Secrets and Lies and the World of Spies

"Bond. James Bond."

Okay, admit it.  You're now humming that theme in your head.  The one that we all recognise.

And it's no wonder.

Since the arrival of what is probably the most famous fictional spy of them all, James Bond, our fascination with the world of spies and spies themselves has enticed and allured us.  Published in 1953 Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel, showed us that spies were men of action and our love affair with them has continued on since then with the movies only enhancing their appeal.

For me it's always been about spies.

Some woman like cowboys.  Others like fireman or vampires. Or maybe even a vampire fireman, if there is such a thing.

But for me spies are the thing. Good spies, bad spies, I love them all.  It's that combination of mystery and danger and excitement that makes them so thrilling.

These are men (and women too) who could snap your neck like a twig without blinking an eye or steal all your secrets with just a kiss.

So here's to you Mr Bond and all the other fictional spies out there.

Casino Royale / Ian Fleming.

"In his first mission agent 007, James Bond, must neutralize a Russian agent known as "Le Chiffre" by ruining him at the baccarat table, thus forcing his "retirement". However, a beautiful female agent leads him to disaster - and an unexpected saviour."

Everyone has their favourite Bond and each Bond that has appeared on the big screen has been unique while still representing the essence that is Bond.  A man of action.  A man who seduces women.  A man who will do whatever is necessary to carry out his task.  Oh yeah, Bond is the man.

The prisoner's wife / Gerard Macdonald.

A spy, a suspected terrorist and the terrorist wife.  It all adds up trouble.  But trouble in the spy business is just a typical day.

A day where wits and cunning and ruthlessness are the order of business.

In a spy's world nothing and no-one is ever safe.

Shake off / Mischa Hiller.

What happens when a spy falls in love? 

Who does his loyalty lie with?  The people he works for or the woman he loves?  

And can a spy ever have the freedom to choose?

Switch / Charlie Brooks.
 
 Max Ward is a modern spy in a dangerous world. 

A world where counter intelligence, drug cartels and global terrorism intersect. A world where the beauty of an Old Master painting hides a deadly game of deal, double cross and revenge. 

Happily working as an analyst Max's is about to called to duty by his faceless MI6 master and to confront an enemy that he knows too well. 

An enemy that is better left alone.

The Geneva trap / Stella Rimington.

Author Stella Rimington knows all too well what is to be a spy.  She was one herself and was the former head of MI5.

In this, her latest novel,  her favourite character Liz Carlyle finds her past catching up with her when a rogue Russian spy warns her of a plot.  A plot that could see a major shift in power.
 
 Sentinel / Matthew Dunn.

With war between the USA and Russia on the verge of breaking out, agent Will Cochrane is under pressure to find the double-agent responsible for it all.

Sounds simple really.

But as any good spy knows nothing is ever simple.

Retribution / Adrian Magson.

As a spy Harry has seen it all.

Or at least he thought he had.

Now though a lone assassin is tracking down and eliminating colleagues from Harry's past which means that Harry could be next on the hitman's list.

To uncover who this killer is Harry must track down the remaining team member's and discover what exactly happened in Kosovo in 1999.

Red star burning : a thriller / Brian Freemantle.

One of MI5's best field agents has a secret.

A secret that if revealed could land him in jail for the rest of his life and place the life of the woman he loves in danger.

But a frantic call has brought that secret out and now he must do everything he can to protect not only himself but the people he loves.

The expats : a novel / Chris Pavone.

Kate Moore looks like every other expat mum living in Luxembourg.

But she is not as ordinary as she seems and her 'real life' and her 'fake life' are about to collide.

What's a spy to do when the secrets and lies they have been hiding finally catch up with them.

An American spy / Olen Steinhauer.

Milo Weaver is a tourist.

A CIA trained spy and assassin.

It's a life he would like to leave but his former boss can't let it go and when he disappears, Milo can't help but go in search of him, but it's beginning to look like hunting for his former boss is not the only thing he has to worry about.

Tinker tailor soldier spy

When a disgraced spy surfaces with information concerning a double agent at the top of the British secret service, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), an ex-MI6 agent, is drawn back into the murky field of espionage. Tasked with investigating which of his trusted former colleagues has chosen to betray him and their country, Smiley must overcome past histories, rivalries and friendships to pinpoint the man who is eating away at the heart of the British establishment.

Spooks

Welcome to the world of MI5, the UK's clandestine security service. Its operatives - 'spooks' for short - tackle organised crime, terrorist activities, embassy sieges, weapons proliferation and anarchists; not to mention the conflicts and power struggles back in the office. 

Prepare for a white-knuckle ride through the perilous, shadowy world of false identities, treacherous agents and cover-ups.  And remember: nothing is as it seems.

Featuring the superbly swoon worthy Richard Armitage -  before he was a dwarf - as spy Lucas North, a man with secrets so deep and complicated he makes James Bond look like the boy-next-door.

 

Strike back

Section 20 is an ultra secret government intelligence team who take on the jobs non-one else is prepared to do.

Action packed, this series spies are not your glamour boys.  These men  know what it means to get down and dirty.

They work hard, fight hard and play hard.

But even these men have their secrets and some are even willing to kill to them them hidden.

Stalking the catalogue: The history of the world according to Facebook

"Ah, Facebook. We all make fun of it, and we're all on it. If the Facebook community - 600 million strong - were a country, it would rank third in population, and last in spelling ability."

The history of the world according to Facebook by Wylie Overstreet

I spend a fair bit of my time online. Doing all kinds of things. Probably, for the most part, I'm updating a status in some place, some where, so coming across Overstreet's book is like receiving a birthday present I never knew I wanted. Think on it: wall posts from the beginning of time. the Serpent creating a Facebook event to tempt Eve to eat the apple (and her response "Sorry, I'm on a master cleanse!"), Cleopatra listing 'eyeliner' as an interest, Romeo and Juliet professing their love for each other (Oh babe you're so amazing. luv u <3) or even Marie Antoinette not knowing "who" Democracy is (Ooo, Guillotine? Is he like a new designer?). I'm hoping that Overstreet's book can give me ALL THE GIGGLES. (Yes, capslock needed).

Like it. Ask it to be your friend. Share it.

Happy birthday, Pride and Prejudice!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is a Red Letter Year. Two hundred years ago this January 28, the greatest novel in the English language first appeared in print. It was, of course - Pride and Prejudice.

Originally called First Impressions, and told in the form of letters between the characters, the novel was written when Jane Austen was just 21. She then extensively revised it before getting it published more than a decade later. And it's been entertaining readers ever since, except the Brontes, whom I never could stand.

Everyone knows the first line, which I shall not repeat here. My favourite has always been "Mary wished to say something  very sensible, but knew not how". Anyone else have a favourite P&P quote?

Anyway, here for your edification is a gallimaufry of new Austen-related readings. Enjoy with a cup of chocolate.

How to Create the Perfect Wife - Wendy Moore

A true story! Thomas Day knew exactly the sort of woman he wanted to marry. Pure and virginal yet tough and hardy, she would live with him in an isolated cottage, completely subservient to his whims. As Day soon discovered, the woman of his dreams didn't exist in Georgian society, so he set out to create her. He adopted two young orphans and, guided by the writings of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and the principles of the Enlightenment, attempted to teach them to be model wives. Day hoped to eventually marry one of his wards, but the experiment inevitably backfired, though not before he had taken his theories about marriage, education, and femininity to their most shocking extremes.


Happily Ever After - Susannah Fullerton
In 2013 Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice turns 200. Again and again in polls conducted around the world, it is regularly chosen as the favourite novel of all time. Here is the tale of how it came to be written, its first reception in a world that didn't take much notice and then its growing popularity leading up to Colin Firth mania and a best-selling zombie mash-up.

Jane Austen Goes to Hollywood - Abby McDonald
Awful title, but this is a teen retelling of Sense and Sensibility. Hallie and Grace Weston have never exactly seen life eye to eye. So when their father dies and leaves everything to his new wife, forcing the girls to pack up and leave San Francisco for shiny Beverly Hills, the sisters take to their changing lot in typically different styles. Shy, responsible Grace manages to make friends with an upbeat, enterprising girl named Palmer but still yearns for her old life and the maybe-almost-crush she left behind. Meanwhile, drama queen Hallie is throwing herself headlong into life and love in L.A., spending every second with gorgeous musician Dakota and warding off the attention of brooding vet Brandon. But is Hallie blinded by the stars in her eyes? And is Grace doomed to forever hug the sidelines?

Midnight in Austenland - Shannon Hale

Divorced American Charlotte Kinder takes a trip to Regency staged Pembrook Park in Kent where she plays parlour games, learns country dances, and even lets herself be courted by her assigned suitor, the brooding, magnetic Mr. Mallery. But her vacation becomes more Northanger Abbey when she catches a fleeting glimpse of a dead body in a secret room. If you like this one, try the first Austenland as well - each is loosely inspired by a book in Jane Austen's oeuvre.

The Real Jane Austen - Paula Byrne
Paula Byrne looks through the letters and the life of our author to work out who she really was. She certainly wasn't the cosy, moralising aunt figure the Victorians tried to portray, but a more spiky, modern person whose life has never been looked at this way before.

Austensibly Ordinary - Alyssa Goodnight
Cate Kendall is no stranger to daydreams of brooding men and fancy parties - after all, she teaches one of her beloved Jane Austen novels in her English classes every year. But as for romance or adventure in her own life, the highlight of most weeks is Scrabble with her cute coworker, Ethan, and he draws the line at witty banter. But when she finds a mysterious journal that seems to have a link to the soul of the great Jane Austen herself, she knows it's her chance. And she grabs on with both hands...Before she knows it, Cate has invented an alter ego with an attitude, attended some seriously chic soirees, and gotten tangled up with a delicious mystery man. And she's uncovered enough unexpected secrets about Ethan that her Scrabble partner has taken to brooding looks and unfathomable silences. Cate could land in hot water and heartbreak - but maybe not with Jane herself to guide her...

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen - Syrie James

By the author of The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. Samantha McDonough cannot believe her eyes - or her luck. Tucked in an uncut page of a two-hundred-year old poetry book is a letter she believes was written by Jane Austen, mentioning a manuscript that "went missing at Greenbriar in Devonshire." Could there really be an undiscovered Jane Austen novel waiting to be found? Making her way to the beautiful Greenbriar estate, Samantha finds it no easy task to sell its owner, the handsome yet uncompromising Anthony Whitaker, on her wild idea of searching for a lost Austen work - until she mentions its possible million dollar value. After discovering an unattributed manuscript, Samantha and Anthony are immediately absorbed in the story of Rebecca Stanhope, daughter of a small town rector, who is about to encounter some bittersweet truths about life and love. As they read the tale from the past, a new one unfolds in the present - a story that just might change both of their lives forever.

Stalking the catalogue: 1,000 incredible costume and cosplay ideas

"Remember that always dressing in understated good taste is the same as playing dead."
- Susan Catherine

1,000 incredible costume and cosplay ideas : a showcase of creative characters from anime by Joey Marsocci
I adore Cosplay like I do chocolate. I've always wanted to dress up. I've just never been sure who as. As a result, I've never done cosplay, and I feel the lack like a physical ache. Somewhat fanciful, and wholly true. I believe that there must be such incredible freedom and celebration in dressing up like your favourite character. I view cosplay very much how I do fanfic - as people loudly (and proudly) proclaiming their interests and fandoms where everyone can see them, admire them, engage with them and, best of all, identify with them. Cosplay FTW.

Summer Reads for Kiwis

Being a kiwi is a pretty great thing.

I count myself fortunate that I live in a country were the water is clean, the air fresh and I'm surrounded by beauty everywhere I look.

I do not have to dodge bullets as I walk the streets or wear a veil from head to foot.

I have the freedom to live where I want, how I want and do (within reason) pretty much what I want; all without the fear that I am going to be thrown into jail or worse, executed.

It's true we have our problems as a country but on the whole we are far luckier than a great many others.  So in celebration of all things kiwi, the little things that make who we are, the quirky, the weird and the wonderful here are just a few books that capture that kiwi essence.

New Zealand weather : captured through the camera lenses of New Zealanders / [Jim Hickey].

"A compilation of New Zealand's distinctive and sometimes wild and dramatic seasonal weather images, with comments and descriptions from the country's longest-serving television weatherman, Jim Hickey." 

The weather seems to hold a fascination for kiwi's, perhaps because it has such a significant impact on our environment and how we live our life's.  My Dad certainly never missed the weather report at the end of the news and seemed to be fascinated by all things weather related.  This would of been the perfect book for him.

The heart of our game : players and personalities in New Zealand rugby / Steve Hale.

"From former and current players to lifelong, one-eyed rugby fans and coaches, The Heart of our Game tells, in modern Kiwi-speak, just what the game of rugby means to us today."

Rugby and New Zealand seem to go hand-in-hand, so much part of our identity that it is.  Even I have taken a half-hearted interest in time to time.  This is one for fans everywhere.

Great kiwi firsts / Astral Sligo.

"Our fern may be silver but we Kiwis love to take that gold medal spot. First to give women the vote, first to climb Mount Everest, first to split the atom. Great Kiwi firsts combines the great, the good and the just plain crazy in a compendium of Kiwi ingenuity and inspiration with just a touch of oddball."

A touch of oddball sounds just like my kind of thing so this book is going on my TBR (To Be Read) pile.

Home & away : award-winning travel stories by New Zealand writers / selected and edited by Graeme Lay.

"Travel is in the Kiwi bloodstream: whether bound for Kaiwaka or Kowloon, we have an insatiable appetite for living out of a suitcase and, in select cases, writing about it. The stories in this anthology span not only every continent but also the homeland, proving you don't have to go far to discover distance."

Kiwi's are some of the great travelers of the world and this book celebrates just a few of those amazing journeys.

Urban chicks : celebrating backyard chooks in the city / Trevor Newman and Renée Lang.

"This publication features a selection of Aucklanders - some well-known, others less so - who have chosen to keep chickens in the suburbs."

I had a chicken when I was little.  She was a black hen and her name was Christine.  She also scared the living daylights out of me, though in hindsight she was probably just as afraid of me as I was of her.  Why I named her Christine I have no idea

The power of us : New Zealander's who dare to dream

"This book is a celebration of 50 New Zealanders who are extraordinary in their own fields, both locally and internationally."

New Zealanders have done amazing things.  Perhaps this sense of adventure and the desire to push ourselves come's from the pioneer spirit of our ancestor's or perhaps it's our isolation from the rest of the world that makes us strive to do the impossible.  Either way, we continue to show the world what you can truly achieve with just a little bit of determination and daredevil spirit.

A fabled land : the story of Canterbury's famous Mesopotamia Station / Bruce Ansley.

"The historic Mesopotamia Station is located in mid-Canterbury at the headwaters of the magnificent Rangitata gorge.  Author Bruce Ansley has brilliantly captured the spirit of this great sheep station: from the early pioneers who first braved its harsh winters and searing summers to the ingenuity and drive of the present-day owners, the Prouting family."

Back to the land : a year of country gardening / Lynda Hallinan

"Gardening guru Lynda Hallinan shares with characteristic wit and good humour a full year of her gardening eploits."

Just as the weather and rugby are a big feature of what makes us kiwi's, so is our love of the land.  Whether it's a spiritual thing or something more basic as the enjoyment of just getting our hands dirty, the land holds something for all of us.

On song : stories behind New Zealand pop classics / Simon Sweetman.

"On Song is a journey through New Zealand's diverse pop landscape. Featuring conversations with the many writers and performers of beloved Kiwi classics that illuminates the fascinating stories behind the pop songs we all know and love."

Counting the beat, Victoria, Rust In My Car - these are the songs of my teenage years.  Foot-tapping, head popping songs that I listened to on my cassette deck (yes before CD's had even been heard of), while driving around with friends on warm summer days, heading to who knows where.  Just thinking about them makes me want to go on a road trip...

Secrets & treasures : our stories told through the objects at Archives New Zealand / Ray Waru.

"The bizarre jostles with the extremely significant in the almost 100 kilometres of holdings in Archives New Zealand. The thousands of boxes contain all sorts of treasures and secrets, including such intriguing items as: a rare letter written by Captain Cook; records of secret weapons; exotic gifts to our Prime Ministers; grisly exhibits from murder trials; sightings of UFOs. This book delves into the archives to tell a very human story of New Zealand."

High Country legacy : four generations of Aspinalls at Mt Aspiring Station / Alex Hedley.

"Mt Aspiring Station is set in the craggy backblocks of Otago, between Lake Wanaka and the Southern Alps. The Aspinall family have farmed in this tough and unforgiving environment — on slopes so steep that horses cannot climb — since 1920."

I can't begin to imagine what it must be like to live in a place like Mt Aspiring Station.    Isolated and remote, it must also be incredibly beautiful and awe inspiring.

Food heroes / Simon Farrell-Green ; photography by Duncan Innes.

"A celebration of a remarkable group of producers and growers who are returning to artisan methods to create some of New Zealand's best food and finest quality ingredients. In doing so they are changing the way we shop and eat. Embracing a time when the grower grew food, took it to market, then sold it, the 20-plus [people] profiled in this book are dedicated to providing the best-possible food products for New Zealanders to eat and cook with."

The Kiwi ute driver's guide to life / Steve Holmes.

"Kiwis and utes go together like fish and chips. But what is it about the ute that has caught the attention of so many car enthusiasts Down Under? Join Steve Holmes as he profiles over 50 Kiwis and their utes, presented in full colour."

I don't drive but looking at some of these ute's almost makes me wish that I did.  I can see it now, me driving behind the wheel of a brightly coloured, old fashioned ute, the windows down so I can feel the breeze whizzing pass and the stereo turned up loud playing a selection of classic kiwi rock hits.

Road trip anyone?