News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

Here are some more highlights of the new non-fiction books this month. Ans Westra’s Washday at the Pa has been republished after forty-seven years. Plus, People Magazine’s 1000 biggest moments in pop culture for the last thirty-five years, and the true story of a CIA interrogator. Have a browse!

The new golden age : the coming revolution against political corruption and economic chaos / Ravi Batra.
“Bringing his signature insight and expertise, the controversial economist Ravi Batra takes on a host of problems facing the world economy, including the oil and housing bubbles, falling minimum wages, corporate scandals, gross ethical lapses, the rise of celebrity economists at the Federal Reserve and elsewhere, and political crises of all kinds. He is unflinching in his criticism of the global economic elites and the suffering and deprivation they have caused in the lives of ordinary men and women.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Uncompromised : the rise, fall, and redemption of an Arab-American patriot in the CIA / Nada Prouty.
“Prouty came to national attention when she was accused of giving information to Hezbollah and dubbed Jihad Jane. She now makes her case as a former Middle East agent for the CIA who fell victim to Islamophobia. More than a story of international intrigue, Prouty’s personal narrative is grounded in a brutal childhood in a conservative Lebanese family, where the word patriarchy takes on a vicious meaning….” (Booklist)

Prisoner of conscience / Frank Wolf with Anne Morse.
“What’s a congressman from Virginia doing in places where bullets fly and babies starve? Thirty years ago, Frank Wolf was elected to the U.S. Congress to address local transportation issues. Fueled by a faith that made him believe he could do something about it, the congressman grew to champion human and religious rights around the world…. Eventually, he became a key proponent of opposing radical Jihadists and creating a National Committee on Terrorism. As Wolf visited some of the most dangerous places in the world, he saw firsthand the need for members of Congress to speak out for persecuted people around the globe.” (Adapted from Syndetics summary)

Ko Aotearoa tēnei : te taumata tuarua : a report into claims concerning New Zealand law and policy affecting Māori culture and identity.
“This report address the Wai 262 claim concerning New Zealand law and policy affecting Māori culture and identity. It is divided into two levels, a shorter summary layer subtitle “Te Taumata Tuatahi,” and a fuller, two-volume layer subtitled Te Taumata Tuarua” (Back cover)

Washday at the pa / photographs by Ans Westra ; with text by Mark Amery.
“Brings together a selection of images from the two editions published in 1964, together with photographs taken of members of the “Washday” family in 1998.” (Library Catalogue)

1000 biggest moments in pop culture : 1974-2011 / [editor, Cutler Durkee].
“It’s everywhere and everything — TV, movies, music, advertising, sports, fashion. From “yada yada” to the Rachel hairdo, Michael Jackson’s moonwalk to E.T.’s quest to phone home. “People 1,000 Greatest Moments in Pop Culture” looks back in wonder at the scores of movie scenes, quick fads, and unforgettable moments that defined American culture for the past 40 years.” (Syndetics summary)

The interrogator : a CIA agent’s true story / Glenn Carle.
“This book is Carle’s affirmation that only the truth can lead us from the dark. He had years of training and experience leading up to his encounter with the captive who the CIA believed might hold the key to finding bin Laden. This was his apotheosis as a career spook in the Directorate of Operations, yet Carle immediately struggled to reconcile his orders to make his captive talk with the oath he had sworn to uphold the letter and the spirit of the law. Furthermore, as the interrogation began and he built rapport with his subject, another problem started to gnaw at him. This man wasn’t who he was alleged to be; he was low level at best…. ” (Library Catalogue)

Together : how small groups achieve big things / Henry Hemmings.
“Together is about the extraordinary revival of small groups in Britain today. What happens when a room full of people decide to work towards the same dream? Why is it that when we come together in small groups we are so much more than the sum of our parts? From druids to bingo-clubbers, eco-warriors to flash-mobbers, historical re-enactors to bee-keepers, books groups and knitting circles, W.I.s, Young Farmers and the fan-owners of a football club, Together reveals the true story of modern Britain…..” (Publisher’s description)

I’ve been ordering a lot of chick lit recently as it’s a perennially popular section of our fiction collection.  Covering broken relationships and new motherhood – classic chick lit themes – these two new books do so with humour.  Which I think is very important if you’re looking for something light and enjoyable to read!

Both are expected to arrive at the library fairly soon.

Pear shaped.
This is the first novel by Stella Newman and it is about two very important things – romance and food.  The heroine is a chef, who meets a bloke and I think you can guess the rest – it doesn’t all go to plan!  The story has been described as well written, funny and unputdownable.  Good reviews too.

Just another manic mum-day.
This is the second novel for Mink Elliott (we have her other book too).  It’s actually a follow-up to her previous book, using the same characters - Roxy and her small family.  In this story Roxy and family have just moved to Sydney and are finding it hard to settle in and adjust to the new home.  Roxy decides to open a cafe for mums, for her friends and to help her to find the support network she needs – just to add to her stresses!  Of course, it does all work out in the end – this is chick lit! – but Roxy is an enjoyable character and relatable mum.

In our selection of the new crime books this month: stolen artworks and the detective story behind their recovery, books that look at the Casey Anthony and Schapelle Corby cases, a new title from Ian Wishart, and a story from inside Venezuela’s notorious Yare prison. Have a browse!

Art theft and the case of the stolen Turners / Sandy Nairne.
“In 1994, two paintings by J.M.W. Turner were stolen from a German art gallery while on loan from Tate Britain. Both important paintings by one of Britain’s most famous artists, they were valued at £24 million. Nairne (former director, Tate Britain; current director, National Portrait Gallery, London) was directly involved in the search for the paintings and the negotiations for their ransom and return. With its cast of colorful characters and intrigue, this true-crime story should be riveting…” (Library Journal)

Inside the mind of Casey Anthony : a psychological portrait / Keith Ablow.
“The trial of twenty-five year old Casey Anthony for the death of her daughter Caylee was the most sensational case in America since O.J. Simpson’s — with a verdict every bit as stunning. After being acquitted in July 2011, Ms. Anthony instantly became one of the most infamous women in the world. Dr. Keith Ablow distills tens of thousands of pages of documents he has obtained, his behind-the-camera, one-on one interviews, and his decades of experience in the world of forensic psychiatry to make sense of a woman whose defense attorney described as an innocent victim of childhood sexual abuse, but the state insisted was a cold-blooded murderer….” (Publisher’s summary)

Sins of the father : the untold story behind Schapelle Corby’s ill-fated drug run / Eamonn Duff.
“A reckless father, his dark past, an Adelaide drug trafficker and the Gold Coast beauty school dropout who kept her mouth shut. This is the explosive untold story of Schapelle Corby and how she took the rap for her father’s drug syndicate. The result of a three year investigation, Sins of the Father returns to the beginning of Australia’s most famous drug case, to a time when nobody had ever heard the name Schapelle Corby. Finally, the missing pieces of the jigsaw fall into place as we are led, step by step, through the important weeks, days and hours leading up to her dramatic arrest. Shedding new light on her long-held claims of innocence, this is the book Schapelle’s army of supporters do not want you to read.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Banged up abroad : hellhole ; our fight to survive South America’s deadliest jail / James Miles and Paul Loseby.
“When James Miles and his best friend Paul Loseby were caught smuggling ten kilos of cocaine out of Caracas, Venezuela, they couldn’t deny their guilt. Young and naive, the lads had thought the one-off drug mule job would be a passport to a better life. But in reality it was a ticket to hell … They were sentenced to thirty years and flung into the world’s deadliest prison system, ending up in the notorious Yare. A place where drugs and weaponry are currency and the rules are: there are no rules.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Out of calamity : stories of trauma survivors / Roger Rees, preface by Norman Swan.
“All the people in these stories are unsung heroes. Their stories are true. To honour their privacy, most of the individuals profiled bear fictitious names; a few are composite characters. They have suffered severe trauma, the consequences of which have affected every aspect of their lives, as well as those of family and friends. They demonstrate great, if not superhuman, courage and resilience and never seek or expect applause…. ‘Out of Calamity’ stories and portraits are told in language that is realistic but also poetic, and demonstrate heroic dimensions even when people appear overwhelmed. Superbly crafted writing that is often raw but also eloquent, spare and affecting, these stories are gems replete with insight and compassion.” (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The hunt : a Kiwi mum, her kidnapped babies and a 30 year worldwide search / Ian Wishart & George London.
“She was a former New Zealand fashion model and diplomat’s wife. He was the British WW2 fighter ace-turned-criminal who seduced her. She attended garden parties with the Queen. He got her pregnant, then kidnapped her children. It’s the case that made world headlines, that captured the attention of Sir Richard Branson, and which forced changes to child abduction laws in Britain.” (Book jacket)

This month’s selection of health picks include Maori medicine using native plants; how to boost  immunity using nutrients; gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free”super-charged” food; using detox for ailments; long-term recovery from eating disorders; how children heal; deaf children and Auditory communication; strategies for ending neck and back pain; overcoming sholder pain and personal genomics research.

Framework for the shoulder : a 6-step plan for preventing injury and ending pain / Nicholas A. DiNubile ; with Bruce Scali.“Based on the time-tested FrameWork philosophy that exercising the entire body is key to fortifying and balancing every joint, FrameWork for the Shoulder provides a 6-step plan for understanding your shoulder strengths and weaknesses and creating your own healing fitness and lifestyle program. Dr. DiNubile draws on the latest medical research to outline the basic mechanics of the shoulder and its potential for failure and offers diagnostic tools for assessing and treating pain and injury. After completing a straightforward shoulder health assessment, you will discover simple, innovative exercises you can perform at home or at the gym, as well the most effective nutrition and lifestyle guidelines for extending your frame’s warranty. If you are an athlete, you will learn to improve your sports performance and enhance your recovery. Whether you are ready to conquer the persistent shoulder discomfort that is keeping you from enjoying everyday activities, bounce back from an injury, or simply keep your joints in shape as you age, FrameWork for the Shoulder is your ultimate, customized plan for achieving lasting shoulder and full-body health.” (Book description)

Super cleanse : detox your body for long-lasting health and beauty / Adina Niemerow with Diana Jason Wiggett.Super Cleanse: Detox Your Body for Long-Lasting Health and Beauty
“In this all-new and completely revised edition of the classic Super Cleanse, Niemerow offers 11 comprehensive cleanse experiences that show readers more than just how to lose weight or clear up their skin through detox. Designed as a mini retreat for the body and mind, each cleanse providess a complete program, with specifically tailored recipes and exercise/activity suggestions, for targeting a wide range of ailments. Niemerow’s holistic approach to health is based on 12 years of experience unleashing the transformative power of whole foods. She has worked with a number of doctors and nutritionists (both traditional and alternative) and will discuss how each cleanse works and the numerous benefits each offers. Every cleanse also includes a testimonial from one of Niemerow’s clients about how the experience benefited his or her life. Easy-to-follow and fun, Super Cleanse will appeal to those looking for an enjoyable and effective way to improve their health and re-energize their lives.” (Gloabl Books in Print)

Maintaining recovery from eating disorders : avoiding relapse and recovering life / Naomi Feigenbaum ; foreword by Rebekah Bardwell Doweyko.
“After achieving a level of recovery from an eating disorder, it is vital to ensure the right practical and emotional supports are in place to maintain that recovery indefinitely. In this important book, Naomi Feigenbaum confronts the often neglected subject of how to take the essential steps towards a healthy and happy life after recovering from an eating disorder. This inspirational companion offers a wide range of healthy coping skills that are supported by expert advice from treatment professionals. Issues explored range from the practical aspects of recovery such as how to confront triggers and work with a treatment team, to the emotional hurdles that include accepting one’s body, coping with trauma and sustaining meaningful relationships. A number of real people in recovery are introduced, proving that every experience is unique and the key to maintaining a healthy life is finding a path that works for the individual. This guide will help to signpost that path and inspire those in recovery with the confidence to take responsibility for their choices and ultimately their lives. Written with the aim of helping those in recovery discover their own unique insights and passions and awaken a desire to enjoy life to the fullest, this positive and life-affirming book will be an invaluable aid for anyone in recovery from an eating disorder, their family, friends, and the healthcare professionals who work with them.” (Global Books in Print)

End back and neck pain / Vincent Fortanasce, David Gutkind, Robert G. Watkins, III.
“In End Back and Neck Pain, the leading names in back health join together to provide the latest research, professional insights, and proven programs to prevent and relieve pain and discomfort. Youll get straight answers to questions such as these: Why does my back or neck hurt? What can I do now to alleviate my discomfort? How do I prevent my pain from returning? Could I have a serious or debilitating condition? Is my doctor properly diagnosing my condition? Is surgery really my best option? Through a series of questions, youll identify the source of your discomfort and determine the best plan of action for relief. Youll learn how simple lifestyle changes, postural improvements, and stretching exercises can keep that pain from returning. Most important, End Back and Neck Pain takes the fear and uncertainly out of your discomfort and puts you in control of your recovery. Whether this is your first bout with serious pain or a recurring problem, End Back and Neck Pain has insights, answers, and programs that will put you on the path to a pain-free life.” (Global Books in Print)

How your child heals : an inside look at common childhood ailments / Christopher M. Johnson.
“All children get sick now and then, and most of the time they soon get well. How do they do that? How does it happen? When a mother brings her sick child to the doctor for something trivial, like a runny nose, or for something more serious, like difficulty breathing, she usually hears from the doctor that this or that treatment will make the child better, or that no treatment is needed at all. Some parents are content with little information; others want to know how a child heals and why things work the way they do. Here, Johnson takes readers on a tour of the inner workings of a child’s body as it heals from injury, illness, and common diseases. Readers will be fascinated by just how healing works and what they can do to assist in the process.” (Global Books in Print)

Supercharged food : eat your way to good health / Lee Holmes.
“This book is a simple and inspiring guide to eating for optimum health. It features more than 90 recipes that are gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free, each bursting with nutrient-rich or super foods that will help nourish and heal your body.”

Auditory communication for deaf children : a guide for teachers, parents and health professionals / Norman P. Erber.
“Development of listening skills in a hearing-impaired child is the basis for successful spoken language, communication, and conversation. Auditory Communication in Deaf Children presents a rationale and framework for auditory learning in childhood and describes a wide range of practical listening activities that adults can apply during everyday interaction with the child.” (Global Books in Print)

Here is a human being : at the dawn of personal genomics / Misha Angrist.
“Misha Angrist, who has a PhD in genetics and an MFA, brings us the first, inside story of the Personal Genome Project, its larger-than-life research subjects, as well as the political, social, and ethical issues that emerged throughout the study” (Provided by Publisher)

Rongoa Maori : a practical guide to traditional maori medicine / Rob McGowan. “Rongoa is the Maori term for medicines that are produced from native plants in New Zealand. Use of these medicines prevented many sicknesses, and provided remedies for the sick. Robert McGowan has wriiten this to help those interested in the field of traditional Maori medicine.”

Eat to boost your immunity / Kirsten Hartvig.“Never before have we been so aware of the relationship between diet and immunity. Our bodies have a truly remarkable ability to heal themselves and to ward off illness, but it has been undermined by our reliance on processed and nutrient-depleted foods. This book shows you how to redress the balance by eating foods that stimualte the immune system and supply it with the nutrients it needs to promote optimum well-being. By explaining the simple principles of eating for immunity and showing how you can incorporate tasty, immunity-boosting recipes into your diet, this informative and practical book tells you all you need to know to enhance your body’s defence systems and help you look and feel fantastic.” (Inside Cover)

We’ve put together our January round-up of the new film and television books at the library – and American Idol features twice! The show celebrates 10 years on air this year, and we have two new titles that tell the story of the show and its many contestants. Also included this month: the official book of the TV series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, and a complete film and TV history of Sherlock Holmes adaptations (if this one interests you, you might also like this blog post). Enjoy!

Pawnee : the greatest town in America / written, compiled, researched, typed, collated, proofread, and run through spell-check by Leslie Knope ; with Nate DiMeo and the creative team of Parks and recreation.
“The mockumentary genre used so effectively in, e.g., Spinal Tap and The Office is showcased in this full-blown over-the-top guide to fictional Pawnee, IN, the setting of NBC’s Parks and Recreation. It is written by deputy director of Pawnee’s parks and recreation department Knope, the character played by esteemed Saturday Night Live alum Amy Poehler. With a Hoosier-sized cornucopia of photos, illustrations, sidebars, statistics, and footnotes (almost 200…yikes!), Knope leaves no Pawnee ear of corn unshucked in her detailed Parks and Recreation backstories.” (Library Journal)

American idol : the untold story / Richard Rushfield.
“American Idol is a cultural force like no other. Over the last ten years, the show has offered up high-stakes drama outside the competition that has swept up millions of viewers in its wake. And now, for the first time, a veteran journalist with deep access to the judges, contestants, and crew enlightens readers with a fascinating and insightful look into ten years of America’s most popular television show.” (Syndetics summary)

American idol : celebrating 10 years : the official backstage pass / by Shirley Halperin.
“Straight from the photo vault of America’s number-one show, “American Idol: Celebrating 10 Years” is the official photographic celebration of the first 10 years of the television show that changed the face of music and popular culture throughout the world. Includes more than 70 images, many never before published.” (Syndetics summary)

Big fat gypsy weddings.
“This is the official book of one of the most talked-about TV series ever to have hit our screens. The show offered a unique insight into the traveller and gypsy communities, their lives, loves and their incredible wedding ceremonies. But there is so much more to these fascinating people and their culture and this book draws readers even further into an extraordinary secret world. Big Fat Gypsy Weddings is a gilt-edged invitation into the heart of gypsy and traveller life, brimming with unforgettable stories and brand new insights into a disappearing world.” (description from amazon.com)

The apprentice A-Z : the totally unofficial guide to the hit TV series / Charlie Burden.
“Everything you have ever wanted to know about the hit show The Apprentice is within these pages! For example: A is for Alan—Lord Alan Sugar, an entrepreneur, media personality, and political advisor who grew up in an East End council flat and boiled beetroots for the local greengrocer, but who is now one for the most famous businessmen in Britain. From the colorful candidates to the eventual winners, this comprehensive A-to-Z details everything you want to know about The Apprentice, including details of Lord Alan Sugar, his successes, and all the behind-the-scenes gossip.” (description from amazon.com)

Sherlock Holmes on screen : the complete film and TV history / Alan Barnes.
“Conan Doyle’s master detective Sherlock Holmes has appeared on screen more times than any other fictional character. Sherlock Holmes on Screen surveys over a century’s worth of his exploits in film and television, from the silent era to the present day. Illustrated with rare archive pictures throughout, Sherlock Holmes on Screen is now updated with entries on the BBC’s modern-day Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and director Guy Ritchie’s all-action Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Jr – plus Sherlockian turns from Rupert Everett and Jonathan Pryce. This revised edition is the most comprehensive Holmes filmography ever published.”(description from amazon.com)

It’s mostly men this month – biographies included are about the great and famous Napoleon, the most renowned scientist of our time,Stephen Hawking, the beloved creator of the Jeeves novels, P.G. Wodehouse and the refreshingly different mayor of London, Boris Johnson. David Hockney needs no introduction – this new study of his life an work has been widely praised. Brian Sewell the noted British art critic and media personality, is less well-known here, but has an interesting tale to tell.

Stephen Hawking : his life and work : the story and science of one of the most extraordinary, celebrated, and courageous figures of our time / Kitty Ferguson.‘”This is the story of one of the most remarkable figures of our time – Professor Stephen Hawking, the Cambridge genius who has earned an international reputation as the most brilliant theoretical physicist since Einstein. This is not quite a biography; it is more the story of one man’s quest to find the ‘Theory of Everything’. Stephen Hawking’s life and work have produced a multitude of amazing paradoxes: beginnings may be endings, two great scientific theories taken together may seem to give us nonsense, empty space isn’t empty, and black holes aren’t black. Cruel circumstances can lead to happiness, and fame and success may not. A man whose appearance inspires shock and pity takes us to where the boundaries of space and time ought to be – but are not.”(Abridged summary from globalbooksinprint.com).

Hockney : the biography. Volume 1, 1937-1975 / “Christopher Simon Sykes.
“In this astounding first volume of his authorised biography Christopher Sykes explores the fascinating world of the most popular living artist in the world today. David Hockney’s career has spanned and epitomised the art movements of the last five decades; His story is one of precocious achievement at Bradford Art College, the Swinging 60s in London where he befriended many of the iconic cultural figures of the generation, to California and the cool of the swimming pool series of paintings, through the acclaimed set designs for countless operas around the world and major retrospective exhibitions.”(Wellington City Libraries catalogue note).

Catherine the Great : portrait of a woman / Robert K. Massie.
“Massie returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography–the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at 14 and rose to become one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history. History offers few stories richer in drama than that of Catherine the Great. In this book, this eternally fascinating woman is returned to life.” (Syndetics summary)

Just Boris : the irresistible rise of a political celebrity / Sonia Purnell.“A major and controversial new biography of one of the most compelling and contradictory figures in modern British life.Born Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, to most of us he is just ‘Boris’ – the only politician of the age to be regarded in such familiar, even affectionate terms. Uniquely, he combines comedy with erudition, gimlet-eyed focus with jokey self-deprecation, and is a loving family man with a roving eye. He is also a hugely ambitious figure with seemingly no huge ambitions to pursue – other than, perhaps, power itself. In this revealing biography, written from the vantage point of a once close colleague, Sonia Purnell examines how a shy, young boy from a broken home became our only box-office politician – and most unlikely sex god.”(Abridged summary from globalbooksinprint.com)

Napoleon / Alan Forrest.“On a cold December day in 1840 Parisians turned out in force to watch as the body of Napoleon was solemnly carried on a riverboat from Courbevoie on its final journey to the Invalides. The return of their long-dead Emperor’s corpse from the Island of St Helena was a moment that Paris had eagerly awaited, though many feared that the memories stirred would serve to further destabilize a country that had struggled for order and direction since he had been sent into exile. In this book, Alan Forrest, tells the remarkable story of how the son of a Corsican attorney became the most powerful man in Europe, a man whose charisma and legacy endured after his lonely death many thousands of miles from the country whose fate had become so entwined with his own.”(Abridged summary from globalbooksinprint.com).

Outsider : almost always, never quite : an autobiography / Brian Sewell.‘Outsider’ is the life of a child, adolescent, student and young man in London between the Great Depression of the 30s and the sudden prosperity and social changes of the 60s, affected by the moral attitudes of the day, by the Blitz, by post-war austerity and the new freedoms of the later 50s.(Summary from globabooksinprint.com).

The secret life of Barack Hussein Obama / Mondo Frazier.“Mondo Frazier divulges the little-known details of Obama’s past that the public is dying to know in The Secret Life of Barack Hussein Obama.“(Summary from globalbooksimprint.com).

A life in letters / P.G. Wodehouse ; edited by Sophie Ratcliffe.
“This is the definitive edition of PG Wodehouse’s letters, edited with a commentary by Oxford academic Sophie Ratcliffe. The funniest and most-adored writer of the 20th century, PG Wodehouse always shied away from the idea of a biography – a retiring sort of chap, it was through the written word that he expressed himself. Includes previously unpublished correspondence, such as that relating to the infamous pro-Nazi propaganda”(Wellington City libraries catalogue note).

The perfect Nazi : uncovering my grandfather’s secret past / Martin Davidson.
“Using the skills he honed as a documentary producer for the BBC, Davidson explores the truth behind his family’s dark secret–his grandfather was a Nazi SS officer.” (Syndetics summary)

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New DVDs at the library this month include the first seasons of the critically lauded dramas ‘Boardwalk Empire’ & ‘The Walking dead’; the latest season of ‘Supernatural’; new movies ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ & ‘Horrible Bosses’; and acclaimed British Mini-Series ‘The Hour’…

The hour.
“A six part series that was billed, in the run up to its transmission, as Britain having a go at doing its own spin on Mad Men, The Hour is actually a show with an identity of its own, and quite different from the hit American drama… The Hour’s main attraction, as it turns out, is its cast. Putting The Wire star Dominic West at the heart of the drama proves to be a masterstroke, and he’s ably supported by a high calibre company of acting talent, including Juliet Stevenson, Anna Chancellor and Ben Whishaw…This is a show surrounding a BBC news programme being made in 1956, which happens to be the time of the Suez Crisis. Behind the scenes of the show, there’s sexual politics, ambitions, and pressures from all directions. And that, mixed with a strong attention to period detail, helps make The Hour an engaging drama…” (Adapted from Amazon.co.uk review)

Cowboys & aliens.
“Cowboys & Aliens fuses rip-snortin’ horse opera with some whiz-bang sci-fi, melding dry and austere badlands with slimy, mucusy aliens. Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig, of James Bond fame) wakes up in the midst of sagebrush with a mysterious gadget around his wrist and no idea who he is–but he sure does remember how to take care of the bounty hunters who want to bring him in. His path soon crosses with a ruthless cattle baron named Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford, of Indiana Jones fame), who’s not too happy with Lonergan, who got Dolarhyde’s son in trouble. But their fracas becomes beside the point when spaceships descend and start lassoing people like cattle. The humans, including a mysterious woman (Olivia Wilde, Tron), a Native American tribe, and some snaggletoothed outlaws, band together to fight off this invasion from another world…” (Adapted from Amazon.com review)

Something borrowed.
“A frothy adaptation of Emily Giffin’s bestselling novel, Something Borrowed itself borrows some of the best bits from earlier romantic comedies like When Harry Met Sally…, 27 Dresses, and Sex and the City. Though Kate Hudson is the ostensible Big Star here, it’s Ginnifer Goodwin (Big Love, He’s Just Not That into You) who finally comes into her own as a winsome leading lady. The plot is fairly simple: Rachel (Goodwin) harbours secret feelings for Dex (Colin Egglesfield), the fiancé of her best friend, Darcy (Hudson). Along for the ride, and acting as a sort of stage manager/narrator à la Our Town, is Ethan (John Krasinski), who just may be harbouring some secret longings of his own…” (Adapted from Amazon.co.uk review)

The walking dead. The complete first season.
“Arguably the biggest hit of the US 2010 television season, the apocalypse drama The Walking Dead pulls the zombie subgenre out of its overexposed doldrums and finds, ironically enough, the humanity and emotion beneath its rotting shell. Produced by Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption) and Gale Anne Hurd (Aliens) and based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead follows a band of Atlanta-based survivors of a viral outbreak that has caused the dead to rise up and consume the living. The group’s nominal leader is a sheriff’s deputy (Andrew Lincoln) who wakes from a gunshot-induced coma to find the world in disarray and his wife (Sarah Wayne Callies, Prison Break) and son missing…” (Adapted from Amazon.co.uk review)

Supernatural. The complete sixth season.
“When audiences last saw the Winchester brothers at the end of season five, Dean (Jensen Ackles) had abandoned hunting demons in favor of family life, while Sam (Jared Padalecki) had apparently lost his battle with Lucifer in the season finale. But as season six reveals, Sam is alive and well… As the brothers grapple with shape-shifting infants (”Two and a Half Men”), vampires (the unfortunately titled “Live Free or TwiHard”), leprechauns (Robert Picardo in “Clap Your Hands If You Believe…”), horror icon H.P. Lovecraft (”Let It Bleed”), and a variety of homegrown monstrosities, they discover that Sam’s soul is in the possession of the demon Crowley (Mark Sheppard), who is using it to manipulate Sam into locating the souls of Purgatory, which could turn the tide of a civil war raging in Heaven towards Crowley and renegade angel Castiel (Misha Collins)…’ (Adapted from Amazon.com review)

Boardwalk empire. The complete first season.
“In fine (and bloody) style, HBO’s Boardwalk Empire returns to 1920 when the ban on booze led to a syndicate of bootleggers and smugglers. Created by Sopranos scribe Terence Winter and coproduced by director Martin Scorsese, the story centers on Atlantic City treasurer Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi), who schemes in private while preaching temperance in public. Jimmy (Michael Pitt, Buscemi’s Delirious costar), a war veteran, acts as his right-hand man, while zealous Agent Van Alden (Michael Shannon) and refined mobster Arnold Rothstein (A Serious Man’s Michael Stuhlbarg) represent significant threats to his enterprise…Inspired by Nelson Johnson’s book, Boardwalk Empire takes a Deadwood-like approach to history by combining characters both factual and fictional with blue language and ladies without brassieres…” (Adapted from Amazon.co.uk review)

Horrible bosses.
“Three friends, Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale (Charlie Day), commiserate about their three respective Horrible Bosses. And yes, each is the worst kind of HR nightmare. Nick’s boss is Dave (Kevin Spacey, terrific), a control-freak megalomaniac. Kurt’s is Bobby (an almost unrecognizable Colin Farrell), a skeevy cokehead. And Dale’s is Julia (Jennifer Aniston, having so much fun it’s contagious), a sexual harasser who never misses an opportunity to prey (or swear). Suddenly, there’s a Hitchcockian twist: What if each of the miserable workers could make one of the others’ worst nightmares go away? But Horrible Bosses is no Strangers on a Train. Instead, it’s a rollicking romp of bad-intentions-gone-even-worse, with the chemistry of all of the actors keeping things moving along crisply…” (Adapted from Amazon.com review)

Super.
“An unsettling combination of black comedy and queasy ultra-violence, this real-world superhero story functions as a grimy (and sometimes surprisingly moving) counter to the stylized wisenheimer hipness of Kick-Ass. Eschewing wirework and bullet-time in favor of painful contusions and awkward pauses, the story follows Frank, a devout, slightly dim short-order clerk (Rainn Wilson), who experiences a major downturn after losing his wife (Liv Tyler) to a local mobster (a gleefully evil Kevin Bacon). Guided by an anime-inspired spiritual vision, Frank proceeds to don a red suit and adopt the secret identity of the Crimson Bolt, who strikes fear into the hearts of criminals by… As his crusade worryingly expands to include jaywalkers and people cutting in line at the movies, Frank receives unwelcome help from an overly bubbly comic-store clerk (Ellen Page, playing way against type) bent on becoming his sidekick…” (Adapted from Amazon.com review)

Start the year fresh with our personal development picks: learn how to survive a ‘shark attack’ in the form of betrayal at work or at home, discover how to balance your relationship as life changes, find out about a form of compulsive behaviour called “dutiful worrying” (Dr. Laura Schlessinger’s latest book), or start learning how to decode the mysteries of personality and make sense of people. Have a browse of this month’s selection!

Renegotiate your marriage : balance the terms of your relationship as It changes / Bonnie Jacobson
“Like all married couples, you have an unwritten, often unspoken, contract with your spouse. It’s not the piece of paper you signed on your wedding day; it’s the one in your head that sets the terms of your relationship, for better or worse. Those terms are subject to change, whether it’s because you lost your job, you just had your first child, your kids leave home, or one of you had an affair. In Renegotiate Your Marriage, Dr. Bonnie Jacobsen shows you how to modify your contract as your life together changes. You’ll learn how to negotiate the ups and downs that come with any long-term relationship – and keep your union happy, healthy and strong.” (Book cover)
 
Making sense of people : decoding the mysteries of personality / Samuel Barondes
“What really bothers you about your boss – or your daughter’s boyfriend? Could the person you’re dating really become your life partner? Can you really rely on your intuition about people? Drawing on extensive research, renowned psychiatrist and neuroscientist Samuel Barondes gives you powerful, easy-to-use tools for understanding what people are really like and how they got to be the way they are. These tools will provide you with a system for assessing the person’s traits, character, and sense of identity, and then putting these elements together into a unified picture. Learning to think of people in this way will help you choose more satisfying relationships, recognise telltale signs of dysfunction and danger, and savour the complexity and uniqueness of everyone you meet.” (Book cover)

The dutiful worrier : how to stop compulsive worry without feeling guilty / Elliot D. Cohen.
“Do you feel it’s our duty to worry? If your answer to the question is “yes,” you may be suffering from a type of compulsive behaviour called dutiful worrying. On the positive side, Dutiful worrying can make you feel as if you’re actually doing something to improve or control your situation. But this unproductive habit eventually robs you of energy and peace of mind and can leave you feeling over whelmed. The Dutiful Worrier pinpoints why some of us become compulsive worriers and offers a four-step program to end this vicious circle. Complete with self-evaluations and exercises, this book offers guidance for keeping perspective and accepting that you are not responsible for preventing catastrophe. Without the burden of dutiful worrying, you will be able to enjoy life more freely and fully.” (Book cover)

Surviving a shark attack (on land) : overcoming betrayal and dealing with revenge / Laura Schlessinger.
“With her trademark no-nonsense approach, New York Times bestselling author Dr. Laura Schlessinger shows readers how to survive enemies – traitors, backstabbers, and saboteurs – at work and at home. Schlessinger has helped countless men and women become better husbands, wives, parents, and people. She’s helped them cope with grief, shown them how to handle adversity, and set them on the path to understanding and living happy, well-adjusted lives. Now she turns to an emotionally explosive subject that has touched all our lives: betrayal and the desire for revenge. And for the first time, she shares her own personal experiences with betrayal, humiliation, and pain, connecting with her readers as never before and putting this important subject into context. Powerful and thought-provoking, in Surviving a Shark Attack (on Land), Dr. Laura gives her readers the emotional defenses they need to overcome the worst life will throw at them, whether it’s a cheating spouse, a lying sibling, or a ruthless colleague.” (Book cover)

The new books on popular music this month range from tales of The Doors and Tom Waits to an autobiography of Duff McKagan. Have a browse!

The Doors : a lifetime of listening to five mean years / Greil Marcus.
“The poetic lyrics and haunting melodies of the Doors created a distinctive sound in the 1960s, and the life and death of Jim Morrison, the charismatic, outrageous lead singer, have prompted numerous books and the Oliver Stone movie The Doors. Longtime fans will be excited to see new material written on the band but may be ultimately disappointed with this addition from well-known critic Marcus (Lipstick Traces; Invisible Republic). He attempts to focus solely on the music and present a new story, but his narrative is disjointed, as particular songs send him on rambling dissertations about everything from pop art exhibits to Charles Manson.” (Library Journal)

Tom Waits on Tom Waits : interviews and encounters / edited by Paul Mahar.
“Tom Waits, even with his barnyard growl and urban hipster yawp, may just be what the Daily Telegraph calls him: “the greatest entertainer on Planet Earth.” Over a span of almost four decades, he has transformed his music and persona not to suit the times but his whims. But along with Bob Dylan, he stands as one of the last elder statesmen still capable of putting out music that matters. Tom Waits on Tom Waits is a selection of over fifty interviews from the more than five hundred available. Here Waits delivers prose as crafted, poetic, potent, and haunting as the lyrics of his best songs.” (description from amazon.com)

Chasing the dragon : the life and death of Marc Hunter / Jeff Apter.
“This intimate and revealing portrait is the first biography of one of the original hard men of Australia rock. It has been written with full co-operation of Marc’s mother Voi and his brother and former bandmate Todd, as well contributions from many high-profile Australian music personalities.” (Syndetics summary)

It’s so easy : and other lies / Duff McKagan.
“Fans of the fading rock band Guns N’ Roses (GN’R) will instantly identify McKagan as the group’s rowdy bass player during its 1980s and 1990s glory days. Since leaving GN’R in 1997, McKagan has been keeping busy strumming for other bands like Velvet Revolver, writing columns for SeattleWeekly.com,and penning this blunt but very readable confessional autobiography. Despite his witnessing many overdoses and going even deeper into drugs during his GN’R days, a case of severe pancreatitis eventually prodded him to find a unique path to recovery.” (Booklist)

On board Flight 666 / Iron Maiden ; photographs by John McMurtrie.
“IRON MAIDEN are a global phenomenon. On board their customised Boeing 757 plane named ED FORCE ONE, and piloted by lead singer and Airline Captain Bruce Dickinson, the band, crew and 12 tonnes of equipment traversed the planet and broke the mould of traditional touring forever by playing concerts in every continent except Antarctica! Throughout this mammoth and ground-breaking undertaking, the band’s official photographer John McMurtrie accompanied them and the exciting results of his fly-on-the-wall coverage are represented here in this unique, pictorial odyssey. John’s unrestricted access has allowed him to capture exclusive images and moments both onstage and off, in over 600 spectacular photographs annotated with individual insights and anecdotes.” (description from amazon.com)

This month’s new literature sees famous authors talking on subjects they hold dear, poems and essays on the Christchurch quake and a guide to speaking with all the gravitas of a president.

Is everyone hanging out without me? (and other concerns) / Mindy Kaling
“Kaling shares her observations, fears, and opinions about a wide-ranging list of the topics she thinks about the most. From her favorite types of guys to life in the “The Office” writers’ room, her book is full of personal stories and laugh-out-loud philosophies.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

The anatomy of influence : literature as a way of life / Harold Bloom
“In this, his most comprehensive and accessible study of influence, Bloom leads readers through the labyrinthine paths which link the writers and critics who have informed and inspired him for so many years.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

On fiction / Virginia Woolf
“Her readings sensitive, her prose style elegant, authoritative and at times thoroughly opinionated, who better equipped than Virginia Woolf to ruminate on the art of fiction? In this selection of lesser-known essays on reading and storytelling, Woolf turns her critical gaze on treasured favourites including ‘the four great women novelists – Jane Austen, Emily Bronte, Charlotte Bronte and George Eliot’, and unearths some less familiar talents. Her discussion of differing approaches to reading is characteristically forward-thinking, and pinpoints the joys of this favourite pastime, in all its guises. ‘Here, then, very briefly and with inevitable simplification, an attempt is made to show the mind at work upon a shelf full of novels and to watch it as it chooses and rejects, making itself a dwelling-place in accordance with its own appetites. Of these appetites, perhaps, the simplest is the desire to believe wholly and entirely in something which is fictitious.’” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk description)

On booze / F. Scott Fitzgerald
“”First you take a drink,” F. Scott Fitzgerald once noted, “then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes you.” Fitzgerald wrote alcohol into almost every one of his stories. On Booze gathers debutantes and dandies, rowdy jazz musicians, lost children and ragtime riff-raff into a newly compiled collection taken from The Crack-Up, and other works. On Booze portrays “The Jazz Age” as Fitzgerald experienced it: roaring, rambunctious, and lush—with quite a hangover.” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk description)

Speak like a president : how to inspire and engage people with your words / Simon Maier
“For some people, making presentations of any type can be a trial; others relish the opportunity to speak to others, but are they really inspiring and engaging their audience with what they say, rather than catering to their own ego? In this book, Simon Maier offers an essential guide to the power of rhetoric and oratory for executives, managers, consultants, sales professionals or anyone, in fact, who needs to get their message across powerfully and convincingly. Covering key issues such as: understanding what makes a great speaker; how to find your voice; how to choose the best speech style; and pitfalls to avoid, Speak Like a President will help you speak with passion, confidence and influence whatever your topic or audience.” – (adapted from Amazon.co.uk description)

The broken book / Fiona Farrell
“The Broken Book consists of four essays about life and walking, bookended by a preamble and an afterword, and interrupted by 21 poems about the Christchurch earthquakes and their aftermath” – (adapted from Publisher’s description)

Plays 2 : London calling / Ken Duncum
“Music hits the shores of New Zealand and reverberates through three different eras in these plays by award-winning playwright Ken Duncum” – (adapted from cover description)