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'.

Wholly irresponsible experiments and sacred geometry

In this month's science recent picks we bring you dazzling explosions, geysers, fireballs and impacts - with a collection of wholly irresponsible experiments. Also included are Roger Deacon's 'Wildwood: a journey through trees', a quest around the world to discover what lies behind man's profound and enduring connection with wood and with trees; and a magical mystery tour of maths history in 'Math for mystics'. Plus: 'The elegant universe of Albert Einstein : the collected lectures of the Royal Society of New Zealand E=mc² series' (broadcast on National Radio), and the Holy Grail of birdwatching (wherein one man races to see more than 700 birds in 12 months to break the Australian birdwatching record).

A heartfelt expression and a nostalgic glimpse into a wasted youth

The staff reviews for August on the Popular Music page include CDs by Black Mountain, Dolores O'Riordan, Dungen, Smog, the new Ryan Adams and more. New music books also feature, this month celebrating the "special breed" of music managers (Epstein, McLaren et al), film musicals and a Rolling Stone writer's memoir ("life and loss: one song at a time"). The latter's sad but fascinating and the mix tapes are also worth a look.

Other Popular Topics pages this month focus on Napoleon, ballet DVDs and children's nutrition.

The month for Boxed Sets...

Volume one of The Practice, Season One of Roswell, Season One of Quantum Leap, Season Two of ER., the second Season of Numb3rs, the fourth season of King of the Hill, Season Nine of The Simpsons and Series One of Hotel Babylon - check out our selection of new Boxed Sets in this month's DVD recent picks. Also featured this month: Out of the Blue - the story of November 13, 1990, in Aramoana.

Download our audiobooks for free!

We have a great range of audiobooks available via our new Overdrive.com subscription, which you can download and listen to via your computer or when you're mobile.

There's Norah Roberts, classic novels, language tapes, self improvement titles, Little Britain, biographies... the list goes on. Available all hours, we're ready when you are!

335 ships and 40,000 men

This month our history recent picks feature: the story of the Union Jack, Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798 (involving 335 ships and 40,000 men), India after Gandhi (the history of the world's largest democracy), and more. Check out 'Bankrolling Basra', Andrew Alderson's account of his time as an officer in Britain's Territorial Army in charge of Basra's Central Bank. Given authority for over one fifth of Iraq's finances, he decides that the route to stability is to get the cash flowing again. What follows is a series of frequent, hair-raising adventures delivering suitcases, crates and binbags stuffed with millions of dollars wherever needed and by whatever means - in helicopters, speedboats, planes and landrovers...

Culinary dedication

Amongst our travel recent picks this month: William Black explores the highways and byways of French cooking with his mind (and his mouth) firmly open. In the process he samples such delights as tete de veau and fried cow's udder, and has a mixed bag of gastronomic experiences... Also included this month are a solo journey by bicycle through South America, the official travel guide for the Rugby World Cup 2007, one hundred and one beautiful towns in Italy, and the true tales of an American Nanny in Paris.

Wisecracking sisters on a shocking pink motorcycle

Vampires, Venice Beach, the 19th Amos Walker mystery from Loren D. Estleman, wisecracking sisters on a shocking pink motorbike, a detective with synesthesia who sees coloured shapes when he listens to suspects talk, an Irish noir thriller featuring Private Eye Ed Loy, and a murder-mystery speculative-history Jewish-identity noir chess thriller. All this (and more) in this month's mysteries recent picks.

State of the universe 2007

Human-grizzly bear interactions, a natural history of the atmosphere, and profiles of 120 amazing, terrifying and bizarre prehistoric monsters that strode the land, terrorised the seas and patrolled the air - all in our science recent picks this month. Plus, take stock of the universe in 2007, become a historical tourist in the world of weights and measures, and re-discover your sense of wonder in the natural world through Darwin. Factoid: hapless 1920s inventor Thomas Midgley was responsible for both the process of adding lead to petrol, and the development of CFCs. Solving a refrigeration problem, he inadvertently created chemicals that punched a hole in the sky...

Singing our song, all day long, at Hogwarts

We were very excited this morning to receive our 50 normal lending copies of 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'. Eager library staff rushed out on Saturday to pick up 10 interim copies to fill early reserves but we now have our full complement - so make sure to put your name down on the waiting list for one of the library's copies!You can click here to go straight to the catalogue record and place a reserve.

Mr. Allbones' ferrets

Check out our suspense/thriller recent picks for, amongst other things, 'Mr. Allbones' ferrets : an historical pastoral satirical scientifical romance, with mustelids' by New Zealand author Fiona Farrell. Other suspense/thriller recent picks include: a personal story of a family's history in Southern Italy, a smart comedy of manners and obsession, an illicit relationship in the summer of 1953, and an eco-thriller with ruthless fishing industrialists.

Dramatherapy

Our health recent picks this month feature the art of learning (highly-ranked chess player Josh Waitzkin muses on his personal experience mastering chess and his discovery that the mindset and learning techniques he'd applied to chess were actually transferable to other skillsets...), dramatherapy (the power of drama as a therapeutic medium because of its foundations in metaphor), history's first pandemia plague which occurred seven centuries before the Black Death, and the true-life story of Dr. Jayant Patel, better known as Doctor Death, who shocked Australia when the truth came to light that he may have killed as many as 87 people under his care.

Making stuff

This month our craft recent picks feature beaded beads, perfect pearl jewelry, goldsmithing, silver work, sketchbooks for embroiderers and textile artists and inspiring craft projects to recycle your old possessions and make something out of nothing. (Make a notebook out of a record cover, knit an i-Pod cosy, fold beautiful origami fairy-lights, recycle your old T-shirts into bathmats or placemats, customise your own clothes, make your own jewelry, decorate your house...)

Would you believe?

Would you believe Cleopatra's lipstick was crushed beetles? Check out our children's non-fiction recent picks this month for the next instalment of the 'Would you believe' series of books, complete with awesome (and sometimes gruesome!) photographs of weird fashion trends. Also included this month: books on global warming, dogs, how to draw animals, World War I, railway stations, rubbish, comets, asteroids, meteors, and ear-invading creepy crawlies...

Town of evening calm, country of cherry blossoms

A baby rabbit who goes to nursery school and can't come to terms with the fact that he's not human, the Trojan War, life after World War II in Japan through the eyes of a woman in 1955, and a 10,000-mile road trip on a greyhound bus. For these and many more ('Arabian Nights' in the Fables series, Frank Miller's 'Sin City: family values'...), check out our graphic novel recent picks.

Rain-slicked streets and 22,000 horses

This month's fiction recent picks range across place and time - Egypt and Palestine during and after World War I, 1960s London, the rain-slicked streets of Chicago, 1930s Europe, Labour's election victory in 1997, the smoke and ash of the burning towers and the global tremor of September 11 in the intimate lives of a few people...

Pimp Our Trollies

Karori Library's "Pimp My Trolley Competition" is on this Thursday @ 5pm for all teen SUBTXTers. You will have 30 minutes to pimp one of our library trolleys - and the best pimped-out trolley will win a prize! Food and drink will be provided and 50 bonus SUBTXT points will be given to all attendees. Register to compete at the Karori Library upstairs information desk (ask the nice librarian).

Ghosties & ghoulies & long-leggity beasties

This month our science fiction and fantasy recent picks feature: talking gargoyles, magic worked in the form of jewelled glass, an impending dark age, and the latest from Simon Green, Kage Baker and John C. Wright...

Timothy Pope, Timothy Pope, what can you see through your telescope?

Will Cornelius P. Mud ever be ready in time for school? Would Morton's baby brother be more fun if he were a hulkingly huge lime green dragon? What can Ben do to make Penguin speak? These and other questions answered in this month's picture book recent picks! (Also featuring such classics as 'Shark in the Park', and 'Mr. Gumpy's Outing'.)

Wicked fun and inspired lunacy

A return to form for The West Wing with season 6, a Wizard-of-Oz-inspired episode of Scrubs in season 5, and a teenaged Superman in Season 1 of Smallville - check out our DVD recent picks for these and much more. (Little Britain Live, Marie Antoinette, The Outer Limits, Hex, Apocalypto...)

Graphics and Games for SUBTXTers

Head along to the Kilbirnie Library this Wednesday 18th July for Teens Rule the Library: Graphics and Games! Between 6-8pm there'll be prizes, food, Playstation competitions on the big screen, comic drawing competitions, a real life comic artist, and of course great books, CDs, and DVDs.

All SUBTXTers that come will gain 50 automatic points. Bring your friends - and if they sign up for SUBTXT you will get even more points!!

Foodie adventures

Culinary journeys, cucina povera and fast food: treats in the Cooking recent picks include new cookbooks from Gordon Ramsay and Donna Hay, flavours from Provence, Italy and the Alps; plus edible Auckland.

The magic library @ platform 9 and 3/4

A free, fun Harry Potter celebration!

Appear at the Wellington Central Library for a free reading of a chapter of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince with Sorceror Stu. Conjure up your favourite character's costume and play games to win prizes. Become spellbound by Zappo and Zappolina's funtastic Harry Potter magic show but watch out for Tom Riddle!

7pm until 8.30pm, Friday 20 July, Central Library, 65 Victoria Street Call 499 4444 for more details.

Friday 13th Zombie Party at Johnsonville

Tonight at the Johnsonville Library there will be a Zombie party (with pizza, not the usual zombie fare) - dress up as a zombie and win prizes! You will also receive 50 bonus SUBTXT points and more if you register a zombified friend. Come along at 6pm and join in the fun - more information here.

Practical handbooks of software construction

The July Computing recent picks include guides for Vista, PHP, Word 2007, Google's online tools, 1 hour websites and software construction; for the notebook-toting there's a book of laptop projects. There's also an overview of biocomputation: "where brand new creatures are engineered in the laboratory".

Newtown's Teen Idol

There's a Teen Idol competition this Friday at Newtown Library from 6pm-7.30pm. Food will be provided! If you're already a SUBTXT participant bring along a friend to join, and earn yourself some extra points. All who turn up will also get extra points for just coming along!

Tōku kāinga tumeke! My awesome place!

WCL has fun activities happening these school holidays. Create your own place name and make up some awesome stories, in celebration of te Wiki Ō te Reo Māori (Maori Language Week). It's all happening at Newtown, Island Bay and Karori branch libraries this week, other branches next week - see the Kids' WhatsOn page for more details.

Bows and arrows, "animals and hybrid beings engaged in otherworldly drama", &Fork, Kate Hepburn, creating a healthier planet, swimsuit history and fateful choices - just some of the variety in this month's
Buyer's Choice.

SubTxt07 launches this Friday

Our online competition for 13-17 year olds is happening again! And there's some great prizes too. You can register online from Friday night or at the Central Library launch party starting at 7pm - check out Beatrootz who will be performing live (more information)

In the pale grey light of a chilly June

Our new mysteries feature environmental activists, dramatic shoot-outs, world-weary PIs, lurking danger, an ancient mummy and horror that hides in quiet, rustic settings.

From Pong to Oblivion, Arm-ball to Zooter

Is it running, surfing, swimming, football or the Rugby World Cup that excites you? Or perhaps in these wintry days you just want to learn about "the 50 greatest games of all time". There's something for (almost) everyone in the
Sport recent picks.

All Blacks go whitewater kayaking?

Skiing and snowboarding in New Zealand, the All Blacks, climate change, cultural relationships and classroom learning, contemporary New Zealand textile artists, great whitewater kayaking runs and the evolution of Maori carving in the 20th century are just a few of the subjects of this month's New Zealand recent picks.

Animal, vegetable, miracle

This month our cooking recent picks include... an informative book about food from American fiction writer Barbara Kingsolver, ideas for healthy cooking for kids, a new book from one of Australia's leading chefs (Neil Perry), pasta recipes to make a beginner cook feel like an expert, and The Desperate Housewives Cookbook.

A host of women's travel adventures

This month's Travel recent picks has something for everyone, ranging from adventures in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan, staying put in Mallorca, horseriding around Argentina, cycling in South America and a round trip of New Zealand. There's also a short list of new travel guides, particularly in the Real City series (Rome, Paris, NYC etc).

Tap dancing penguins and curious chimpanzees

Our children's AV recent picks include Happy Feet (penguin movie extraordinaire!), a brand new Dora the Explorer, lullaby renditions of Led Zeppelin, a Monster House and more.

Letters of a secretary

Berlin in the 20s, the history of Africa, Churchill's cabinet war rooms, life as an aid worker in post-Taliban Afghanistan, and Fidel Castro and his generation of graduates from one of Cuba's most elite academies. All this and more in our June history recent picks.

Assyrian Display...

A special display of historical and contemporary photographs of the Assyrian community is currently circulating around our library branches. Also showing at some sites is 'Taste of Ninevah' - a documentary video on the Assyrian community in Wellington by staff member Helen Donnelly. For more information and the exhibition schedule, click here.

Bargains at the Central Library!

The booksale is in its final days - everything left is half price. The sale ends Thursday 24 May 2007.

A feast of crafts for the autumn months

Whether it's crochet, knitting or jewelry you're keen on - or maybe you just want to find a wonderful colour combination for your latest beading project - you'll enjoy the latest crafts recent picks.

Rub-a-dub-dub

Come and join us at Wadestown Library on Friday 25th May at 10.30am for a special bathtime-themed preschool storytime! Bring along your favourite bath towel and bath toy, and listen to stories with the Wadestown librarians. See you there!

We love magazines

Magazine creation and culture, the anatomy of design, architect Frank Gehry, the best pattern design from around the globe, advertising campaigns on the web, and DeKooning's bicycle are some of the subjects of our art and graphics recent picks this month. In 'Berlin Art Now' Mark Gisbourne puts Berlin under the microscope as the thriving centre of the German art world in the context of the huge upheavals the city has seen in the past fifteen years.