Tag: non-ficiton

Home ownership in NZ: Helpful books

Xinxin

Below is a list of books about buying property, organising your finances, interior organisation and more. You can also find NZ Property Investor on OverDrive.

From renter to owner : practical, innovative ways to buy your first home today / Edmunds, Susan
“Respected property and business journalist Susan Edmunds has done the hard work to show you how buy first home in New Zealand. Most of us don’t have a big inheritance or limitless funds from the bank of Mum and Dad, so need help getting into a first home and navigating the many options. Book discussed how to apply for and structure your loan; the different properties worth considering, and different buying options, such as buying with friends. ” (Adapted from Amazon.com)

Home : the way we live now / Watson-Smyth, Kate
“Interiors expert Kate Watson-Smyth looks beyond the floorplan and shows how to evolutionally use the space you own or rent. By choosing from over 250 practical solutions, you can make your rooms multi-purpose even at a small space. Author provides a unique and innovative split-format page design for mixing and matching ideas and plans, whether working from home, using small spaces, or buying furniture. Also featured from hoteliers, interior designers and bloggers. (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The sophisticated property investor : for new and seasoned commercial property investors / Brill, Jeff
“Do you want to work towards financial freedom and create a legacy to leave a secure money machine behind your children? Herein you will learn the tools needed to invest in the commercial property sector, be it a building or part of one. No longer is this investment vehicle an exclusive domain for the rich, you can make substantial gains to secure your future. Contains an interview with Sir Robert Jones and other specialists in their field.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Buyer beware : a New Zealand home buyer’s guide / Slade, Maria
“Written by a news journalist who has covered many of the horror stories, this book takes a no-holds-barred look at the challenges facing home buyers and offers savvy advice on how to navigate that minefield. It will appeal to all home buyers, with chapters on the search, mortgages and legal aspects, types of title, buying at auction, buying off plans, checks and warning signs, bodies corporate and the special problems to be found in Christchurch, there is plenty of information for everyone.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Kiwi prefab : cottage to cutting edge : prefabricated housing in New Zealand / Bell, Pamela
“Unlike the previous impression of cheap and temporary, today’s prefab home is design rich, high-quality, and readily customised to individual sites and needs. It is likely to be state of the art, an innovative blend of architecture, design, manufacturing and construction. For example, the story of IBS, (Industrialised Building Systems) is a story of a NZ project that came close to revolution.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Smashed avocado : how I cracked the property market and you can too / Haddow, Nicole
“‘Buying a property isn’t easy. It’s not meant to be. It’s one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make in your life. But it is worth it . . . it’s hard, there will be shit bits, but it’s not impossible.’ At thirty, journalist Nicole Haddow had unstable income, no financial plan and only credit-card debt to her name. But less than two years’ later she was a home-owner. In Smashed Avocado, Nicole explains the steps she took to purchase her own home, alongside detailed case studies of other people who have found ways to enter the property market.” (Adapted from catalogue)

First home buyers guide : how to buy a home in New Zealand / Hampton, Wendy
“A guide to first home buyers written in plain English that explains the purchasing journey in simple terms. It includes amongst other matters simple explanations of the roles of the professionals, types of legal agreements, legal titles, types of ownership as well as a chapter on finance. The guide walks you through the decision making process and includes useful checklists and diagrams.” (Catalogue)

A bouquet of flower books for spring

Xinxin

Whether you are planting a new garden or wanting to arrange flowers you’ve freshly sourced from the markets, these books can provide inspiration for your perfect dining table arrangement or artistic project. You might also like to link up with some of the local flower groups in Wellington: Ikebana Wellington, Miramar Garden Club, Johnsonville Floral Art Club. We also have a great selection of eMagazines, available through the links below.

Flowers for friends / Atkinson-Dunn, Julia
“This is a book about flower arranging from the perspective of a gardener in Christchurch, New Zealand. Harvesting from the garden means short, wonky stems, bruised petals, insects crawling out of blooms and the open invitation to claim a weed or vege as vase fodder. Julia offers a practical guide to picking, conditioning and arranging home-grown treasures, celebrating their quirks and encouraging unexpected combinations. Seasonal chapters profile arrangements she has made, detailing plants in season and inviting readers to explore some quirky and easy-to-do ideas. (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Carole’s flower truck : flowers every day for New Zealand homes / Bowden, Carole
“With over 350 photos, this book is a visual treat. As well as the story of Carole’s Flower Truck, it is an inspirational seasonal guide to enjoying flowers. There are ideas for special occasions, tips and tricks to keep your flowers looking great and step-by-step floral projects. This book is all about buying local and using what’s in season with a seasonal guide from United Flower Growers. And a guide to create ‘park posies’, jam jar posies and hydrangea bouquets, circlets and garlands. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Weaving flowers from New Zealand flax / Brown, Ali
“Weaving Flowers from New Zealand Flax contains detailed instructions for weaving fifteen different flower and foliage designs plus different variations of several of the designs. Many of the flower designs can be woven from a single flax leaf and are very quick to weave once you’ve had a bit of practice. The book also includes examples of floral arrangements for each of the flower designs and various flax foliage ideas for floral arrangements in addition to the woven foliage designs. All the instructions and arrangements in the book are illustrated with large colour photographs.” (Catalogue)

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Gut Feelings – New Health Books in the Collection

Kath

It’s a new month and we have another selection of new health books for you.  From looking after your gut health, to caring for a brain injury, to a guide to living with lupus and good eating habits, we have a wide selection of titles for you to delve into.

Gut feelings : healing the shame-fuelled relationship between what you eat and how you feel / Cole, Will
“Now, Dr Will Cole sheds light on the relationship between your physical and emotional health, providing a framework for you to better understand the gut-brain connection and influence that connection for the better. Dr Cole will help you re-evaluate your relationship with food and your body, getting you back in touch with your gut feelings, in this practical 21-Day Plan that bridges the gap between your emotions and your health with healing recipes, dietary guidance and mindfulness techniques.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Healing the traumatized brain : coping after concussion and other brain injuries / Vaishnavi, Sandeep
“Recovering from a brain injury can be a challenging, prolonged process. This book explains how the brain works, how injuries affect the brain, and how to use your brain’s own power to recover.” (Catalogue)

 

FAQs on menopause / Robinson, Julie
“No question is too simple, too embarrassing, too rude or too offbeat to be included, and each one has been asked by thousands of people just like you. Do people know I’m having a hot flush? Is it normal to feel rage all the time? Why I am getting more hair in some places and losing it from others? All these questions, and hundreds more, are covered in this short but powerful, helpful, practical guide to managing your menopause symptoms.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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Music and the brain

Xinxin

Music is more than just entertainment. These leading brain research authors deep dive into the fascinating connection between music and neurological science. There are also interesting facts behind being tone deaf, ear worms, and other elements relevant to music. Whether you are a fan of music or science, you will find a new interesting book to enjoy!

Musicophilia : tales of music and the brain / Sacks, Oliver W
“Music can move us to the heights or depths of emotion. It can lift us from depression or us dancing to its beat. But the power of music goes much, much further. Indeed, music occupies more areas of our brain than language does. Oliver Sacks’s compassionate, compelling tales of people struggling to adapt to different neurological conditions have fundamentally changed the way we think of our own brains. Here, he examines the powers of music through the individual experiences of patients, musicians, and everyday people. Music is irresistible, haunting, and unforgettable. ” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

The jazz of physics : the secret link between music and the structure of the universe / Alexander, Stephon
“More than fifty years ago, John Coltrane drew the twelve musical notes in a circle and connected them by straight lines, forming a five-pointed star. Inspired by Einstein, Coltrane had put physics and geometry at the core of his music. Following the great minds that first drew the links between music and physics, a list including Pythagoras, Kepler, Newton, Einstein, and Rakim, The Jazz of Physics revisits the ancient realm where music, physics, and the cosmos were one.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Bad singer : the surprising science of tone deafness and how we hear music / Falconer, Tim
“In the tradition of Daniel Levitin’s This Is Your Brain on Music and Oliver Sacks’ Musicophilia, Bad Singer follows the delightful journey of Tim Falconer as he tries to overcome tone deafness–and along the way discovers what we’re really hearing when we listen to music. A work of scientific discovery, musicology, and personal odyssey, Bad Singer is a fascinating, insightful, and highly entertaining account from an award-winning journalist and author.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

Hearing Beethoven : a story of musical loss and discovery / Wallace, Robin
“We’re all familiar with the image of a fierce and scowling Beethoven, struggling doggedly to overcome his rapidly progressing deafness. Beethoven continued to play and compose for more than a decade after he lost his hearing. The author explored through his own experience of deafness, suggested that instead of overcoming deafness, creating music for Beethoven became a visual and physical process, emanating from visual cues and from instruments that moved and vibrated. His deafness may have slowed him down, but it also led to works of unsurpassed profundity.” (Adapted from the Catalogue)

 

Books From The Vault: Episode 6

Neil

 

Welcome to our latest exciting and scintillating episode of Books from the Vault, to be found on Wellington City Libraries’ very own podcast channel called Kōtare: Wellington City Libraries Presents. Books from the Vault is a in which three intrepid librarian explorers take an in-depth and fascinating look at some of the treasure trove of titles to be found in our stacks.

Listen now! Books from the Vault: Episode 6

They dive deep into the vaults and unearth some wonderfully diverse books. After a brief description, they go on to talk vividly about the wider aspects of these works and, as an added bonus, discuss a range of linked and associated titles. This latest instalment is a children’s special.

In this episode, one of our CYA Specialists Mary Barnett selects Box by Penelope Todd; a young adult dystopian fantasy book set in Dunedin. Next, Zoë Miller, our Ethnic Communities Engagement Specialist, talks about Emeli Sione’s A New Dawn – a children’s book about the dawn raids of the 1970s and their effects on the community and individuals.

And finally, our Fiction Specialist Neil Johnstone talks about one of his favourite old-time books, The Children of Green Knowe by Lucy M Boston. First published in 1954, this is a classic English children’s book with elements of English folk mythology and ghosts, which is also heavily laden with historical detail. Intrigued? You can listen to the full episode here.

To subscribe, you can find all our podcasts on your favourite podcast player, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.

Box / Todd, Penelope
“Derik is on the run. Not from the deadly epidemics on the rise in New Zealand but from the ruling government and its efforts to wipe out disease. The authorities have begun Endorsement: a nation-wide drive to implant a device in every citizen, to regulate body chemistry and control emotions. It’s a social experiment the whole world is watching. But Derik wants to think and feel, for himself. Trying to find shelter, he soon discovers he’s not the only one to have turned fugitive.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

A new dawn / Sione, Emeli
“Emeli Stone shares her Dawn Raid story to help us understand the real impact of this dark time in our history.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

 

 

 

The children of Green Knowe / Boston, L. M.
“It is a classic of its genre a Children’s book that is basically an  English  folk, ghost story that is also heavily laden with historical detail . It is really atmospheric the start is truly a fabulous bit of writing . At times it can be a bit scary and creepy but in a friendly way. An excellent gentle introduction to ghost stories.’ ( Adapted from Catalogue)

 

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Kristen Phillips’ book ‘Dad, You’ve Got Dementia’

Tess

Dad, You’ve Got Dementia: Conversations With My Father is local author Kristen Phillips’ new book that focuses on her experiences with her father Don through his journey with dementia. The book is an intimate look at their relationship, with a focus on the enduring love and connection that remains between them throughout the difficult late-stage years. Kristen writes an endearing and relatable book that is equal parts memoir and poetry. She expresses the moving importance of caring for whānau with dementia using patience and understanding, to help maintain the deep connections that remain throughout the process of memory loss. We sat down with Kristen for an interview and talked about what inspired her to write the book, what it was like sharing intimate moments in the book and her professional work in helping to reduce social stigmas around dementia in NZ.

Dad, You’ve Got Dementia is published by The Cuba Press. You can reserve a library copy here. Kristen also writes short book reviews for the series ‘On The Same Page‘, for New Zealand Dementia Foundation. For more resources for you and your whānau visit Dementia Wellington.

At the library we have also recently introduced He Kete Pupuri Mahara: Memory Bags to our borrowing collection. You can reserve and take home a collection of items aimed at encouraging conversation and reminiscence for people with dementia or memory loss.

Below is a list of some the books on dementia that we hold in our collection, including the books Kristen mentions in her interview:

Contented dementia : 24-hour wraparound care for lifelong well-being / James, Oliver
” A groundbreaking and practical method for managing dementia that will allow both sufferer and carer to maintain the highest possible quality of life. Dementia is a little-understood and currently incurable illness, but this guide shows how much can be done to maximize the quality of life for people with the condition. The SPECAL method (Specialized Early Care for Alzheimer’s) outlined in this book works by creating links between past memories and the routine activities of daily life in the present.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

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