Hedgehog warriors and winged skeletons

This month our science fiction & fantasy recent picks feature apocalyptic worlds of magic and technology. Alien faster-than-light drives with dubious ethical origins, an earth riddled with tunnels that penetrate its depths and send demons boiling up through our subways and basements, alternate realities ruled by powerful, mafia-like families, and magical kingdoms with lyrical names deserted by all but a few residents. "From the Lake of the Dead and the City of Marrow, to the artists who remain behind in a ghost city of spice, here are stories of hedgehog warriors and winged skeletons, loyal leopards and sparrow calligraphers."

Purposeful, Original and Pithy

In our January management recent picks - create a message that stands out with POP, survive a downturn and use best practice to prepare a winning bid or proposal.

Why eating bogeys is good for you...

"Ever wondered why we have tonsils? What's the best way to cure hiccups? And if kangaroos keep babies in their pouches, what happens to all the poo? Mitchell Symons answers all these wacky questions and plenty more in 'Why eating bogeys is good for you... and other crazy facts explained'." Got a weird, wacky or wonderful question? Get it answered in our January kids' non-fiction recent picks.

Boys get anorexia too

In our health recent picks this month read the life stories of six teenagers with Asperger Syndrome and how they feel AS has shaped their lives so far, master the art of running and read Jenny Langley's account of how anorexia affects boys/men too. "A much needed resource for other parents in similar situations."

Library hours - temporary changes

All our libraries will be closed for Wellington Anniversary Day on Monday 21 January 2008. Libraries will resume normal hours on Tuesday 22 January.

Cummings Park Library will be closed for refurbishment from Saturday 26th January to Saturday 2nd February. For more information, see the CPk branch library pages

Sir Edmund Hillary, 1919-2008

In some ways I believe I epitomise the average New Zealander: I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination, and I rather like to succeed. -- Sir Edmund Hillary

These very self-effacing and unassuming words embody Sir Edmund Hillary who died today, aged 88. A New Zealand icon, he shot to fame in 1953 with his and climbing partner Tenzing Norgay's ascent of Everest.

Wellington City Libraries has collected a page of resources on Sir Edmund Hillary. These include a link to The Times' 1953 article, Everest Conquered : Hillary And Tensing Reach The Summit, written after the news of his and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay's successful climb spread around the world (to access the article you'll need to log in with your library card number and surname). You'll also find many books and website links about this 20th century New Zealand legend on our Kids' Catalogue.

Churchill and Roosevelt

The war in Sicily and Italy 1943-44, America and the Korean War, the origin of the term 'Iron curtain', the Royal Navy in 1758, Indian England, the Goths and the 4.4 million year-old story of human history (just briefly in 612 pages), are among the subjects of our latest history picks.

Bloodthirsty long-dead forests and manifold minions

Legendary heroes, ancient evils, a poet-sorceror, deadly assassins, dragons, untold destruction and eternal darkness - all in our latest science fiction and fantasy picks. Plus, book two of The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant from Stephen Donaldson, and the next book in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series (imagine the Napoleonic war with an aerial corps of dragons...).

Pirate dinosaurs, boxes that aren't boxes, and the cow that laid an egg

Majorie the cow who laid an egg, Charlie and Lola on a snow day, pirate dinosaurs, a Russian fairytale, a magical box and a girl who's afraid of Santa Claus - see our children's picture book picks for some of our new favourites.

Pirates, blind faith, and songs without words

Amongst our contemporary fiction recent picks this month you'll find: two friends and childhood neighbours facing an unforeseen calamity, a canary yellow Mustang convertible and a treacherous hitchhiker, men at war on the edge of the great southern desert in Mesopotamia in 3157 B.C, and a small-time TV star with a mile-wide ego.