

Multi-media From Formula 1 to Nascar and stunts, our computer and Play Station games are very popular. There are also plenty of DVD's

And with the news through yesterday that the driving age is being raised to 16, it also seems like a good time to remind everybody that while we have multiple copies of the Road Code (for cars, motorbikes and heavy vehicles) they are in very high demand and are not usually available on the shelves. The best way of obtaining one is to put a request in. The Road Codes (with updates) are also available online at The NZ Transport Agency website

Celebrity Biographies

The latest celebrity biography is embargoed in New Zealand until 16th April, but that hasn't prevented the furore already surrounding it. Claims and counterclaims over the veracity of what between the covers of Kitty Kelley's new book on the life of Oprah Winfrey.

All of which will make Oprah : a biography even more popular than it would otherwise be, so I am sure Kitty Kelley doesn't mind the fuss. A simple Google search of "Oprah Kitty Killey" certainly reveals that there are a lot of opinions out there. The summary of this version reads "Based on three years of research and reporting as well as 850 interviews with sources, many of whom have never before spoken for publication, Oprahis the first comprehensive biography of one of the most influential, powerful, and admired public figures of our time, by the most widely read biographer of our era. Anyone who is a fan of Oprah Winfrey or who has followed her extraordinary life and career will be fascinated and newly informed by the closely observed, detailed, and well-rounded portrait of her provided by Kitty Kelley's exhaustively researched book. Readers will come away with a greater appreciation of who Oprah really is ..."

This is not the first biography of Oprah Winfrey that has been published and we hold one by George Mair (a 1994 publication aptly subtitled "The Real Story") in Rodney Libraries. And of course we also hold a subscription to the Oprah magazine.

The problem with biographies, particularly celebrity biographies, is that they sometimes leave you wondering. If they are authorised you wonder what has been left out and if they are unauthorised you wonder what has been embellished. I will, of course, qualify this statement because I know it is a gross generalisation and there are whole shelves full of brilliant biographies.

Regardless they make entertaining, inspirational and informative reading and are one of the most popular sections in the library. All our biographies are shelved with a Call Number (the Dewey Decimal number on the book's spine) of 920. Our Biography section in our catalogue is narrowed down into more defined subject headings (e.g. Biography Actors and Actresses Great Britain or Biography Prisoner of War New Zealand).

Biographies are one of the genres that NCEA students are required to read for their "wide reading" requirements. Come in and talk to your librarians about where to find them.

Good books from Whangaparaoa Library

Whangaparaoa Library are having a little competition. Each person is recommending a list of titles via bookmarks or tags on books. When the book is issued the item is counted.

Here are three of the recommended titles.

Water for elephants : a novel / Sara Gruen.
"Set in the circus world circa 1932. When Jacob Jankowski, orphaned and adrift, jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters, and misfits, a second-rate circus struggling to survive during the Great Depression, making one-night stands in town after endless town. A veterinary student who almost earned his degree, Jacob is put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It is there that he meets Marlena, the beautiful young star of the equestrian act, who is married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. He also meets Rosie, an elephant who seems untrainable until he discovers a way to reach her."

Gods in Alabama / Joshilyn Jackson.
"When Arlene Fleet leaves town, she makes three promises to God: She will stop fornicating with every boy who crosses her path; never tell another lie; and never, ever go back toher hometown of Possett, Alabama. All she wants from Him is one little miracle: make sure the body is never found. Ten years later, God has broken His end of the deal. A young woman wants to find the golden-haired football hero who disappeared during their senior year...To make matters worse, Arlene's African American boyfriend, Burr, has given her an ultimatum - introduce him to her lily-white family or he's gone. All too soon she and Burr are on their way to confront Arlene's redneck roots, the secret she ran from, and the crime that stole her peace of mind. Yet while the truth threatens to destroy the life she has built for herself, it just may open her eyes to a love powerful enough to revise her past and alter her future."

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society / Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows.
"January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’d never met, a native of Guernsey. He'd come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island - boasts a charming cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever."

Tis the season to read Christmas

We've done the Christmas crafts and cooking, so the next step on our Christmas book journey is Christmas stories. And when you consider that authors such as Anne Perry, David Baldacci, Patricia Scanlan, Fern Michaels, John Grisham, Maeve Binchy, Mary Higgins Clark and Cecilia Ahern (to name just a few) have all either dabbled or dived into the Christmas fiction genre, then I think there might be something for everyone. And that's even if you are feeling "Bah Humbug!"

To kick things off, the classic A Christmas Carol is available in many different versions in the library, from the original Charles Dickens through to children's abridged, illustrated or graphic novel versions.

Our Romance sections have a variety of seasonal fare. For Mills & Boon fans click on this Christmas romance link to see the titles that we have and which library they are in. Still plenty of time to order them to your local library for the holidays.

If you like a touch of crime in your fiction try Anne Perry's Christmas series which is described as "a perfect combination of mystery and murder mixed with yuletide cheer." Likewise Mary Higgins Clark sends her Regan Reilly character on a whole host of season crime chases as well as penning one-off Christmas tales.

If you are already over Christmas, maybe The Worst Noel collection is the book for you. With stories such as "The Bite before Christmas" and "That's just about enough figgy pudding actually" this sounds like it may have a bit of the scrooge and a reasonable dollop of humour about it.

There's plenty of inspiration and poignancy about many of the books if you are looking for something with a Christmas message in it. I recently read Zanna's Gift: A Life in Christmases by Orson Scott Card writing as Scott Richards. It was "a touching tale of love, loss and the true meaning of Christmas" and the story of a gift which wasn't large or expensive, but had the power to inspire love and tradition in a family through the generations. Although not strictly a Christmas book, one I finished last night has a similar message of magic, faith and hope. The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo is a children's book, but don't let that stop you picking it up as there it is well worth reading, telling the story of an orphan, an elephant and the diverse group of people who come together to make "the extraordinary come true".

New Books New Books

As I said on Twitter this morning, we are all unpacking lots of boxes of new books to get them onto the shelves for you for Christmas reading. This is by no means a comprehensive list, there is no organisation and they are not reviewed. These are just some of the titles as they came out of the boxes.

The New Zealand Plant Doctor - Andrew Maloy. Great Q & A format.
Textbook Romance: a step-by-step guide to getting the guy - Zoe Foster with occasionally useful comments by Hamish Blake.
A Mess of Iguanas, A Whoop of Gorillas... An Amazement of Animal Facts - Alon Shulman.
The New Vampires Handbook: A guide to creatures of the night - Miles Proctor
The Accidental Billionaires: Sex, money, betrayal and the founding of Facebook - Ben Mezrich
I'm Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Gifts, decorations and recipes that use less and mean more - Anna Getty.
Wyse Words: A Dictionary for the Bewildered - Pascale Wyse
In a Word: The essential tool for finding the perfect word - Mark Broatch
Evolution: The Story of Life - Douglas Palmer & Peter Barrett (A impressive looking Natural History Museum publication)
Seasons - Donna Hay (the best from the magazine)

Plus several new titles in the 501 Must Do, Must Go, Must See... etc series. Look for:
501 Must-Be-There Events
501 Must Drive Cars
501 Must Take Journeys
501 Must See Movies
501 Must Read Books
and especially for the holiday season 501 Must-Drink Cocktails

And that's just a small taste. I'll find some fiction and children's titles for you next week. Have an awesome weekend everyone.

Have you read a Kiwi Book yet this month?

I have scanned a couple but Michelle Holman's new kiwi chick lit title Knotted dropped onto my desk today. It will be top of the pile for Labour Weekend reading as I so enjoyed her laugh a minute Bonkers and Divine. That means there should be a review on this site early next week.

It doesn't have to be a new release (although there are plenty of new Kiwi titles launched this month for New Zealand Book Month). Do a subject search for New Zealand fiction and have a forage through 20th and 21st Century entries - almost 800 of them, not including the children's fiction and picture books (over 900 titles).

And I haven't even touched on our biographies or some of the fabulous non-fiction on our shelves. Someone mentioned to me last weekend that they had just read Willie Apiata VC - A Reluctant Hero and thought it was the most awesome book they had read for ages. There are several copies on the shelf at the moment so grab one for the weekend.

A sample of Kiwi fiction

Sometimes you just don't have time to read a whole book. There are times when all you want is to pick something up, put it down again a short time later and be left fully satisfied. You don't want to have another 200 odd pages to read (and usually more in todays market of huge thick tomes) to reach the conclusion. It's one reason why in our busy Kiwi lifestyle, magazines are so popular (which is a topic for another day).

One solution is to dive into the Rodney Libraries collection of short stories and anthologies of new Zealand fiction (whether extracts from longer workers or stand alone stories). This is also an excellent way to sample lots of different authors, both new and old, to find someone that takes your fancy who you can go ahead and read more of.

Volume 6 of the Best New Zealand Fiction (edited by Owen Marshall) is due to hit our shelves soon. But in the meantime you can wander through Volumes 1 to 5 which includes stories and excerpts from authors such as Lloyd Jones, Charlotte Grimshaw, Karyn Hay and Paula Morris among others.

The 2009 Huia Short stories compilation is another book due later this month. These are the best short stories and novel extracts from the Pikihuia Awards for Māori Writers 2009 and includes local author Jacquie McRae. Earlier volumes of the Huia publication which covers the best in Maori fiction can be found in our catalogue.

We have 220 entries if we do a subject search in our catalogue for New Zealand Short stories so there is something for everyone, including the children and teen readers. The majority of the short story collections are shelved with the general fiction, but just ask the librarians for help if you can't find what you are looking for.

And... reading some short stories is a good chance to get yourself in the mood to do some writing yourself with the 2009/2010 Rodney Writes competition just around the corner. Entry forms should be arriving in the libraries soon.

Fashion in Fiction

From Chick Lit to Literature, children and teens to adults, or print to audio - there is some fashionable fiction to suit all readers in the Rodney Libraries collection.

For the full list of fashion and fiction at Rodney I did a keyword search using those two words and got four pages of results (click on the highlighted words to see them all).

If you don't want to scroll through the full list, have a look at these:

Breaking the Rules is the latest release of Barbara Taylor Bradford and like many of her earlier novels, is based around the fashion industry. "When those you love are threatened, there's nothing you won't do to protect them! you'll even resort to Breaking the Rules... From the chic fashion capitals of London and Paris, to the exotic locations of Istanbul and Hong Kong, Breaking the Rules is an enthralling story of love and redemption, secrets and survival from the bestselling author of A Woman of Substance." We have just received multiple copies of this book from the suppliers so book your copy now.

Teen readers can follow The Interns by Chloe Walsh which is a young adult series following four lucky and talented girls for whom fashion is an obsession. Fashionistas is book 1 of the series and introduces us to Callie, Nadine, Ava, and Aynsley who all begin their internship in New York at Courtere magazine.

For younger readers wanting to read stories about fashion, Kelly McKain's Totally Lucy series is a good start. Makeover Magic is book 1, but there are many more in the series of stand alone stories including Catwalk Crazy and Picture Perfect.

Top 11 popular picture books

Following on from the top 12 most popular information books across Auckland a couple of weeks ago, here are the top 11 popular picture books. (Nice to see New Zealand and Australian authors well represented.)

To qualify for this list, titles had to be checked out more than 20 times each between July 1 2008 and June 30 2009.

1. Greedy cat and the sneeze by Joy Cowley
2. Where is Hairy Maclary? by Lynley Dodd
3. Harry and the dinosaurs go to school by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds
4. Hairy Maclary's hat tricks by Lynley Dodd
5. Grandma McGarvey goes camping by story by Jenny Hessell ; illustrated by Trevor Pye
6. The other ark by Lynley Dodd
7. Mr McGee and the big bag of bread by Pamela Allen
8. Kiss! Kiss! Yuck! Yuck! by Kyle Mewburn ; illustrated by Ali Teo & John O'Reilly
9. My wobbly tooth must not ever never fall out by Lauren Child
10. Where's the gold? by Pamela Allen
11. Schnitzel von Krumm : dogs never climb trees by Lynley Dodd

It works both ways

As librarians, a huge part of job is providing what in the profession is called "reader's advisory". That is people coming into the library looking to us for inspiration and suggestions as to what they can read. The reading experience is often so personal and subjective, that this exercise can be very hit and miss. Most librarians have also probably experienced the panic of a completely blank space in their minds when someone asks "Can you suggest a good read?" which is sometimes my natural reaction to the question. Why can I think of a hundred books and titles in the comfort of my own workstation, but not manage to recall one with the expectant face in front of me?

A bonus of the job is that reader's advisory actually works both ways. Often one of our customers will come in and tell us that a book was a particularly good read, which puts us onto another good title for ourselves. That's if they haven't already recommended it to a dozen friends who have all put holds on it.

This happened lately when a Warkworth patron recommended No Time for Goodbye (Linwood Barclay) to Lisa. A copy of the book (we have several at Rodney) is now on to the third or fourth member of staff and so far we have all enjoyed it. The story follows the tale of Cynthia, who as a teenager, woke up one morning with a nasty hangover, dreading the confrontation with her parents. What she actually found was an empty house with no sign of her parents or her brother. Twenty five years later, the mystery of what happened is no closer to being solved and haunts Cynthia. It's one simple idea that the author pulls apart and puts back together again in a page-turning way, much the same as Jodi Picoult does, although another reviewer and fellow author likened his writing to Harlan Coben. This title is also available in large print and audio book.

The latest Linwood Barclay novel has just hit the shelves of the Rodney Library. Too Close to Home has a cover byline "What's more frightening than your neighbours being murdered? Finding the killers went to the wrong house...". It certainly sounds intriguing. I am already a couple of chapters in so will keep you posted.

Linwood Barclay is a Canadian who previously was a newspaper humour columnist. You can check out his career on his own website . He is currently touring New Zealand promoting his books including his next book "Fear the Worst". He will be at the Takapuna Library next Monday, July 27 between 12 noon and 1.00 pm. Admission is $2 but you will need to RSVP to Helen by phone at (09) 486 8469 or by email at helenw@shorelibraries.co.nz to make sure there is space for you.

12 most popular adult information titles of the past year

Judging by library check-outs people around Auckland seem to be most interested in the following subjects -
- Food and cooking
- Appearance (or Trinny and Susannah!)
- Other people's lives

To qualify for this list, titles had to be checked out more than 20 times each between July 1 2008 and June 30 2009.

1. The life and times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
2. Jo Seagar cooks by Jo Seagar
3. Jamie's dinners by Jamie Oliver
4. Feast : food that celebrates life by Nigella Lawson
5. What you wear can change your life by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine
6. Trinny & Susannah : the survival guide : a woman's secret weapon for getting through the year by Trinny Woodall & Susannah Constantine
7. Food in a minute favourites : celebrating 10 years by Allyson Gofton.
8. Married to a Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen
9. NOSH : delicious & responsible eating by by Julie Leeper
10. What your clothes say about you : how to look different, act different and feel different by Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine
11. The white masai by Corinne Hofmann
12. Jamie's Italy by Jamie Oliver

The Man in the Moon

I'm sorry, but I can't remember where I was on the day man first set foot on the moon. I was five years old so I would have been at school, but I couldn't honestly tell you (unlike many of my contemporaries) if little Tauhoa School had a television on for the big event or not. Even if it did, I was probably outside climbing a tree or jumping through the flax bushes (back in my day we were allowed to climb trees, but jumping through the flax bushes was frowned on).

It's only been on reaching something resembling adulthood that I have come to understand what an achievement putting a man on the moon actually was. There have been some excellent films and documentaries on the subject (some of which we have here at Rodney) and of course books for everyone from children through to adults.

A general subject search in our catalogue for Moon brings up a variety of subject headings to narrow things down for you. Under the subject heading Moon Exploration, you will find a new book Moonshot: The inside story of Mankind's greatest adventure (Dan Parry). Described as "an engaging account of a mission that could easily have gone terribly wrong, but instead turned into an American triumph" the book looks at the historical background and leadup to the space race, as well as the personalities involved.

To introduce the subject to children, Rodney Libraries carries both non-fiction (Journey to the Moon by Wendy and David Clemson) and picture books (The Sea of Tranquility by Mark Haddon).

The DVD documentary In the Shadow of the Moon can be rented from Rodney Libraries for just $2.00. This presents over two hours including background on the Apollo missions and interviews with the astronauts. There are also a range of web links you can gain access to using your library card through Rodney Libraries e-resources. I would suggest Encyclopaedia Brittanica as a good place to start.

I haven't forgotton that a signigicant percentage of the world's population think the whole moon landing was a complete hoax. Wikipedia has the history of the Apollo consipracy theories in all their different forms and there are links there to other sites with more information. Personally I find it difficult to believe that a secret as large as this must have been could be kept for 40 years. But then I can't say I have never been wrong.

I probably should leave the last word to NASA. If you never have before, then the NASA website is a great place to visit as is the NASA Kids Club. Don't forget NASA TV if you get a chance.

Horrible Histories - the Kiwi way!

Terry Deary's popular form of history telling has being taken, shaken and applied New Zealand by none other than internationally renowned author Margaret Mahy. And it is an absolute gem.

Awesome Aotearoa: Margaret Mahy's History of New Zealand follows the history of the "adventurous country". It is filled with funky facts ("In 1814 in the Bay of Islands the price of a musket was eight pigs and 150 baskets of potatoes"), great illustrations, limericks, a talking snail who helps fill in the gaps.

Margaret Mahy manages to poke fun at almost all parts of our history, but still addresses those issues that go to the core of where New Zealand is today. Deservedly shortlisted for several of the New Zealand books awards this year, I am sure that this title will prove popular for readers, both young and old.

This book is in the Children's Non Fiction section of the library under Call Number 993. Or you can request it online through our Rodney Libraries catalogue.

Happy Birthday Bridge

Birthday congratulations today to the Auckland Harbour Bridge. The Bridge celebrates 50 years on Sunday 31st May and, as you would expect for a lady of her age, has undergone a couple of facelifts during her time, while still retaining her status as both a practical link across the Waitemata Harbour and as an icon for Auckland City since 1959.

As part of the celebrations for the Bridge's 50th anniversary, two books have been produced. The first Auckland Harbour Bridge: 50 years of a city icon (Renee Lang) traces the history of the bridge from an idea, through the planning and construction stages, and through other events such as the clip ons, the Auckland Marathon and the toll booths. The book uses words and pictures to relay details and is suitable for both adult and children.

The second book is a reissue of the children's picture book Guardian of the Bridge (Diana Harris) which relays the tale of a Taniwha who sleeps in the Waitemata Harbour.

I am old enough to remember the toll booths but not what life was like before the Bridge. There are whole generations who have knowledge of neither. Both these books will make interesting talking points for families.

Commonwealth Writers Prize winners 2009

Congratulations to Christos Tsiolkas for winning Best Book and Mohammed Hanif for winning Best First Book in the Commonwealth Writers Prize. The prizes were awarded at a ceremony during the Auckland Writers and Readers Festival.

I was lucky to get a seat at the session where Christos read from his book "The Slap." He chose to read a piece where the mother of the slapped child is phoning her mother to wish her happy birthday. The audience was very quiet, hanging off every word. The judges comment "A controversial and daring novel, The Slap uses the iconic scene of a suburban Australian barbecue to examine identities and personal relationships in a multicultural society. Offering points of view from eight different characters, it taps into universal tensions and dilemmas around family life and child-rearing. This book is sure to challenge readers and provoke debate."

I didn't make it to the session where the First Book authors were reading from their pieces. However I did sit next to someone who had heard them and she was fairly confident that Mohammed would win. The judges said that "A case of exploding mangoes" was "A tour de force, this fast-paced political intrigue merges fact and fiction to provide a startling interrogation of dictatorship, religious fundamentalism and abuse of power. A trenchant satire, tender and funny, it will long live on in readers' minds"

"On top of everything" by Sarah-Kate Lynch

Okay, so not EVERY ticket I have to the Auckland Writers Readers Festival is for random authors who's titles I've never read. Sarah-Kate Lynch is on the bill with Nicky Pellegrino. They're going to be speaking about "Love, Food, Wine and Travel".

Ms Lynch is one of my favourite authors. I love the stories and characters that she breathes life into. I also like the fact that food that plays an important role in all her books. Her latest title "On top of everything" is about a woman coping with the horrible things that are happening in her life. It's also about tea, truffles and the importance of shared food experiences. Her previous books have covered cheese, champagne, bread, pasta and love, always love.

Ms Pellegrino is a new author to me. I read her book "The Gypsy Tearoom" a couple of weeks ago. I think I'll be waiting for her latest "The Italian wedding" for a while as there are a bunch of reserves on it. Bookman Beattie enjoyed it which is a good sign. He says "I enjoyed The Italian Wedding very much although have to say that even though it is just a four pages short of 300 pages in length, about the average size novel, I wished it had been longer." High praise indeed.