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Our first Book Chat for the year was at Flaxmere Library where the group got off to a flying start with some terrific reads.
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Our first Book Chat for the year was at Flaxmere Library where the group got off to a flying start with some terrific reads.
Hastings District Libraries recently interviewed Marie Munro whose book "Nana's Shed" - "The Wharau of Kui" features as our last StoryWalk book for Summer Sparks. Read Hana's interview here.
Our Li reads a lot of books so her top selection from 2021 is bound to be interesting.
Here are some of the best non-fiction and graphic novels we read as well as one serious disappointment as we wrap up the year that was 2021 and begin a whole new reading year.
The YA section of the library is well worth checking out for some thought-provoking and entertaining reads. Here are some that our librarians particularly enjoyed plus a bunch of children's novels from Emma's top reads list.
Including genres of science fiction and fantasy these books are packed with interesting worlds - some of them huge feats of imagination, others build a world not so different from our own. Here are the spec fic titles that we loved in 2021.
There's nothing like a good mystery or a ripping yarn packed with suspense. This is a very mixed batch of novels, but are all recommended by our library team to keep you gripped until the last page.
When we live in uncertain times, it can be a blessing to escape into a book to another time and place, where things are possibly even more uncertain or on the other hand more romantic. Here are our favourite historical reads for the last year.
Contemporary Fiction is one of those terms we give to books that are not any particular genre but tend to mirror social issues of our time. So these might include humorous novels as well as serious ones, character-driven stories as well as page-turners. One thing the books on this list all have in common is that they are all terrific reads.
We've been asking library staff the tough question: What books did you enjoy most in 2021? We'll be running a bunch of posts on this theme, and to start the ball rolling, here are some picks for the year from AM.
Every year there’s a swag of new books with a Christmassy theme, just perfect when you want to take a break from the Christmas rush. Fans of mysteries, romance and chick lit will be well catered for with this selection of books which are all either in our collection or coming soon to the library.
A new series of Irish detective stories begins with this novel set in 1980s Dublin. Fans of Benjamin Black and Dervla McTiernan might like to try it out. Read the review here.
Our reviewer had his first experience of an e-audiobook with this sci-fi thriller and surprised himself with how much he enjoyed the experience. Read on for the review.
Bluetooth is shortwave wireless technology that can connect devices. Did you know that many hearing aids have this technology? Pair this with our e-library apps, and you can enjoy audiobooks directly to your hearing aids. Here's how:
Wine Books and More met again after a spell of several months so they had a lot of bookish conversation to catch up with. Here’s a list of books they talked about - and these are just the good ones!
Many readers enjoy screen adaptations of books, but if you’re like me, you prefer to read the book first – just in case the tv series or movie spoils the book for you. There are quite a few new adaptations popping up to see now or in the near future. Here’s a few to look out for.
Flaxmere Book Chat met up again for the first time in a while, eager to share and discuss their favourite reads. And it seems crime fiction and historical novels were the most popular. Here's a few that hit the spot.
According to the blurb, Esther Freud's latest novel is 'about love, motherhood, secrets and betrayal - and how only the truth can set us free'. Here's our review.
This is the eighth in a series of blog posts focussed on Advanced Pre-Teen Readers (APTRs) - Library Li
This is the seventh in a series of blog posts focussed on Advanced Pre-Teen Readers (APTRs) -Library Li
This is the sixth in a series of blog posts focussed on Advanced Pre-Teen Readers (APTRs) - Emma L
This is the fifth in a series of blog posts focussed on Advanced Pre-Teen Readers (APTRs) - Emma L
This is the fourth in a series of blog posts focussed on Advanced Pre-Teen Readers (APTRs) - Emma L
This is the third in a series of blog posts focussed on Advanced Pre-Teen Readers (APTRs) - Emma L
This is the second in a series of blog posts focussed on Advanced Pre-Teen Readers (APTRs) - Emma L
One murder. Fifteen suspects. Can you uncover the truth? A clever debut that puts the reader into the minds of two people tasked with uncovering a miscarriage of justice. See if you can spot the clues.
This is the first in a series of blog posts focussing on Advanced Pre-Teen Readers (APTRs) - Emma L
A book about "Pop songs", not the top ten on the hit parade, but the songs by Iggy Pop. 'Til Wrong Feels Right will also take you back to the glorious era of Lou Reed and David Bowie - here's what our reviewer thought about it.
Here's our review of a novel about a small community, the families that live there and what happens when different codes of behaviour clash. Little Fires Everywhere has been a runaway hit - see what all the fuss is about.
A brilliant selection of new crime/mystery books (fiction and non fiction) made the Ngaio Marsh longlist this year. At last, the finalists were announced just last week. Here's who made the cut.
Here's a pacey read which teams a New York college girl with a small problem with a reclusive alcoholic former spy as secrets from two world wars collide. Readers who enjoy stories about resistance fighters, spies and female agents during wartime, might want to put The Alice Network on their must-read list.
It's been a few months since we had an update on the reading habits of our Wine Books and More attendees. Let's have a quick catch up!
Our reviewer happened upon this e-audiobook when browsing the library's e-collection and was pleasantly surprised. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman is a classic, old-school detective novel from a master storyteller.
There's nothing like curling up with a book as winter sets in. Flaxmere Book Chat has been reading some terrific books and had some lively chat over recent weeks. Here's a selection of books they particularly enjoyed.
Read our review of this authorised biography of The Who's John Entwistle by Paul Rees, music journalist. Entwistle was a founding member and bass guitarist for this iconic band. But how does the 60's rock 'n roll lifestyle stack up in today's world?
The longlist is out for the 2021 Man Booker Prize. Often considered the cream of the crop of the fiction awards, this list is eagerly awaited by many. Check out the details here.
If you're doing the Turn Up the Heat reading challenge this year, you may have come across the task: Millennial problems - read a YA or Junior book. Here's an author our reviewer JAM came across you might like to try.
Librarians and booksellers alike sometimes get challenging requests for a book, including the much quoted line: "I can't remember the title but the cover was blue." This has inspired one of our Turn Up the Heat Challenges: Read a book with a purple cover. Here are a few recommendations:
Looking for some book ideas for the TUTH challenge: Millennial Problems? The Famoux by Kassandra Tate could fit the bill. It also ticks the box for A book with a Purple Cover.
In an undisclosed small American town strange things are afoot. An unlikely trio try to get to the bottom of things in this dark, comic, sci-fi thriller.
Rāhoroi 29th Haratua Saturday 29th May, standing at the waharoa of Waipatu marae, the kaikaranga calls us on, we slowly walk toward Heretaunga haukūnui, the dew cleanses this wet grey day, whānau from ngā hau e wha ascend in unison, for the relaunching of this book ‘Te ātea’ written by Dame Kāterina Te Heikōkō Mataira:and whakaahua (illustrations by Para Matchitt).
“She just wanted – had always wanted – a good book to read.”
I have always admired origami and have been slightly (read more than slightly) jealous of people who could actually follow written instructions and create the most beautiful origami pieces.
From picture books to young adult to adult fiction and some seriously thought-provoking non-fiction, Emma picks her reading highlights for the bumpy ride that was 2020.
I’ve been on a Stephen King binge this year – my ultimate goal is to read all of his works within in next couple of years (I’m about halfway there). Here are the books that make my top ten by King so far...
JAM reviews Isabel Allende's latest historical novel. It's a moving love story set in difficult political times. It follows Spanish doctor, Victor Dalmau through Spain's Civil War to the new life he forges in Chile.
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