End of year thanks to: the library

Image from Auckland City Libraries

I have to thank APL (that's what people in the know call Auckland City Libraries - apparently) for keeping me entertained this year. For forgiving me when I was irresponsible with their library materials and for their courtesy reminders that were intended to help me return my books on time. Also for the renewal service which was handy when I didn't get those books back in time and for helping me to fix the security in my browser so no one could steal my library details.

Long Live the Public Library!

And I love, love, love their online Advent calendar. There are some cute kitty images that someone I know might like :)

Auckland City Libraries have this great function on their site where you can view your reading history. It would seem that aside from a smattering of Marie Claire, World of Interiors, Belle, Vogue, Australia Home Beautiful, Instyle and the odd Bust on Monocle (both hard to come by) magazine I did manage to read several books this year!

So if you are looking for summer reading here are the highlights that I gleaned from my reading list.

Fiction:

Jasper Jones, Craig Silvey - because Jasper was on our list of names for our children

One that I would highly recommend to anyone. It won prizes people!

The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, Maggie O'Farrell - a wee bit tragic, about a women who wrongfully ends up spending her life in an mental asylum

The Birth House, Ami McKay - A book about old school midwifery in Nova Scotia. Fascinating, probably more for us Lady folk.

Sing Them Home, Stephanie Kallos - It included a character called Bonnie who was a 'self-proclaimed archivist'.

The Memory Keepers Daughter, Kim Edwards. - Not sure why I hadn't read it sooner.

As the Earth Turns Silver which I talked about here.

Non-fiction:

The World Without Us, Alan Weisman - I just really like this book.

The Urban Homestead: your guide to self-sufficient living in the city, Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen - A little bit American, but some nice ideas.

The Big Day a guide to getting married in New Zealand, Kerril Cooper and Denise Irvine (highly recommended reading if you are getting married!)

Summer reading:

Well I am currently reading Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides, which at this rate will take me to January!

Not sure what I'll be next, anyone have any ideas?

Oh happy Friday

Off to Whakatane for the weekend!

Have had a very busy week, working mostly, but have managed to have some fun.

Highlights included:

Book buying (well when I say buying I mean voucher spending)

A Julius Shulman book of course!

And the latest book by Alain de Botton

Film Society Screening of Agnès Varda short films.

The Rita Angus exhibition at the City Art Gallery

A delicious curry dinner last night, a tax return and the first 3 pods on the broad beans (not much luck there so far due to the lack of bees, but things may be improving)

Have a good weekend everyone, till next week...

What I'm reading

So I'm in the library the other day and I pick up this book on the 'New Books' stand (because I'm a sucker for a pretty cover) and I open it up and realise the author looks familiar. So I flick through and read the Acknowledgments page and what do ya know. There is an acknowledgment to Wellington City Archives, where I once worked. And an acknowledgement to Mr Jones!

So naturally I got it out and I've just finished reading it.

Alison Wong's first novel As the Earth Turns Silver was a very compelling read; that totally met all my fiction requirements. I like a book that spans time, I like a book that incorporates historical events into the lives of the characters, and I like stories about families. A bit of romance doesn't go a miss either.

When I read something I like I HAVE to go out and find out more about the author.

So here's what else I found:

Alison is also a talented poet, her first collection of poetry entitled Cup was published in 2006. Her poem The Archaeologist was selected for Best New Zealand Poems 2006.

You can read more of Alison's work via the National Electronic Text Centre's online archive and here. You can also see the writing process in action here.

Alison will also be reading some of her poetry at this year's Rising Dragons, Soaring Bananas International Conference in July.

Understandably, given the complexity of her first novel, it took a while to write. But I hope we don't have to wait to long for the next one! Although if it is as good as the first, I won't mind too much. :)