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Tag: Books Page 1 of 10

How do you do, fellow kids? – Books written by actual teenagers!

Given that this is the Teen Blog, I am making the assumption that you, reading this, are a teenager. And I’m also making the assumption that you like books. This is a library blog after all. AND, third assumption here, I’m assuming that you will find it cool or interesting to find out about books that were written by people the same age as you!

Rather than, you know, someone who was a teenager last century writing about what they think you’ll like.
*sweats in millennial*

via GIPHY

Will this post act as inspiration for you to start/continue writing your masterwork? Perhaps. Will it give you a new and exciting list of books to go ahead and read (and of course log for the Summer Reading Adventure)? Hopefully. Will it at least be an enjoyable short read to take up a few minutes of your long summer’s day? Er, maybe?

So here, in no particular order, is my list of books that were written by people your age or thereabouts.

Eragon / Paolini, Christopher / eAudiobook / eBook /
The first manuscript for Eragon was written when Paolini was 15, and his family self-published the book when he was 17. THEN Random House sniffed him out and offered to publish Eragon, which they did when he was 19. And yes, he did create the maps and a WHOLE LANGUAGE, forge his own knives and swords, and make his own bow and arrows and chainmail as part of writing Eragon.
They even made a movie (of rather dubious quality) back in 2007.
A fifth book set in the world of the Inheritance Cycle has just been released this year. We have copies of Murtagh on order (in print and audiobook form!) so you can jump over to our catalogue and add yourself to the hold queue if you’re interested.

Solitaire / Oseman, Alice / eBook
Have you been avidly watching Heartstopper, or rapidly devouring Volume 5 that came out this year?
Solitaire is Oseman’s first book – written when they were 17 and published when they were 19. It’s a bit more serious than Heartstopper so Oseman does recommend checking out the content warnings on her site before reading. And yes, that is Charlie’s sister you’re following there in Solitaire. And no, you don’t have to read Heartstopper before you read this. Or read this before you read Heartstopper.

Cover image used with permission from Denika Mead.

The death-hunters / Mead, Denika
Denika Mead was 15 when this, her first book (which is full of world-hopping adventure and exhilaration), was published. That was in 2019, which means that as I write this, and given my maths is correct, she is still a teenager! Mead has already published five books in the Royal Orchid series and one in the Agents of TIME series. AND she runs writing workshops and writes for The Sapling and lives in Lower Hutt.
Mead is known for her faced-paced narratives, and for readers who devour her books due to their not-put-down-able nature.

Tūhono. a journal of poetry by Wellington teens 
Yes, of course I’m sneaking Tūhono in here. We’ve got to have some self-promotion, right? All the poets published in Tūhono are local Wellington writers and, well, that’s the only criteria! If you have a read-through, you may come across someone you know. Or you may not realise you’re reading something written by a friend since there are a few pseudonyms/pen-names used in there.

The extraordinary and unusual adventures of Horatio Lyle / Webb, Catherine
Webb wrote her first book, Mirror dreams, when she was 14 and it was published two years later. Unfortunately, we don’t have copies of any of her first four books in our libraries, but we do have a copy of her fifth book, which I actually like a whole lot better so it’s like the universe has aligned so that I can feature my preferred book. Think Sherlock Holmes, but more likeable and likely to accidentally blow things up, and also there are supernatural beings about.
This one was published when Webb was 19, which means that she had five books published before the age of 20! That is one less than local author Denika Mead though…

These violent delights / Gong, Chloe
This one was written when Gong was 19 while she was on a uni break (as in, she wrote the whole thing in a month!) but it wasn’t actually published till she was 21. It still fits into the scope of this post though, as she was a teenager while she was writing it. Gong was born in Shanghai but grew up in Auckland from the age of 2 (then did skedaddle off to the US for university) so we are DEFINITELY claiming her as an NZ writer.
These violent delights features 1920s Shanghai, rival gangs, mysterious deaths, was a hit on BookTok, and was also featured in a previous BookTok blog! Go us.

Echo / Kelly, Arlo
Were you keeping an eye out on the New Zealand Book Awards for children and Young Adults this year? Well, I’m sure you were and I’m sure you saw Echo, which was a finalist for the NZSA Best First Book Award. Arlo Kelly was the youngest finalist, at 16 years old! He lives over in the Kāpiti Coast and the inspiration for Echo came from a walk along Makorori Beach with his sister, which has led to this thoughtful and emotive story that centres around a whale and a boy with Low Vision. Another local and very talented writer!

Frankenstein or, the modern Prometheus / Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft / eAudiobook / eBook
I couldn’t not mention Frankenstein. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was 19 when she wrote this, the first example of science fiction. How many 19-year olds create a whole new genre? She had passed the double-decade milestone by the time it was published, but not by much!
Frankenstein has inspired many adaptations and reprints and editions. And it all came from this 19-year-old coming up with a ghost story to tell her husband and that Lord Byron guy!


If you’re getting to the end of this list feeling like you’re running out of time to produce your masterwork, please don’t despair! To change direction completely, here are a few FAMOUS authors who weren’t published, or didn’t even start writing, until much later in life. So you’ve still got plenty of time.

J.R.R. Tolkien, famous name, creator of Middle Earth and Elvish and Hobbits and the One Ring and all that, had his first work of fiction, The hobbit, published when he was 45. When his publisher requested a sequel, The fellowship of the ring followed a mere seventeen years later.

You must have read something by Dick King-Smith when you were younger. He wrote many many children’s books, including all those books about Sophie and also The sheep-pig (which became the film Babe). He was 54 when he sat down to write his first book, The fox busters, and he was 56 when it was published. And he still went on to write over a hundred books!

Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote all those Little house books that you can find spread across our libraries. Her first book, Little house in the big woods, was published in 1932 when she was 65! And her books are still in print today.

✨Unsettling✨ nostalgia for your holiday reading

Ah, December. A time of things-slowing-down, the official start of Summer, and oh, that Christmas thing as well. With the warm* weather, many people going off on holiday, and the end of the year rolling around, I always start to feel nostalgic. And my nostalgia often manifests as reserving a bunch of my favourite books to re-read.

*Warm-er? Warm-ish? Not-as-much-rain?

Now I’m sure I’ve mentioned before my love for The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and my almost-constant-need to be listening to one of the audiobooks**. So if you haven’t read or listened to those you should immediately go and do so! These books are wonderfully written, full of complex and real characters, political machinations, some excellent god/human interactions, complicated relationships, and very good depictions of characters dealing with trauma. But they’re also funny and all the characters tell stories to each other and care a lot about their people and ugh, they’re just so good.

**Yes, I really like them as audiobooks. I have had conversations about this with Teen Blogger Grimm who just cannot get into the audiobooks because magnificent narrator Steve West pronounces the names differently to how she says them in her head, but while we cannot agree on this point, we do agree that these books are Excellent and Everyone should read them.

A small cat lying in a box with all her legs hidden

You need a picture to break up all these words. Please enjoy this unsettled cat – where did all her legs go?!

Why am I telling you about these books again? Well, mainly because the books I tend to get nostalgic for are not books like this series***. I get the itch to go back and re-read some of those (dare I say it) simpler adventure stories**** I enjoyed when I was younger. But whenever I venture forth into the stacks to retrieve these particular books, I’m always surprised by how dark and grim they are, and by the unsettled feeling I’m left with.

***But I still wanted to tell you all about this series again! Go read them. Seriously.

****Ok, ‘simpler adventures’ maybe, but still often a bit twisty.*****

*****I apologise for the footnotes? Not sure why so many are creeping into this particular post.

So, obviously, I’ve decided to share some of these books that I love with you, in case you also want something to read over the summer that is vaguely unsettling, enjoyable, and not too long. So read on for books about bone porridge, many discreet murders, horrible family members, and a fair share of malignant spirits.

The stolen lake / Aiken, Joan
This is always the first one that comes to mind. Joan Aiken wrote a fantastic series of books that started with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase about an alternate history version of England where the Stuarts kept the throne, and it was never passed on to the Hanovers. Different books in the series focus on different characters. The Stolen Lake features Dido Twite, a girl who was swept out to sea and picked up by a ship in a previous book. She’s slowly navigating her way home, and in this book her ship is called to aid fictional New Cumbria in South America. Dido finds herself in a very grim place, where giant birds carry people off and the queen eats bone porridge (sourced from the bones of young girls she’s had thrown to the piranhas) to maintain her youth. Brilliant stuff!

Is underground / Aiken, Joan
Another in the same series as The Stolen Lake! No bone porridge here, just some pretty awful child labour. Children, including the Crown Prince of England, have been going missing in London and another young Twite is tasked with figuring out what’s going on. And what’s going on (and this is not a spoiler given the cover illustration) is that they’re being kidnapped and transported up North to work underground in a coal mine. And a foundry. And there may be accidents involving molten metal.

The owl service / Garner, Alan
Why yes, that character probably did murder that other character in the past. But what can you expect when a fragment of tale from the Mabinogion amplifies itself throughout history and keeps repeating and repeating and repeating? Owls are bad, flowers are not, but both are still creepy. I could say SO MUCH about this book, but that might put you off. Just let me tell you this: you don’t need armies of ghosts or witches with ovens to create something truly spooky and (I can’t forget my keyword here!) unsettling. Just some plates found in an attic, some pebble-dash, and a whole lot of interpersonal angst.

Under the mountain / Gee, Maurice
Ah, my most-read book in my primary school library. It’s set in Auckland and has been made into both a TV series and a movie over the years and is full of volcanoes and weird-worm/slug-mud-aliens that are set on total world domination and annihilation. It’s just one of those fun adventures with some red-haired twins with special powers, right? Err, not quite. It’s slightly scary, very unsettling, and not everyone comes out unscathed in the end.

Tripswitch / Gordon, Gaelyn
Another New Zealand author who has written something that is both kinda fun, and very unsettling the more you think about it. Three orphaned cousins are brought together to live with their aunt (coincidence? Or multiple sororicides on the aunt’s part?), and she’s just so …evil? Mean and nasty yes, but when you find out the reason she had her twins everything just gets much more serious. But there’s also a lot of humour in it (the sports team who just decide to steal a bus??), which possibly makes the grim details stand out a bit more.

Black Maria / Jones, Diana Wynne
Diana Wynne Jones is WONDERFUL. She’s written some marvellously fun and twisty books for children full of weird magic and quirky characters. But she’s also written some truly chilling books. This is one of them, and there’s just so much going on. From buried imprisonment, to not-really-dead fathers, a sweeter-than-ever Great-Aunt with a will of iron, to an entire town under one person’s thumb, it just makes you look at small town life in a different way. And Great-Aunts.

The time of the ghost / Jones, Diana Wynne
More Diana Wynne Jones creepiness. This time, we learn what happens when some kids mess with something beyond their ken or control. When the ghost comes back in time she knows that something awful is going to happen, so we also know this, but all the characters that the ghost is watching don’t know this so as they creep closer to disaster we just know that something will go wrong, but we don’t know what will go wrong… So there’s a lot of tension and trying to figure things out, and let me just say that I will not be going near any soft toys left outside to grow mildew after reading this!

The changeover / Mahy, Margaret
Margaret Mahy’s another author who can write joyful and fun, adventure and excitement, and also haunting and chilling. And this book is the latter. Laura’s day starts with a warning, and ends with her younger brother getting his soul slowly sucked out of him through a stamp on his hand. This is very understated horror, but there’s just so many very normal things in there that what happens really sticks in your mind. They even made a movie of it, set in post-earthquake Christchurch!

And I’ll even add a bonus book in, because how can you talk unsettling childhood stories without delving into the Brothers Grimm?

The complete Grimm’s fairy tales / Grimm, Jacob
We all know some of the Grimm’s fairy tales, but there are a whole lot more that not many people stumble across. And a lot of them are VERY weird!

Below, I have written out one of the shorter unsettling stories from this particular collection, under the Read more. If you want to feel incredulous that such a story was written, and really put the grim in Grimm, well then, just read on…

Read More

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: It’s the [Fri]End Times

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨becoming one with the wilderness while I process seeing the Eras Tour movie✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

It’s the [Fri]End Times and you’re only as strong as your commune, so today is a crash course in Having Healthy Friendships by me (a certified Friend who receives an enormous amount of trickle-down therapy through Pinterest).

Friendships can sometimes be more complicated to manage than romantic relationships simply because we live in a romance-obsessed society, and so we’re constantly being bombarded with advice, dos/don’t-dos, and narratives that are tuned towards maintaining or ending romantic relationships. While some of these lessons are applicable to our friendships too, we often fall down because we just don’t think about having to apply them. But unhealthy friendships and poor boundaries with your platonic pals can be just as damaging as the worst romantic relationship.

So here I am with your annual reminder that the ancient Greeks had eight words for love (including words specifically for the love and connection between friends), and it’s time we all invested a little more into looking after our friendships.


via GIPHY


One Flag, Two Flag, Red Flag, [Green] Flag

It’s 2023 and red/green flags aren’t just for romantic relationships any more. While it’s great to DIY the flag identification in your relationships, sometimes the best thing to do is to consult the impartial judge of a healthy relationship checklist. This can be especially helpful if you’ve experienced gaslighting in the past and want the validation of an unbiased outside source.

Some examples of red flags could look like:

  • Your friend putting you down, hurting your feelings, or causing you deliberate discomfort
  • Feeling drained after every interaction with them
  • Nagging or pressuring you into something you’re not comfortable with
  • Their friendship and support are conditional

Good vibey green flags might look like:

  • Sharing positive, uplifting experiences together
  • You both have lives and relationships outside of your friendship
  • They celebrate your wins rather than getting jealous
  • You feel comfortable expressing boundaries with one another

Check out some more great friendship checklists here and here!

In Our Boundaries Era

I’ve spent the last couple of years getting into my boundaries era – and ngl it absolutely slaps. Having better boundaries has been insanely helpful with improving my relationships with family, friends, partners, myself, my finances, my phone… Anything you can think of, I’ve slapped a boundary on it. And don’t get me wrong, it can be hard and embarrassing and make you say “ew ew ew” while doing an uncomfortable dance and crying alone in your room. But it’s been completely worth it. Boundaries are a vital form of self-care, and anyone who tells you that it’s selfish to protect yourself is a Bit of a Twerp. Because here’s the thing – anybody who loves you, respects you, and is worth any of your time will be proud of you for looking out for yourself.

As we’ve established, I am not a therapist, I am just a vibey lady who likes boundaries and Taylor Swift. So instead of walking you through the boundary setting process, allow me to direct you to:

Go forth! Block that person, mute that channel, set that bedtime, tell your overbearing auntie that you don’t like it when she pinches your cheek! I believe in you <3

And I extra believe in your ability to forgive me for that YouTube clip <3

Friendship is a Two-Way Street (and other things the Muppets might have said)

Do I need to say more than that heading? Friendship is a two-way street – not only do you have to make sure the friends in your life are right for you, but it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re being a good friend to others. Now, this doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself or your needs to make them happy (boundaries, remember?). But it does mean that it takes two to platonic tango.

Is your friend always the one making plans, taking cute candids of you, and generally romanticising the world into a nicer place for the two of you to be? The emotional labour is very real, so it’s always worth a check-in to make sure you’re contributing equally to the relationship. If you feel like maybe you’re getting your affection wires crossed (not an innuendo), maybe take a love languages quiz and see if there are better ways for you to make each other feel cared about.

Do it for the found family trope. And make some friendship bracelets while you’re at it.


Squad / Tokuda-Hall, Maggie
“Becca moves to an upscale Silicon Valley suburb and is surprised when she develops a bond with girls who belong to the popular clique – and even more surprised when she learns their secrets”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

We used to be friends : a novel / Spalding, Amy
“At the start of their senior year in high school, James (a girl with a boy’s name) and Kat are inseparable, but by graduation, they’re no longer friends. James prepares to head off to college as she reflects on the dissolution of her friendship with Kat while, in alternating chapters, Kat thinks about being newly in love and having a future that feels wide open”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)


The Ivies / Donne, Alexa
“The Ivies, five prep school elites who would kill to get into the colleges of their dreams, has a showdown after Liv gets into Harvard and queen bee Avery does not.” (Catalogue)

How to break up with your friends : finding meaning, connection, and boundaries in modern friendships / Falconer, Erin
“With clear-eyed guidance, you’ll learn how to take stock of those currently in your life, see exactly how you are serving each other, deepen your essential friendships, and, ultimately, have the courageous conversations needed when it’s time to “break up” with others.”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The kid table / Seigel, Andrea
“Explores the quirky dynamics in an extended family full of close-knit cousins who both help and hinder each other as they celebrate holidays and momentous occasions together.” (Catalogue)


Elles 2 : The Elle-Verse / Toussaint, Kid
“Elle is just another teenage girl… most of the time. Bubbly and good-natured, she wastes no time making friends on her first day at her new school. But Elle has a secret: she hasn’t come alone. She’s brought with her a colorful mix of personalities, which come out when she least expects it… Who is Elle, really? And will her new friends stand by her when they find out the truth?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The do-over / Painter, Lynn
“Sixteen-year-old Emilie, stuck in a cosmic Groundhog/Valentine’s Day nightmare where she discovers her family is splitting up and her boyfriend is cheating on her, decides to embark upon The Day of No Consequences, but when her repetitive day suddenly ends, she must face the consequences of her actions.” (Catalogue)

The Raven Boys / Stiefvater, Maggie
“Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent’s only gift seems to be that she makes other people’s talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own–and that together their talents are a dangerous mix.” (Catalogue)

Three sides of a heart : stories about love triangles
“These top YA authors tackle the much-debated trope of the love triangle, and the result is sixteen fresh, diverse, and romantic short stories you don t want to miss. A teen girl who offers kissing lessons. Zombies in the Civil War South. The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both. Vampires at a boarding school. Three teens fighting monsters in an abandoned video rental store.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


What is consent, why is it important, and other big questions / Spilsbury, Louise
“”A detailed look at the concept of consent, how it works, and why it matters. The book encourages children to think about what consent means to them, and about the importance of personal boundaries – both knowing your own, and respecting other people’s. It talks about how to say no, and what to do if you feel your consent has been violated.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


The teenage guide to friends / Morgan, Nicola
“A comprehensive guide to teenage friendships, by award-winning author and well-being expert Nicola Morgan […] Contents include a section on making friends, keeping friendships strong, and what happens when they break down – as well as a look at online friendships, cyber-bullying, toxic friendships and frenemies, and empathy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Get Your Greek On! The Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV Show is Out Soon!

18 years after the release of The Lightning Thief, the Percy Jackson series is finally getting a proper adaptation into live action for the first time!

For the first time!

The FIRST time!

You cannot convince me otherwise.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, why not get our Greek on by reading stories about their oh so wonderful mythology?

Now, where else to start our Greek Mythology bonanza than where it all began. No, not with those old geezers from Greece but Percy Jackson! Why not give the old Lightning Thief a reread for the millionth time (or gods forbid, the first time). How else are you going to be able to go through every new episode of the show knowing exactly what minute detail they miss or change? We’ve got to get our smugness supply somewhere. Here at the library, we have all the Percy Jacksons you could ever want. Obviously we have the book, but that’s not all we got! We got the eBook, the audiobook (on CD (which are those old person things used in cars)), the audiobook again (but this time digital), the terrible movie that does not exist, and the graphic novel! So many options, so many books.

The lightning thief / Riordan, Rick
“After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.” (Catalogue)


But why stop there?

One of the great parts of Percy Jackson is how he takes these millennia-year-old stories (back when the world was still in black and white) and modernises them, retelling them for newer generations. The Lightning Thief is a delightful hodgepodge of various different myths and legends. However, Mr Riordan wasn’t the first person, nor the last, to do this to Greek myth. So lets have a look at other people’s takes on the monsters, deities, heroes, and tales told in The Lightning Thief.

Super minor spoilers for that book ahead.

That time some spooky grandmas knitted a sock ominously

Threads that bind / Hatzopoulou, Kika
“Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante. But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met. But the investigation turns personal when Io’s estranged oldest sister turns up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players—before destruction comes to her own doorstep.” (Catalogue)

Sometimes people are just really stubborn about things… Bull-headed, if you will

Bull : a novel / Elliott, David
“A modern twist on the Theseus and Minotaur myth, told in verse. Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur for a new generation. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, Bull will have readers re-evaluating one of history’s most infamous monsters. — Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The Gods really need to get better at holding on to their stuff

Daughter of Sparta / Andrews, Claire
“Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis—who holds Daphne’s brother’s fate in her hands—upends the life she’s worked so hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods’ waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother’s life will be forfeit. Guided by Artemis’s twin—the handsome and entirely-too-self-assured god Apollo—Daphne’s journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


To be honest, I’m actually quite fond of snakes, I don’t know what all this fuss is about

Medusa / Burton, Jessie
“Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love, betrayal … and destiny itself.” (Catalogue)


The Goddess of Love is a nosey busybody and more trouble than she’s worth

Lovely war / Berry, Julie
“In the perilous days of World Wars I and II, the gods hold the fates — and the hearts — of four mortals in their hands. They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. A classical pianist from London, a British would-be architect-turned-soldier, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the U.S. Army, and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past. Their story, as told by goddess Aphrodite to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it’s no match for the transcendent power of Love.” (Catalogue)


Going to the underworld? Pshh, what could be so hard about that?

The shadow thieves / Ursu, Anne
“Something extraordinary is about to happen to Charlotte Mielswetzski. It’s not the very cute kitten that appears out of nowhere. It’s not the arrival of her cousin Zee, who believes he’s the cause of a mysterious sickness that has struck his friends back in England. And it’s not the white-faced, yellow-eyed men in tuxedos who follow Charlotte everywhere. What’s so extraordinary is not any one of these things. It’s all of them. Then Charlotte’s friends start to get sick, Charlotte and Zee set out to find a cure. Their quest leads them to a not-so-mythical Underworld, where they face Harpies that love to rhyme, gods with personnel problems, and ghosts with a thirst for blood. Charlotte and Zee learn that in a world overrun by Nightmares, Pain, and Death, the really dangerous character is a guy named Phil. And then they discover that the fate of every person — living and dead — is in their hands.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Daughter of darkness / Corr, Katharine
“Enter the Underworld in an epic new fantasy, where the Gods of ancient Greece rule everything but fate. Deina is trapped. As one of the Soul Severers serving the god Hades on earth, her future is tied to the task of shepherding the dying on from the mortal world unless she can earn or steal enough to buy her way out. Then the tyrant ruler Orpheus offers both fortune and freedom to whoever can retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld. Deina jumps at the chance. But to win, she must enter an uneasy alliance with a group of fellow Severers she neither likes nor trusts. So begins their perilous journey into the realm of Hades. The prize of freedom is before her but what will it take to reach it?” (Catalogue)


Even! More! Myths!

Mythos / Fry, Stephen
“The Greek myths are amongst the best stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney. They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. You’ll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia’s revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis. Spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry’s Mythos perfectly captures these stories for the modern age – in all their rich and deeply human relevance.” (Catalogue)


Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods / Riordan, Rick
“Who could tell the stories of the gods of Olympus better than a modern-day demigod? In this whirlwind tour of Greek mythology, Percy Jackson gives his personal take on the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece, and reveals the truth about how they came to rule the world.” (Catalogue)


Percy Jackson and the Greek heroes / Riordan, Rick
“If you like poisonings, betrayals, mutilations, murders and flesh-eating farmyard animals, keep reading…In this gripping follow-up to Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods, demigod Percy Jackson tells the stories of twelve of the original Greek heroes in all their gory, bloodthirsty glory. Want to know who cut off Medusa’s head? Which hero was raised by a she-bear? Who tamed Pegasus, the winged horse? Percy has all the answers…” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Flower Crowns & Other Cottagecore Niceties

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨learning the language of the goats✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

Any good dystopian revolutionary/post-apocalyptic trudger of the earth can tell you that the most important part of surviving in the apocalypse is the aesthetic. Would Katniss have been able to take down the Capitol if it hadn’t been for the iconic sidebraid? Could Thomas have ever escaped the maze if he hadn’t been wearing that odd little vest? Important questions to which we may never have the answers. However, better safe than sorry, so in order to truly excel in our most aesthetic of all apocalypses (the Soft one) we must embrace the uniform of our experience. THAT’S RIGHT, WE’RE MAKING FLOWER CROWNS (AND OTHER COTTAGECORE NICETIES).

via GIPHY


I’m hoping we all know how to daisy chain here. I’m hoping that – like me – you are now imagining the daisy chain as a complex but romantic dance move, not dissimilar to a grapevine. For the purposes of today though, the daisy chain we will be discussing is that of the tangibly floral variety. The technical base of our floral DNA, daisy chaining is the basic way to link flowers into a useable strand, and it goes something like this:

  1. Gather your daisies, keeping the stems as long as possible.
  2. Using your thumbnail, make a small slit in the stem, about a centimetre down from the flower head.
  3. Poke the stem of another daisy through the slit and pull it gently through.
  4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 on the new daisy, and et voilà! Continue until your daisy chain is the desire length.

Now that you can daisy chain, congratulations! Frolic off into the summer sunset making flower crowns, bracelets, and chains for all your loved ones! Or. If you’re hooked on the cottagecore power of it all. You could attempt a Daisy Braid (capitalised because it’s harder).

  1. Gather your flowers (any type can be used, but long stems are essential, preferably longer than 10cm).
  2. Starting with a minimum of three flowers (the more flowers, the thicker the crown), start to braid the stems together.
  3. At intervals of your choosing, introduce new flowers into the braid.
  4. Once the braid has reached the desired length, you can tuck the loose end back into the beginning of the braid OR tie it in place with a piece of thread.
  5. Wear your flower crown like the pretty creature you are and practice rejecting offers of marriage from Oberon and Titania.


Blooming daisies growing in a garden bed at the botanical gardens

It’s springtime baby.


Other Cottagecore Niceties….

While first priority is adorning ourselves in flowers, it’s also pretty neat to add a little floral hint to literally anything you like thanks to the power of STICKERS! We’re going to be using pressed and dried flowers for this – if you have a bona fide flower press sitting around at home then great (did you know you can make your very own flower press at the Tūhura HIVE Makerspace?)! Otherwise test out the handy dandy methods below:

For the pressed flowers: Collect as many flower heads as you like, then lay them flat between two paper towels. Squash these down under something solid, flat and heavy (like that stack of library books you forgot to read), and leave to dry for five days or thereabouts. You can check your flowers at this point, and if they still feel damp then leave them for another few days.

For the flower stickers: You’ll need a roll of wide, clear tape, your pressed flowers, some baking paper, and a pair of scissors. Lay out a sheet of baking paper, and place down a length of tape, sticky side down so it adheres to the baking paper. Arrange your dried flowers on top of the tape, either individually or in clusters (but making sure there is good bit of space between the flowers and the edge of the tape). Lay a second layer of tape over the flowers and first layer of tape, again sticky-side down so the flowers are stuck between the two layers. You can then cut around the flowers, leaving an edge of clear double-layered tape, and there you go! Once you’re ready to stick them to something, simply peel off the layer of baking paper and you’re good to go!


Flowerheart / Bakewell, Catherine
“Sixteen-year-old Clara accidentally curses her father with wild magic, and in order to save him, she makes a dangerous bargain with a local wizard, who happens to be her childhood best friend.” (Catalogue)

Floret Farm’s discovering dahlias : a guide to growing and arranging magnificent blooms / Benzakein, Erin
“Grow and arrange breathtaking dahlias to enhance every occasion. In this luxe compendium, world-renowned flower farmer and floral designer Erin Benzakein reveals all the secrets to cultivating gorgeous dahlias. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Flower fairies of the garden / Barker, Cicely Mary
“The Song of The Narcissus Fairy Brown bulbs were buried deep; Now, from the kind old earth, Out of the winter’s sleep, Comes a new birth! Flowers on stems that sway; Flowers of snowy white; Flowers as sweet as day, After the night. So does Narcissus bring Tidings most glad and plain- “Winter’s gone; here is Spring – Easter again!”” (Catalogue)

Wild beauty / McLemore, Anna-Marie
“For nearly a century the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds and lush estate gardens of La Pradera. They have a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. When a strange boy appears in the gardens, he is a mystery to Estrella and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Flower : exploring the world in bloom
“Showcasing the diversity of blooms from all over the world, Flower spans a wide range of styles and media – from art, botanical illustrations, and sculptures to floral arrangements, film stills, and textiles – and follows a visually stunning sequence with works, regardless of period, thoughtfully paired to allow interesting and revealing juxtapositions between them.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Weedflower / Kadohata, Cynthia
“After twelve-year-old Sumiko and her Japanese-American family are relocated from their flower farm in southern California to an internment camp on a Mojave Indian reservation in Arizona, she helps her family and neighbors, becomes friends with a local Indian boy, and tries to hold on to her dream of owning a flower shop.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Florapedia : a brief compendium of floral lore / Gracie, Carol
“This book is an engaging and informative compendium of flower facts. Similar in a nature to Lawrence Millman’s Fungipedia, the book brings together a wide range of interesting facts and stories-ranging from the historical to the scientific to the whimsical. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

This poison heart / Bayron, Kalynn
“When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift: the ability to grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Flower art : Makoto Azuma / Azuma, Makoto
“The art of Makoto Azuma uses flowers and plants as its starting point, but juxtaposes their timeless yet transient beauty with an incredibly diverse range of striking settings. In a series of sculptures, installations and interactive events, he delights in blurring the boundaries between nature and artifice. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Girls who green the world : thirty-four rebel women out to save our planet / Kapp, Diana
“A guidebook to the modern environmental movement featuring 34 inspiring women working to save our planet”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Growing wonder : a flower farmer’s guide to roses / Alvarez, Felicia
“Do you dream of possessing a magical rose garden or a thriving flower farm? Whether you long to fill your own acreage with roses or consider yourself more of a weekend gardener, Menagerie Farm & Flower’s Felicia Alvarez can help make your love affair with roses a joyous and rewarding experience. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The price guide to the occult / Walton, Leslye J.
“Sixteen-year-old Nor, who comes from a long line of witches, prefers to hide her ability to communicate with nature and lives in constant fear of the return of her abusive mother.” (Catalogue)

Hope for the flowers / Paulus, Trina
“Two caterpillars plunge into the pile of those who seek the ever elusive top, but, finding nothing there, return to the ground to change into beautiful butterflies.” (Catalogue)

Foolproof flower embroidery : 80 stitches & 400 combinations in a variety of fibers / Clouston, Jennifer
“This comprehensive guide to floral embroidery features instructions for more than 80 embroidery stitches and includes more than 400 stitch combinations to create beautiful flowers, stems, leaves, twigs, and more”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The Library Scoop on World of Wearable Art Awards Month!

It’s the World of Wearable Art awards month! That magical time of year when Welly is unbeatable on a good day, literally ANYTHING can be used as a bra, and fashion designers are hard at work reduce/reuse/recycling the mothballs and fruit burst wrappers at the bottom of their closets to create the most ineffable and astonishing works of art.

I was lucky enough to grow up within driving distance of the World of Wearable Art Museum in Nelson, and – not to share a core memory with y’all – but going to the WOW Museum for my 13th birthday was a formative experience. I even took notes in my very sparkly, very pink notebook with a little dress on the cover and one of those incredibly miscellaneous locks (obviously an essential feature, as my fashion designs were, and are to this day, strictly confidential and highly sensitive information which will likely revolutionize the world).

All this to say, WOW and I have history. And this year, we’re lucky enough to bring a little bit of WOW into your local libraries! With displays, designs, and even a couple of Wearable Art outfits designed by some immensely talented Queen Margaret College students, it’s enough to elicit a “WOW” from Owen Wilson himself.

A Wearable Art garment made of fake feathers displayed on a mannequin in a library window.

The World of Wearable Art comes to Arapaki Library!


This year, our Arapaki Library branch played host to the extraordinary designs of Adelene Cheung and Claire Ryan, two year thirteen Queen Margaret College students who produced Wearable Art creations as part of an assignment for their materials technology class.

Tui Much Drama, Adelene Cheung

Materials: Plastics bottles, plastic plates, plastic bags, fabric, spray paint, split-pins.

Adelene’s design, Tui Much Drama, is intended “to highlight the amazing biodiversity of native species that can be found in the Wellington region.” Working from the theme of Wellington Biodiversity – The Tui, the garment draws on the “drama and elegance” of its titular bird, and aims to replicate the effect of sunlight off a tui’s wings. Adelene had masterfully manipulated a variety of fabrics and upcycled throwaway plastics to create a “glamourous gown with a repetitive feather element throughout the components of the outfit.”

A Wearable Art garment comprised of fake feathers is displayed on a mannequin in a library window.

Tui Much Drama by Adelene Cheung.


Story Time, Claire Ryan

Materials: Book page paper, fabric, wire, printing ink, split-pins.

Claire’s garment explored ideas surrounding the library, and considered the question: “What does [the library] mean to people?” Claire said she was particularly inspired by “how it can be a very creative space and how so many stories come to life here, and people create stories – they’re inspired by stories, so that’s why there’s a lot of imagery and colours [in the design], because that’s how I view a library.”

When asked if – given unlimited time and resources – she would change anything about the final product, Claire said that she really loves the final design. “Sometimes, with unlimited time, you can overthink and start adding too much. So, I feel that sometimes that time constraint can actually be a helpful thing, and kind of help see what you actually need on the garment that will make it effective.”

A Wearable Art garment constructed from paper is displayed on a mannequin in a library window.

Claire Ryan’s library-inspired garment, Story Time.


Come by Arapaki Library to see these incredible designs for yourself, and keep your eyes peeled for future masterpieces from these two talented young designers!

Special thanks to Claire, Adelene, Joseph, Simon, and Queen Margaret College for helping these incredible designs come to life and be shared with the Wellington community.

Now, in case you’ve been overwhelmed by the flood of fashion and are thinking to yourself “I’m just here for the books, my dude!”, then read on for a more literary jaunt into the world of fashion and wearable art!


via GIPHY


Spin the dawn / Lim, Elizabeth
“When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. Her life will be forfeit if her secret is discovered, and Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job […] The final challenge: sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
The prince and the dressmaker / Wang, Jen
“Paris, at the dawn of the modern age: Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride – or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia – the hottest fashion icon in the world capital of fashion! Sebastian’s secret weapon (and best friend) is the brilliant dressmaker Frances.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Coco Chanel : pearls, perfume, and the little black dress / Rubin, Susan Goldman
“Beginning with the difficult years Chanel spent in an orphanage […] Coco Chanel focuses on the obstacles Chanel faced as a financially independent woman in an era when women were expected to marry; as well as her fierce competition with the Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli; and some of her most memorable firsts for the fashion industry, including the little black dress, the quilted purse with gold chain, and the perfume Chanel No. 5.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Sew it yourself : 20 pattern-free projects (and infinite variations) to make your dream wardrobe / Braid, Daisy
“Sew It Yourself with DIY Daisy is a colourful, size-inclusive and inspiring book for sewers of all stages and abilities, beginners included. It includes guides on everything you need to get started (including equipment, materials and basic techniques) and step-by-step projects with clear instructions, photographs and illustrations that will take the scary out of sewing. Just remember: sewing is self-care, and you make the rules!” (Catalogue)

World of Wearable Art
“All new photos of garments from the last two shows, as well as new photos of some of the most extraordinary award-winning entries from the last decade”–Cover.” (Catalogue)
Private label / Yang, Kelly
“Serene dreams of making couture dresses […] but for now she’s an intern at her mom’s fashion label. When her mom receives a sudden diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, all that changes. […] Lian Chen moved from China to Serene’s mostly white Southern California beach town a year ago. […] Lian thinks there’s nothing to stick around for, until one day, he starts Chinese Club after school … and Serene walks in.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Fashion : Australian & New Zealand designers / Oakley Smith, Mitchell
“Since Collette Dinnigan became the first Australian to launch her ready-to-wear collection in Paris in 1995, Australian and New Zealand fashion designers have become increasingly recognized and admired in the international arena. Fashion documents the countries’ current key players, showcasing the work of 70 leading antipodean designers of women’s and men’s fashion.” (Catalogue)

Dior. [Fashion] / Bongrand, Caroline
“The pinnacle of French haute couture and savoir faire, the house of Dior is one of the world’s most celebrated luxury brands. […] As a young man, Christian Dior had hoped to become an architect; his mother wanted him to be a diplomat: He was all that and more.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Glitter / Pike, Aprilynne
“A teenager living in an alternate-history futuristic Versailles must escape its walls by selling a happy-enducing makeup called Glitter”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Be dazzled / La Sala, Ryan
“Raffy has a passion for bedazzling– and sewing, stitching, draping, pattern making. He is determined to make his mark at this year’s biggest cosplay competition. If he can wow there, it could lead to sponsorship, then art school, and finally earning real respect for his work. One small problem: Raffy’s ex-boyfriend, Luca, is his main competition. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

New Zealand fashion design / Lassig, Angela
“New Zealand Fashion Design is the first and most authoritative book to document New Zealand’s contemporary fashion design scene, showcasing the work of top designers and encapsulating the developments that have brought New Zealand to the attention of the international fashion world over the past 30 years. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Model misfit / Smale, Holly
“Geek girl, Harriet Manners, having been spotted by a fashion designer, is suddenly on a whirlwind modelling trip to Tokyo while surreptitiously studying maths for her GCSE. But while she know a lot of facts, clearly, she knows nothing about boys…” (Catalogue)
The World of WearableArt / Potton, Craig
“The World of WearableArt is the second edition of this inspirational and truly original visual design sourcebook. Completely revised with all new photographs, it features the best garments that have been entered over recent years in a remarkable celebration of the diversity and creativity of wearable art.” (Catalogue)

Shoe obsession / Steele, Valerie
“This fabulously illustrated book explores western culture’s fascination with extravagant and fashionable shoes. […] Shoe Obsession examines recent extreme and fantastical shoe styles in relation to the history of high heels, the role of shoes as a reflection of their wearers’ personality traits, and the importance of shoes in art and exhibitions.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Let’s Save the Bees!

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨embracing a healthy range of human emotions✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

So, let’s at it and save some bees! We couldn’t get along without bees for an infinite number of reasons, but the top three would be 1) they really do keep the ecosystem chugging along, 2) how would adults explain intimate relations without the metaphor of the birds and the bees, and 3) they’re just so darn lovely. So, what can we do to protect these little honey-sucking critters?

Plant a Bee Garden

Obviously, you’re all experts at gardening after reading Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Gardening (feat. Worms!), so why not use those green thumbs to set up a cosy floral spot for bees to come and visit? A bee garden is exactly what it sounds like (I take that back, it’s not bees growing on stalks like the vegetable lamb of Tartary. Although that would be neat too.) and consists of flowers, foliage, and shrubbery that bees find Particularly Delectable. You can go as big or small as you like, from a couple of designated bee plants in pots to filling your entire yard with dandelions (if you intend to aggravate your parents and/or landlord then this is the way to go). Some of the best plants to feature in your bee garden include:

  • Catmint
  • Lavender
  • Borage
  • Pōhutukawa

  • Sunflowers
  • Clover
  • Pansies
  • Sage

Open a Bee Hotel

Have you spent your childhood dreaming of a bright future as a hotelier, but the Disney magic hasn’t quite kicked in and you don’t magically have a bajillion dollars to buy said hotel chain? Why not start on a smaller-but-infinitely-sweeter-smelling scale with a bee hotel! Bee hotels are small structures, like bird houses, that offer a spot for bees to rest and – for solitary bees without a hive – lay their eggs in safety. Again, you can go as grand or as minimalist as you like here. Check out some guides and advice here (Sustainability Trust), here (Wildlife Trusts), and here (Natural History Museum UK) if you want to know more about making your own!

Not feeling that hotelier vocation? Try a bee bath – fill a shallow bowl or bird bath with fresh water, and pile pebbles and stones inside so that they emerge above the water’s surface. This will give the bees something to land on as they come for a genteel slurp of the world’s tastiest beverage (stay hydrated out there folks).

Support Local!

By purchasing (and/or convincing your parents to purchase) honey and bee products from local farmers and beekeepers, not only are you supporting your community and benefitting from an impressive range of health benefits (did you know that the presence of local greenery in honey makes it ideal for toughening up your immune system and combatting allergies??), but small-scale beekeepers are likely to be more invested in the wellbeing and quality of their hives, as well as in broader bee conservation practices in the area. Plus, recent honey research has revealed that a scary number of commercial honey producers adulterate their honey with sugar syrup, or similar artificial sweeteners, and that’s not the wholesome bees-knees kind of content we’re looking for (sugar = bad for you. sweet pure floral bee puke = good for you).

Plus, there’s arguably nothing cuter or more soft apocalypse aesthetic than buying honey from your local farmer’s market. Be sure to wear a straw hat.


via GIPHY


Backyard bees : a guide for the beginner beekeeper / Purdie, Doug
“Just about anyone can keep bees. All you need is a bit of space in your backyard (or on your rooftop) and a little love for the creatures that pollinate the vegie patches of your neighbourhood. Once introduced to the charms of beekeeping and the taste of warm honeycomb direct from the hive, you’ll be hooked.” (Catalogue)

How to bee / MacDibble, Bren
“Peony lives with her sister and grandfather on a fruit farm outside the city. In a world where real bees are extinct, the quickest, bravest kids climb the fruit trees and pollinate the flowers by hand […] Life on the farm is a scrabble, but there is enough to eat and a place to sleep, and there is love. Then Peony’s mother arrives to take her away from everything she has ever known.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

Unnatural creatures
“Unnatural Creatures is a collection of short stories about the fantastical things that exist only in our minds–collected and introduced by beloved New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman. The sixteen stories gathered by Gaiman, winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, range from the whimsical to the terrifying.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The beekeeper’s apprentice, or, On the segregation of the queen / King, Laurie R
“In 1915, long since retired from his crime-fighting days, Sherlock Holmes is engaged in a reclusive study of honeybees on the Sussex Downs. Never did the Victorian detective think to meet an intellect matching his own-until his acquaintance with Miss Mary Russell, a young twentieth-century lady whose mental acuity is equalled only by her penchant for deduction, disguises, and danger.” (Catalogue)

Bees and their keepers : through the seasons and centuries, from waggle-dancing to killer bees, from Aristotle to Winnie-the-Pooh / Möller, Lotte
” In her travels Moller encounters a trigger-happy Californian beekeeper raging against both killer bees and bee politics, warring beekeepers on the Danish island of L so, and Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey, breeder of the Buckfast queen now popular throughout Europe and beyond, as well a host of others as passionate as she about the complex world of apiculture both past and present.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The music of bees : a novel / Garvin, Eileen
“Following three lonely strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life’s curveballs, who are brought together by happenstance on a local honeybee farm where they find surprising friendship, healing–and maybe even a second chance–just when they least expect it”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Bee movie
“Having just graduated from college, Barry B. Benson finds himself disillusioned with the prospect of having only one career choice – honey. As he ventures outside of the hive for the first time, he breaks one of the cardinal rules of the bee world and talks to a human, a New York City florist named Vanessa. He is shocked to discover that the humans have been stealing and eating the bee’s honey for centuries. He ultimately realizes that his true calling in life is to set the world right by suing the human race. That is until the ensuing chaos upsets the very balance of nature. It is up to Barry to prove that even a little bee can spell big changes in the world.” (Catalogue)

The bees / Paull, Laline
“Born into the lowest class of her society, Flora 717 is a sanitation bee, only fit to clean her orchard hive. Living to accept, obey and serve, she is prepared to sacrifice everything for her beloved holy mother, the Queen. But Flora is not like other bees. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Wild honey bees : an intimate portrait / Arndt, Ingo
“The honey bee, a key pollinator, is now an endangered species, threatened by human activity and loss of biodiversity. Because of this, understanding forest-dwelling wild honey bees – which are more resistant to diseases and parasites than honey bees kept by beekeepers – is more important than ever before.”– Dust jacket.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Zinnia and the bees / Davis, Danielle
“Seventh-grader Zinnia’s last-day-of-school got off to a bad start when she ended up in the vice principal’s office for yarn-bombing a statue of the school mascot, but it is about to get a whole lot worse–because, thanks to the incompetence of Bee 641, a colony of commercial, migratory bees escaping from a truck has settled their colony in her hair.” (Catalogue)

Buzz : the nature and necessity of bees / Hanson, Thor
“From honeybees and bumbles to lesser-known diggers, miners, leafcutters, and masons, bees have long been central to our harvests, our mythologies, and our very existence. They’ve given us sweetness and light, the beauty of flowers, and as much as a third of the foodstuffs we eat. And, alarmingly, they are at risk of disappearing. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Bees in the city : the urban beekeepers’ handbook / Benjamin, Alison
“From the rooftop of Fortnum and Masons in Piccadilly and the grounds of Buckingham Palace to the Square Mile’s skyscrapers, the landscape is now dotted with bee hives. This book paints a vivid portrait of these intimate, sometimes secret, locations, it also introduces you to the beekeepers and their bees through changing seasons.” (Catalogue)

Planting for honeybees : the grower’s guide to creating a buzz / Lewis, Sarah Wyndham
“Our gardens would be unrecognizable without the gentle buzz of the humble honeybee. Yet in recent years bee populations have suffered from the loss of green spaces and need our help. Planting for Honeybees is a charmingly illustrated, practical guide on how to help attract these delightful pollinators – whether you only have a city window ledge or a whole country garden.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Green urban living : simple steps to growing food, keeping chickens, worm farming, beekeeping and much more in New Zealand / Luke, Janet
“As life gets busier and backyards get smaller, it is a challenge to grow food and live more sustainably. Janet Luke shows that it can be done […] This book evokes some of the methods used in traditional Kiwi backyards, with modern concepts like recycling, organics and using water sustainably to grow food and keep chickens and bees in an urban environment.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Kissing the bee / Koja, Kathe
“While working on a bee project for her advanced biology class, quiet high school senior Dana reflects on her relationship with gorgeous best friend Avra and Avra’s boyfriend Emil, whom Dana secretly loves.” (Catalogue)

 

 

New Dyslexia-Friendly Books in the Collection

The mystical, arcane beings who dwell at the very core of the book-mines of Te Pātaka (you may know them as ‘cataloguers’) were overjoyed to have received a fresh offering last week — a beautiful box of brand-new dyslexia-friendly books for teens. They were so gosh-darn purdy we just had to share them with you:

A pile of YA fiction books sits on top of the cataloguer's desk

Don’t they look so enticing?!

What makes a book dyslexia-friendly, you may be wondering? Well, it’s a combination of a few different factors:

  • Use of a dyslexia-friendly font like OpenDyslexic
  • Generous line spacing (usually at least 1.5x spacing) to prevent pages from becoming too cluttered
  • Printed on off-white, heavier paper, usually with a tint of a warm colour like yellow or orange — evidence suggests this reduces visual stress for some readers

You can find these books on the shelf at your local library by looking for the red spot on the spine, like in the photo above. Or, you can find a list on our catalogue here.

If eBooks are more your thing, you can switch your books over to a dyslexia-friendly font using the Libby app — nifty! Check out our Teen Reading Room on Libby to get started.

Whether you have dyslexia or not, these gorgeous books are bound to tickle your fancy, just as they tickled ours! Check out a list of some of our favourite red-spotted books below, and don’t forget to check out our lists of comics and graphic novels and manga while you’re at it.

Because of you / Ainsworth, Eve
“Poppy’s having a nightmare at home. Her parents have split up and her mum’s new boyfriend is moving in. Dad is the one who’s always been there for Poppy, but now he’s drifting further and further away. It seems like things can’t get any worse until it all goes wrong at school as well and Poppy finds herself being targeted by spiteful bullies. As the vicious online comments keep coming, who can Poppy turn to for help?” (Catalogue)

The Battle of Cable Street / Landman, Tanya
“Life has always been tough on the streets of Stepney, where Elsie and her brother Mikey are growing up in a vermin-infested slum nicknamed “Paradise”. But the rise of anti-Semitic fascist Oswald Mosley and his Blackshirts in the 1930s stirs up trouble between families who have lived closely together for years, and Elsie sees friendships torn apart. When Elsie and Mikey attend a Mosley rally, intending to heckle and cause trouble, they soon see how dangerous the situation has become, but out in the streets the fascists find that people will stand and fight against them and against hatred in what becomes the dramatic Battle of Cable Street.” (Catalogue)

Passing for white / Landman, Tanya
“It’s 1848 in the Deep South of America. Rosa is a slave but her owner is also her father and her fair skin means she can ‘pass for white’. With the help of her husband Benjamin, she disguises herself as a young southern gentleman – and Benjamin’s master. In this guise, the couple flee the South, explaining away their lack of literacy, avoiding those they have encountered before and holding their nerve over a thousand miles to freedom. Inspired by the amazing true story of Ellen Craft who escaped a life of slavery through a daring disguise and won freedom for herself and her husband.” (Catalogue)

The family tree / Peet, Mal
“When a man returns to his childhood home and visits the derelict tree house in which his father once chose to live, he recalls the past unravelling of his family, the unspoken strangeness of their lives, and the impact on his own adult life. Beautiful, sparse and insightful storytelling.” (Catalogue)

The harder they fall / Rai, Bali
“Cal’s family are proud to live in an ‘analogue’ world – no wifi in their house , just an ancient black-and-white TV. At school, Cal has no choice but to live in the 21st century, coping with a range of bullies and chancers on a daily basis. When Cal’s mum decides to ‘rebalance’ the family with a stint as volunteers at a local foodbank, Cal inadvertently discovers new kid Jacob’s secret, and Jacob flips.” (Catalogue)

Wrath / Sedgwick, Marcus
“Cassie Cotton has always been unusual, a bit different — but this only makes her more intriguing to her school friend Fitz. Cassie can hear a noise that no one else can, and she believes it’s a sound that shows the Earth is in distress, damaged by human activity that is causing climate change. When this belief leads to her being ridiculed and bullied at school, Cassie disappears. Fitz is determined to find her, but he has no idea where to start looking, or if he’ll be in time to help her”–Publisher’s description.” (Catalogue)

The surprising power of a good dumpling / Chim, Wai
“Anna Chiu has her hands pretty full looking after her brother and sister and helping out at her dad’s restaurant, all while her mum stays in bed. Dad’s new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren’t right at home, she’s starting to feel like she could just be a normal teen. But when Mum finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. And as Mum’s condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other. A nourishing tale about the crevices of culture, mental wellness and family, and the surprising power of a good dumpling.” (Catalogue)

Indigo moon / Merriman, Eileen
“Both Rigel and Indigo are Offspring, born to virally optimised parents. With dire warnings about the possible consequences of time travel, they have been forbidden from even thinking about it. But Indigo is bored – what could really go wrong? She longs for excitement, which she might just find with the mysterious stranger Billy Raven. Meanwhile, Rigel has an odd feeling that he can’t shake off. Is it because his dad, Johnno (aka Phoenix), is off on another dangerous mission? Or is it because of what the Foundation did to his mum, Violet? Or is something else going on? Only time will tell”–Publisher information.

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Let’s [Make] This Bread!

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨forming an emotional attachment with the local worm population✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

Baking bread is one of the fundaments of thriving in the pastoral fantasy that is our soft apocalypse (it’s a fact that sunsets are more beautiful with baked goods in hand), so today we’re having a look at a few basic Bread-y recipes!

Pro Tip: Put on a timer when baking stuff. For the love of emergency services, please and thank you.


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The Sweet

Nothing says ‘cottagecore’ like a hearty loaf of banana bread, and it’s ideal if you’re anything like me (aka chief of forgetting to eat my bananas then hoarding them in the freezer when they go brown). This recipe is adapted from Chelsea Sugar’s banana bread recipe. Shout out to Chelsea x

  1. Preheat your oven to 18o°C bake.
  2. Pop 125g Nuttelex Buttery Spread (söftened) in a bowl with 1 cup of brown sugar. Beat it with measured violence in your heart, then add in either 2 flaxseed eggs (or similar substitute) and mix.
  3. Sift and stir in 2 cups of white flour, 1tsp of baking powder, 1tsp of ground cinnamon, and 1tsp of baking soda (tsp = teaspoon, for those Not In The Know). Mix in 1 cup of soy milk.
  4. Mash 3 ripe/overripe bananas and add, then roughly chop up 1/3 cup of walnuts (optional) and add. Mix ’em all together, then pop the mixture into a loaf-shaped tin lined with baking paper.
  5. Bake for an hour (or until a skewer skewered through the middle comes out clean). Leave in the tin for a further ten minutes, and hey presto you have a Loaf!

The Savoury

Continuing on with our slow-burn pizza making journey (check out tips for growing your pizza toppings here)! If you’re feeling brave, you can even do the neat ‘spinning the dough above your head like a pro’ thing – just remember to watch out for ceiling fans. Love and two kisses to Nadia Lim because this recipe is a 100% knock-off of hers xx

  1. Stir 1tsp of sugar in  cups of warm water until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Stir in 4tsps of yeast and set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Thoroughly mix in 1tsp of salt and 4 cups of flour, then transfer to a clean surface sprinkled with flour and knead the dough for 5-8 minutes (until you can poke the dough with your finger and the indentation springs back quite nicely). Feel free to add a little more flour if your dough is too sticky.
  3. Lightly oil a large bowl (no more than 2tbsp (tbsp = tablespoon, for those Not In The Know) of olive oil should do). Place the dough in the bowl, turning once so it’s lightly covered with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp, clean(!) tea towel, and leave in a warm place for just under an hour.
  4. Remove the freshly puffy dough, and knead for another 2-3 minutes, then cut the dough into four even pieces and shape into pizza bases! Top with your favourite pizza toppings (Pineapple on Pizza for President 2023), and bake in an oven at 200°C for 10-15 minutes.

The Basic

Where would we be without the humble loaf of sliced white bread (slicing not included, terms and conditions may apply)? What would the millennials have their avocados on? What would we make fairybread with? Truly disturbing to consider. Luckily! We don’t have to! And here’s how to make your very own! (Blessings be to Gather for Bread, from whom I stole this recipe x).

  1. Stir 1tbsp of sugar and 1tbsp salt in 2 cups of warm water until mostly dissolved. Stir in 1tbsp of yeast and set aside for 5-10 minutes until foamy.
  2. Mix in 5-6 cups of flour, until the mixture is clumped and doughy, then turn out onto a clean, floured surface.
  3. Knead your dough for five minutes or so, sprinkling flour as needed to prevent sticking, until the mixture springs back slightly when poked. (Avoid adding too much flour or over-kneading as this will toughen the dough.)
  4. Lightly oil a large bowl (no more than 2tbsp of olive oil should do). Knead the dough for another couple of minutes, then place in the bowl, turning once so it’s lightly covered with oil. Cover the bowl with a damp, clean(!) tea towel, and leave in a warm place for 1-2 hours. During this time, the dough should double in size.
  5. Once the dough has risen, briefly knead out any air bubbles, then cut the dough in half and shape into two oval loafs. Place them on baking tray dusted with flour, and lightly slash the tops of the loaves three times on a diagonal, then brush them with cold water.
  6. Bake the loaves in a preheated oven at 200°C for 35-45 minutes, until the loaves are a tasty golden-brown colour, and sound hollow when tapped. Very good with soup, five stars.

 


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Fitwaffle’s baking it easy : all my best 3-ingredient recipes and most-loved cakes and desserts / Head, Eloise
” I’m Eloise, known online as Fitwaffle, and welcome to my first book! […] Find fifty 3-ingredient recipes, including my crowd-pleasing Cookies and Cream Cake and delicious Chocolate Caramel Fudge, plus all of your favourite 4- and 5-ingredient recipes including Speculoos Ice Cream and a cinnamon roll made in a mug!” (Adapted from Catalogue)


A wizard’s guide to defensive baking / Kingfisher, T
“Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance. But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The heartbreak bakery / Capetta, A. R.
“Teenage baker Syd sends ripples of heartbreak through Austin’s queer community when a batch of post-being-dumped brownies turns out to be magical–and makes everyone who eats them break up. ” (Catalogue)

The bread bible / Beranbaum, Rose Levy
“Winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award, Best Bread Book” (Catalogue)

How baking works / Morton, James
“Whether you want light cakes, squidgy brownies, perfect pastry, stress-free macarons or mountainous meringues, this book features a mini-masterclass for each one.” (Catalogue)


A taste for love / Yen, Jennifer
“Smart, kind, and pretty, Liza Yang dreams big and never shies away from a challenge. But her mom compares her to older sister Jeannie, and sees Liza as stubborn, rebellious, and determined to push back against all of Mrs. Yang’s traditional values, especially when it comes to dating. The one thing they agree on is their love of baking. Mrs. Yang is the owner of Houston’s popular Yin & Yang Bakery. Liza agrees to help out at the bakery’s annual junior competition, but discovers there’s a catch: all of the contestants are young Asian American men her mother has handpicked for Liza to date. Grudgingly attracted to stoic, annoyingly hot James Wong, Liza begins to realize there’s no tried and true recipe for love.” (Catalogue)

Bread : from ciabatta to rye / Collister, Linda
“A delicious journey around the great breads of the world – required reading for all home bakers, whatever their level of experience.” (Catalogue)

The little book of vegan bakes / Jade, Holly
“Recipes range from the simple (Chocolate Orange Fridge Fudge, Cookies and Cream Cupcakes and Peanut Butter Flapjacks) to the more ambitious (Honeycomb Doughnuts, Cherry Bakewell Tartlets and No-bake Biscoff Cheesecake) making this a book for anyone and any ability.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The great British bake off : how to bake : the perfect Victoria sponge and other baking secrets / Collister, Linda
“Twelve new amateur bakers are ready to rise to the Great British Bake Off challenge. While they don their aprons, adjust to their new ovens, and get used to baking in a tent, this book takes you through the challenges from the series and shows you how to achieve baking perfection.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Breadsong : how baking changed our lives / Tait, Kitty
“‘If you had told me at 14 when I couldn’t even get out of bed with depression and anxiety that three years later I would have written a book I would never have believed you. But here it is – the story of the Orange Bakery. How I went from bed to bread and how my Dad went from being a teacher to a baker. ” — Publisher’s description.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Baking with Kim-Joy : cute and creative bakes to make you smile / Kim-Joy
“If you’ve ever wanted to know how to bring your baking to life, Kim-Joy will show you how in this fun and practical book. […] Recipes include step-by-step photography and adorable illustrations accompanied by little messages of positivity throughout.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Batter royale / Adams, Leisl
“In this fun graphic novel, a talented young chef is selected to participate in a baking reality show and finds herself mixed up in spicy competition, bitter rivalry, and sweet romance.” –author’s website.” (Catalogue)

Bread therapy : the mindful art of baking bread / Beaumont, Pauline
“Therapy is a love letter to the art of making real bread. […] It celebrates bread making as a way of understanding ourselves better, learning important life lessons and making positive changes to our mental and physical wellbeing. It features eight simple bread recipes to get you started on your bread-making journey.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


The vegan cake bible : the definitive guide to baking, building and decorating spectacular vegan cakes / Kidd, Sara
“With step-by-step tutorials for frosting and decorating, mix and match ideas, and recipes for gluten-free cakes that actually work, Sara teaches you the ingredients, tools, and tips to master the art of vegan baking”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Honey and jam : seasonal baking from my kitchen in the montains / Queen, Hannah
“Featuring Queen’s rich photography throughout, Honey and Jam not only showcases a collection of rustic desserts, but also captures the sprawling forests and farmlands of Blue Ridge, anchoring each recipe in the backdrop of the Southern Appalachian Mountains.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Eco-Anxiety & Other Fun Things to Think About at 3AM

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨eating the vinyl edition of Taylor Swift’s folklore like it’s a cracker✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

I’d like to start off with a little Disclaimer: I am not a therapist, but I am a chill vibey woman who sometimes says “it ees what is ees” while doing finger guns. Which feels like basically the same thing.

In all seriousness, these are Troubling Times, and we should all be brushing up on our self-care skills (get enough sleep, go to vegetables, eat your therapy, etc. etc.), as well as learning new ways to look after ourselves, our friends, and this nice blue and green bouncey ball that we call home. Since thriving in the soft apocalypse is all about looking after ourselves physically and emotionally, today we’re going to be chatting about mental health!

Let’s Get Grounding!

I’m sure most of you will have heard of grounding techniques because – let’s be honest – life can be a bit stressful, especially when you’re a Youth. But in case you haven’t, we’re going to go over a couple of the basics.
  • 5-4-3-2-1 Exercise: This is a golden oldie. The sliced bread of grounding techniques. Easy and discreet. You start by identifying 5 things that you can see around you (the light hitting some leaves, the pattern of someone’s shirt, how swish your shoes are looking etc). From there, you identify 4 things you’re touching/feeling, such as the feel of a chair against your legs, your phone in your hand, you get the gist. Then you work your way through 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and finish with thing you can taste (if you’re feeling a bit flavourless then you can use this as an opportunity to take some deep breaths). This is the exact grounding technique that field mice use when baking soufflés, so feel free to add in that visual.
  • Anchoring Phrases: An exercise in description, anchoring phrases are simple phrases you can repeat to yourself that ‘anchor’ you back into the moment. Things like “My name is Mike TV. I am twelve years old. I live in Wellington, in New Zealand. The time is 3.37pm and it is a Thursday.” You know, real riveting stuff like that.
  • Affirmations: That’s right, we’re not getting through this without a little bit of self-compassion. Come up with a few soft little phrases that you can use when you’re feeling stressed, such as:
    • “I’m having a hard time, but it will pass.”
    • “I can do hard things.”
    • “I deserve rest, safety, food, and love, with no conditions attached.”
    • “I’m doing my best, and that is enough.”
    • “I am in pain but I will make it through.”
  • Listing: Lots of freedom here to list whatever you want. Favourite cryptids, Taylor Swift songs that make you Feel Things, types of cheese, books with terrible love triangles in them. The idea is to get your mind focusing on one thing (while you maybe add in some slow breathing) and find your way back from whatever stressy thing got your goat.
  • Breathing Exercises: I specifically researched “calming breathing exercises” before the Taylor Swift Eras tickets went on sale, so you’d better believe I’m an expert. You could try out Box Breathing (breath in for four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, hold again for four seconds, and repeat), Bumblebee Breathing (relax face and shoulders, gently block your ears and cover your eyes, take slow deep breaths and let out a low hum on each exhale), or any number of the other exercises out there.

Let’s Talk About Eco-Anxiety

It’s a pretty sticky world out there, so I’m sure most of you have heard of eco-anxiety, or experienced it for yourself. It’s definitely something I’ve been dealing with more lately, but good news folks! There’s a ton of resources out there to help you manage your eco-anxiety, and even help you turn it into a strength (it’s literally a sign of how much you care about our world – pretty badass when you think about it).
Experts generally agree that there are four key tools for dealing with eco-anxiety:
  1.  Accept and explore your feelings. What in particular is prompting this kind of stress? It’s perfectly rational to be feeling this way – don’t beat yourself up over it.
  2. Use your voice, both in terms of finding people you can talk about this with, AND by speaking up to raise awareness among friends, family, or online.
  3. Action. Nothing is more empowering that feeling like you’re addressing your problem. Get involved in a local clean-up, try making your diet more planet-friendly, research local politics and find out who’s prioritizing climate action, organise a climate change awareness event at your school. Go however big or small you need.
  4. Take practical steps to protect your mental health, and don’t be afraid to take a step back from all the doom media out there. Ground yourself, both emotionally and physically in nature (go touch some grass), and look into getting professional help if that’s where you’re at. You can’t look after your planet if you’re not looking after yourself.
Alright, that’s a lot of words from me. Keep breathing out there folks, and keep scrolling to check out more words from our Gorgeous Library Collection.

As librarians, we’re here to help, not judge. Always feel free to ask for more information at your local library. And if you’re worried about yourself or someone in your life, the best thing you can do is talk to somebody about it.

  • Find great mental health resources at The Lowdown, Small Steps, or Piki (for rangatahi aged 18-25)
  • Or contact
    • Youthline by free texting 234, or free calling 0800 376633.
    • Lifeline Helpline by free calling 0800 LIFELINE (0800 543 354) or free texting HELP (4357) for confidential support – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
    • 0800WHATSUP a free nationwide young people’s helpline available 7 days a week, 11am – 11pm. You can also chat with them online from 11am – 10:30pm every day.

Socially-conscious Reads for Ecologically Anxious Teens


Highly illogical behavior / Whaley, John Corey
“Agoraphobic sixteen-year-old Solomon has not left his house in three years, but Lisa is determined to change that– and to write a scholarship-winning essay based on the results.” (Catalogue)
How to change everything : the young human’s guide to protecting the planet and each other / Klein, Naomi
“A movement is already underway to combat not only the environmental effects of climate change but also to fight for climate justice and make a fair and livable future possible for everyone. And young people are not just part of that movement, they are leading the way. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Lumberjanes [1] : beware the kitten holy / Stevenson, Noelle
“Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp… defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons… what’s not to love?! Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together… and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

(Don’t) call me crazy : 33 voices start the conversation about mental health
“Writers, athletes, and artists offer essays, lists, comics, and illustrations that explore their personal experiences with mental illness, how we do and do not talk about mental health, help for better understanding how every person’s brain is wired differently, and what, exactly, might make someone crazy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Am I normal yet / Bourne, Holly
“Evie, Amber and Lottie: three girls facing down tough issues with the combined powers of friendship, feminism and cheesy snacks. Both hilarious and heart-rending, this is Evie’s no-holds-barred story of struggling to live a normal teen life in the grip of OCD, from the acclaimed author of The Manifesto on How to be Interesting.” (Catalogue)

The book of knowing : know how you think, change how you feel / Smith, Gwendoline
“Learn to understand the way you think and you will be able to deal with many of life’s difficult moments. Written in an accessible and humorous style, this book teaches you to know what’s going on in your mind and how to get your feelings under control.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Darius the Great is not okay / Khorram, Adib
“Clinically-depressed Darius Kellner, a high school sophomore, travels to Iran to meet his grandparents, but it is their next-door neighbor, Sohrab, who changes his life.” (Catalogue)

Urgent message from a hot planet : navigating the climate crisis / Eriksson, Ann
“This nonfiction book for teens outlines the science behind global heating and its root causes, provides ways to take action and honors the efforts of the millions of people from around the world working tirelessly to help the planet.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)
Finding Audrey / Kinsella, Sophie
“Fourteen-year-old Audrey is making slow but steady progress dealing with her anxiety disorder when Linus comes into the picture and her recovery gains momentum.” (Catalogue)

The story of more : how we got to climate change and where to go from here : adapted for young adults / Jahren, Hope
“Jahren, a geobiologist, has written an impassioned open letter to humanity as we stand at the crossroads of survival and extinction. Our enterprising spirit has tamed wild crops, cured diseases, and sent us to the moon– but that spirit has created excesses that are quickly warming our planet to dangerous levels. Jahren […] shares the science-based tools that could help us fight back.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Under rose-tainted skies / Gornall, Louise
“Norah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did. Norah can’t leave the house, but can she let someone in?” (Adapted from Catalogue)
It’s all in your head / Earl, Rae
“When I was a teenager, I had a nervous breakdown. Battling OCD and an eating disorder tested my sanity to its very limits, but I survived. And then I thrived. And now I’ve written this book, full of the things healthcare professionals can’t tell you. Supported by Dr Radtha (from BBC Radio 1’s The Surgery), this is a book about how to live well with a mixed up mind.”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

American road trip / Flores-Scott, Patrick
“With a strong family, the best friend a guy could ask for, and a budding romance with the girl of his dreams, life shows promise for Teodoro “T” Avila. But he takes some hard hits the summer before senior year when his nearly perfect brother, Manny, returns from a tour in Iraq with a devastating case of PTSD. In a desperate effort to save Manny from himself and pull their family back together, T’s fiery sister, Xochitl, hoodwinks her brothers into a cathartic road trip.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

In my head : a young person’s guide to understanding mental health / Baty, Louise
“Do you ever find it hard to explain what you’re thinking and feeling? Have you often pretended to be okay when in reality you’re anxious or sad? However you’re feeling, you’re not alone because many people find it difficult to talk about their mental health. This book will help you be kind to your mind. Whether you want to understand your thoughts and emotions a little better, or learn some handy tips to help you to de-stress, it’s filled with information on how to look after your well-being and stay feeling good.” (Catalogue)

Heroine complex / Kuhn, Sarah
“Evie Tanaka is the put-upon personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter, her childhood best friend and San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine. She’s great at her job–blending into the background, handling her boss’s epic diva tantrums, and getting demon blood out of leather pants. […] But everything changes when Evie’s forced to pose as her glamorous boss for one night, and her darkest secret comes out: she has powers, too.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Gardening (feat. worms!)

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨building a shrine to Hozier✨).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

When I was 6 years old, I went out into my friend’s garden and ate so much grass that I threw up in my friend’s mum’s laundry basket. It was something of a faux pas, but it was the beginning of a new-found appreciation for edible gardening. This is an appreciation that manifests today as a semi-feral strawberry patch in the backyard of my flat, and one rather sad looking lemon tree. So here we are, determined to do better, and keen to know more about gardening for people who only give half a fig, and whose thumbs are distinctly un-green.

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Fun Fact: The Texas Blind Snake looks like a worm, but it has a tiny mouth with which to extol the virtues of container gardening.

When the Texas Blind Snake speaks, we must listen, so let’s have a chat about container gardening! Container gardening can be as big or small, as cheap or expenny, as aesthetic or unaesthetic as you like, which makes it a perfect starting point for our pre-apocalypse DIY smallholdings. A quick google reveals that people can get pretty ambitious with their container-grown goods, but we’re going to be starting off ✨nice ‘n’ easy✨ with some of the basics:

Lettuce: It’s big! It’s leafy! It tastes like crunchy water!

  • Here’s what you need: Lettuce seedlings, a container (between 5-8 inches deep), potting soil, water, and a handful of gravel or pebbles.
  • Here’s what you need to know: Lettuce needs 4-6 hours of sunlight every day, so look for a sunny windowsill or porch. Water every day or so (lettuce is a bit of thirsty boy and likes soil that it constantly damp, but not soggy). Lettuce seedlings take 40-50 days to reach maturity. When harvesting your lettuce, carefully snip off the outer leaves.
  • Here’s what you need to do: Put the gravel/pebbles at the bottom of your container (this will allow water to drain through the soil to avoid root rot). Half-fill the container with potting mix, and make a bit of a well for your little seedling. Separate out your lettuce seedlings, and sit it down gently in the well before adding enough potting soil to cover the roots and reach just past the base of the plant. Lightly pat down the soil, gently water the seedling, and give it a nice little kiss to help it settle in.

Tomato: A very nice addition to our Evil Pasta – see Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Cooking the Books (but make it literal) – and an excellent fruit/veg for throwing at disreputable politicians.

  • Here’s what you need: Tomato seedlings (Glacier, Tiny Tim, Maglia Rosa, and Italian Roma are great options for potted gardening), a bucket or similarly large container, potting soil, water, mulch (straw, bark, or shredded leaves), and a handful of gravel or pebbles.
  • Here’s what you need to know: Tomato plants need 6-8 hours of sunlight per day, and grow best if kept between 10-32°C. They are also thirsty boys who require daily watering, sometimes twice a day if the weather is particularly hot (watering early in the morning or later in the evening is best for your plant). Most tomato plants should begin producing fruit after 60-100 days.
  • Here’s what you need to do: Spread a layer of gravel or similar at the bottom of the container (for drainage!), then top with a hefty layer of potting soil. Make a well in the soil, remove the bottom few leaves from your tomato seedling, and bury it so that the roots and first inch or two of stem are under the soil (roots will grow along the buried stem). Pat the earth down gently to tuck in your new tomato child, give it a bit of a water to welcome it into it’s new home, and top off the soil with a nice inch of mulch. At this point, you might also like to create a support structure for your tomato, such as a cage or a few sticks/garden stakes tied together in a tripod.

Basil: Another friend to pastas everywhere, basil makes the cut here because it’s so darn nice to have fresh basil leaves on a homemade pizza or spaghetti bolognese. Plus it’s fun to add Flavour Leaves to things. Makes me feel like a witch.

  • Here’s what you need: Basil seedlings or seeds, a container (any ol’ size and type will do), potting soil, water, and a handful of gravel or pebbles.
  • Here’s what you need to know: Basil plants need 6-8 hours of sunlight per day, and are best planted in mid-Spring. Again, basil needs to have regular sippy-sips of water, and prefers soil that is consistently damp but not soggy. Basil leaves are immediately ready for harvest, however be careful not to over-pick your plant. Basil plants are annuals, meaning they may last only a few months, however if you keep a supply of basil seeds handy then you can continue to sow and grow your basil container garden year-round.
  • Here’s what you need to do: If growing your basil from seed, you’ll need to plant your seeds in a small container of potting mix, around 0.6cm under the soil. Keep the soil moist, and ideally at around a temperature of 21°C. The plants should germinate within 5-10 days, and can be carefully transplanted into larger containers when they have 3-4 sets of leaves. When planting your basil seedling into it’s home container, set up your drainage layer and potting soil, then make a little hole and bury your basil plant up to the base of the stem. You can plant multiple basil in one container, just make sure the plants are 6-8cm apart to allow airflow.


Close-up image of strawberry plants in a garden.

My strawberry patch before it went an eldritch kind of feral.


And there you have it! Our thumbs are slightly greener! To make them greener still (or to take a well-earned break from all your gardening), check out some of the Botanical Books from our collection below:


This poison heart / Bayron, Kalynn
“When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift: the ability to grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Girls who green the world : thirty-four rebel women out to save our planet / Kapp, Diana
“A guidebook to the modern environmental movement featuring 34 inspiring women working to save our planet”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The price guide to the occult / Walton, Leslye J.
“Sixteen-year-old Nor, who comes from a long line of witches, prefers to hide her ability to communicate with nature and lives in constant fear of the return of her abusive mother.” (Catalogue)

Small garden style : a design guide for outdoor rooms and containers / Eaton, Isa Hendry
“Petite gardens align with the movement to live smaller and create a life with less stuff and more room for living. But a more eco-friendly and efficient space doesn’t have to sacrifice style. However small your garden, Small Garden Style will transform it into a magical, modern outdoor oasis.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Wild beauty / McLemore, Anna-Marie
“For nearly a century the Nomeolvides women have tended the grounds and lush estate gardens of La Pradera. They have a tragic legacy: if they fall in love too deeply, their lovers vanish. When a strange boy appears in the gardens, he is a mystery to Estrella and to her family, but he’s even more a mystery to himself. He knows nothing more about who he is or where he came from than his first name. As Estrella tries to help Fel piece together his unknown past, they uncover secrets as dangerous as they are magical.” (Catalogue)

Poison Ivy : cycle of life and death / Chu, Amy
“Life. Death. Poison Ivy has power over both. But can she keep her friends and hold down a regular job at the same time? As Dr. Pamela Isley, she joins the prestigious plant sciences department at Gotham Botanical Gardens, but things quickly get complicated when a fellow scientist is murdered and it looks like the work of Ivy. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Indoor edible garden / Allaway, Zia
“Describes methods for growing edible plants indoors, covering how to make the most of available light, instructions for growing specific plants, and productive and pleasing projects to brighten the home.” (Catalogue)

The Raven Boys / Stiefvater, Maggie
“Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent’s only gift seems to be that she makes other people’s talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own–and that together their talents are a dangerous mix.” (Catalogue)

Wildblood : a novel / Blackwood, Lauren
“Kidnapped at six and sent to work at the Exotic Lands Touring Company as a Wildblood tour guide, eighteen-year-old Victoria takes on a dangerous expedition through the monster-filled Jamaican jungle to secure a better future and find where she truly belongs.” (Catalogue)

The secret garden : a graphic novel / Marsden, Mariah
“Ten-year-old Mary Lennox arrives at her uncle’s secluded estate on the Yorkshire moors with a scowl and a chip on her shoulder. But as she begins to explore her new home alongside ragtag companions – a cocky robin redbreast, a sour-faced gardener, and a boy who can talk to animals – Mary uncovers long-buried family secrets and learns that even the loneliest of hearts can grow roots in rocky soil.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

How to garden when you’re new to gardening
“How To Garden When You’re New To Gardening shows you the basics to get your green space under control and keep it that way. With the expertise of the RHS, this book gives simple step by step instructions, with clear images to help you build your dream garden, no matter the size and scale.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

How to garden
“A no-nonsense beginner’s guide to the must-know aspects of gardening from the RHS Tempted to have a go at gardening? Keen to grow your own veg or tame an out-of-control border? This no-nonsense practical manual, packed with clear advice and photos on the essentials, shows you where to start and how to progress.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The sprite and the gardener / Abrego, Rii
“Long, long ago, sprites were the caretakers of gardens. Every flower was grown by their hand. But when humans appeared and began growing their own gardens, the sprites’ magical talents soon became a thing of the past. When Wisteria, an ambitious, kind-hearted sprite, starts to ask questions about the way things used to be, she’ll begin to unearth her long-lost talent of gardening.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: Cooking the Books (but make it literal)

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth! 

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and keeping chickens).

Welcome to Episode 2 of Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

And what better skill to start off with than cooking? After all, it’s not a proper Soft Apocalypse unless there’s snacks. In honour of this, today I will be sharing with you my holy trinity of recipes for all possible occasions, along with some books to eat them with (this is a library after all).


Fun Fact: The following recipes cover the three primary food groups (Garlic, Breakfast, and Noodles).

First and foremost: Evil Pasta. Thus named because of the unethical quantity of ✨butter✨ and the nasty little way I cackle when it’s ready to eat. (Also butter should be in quotation marks because the two-headed calf poem made me cry and now ya girl is plant-based.) To make your evil plate of evil pasta, slice up an enormous number of white button mushrooms and fry ’em in a pot/pan/type of thing along with chef’s choice amount of minced garlic and lots of “butter”. Do this until the mushrooms are all lil and crispy. Feel free to add some sliced tomato here, again it’s up to you. This is your evil pasta now. Mix the lil crispy mushrooms into the desired amount of cooked pasta (I would recommend using those tiny little elbow pasta pieces), and top with some nice avocado. Make a nasty little cackle and then it’s ready to eat.

Second and secondmost: Oogy-Boogy It’s Cold Outside Porridge. Don’t be alarmed, but the following recipe includes a fruit. I’m not going to take you through the ins and outs of making porridge because that’s not Hip Teen Blog Vibes, so I’ll say it really fast. Oats + Twice as much milk (let’s go soy – think of the cow poem) + Nice little shake shake of cinnamon + One grated apple + A touch of vanilla essence. Boil in a pot until Good, then eat topped with brown sugar and a splash more milk.

Third and finally: Sticky Lime Noodles. Thus named because it’s stïcky. Slice up some carrots, courgette, and bok choy ✨julienne style✨ then fry it all in a nice little pan. Add a little minced garlic. Add two packets of cooked, unseasoned two-minute noodles (that’s right, we’re classy). Add two tablespoons of both lime juice and soy sauce. Add one teaspoon-ish of honey. Add a nice dusting of chilli powder. Stir it all up. Adjust according to taste. Make sure it’s looking stïcky. Put it in a bowl, find the eating utensil that makes your heart sing and then Eat It.


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There you have it: Cooking 101 for the Soft Apocalypse. Keen to know more or keep reading? Why not head down to your local library branch to get your greedy little (oven) mitts on some of these delicious books from the WCL collection:


Batter royale / Adams, Leisl
“In this fun graphic novel, a talented young chef is selected to participate in a baking reality show and finds herself mixed up in spicy competition, bitter rivalry, and sweet romance.” –author’s website.” (Catalogue)


With the fire on high / Acevedo, Elizabeth
“Ever since she got pregnant during freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions, doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. Then an opportunity presents itself to not only enrol in a culinary arts class in her high school, but also to travel abroad to Spain for an immersion program. Emoni knows that her decisions post high school have to be practical ones, but despite the rules she’s made for her life – and everyone else’s rules that she refuses to play by – once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Breadsong : how baking changed our lives / Tait, Kitty
“‘If you had told me at 14 when I couldn’t even get out of bed with depression and anxiety that three years later I would have written a book I would never have believed you. But here it is – the story of the Orange Bakery. How I went from bed to bread and how my Dad went from being a teacher to a baker. ” — Publisher’s description.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A Cuban girl’s guide to tea and tomorrow / Namey, Laura Taylor
“After graduation, everything Lila Reyes had planned for her life fell apart. Her worried parents make a new plan for her: Spend three months with family friends in Winchester, England, to relax and reset. But with the lack of sun, a grumpy inn cook, and a small town lacking Miami flavor (both in food and otherwise), what would be a dream trip for some feels more like a nightmare to Lila. Until she meets Orion Maxwell. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Vegan fakeaway : plant-based takeaway classics for the ultimate night in / Beskow, Katy
“We all love a takeaway. It’s one of life’s little pleasures, and a great way to try food from around the world in the comfort of our own homes. From All-in-one biryani or Sesame spring rolls, to Sicilian-style pizza, Falafel flatbreads and Chilli burritos, there’s something for every Friday night feast.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Brave Chef Brianna [1] / Sykes, Sam
“Brianna Jakobsson has big cooking dreams, and when her ailing father, a world-renowned chef, poses a challenge to his only daughter and fifteen sons, she seizes the opportunity.  Thing is, the only place she can afford to set up shop is in Monster City. Her menu is full of weird delicacies, her kitchen is run by a half-bird harpy, and her dining room is filled with skeleton businessmen. Add on the nefarious Madame Cron, some highly competitive siblings and Brianna’s plate is literally… full.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Somewhere between bitter and sweet / Kemp, Laekan Zea
“As an aspiring pastry chef, Penelope Prado has always dreamed of opening her own pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her traditional Mexican-American mom and dad have different plans. Xander Amaro Is a new hire at Nacho’s. For him, the job is an opportunity for a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father who left him behind. When both the restaurant and Xander’s immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his new found family and himself. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
The complete cookbook for young chefs
“Want to bake the most-awesome-ever cupcakes? Or surprise your family with breakfast tacos on Sunday morning? Looking for a quick snack after school? Or maybe something special for a sleepover? It’s all here. Learn to cook like a pro – it’s easier than you think.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A phở love story / Le, Loan
“Bảo would describe himself as steady and strong: his grades are average, his social status unremarkable. He works at his parents’ phở restaurant – as his parents’ fifth favorite employee. Linh Mai would describe herself as a firecracker: stable when unlit, but full of potential for joy and fire. She dreams of pursuing a career in art, while working practically full-time at her family’s phở restaurant. Bao and Linh have never even had a class together – but after a chance encounter, sparks fly. Can this relationship survive their families’ feud? — adapted from jacket.” (Catalogue)

Cheeky treats : brilliant bakes and cakes / Charles, Liam
“When you bake you want the results to be mouth-watering and jaw-droppingly good. You want gasps of awe followed by silence as your friends and family munch their way through your genius creations. No one understands this better than Liam Charles, aka Cake Boy, the breakout star from Great British Bake Off 2017. Who else could bring you a Caramel Peanut Millionaires Shortbread, an Oreo Chocolate Brownie Freakshake or a Christmas Dinner Pie?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Chinese takeaway in 5 : 80 of your favourite dishes using only five ingredients / Wan, Kwoklyn
“Kwoklyn Wan is back with 70 classic Chinese dishes that use only five ingredients. All your favourites are here – from Tom Yum Soup to Prawn Toast, Sweet Chilli Salmon and Lemon Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork Balls or Beef in Oyster Sauce, Aubergine Fritters and Chilli Ginger Crispy Tofu – and all use only five key ingredients.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Diet for a changing climate : food for thought / Mihaly, Christy
“Explore the vast world of unexpected foods that may help solve the global hunger crisis: weeds, wild plants, invasive and feral species, and bugs! You’ll visit a cricket farm, learn recipes for dandelion pancakes and pickled purslane; and discover facts about climate change, sustainability, green agriculture, indigenous foods, farm-to-table restaurants, and how to be an eco-friendly producer, consumer, and chef. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners!

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

It is a high school rite of passage to spend at least one class (I would recommend Maths – who really needs it?) debating with your friends on how best to survive a Zombie Apocalypse. In my mind, your survival plan said a lot about who you were as a person, and I definitely judged my friends based on their plans and how closely they aligned with my own (steal a bus, break into the SPCA and take all the animals, then hole up in the local Pak ‘n’ Save – make of that what you will).

Eight years later, and I am infinitely more preoccupied with my plans for thriving in the Soft Apocalypse: The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Welcome to the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and ✨constantly touching grass✨).

If/when the Soft Apocalypse hits, I will be trailing around after my green anarchist forager brother so I expect I will be just fine, but at the same time it would be very nice to have a few handy-dandy skills of my own. Enter: Soft Apocalypse for Beginners! Where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it), with the support of a certain gorgeous library collection.

Stay tuned for the next episode of Soft Apocalypse for Beginners!
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Lumberjanes [1] : beware the kitten holy / Stevenson, Noelle
“Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp… defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons… what’s not to love?! Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Scattered all over the earth / Tawada, Yōko
“Welcome to the not-too-distant future: Japan, having vanished from the face of the earth, is now remembered as “the land of sushi.” As she searches for anyone who can still speak her mother tongue, Hiruko soon makes new friends. Her troupe travels to France, encountering an umami cooking competition; a dead whale; an ultra-nationalist named Breivik; unrequited love; Kakuzo robots; red herrings; uranium; an Andalusian matador.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The quiet at the end of the world / James, Lauren
“How far would you go to save those you love? Lowrie and Shen are the youngest people on the planet after a virus caused global infertility. Closeted in a pocket of London and doted upon by a small, ageing community, the pair spend their days mudlarking and looking for treasure – until a secret is uncovered that threatens not only their family but humanity’s entire existence.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Girls’ last tour. 1 / Tsukumizu
“Civilization is dead, but not Chito and Yuuri. Time to hop aboard their beloved Kettenkrad motorbike and wander what’s left of the world! Sharing a can of soup or scouting for spare parts might not be the experience they were hoping for, but all in all, life isn’t too bad…”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

Tea Dragon Society / O’Neill, Katie
“The beloved and charming all-ages book that follows the story of Greta, a blacksmith apprentice, and the people she meets as she becomes entwined in the enchanting world of tea dragons. After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives–and eventually her own.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The sound of stars / Dow, Alechia
“Music, art and books are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her. Born in a lab, M0Rr1S was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie’s illegal library, he’s duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solution–thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while creating a story and a song of their own that just might save them both.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Wool / Howey, Hugh
“In a ruined and hostile landscape, in a future few have been unlucky enough to survive, a community exists in a giant underground silo. To live, you must follow the rules. But some don’t.  Their punishment is simple and deadly. They are allowed outside. Jules is one of these people. She may well be the last.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

This poison heart / Bayron, Kalynn
“When Briseis’s aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift: the ability to grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Iron widow / Zhao, Xiran Jay
“The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall of China. It doesn’t matter that the girls die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But when she gets her vengeance, it becomes clear that she is an Iron Widow, a rare kind of female pilot who can sacrifice males to power up Chrysalises instead. Now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will take over instead, then leverage their combined strength to force her society to stop failing its women and girls. Or die trying.”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Dungeons & Dragons

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s (WCL) Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ comic collection. This post collects all the comics we have inspired by the premiere tabletop roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons!

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What Dungeons & Dragons comics are there?

Dungeons & Dragons has inspired many comics since the tabletop gaming renaissance of the 2010s. In addition to the official comics licensed by Wizards of the Coast, D&D has crossed over into other comic franchises, and “actual play” podcasts like The Adventure Zone and Critical Role have started adapting their in-game storylines into graphic novels.

If you were looking for sourcebooks and manuals to run your own campaigns, check out J’Shuall of Jackanapery’s recent post on our Dungeons & Dragons collection here!


Official Dungeons and Dragons comics

These are the official licensed Dungeons & Dragons comics we have, based on the Pathfinder system and Forgotten Realms setting.

Forgotten realms. Cutter / Salvatore, R. A.

Pathfinder. Volume one, Dark waters rising / Zubkavich, Jim

Dungeons & dragons. Infernal tides (only on Libby)


Dungeons and Dragons and Television

Dungeons & Dragons has crossed over into comic-book tie-ins of TV shows, notably Stranger Things and Rick and Morty.

Stranger things and Dungeons & Dragons / Houser, Jody
(also on Libby)

Stranger things : Erica the great / Lore, Danny

Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons (only on Libby)


The Adventure Zone

Artist Carey Pietsch adapts the McElroy-starring live-play podcast The Adventure Zone into graphic novels, starting with the ‘Balance’ arc. The storyline follows impulsive fighter Magnus, vainglorious wizard Taako, and grumbling monk Merle as they collect magical artifacts for a secret organization called The Bureau of Balance.

The Adventure Zone [1] : here there be gerblins / McElroy, Clint (also on Libby)

The Adventure Zone [2] : murder on the Rockport Limited / McElroy, Clint (also on Libby)

The Adventure Zone [3] : petals to the metal / McElroy, Clint (also on Libby)

The Adventure Zone. 4, The crystal kingdom / McElroy, Clint

The Adventure Zone [5] : the eleventh hour / McElroy, Clint


Critical Role

Critical Role, the acclaimed live-play podcast helmed by GM Matt Mercer and a troupe of voice actors, has been adapted into comics, starting with their first campaign Vox Machina.

Critical Role – Vox Machina

Critical role : Vox Machina origins [1] / Colville, Matthew

Critical role : Vox Machina origins [2] / Mercer, Matthew

Critical role : Vox Machina origins [3] / Houser, Jody

Vox machina : kith & kin / Nijkamp, Marieke

Critical Role – Mighty Nein

Critical role : the Mighty Nein origins. Volume one

The Chronicles of Exandria : the Mighty Nein

Critical role : the Mighty Nein origins : Fjord Stone / Burke, Kevin

Critical role : Mighty Nein origins : Mollymauk Tealeaf / Houser, Jody

In addition to the comics, there are also Critical Role books about the settings, lore and history of the campaign.

The world of Critical Role : the history behind the epic fantasy / Marsham, Liz

The tales of Exandria : the Bright Queen / Poelgeest, Darcy van


DIE – a comic turned TTRPG

A darker take on the typical D&D story, DIE follows five forty-somethings who return to the tabletop fantasy world they were trapped in as teenagers. Created by Kieron Gillen (Young Avengers, The Wicked & The Divine) and artist Stephanie Hans (Angela: Asgard’s Assassin), DIE was later adapted into its own tabletop RPG.

Die. Volume 1, Fantasy heartbreaker / Gillen, Kieron (also on Libby)

Die. Volume 2, Split the party / Gillen, Kieron (also on Libby)

Die. Volume 3, The great game / Gillen, Kieron

Die. Volume 4, Bleed / Gillen, Kieron (also on Libby)

The entire DIE series is also collected in one volume as Die. [Book 1].


More tabletop gaming-themed comics

Roll for initiative / Walls, Jasmine – On the eve of their college graduation, a group of friends try to complete their unfinished campaign.

D&D Dungeon Club [1] : roll call / Ostertag, Molly – The friendship between two D&D players is tested when they open their two-person campaign to other players.

Modern fantasy [1] / Roberts, Rafer – D&D meets office culture in this comedy series drawn by Henchgirl artist Kristen Gudsnuk.

Rise of the dungeon master : Gary Gygax and the creation of D&D / Kushner, David – A biography comic about the creator of Dungeons & Dragons, Gary Gygax.


D&D inspired zines

We also have zines inspired by Dungeons & Dragons in the catalogue by local artists, including Hicksville artist Dylan Horrocks.

Darkest dungeons / Horrocks, Dylan

Saint : a collection of drawings and writings from a campaign of 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons / Lean, Alis

Choose your own D&D character. Vol. I, Class / Fey


Comics that ARE roleplaying games

We’ve covered comics based on roleplaying games, but what about a comic that is a roleplaying game? In You Are Deadpool, you play through the comic as the Merc with a Mouth, your journey through the story determined by your dice rolls.

You are Deadpool / Ewing, Al

Poets, Philosophers, Pirates and Pharaohs: International Women’s Day 2023

In an ideal world, International Women’s Day (March 8th) would be marked with parades! A public holiday! Cakes with Gloria Steinem’s face on them! Gender equality and the deconstruction of the patriarchy!

While we aren’t quite there yet (although many of our libraries will be having a rather nice display to mark the occasion), it’s essential to remember how far we’ve come, and what better way to do that than by highlighting some of the fearsome female pioneers who have helped create the world we live in today?

Now, we can all agree that incredible figureheads and trailblazers like Malala Yousafzai, Jacinda Ardern, Whina Cooper, Michelle Obama, Audre Lorde, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (I could go on for days) have been integral role-models for gender equality, but what about some of the more obscure female scientists, writers, activists and politicians from the annals of history? Have you ever heard of Ching Shih, a woman who was the most successful pirate in history?  How about Hatshepsut, the forgotten female pharaoh of ancient Egypt? Or Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the finest Baroque Italian painters, renowned for her depictions of women slaughtering their abusers? These women have forged life as we know it, and it’s high time we gave them a bit more credit.

Teen trailblazers : 30 fearless girls who changed the world before they were 20 / Calvert, Jennifer
“This fascinating book features 30 young women who accomplished remarkable things before their twentieth birthdays. Visually compelling with original illustrations, this book will inspire the next generation of strong, fearless women.. — Amazon.com.” (Catalogue)

Phillis Wheatley

Let’s start with Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753-1784) shall we? It’s definitely time we did, since Phillis Wheatley could well be considered one of the founding minds of America. Despite being enslaved at around 8 years old, Phillis Wheatley’s first collection of poetry, Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral, was the first book written by a Black woman in AmericaRead that again, and ask yourself why Phillis Wheatley isn’t included in every single history or english class you have ever taken.

Hypatia of Alexandria

In the film biopic based on Hypatia of Alexandria (c. 355-415 CE), the titular character is played by Rachel Weisz and if you’ve never been obsessed with Rachel Weisz then you have never lived. This film made me cry on and off for three hours, prompted a change in my entire worldview, and made me break up with my ✨terrible✨ ex. Not only was Hypatia one of the greatest mathematicians, astronomers, and philosophers in Ancient Greece, but she was widely regarded as a genius, and once shut down an overzealous suitor by waving a bloody tampon (or historically accurate equivalent) in his face while spitting intellectual fire. No notes.

Ching Shih (born Shih Yang)

Ching Shih (1775-1844) was a sex-worker turned piracy powerhouse. She started off strong by agreeing to marry a notorious pirate commander (Zheng Yi) on the condition that she receive 50% of his earnings and partial control of his pirate armada (the Red Flag fleet). And boy oh boy did she turn that fleet around. Not only did she implement laws such as instant execution for assaulting a female captive, but she led the Red Flag fleet to victory over the entire Qing Dynasty navy, frequently plundered British and French coloniser ships, and created an entire empire of piracy. Move OVER Jack Sparrow (speaking of – Ching Shih served as the inspiration for Mistress Ching, one of the nine pirate lords in the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie). For more highly interesting information on the bona fide queen of pirates, check out the WCL collection and this cinematic masterpiece from Puppet History…


Keen to know more? There are literally millions of extraordinary women who have shaped the world we live in today, and whose names and stories should be living in our heads rent-free.

To get started, why not check out the National Women’s History Museum, read about the history of suffragettes attacking famous paintings with meat cleavers, learn about some  of the most infamous female serial killers (because we support women’s rights and women’s wrongs), or just have a good browse through a few choice picks from our collection:


Squad / Tokuda-Hall, Maggie
“Becca moves to an upscale Silicon Valley suburb and is surprised when she develops a bond with girls who belong to the popular clique – and even more surprised when she learns their secrets”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Grown : a novel / Jackson, Tiffany D
“When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields?”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Stepsister / Donnelly, Jennifer
“Isabelle is one of Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, who cut off their toes in an attempt to fit into the glass slipper; but there is more to her story than a maimed foot, for the Marquis de la Chance is about to offer her a choice and the opportunity to change her fate–there will be blood and danger, but also the possibility of redemption and triumph, and most of all the chance to find her true self.” — (Source of summary not specified)” (Catalogue)

She speaks : the power of women’s voices / Cooper, Yvette
“A powerful celebration of brilliant speeches by women throughout the ages, from Boudica to Greta Thunberg […] countless brave and bold women have used their voices to inspire change, transform lives, and radically alter history.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Bad girls never say die / Mathieu, Jennifer
“1964. Houston, Texas. Evie Barnes and all her friends are the sort who wear bold makeup, laugh too loud, and run around with boys. Most of all, they protect their own against the world. They’re the bad girls. When Evie is saved from a sinister encounter by a good girl from the “right” side of the tracks, every rule she has always lived by is called into question.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Rules for being a girl / Bushnell, Candace
“It starts before you can even remember: You learn the rules for being a girl … Marin has always been good at navigating these unspoken guidelines […] Marin’s future seems bright — and her young, charismatic English teacher, Mr. Beckett, is always quick to admire her writing and talk books with her. But when “Bex” takes things too far and comes on to Marin, she’s shocked and horrified […] But Marin isn’t about to back down. As things heat up at school and in her personal life, Marin must figure out how to take back the power and write her own rules.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Doing it! : let’s talk about sex / Witton, Hannah
“Sexting. Virginity. Consent. The Big O … Let’s face it, doing it can be tricksy. I don’t know anyone (including myself) who has sex all figured out. So I’ve written a book full of honest, hilarious (and sometimes awkward) anecdotes, confessions and revelations. And because none of us have all the answers, I’ve invited some friends and fellow YouTubers to talk about their sexuality, too.  “–Publisher information.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Not here to be liked / Quach, Michelle
“Eliza Quan is the perfect candidate for editor in chief of her school paper– until ex-jock Len DiMartile decides on a whim to run against her. Suddenly her vast qualifications mean squat because inexperienced Len just seems more like a leader. When Eliza’s frustration spills out in a viral essay, she finds herself inspiring a feminist movement she never meant to start […]” (Adapted from Catalogue)


100 nasty women of history / Jewell, Hannah
“100 fascinating and brilliantly written stories about history’s bravest, baddest but little known ‘nasty’ women from across the world […] From 3rd-century Japanese Empress Jingu to 20th-century British social reformer Octavia Hill, these are the women who were bold and powerful, but maybe put people (men’s) backs up by being so […]” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Moxie : a novel / Mathieu, Jennifer
“Vivian Carter is fed up with a high school administration that thinks the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment, and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv is fed up with always following the rules. Her mom was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the ’90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother’s past and creates a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She’s just blowing off steam, but what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution.” (Catalogue)

We set the dark on fire / Mejia, Tehlor Kay
“Dani must question everything she’s worked for as she learns about the corruption of the Median government”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Bad girls throughout history : 100 remarkable women who changed the world / Shen, Ann
“The 100 revolutionary women featured in this illustrated book were bad in the best sense of the word: they challenged the status quo and changed the rules for those who followed. From ancient times through present day, from pirates to artists, scientists to spies, these courageous women achieved unprecedented feats and left a permanent mark on human history.”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)

Invasion of the Interwebs 2! Electronic Boogaloo! Revenge of the Digital Medium!

So, somehow you have managed to survive the hoards of phone wielding teens, being guided your way by the algorithms of multibillion dollar companies. They had bypassed all your defenses, the giant walls of pages and words, of knowledge and facts and all things that require effort. Books based on ș̴̗͌͋ö̶͈́͆c̴̭͐̆͜i̷̊͜a̷̤͂͝ĺ̵̰ ̷͔̂͂m̵͕̟̈́̃e̸̹̤̊d̶̮̆i̴̢̳̋á̶̩̬, disguised as normal literature, hiding among such important topics such as paint drying and car insurance. But you’re safe now, you have defeated them, surely now the library has been cleansed of the internet’s taint.

But you are wrong.

So very wrong….

Not only has social media invaded, but other aspects of internet culture. But J’Shuall, great and almighty, how can there be more to the internet than social media? And you’d be almost right, but in the deep dark depths of the internet, beyond twitter and youtube lies something else…

People making art in different forms? Strange I know.

Sometimes when people make cool things they want more people to see their cool thing, so they make it multi-media and do things like make a book. Then of course we librarians are summoned by the presence of dust and papercuts and find these books, and then like a bookwyrm on it’s hoard, collect these books. So on this episode of Invasion of the Interwebs we shall begin our exploration of these books.

It’s like I’m Listening With My Eyes!

Do you hate the convenience of being able to multitask? Do you desire to eschew the pleasures of modern life, go into the mountains and become a luddite? Are you adamant that everyone knows how erudite and cultured you are by reading books at any and every opportunity, especially in public? Yes! This is the section for you! Podcasts are a brilliant invention/format/hobby to experience literature in, you can learn about stuff, hear people talk about nothing for hours, and experience amazing new ways of storytelling. But let’s be honest, sometimes you just feel like reading a book that you don’t have to charge or detangle. A lot of very popular podcasts have been adapted into the form of books for widespread consumption, and here are a smattering of options. From supernatural stories to supernatural facts to supernaturally a family getting along well enough to run D&D (lots of supernatural stuff, not gonna lie) there’s something for everyone.


The infinite noise / Shippen, Lauren

“Caleb Michaels is a sixteen-year-old champion running back. Other than that his life is pretty normal. But when Caleb starts experiencing mood swings that are out of the ordinary for even a teenager, his life moves beyond “typical.” Caleb is an Atypical, an individual with enhanced abilities. Which sounds pretty cool except Caleb’s ability is extreme empathy-he feels the emotions of everyone around him. Being an empath in high school would be hard enough, but Caleb’s life becomes even more complicated when he keeps getting pulled into the emotional orbit of one of his classmates, Adam. As he and Adam grow closer, Caleb learns more about his ability, himself, his therapist-who seems to know a lot more than she lets on-and just how dangerous being an Atypical can be.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Monstrous creatures / Mahnke, Aaron

“They live in shadows–deep in the forest, late in the night, in the dark recesses of our minds. They’re spoken of in stories and superstitions, relics of an unenlightened age, old wives’ tales, passed down through generations. Yet no matter how wary and jaded we have become, as individuals or as a society, a part of us remains vulnerable to them. In this illustrated volume, the host of the hit podcast Lore serves as a guide on a fascinating journey through the history of these terrifying creatures, exploring not only the legends but what they tell us about ourselves …”– Amazon.com.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Welcome to Night Vale : a novel / Fink, Joseph

“From the creators of the wildly popular Welcome to Night Vale podcast comes an imaginative mystery of appearances and disappearances that is also a poignant look at the ways in which we all struggle to find ourselves…no matter where we live. Located in a nameless desert somewhere in the great American Southwest, Night Vale is a small town where ghosts, angels, aliens, and government conspiracies are all commonplace parts of everyday life. It is here that the lives of two women, with two mysteries, will converge.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Alice isn’t dead : a novel / Fink, Joseph

“Keisha Taylor lived a quiet life with her wife, Alice, until the day that Alice disappeared. After months of searching, presuming she was dead, Keisha held a funeral, mourned, and gradually tried to get on with her life. But that was before Keisha started to see her wife, again and again, in the background of news reports from all over America. Alice isn’t dead, and she is showing up at every major tragedy and accident in the country. Following a line of clues, Keisha takes a job with a trucking company, and begins searching for Alice. She eventually stumbles on an otherworldly conflict being waged in the quiet corners of our nation’s highway system–uncovering a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman.” (Catalogue)

The Adventure Zone [1] : here there be gerblins / McElroy, Clint

“Join Taako the elf wizard, Merle the dwarf cleric, and Magnus the human warrior for an adventure they are poorly equipped to handle AT BEST, guided (“guided”) by their snarky DM, in a graphic novel that, like the smash-hit podcast it’s based on, will tickle your funny bone, tug your heartstrings, and probably pants you if you give it half a chance.” — Amazon.com.” (Catalogue)

A Whole Section on Ducks and Drakes, Because I am a Nerd and it’s My Post

Wow shock horror the guy with the fantasy inspired name likes dungeons and dragons, who woulda thunk. So, Critical Role, online sensation where a bunch of voice actors make funny voices and pretend to be fantasy heroes, kinda big. You can now find so many different books involving the world of Exandria, and so many different kinds. Wanna turn off your brain and see the cool action scenes? Boom! Comic! Wanna read more stories of the characters you know and love? Boom! Novel! Wanna know about behind the scenes info? Boom! History Book! Wanna see all these beautiful descriptions realised visually? Boom! Art Book! Wanna play in Exandria, in your own home game! Bam! Official source book by Wizards of the Coast!

Truly there is no better time to be a basement nerd, don’t you agree?


Critical role : Vox Machina origins [1] / Colville, Matthew

“The band of adventurers known as Vox Machina will save the world. Eventually. But even they have to start somewhere. Six would-be heroes on seemingly different jobs find their paths intertwined as they investigate shady business in the swamp town of Stilben. They’ll need to put their heads–and weapons–together to figure out what’s going on… and keep from being killed in the process. Even then, whether or not they can overcome what truly lurks at the bottom of the town’s travails remains to be seen!”–Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)


Vox machina : kith & kin / Nijkamp, Marieke

“The drama of Dungeons & Dragons has come to brilliant life via the epic stories played out live on the hit streaming show Critical Role. Now the adventures take all-new twists and turns in the first official novel based on characters from the popular series. Kith & Kin will follow a brand-new story, featuring the cunning ranger Vex’ahlia and the conning rogue Vax’ildan (and, of course, Trinket) years before they meet Vox Machina. “– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


The world of Critical Role : the history behind the epic fantasy / Marsham, Liz

“A guide to the massively popular fantasy RPG livestream offers previously unreleased photos and artwork, sharing cast insights into its origins and storylines as well as the diverse array of art and cosplay that Critical Role inspires.” (Catalogue)


The Chronicles of Exandria : the Mighty Nein

“Journey through Wildemount alongside the motley group known as the Mighty Nein! Encompassing the first chapters of Critical Role’s second campaign, this tome illustrates the adventures of our unlikely heroes as they meet in Trostenwald, struggle through a heartbreaking encounter with the Iron Shepherds, and more.” (Catalogue)


Explorer’s guide to Wildemount / Mercer, Matthew

“Create a band of heroes and embark on a journey across the continent of Wildemount, the setting for Campaign 2 of the hit Dungeons & Dragons series Critical Role. Within this book, you’ll find new character options, a heroic chronicle to help you craft your character’s backstory, four different starting adventures, and everything a Dungeon Master needs to breathe life into a Wildemount-based D&D campaign?- from Amazon.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Invasion of the Interwebs! Terrifying Tales of When Books and Social Media Mix!

It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and you’re inside because the sun is scary. You’re in the library peacefully searching for your next read. You’ve managed to break your phone’s hold over your mind, banishing it into some far away dark place, somewhere where it can’t hurt you any more. All thoughts of tockticking, of metubing, of teetering, of bookfacing, all gone, freeing your brain to be a real human being. But then you see something that chills you to the very bone. It’s following you. Even the library, this sacred place of safety and education can not protect you. There is no escape. Sometime, somehow the internet has invaded the hallowed ground and seeped into the books and mind of the public.

So let’s explore this eldritch abomination and see how exactly the dreaded s̵̙̝̥͓͊̋̿ȏ̴̲͚̺̻̊͝c̸̭̟͖̩̑̈́i̸̗͒̐͝͠ȧ̴̱̘̙̜̽ĺ̴̠̟̗̋͗̆ ̶̙̙̊̓̚m̶̰̱̌ẻ̸̹͇̥̈d̶̻͗̊́̕į̷͕̠̟̈́͊̌́a̷͙͂͛ has amalgamated into book form.

Become a _____ Pro!

Welcome to the section I like to call “people who have no authority to tell you how to be good at thing tells you how to be good at thing.” So! Do you want the hundred percent accurate works every time definitely no trust me way to becoming an instant success on any particular social media? Yes? Well sucks to suck, you better spin that roulette wheel and pray to be lucky, because there is no sure fire way. That doesn’t stop these books from being published, and by your favourite social media sensation: random non-fiction author! Now to be fair these guides are probably at least somewhat useful to the inspiring instagrammer or tiktoker, but it’s funny when these books are called “expert’s guide” and then written by a no-name. For my fine selection I have been diligent in having approximately one guide for each format, but be assured there are many many more. Of particular note are the “For Dummies” books, which has a wide selection of internet based guides, which should be a laugh seeing these ridiculous things explained so blandly.


The quick expert’s guide to being a YouTuber / Sutherland, Adam

“This series offers a shortcut to instant expertise! Quick Expert’s Guides are aimed at teens and ‘tweens who are keen to know more about a popular topic, but who may be put off by the idea of having to read wordy or technical guides. Each title includes features that break down technical/scientific/complex aspects of the subject, inspirational case studies, activities and a final project to test the reader’s new skills. Chapter round-ups also offer tips on key words and phrases, as well as boosting self-esteem and confidence, in order to walk the walk and talk the talk of a true expert. Become a successful YouTuber! From setting up your account to creating a viral video, we show you how to master this popular platform and have your creative output seen around the globe!” (Catalogue)


The rough guide to social media for beginners : getting started with Facebook, Twitter and Google+ / Mahoney, Sean

“If you haven’t joined the social media revolution yet, don’t fret: There’s still time! But with so much out there, where to start? Something more than a text message, something less than a phone call… Not engaging in these new types of online social messaging could mean you are missing out on the action.” (Catalogue)


The ultimate guide to Tiktok

“This is the ultimate guide to TikTok, just #foryou! Packed with profiles, quizzes, fill-in fun and loads of top tips for creating your own videos” (Catalogue)

 

 


Blogging for dummies / Gardner, Susannah

“This proven bestseller is fully updated and better than ever!Now in its fourth edition, Blogging For Dummies is fully updated and more practical than ever for today’s bloggers. Whether you’re just beginning or are already a full-tilt blogging maven, you’ll find the up-to-date information you need in these friendly pages. Want to integrate your blog with social media? Jump into the fast-moving world of microblogging on Twitter or Tumblr? Choose which blogging software to use? Optimize your current blog for search? This detailed book guide covers it all, and then some. Buy the book, build a better blog, and blog about it!” (Catalogue)


Twitter power 3.0 : how to dominate your market one tweet at a time / Comm, Joel

“Tweet your company to the top of the market with a tailored approach to Twitter. This book is the best business leader’s guide to Twitter, with the most up to date information on trends in social media, branding, and competitive research. Readers will learn that viral content doesn’t happen by accident, why videos and photos are crucial to engagement, and how to measure the success of a Twitter strategy using specific and accurate metrics. This new edition contains brand new case studies, user profiles, features, and images, helping readers create a stronger overall Twitter strategy whether they’re already engaged or just wondering if Twitter’s important for their business future. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)


InstaStyle : curate your life, create stunning photos, elevate your Instagram influence / Tezza

“Gain Instagram followers, grow your personal brand, and influence others with your authentic personality, beautiful photography, and stunningly curated grid. Instagram is the place where trends break, tastes are made, and brands are launched. Plus it’s packed with insightful analytics and handy business tools to help you elevate your social media presence to the next level. Create, connect with others, and share the way you see the world! InstaStyle is a must-have guide for a booming industry, full of beautiful imagery and easily understood guides to help you achieve your Instagram goals. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Create your own podcast / Anniss, Matt

“Want to make your own podcast but don’t know where to start? Think you could be the next podcaster to get millions of downloads? This book is packed with practical tips on how to make your own podcast, from planning and preparing to actually recording, editing and launching your work. It even offers advice on the next step – vodcasting! Success stories of how famous podcasters made their mark on the industry are sure to motivate you. Go on, be a media genius!. Ages 9+” (Catalogue)


I’m Popular Online, Surely That Means I’m Destined to Write a Book, Right?

Now for the feast of this blog post, books written by ï̸̦̱n̶̗͙̥̈́̂f̵͔̈̊͐̾ͅl̶͍͛͂̆u̶̧̹̻͌͆͘͠ȅ̶̥n̵̗̝̓̀̇c̷̡̺̝͊e̴̪̼̮̜͐͠r̶̦̯̠̍s̴̙̃͒. For some reason, whenever anyone becomes famous, they all suddenly realise they dream of being authors. Could it be because it’s a relatively easy way to make money off their fame? No surely not. It’s just one of those things. That’s not to say these do not have literary merit, but it is a funny thing to point out. One of my favourites is the TikTok cookbook, the thing that set me on this journey to explore the corruption of our grand institution. It’s just fun to see such a modern and ephemeral thing locked down into print form. But it makes perfect sense, TikTok is full of food videos (or so I hear, of course, you wouldn’t see me dead on TikTok (I watch it all on Youtube Shorts, like a dork)). Most of these are memoir style, gods among mere mortals stepping down from their ivory thrones to tell you how to live. Others however mimic their content, such as Thug Notes or DanTDM’s book.


As cooked on TikTok : fan favorites and recipe exclusives from more than 40 TikTok creators / Stephenson, Emily

“Featuring both viral and brand-new recipes from many of the community’s most beloved TikTok food creators, find tried-and-tested #simplerecipes for the hottest dishes, from THE FLUFFIEST #cloudbread to THE MOST DELICIOUS #fetapasta recipe to THE BEST #bakedoats. Published in partnership with TikTok, a curated list of 45 TikTok Creators (based on highest trending food content and largest platforms) contributed recipes and food hacks to this unique cookbook as well as ‘remember that?!?’ food-adjacent content.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Make your own magic : discover the secret tricks of a TikTok magician / M, Joel

“My name is Joel Mawhinney, though I go by the name Joel M. You might know me from TikTok as @joelmagician.” (Catalogue)

 


Ninja : get good : my ultimate guide to gaming / Blevins, Tyler

“From one of the leading Fortnite players in the world comes your game plan for outclassing the rest at playing video games. This complete compendium includes everything Tyler “Ninja” Blevins wishes he had known before he got serious about gaming. Video games come and go, but Ninja’s lessons are timeless. Pay attention to them and you’ll find that you’re never really starting over when the next big game launches. Who knows– you may even beat him one day. As he says, that’s up to you.” (Catalogue)


Thug notes : a street-smart guide to classic literature / Sweets, Sparky

“Remember your high school and college literature classes. Not really? Too boring? Well, why did literature have to be analyzed so blandly? Professors are clearly intelligent, but sometimes literature needs to be translated, especially classic works, to speak to today’s audiences. Enter the one and only Sparky Sweets, PhD. Based on the hit YouTube series, Thug Notes: The Book will celebrate the most widely read (and widely assigned) works of literature. Each title will get the classic Thug Notes treatment: razor-sharp analysis, hilarious summary, and eye-catching illustrations. Readers of all stripes will be eager to see their favorite books like never before”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Ryan Higa’s How to write good / Higa, Ryan

“An unconventional, irreverent, yet heartfelt memoir by Ryan Higa, one of the top creators on YouTube.”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

 

 


The odd 1s out : how to be cool and other things I definitely learned from growing up / Rallison, James

“Like any shy teen turned young adult, YouTube star James Rallison is used to being on the outside looking in. He wasn’t partying in high school or winning football games like his older brother. Instead, he posted comics on the Internet. Now, he’s ready to share his hard-earned advice. In this illustrated collection, Rallison tells his own stories of growing up as the “odd one out”: in art class with his twin sister (she was more talented) and what it was like in the middle scholl locker room, all the way up to one strange year of college. Filled with fan-favorite comics and never-before-seen material, this tongue-in-cheek take on some of the weirdest, funniest parts of life is perfect for anyone who’s also felt like an odd one.”–Back cover.” (Catalogue)


The odd 1s out : the first sequel / Rallison, James

“The sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Odd 1s Out, with all new and never-before-seen content featuring opinions, stories, and signature characters from YouTube phenomenon James Rallison. James Rallison has always felt like he was on the outside looking in. His YouTube videos are all about his “odd” behavior, and with over 13 million subscribers and millions more followers on social media, these animations have found their way into the hearts of fans who also feel like a bit of an odd one”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)


Dan and Phil go outside / Howell, Dan

“YouTube sensations Dan Howell (danisnotonfire) and Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) were just two awkward guys who shared their lives on the Internet…until now. Dan Howell and Phil Lester, avoiders of human contact and direct sunlight, actually went outside. Traveling around the world on tour, they have collected hundreds of exclusive, intimate, and funny photos, as well as revealing and candid side notes, to show the behind-the-scenes story of their adventure.”– From publisher.” (Catalogue)


The hidden power of f*cking up

“The Try Guys deliver their first book-an inspirational self-improvement guide that teaches you that the path to success is littered with humiliating detours, embarrassing mistakes, and unexpected failures. To be our best selves, we must become secure in our insecurities. In The Hidden Power of F*cking Up, The Try Guys reveal their philosophy of trying: how to fully embrace fear, foolishness, and embarrassment in an effort to understand how we all get paralyzed by a fear of failure. They’ll share how four shy, nerdy kids have dealt with their most poignant life struggles by attacking them head-on and reveal their – ahem – sure-fail strategies for achieving success. Through their insightful, emotional journeys and surprising, hilarious anecdotes, they’ll help you overcome your own self-doubt to become the best, most f*cked up version of yourself you can be!” (Adapted from Catalogue)


Trayaurus and the enchanted crystal / DanTDM

“From the mind of one of the most popular YouTubers of all time, DanTDM, comes a graphic novel adventure that reimagines the Minecraft-style worlds and characters he’s created like you’ve never seen them before.”–Publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Fin…

 

 

 

Or is it!?

Out On The Shelves 2022

It’s that time of year again! We’re midway through the 2022 Out On The Shelves campaign week, and all around the country, libraries, bookstores, schools, and other organisations are putting on displays and events to celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories, and to help connect rainbow people to those stories and to each other.

This year, the Out On The Shelves campaign runs from 13-27 June, and as well as admiring the beautiful displays at your local library, there’s all kinds of stuff to do! Here are just a few examples:

To whet your appetite, here are some of our favourite LGBTQIA+ books, retrieved from the vaults of these veritable librarians’ brains for your reading pleasure:

Aristotle and Dante dive into the waters of the world / Sáenz, Benjamin Alire
“Aristotle and Dante continue their journey to manhood in this achingly romantic, tender tale set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic in 1980s America. In Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, two boys fell in love. Now they must learn what it means to stay in love-and to build their relationship in a world that doesn’t seem to want them to exist. In their senior year at two different schools, the boys find ways to spend time together, like a camping road trip they take in the desert. Ari is haunted by his incarcerated older brother and by the images he sees on the nightly news of gay men dying from AIDS. Tragedy feels like his destiny, but can he forge his own path and create a life where he can not only survive, but thrive?” (Catalogue)

Our dreams at dusk. Volume 1 / Kamatani, Yuhki
“Not only is high schooler Tasuku Kaname the new kid in town, he is also terrified that he had been outed as gay. Just as he’s contemplating doing the unthinkable, Tasuku meets a mysterious woman who leads him to a group of people dealing with problems not so different from his own. In this realistic, heartfelt depiction of LGBT+ characters from different backgrounds finding their place in the world, a search for inner peace proves to be the most universal experience of all.” (Catalogue)

Elatsoe / Little Badger, Darcie
“Imagine an America very similar to our own. It’s got homework, best friends, and pistachio ice cream. There are some differences. This America has been shaped dramatically by the magic, monsters, knowledge, and legends of its peoples, those Indigenous and those not. Some of these forces are charmingly everyday, like the ability to make an orb of light appear or travel across the world through rings of fungi. But other forces are less charming and should never see the light of day. Seventeen-year-old Elatsoe (“Ellie” for short) lives in this slightly stranger America. She can raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family. Her beloved cousin has just been murdered, in a town that wants no prying eyes. But she is going to do more than pry. The picture-perfect façade of Willowbee masks gruesome secrets, and she will rely on her wits, skills, and friends to tear off the mask and protect her family.” (Catalogue)

The pride guide : a guide to sexual and social health for LGBTQ youth / Langford, Jo
“Jo Langford offers a complete guide to sexual and social development, safety, and health for LGBTQ youth and those who love and support them. Written from a practical perspective, the author explores the realities of teen sexuality, particularly that of trans teens, and provides guidance and understanding for parents and kids alike.” (Catalogue)

Queerly autistic : the ultimate guide for LGBTQIA+ teens on the spectrum / Ekins, Erin
“From coming out to friends and family through to relationships, self-care and coping with bullying, being out and about in the LGBTQIA+ community and undergoing gender transition, this book is filled with essential information, advice, support and resources to help you on your journey, and also works as a primer on all things LGBTQIA+ for non-autistic teens just figuring it all out.” (Catalogue)

To break a covenant / Ames, Alison
“Clem and her best friend, Nina, live in the haunted town of Moon Basin, known for its accidents and murders that are linked to the now-abandoned coal mine, but when they join their new friend, Piper, and her dad on a trip into the mine, they find themselves haunted by strange dreams and experiences afterwards. The haunting at Moon Basin started when an explosion in the mine killed sixteen people. The disaster made it impossible to live in town, with underground fires spewing ash into the sky. Life in New Basin is just as fraught: the ex-mining town relies on its haunted reputation to bring in tourists, but there is more truth to the rumors than most are willing to admit…” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Seeing gender : an illustrated guide to identity and expression / Gottlieb, Iris
“Gender is an intensely personal, yet universal, facet of humanity. In this vibrant book, queer author and artist Iris Gottlieb visually explores gender in all of its complexities, answering questions and providing guidance while also mining history and pop culture for the stories and people who have shaped the conversation on gender.” (Catalogue)

She gets the girl / Lippincott, Rachael
“Alex Blackwood is really good at getting the girl she wants, but coming from a broken home with an alcoholic mother, she finds commitment difficult – even when she thinks she is in love. Impossibly awkward Molly Parker has a crush on the cool Cora Myers, but she does not know how to even start a conversation, much less make a connection. At college together in Pittsburgh, Alex decides that helping Molly snag Cora will prove to her own flame that she is not totally selfish – but things do not work out as the two have planned.” (Catalogue)

Invisibly breathing / Merriman, Eileen
“‘I wish I wasn’t the weirdest sixteen-year-old guy in the universe.’ Felix would love to have been a number. Numbers have superpowers and they’re safe, any problem they might throw up can be solved. ‘If I were a five, I’d be shaped like a pentagon … there’d be magic in my walls, safety in my angles.’ People are so much harder to cope with. At least that’s how it seems until Bailey Hunter arrives at school. Bailey has a stutter, but he can make friends and he’s good at judo. And Bailey seems to have noticed Felix: ‘Felix keeps to himself mostly, but there’s something about him that keeps drawing me in.’ Both boys find they’re living in a world where they can’t trust anyone, but might they be able to trust each other, with their secrets, their differences, themselves?” (Catalogue)

National Talk Like Shakespeare Day

Well met by blog-light dear reader! This morn thou shalt transpose thy common tongue from the likes of rude mechanicals to the lofty and joyous discourse of the sage Bard himself!

In other words, Happy National Talk Like Shakespeare Day!

Following the tradition started in 2009 by the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, NTLS Day celebrates Shakespeare’s birthday on the 23rd April (1564) by encouraging people to break out into their best Bard-ish slang. They even include a few pointers on their website, including:

  • Adding “eth” to the ends of verbs (e.g. she liveth, she laugheth, she loveth)
  • Bulk up your word count by adding “methinks”, “mayhaps”, or “forsooth”
  • Upgrade your insult repertoire with the occasional “fiendish codpiece”, “beef-witted lout”, or – if you’re really wanting to knock them down a peg – “the rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril” (The Merry Wives of Windsor, 3:5)
  • Alternatively, you might aim to woo a prospective suitor with a flowery sonnet or blazon (a poem that lists the admirable features of its subject), but BE FOREWARNED – Shakespeare’s own characters have found this to be something of a challenge.

“I can find no rhyme to ‘lady’ but ‘baby’, an innocent rhyme; for ‘scorn’ ‘horn’, a hard rhyme; for ‘school’ ‘fool’, a babbling rhyme: very ominous endings. No, I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festive terms.”                 
                         – Benedict (Much Ado About Nothing, 5:2:26-30)

Shakespeare’s Elizabethan audience might have equally struggled, since the majority of people actually spoke very differently to the characters in his plays! Despite the prevailing myth that Shakespeare’s dialogue reflected the everyday style of conversation, the Bard actually used a sort of ‘stage voice’ in order to give the play a more romantic and grandiose impact.

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Take a look here for more information on National Talk Like Shakespeare Day, or browse our impressive collection of Shakespearean or Bard-inspired works!

These violent delights / Gong, Chloe
“In 1926 Shanghai, eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, heir of the Scarlet Gang, and her first love-turned-rival Roma Montagov, leader of the White Flowers, must work together when mysterious deaths threaten their city.– Provided by Publisher.” (Catalogue)


William Shakespeare’s Much ado about mean girls / Doescher, Ian
“On Wednesdays we array ourselves in pink! Mean Girls gets an Elizabethan makeover in this totally fetch comedy of manners about North Shore High’s queen bees, wannabes, misfits, and nerds. Written in the style of the Bard of Avon, William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Mean Girls tells the story of Cady Heron’s rise from home-schooled jungle freak to one of the most popular girls in school. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Hamlet : a novel / Marsden, John
“This wonderful book, by one of Australia’s most loved and most read writers, takes Shakespeare’s famous play and makes it into a moving and full-blooded novel. John Marsden follows the contours of the original but powerfully re-imagines its characters and story lines, rather as Shakespeare treated his sources.” (Catalogue)

Much ado about nothing. / Shakespeare, William
“This exciting new series, produced in partnership with the RSC, is designed to introduce students to Shakespeare’s plays. Using trusted and established RSC approaches and vibrant RSC performance photographs, the series brings Shakespeare’s plays to life in the classroom and establishes a deeper understanding and lasting appreciation of his work.” (Catalogue)

The diary of William Shakespeare, gentleman / French, Jackie
“Part comedy, part love story, this book threads together Shakespeare’s life drawn from his plays. Could the world’s greatest writer truly put down his pen forever to become a gentleman? He was a boy who escaped small town life to be the most acclaimed playwright of the land. A lover whose sonnets still sing 400 years later; a glover’s apprentice who became a gentleman. But was he happy with his new riches? Who was the woman he truly loved? The world knows the name of William Shakespeare. This book reveals the man – lover, son and poet.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Ophelia thinks harder / Betts, Jean
“These 19 characters can be played with a minimum of 9 actors doubling, if preferred. A riotous reworking of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Featuring Ophelia, her maid, St Joan and a couple of locals — Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. (7 male, 12 female).” (Catalogue)

Third witch / French, Jackie
“A searing story of passion, betrayal, battles and love, this is Shakespeare’s ‘Macbeth’ stripped of superstition, and its power and beauty refined into fewer words where good balances the evil and there is a happy ending – for some. Annie is not a witch, but when her mistress Lady Macbeth calls for a potion to ‘stiffen Macbeth’s sinews’, Annie is caught up in plots that lead to murder, kingship and betrayal. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Shakespeare : the world as stage / Bryson, Bill
“William Shakespeare, the most celebrated poet in the English language, left behind nearly a million words of text, but his biography has long been a thicket of wild supposition arranged around scant facts. With a steady hand and his trademark wit, Bill Bryson sorts through this colorful muddle to reveal the man himself. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

YOLO Juliet / Wright, Brett
“Two families at war. A boy and a girl in love. A secret marriage gone oh-so-wrong. What if those star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet had smartphones? The classic Shakespeare play told through its characters texting with emojis, checking in at certain locations, and updating their relationship statuses” (Catalogue)

The book of Shakespearean useless information / Montague, Bruce
“This amusing but instructive book assembles many of the legends, lies, the imputations, and a host of uncommon facts from the late Tudor and early Jacobean period, loosely arranged in chronological order to establish William Shakespeare in his literary and historical setting. In doing so, it shows us the man and his time, thereby illuminating the greatest playwright who ever lived.” (Catalogue)

William Shakespeare’s Get thee back to the future! / Doescher, Ian
“Teenaged Marty McFly travels back in time from the 1980s to the 1950s, changing the path of his parents’ destiny…as well as his own. Now fans of the movie can journey back even further—to the 16th century, when the Bard of Avon unveils his latest masterpiece: William Shakespeare’s Get Thee Back to the Future!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A Guide to Competitive PowerPointing

There’s a new fad of educational entertainment sweeping throughout the country: The PowerPoint Night. Brought to you by the kind of people who enjoy using slideshows to rank the hotness of the Greek Pantheon, or to methodically explain who they would most enjoy slapping with a wet sock, the PowerPoint Night is a vessel for unadulterated chaos. With great transitions.

So today I’m here to help you on your path to PowerPoint glory with some handy resources and suggestions to get you started. Such as this absolutely vital guide:
PowerPoint 2010 / Wood, William
“Provides step-by-step screen shots that show you how to tackle more than 130 PowerPoint 2010 tasks. Each task-based spread covers a single technique, sure to help you get up and running on PowerPoint 2010 in no time.” (Catalogue)

Because I’m sure none of you have ever used Microsoft Office, Google Slideshow, or Canva in your entire lives. Once you’ve got your hands on this sweet little guide and kicked your dial-up internet into life, here are a few ideas for your very own PowerPoints:

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How to Assemble a Hatred Bouquet

Strange new times call for strange new methods of communication! I propose we revive the practice of communicating through flowers, and – although you can use your linguistic floral skills to say anything – I would vote for focusing your PowerPoint on how to make your bouquet a declaration of eternal animosity. Who wouldn’t want to make their menacing more aesthetic?

A Victorian flower dictionary : the language of flowers companion / Kirkby, Mandy
“Early Victorians used flowers as a way to express their feelings– love or grief, jealousy or devotion. Now modern-day romantics are enjoying a resurgence of this bygone custom. Kirkby shares the historical literary, and cultural significance of flowers.” (Catalogue)

Kate Greenaway’s Language of flowers. / Greenaway, Kate
“Contains alphabetical lists of flowers and the meanings associated with them.” (Catalogue)

DIY Conspiracy Theory

In case the Victoria University Flat Earth Society Facebook page isn’t quite scratching that conspiratorial itch, why not make up your own? PowerPoint night can be the perfect opportunity to make your case for the huge, telepathic platypus that may or may not be living at the centre of the earth.

100 things they don’t want you to know / Smith, Daniel
“Unsolved mysteries, strange disappearances, suspicious cover-ups, and consiracy theories. Discover the secrets they don’t want you to know. – Who was Jack the Ripper? – Why was Lee Harvey Oswald shot? – Where did the Nazis stash their gold? – Who are the real Men-in-Black? – Did the lost cosonauts ever exist? – Who really discovered America? – Why was Stonehenge built? – Did aliens send the “Wow” signal? – Who stole the Irish crown jewels? – How will the world end?” — from back cover” (Catalogue)

Conspiracy theories & secret societies for dummies / Hodapp, Christopher
“Entering the world of conspiracy theories and secret societies is like stepping into a distant, parallel universe where the laws of physics have completely changed: black means white, up is down, and if you want to understand what is really going on, you need a good reference book.” (Catalogue)

Plan Your Own Funeral

What better way to celebrate life than by having a party at the end? Or by having a picnic? A flash mob? Hiring the Wiggles to perform before your open casket? The choice is yours, so get choosing and announce your plans via PowerPoint!

The party of your life : get the funeral you want by planning it yourself / Dillman, Erika
“The Party of Your Life is a lively, irreverent guide to putting the F-U-N back in funeral […] With the help of The Party of Your Life, the newly dead will rest in peace knowing the tips in the book have helped reduce the drama and strain on their survivors, who are likely experiencing the most painful time of their lives.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

They both die at the end / Silvera, Adam
“In a near-future New York City where a service alerts people on the day they will die, teenagers Mateo Torrez and Rufus Emeterio meet using the Last Friend app and are faced with the challenge of living a lifetime on their End Day.” (Catalogue)

Zodiac Signs As….

An oldie but a goodie – why not embrace PowerPoint night to explore some astrological niches? You could pontificate over zodiac signs as panic-buying items (Taurus as toilet-paper & Pisces as flour for sure), tag them as Barbie characters, or discuss what famous landmarks you would most like to eat (Stonehenge looks nice and crunchy). For a little more background info from which to build your case, check out some of our astrology collection:


Nasty astrology : what your astrologer won’t tell you! / MacDonald, Richard
“Exploring exactly what hidden demons lurk within other people’s psyches, this book reveals all the unspoken truths about people’s star signs. Aren’t you bored with all the astrology books that tell you what a nice person everyone is? Don’t you know, deep down, that there are some very unpleasant aspects to all our characters? Wouldn’t you like to know the truth about the other signs? What makes them tick? What their dark little secrets are?” (Catalogue)

Cinemastrology : the movie lover’s guide to the sun, the moon, and the stars / Wonderly, Stella
“Let the celestial signposts of the zodiac guide you to your next cinematic adventure. With Cinemastrology, you’ll find new flicks, view forgotten favorites from a new perspective, make film-watching plans with a friend or date, and even learn a few things about yourself along the way. Cinemastrology will illuminate the sun-sign secrets of some of cinema’s biggest stars, movies, and moviemakers. But the main star is you! Book jacket.” (Catalogue)

So whether you need some free internet with which to get crafting, or are looking to utilise our magnificent and eclectic collection, come on down to your local library for Peak PowerPointing Perfection.

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