Our library system is undergoing changes that will affect our catalogue, customer records, and other services. Your membership details, presently stored in data centres in Christchurch and Auckland, will be transferred to Melbourne and Adelaide starting Friday, 17 May 2024. This migration may temporarily disrupt certain library services. For details on this transition and its impact on services, please consult the FAQs provided below.
Why are you making this change?
This change is happening across New Zealand – we’re part of a national consortium of public libraries (with 41 other councils) called Kōtui, which is managed by the National Library of New Zealand, within the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). All libraries that are part of Kōtui are making this change.
This change is to ensure that we can continue to offer modern library services and maintain robust security of library and customer information. In the constantly evolving and fast-moving world of technology services, it’s really important that our library management systems are future-proofed. In addition to continuing to provide a secure service to our customers, making these changes now also means that our systems will benefit from future enhancements.
How will this change affect me?
If you are a Libraries Tararua (New Zealand) member, access to your library account and the library’s electronic resources will be unavailable from 8 pm on Wednesday 15 May through 8 am on Friday 17 May 2024 while these changes are being made.
From 17 May onwards, while the look and feel of some services may alter slightly, the user experience will not significantly change. The main thing you should be aware of is that from 17 May, your library membership information will now be stored in secure data centres used by our vendor (SirsiDynix Ltd), which is based in Australia.
What information is held in my customer record?
As required in our membership terms & conditions, the information you provided when you joined the library is stored in your library membership record, including:
- Your name
- Date of birth
- Identification (e.g. license number)
- Address
- Phone number/s
- Email address
- Borrowing history
Please see our Privacy Statement for more details on how we use your information.
How long is my data kept?
Our library has a policy to remove customer data if the library card is not used for a period of 2 years. If you would like your data to be removed from our systems sooner, please get in touch with us to request this. Please note that if there are any outstanding fees owing or items borrowed these will need to be paid or returned before the account can be closed.
Why are the data centres in Australia?
The data centres in Australia meet ISO international standards for security and reliability and are better suited to hosting this data. While the location of data storage is changing, the biggest change is that we’re shifting from server-based storage to cloud-based storage. New Zealand doesn’t yet have this kind of data storage, at the capacity we need. The new data storage method has been thoroughly examined by Kotui’s legal and IT teams and the Department of Internal Affairs.
What are my options if I don’t want my membership data going to Australia?
The new data centre meets ISO international standards for security and reliability. Library information held there will be accessed via an encrypted virtual private network and will not be exposed to the public Internet. We are confident that library information, including membership data, will remain secure, and we hope this provides reassurance for our customers. Please see our Privacy Statement for more detail about how your membership information is used.
If you do not wish for your data to be part of this move, you will need to cancel your library membership no later than Monday 6 May. We cannot make any exceptions to library membership information being moved to the Australia-based data centre. Note that while borrowing is not possible without membership, many in-library services will remain available.
Will there be any changes to the services offered during the migration period?
You may notice a couple of changes at your local library:
• Each library will have only one computer operating during the server migration at the issues desk, and self-check kiosks will be unavailable.
• To borrow items during this period, you must present your library card.
• Searching for books on our catalogue and browsing our databases will be unavailable. This includes our library app.
• APNK chromebooks will be available but won’t be able to login with your library card number. Please hand your card to staff and they’ll create a guest pass for you.
• Returns chutes will be open for you to physically return items. However, returns shelves will not be operating, and we will ‘return’ items when the system goes live again. The due date for all items has been extended forward to avoid items being due during this period, so if you can avoid returns, we’d appreciate it.
• Library services which require logging in with your library card details will be unavailable. This includes your online library account, Libby, BorrowBox, PressReader, and other digital library services.
Will the libraries be closed during data migration?
No, all of our libraries will remain open during the data migration.
Can I search the library catalogue during the migration?
No – From 8pm Wednesday, 15 May 2024 to 8am Friday 17 May, access to the library catalogue will be unavailable including through our app. However, library staff can likely assist you in finding what you need when you visit the library.
Who is your library management systems vendor?
SirsiDynix is our library management system vendor and Libraries Tararua is part of the Kotui Consortium of 41 councils across Aotearoa New Zealand which purchases this system.
What was the decision making process?
Libraries Tararua is a member of a New Zealand-wide consortium of public libraries called Kōtui, which is managed by the National Library of New Zealand.
As part of the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA), the National Library followed the expected project protocols to ensure that all systems and vendors involved complied with DIA security requirements. The National Library shared project documentation with us and based on this information, our management team and the other members (40 local councils) of the Kōtui consortium agreed to the infrastructure change.
Anyone interested in true crime knows the name Ann Rule, the woman who was a friend and confidante to Ted Bundy, even while she and her friends in law enforcement were trying to find killer ‘Ted’. She practically invented the ‘true crime’ genre.
During her life, she recorded many true crime stories – fact of course, but written in a very easy to read chatty style – assisted by her police background and contacts.
This book is Volume 8 in Ann Rule’s Crime Files. Most of the book is the account of Dr. Anthony Pignataro, a true narcissist who (although not surgically qualified) operated on many people in his home surgery. A lot of them ended up in the ER, due to infections and such, but it wasn’t until he killed a young woman during a breast implant surgery, that the ensuing investigation revealed the full depth of his deceit, and he lost his medical license. But that wasn’t the worst of it – his long-suffering wife Debbie very nearly died because of his protracted attempt to kill her.
It also includes four much shorter accounts. ‘The accountant’ is about the murder of young Donna Woodcock by Jack Gasser. ‘The killer who begged to die’ is about Jim Elledge, a murderer who instructed his defence attorney to fight to get him a sentence of death; he knew he was irredeemable. ‘The Beach’ is about William Batten, a sexual predator, who horrifically murdered two nineteen-year-old women, Tina Jacobsen and Gaelisa Burton. ‘The desperate hours’ is about Denny Lee Tuohmy, a multiple murderer who spent eight years in a mental institution before being declared fit to stand trial.
If you find true crime stories as bizarre and fascinating as I do, I know you will enjoy this book. Not only interesting, but informative to learn about red flags and preventative measures one can take to avoid ending up as subject matter in a book like this!
by Natalie Raynel
How to set up
- In your app store, search Tararua to find the Libraries Tararua app. The icon is our logo.
- Download
- Login with your library card number and password/code/pin*
- You don’t need to log out again
- If you have children, you can link their memberships to your app too as long as you know their library card number and password
*If you don’t know your password, go to tararua.kotui.org.nz and click on Login (top right). Click on the red “forgotten your password” to get a link to reset sent to your email address. Alternatively, you can reset the password in person at your local library.
Alternatives to using the Libraries Tararua app:
Android: Google Chrome browser
Our Library catalogue is designed to work on mobile and includes most of the features you’re accustomed to using in the Library app. If you’re reading these instructions on your phone or tablet, start by opening the mobile site on the Chrome browser.
With the site loaded, follow these instructions to save the site as a saved app on your device:
- Look for a three-dot Settings icon in the top-right of the page.
- With Settings open, look for an option called “Add to Home screen” and tap it. Name the shortcut.
- A box called “Add to Home screen” will appear.
- Tap Add
- A new icon will appear on your device’s screen; you can move it around using the standard home screen press & drag options, or leave it where it is.
- Tap the icon at any time to launch the mobile website.
Apple: Safari Browser
Our Library catalogue is designed to work on mobile and includes most of the features you’re accustomed to using in the Library app. If you’re reading these instructions on your iPhone or iPad, start by opening the mobile site in Safari.
With the site loaded, follow these instructions to save the site as a saved app on your device:
- Look for a “Share” icon in the bottom bar on the page, next to the forward and back buttons.
- With the share menu open, look for an option called “Add to Home screen” and tap it.
- A box called “Add to Home screen” will appear.
- You can rename the shortcut if you want.
- Tap Add in the top-right corner of the screen to complete the steps.
- A new icon will appear on your device’s screen; you can move it around using the standard home screen press & drag options or leave it where it is.
- Tap the icon at any time to launch the mobile website.
Help
If you require help with adding a shortcut, or navigating our catalogue, please bring your device to the library and we will do what we can to assist. Note that if our staff are working sole-charge, your patience will be appreciated.
Set in 2051, in a world where the effects of climate change have ravaged the planet, Detective Inspector Cameron Brodie volunteers to fly to a remote Scottish town to investigate the discovery of a body frozen in the ice. Identified as investigative reporter George Younger, an autopsy reveals he was murdered – but before the body & samples can be taken away, events happen which escalate the situation.
It seems Younger was working on an important story related to the local nuclear power plant – a story that someone didn’t want published. DI Brodie had an ulterior motive for going to that village too. His estranged daughter lives there, and he needs to tell her some things before he runs out of time. Things that explain why her mother died and his part in that.
As suspects come and go, the story is embellished by touches of futuristic technology and complicated by the difficult climate. Including flashbacks to 2023, I found this novel to be an intriguing mystery/thriller, but also perhaps a chilling view of the decades ahead. Especially as May has a “track record at accurately portraying a world pandemic and lockdown 15 years before it occurred”, I’m sure you’ll find this vision of this not-too-distant future compelling”.
My vocabulary grew too as words of Scottish origin appeared throughout – a nice touch from this Scottish television screenwriter, novelist, and crime writer.
It was the first time I’ve read Peter May, but it certainly won’t be the last. Recommended if you like thriller, crime or action novels.
Natalie
What would you do if you could time travel? Cassandra Dankworth is a beautiful and interesting woman with a penchant for vintage clothing and an aversion to people. And on the day that she is both fired from her public relations job and dumped by her boyfriend, she has an epic meltdown which results in her discovering that she can travel back in time. Not all the way back to say 10 years ago when her parents were killed in a car accident. But at least a few days. Long enough for her to use this newfound ability to attempt to keep her boyfriend and save her job. Which she tries to do – over and over and over again.
Cassandra struggles with emotions. Not because she doesn’t have any, but because she SEES them (synesthesia). And every single person is different. For example, red emanating from one person might mean anger, but for another it might mean joy. She can’t interpret facial expression or voice tone, so she relies on this special ability. As you can imagine, it’s simply exhausting. But being able to repeat moments allows her to finally understand what all these colours mean, and after a lifetime of failing, understand other people properly. This allows her to finally navigate through life in a fulfilling way.
This book, although pretty obviously written with an autistic main character, is a delightful exploration of relationships. Quirky. Quite funny at times. Definitely worth a read. I think I will be trying more books by Holly Smale for sure.
Natalie
Well, I have found a new author! Australian Bronwyn Hall’s debut novel is a riveting action adventure with a touch of romance.
UN surgeon Dr Rachel Forester has been posted to a remote and dangerous clinic deep in the Congo, by her vengeful ex-boyfriend and boss, Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Janssen.
When the post is overrun, fortunately she is in the midst of treating a wounded UN Canadian special forces soldier. As he and her last patient are evacuated, the remaining three soldiers take Rachel under their wing and escape into the jungle.
Their original mission was reconnaissance to see what is going on with many missing children and murdered adults in the area, but now they need to get Rachel to safety first. However, as their path ends up taking them near the original objective, Rachel persuades them to complete that mission along the way. Unfortunately, she is not very good at following instructions which gets her into danger on the one hand, but saves the soldiers on the other. Complications arise when she and Major Anton Legarde struggle to tamp down their interest in each other (now is not the time, after all) while mercenaries are on their tail.
This was a fun read, fast paced with well written characters so I’m very impressed considering it was a debut novel but I guess having a bachelor’s degree in English Literature is a big help. I couldn’t put it down actually. Highly recommended.
Natalie
Find out how Bronwyn became a writer
Those of us of a certain age will recognize aspects of our childhood in this book – even though we were blissfully unaware of our mother’s role in life. It is only now, in hindsight, we appreciate how different the modern woman is today from the housewife in the 1950s and 60s – the period in which this book is set.
Ivy and Kathleen are both mothers – one a war widow with one son and the other married with 5 children. Ivy has to work to support herself and her son – Kathleen works at home doing the same thing – though not for any monetary compensation. The Australian Women’s Weekly holds a cooking competition – one where people can enter their favourite recipes which must include at least one of the suggested ingredients. Both women enter hoping to win some money which will change their lives.
This book focuses on family dynamics of the time and also social hierarchy. A woman’s rightful place was in the home ensuring the housework was on point, no modern appliances to help with this, the children scrubbed, well fed and well behaved and hubby was looked after in the way the head of the household expected to be looked after. Any adult without a partner of the opposite sex was a focus of gossip and matchmaking. Perhaps I should also mention the story touched on other social issues as well – homosexuality, birth control, domestic and sexual violence, bullying, racism.
I enjoyed this book if only to appreciate and wonder at how my mother managed and for the memories it recalled.
Nikki P.
I’ve been collecting library books to take with me on holiday but over the weekend I decided that maybe 6 books would be a bit much. I wanted to read them and if I wasn’t taking them with me I had to start now, so I cracked into my pile.
I managed to find 4 brilliant books that I have sailed through in the last week. It’s a really eclectic mix of genres. I don’t have a favourite genre, or author. I will try any book that catches my fancy. But I have learnt through the years that if I want to read all the books I like I have to be honest with myself and stop if it doesn’t grab me. I had great fun reading and reviewing these four books.
‘Medicus and the disappearing dancing girls’ by R S Downie
I love historical novels. I always assume, rightly or wrongly, that the writer has done a lot of research for me and therefore I am getting both a story and a history lesson, and I’m all for multitasking. This book is set in Roman Chester, just as Hadrian becomes Emperor. It’s a mystery and a look into the everyday life in a Roman camp and town. It’s very relatable to modern life. The medical procedures seem so modern – cataract removal, amputations and the like. The characters are interesting if a little one dimensional. They certainly have similar problems to us, but it’s the window to another time that always interests me. The book is written as if set in the now and there is an element of surprise for the reader at things like the letter writing and postal service. I look at our current inability to get a letter from the UK to NZ in any reasonable time and marvel that the Romans had a system that seemed to work better and quicker. It’s a gentle and low angst novel with easy writing, that rolls along, carries you to a conclusion and a desire to know more of the characters life. Really, however much time passes, the trials and tribulations of day to day life are really not that different.
‘Jack Four’ by Neal Asher
I’ve been wanting to find a good science fiction novel for a while. I remember the dystopian novels of my teens and the stories of Harry Harrison, and I have yet to find something that is comparable. Times change and story tastes change too, and maybe my memory is not as good as I think it is. I sometimes find modern sci-fi too complicated and twisted for my brain to understand and I think the authors try to make it as complex as they can, in an attempt to seem thought provoking and intellectual. I need a book I can understand. I have almost no ability to imagine a scene or concept from books, so elaborate descriptions can limit my enjoyment. To give you an earworm for the day, every time I see this author’s name I hear the Cornershop song in my head, brimful of asher, but that’s beside the point.
When I saw this book by Neal Asher, I was intrigued enough to have another go at the genre. I thought this was the first book in a series but research (ever a librarians friend) shows me that it is fact book 18 of a series with many characters around a central theme.
Jack Four is a clone who comes into existence with several others, devoid of memories or consciousness, but who finds he knows things that his fellow clones obviously don’t. I particularly liked that the author started the writing as if the clone was learning and thinking as he went. The writing was almost childlike and one dimensional and then as you progress through the story, his consciousness grows, and his ability to analyze and consider grows with the narrative. It’s subtle and you only realise it after you’ve been reading for a while. When I started I was disappointed in the writing style, but then I ‘got it’. There are some great twists and turns throughout the story, with an ending that leaves you wanting more adventures from the main characters. At times it is an adventure book, with lots of gory action, as well as being really farfetched but fun. But by mid-way it was unputdownable and certainly worth the read. So much so that I have earmarked some other Asher books to read, although sadly, not in the correct order, which is a little upsetting.
‘Strange Sally Diamond’ by Liz Nugent
I’m in an awesome book club, surrounded by more English people than Kiwis and it’s always a lot of pressure to find a book that we will all enjoy or at least have fun talking about. I am on the lookout always for my choice and I stress about the book until after the meeting. To be honest, the cover on this one interested me and the synopses intrigued me. It started out with a smile and a giggle. Sally is strange, straight forward, without guile, and has led a sheltered life with her parents. At age 42 her world explodes after she takes something her father said literally. This opens a can of worms no one saw coming, especially not the reader. From there we are taken on a difficult journey that is both uncomfortable and confronting. You will not like all the characters, you will not like decisions made or paths chosen, and you will not be very impressed with the ending but golly the journey through this book will make you stop and think. I read it in a day. I’m not sure how to frame questions for my book club but I will enjoy the discussions that will follow – it will be polarizing and there will be lots to say about the various characters. It is different enough from the usual thriller/mystery to set it apart and mark it as a good read. The reviews are all outstanding and I came away liking Sally more and more. Maybe simple and uncomplicated is the best way to go. I certainly would like to live without a filter sometimes.
‘Beggars Belief’ by Gerald Diffey
Sometimes you pick up a book for no other reason than just because. You read a passage or two and think, “hmm, that’ll do”. And when you sit down to read it properly you are blown away by the beauty, the prose and the overall feel of the words. Some people can pull you into a feeling, a memory or an idea with just a mix of letters on a page. I love this book. I may even buy myself a copy. Mr Diffey has written a book of anecdotes, memories and recipes that transport you, not to a place, or a different time but to a sense of joy, a feeling of life lived and a general sensation of happiness. I cried in happiness, in a memory of a happy time, unrelated to the story but nudged by the writing. There is no rhyme or rhythm to the writing, the book seesaws through the consciousness of Gerald and yet you are given a profound sense of peace and contentment. You don’t need to read this book from front to back, you can open it anywhere and get the same reaction. I am a bit old school, so follow the reading rules but I think this could be a book you tuck in your bag and dip into whenever you like. I’m seriously waxing lyrical with this one but its such an unassuming little book to look at and it could so easily be missed in the melee of bright covers and fancy titles. Maybe that’s the attraction, something hidden in a modest cover that holds such a rich centre. It’s not going to take long to read but I know it will stay with me far longer. I am going to drive everyone crazy telling them to read it. And then I shall panic that they won’t get the warm fuzzies I did, I want people to love this book as much as I do. But I have to remind myself, everyone’s reading journey is different and what one person gets from a book may be very unlike from what someone else gets. Nevertheless, let’s hear it for all the beige books out there that no one notices or borrows. They could be hiding more than you imagine.
Until next time. Corinna C.
This historical novel is based on a true story, which makes it all the more fascinating. The General Grant sailed from Melbourne, bound for England, on 3 May 1866 carrying 83 passengers and crew. The main character, Mrs Mary Jewell, is a recent bride and her husband, Joseph, has signed on as an able seaman and she as a stewardess. Joseph spent some time in the gold diggings in Australia, and found enough for them to purchase a small farm in England so the future looks bright.
Unfortunately, on 14 May 1866, the ship wrecked on the sheer rocks of Auckland Island, to the south of New Zealand. In the confusion and frigid waters, only 15 people survived – 4 passengers, and 11 crew (including Joseph and Mary, the only woman). After several days fighting the rough waters they managed to find a place to land. Then began a perilous and miserable 18 months on a group of islands offering little in the way of shelter and sustenance, far away from any shipping lanes and chance of rescue.
This fictionalised account focuses on what it must’ve been like for Mary, a lone woman amongst 14 desperate men. Especially in the mid 1800s when women had few rights. She could offer little towards their survival, and was a source of temptation. Sanders does a wonderful job evoking the bleak conditions, the unsavoury characters, and the behaviour expected of a Victorian era woman. One can’t help but be drawn into the story, and Mary’s plight. Certainly, she must have been a very strong, resilient and determined woman.
Obviously, some of the 15 survived … or there would be no story to tell. No one really knows the true story of what went on – there were even rumours of cannibalism – but Sanders writes a believable tale. To this day, the General Grant has not been located, although many continue to search for the wreck because of the purported $8 million of sunken gold.
If you like historical fiction with a dollop of action, angst and romance, this story will be enjoyable. It is also a finalist in the Ockham NZ Book Awards 2023 so it’s not just me that thinks it’s good!
Natalie
Mr and Mrs Jewel dressed in sealskin, survivors of the wreck of General Grant, Auckland Islands, 1866
The first inhabitants of this area were the Maori people, the Rangitāne o Wairarapa and Rangitāne o Tamaki nui a Rua. They named it Eke = to embark upon, run aground + tāhuna = gravel bank, boulders or stones. As in, their waka (canoe) ran aground on a sandbank and couldn’t travel further. It was a good camping place, with Makakahi River providing water. [Source: www.eketahuna.co.nz]
To the south is the Wairarapa; to the north is the current Tararua District (back then, partly Wairarapa and partly Hawkes Bay); to the east is the Puketoi Range with the coast beyond, and to the west is the Tararua Range with Manawatu beyond. In the 1870s the area was referred to as part of Te Taperenui a Whatonga (the great playground of Whatonga) or part of the Seventy Mile Bush (or more specifically, the Forty Mile Bush which included Eketahuna and extended north to Woodville).
In the 1870s, Sir Julius Vogel began a new scheme to open up the interior of New Zealand. Many of the workers employed in this scheme were Scandinavian immigrants, who arrived on the ship “Forfarshire” in Wellington Harbour. Although there were Europeans in the general area from 1870, it wasn’t until late 1873 that the township was officially “founded”. The Scandinavians took up residence in Eketahuna, which they briefly called Mellemskov (Heart of the forest), and began the difficult job of clearing the dense forest, with the goal of eventually linking Wairarapa with Hawkes Bay.
A large area of the Forty Mile Bush was opened for settlement after 1893 and soon small communities were established around Nireaha, Newman (2 miles north), and Hukanui (7 miles north). The railway, 141 km (88 miles) from Wellington, reached Eketahuna in 1889, but didn’t extend further north to Woodville until 1897.
Within a few years, a thriving community existed. There was a public school, a post & telegraph office, a railway station, Masonic lodge, Court house, solicitor’s office, and hall. The newspaper ‘Eketahuna Express‘ launched 1894 and published until 1939. In 1896 the ‘Eketahuna Minstrel and Dramatic Society’ offered local entertainments. The Bank of New Zealand branch opened twice a week. Doctor J. H. Murray-Aynsley set up a surgery. There were many trades – coachbuilders, wheelwrights and blacksmiths, tailors, tobacconist and confectionary shops, hairdressers, tent maker, jeweller, plumber, boot/shoe makers, butchers, several general stores, bakers, a chemist and a livery.
There was no shortage of accommodation either. The Eketahuna Hotel, a modest 20 room establishment, was the first in the town, run by Frank Pelling. In 1883 John Carter purchased an existing hotel which was renamed Carter’s Temperance Hotel, with 40 rooms available at 6 shillings a day. The Railway Hotel (run by Mrs Lowe) was near the station, and had 18 rooms. There was also the Club Hotel and the Universal Hotel.
“It cannot fairly be said that Eketahuna strikes the stranger as one of the earth’s beauty spots, and yet on a closer acquaintance it is not difficult to find really beautiful natural scenery. Quite close to the town winds the Makakahi River, and the great basin it has scooped out for itself … is being cultivated, and is, of course, most fruitful ground, the soil being a rich alluvial deposit with a substratum of shingle.” [Source: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand]
Eketāhuna has become synonymous with the stereotype of a small remote rural New Zealand town. It is a very small village of about 4.15 km2 (1.60 sq mi), with urban residents numbering approximately 400 as at 2023. However, it is still an important service town to the surrounding rural farming area, which covers about 892km2 (344sq mi). It’s a great wee wonderful town, filled with friendly locals who are proud of their town and heritage. Also, nearby is Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre, a sanctuary for native wildlife (chiefly birds) located on a remnant of the 40 Mile Bush. On March 10-12, 2023, the town is celebrating 150 years of European settlement.
There are several publications about the town, such as “A goodly heritage: Eketahuna and Districts, 1873 to 1973″ by Irene Adcock or ‘Eketahuna: stories from small town New Zealand” by Peter Best. Many images can be found at Digital NZ https://digitalnz.org/records?text=eketahuna
[Natalie]
Harlan Coben, like Robert Crais, wrote a series with a main protagonist and his trusty, slight crazy side kick. Throughout both these authors early books the side kick provided support, insight and a touch of rule breaking, but stayed very much in the back ground. Robert Crais evolved this character into the arguably more interesting Pike, who now has his own series of books, which I have to tell you are very much worth checking out. Not to be outdone Harlan also wrote a book about the side kick.
From earlier books I remember Win as being possibly a sociopath or at least a psychopath, but also an interesting if somewhat two dimensional character. In this book he takes the lead, never apologizing for his wealth, privilege or lack of caring for the bad guy. Even if you haven’t read any of the Myron Bolitar books (why haven’t you?), you will enjoy this book.
If you like a well written, whodunnits, with twists, turns and depth, here you are!. I don’t think there is anything Mr Coben hasn’t written well. If you don’t know this author, or Robert Crais, expand your authors today. I read this book in one night. It is a fast paced unputdownable book. Just the thing for a weekend.
by Corinna C.
What a great read! A Gothic tale set on an Otago farm written by New Zealand author, Catherine Chidgey.
Tama the magpie – short for Tamagotchi – narrates the story of Marnie and Rob on their Otago farm. Tama is Marnie’s surrogate baby. She rescues him when he falls from the nest. Taking him in following the tragic end to her own pregnancy. Nurturing him, teaching him, loving him. He is her friend and confidante.
Rob is a hard man. A champion axeman with nine gold axes on the wall and hope for a tenth in the up-and-coming carnival. He desperately needs to win.
But the farm is failing…Marnie tries so hard to lift Rob up, to tell him it’s going to be OK – that’s it’s just the season, the weather, the economy, that things will pick up… but things are not picking up. And Rob’s reaction to this is brutal.
Tama, the great observer and mimic, tells the story using all of the language he hears around him. He is the hard-done-by farmer, the television detective, the mother, the sister, the tourist. His narration is dark, ironic. He is thoroughly entertaining and completely lovable.
I read this book over a weekend. I’m a slow reader but it’s an easy, if disturbing, read. I couldn’t help but draw parallels with Becky Manawatu’s “Aue!” – as though this is a pakeha version of that. I enjoyed Chidgey’s observations of people – perhaps especially the mother – what an awful woman! I like the style of writing. She isn’t vague – she doesn’t leave you wondering “what went on there”. She’s not trying to be deep and meaningful, and the story hits home more effectively because if this.
If you can cope with Tama’s mimicked profanity, this is a great read.
by Peggy M.
Claire Emerson is not having a great time at the 60th birthday party her daughter-in-law has organized. The only good thing is when her little grandson gifts her a beautiful pendant that doubles as a magnifier. Which is lucky because her grandson takes her four pairs of reading glasses home with him (she doesn’t need them now she has the magnifier!).
While reading the paper with the pendant, she sees a strange address appear – but it’s not visible without the pendant. “That’s it”, she thinks, “I’ve got dementia”. But with nothing better to do, she takes a walk to this strange address and finds a hidden cottage in the woods, protected by high gates with a gargoyle atop. When the gargoyle comes to life and uses the pendant to open the gates, she puts it down to the sudden dementia. Even more so when a gorgeous werewolf greets her, and says that she is now Crone – one of a select group of four witches who serve the Morrigan – and he is her protector.
Apparently Claire has always been a witch, but she didn’t know it. Or maybe she did, and didn’t want to admit it. In either case, turning 60 has released more power and she has been chosen by the Morrigan to protect the Earth. The only trouble is, she has no idea how to use her power or even what her powers are. And her enemies are not going to wait for her to find out.
The gargoyle and the wolf have their work cut out because Claire is a stubborn woman, and she doesn’t intend to stay under their protection at this cottage. Which, I might add, is actually a castle on the inside. After all, she left Merlin, her cat, home alone! Events only escalate from there.
This paranormal novel is the first in the Crone Wars series. It was a fun read, fast paced, and I enjoyed it. A touch of action, magic, humour and sexiness. Highly recommended if you enjoy authors like Darynda Jones or Nalini Singh.
by Natalie R.
How would you feel if you were told you might go blind due to a medical condition just after you had qualified as a doctor?
“Kika and me” is an amazing book about how Amit Patel’s life was changed after he lost his sight, almost overnight. After learning to cope mentally with the changes in his life, he began to regain his confidence moving about his world with his white stick.
Then when he signed up for a guide dog, his life would be transformed for the better. Amit quickly realized how the rest of the world treated visually impaired people or VIP’s, and how much anger and impatience was aimed at his guide dog. The results gave him focus and a will to change the perception and treatment of VIP’s on the public transport system in the United Kingdom, as well as opening up buildings and places of worship for the visually impaired.
He is a fierce campaigner for better systems, greater understanding and more sponsorship of guide dogs.
Throughout his journey he was supported by his wife and family, and was determined that his son would never miss out on experiences because his dad was blind.
This book is a full of joy, tears and determination. One man’s journey of understanding and his refusal to be limited by his disability. At the end of the book Amit talks about his drive round the Top Gear race track in a reasonably priced car. It is humbling to not only see the faith he had in his co-driver but also the faith his co-driver had in him.
Watch the video of the lap or see how Kika works.
by Corinna C.
I’ve been enjoying Kate Quinn’s books. I started with The Alice Network, which I found in our Libby audiobook collection, but we also have it as an e-Book and a print book.
Ms Quinn’s earlier works are about Rome. She has a series The Empress of Rome which I haven’t read. In her later novels she writes about women in wartime – women in dangerous situations, putting their lives on the line for their country. Her works fiction loosely based on fact.
The Alice Network was an actual spy ring, run by the Queen of Spies, Louise de Bettignies in France during WWI. Quinn’s Alice Network takes Eve, a spy from that network and teams her up with Charlie, a young American socialite searching for her cousin who went missing during WWII. The story switches between the current setting of 1947 and Eve’s WWI experiences. It tells of the knife edge on which the spies balanced and savage treatment of those exposed. It adds a little romance to help the medicine go down. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the narrator on the audio book is great.
The same narrator reads for all of Quinn’s books, so her voice becomes quite familiar. I am now on my third, The Huntress having listened to The Rose Code.
The Rose Code tells a story of the women of Bletchley Park, the famous home of Britain’s WWII codebreakers. Three women from completely different backgrounds give us a wider view of wartime Britain. But it is after the war that things come to a head and the women reunite in the hunt for a traitor who they’d thought was one of their own.
The Huntress is a Nazi war criminal. A murderous woman determined to hide her past. She is in turn hunted by a tiny group of three who want to see her brought to justice. It follows a female Russian pilot, a member of the Red Army’s legendary Night Witches….. I am still in the middle of this, so that’s all I can say for now!
If you like a good war story…
If you like stories about fearless women in tough situations…
If you like to experience all this from the safety of your armchair…
I recommend some Kate Quinn
By Peggy McConnell
Libraries Tararua
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