News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

Our selection of books this month provides you with good food for thoughts. Beijing is a super city that’s modernising at great speed, and The last day of Beijing gives you a glimpse of what’s left of the old town. Fulfill your interests and check out the history of Thailand, the Ottoman Empire and Islam Civilization with three items on these topics. And if you are interested by the Easter Rising in Ireland, The Wolf freighter that was the terror of the seas during WW1, and books about Auckland history and Tongan society, check out this month’s History Recent Picks.

We all forget things but when does it become a concern? In Joan Carson Breitung’s book Forgetting: when to worry, what to do, discusses the difference between “normal” forgetfulness and what may have a more serious underlying cause. Aspects of cognitive change is discussed with a focus on the elderly.

Most of us would like to change some part of our body but in general our feelings do not lead to the serious health condition called Body Dismorphic Disorder which causes an unrealistic preoccupation with what is a perceived fault. Overcoming body image problems including body dismorphic disorder: a self-help guide using cognitive behavioural techniques by Peter Breggin explains the disorder and gives advice as to how cognitive therapy can assist.

Anti-cancer: a new way of life by David Kessler looks at ways to make small changes in lifestyle and diet to assist your body to prevent cancer. He covers aspects including stress reduction, the importance of a positive attitude, healthy eating and physical exercise.

Read these books and others about exercise anatomy, sports Pilates and psoriasis in this month’s Health Recent Picks.

The shortlist for this year’s Man Booker Prize has been announced with six finalists chosen from 13 on the long list and which in turn was chosen from the 132 titles submitted.

The shortlist includes a semi autobiographical novel titled Summer Time, by the 2003 Noble Prize for Literature winner J.M. Coetzee. He previously won the Booker Prize in 1983 for The Life and Times of Michael K, and in 1999 for Disgrace. A. S. Byatt with her novel The Children’s Book is also a finalist and a past winner of this prize in 1990 for Possession: a romance.

The most popular book on the shortlist is Hilary Mantel’s historical novel Wolf Hall. Other finalists are Adam Foulds with The Quickening Maze, Sarah Waters with The Little Stranger and Simon Mawer with The Glass Room. The winner will be announced on 6^th October 2009.

Colony Collapse Disorder would be responsible for the decimation of honey bees in North America according to A spring without bees, and as honey bees are mostly responsible for pollinisation of plants, this could spell the end of our fruits and veges. Other popular titles in our non-fiction selection this month are books dealing with how to make more money, gizmos and gadgets of the future, the dictatorship of Body Beautiful, and how faith is rising in our modern world. And if you are interested in The art of war, getting married in New Zealand, and sustainable building, check out our Popular Non Fiction Recent Picks.

The novelist, playwright, Fleet Street columnist and social commentator Keith Waterhouse has died at the age of 80. He worked for 35 years, until 1986 as a columnist in the Daily Mirror and then until this year for the Mail newspaper. He never missed a deadline and his columns were always witty, at times satirical, but always contained pertinent social comment. He was also prolific novelist and playwright, his most famous play being Billy Liar, with the film version being released in 1959. He also wrote for television, notably The Frost Report and the Worzel Gummidge series. Wellington City Libraries holds 17 of his novels and many collections of his newspaper columns. His comic novels include Mrs. Pooter’s Diary, Bimbo, Palace Pier and his last, Good Grief.

What do we have in store for you this month DVD wise? First, lots of TV series and new seasons available: True Blood; Flight of the Conchords; Supernatural; Project Runway; Boston Legal; and Underbelly: a tale of two cities. As far as movies are concerned, you can now check out movies about: an all-girl high school rock band with a challenge; a man intent on proving his innocence; a couple scheming a bold coup; and women testing their friendships. And if you are into HIStory and documentaries, check out this month’s DVD Recent Picks.

Describe an average day:

First thing:  I get up at about 7 am and have some fruit for breakfast or leftovers, if it’s a weekend. Then I get dressed and either go to some school or other if I’m teaching, or attend university if I have classes.

Once I’ve made that choice, I do nerd stuff and talk about inclusive teaching and science for a few hours because I’m training to be a teacher (my two degrees are in Maori Studies, Environmental Studies and Chemistry). Once I’m done with learning I usually try to hang out with some of my friends, I often try and do this over dinner, because cooking is rad. People are my new thing and a great way of avoiding reclusiveness when one lives alone.

Notwithstanding marking and/or homework, I then work on my music or art and email people about their interviews or writing for my zines. Actually, that stuff usually happens after about one in the morning, if at all. I’m pretty busy at the moment.

How did you first get into zines?

My mum is most excellent and had heaps of small-press comics in the house when I was young, stuff like Tim Bollinger’s early strips and the original Pickle series by Dylan Horrocks. (more…)

Our selection of cookbooks this month offers you practical recipes as well as exotic flavors. Little Vietnam introduces you to the best of Vietnamese cuisine while The settler’s cookbook presents recipes mixing Indian with east-African flavors. If you want to have a hint of Italy, the Far-East, or traditional Jewish cooking in your kitchen, our selection can help too! More practical recipes are also available. You can learn how to cook more with less and in no time with items such as The thrifty cookbook, The use-it-all cookbook and Fast Ed’s dinner in 10. And if you are into desserts, check out our Cooking Recent Picks for more recipes.

If speaking in public is stressful, then this is the book to read. Your voice is your calling card: how to power-charge your voice, boost your confidence and speak with joy, ease and conviction by Suzann Rye acknowledges the difficulties many have when called upon to present, perform or debate. Looking at ways of overcoming nerves and stage fright, along with other practical advice will lead to confident speaking in any situation.

Featuring women’s poetry from 1900 through to the present, Women’s work: modern women poets writing in English has a selection incorporating aspects of women’s lives including work, children, God and lust!  This title includes work from authors as diverse as Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath and Carol Ann Duffy.

New Zealander David Haywood’s unusual title My first stabbing is described as a collection of “strange meanderings”. Reviews of the book have said it is biting, very funny and written by one of the best new writers to have come on the scene for a while.

Enjoy these books and others covering television reviews, spiritual writings, Keats and Kurt Vonnegut in this month’s Literature Recent Picks.

Grace Kelly made eleven feature films in just seven years which quickly established her as one of Hollywood’s iconic figures. High society: Grace Kelly and Hollywood by Donald Spoto draws on a series of taped interviews that follows her life from convent girl to model to television actress to screen idol to European princess. Her departure from Hollywood definitely left a gap.

Much has been written about Henry VIII and not always flattering. In Derek Wilson’s book A brief history of Henry VIII: reformer and tyrant he explores the myths behind the image and presents a new look at this fascinating King.

Not becoming my mother: and other things she taught me along the way by culinary author Ruth Reichl follows her relationship with her mother who encouraged her daughter to choose her own path.

Read about these people along wtih other books about The Grand Turk, Sir Keith Park and Andrew Motion (UK Poet Laureate) in August’s Biography Recent Picks.