News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

For the sixth in our interview series with zinesters from around the globe, we have Melbourne-based Justine Telfer, mastermind behind the incredibly popular Mixtape zine…

Describe an average day:

Have breakfast with the family, check emails and try and answer as many as possible, check my fav blogs, try and get some sewing done, all this while raising a 4 yo! (more…)

Few people have one dish named after them let alone two. Born in 1861  Helen Porter Mitchell took her stage name from the city of her birth, Melbourne.  Oscar Hammerstein stated that “nobody ever has or ever will sing like Nellie Melba” and her tours in the U.S. even led to the term “Melbamania”.   Ann Blainey’s Marvelous Melba : the extraordinary life of a great Diva outlines just how internationally famous she was.

Killing my own snakes : a memoir is an autobiographical book by Dame Ann Leslie, a reporter with over 40 years experience. Her first column in Fleet Street headlined “She’s young, she’s provocative and she’s only 22″ at a time when age and gender mattered. Whether interviewing film stars or reporting news from war zones she was always seen in full make-up and false eyelashes!

Simon Louvish the author of Chaplin : the tramp’s odyssey describes Chaplin as a figure of multiple paradoxes. Considering his rags to riches life this is not surprising. Left in an orphanage at five he became the richest man in Hollywood. This biography gives a new insight to Chaplin’s colourful life.

Read more about these fascinating people and others including Gabriel Garcia Marquez and John Grogan (author of the film Marley and me) in this month’s Recent Biography Picks.

Mars life, the conclusion to the story begun in Mars and Return to Mars by multiple Hugo winner, Ben Bova has just arrived. It is part of his Grand Tour future histories series, the most gripping and intelligent contemporary science fiction sagas. In Mars Life, Jamie Waterman returns to Mars to prove, against political and religious protest, that the world was originally colonized by Martians. Ben Bova was born in 1932 and has published over 116 science fact and fiction books. He has been an editor of Analog, and is past president of the National Space Society and the Science Fiction Writers of America. He lives in Florida.
Avid readers of science fiction can now find titles on any science fiction topic using our new drop down search option, located on the Fiction web pages. This links directly to our catalogue.

Let us know what you think of  this new feature!

“… can I say that Split Enz are chiefly themselves and so unusual that after the first listen I really didn’t know what to say; like a stargazer suddenly confronted with a UFO I knew it was good but I just couldn’t find words to describe it. I trust I’m starting to get them sussed now. And they’re going to be BIG…. ” -

so said Phil Sutcliffe about Mental Notes, Split Enz’s debut album – in the August 1976 issue of the UK magazine Sounds.  Read the full review – plus other Split Enz interviews and reviews in the excellent Rocks Backpages database, part of our mygateway.info suite of online resources.

With winter around the corner what better time to stay indoors and learn a new craft or increase your skill with a challenging new project. This month’s selection of craft books caters for all. Baby beanies : happy hats to knit for little heads by Amanda Keeys has a variety of beanie patterns incorporating bright colours, rich textures and quirky trimmings. Even beginning knitters can easily whip up a present for a special baby. As the author says “babies should wear hats because they look so darned cute!”

Do you have small pieces of fabric that you’re not sure what to do with? Sew fabulous fabric by Alice Butcher & Ginny Farquhar will solve this problem combining new and recycled fabrics for vintage, homespun and retro results. There are over 40 practical projects including cushions, curtains, gift bags, cuddly toys and much more. Step-by-step photography and easy-to-follow instructions will lead the crafter through the process.

Jelly rolls are the new fat quarter bundle! No, not something to eat but a technique incorporating two inch strips of colour-coordinated fabric rolled up to create a solid disk and tied with a ribbon. Jelly roll quilts : the perfect guide to making the most of the latest strip rolls by Pam & Nicky Lintott will explain all.
Find out about these craft projects and others featuring quilting, paper folding, scrap-booking, knitting and canvaswork via this month’s Recent Craft Picks. Winter will fly by.

With the economic situation a concern for every-one advice that is written for a specific group is invaluable. Sheconomics : add power to your purse with the ultimate money makeover by Karen Pine and Simonne Green is a book written for women by women. The authors apply seven simple and effective principles of “sheconomics” using real-life stories and case-studies taken from their experiences and knowledge in the financial world.

Women and men see things differently. Linda Papadopoulos, author of What men say, what women hear would agree with this. What does he mean when he says you have curves and why do women ask if my bum looks big in this? Using cognitive behavioural therapy this book aims to untangle communication between the sexes.

Your  own worst enemy : breaking the habit of adult underachievement by Kenneth Christian describes what he calls self-limiting behaviours. A practical 15-step guide assists a person to change habits and take control of their future.

Find the advice you need in these books and others covering a range of topics in this month’s Personal Development Recent Picks.

The new Star Trek movie is very enjoyable, but does its astronomy hold up under scrutiny? The writer of Discover magazine’s excellent Bad Astronomy blog has reviewed the film and the answer is yes – and no. Well, maybe. Read his review here, but do be warned that it’s full of spoilers.

You can apply design to many products and concepts if you have a keen eye and are resourceful. Ecological design proves the point with 60 products marrying elegance with sustainability. Haute-Couture is also a form of design. Thanks to our selection, you can find out about Lucien Lelong who presented famous collections at the beginning of the twentieth century. Items about a new wave of architects, interior decoration, Harakuju fashion, restaurant and CD designs are also available. If you want to know more about these titles, check out this month’s Design Recent Picks.

Mike Massimino, one of the astronauts on the STS-125 mission to the Hubble telescope, has written the first Twitter from space. You can follow him here. The mission is the fifth and final servicing mission to the Hubble telescope, and is the 30th flight for the Space Shuttle Atlantis, which is to be retired in 2010.

Edit: The first of the five planned spacewalks during STS-125 can be viewed below … (more…)

Our selection of cooking and recipe books this month is mouth-watering! Ripailles takes you to the heart of French gastronomy with award-winning chef Stephane Reynaud. Luscious and fancy cupcakes’ recipes are on the menu as well. Items in our selection deal with seasonal recipes, Sicilian fare; traditional, gluten-free, and fast recipes. The empire of tea unveils the history of tea and how its trade shaped the British Empire and influenced Asian countries. New Zealand seafood recipes from the Auckland Seafood School are also featured in this month’s Cooking Recent Picks, so don’t wait to check them out!