Author: Amy

Plan your 2024: New travel books

Amy
Three travel bookcovers on a background of a sky.

With the startling reality that 2024 is less than a month away, now is a great time to start prepping for next year’s travel plans. Whether you are embarking on a major trip overseas, or exploring a new part of Aotearoa, there are many books to motivate and assist you in your planning. Below are some of our new books to get you on your way.

Best in travel 2024 : the best destinations, journeys and experiences, for the year ahead
“This special edition sets the travel agenda for the year to come, with a comprehensive and inspirational list of 50 incredible destinations to experience over the forthcoming year. Expect a mix of emerging travel hotspots, underappreciated or criminally overlooked places and fresh-takes on well-known destinations.” (Catalogue)

The travel hack handbook : how to make the most of your trip for your budget / Bindloss, Joseph
“This practical and inspiring guide, the latest in our popular ‘Handbook’ series, provides travellers with tips and tricks to make their money go further. As the cost of living and travel increases, Lonely Planet’s experts reveal the best ways to bag a bargain, whether it’s booking transport, a hotel or finding experiences that won’t break the bank.” (Catalogue)

Best road trips New Zealand (Aotearoa) : escapes on the open road / Atkinson, Brett
“Discover the freedom of the open road with Lonely Planet’s New Zealand’s Best Road Trips. This trusted travel companion features 25 amazing drives, from 3-day escapes to 2-week adventures. Cruise Bay of Islands, meander to vineyard restaurants on Waiheke Island, and spot whales off Kaikoura Coast. Get to New Zealand, rent a car, and hit the road!” (Catalogue)

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Different Eras; Different Worlds: New Graphic Novels

Amy

Our new graphic novels are going to ignite your imagination and transport you to different eras and different realms. Travel from 1950s Korea, in The Naked Tree, to small town, Ohio in the 1980s in Specs. Dance with Andy Warhol to the Velvet Underground in All Tomorrow’s Parties or charge into battle with the flamboyant Baron von Steuben in Washington’s Gay General. Check out some of our new titles below:

Specs / Booher, David
“Small town. Ohio, 1986. All Kenny and Ted want is to not feel like outcasts. What happens when a pair of X-ray glasses mysteriously appear? The magic specs open a world of possibilities for these misfit teens through the granting of literal wishes! Things start out innocent, but when they wish that their bully would disappear, things take a cursed turn, with far darker consequences than they thought possible.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The naked tree / Gendry-Kim, Keum Suk | eBook available
“The year is 1951. Twenty-year-old wallflower Lee Kyung ekes out a living at the US Post Exchange. She peddles hand-painted portraits on silk handkerchiefs to soldiers passing through. When a handsome young northern escapee and erstwhile fine artist is hired despite waning demand, an unlikely friendship blossoms into a young woman’s first brush with desire against the backdrop of the Korean War at its most devastating.” (Catalogue)

Washington’s gay general : the legends and loves of Baron von Steuben / Trujillo, Josh
“One of the most important, military leaders of the American Revolution, Baron von Steuben, brought knowledge to the ill-prepared Continental Army. Von Steuben was also, by all accounts, a flamboyant homosexual in an era when the term didn’t even exist. Trujillo impart both the intricacies of queer history and the importance of telling stories that highlight queer experiences.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Encourage your curiosity: New science books

Amy

Everything has a story to tell, from the big bang to the mushrooms growing in your garden. That is what science is all about, studying the world. It can be difficult to appreciate everything around us when our lives are so busy, but in Aotearoa and especially Wellington, we are lucky to have an abundance of nature to explore. Spending some time outside can open our minds to some immense questions about the complexities of the world. To begin to answer these questions and to further your curiosity, check out our recent picks for our new science books.

The universe in a box : a new cosmic history / Pontzen, Andrew
“This is the story of the technologies that allow us to look up, to learn and to discover our place in the cosmos. The Universe in a Box is Pontzen’s tribute to simulations that, over the last century, have allowed us to understand the distant past and far future of the universe. Illuminating, provocative and bold, this is the story of our home, the cosmos, through simulations- mini-universes inside computers.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

New Zealand’s biggest year / Boorman, Harry
“New Zealand’s biggest year is an epic birding tale of how two friends become rivals and set out to break the all-time record for the most Aotearoa New Zealand bird species seen in one year. Their rivalry results in more birds being spotted in a single year than ever before and two national records are broken. Full of twists and turns, pandemics and trip cancellations, Harry’s story gradually unfolds to its nail-biting conclusion.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A year in the woods : twelve small journeys into nature / Ekelund, Torbjørn Lysebo
“A Year in the Woods asks if the secret to communing with nature lies in small rituals and reflection. As Ekelund greets the same trees, rocks, streams, and soil each month, he describes his changing relationship to the landscape. The perfect book for readers who want a deeper connection with nature but are realistic about time and money.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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What’s on PressReader? Art Magazines!

Amy
Frankie magazine, displayed on a tablet against a pile of magazines on a table

Visit PressReaderPressreader is one of our great eLibrary resources that is accessible with your library card. It allows you unlimited access to thousands of newspapers and magazines from more than 100 countries in over 60 languages. Within this blog series, we will be showcasing some of the titles that are currently available on PressReader, beginning with the art magazines.

You can discover amazing new artists or get ideas for your own artwork in these magazines. They cover a whole range of different types of art such as photography, fine arts and contemporary art. You can even check out some of our foreign magazines with the translation feature. See some of the art magazines we’ve selected below or explore the full selection on PressReader.

If you want to read PressReader content and haven’t before, here’s how to get started:

  • Visit PressReader.com, and click the sign in button (top left corner)
  • Select the ‘Library Card’ option and search for ‘Wellington City Libraries’
  • Enter your Library card number, and your ‘PIN’ (the default is the last 4 numbers of your phone number), and click the ‘Sign in’ button – you’re all set!

Some titles to get you started…

ArtReviewArtReview | Country: United Kingdom | Language: English
“Founded in 1949, ArtReview is one of the world’s leading international contemporary art magazines, dedicated to expanding contemporary art’s audience and reach. ArtReview features a mixture of criticism, reviews, reportage and specially commissioned artworks, and offers the most established, in-depth and intimate portrait of international contemporary art in all its shapes and forms.” (PressReader)

Inuit Art QuarterlyInuit Art Quarterly | Country: Canada | Language: English
“The Inuit Art Quarterly is published by the Inuit Art Foundation. Established in 1987, the Inuit Art Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organization that provides support to Canada’s Inuit arts communities and is the sole national body mandated to promote Inuit artists and art within Canada and internationally.” (Inuit Art Quarterly)

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Looking after the future: New sustainability books

Amy

Sustainability is about creating practices that are long lasting, that are not only beneficial to the environment but also to all in our society. We can power our economy, infrastructure and wider community through sustainability. Within these selected new books, we can learn about structural changes and small actions we can take to build a better tomorrow.

Design for a better world : meaningful, sustainable, humanity centered / Norman, Donald A
“How human behavior brought our world to the brink, and how human behavior can save us. Design for a Better World presents an eye-opening diagnosis of where we’ve gone wrong and a clear prescription for making things better. His experience as both a scientist and business executive gives him the perspective to show how to make these changes while maintaining a thriving economy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The connected species : how the evolution of the human brain can save the world / Williams, Mark A.
“This book argues that by understanding human connection, we can work together toward a less divided, more sustainable, future.” (Catalogue)

How infrastructure works : inside the systems that shape our world / Chachra, Deb
“Infrastructure is a marvel, meeting our basic needs and enabling lives of astounding ease and productivity that would have been unimaginable just a century ago. Chachra maps out a path for transforming and rebuilding our shared infrastructure to be not just functional but also equitable, resilient, and sustainable. We need to learn how to see them–and fix them, together–before it’s too late.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Around the World in 8 Travel Books

Amy

Some days we don’t want to leave the house but still wish we can experience all that the world has to offer. Why not check out some of our new travel books to get away from Wellington and see the world from the comfort of your favourite couch? Or if you don’t want to leave the house at all (although the library should be the one exception) check out Libby and Borrowbox for ebooks, magazines and audiobooks. Let’s avoid the long-haul flights, the boring queues and save money by picking up a book!

Queer footprints : a guide to uncovering London’s fierce history / Glass, Dan
“This groundbreaking guide will take you through the city streets to uncover the scandalous, hilarious and empowering events of London’s queerstory. Follow in the footsteps of veteran activisits, such as those who marched in London’s first Pride parade in 1972 or witnessed the 1999 bombing of the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho.” (Catalogue)

The joy of wild swimming
“Dive into 180 of the world’s most enticing wild swimming spots with this joyful book featuring fascinating insights from local voices, beautiful photography, maps and essential trip planning tips. Discover the humbling effects of a wild swim and explore enchanting places where you can connect with nature or simply relax and float downstream.” (Catalogue)

History of the world map by map
“A uniquely illustrated guide to the history of our world. Witness our incredible human story unfold exquisitely charted map by map. Come on a journey through global history, told in more than 130 specially made maps that each offer a window on a key event. This updated edition contains eight pages of brand new maps, and has been reviewed and updated for diversity and inclusion.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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