News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

We’ve rounded up our favourite fiction for 2011 – now it’s time for our non-fiction picks. These are a bit different from our fiction picks in that many are 2011 ‘discoveries’, as opposed to new titles published this year. We hope you enjoy them – it’s always interesting to look back over the year and review what we’ve been reading!

In the end, we wound up with so many recommendations from our librarians that we’ve decided to put half this post below a cut – just click the ‘more’ link to keep reading. It’s an occupational hazard – we love books and love reviewing them. On another note – we’d also love to hear what you’ve been enjoying this year. Comment and let us know!

Boomerang : travels in the new Third World / Michael Lewis.
A new title from the author of The Big Short. In this book, Michael Lewis (financial journalist and serial author of plain-speaking bestsellers that unravel the human element of financial disaster), explains the ins and outs of what some countries did when – as he puts it, “a big pile of money was left in a dark room and [they] were left to do whatever they wanted with it. Everyone faced the same temptation. The banks were willing to lend to anyone. But what [countries] wanted to do was so different from place to place”. From Icelandic fishermen who swapped careers and became investment bankers trading in billions, to the housing boom and bust in Ireland and its underpinnings, this book will astonish (and horrify) you. Michael Lewis creates a narrative that builds and builds the story – don’t start this one on a worknight, you’ll find yourself still reading long after you meant be asleep. This title was only published in October 2011, so it’s as up to date with the Eurozone crisis as you’re likely to get in book form. (Beth, Celeste)

How to land an A330 Airbus : and other vital skills for the modern man / James May.
In this book, James May, (of Top Gear fame) has compiled the most important ‘practical’ skills for the modern male. The chapters on how to land an Airbus are particularly enlightening, and the reasoning on why the modern male must know how to deliver twins makes complete sense (!). By far and away the best part for me were the chapters on ‘How to escape from a Butlins holiday camp, should it be turned into a POW camp’, and then ‘How to successfully invade the Isle of Wight once you have escaped from the aformentioned camp’. (Jamie)

Retromania : pop culture’s addiction to its own past / Simon Reynolds.
‘Retromania’ is a fascinating look at how popular culture seems trapped in a loop of endlessly recycling itself. If music, fashion & culture are continually looking backward to other era’s for inspiration then where is the originality of the next decade going to come from? Reynolds is a well known English music writer so this book is focused mostly on music, though it does take in a larger cultural perspective also. Recommended. (Mark)

A bigger message : conversations with David Hockney / Martin Gayford.
Over a decade or more art critic Martin Gayford has recorded his conversations with artist David Hockney, and here they are now in this lovely book, accompanied by many illustrations. Hockney’s enthusiasm – for English trees, for painting, for other painters’ work, for new technologies, for life itself – is contagious. Some of his latest works, done on his iPhone and iPad, are delightful. This book will enhance your life. (Pauline)

Spaces / by Frankie Magazine ; [editor, Louise Bannister].
I really enjoyed ‘Spaces’ this year – an interior design book by the creators of Frankie magazine. It’s full of creative and retro-inspired designs for the home and office with beautiful, big photographs. If you’re a fan of all things quirky, cute and vintage with a modern twist then you’ll thoroughly love this book! (Theresa)
(Side note from Editor: And if you enjoy this book, try one of Frankie magazine’s other published books)

When I am playing with my cat, how do I know she is not playing with me? : Montaigne and being in touch with life / Saul Frampton.
A very entertaining biography of Montaigne, French philosopher and author who got up to all sorts of mischief in his later life. Quite inspiring and thought-provoking. (Nancy)
A Booklist reviewer had this to say:
“Everyone looks in front of himself; wrote Montaigne. As for me… I consider myself continuously: I taste myself. [...] For decades devoted to a Christian stoicism that prepares the devout for death, Montaigne reacted to a series of deaths in his immediate circle by rediscovering life. Thereafter the writer immersed himself in all the immediate sense impressions that his unpredictable curiosity opened to him. Recorded in his famous essays, this renascent joy in life endows rather simple experiences like playing with a cat and walking through an orchard, with unexpected emotional resonance.” (Christensen, Bryce Copyright 2010 Booklist)

The happiness project : or why I spent a year trying to sing in the morning, clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle, and generally have more fun / Gretchen Rubin.
Wanting to change your life, re-focus your thinking and increase your happiness? Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany and set off on a journey that could help you too. Here’s a review from Amazon.com:
“Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. ‘The days are long, but the years are short,’ she realized. ‘Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.’ In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project. In this lively and compelling account of that year, Rubin carves out her place alongside the authors of bestselling memoirs such as Julie and Julia, The Year of Living Biblically, and Eat, Pray, Love. With humor and insight, she chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.” (Fleur’s pick)

Tana Ramsay’s Family kitchen : simple and delicious recipes for every family.
Forget the foul mouth and hissy fits of Gordon and turn to Tana instead. This calm, English mother of four has devised delicious, workable no-fuss meals which you can whip up with ease and without the need to throw anything around the kitchen (à la Gordon). It is lavishly illustrated and the pictures of the food, Tana and the Ramsay children are a delight. (The library holds two other cookbooks by Tana Ramsay) (Sue)

An exacting heart : the story of Hephzibah Menuhin / Jacqueline Kent.
You don’t have to know anything about music to enjoy this wonderfully well-written biography of a fascinating woman. The sister of the famous Yehudi was equally gifted – she played the piano, he played the violin – but his talent was nurtured at the expense of hers. The extraordinary story of her marriage to a wealthy and cultivated Australian pastoralist, the birth of her two sons, her abandonment of them and subsequent defection into the arms of a suspect Viennese social worker makes for riveting reading. One of the book’s big questions – why did Hephzibah abandon her promising career as a musician? – remains unanswered, but various hypotheses are advanced… (Sue)

Arguably / Christopher Hitchens.
A mammoth collection of essays by the late writer and commentator, ranging in subject matter from literary criticism to politics to entertainment to petty annoyances. This book is a poignant reminder of how much Christopher Hitchens and his forthright and incisive opinions will be missed. (Neil)

I, Partridge : we need to talk about Alan / Alan Partridge ; with Rob Gibbons, Neil Gibbons, Armando Iannucci and Steve Coogan.
A fictitious autobiography of the long-running television and radio presenter, Alan Partridge, this is a painful and hilarious book that has you cringing and laughing at the same time. (Neil)

Shockaholic / Carrie Fisher.
Another memoir from the funny and talented actress, this covers her electric shock therapy, her relationship with her father, and her intimate encounters with various celebrities, from Elizabeth Taylor to Michael Jackson and Teddy Kennedy. (Neil)

Gifted hands : the Ben Carson story / Ben Carson, M.D., with Cecil Murphey.
Over the last three weeks I’ve been reading one of the most inspiring books I’ve ever read. It’s by Benjamin Carson, it’s called ‘Gifted Hands’, and it’s about the author and his path to success. An amazing true story that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. Ben was born in an inner-city neighbourhood to a single mum who believed in her boys, worked three jobs to support them, and only had a 3rd grade education. At the bottom of his class in school, Ben’s mother encouraged him to believe in his own potential and to strive to become what he wanted to be – a doctor. Ben Carson is a neurosurgeon, and Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins teaching hospital in the United States – and this is his story. A risk-taker in his profession – he successfully separated a pair of conjoined twins when most other doctors said it could not be done – he now hopes to help other young people realise their dreams like he did his. (Taitu)

The unlikely disciple : a sinner’s semester at America’s holiest university / Kevin Roose.
This is the story of Kevin Roose, a Brown University journalism student who decided to take a semester out, enrol at Liberty University (a school founded by evangelist Larry Falwell in 1971 and currently the largest Evangelical Christian university in the world), and explore the God Divide in America. Liberty is an ultra-conservative college whose students agree to abide by a code of conduct – The Liberty Way – that includes strictures on dress, interaction between the sexes, and personal conduct. This is not a Michael Moore style “exposé”: it is in fact a real effort from one side of the religious (and political) spectrum in America to understand the other. Roose makes friends, struggles with the ethics of concealing his motives for being at Liberty, and ultimately, struggles with his own idea of faith as much as he watches his classmates struggle with theirs. Well-written and compelling. (Celeste)

The Territorials : the history of the territorial and volunteer forces of New Zealand / Peter Cooke & John Crawford.
Many New Zealanders have taken pride in serving with the Territorials. This very handsome book is the official commemoration of the centenary of the founding of that citizen army and charts its history from its formation in 1910 to the present day. It has been sponsored by the NZ Defence Force and was written by two military historians. One former Territorial serviceman describes it as ‘a reference book readily dipped into and difficult to put down.’ (Sue)

Day of honey : a memoir of food, love, and war / Annia Ciezadlo.
This is a fascinating account of life in Baghdad and Beirut by two war correspondents. Anna escapes from the reality of the war around her by forging a cooking bond with her mother-in-law who doesn’t speak English. (Sylvia)
Booklist has this to say:
“‘I cook to comprehend the place I’ve landed in,’ muses Ciezadlo early in her first book, a vividly written memoir of her adventures in travel and taste in the Middle East. Like any successful travelogue writer, she fills her pages with luminous, funny, and stirring portraits of the places and people she came across in her time abroad. But there is also, always, her passion for food, and through it, she parses the many conundrums she faced in her wanderings, such as the struggle to define identity, ethnic and personal, and the challenge of maintaining social continuity in wartime.” (Lagodzinski, Taina. Copyright 2010 Booklist)

The FSG book of twentieth-century Latin American poetry : an anthology / edited by Ilan Stavans.
Heavy-hitting selection of the best of Latin American poetry from the last century. Included are great poets such as Jorge Luis Borges, Pablo Neruda and Octavio Paz but also anthologised are less known but no less able poets from Cuba, Brazil and Portugal. Convincingly, lyrically translated by Ursula Le Guin, Robert Bly, Elizabeth Bishop and many other writers, this is a fantastic collection and introduction to what is a passionate and uncompromisingly intellectual poetic tradition. (Monty)

Colors of New York / [author: Donna Dailey].
PIck up this book and you can visit New York without actually makng the trip – all the colour, vibrancy and excitement of this great city is celebrated in this book, from dawn to dusk and then to nightfall. The beautiful full-page plates sing with life. (The library also has AA colors of Mexico) (Sue)

(more…)

Most people have a curiosity about the lives of others - we like to twitch the lace curtains and peek into the worlds of those who are those who are famous, in the public eye or just have an interesting story to tell. This is why (sometimes despite protestations to the contrary!) we’re all happy to pick up a New Zealand Woman’s Weekly or other, similar, magazine when we’re at the doctor’s or the dentist’s surgery, and catch up on all our celebrity news!! So, to round out the year, and to satisfy that itch, we have some really fascinating stories for you here – lives ancient and modern and some in between. Have a browse!

Cleopatra : a life / Stacy Schiff.
“Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Stacy Schiff brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Though her life spanned fewer than 40 years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world.” (Syndetics summary).

The horror of love / Lisa Hilton.
“‘I’ve given up everything – my friends, my family, my country, & he simply roared with laughter, and then of course so did I’ — Nancy Mitford. ‘The Horror of Love’ is a story about two middle-aged, not particularly attractive people who conducted a less than ideal love affair in post-war France. [Nancy Mitford and Free French commander Gaston Palewski.] She was febrile, needy and given to ’shrieking’, he was pompous, acne-scarred and an incorrigible philanderer. Both their lives had been blighted by war in a manner which is now almost inaccessible to the contemporary imagination. He inspired and encouraged her to write one of the funniest, most painfully poignant and best-loved novels of the late twentieth century, she supported him through a tumultuous political career. Their mutual life was spent amongst some of the most exciting, powerful and controversial figures of their times in the reawakening centre of European civilization.” (Abridged summary from Global Books)

Titanic love stories : the true stories of 13 honeymoon couples who sailed on the Titanic / Gill Paul ; [introduction by Bruce Beveridge].
“On 10th April 1912, the new RMS Titanic set sail on her fateful voyage from Southampton to New York. Among those on board were 13 newly-wed couples, with dreams of starting a new life together. Titanic Love Stories features haunting portraits of these honeymooners – true stories of love, tragedy, heroism and hope more remarkable than any work of romantic fiction” (Abridged summary Global Books)

Eva Braun : life with Hitler / Heike B. Görtemaker ; translated from the German by Damion Searls.
“The first comprehensive biography of Eva Braun: an authoritative reassessment of her role in Hitler’s life, which gives us, as well, an astonishingly revealing portrait of Hitler and his inner circle. In this groundbreaking book, German historian Heike B. Gortemaker reveals the real woman behind the myth of the vapid blonde with whom Hitler spent the last eighteen years of his life. Eva Braun’s relationship with the Fuhrer flew in the face of his proclamations that Germany was his only bride. In fact, he and Braun lived a bourgeois existence out of the public eye, and her identity was kept secret by the Third Reich until the final days of the war. Uncompromising and fiercely loyal to Hitler, she committed suicide with him two days after their marriage” (Abridged summary from Global Books)

Columbus : the four voyages / Laurence Bergreen.
“Christopher Columbus’s 1492 voyage across the Atlantic Ocean in search of a trading route to China, and his unexpected landfall in the Americas, is a watershed event in world history. Yet Columbus made three more voyages within the span of only a decade, each designed to demonstrate that he could sail to China within a matter of weeks and convert those he found there to Christianity. These later voyages were even more adventurous, violent, and ambiguous, but they revealed Columbus’s uncanny sense of the sea, his mingled brilliance and delusion, and his superb navigational skills. In all these exploits he almost never lost a sailor. By their conclusion, however, Columbus was broken in body and spirit.” (Library Catalogue)

Blue nights / by Joan Didion.
“From one of America’s most powerful writers, a work of stunning frankness about losing a daughter. Richly textured with bits of her own childhood and married life with her husband, John Gregory Dunne, and daughter, Quintana Roo, this new book by Joan Didion examines her thoughts, fears, and doubts regarding having children, illness, and growing old. Blue Nights opens on July 26, 2010, as Didion thinks back to Quintana’s wedding in New York seven years before. Today would be her wedding anniversary.”(Abridged summary from Global Books)

George Eliot : the last Victorian / Kathryn Hughes.
“This intensely engaging biography examines the extraordinary life of George Eliot from her childhood, through her scandalous liaison and social exile, to her hard-won status as one of Victorian England’s literary elite.” (Syndetics summary).

Here comes trouble : stories from my life / Michael Moore.
“In this smart, funny, insightful and counterintuitive book, Michael Moore will take on the major issues of our society, one by one, showing with great clarity and persuasiveness, that the two sides are really not as far apart as everyone assumes on what we conventionally view as the most divisive issues of our times. To name a few: Unions, Minimum Wage, Big Business, Immigration, Daycare, Social Security, Crime & Punishment, Taxes, The Military. The book will make us think differently about the term ‘common ground’. It will surprise people. It will make them laugh. And, most importantly, it will get them talking.” (Syndetics summary).

Jack Kennedy : elusive hero / Chris Matthews.
“Based on interviews with some of his closest associates, a portrait of the thirty-fifth president discusses his privileged childhood, military service, struggles with a life-threatening disease, and career in politics”. (Library Catalogue)

Pippa Blake : journey / Pippa Blake in collaboration with Trish Clarke.
“On 5 December 2001 New Zealand sporting and adventure hero Sir Peter Blake was killed by bandits at the mouth of the Amazon River. In this intimate account, Pippa Blake offers a private view of Sir Peter the husband and family man. Unpublished photographs from her personal albums, behind the scenes stories of Sir Peter’s sailing adventures and Pippa’s own journal entries and artworks provide a moving insight into a life shared with one of this country’s greatest sporting legends.” (Library Catalogue)

Two of our popular databases have expanded to include even more information:

Times Digital Archive

Times Digital Archive has added twenty years to its coverage of world events. It now extends from 1785 to 2006 (previous coverage stopped at 1985), covering the tumultuous period at the end of the 20^th century and the beginning of the 21^st century.

This is a great resource if you need primary sources (i.e. created during the time you’re studying) on just about any subject. View the article as it actually appeared in The Times (London), and print, download or email articles for use in your assignments (or for your own interest!).

Key areas of interest that now have coverage are:

• Geopolitics: the end of the Cold War, and the rise of global terrorism.

  Read: Iron Curtain Torn Open: Berliners Cross the Wall to Freedom, 10 November 1989.

• War: the collapse of Yugoslavia, the Gulf Wars, conflict in Afghanistan, war in the Congo.

  Read: Kuwait Fears Invasion over Iraqi Demands, 2 August 1990.

• Tragedy: Rwandan genocide, the Boxing Day tsunami, Kobe earthquake.

  Read: Ocean Quake, 27 December 2004.

• Politics: encompassing the Thatcher-Major- Blair years in the UK, and the second Reagan administration to the George W Bush presidency in the USA.

  Read: We Played it By the Book, Say Bush Aides, 11 November 2000.

• Sport: including 6 football World Cups and 5 Olympic games; including Ben Johnson’s drug-fuelled win in Seoul in 1988.

  Read: Canada Opposes Letting Johnson Run in Olympics, 23 November 1988.

• And much more…

Oxford Art Online

Oxford Art Online now includes ‘Art of New Zealand’. This update features 33 specially commissioned new and expanded articles on the art of New Zealand, developed under the direction of Leonard Bell of the University of Auckland.

Highlights include biographies of significant figures including Colin McCahon and Shane Cotton. Enjoy!

(To celebrate this extra content, the iconic painting of Cass by Rita Angus will feature on Oxford Art’s homepage until the end of February 2012!)

This year has thrown up a few Holmesian offerings, including the news that Anthony Horowitz (author of the Alex Rider teen spy series of books, as well as creator and writer of television series Foyle’s War and Midsomer Murders), had been chosen by the estate of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write the first officially sanctioned continuation of the adventures of that most logical of all detectives, Sherlock Holmes. House of Silk was the result – published in November, and on the New York Times’ Bestseller List currently at no. 31. Holmes has also recently appeared in the updated BBC television series, Sherlock (co-created by Steven Moffat, of Doctor Who fame), set in the present day, and Shadows Over Baker Street – an anthology of short stories that take the ultra-rational Holmes, and intersect his world with the nightmare world of H. P. Lovecraft. And of course, the next film starring Robert Downey Jr. as the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, is due to be released on January 5th. So, in celebration of a year of Holmes, and to get you ready for the next movie instalment, here are some Holmesian adaptations in books over the years. Enjoy!

The house of silk / Anthony Horowitz.
First off the ranks: the new official adventure:
“London, 1890. 221B Baker St. A fine art dealer named Edmund Carstairs visits Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson to beg for their help. He is being menaced by a strange man in a flat cap – a wanted criminal who seems to have followed him all the way from America. In the days that follow, his home is robbed, his family is threatened. And then the first murder takes place. Almost unwillingly, Holmes and Watson find themselves being drawn ever deeper into an international conspiracy connected to the teeming criminal underworld of Boston, the gaslit streets of London, opium dens and much, much more. And as they dig, they begin to hear the whispered phrase-the House of Silk-a mysterious entity that connects the highest levels of government to the deepest depths of criminality. Holmes begins to fear that he has uncovered a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the very fabric of society.” (Amazon.com)

Shadows over Baker Street / edited by Michael Reaves and John Pelan.
Horror and intrigue as the worlds of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and H.P. Lovecraft meet:
“Here’s a real treat for fans of Sherlock Holmes, H. P. Lovecraft, and everyone in between: 20 original stories by writers of horror and fantasy. Neil Gaiman is here, along with Barbara Hambly, Richard Lupoff, Brian Stableford, Poppy Z. Brite, and many more. The premise is engaging: What if the world of Holmes, the world’s most logical and rational detective, intersected with the world of Lovecraft, where logic and rationality have little meaning? These are stories about strange beasts, men cursed to death, and the walking un-dead. Most feature a powerful narrative voice. One stars Irene Adler and takes place nearly a decade before the events recounted in the classic Conan Doyle story, A Scandal in Bohemia. Another is narrated by H. G. Wells. Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock’s brother, appears in one tale; still another has Dr. Watson becoming Holmes’ client. The stories, set between 1881 and 1915, are uniformly excellent, and the book is a welcome addition to the Holmes canon.” (Booklist)

Study in Sherlock : stories inspired by the Holmes canon / edited by Laurie R. King & Leslie S. Klinger
This one’s still on order, but looks amazing:
“Bestselling authors go Holmes – in an irresistible new collection edited by award-winning Sherlockians Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger. Neil Gaiman. Laura Lippman. Lee Child. These are just three of eighteen superstar authors who provide fascinating, thrilling, and utterly original perspectives on Sherlock Holmes in this one-of-a-kind book. These modern masters place the sleuth in suspenseful new situations, create characters who solve Holmesian mysteries, contemplate Holmes in his later years, fill gaps in the Sherlock Holmes Canon, and reveal their own personal obsessions with the Great Detective. Thomas Perry, for example, has Dr. Watson tell his tale, in a virtuoso work of alternate history that finds President McKinley approaching the sleuth with a disturbing request; Lee Child sends an FBI agent to investigate a crime near today’s Baker Street—only to get a twenty-first-century shock; Jacqueline Winspear spins a story of a plucky boy inspired by the detective to make his own deductions; and graphic artist Colin Cotterill portrays his struggle to complete this assignment in his hilarious ‘The Mysterious Case of the Unwritten Short Story.’” (Amazon.com)

The beekeeper’s apprentice / Laurie R. King.
The first in Laurie R. King’s Mary Russell series, featuring a still active Holmes in Edwardian England, and his young partner, Mary Russell. Other staples of the Holmes universe appear also, including Watson, Mycroft, Billy (now a much older Irregular), and Mrs Hudson. (Laurie R. King also edited the anthology above)
“Sherlock Holmes takes on a young, female apprentice in this delightful and well-wrought addition to the master detective’s casework. In the early years of WW I, 15-year-old American Mary Russell encounters Holmes, retired in Sussex Downs where Conan Doyle left him raising bees. Mary, an orphan rebelling against her guardian aunt’s strictures, impresses the sleuth with her intelligence and acumen. Holmes initiates her into the mysteries of detection, allowing her to participate in a few cases when she comes home from her studies at Oxford. King (A Grave Talent) has created a fitting partner for the Great Detective: a quirky, intelligent woman who can hold her own with a man renowned for his contempt for other people’s thought processes.” (Publishers Weekly)

The final solution : a story of detection / Michael Chabon.
In Michael Chabon’s tale, Holmes is never named, but fans will recognise him still. Another tale of Holmes in later life.
“In deep retirement in the English country-side, an eighty-nine-year-old man, vaguely recollected by locals as a once-famous detective, is more concerned with his beekeeping than with his fellow man. Into his life wanders Linus Steinman, nine years old and mute, who has escaped from Nazi Germany with his sole companion: an African gray parrot. What is the meaning of the mysterious strings of German numbers the bird spews out – a top-secret SS code? The keys to a series of Swiss bank accounts perhaps? Or something more sinister? Is the solution to this last case – the real explanation of the mysterious boy and his parrot – beyond even the reach of the once-famed sleuth?” (Amazon.com)

The seven-percent solution, by Nicholas Meyer.
Holmes confronts his cocaine addiction with the help of – would you believe, Sigmund Freud? The two embark on a case together:
“First ‘discovered’ and then painstakingly edited and annotated by Nicholas Meyer, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution relates the astounding and previously unknown collaboration of Sigmund Freud with Sherlock Holmes, as recorded by Holmes’s friend and chronicler, Dr. John H. Watson. In addition to its breathtaking account of their collaboration on a case of diabolic conspiracy in which the lives of millions hang in the balance, it reveals such matters as the real identity of the heinous professor Moriarty, the dark secret shared by Sherlock and his brother Mycroft Holmes, and the detective’s true whereabouts during the Great Hiatus, when the world believed him to be dead.” (Amazon.com)

A slight trick of the mind : a novel / Mitch Cullin.
This may not be for everyone, but it is an intriguing examination of the character of Holmes in his (much, much) later years. How would Holmes of the razor-sharp mind deal with the inevitable process of ageing? A character portrait of an aged, and isolated, Holmes. Also features a love interest that is not Irene Adler…
“It is 1947, and the long-retired Holmes, now ninety-three, lives in a remote Sussex farmhouse, where his memories and intellect begin to go adrift. He lives with a housekeeper and her young son, Roger, whose patient, respectful demeanor stirs paternal affection in Holmes. Holmes has settled into the routine of tending his apiary, writing in journals, and grappling with the diminishing powers of his razor-sharp mind, when Roger comes upon a case hitherto unknown. It is that of a Mrs. Keller, the long-ago object of Holmes’s deep – and never acknowledged – infatuation.” (Book jacket)

The Italian secretary : a further adventure of Sherlock Holmes / Caleb Carr.
Caleb Carr pitts Holmes once more (think Hound of the Baskervilles) against the seemingly paranormal:
“Caleb Carr presents the hawk-faced consulting detective with a yarn woven of paranormal plot threads, the mystery this time rooted in the fatal 16th-century stabbing of David Rizzio, a music teacher and confidant to Mary, Queen of Scots. For Holmes and his affable annalist, Dr. John Watson, this spirited escapade begins sometime in the late 19th century with their receipt, in London, of an encrypted telegram from Sherlock’s eccentric elder brother, Mycroft, “a senior but anonymous government official.” It summons them to Edinburgh, Scotland, where architect Sir Alistair Sinclair and his foreman, Dennis McKay, have been slain in the midst of rehabilitating the medieval west tower of the Royal Palace of Holyrood – the very wing where Queen Mary had lived, and where Rizzio had met his brutal, politically motivated end. Mycroft fears these murders portend new threats against Britain’s present monarch – the elderly Queen Victoria, who infrequently lodges at the palace – by a known assassin, perhaps in nefarious league with the German Kaiser. En route north, Holmes and Watson are menaced aboard their train by a red-bearded bomb thrower (supposedly a rabid Scots nationalist), only to discover that still greater dangers await them, and others, at Holyroodhouse. The plaintive drone of a weeping woman, cruelly punctured and shattered corpses, a pool of blood “that never dries,” and a disembodied Italian voice with unexpected musical tastes all imply the wrath of wraiths behind recent atrocities. But Holmes and Watson deduce that greed, rather than ghosts, may be to blame.” (Amazon.com)

The patient’s eyes : the dark beginnings of Sherlock Holmes / David Pirie.
Not exactly Sherlock Holmes, but still Holmesian with a fictional version of Dr. Joseph Bell (Conan Doyle’s inspiration for the character of Sherlock Holmes), in partnership with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle:
“An atmospheric, literary thriller that partners Dr. Joseph Bell (widely believed to be the model for Sherlock Holmes himself) and Arthur Conan Doyle as innovators in criminal investigation, exploring the strange underworld of violence and sexual hypocrisy running beneath the surface of the Victorian era. David Pirie is the author of two other critically acclaimed novels in the Arthur Conan Doyle series, The Night Calls and The Dark Water. He lives in Bath.” (Syndetics summary)

The last Sherlock Holmes story / Michael Dibdin.
Michael Dibdin sets Holmes against Jack the Ripper:
“In the late seventies an extraordinary document came to light which for fifty years had been held on deposit by the bankers of the deceased John Herbert Watson MD – better known to devotees of Conan Doyle as Dr Watson. A continuous narrative in the doctor’s own hand, the story opens in the East End of London in 1898. Three women have been savagely murdered by Jack the Ripper. To calm the public outcry, Scotland Yard approaches London’s most eminent detective, Sherlock Holmes, and asks him to investigate the mystery.” (Amazon.co.uk)

Want to read more? Browse novels that feature the character of Sherlock Holmes on our Easyfind catalogue. You can also download (and keep!) all of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories from our collection of downloadable, public domain, eBook titles. (Just search for ‘Conan Doyle’, and you’ll find them!)

Have we missed your favourites? Comment and let us know!

December/January is traditionally the time for New Year’s resolutions, and here are a few books to help you better understand some of the factors that can undermine – or help you succeed – with these. Find out why successful and capable people often still suffer from imposter syndrome, understand the magic behind those moments when everything just seems to ‘click’, discover what it is about human nature that makes us prone to wilful blindness, and find out how the believing brain works. Enjoy!

The secret thoughts of successful women : why capable people suffer from the impostor syndrome and how to thrive in spite of it / Valerie Young.
“An internationally known speaker, Valerie Young has devoted her career to understanding women’s most deeply held beliefs about themselves and their success. In her decades of in-the-trenches research, she has uncovered the often surprising reasons why so many accomplished women experience this crushing self-doubt. In The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, Young gives these women the solution they have been seeking. Combining insightful analysis with effective advice and anecdotes, she explains what the impostor syndrome is, why fraud fears are more common in women, and how you can recognize the way it manifests in your life.” (Syndetics summary)

Click : the magic of instant connections – and how they can transform our work and relationships / Ori Brafman and Rom Brafman.
“In a book that combines psychology and sociology with an insightful understanding of human interactions, Ori and Rom Brafman have written a compelling narrative that helps us to understand the magic behind those moments when we form an incredible connection with other people, or which cause us to become fully engaged in whatever we are doing. In a page-turning narrative in the fashion of their previous book, Sway, the co-authors explore those peak moments in our lives when people or hobbies or activities fully engage our attention – when they ‘click’ with us. Drawing from recent research in psychology and sociology, and told through the same kinds of engaging stories that made Sway a New York Times bestseller, Click takes us on a roller coaster journey of discovery into those moments in our lives when we are ‘in the zone’ – when the rest of the world drops away and everything seems to fall into place.” (Global Books in Print)

Wilful blindness : why we ignore the obvious at our peril / Margaret Heffernan.
“In this book, distinguished business woman and writer, Margaret Heffernan, examines the phenomenon of wilful blindness. Drawing on a wide array of sources from psychological studies and social statistics to interviews with the relevant protagonists she examines what it is about human nature which makes us so prone to wilful blindness. Taught from infancy to obey authority, and absorbing the importance of selective vision as a key social skill, humans exacerbate their tendency to become institutionalised by joining organisations which are run by like-minded people. She looks at how hard-work and the information overload of the modern workplace add to the problem. And she examines why whistleblowers and Cassandras are so very rare. Ranging freely through history and from business to science, government to the family, this engaging and anecdotal book will explain why wilful blindness is so dangerous in the globalised, interconnected world in which we live, before suggesting ways in which institutions and individuals can start to combat it. In the tradition of Malcolm Gladwell and Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Margaret Heffernan’s thought provoking book will force open our eyes.” (Global Books in Print)

The believing brain : from ghosts and gods to politics and conspiracies–how we construct beliefs and reinforce them as truths / Michael Shermer.
“Synthesizing thirty years of research, psychologist and science historian Michael Shermer upends the traditional thinking about how humans form beliefs about the world. Simply put, beliefs come first and explanations for beliefs follow. The brain, Shermer argues, is a belief engine. Using sensory data that flow in through the senses, the brain naturally begins to look for and find patterns, and then infuses those patterns with meaning, forming beliefs. Once beliefs are formed the brain begins to look for and find confirmatory evidence in support of those beliefs, accelerating the process of reinforcing them, and round and round the process goes in a positive-feedback loop.In The Believing Brain, Shermer provides countless real-world examples of how this process operates, from politics, economics, and religion to conspiracy theories, the supernatural, and the paranormal. And ultimately, he demonstrates why science is the best tool ever devised to determine whether or not our beliefs match reality.” (Global Books in Print)

30-second psychology : the 50 most thought-provoking psychology theories, each explained in half a minute / editor, Christian Jarrett
“30-Second Psychology takes the top 50 strands of thinking in this fascinating field, and explains them to the general reader in half a minute, using nothing more than two pages, 300 words and one picture. While unravelling the inner workings of the human mind it also introduces many of the luminaries in the field along the way, including William James, Aaron Beck and (of course) Sigmund Freud. From Behaviourism to Cognitivism, what better way to get a handle on your inner demons?” (Book jacket)

The crafty librarian recommends the following pretty new books!

Handcrafted wire findings : techniques and designs for custom jewelry components / Jane Dickerson, Denise Peck.
“Add personal style at minimal cost with custom-made findings. …Making custom findings enables jewelry makers to affordably create just the right component to complement their own jewelry designs. …With fundamental skills for beginners that progress to more sophisticated designs, this book covers techniques such as basic wirework, texturizing, silver fusing, adding patina, and traditional finishes. ….” (Syndetics summary)

Terrific toe-up socks : knit to fit / Janet Rehfeldt.
I know! Another sock book! But for those of you that can manage them this book has some different (and lovely) designs and very clear instructions for those trying their first sock. (Crafty Librarian)

Hoopla : the art of unexpected embroidery / Leanne Prain ; photography by Jeff Christenson.
“…Prain takes a traditional approach, beginning with a cursory look at the craft’s history and highlighting practicalities, such as tools and equipment, finishing techniques, and stitching resources. But it is between these lines that the author’s true innovation and fun starts: specifically, with interviews with 28 working embroiderers and the same number of unusual projects to complete. … Projects don’t disappoint, with directions as clear as the designs are funky: handkerchiefs emblazoned with microbes, a modern cuckoo clock stitched on Aida cloth, and knuckle-tattoo church gloves…., Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.” (Booklist)

Hop skip jump : 20 eco-friendly toys to sew / Fiona Dalton.
This book shows us how to make 20 gorgeous soft toys using natural and repurposed materials. It’s so much more special to give a handmade gift than to purchase something mass-produced. Here you’ll find a raft of fun and easy-to-sew toys, including Arnold the penguin, Doris the sausage dog and Harriet the tortoise. (Syndetics Summary)

Knitting pleats : stunning garments and accessories / Olga Pobedinskaya.
If you are looking for that next step in knitting and wanting to play with different textures then this book is a must. (Crafty Librarian)

Have kids at home to entertain? Try one of these new DVD titles!

Kung fu panda 2
“Po the Panda is now living his dream as The Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, The Furious Five. But Po’s new life of awesomeness is threatened by the emergence of a formidable villain, who plans to use a secret, unstoppable weapon to conquer China and destroy kung fu! Po must look to his past and uncover the secrets of his mysterious origins in order to able to unlock the strength he needs to succeed…” (We found this review on the Library Catalogue)

Cars 2
“Star racecar Lightning McQueen and the incomparable tow truck Mater take their friendship on the road from Radiator Springs to exciting new places when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours, and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage!” (We found this review on the back cover)

Phineas and Ferb : the movie. Across the 2nd dimension
“When Phineas, Ferb, and Perry follow Dr. Doofenshmirtz through his ‘Otherdimensionator,’ they find themselves in an alternate universe where a second, truly evil Dr. Doof rules over his Tristate Area with an army of iron-fisted robots. To save his friends from certain doom, Perry makes the ultimate sacrifice by revealing his secret identity as Agent P. Phineas and Ferb escape, meet their 2nd dimension selves, and begin their own mission to rescue Perry” (We found this review on the Library Catalogue)

Star Wars. The padawan menace
“Tour guide Master Yoda leads a group of rambunctious Jedi younglings through Senate chambers when he senses a disturbance in the Force. Summoned to help save the Republic, he discovers that one of the younglings, Ian, has secretly boarded his ship– Meanwhile, C-3PO and R2-D2 are put in charge of the boisterous group and find themselves in over their heads. As the evil Sith prepare to wreak havoc, it’s up to Yoda and the Droids to ensure that their young charges aren’t torn to bricks” (We found this review on the Library Catalogue)

This months recent picks from the New Zealand reference collection includes some New Zealand travel guides of interest to walkers, eco tourists and travellers who are interested in the history of the places they are visiting. There is also the Peter Wells biography of William Colenso.

A walking guide to New Zealand’s long trail : Te Araroa / Geoff Chapple. “This is the guidebook of Te Araroa Trail: The Long Pathway, a continuous trail running from Cape Reinga to Bluff, 35 years in the making, which will officially open in late 2011. The book maps the 3000-kilometre trail in 40-kilometre sections. Photographs of the trail illustrate each section. Each of the 12 regional sections opens with a stunning 2-page 3D map. This book is an accessible guide both for those who only want to walk parts of the trail and dedicated trampers who intend to walk its entire length.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Organic explorer : eco-friendly places to eat, stay and explore in New Zealand / [Leonie Johnsen]. “The first guide book to organic food and eco-friendly places to eat, stay and explore throughout New Zealand. Included in the book are over 350 listings of: * Organic food cafes, restaurants, gate sales, places to shop nationwide. * Comprehensive list of Farmers’ Markets throught the country. * Eco-friendly places to stay including straw bale, mud brick and natural timber B&Bs, homestays, selff-contained cottages as well as luxury eco-lodges. * Wellness retreats, yoga retreats, day spas and health packages. * Authentic and intimate Maori tourism experiences with a contemporary perspective. * Nature-based activities and adventures.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

A traveller’s history of New Zealand and the South Pacific islands / John H. Chambers.
“A Traveller’s History of New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands gives the curious tourist not only a modern day portrait of New Zealand and the far flung islands, their political systems and economic diversity, but also looks at the early settling of this massive area which covers about a fifth of the whole surface of the earth. When European navigators first sailed into the region, they were astonished at the exotic shared culture and language of the natives, separated in many cases by terrifying stretches of open ocean. The story of the peopling of the South Pacific Islands and New Zealand is one of the world’s great epics.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Walks to waterfalls : 100 New Zealand waterfalls / Russell Kirkpatrick.
“Highlights a hundred of the best and most accessible waterfalls in New Zealand, including those close to urban areas. Walks for all ages and states of fitness are included and access is described in detail with the routes graded according to ease of use. Ideal to take on journeys and to use when planning holidays.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The hungry heart : journeys with William Colenso / Peter Wells. “I love doubters: of a truly honest doubter I have great hope.” Printer, botanist and missionary, William Colenso was a nineteenth-century maverick, a true original. He protested at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, arguing that Maori did not fully understand its implications. He became a troubled conscience during the white-hot period of colonisation, maintaining his dissident voice throughout his career. Peter Wells refreshes our vision of this awkward, highly talented man, who lost his family after the church expelled him for fathering a child by a Maori woman. Rejected by church, family and friends, Colenso made botany his home and lovingly described the plants of New Zealand. At the same time he wrote a series of remarkable pamphlets that open up our past. ‘I write for future generations,’ he wrote in 1881. The time has come to welcome Colenso back.” – (adapted from cover)

The New Zealand good beach guide : North Island / [Tim Rainger].
“Includes detailed information on over 600 North Island beaches. Features maps and detailed descriptions of local conditions, including wind and swell rose diagrams, plus details of amenities, campgrounds, clubs and useful websites. This comprehensive reference, is for all beach-goers, travellers, fishers and surfers.” – (adapted from cover)

All sorts of new on-screen adventures for pre-schoolers have arrived! Fun with animals, construction, snowmen, the alphabet and more.

Handy Manny. Big construction job [videorecording] / [presented by] Disney Junior.
“Put on your hard hats and team up with Handy Manny for an action-packed, full-length adventure! Join Manny and his Tools as they head out of town to work on an exciting construction project in Concrete Falls. Meanwhile, back in Sheetrock Hills, Mr. Lopart tries to fill in for Manny – with hilarious results! Can Kelly convince Manny to come home and save the day?” – (cover description)

Big Barn Farm. Best in show & other adventures [videorecording].
“More animal-tastic adventures with the Farmyard Bunch! What happens when Petal enters into the county show covered in mud? Will she win a prize? Join the Farmyard Bunch for more friendship and fun down on Big Barn Farm! Featuring real working animals on a real working farm, Big Barn Farm follows the day-to-day adventures of these and all the other farmyard animals with children seeing this magical world entirely from the animal’s perspective!” – (cover description)

Thomas & friends. Merry winter wish [videorecording].
“All aboard for a magical winter adventure! Thomas has a special delivery for the season – the Star of Knapford, a festive light that makes wishes come true! Celebrate the holiday season with Thomas – from building snowmen, preparing holiday surprises, and celebrating a Misty Island Christmas party. The more friends the merrier, so join the fun and see that winter wishes do come true with Thomas & Friends!” – (cover description)

Timmy time. 7, Timmy’s snowman [videorecording] / [an Aardman Animations production] ; created and produced by Jackie Cockle.
“It’s snowing so Timmy and his friends are playing outside. Yabba builds a fantastic snowman but Timmy thinks he can do better. Timmy feels sorry for his snowman being out in the cold, so he gives him a hot water bottle – what will happen when Timmy returns from his nap? Find out in this and other fun adventures!” – (cover description)

Little Princess. Autumn [videorecording].
As the leaves start falling off the trees, Little Princess’ secret summer hideyhole is revealed. A furious Little Princess decides she will stop autumn. But sticking the leaves back on is useless once the autumn winds start blowing! – (cover description)

Zip and Mac [videorecording] : early literacy series. Volume 2.
“Zip the frog and Mac the dog help motivate 3 to 5 year old children to want to learn basic reading and writing skills. They give pre-school children an appreciation of books, the alphabet and an introduction to writing and recognising letters and sounds.” – (cover description)

We’ve got some great reads for people who enjoy books in foreign languages and wish to keep language skills up over the holidays! Choose from a selection of new fiction and non fiction books in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Korean, Russian and Spanish. Love mysteries? Enjoy thrillers? Or are romance and historical novels more your cup of tea? You’ll find a wonderful selection of new foreign language fiction at the library, as well as non-fiction – with latest arrivals exploring issues such as dealing with depression and using medicinal plants for health and beauty. An exiting variety of summer reads for fun and relaxation!

Chinese Books

Over 100 Chinese books of different genres have been added to our collection this month.  Add these to your reading list!

Zou chu you yu / (Mei) Andelu Suoluomen zhu ; Li Fengxiang yi = The noonday demon / by Andrew Solomon.
“In addition to the self-help and parental advice genres is the literary and philosophical study of depression that harks back to Richard Burton’s The Anatomy of Melancholy. The Noonday Demon, based on an article that Solomon wrote for The New Yorker in 1998, is such a book. The backbone of this superb work is the author’s narrative of his own struggles with severe depression & his musings on its multifarious causes and on the role that his privileged socioeconomic status has played in its successful management.” (Library Journal)

Hua yang nü ren xing fu yi sheng / Wu Dazhen zhu.
“This book offers a collection of anecdotes about medicinal plants. It describes herbal medicine and various traditional methods that can be just as effective – Honeysuckle, Lotus leaf and Cassia pillow being a few plants that can be used with water and have amazing effects on the human body. Explore these ideas and have fun” (Drawn from Publisher’s description)

Kong bu wu ju li : chuan da shi de bao an / Yinhe zhu.
“A classic suspense horror story compiled of two parts titled ‘The security guard on duty’ and ‘I called Zhang Hongshan’. It’s the story of a girl, who disappeared in a remote district of Beijing. After the day she disappeared, people in the nearby houses kept hearing the rain crying and her pale face remains constantly in people’s sight. And that’s the beginning of the horror tale” (Drawn from Publisher’s description)

Spanish Books

La estrella más brillante / Marian Keyes ; traducción de Matuca Fernández de Villavicencio.
“Fate is on its way to the tenants of 66 Star Street, bringing with it love and tragedy, friendship and heartbreak, and the power to change lives … One of them is falling in love; another is torn between two lovers. For some, secrets they want to stay buried will come to light and for others the unveiling of those secrets will have tragic consequences”. (Drawn from Publisher’s description)

Corsarios de levante / Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
“This 6th installment in the series following the escapades of Captain Diego Alatriste, is a story of skirmishes, boarded ships, killings and sackings in a time where Spain was revered, feared and hated in the Easterly seas; where the devil had no colour, no name and no flag, and where the only thing needed to summon hell on was a Spaniard and his sword; where men went about their tasks without meddling in government, philosophical or theological affairs-a time where men were soldiers”. (Drawn from Publisher’s description)

French Books

Comment j’ai liquidé le siècle : roman / Flore Vasseur.
“A gifted disillusioned woman and the hypocrisy and selfishness of the banking world are at the heart of this thriller. Flore Vasseur, having lived in New York in the early days of the New Economy, decodes the folly of the financiers to make the plot of this novel more interesting and intriguing.” (Drawn from Publisher’s description)

Purge : roman / Sofi Oksanen ; traduit du finnois par Sébastien Cagnoli.
“In Oksanen’s first novel translated into French, mystery surrounds a girl who Aliide finds lying outside her house in the Estonian countryside. The girl, Zara, speaks in archaic, provincial Estonian, which leads Aliide to suspect she’s connected with thieves, possibly those plundering the woods for lumber to sell to the West. In 1992’s Estonia, anything is possible, and though Aliide wants to distance herself from Zara’s repulsive, familiar smell of fear, she opens her door to the bedraggled girl, despite her better judgment. And the wounds from the decades of Estonia’s post-WWII Soviet occupation reopen.” (Drawn from Publisher’s description)

Russian Books

Stepnye bogi / Andreĭ Gelasimov.
“Baikal, a small village on the eastern frontier of Russia, suffers a ten-year famine. Japanese prisoners of war and miners are dying for no apparent reason and Nahalyata and Voynushka play and dream of becoming heroes. Physician Hirotaro day after day watches the mutated steppe grass. He alone knows the secret of the mines but no one will believe him. It is time to call the gods of steppes, who see the ancient wars and everything else…” (Drawn from Publisher’s description)