Jewelry, crochet and contemporary knitting

In our craft recent picks for January we feature Ruth Lee's book, 'Contemporary Knitting'. Definitely not your grandmother's knitting book - unless your grandmother happens to be a cool, creative textile artist! Materials used include: insulated wire, paper yarn, plastics, rope, elastics, and even regular knitting yarn. Also featured this month: crocheted fibre necklaces and bracelets, ideas for scrapbooking sporting adventures, baby knits, and 22 patterns for handbags, totes, and carry-alls to knit and crochet from 20 top knitwear designers.

We wish you a Merry Christmas

Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy and safe New Year's break, from all the staff at Wellington City Libraries. The library will be closed for Christmas Day, Boxing Day (open again after Christmas on Thursday the 27th), Sunday the 30th December (open Monday the 31st), and Tuesday the 1st and Wednesday the 2nd of January. You can find our holiday hours here on our website. Happy holidays!

Chicks, buzzy bees, lazy Daisy, and Tiddler the story-telling fish

"Charlie has this little sister Lola. It's very easy for Charlie to make Lola jump. Lola says, 'But I really want to make you jump, Charlie.' And Charlie says, 'Okay, Lola, but that will NEVER happen.'"

This month, find out if Lola manages to scare Charlie, see how brave a little mouse called George can be, have fun with Maisy, and see if you believe Tiddler's story - all in our December picture book recent picks.

Let the sun shine on your evil side

"Let the sun shine on your evil side" is the tag line for 'Solar energy projects for the evil genius' - one of our science recent picks this month. In this guide, the popular Evil Genius format ramps up your understanding of powerful, important, and environmentally friendly solar energy - and high-tech guru Gavin Harper gives you everything you need to build more than 50 thrilling solar energy projects. Also this month, global warming and the future of New Zealand, seeing through a world of numbers ("numbers have become the all-powerful language of public argument; this book shows how to see straight through them - and how to seize the power for yourself"), and where to watch birds in New Zealand.

Win an MP3 player...

Wellington City Libraries has recently introduced a Downloadable Audiobooks collection available to all members via our website.

Library members can browse hundreds of titles and download them as audio files to MP3 players to read on the go. Many customers have their own players but some are available to borrow on a short term basis.

We are offering you the chance to have you very own MP3 player. Answer the following questions to go into the draw for a Creative Zen Stone MP3 player. Tiny in size, but definitely big on value.

(Survey closes midday Friday 21 Dec)

Ankh-Morpork's Royal Mint

This month our science fiction recent picks include Terry Pratchett's new novel, 'Making Money'. Featuring former con-man Moist von Lipwig (last seen as Chief of the Post Office in 'Going Postal'), the latest from this famous writer with a penchant for footnotes has Moist in charge of the Royal Mint - serving at the whim of the Patrician, of course. Also included this month: the next installment of the Tales of Malus Darkblade series (set in the world of Warhammer); the story of a young clockmaker's apprentice visited by the Archangel Gabriel; and, 'The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror 2007'. Have a look.

Holiday hours

Wondering when you can visit a library over the holiday season? Our libraries are open to a different timetable between 24 December 2007 and 3 January, check out the full details here.

Kitchens, bathrooms, and keeping chickens

Remodelling your kitchen or bathroom? This month our home & garden recent picks feature some great ideas for a range of kitchen and bathroom styles and sizes. Plus, check out 'Tea for the tui : fun recipes to entice birds to your garden', by Rosemary Tully, and enjoy a slice of organic life with Sheherazade Goldsmith's brilliant ideas and simple solutions to set you on the path to a more organic and sustainable lifestyle. If you dream of growing your own vegetables, making jam from freshly picked fruit, or keeping a couple of chickens, this is the book for you!

Pirates ate rats? And leather bags?

In our kids' non-fiction recent picks this month, cook swamp rat kebabs and mini eyeball pizza with Shrek and friends, find out about the culinary tastes of pirates (rats and leather bags...), scare yourself silly with the Encyclopedia Horrifica, find out how to draw cartoons, and read the story of chocolate, the bean that conquered the world!

Cantankerous and brilliant

In this month's DVD recent picks, Dr. House (Golden Globe winner Hugh Laurie) is back for a third season. Plus, visit Wisteria Lane for the third season of Desperate Housewives, catch up with Meredith and the other Grey's Anatomy interns in Season 3 of the hit medical drama, follow the legalese and drama in third season Boston Legal, and delve further into the mysteries of Lost, Season 3.

The story of tea

In this month's cooking recent picks read about the cultural history of tea, learn Southeast Asian taste theory, discover the food of Spain, and read a selection of A.A. Gill's writing about food (observations from an unashamedly intolerant perfectionist, taken from his Sunday Times and Tatler columns).

Lonesome George, the Goldilocks enigma, and baboon metaphysics

This month in our science recent picks, discover George - a Galapagos giant tortoise and the last of his kind still alive. 'Lonesome George : the life and loves of the world's most famous tortoise' is an exploration of our troubled relationship with our fragile planet (and also the "torrid tale of George's life and loves").

Also included this month: one man's mission to make time travel a reality, some startling new information about this country's natural history, and baboon metaphysics. (Yes, really.)

Survival at sea, home musical culture, and life among the larrikins

Among this month's New Zealand recent picks you'll find a tale of two ships wrecked on the same island, a personal account of Māori-Chinese identity in Aotearoa New Zealand, a musical and social history of when the piano was New Zealand's home entertainment centre, and a biography of one of New Zealand's first international media celebrities (Makereti, 1873-1930). Also included - some legendary Kiwi ratbags...

Spaceman blues

Apocalyptic cults, marauding orcs, excursions into Faerie, and the latest from Terry Brooks and Charles Stross - all in our November science fiction & fantasy recent picks.

Two tough teddies

In this month's picture book recent picks, meet Tilly Ted and Gruffy Ted - two tough teddies off to find someone to love them, and read all about Charlie's little sister Lola's first ever school photo. Plus, find out how Izzy deals with a pesky mayhem-making dragon.

Down the Nile in a seven-foot rowboat

You'll find crocodiles, testy river currents and all manner of adventures in Rosemary Mahoney's 'Down the Nile: alone in a fisherman's skiff' - featured in our travel recent picks this month. Read all about her humourous (and sometimes hair-raising) adventures as she discovers modern Egypt for herself. Also in our travel recent picks this month: great bicycle journeys, desert adventure and a taste of Tuscany.

Plush-o-rama!

Our November craft recent picks feature Greggles the furry green-lipped monkey with his coif of tentacles (Curious Creatures for Immature Adults, by Linda Kopp), a menagerie of sock monsters to make, doodle-stitching with simple embroidery stitches, and lots of festive ideas for celebrating Christmas with craft.

Corrugated iron structures and Orange County choppers

Loving and loathing our inner housewife, understanding an endangered state of mind and the darker side of Kiwi culture join the picks of popular non-fiction for November. Plus a NZ history book with a claim to the longest title yet chosen for our Recent Picks.

Dreading the Christmas shopping?

Worried you may have to return gifts you receive? Then Law for Lunch this week may provide some assistance: "How consumer law can help you in the festive season". Join Angus McLeod, of the Consumer's Institute, at Central Library on Tuesday 20 November, 12-1pm as he goes over consumer rights : all welcome.

Brought to you by Wellington City Libraries in partnership with Wellington Community Law Centre.

Meet our newest blog

Our new Business Blog, maintained by our specialist staff, will keep you up to date with current business issues, new resources and more.

This new addition increases our blog number to four: we also have Kids and Teens blogs.

Our 2007 fiction picks

The custodian of paradise, Wayne Johnston (2007).
"This big fat 2007 novel, a sequel to 'The Colony of Unrequited Dreams' (1999) has everything going for it - a wonderful, eccentric central character, a compelling and somewhat gothic setting (Newfoundland), beautiful, clever prose and at the heart of it all - a mystery - who is the man known as The Provider? And what are Sheilagh Fielding's secrets."

We're getting in early this year - our New Fiction Picks for 2007 are now available for your perusal. We welcome your reviews too, of course - do you agree with our selections?

Something for (almost) everyone

Whether you're into web development, graphic design, Linux, Pro-Tools or just creating better powerpoint files, there's something for nearly everyone this month in the Computing recent picks.

This month's (US) PC World featured article talks about Vista resistance: why is XP still strong?

Do you have neighbourhood issues?

Or know someone who does? Then the theme of this week's Law for Lunch will interest you: "Neighbour disputes - living with the neighbours from hell" with Bill Atkin.

Bill Atkin, BA LLM, is a Professor at Victoria University, Wellington. Bill is the author of numerous books and articles and editor of the International Survey of Family Law. He also works in family law, assisted reproduction and elder law.

Law for Lunch, 2nd (Top) Floor, Central Library, noon-1pm, Tuesday 13 November.

Brought to you by Wellington City Libraries in partnership with Wellington Community Law Centre.

All welcome!

Law for lunch today: Power and gas complaints

The popular series Law For Lunch returns to Central Library today at midday with the first session focussing on electricity and gas complaints. Judi Jones, the Electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner, is a Wellington-based lawyer and former chair of the Consumers' Institute board.

The series runs throughout November, more information is available on Wellington City Libraries news page.

Superheroes and small-screen scares

Arguably the most talked-about television show of the 2006-2007 season, the Emmy-nominated fantasy Heroes is among our DVD recent picks this month. Also featured this month: season one of the horror series Supernatural (in which two brothers encounter a host of otherworldly creatures, including vampires, ghosts, and witches, as well as such distinctly American phenomena as the wendigo), season two of Prison Break, the third season of The Shield, the first seasons of Big Love and One Tree Hill, Korean horror movie The Host, Spider-man 3, and lots more. Have a look!

Grumble Rumble Mumbler

It's bedtime - but what's that noise? Could it be a monster? Or is it something else? Listen to author Melanie Drewery read her book The Grumble Rumble Mumbler on our Kids
Downloads page.

Misery loves company

Are you feeling heartbroken, burnt out and miserable? Are you listening to far too much Coldplay? Is your self respect at rock bottom or did you just wake up this morning weeping uncontrollably (again) with the sad realisation that Miss Elizabeth or Mr Darcy are never going to call? Well never fear my despondent friends, join Neil and Craig this week for a Library radio show absolutely guaranteed to make you feel even worse! Following on from Craig and Neil's critically acclaimed underground metal radio show we invite you to tune in for a heart wrenching trip down Boo-Hoo Poor Me Boulevard. So grab your hankie and join us on Access Radio 4.30pm Saturday (783 AM) as we spin some of the most heartbreaking, melancholy, depressing and utterly miserable tunes imaginable. If nothing else you'll get to experience two blokes sobbing on air and that's got to cheer you up.

Beaumont is back

October's mystery fiction recent picks include the latest in J.A. Jance's Beaumont series. Seattle cop J. P. Beaumont has the same job, working with the city's Special Homicide Investigation Team; the same girlfriend, fellow investigator Mel Soames; the same straight-shooting, stick-to-it, never-say-quit attitude. The Beaumont series has been going strong for more than 20 years now, and this time around Beaumont tackles the death of an ex-con. Also included this month: a forensic anthropologist investigates a possible death by spontaneous combustion in the Hebrides, a crime writer becomes embroiled in a mystery of his own, Daisy Dalrymple stumbles into yet another mystery, and Nick Stone's new novel is on show.

Kimono embroidery & felted jewellery

Our craft recent picks this month feature the art of the talented embroidery artist Shizuka Kusano, whose canvases are Kimono. You'll also find 20 stylish designs for felted jewellery and 35 amazing contemporary knitwear designs that take their cues from decades and designers past, plus lots of ideas for creative recycling in embroidery.

The revolution will not be microwaved

In this month's cooking recent picks you'll find 20 themed tea parties, an examination of underground food movements and our food choices, food and drink in American history, and more than 95 stylish, satisfying and simple midday meals to sink your teeth into. Have a look!

Take your pick: 1001 buildings or 1001 ways of looking younger?

October's Buyer's Choice has a full range including the above: not-so-perfect pups and how to solve their problems, fresh looks for your home, a history of communism, vacation homes around the world, and 100 views of Edo.

Never said goodbye

This is the second solo CD from former Catatonia lead singer, Cerys Matthews. Now based in Nashville she eschews the more traditional country feel of her debut CD 'Cockahoop', with a musically diverse CD that covers all the bases from the power-pop stylings of her previous band, to lounge jazz, new folk, & acoustic based songs.

Featured album: Never said goodbye by Cerys Matthews

For more music reviews, check out our Popular Music Staff Picks

Thirteen tales of love and revenge

The Pierces are two Alabama-born sisters. After an alternative folk/rock debut on Sony that was well received critically but didn't sell, they delivered a second much more shiny pop album before they decamped for the indies to make the kind of music they wanted. Their album 'Thirteen tales of love & revenge' is an eclectic mix of lounge pop, country, gypsy folk, & new wave, full of the great harmonies that only siblings can achieve...

Featured album: Thirteen tales of love & revenge by The Pierces

For more music reviews check out our Popular Music Staff Picks

Time Being - Ron Sexsmith

If 2004's Retriever showed off the extroverted side of Ron Sexsmith's personality, his latest CD shifts back towards the more introspective work that characterised his earlier works, possibly due to the presence of Mitchell Froom back at the producers helm. Sexsmith's voice only gets better as he ages & this is another set of quietly melodic songs.

Featured album: Time Being by Ron Sexsmith

For more music reviews check out our Popular Music Staff Picks

Leigh Nash - Blue on Blue

The band Sixpence None the Richer seemingly came out of nowhere with the big hit 'Kiss me' in 1999, but they'd been around for a number of years before that making swirling alternative pop with vaguely Christian underpinnings. Alas they fell victim to a legal battle with their record label and were unable to release another album for 5 years, by which time the momentum generated by 'Kiss Me' was gone. 'Blue on Blue' is the debut of lead vocalist Leigh Nash. Produced by Pierre Marchand (Sarah McLachlan) the CD is a bit more 'pop' oriented than her previous band, but her great voice highlights some of the weaker songs. Worth checking out if you're a fan of female singers.

Featured album: Blue on blue, by Leigh Nash

For more music reviews check out our Popular Music Staff Picks

These four walls

Given the precarious state of the music business it's almost hard to believe that Shawn Colvin has been making music for over 20 years, and not just putting out average albums with the occasional hyped 'comeback', but making a consistent body of work that builds on itself making each new album her best yet. With only 2 new albums in the last 11 years it's probably no surprise that she hasn't scaled the commercial heights she deserves, but this CD, her first for the new 'Nonesuch' label, is as good as anything she has done before. Working once again with producer/songwriter John Leventhal she once again delivers a stellar set of songs, melodic & finely crafted, yet lacking in any unnecessary flourishes, and as always her lyrics are able to tell stories of the ups and downs of life & relationships in fresh new ways. Highly recommended.

Featured album: These four walls, by Shawn Colvin

For more music reviews check out our Popular Music Staff Picks

Cheesy Wotsits and a stuffed otter

In this month's kids' fiction recent picks you'll find... a stuffed otter, Bionicles and the Island of Doom, Rainbow Magic fairies, a ballerina, and the Undy family. Plus, the next book in the CatKid series.

Es Cuba : Life and love on an illegal island

This month our travel recent picks are full of intriguing travel memoirs set in exotic destinations - Cuba, Casablanca, France, Nepal, Tibet...

Spongebob and Elvis Presley

Our new kids' sound and vision recent picks include Dora, Spongebob and Hello Kitty, plus the soundtrack of Cars, and favourite Island songs from Disney's Lilo & Stitch. Elvis Presley (being Lilo's favourite singer!) of course features, along with some more typical Hawaiian music performed by the Kamehameha Schools Children's Chorus...

The power of a positive NO

In our September personal development recent picks we feature the latest book from bestselling author William Ury, 'The power of a positive NO : how to say no and still get to yes', as well as a guide to beating stress and Peter Walsh's 'It's all too much : a guide to living a richer life with less stuff' (click the title link on the page to go through to the catalogue and view excerpts and an annotation). Have a look!

Transformers and the Yuk Factor

This month's kids' non-fiction recent picks include the ultimate guide to the Transformers (mythology, history, profiles of key characters from the different generations...), and 'The Yuk Factor' - a book which will test your yucky knowledge and answer such burning questions as 'Why was worm stew eaten in the Middle Ages?' (really - why?!) and 'What is onychophagia?' (compulsive nail-biting). Also included this month - 'The 7 day bully-buster', and 'Buzz' (a guide to every creeping, crawling, flying, sticking, stinging, poisoning, recycling, buzzing insect you can imagine). All this and more - have a look!

Chocolate & Zucchini

Campside cooking, tempting vegetarian recipes, 'The complete Middle East cookbook', gluten-free recipes, food customs and traditions, cookies, cakes and cupcakes, and 'Chocolate & Zucchini' - the cookbook born of the blog of the same name. Featuring beautiful recipes (not just zucchini and chocolate, although a few incorporate both ingredients...) from a Parisian woman who learned to cook in San Francisco, 'Chocolate & Zucchini' is a must-see! All this and more in our September cooking recent picks.

Cyborg secret agents and vampire sleuths

Cyborg secret agents, black holes, a futuristic noir thriller, the fifth book in Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series, a version of MI5 that deals with supernatural threats, a vampire sleuth, and the latest from Stephen Baxter - all in this month's science fiction recent picks.

The hunt for a missing masterpiece

To whet your interest - in this month's non-fiction recent picks you'll find: the incredible story of the theft of a great painting and the brilliant detective who gets it back; the tale of Samuel Plimsoll MP, "The Sailor's Friend", who worked with his wife Eliza to defend sailors against nefarious and unsafe practices at sea in nineteenth century Britain; a history of spies and subversion in New Zealand; a shocking look at the debt industry and how today's credit merchants are trying to get everyone into the credit game; the Middle East and US foreign policy; a manga version of the Bible - and much more.

I was a Plunket baby

In our September New Zealand recent picks you'll find: Volume 2 of Taiawhio (18 new conversations with contemporary Maori artists), 100 years of Plunket, a photographic guide to New Zealand insects, New Zealand mysteries that have intrigued the nation (con artists, conspiracies, disappearances, deaths, mysterious creatures and unusual visitors), mushrooms and fungi of New Zealand, foodie adventures in Auckland, and much more...

Journeys with the black dog

This month's health recent picks feature an anatomist's guide to your organs and your health, coping with radiotherapy, making autism a gift (a positive, practical guide for those who are affected by autism and autism spectrum disorders), Oliver Sacks' 'The man who mistook his wife for a hat', inspirational stories of bringing depression to heel, and why we need disease - an evolutionary perspective.

Super happy crochet cute!

In this month's craft recent picks... Amigurumi - Japanese-inspired dolls that have motivated crocheters everywhere to grab their hooks and create collections of irresistibly funky-cute creatures; collaborative quilting and beaded crazy quilting; patchwork projects to use up that fabric hoard or 'stash'; a selection of books on feltmaking (also known as felting). Have a look!

Teen Blog

We have added a new blog to the Teens pages - and will update it with news, study help, events and other things of interest. It is called Teen Blog! We value your comments!

Louis Sachar's latest

Check out our recent kids' fiction picks for Louis Sachar's latest, one beastly beast, two aliens, three inventors and four fantastic tales from Garth Nix, and the third book in the Mistmantle Chronicles.

A wild wind from the north: Hongi Hika's 1823 invasion of Rotorua

This month's New Zealand recent picks feature Don Stafford's account of Hongi Hika's 1823 invasion of Rotorua - of the utter devastation it wrought, and of the reconciliation that took place 100 years later. Also featured are Mary Holm's treatise on how to make Kiwi Saver work for you, Conal McCarthy's history of colonial cultures of display and the remarkable story of Maori resistance to, involvement in, and eventual capture of the display of their culture, and diverse accounts of more than 40 ethnic groups that have brought their culture and customs across the world to New Zealand. Have a look!

Life in a changing China

The peasant revolutionary turned lifestyle guru, the former Shaolin monk working on a Shanghai building site, the conservative father now running a gay hotline - and the teenagers who just want to dress up as their favourite Japanese cartoon characters. Our popular non-fiction recent picks this month feature 'Getting rich first: life in a changing China', by Duncan Hewitt, and some other fascinating reads on a mixed bag of subjects - climate change in New Zealand, planning for retirement ('What color is your parachute? for retirement : planning now for the life you want'), a history of the trial, building schools in Afghanistan, gay life and culture, and lots more.

Gluten free, and a year of eating dangerously

Great gluten free recipes, three generations of Italian family cooking, recipe ideas for entertaining from Rachel Allen, and Tom Parker Bowles' Year of Eating Dangerously (brought up on mushy peas and shepherd's pie, he decides to examine the cultural divides that make some foods verboten or "dangerous" in British culture while being seen as lip-smacking delicacies in others...). All in this month's cooking recent picks.

Down at Fraggle Rock

This month's kids' sound and vision recent picks feature season one of Fraggle Rock and Jane and the Dragon, plus a couple of rotten rats in Flushed Away!

Mr. Funky's super crochet wonderful

Elegant wire jewelry, card making, 'quilt your favourite photos', punk, gothic and vintage knitting projects ('Dominknitrix: whip your knitting into shape'), beading with gemstones, quilting with treasured fabrics, and crochet projects for those who love Hello Kitty, bohemian 70's inspired fashion and Japanese style. All in this month's craft recent picks.

Music Specialist Spotlight: Soul singer David Ruffin

Soul singer David Ruffin was one of the members of the 'classic 5' line up of Soul legends 'The Temptations'. Hired to replace volatile founding member Elbridge Bryant who was fired for attacking another band member with a beer bottle, Ruffin's role was as a secondary singer, the lead singing duties being divided between the falsetto of Eddie Kendricks & the baritone of Paul Williams. All this changed one night, as legend has it, when fellow Motown singer/songwriter Smokey Robinson saw Ruffin performing a song live.

The next day he came to the Temps dressing room with a new song he thought Ruffin would be perfect for. The song 'My Girl' became their 1st number one, sold over a million copies, and elevated Ruffin to lead singer. More leads followed and Ruffin's dynamic live performances made him the group's focal point. Ruffin was never much of a team player though, with a deep and often troubled personality. A growing addiction to cocaine fuelled his personal demons, and his demons fuelled his ego. When 'The Supremes' became 'Diana Ross & the Supremes’ Ruffin, who was singing most of the leads, failed to see why he shouldn't get top billing as well. The group voted him out and the embittered Ruffin filed suit against Motown demanding an accounting of his money and a release from his contract. Forced to finish out his contract Ruffin went solo and had his first big hit with 'My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)'. Things looked good for a while but then the hits dried up. Ruffin was never popular with Motown management & an entire album ('David') was cut but never released until 30 years later, when it became regarded as his best solo work. But teaming with uber soul producer Van McCoy he made a mid-70's comeback with 'Walk away from love', which became his last big hit.

After leaving Motown he recorded a couple of solid albums for Warner Brothers, hooked up with the Temptations again for a 'Reunion' album in the early 80's, recorded a live album with Kendricks & 80's Blue Eyed Soul stars 'Hall & Oates', cut an under-rated duo album with friend and fellow ex-Temptation Eddie Kendrick, was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame in 1989, then toured with Kendrick and fellow ex-Temptation Dennis Edwards (who replaced him as lead singer) as 'The Former Lead Singers of the Temptations'. But the 80's in general weren't kind to Soul music or any of its surviving practitioners, and Ruffin was never kind to himself, his demons finally consuming him as he died of an overdose in a Philadelphia crack house in 1991. David Ruffin was 50 years old.

Ruffin's legacy remains in his music. His aching voice was never really equalled in 'The Temptations' and as a Soul singer he belongs in the same pantheon as legends like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding & Al Green. Ruffin's gift was similar to Sinatra's in that he could inhabit any song as if he'd written it, channelling the drama and darkness inside him into whatever story the lyrics were telling. On Wish it would Rain he channels the pain of Motown writer Rodger Penzebene on the title track & the song 'I could never love another (after loving you)', both written by Penzebene (who committed suicide just after the song reached number #1) about his wife's infidelity. The Ultimate Collection is a selection of Ruffin's post Temptation solo sides, and reveals a surprisingly consistent level of work, the song titles seeming to form a montage of vignettes in which Ruffin could live out the drama of his life: 'My whole world ended (the moment you left me)', 'I've lost everything I've ever loved', 'Walk away from love', 'Statue of a fool', 'Rode by the place (where we used to stay)' & 'Let somebody love me'.