Damsels in distress

This month our history page features The Crusades, in particular recommending books by the specialist Christopher Tyerman. Also this month in history Queen Elizabeth I and Karl Marx died, the Free milk in school scheme began and Cyclone Bola struck.

Law for lunch

Have hire purchase agreements got you in knots? Who can do what with your personal information? Is family law more tangled than your family? How does parole work?
Find out at "Law for Lunch", a series of lunchtime talks at Wellington Central Library. Specialists will demystify the law around these issues and you can ask your own questions: Thursdays noon-1pm, 8-29 March. (more)

A shiny robot

Our craft recent picks bring you Russian punch needle embroidery (igolochkoy), a patchwork tortoise, medallion quilts, screen printing, patterns for experienced knitters, applique and Japanese paper-folding and more.

Counting head lice

A young Spanish militant, an inveterate womanizer, secret passion in East Africa, a darts groupie and a bizarre hospital are features of our latest contemporary fiction. Plus there's Norman Mailer's take on young Adolf Hitler.

Downright intimidating

Shed your reliance on Microsoft, create fur in Maya, try Ubuntu ('Linux for human beings', they claim), style with CSS, explore Wi-fi at home. Check out our computer recent picks for these subjects and more, including the indecipherable xmlrpclip, bz2 and optparse.

Pies and prejudice

Thousand-foot cliffs, cappuccino makers, Tibetan pilgrimages, pirate infested waters and holidays with dogs are featured in our recent travel picks. The very funny British music journo Stuart Maconie is horrified to realise he is becoming a Southerner, and goes in search of his Northern soul.

Brawlers, bawlers and bastards

For the best exciting raucous rock, lo-fi experimentation, lush harmonies, jazz standards, sugary summery sounding songs, and quirky folk, see our picks for the best music of 2006.

Mental illness

1 in 5 New Zealanders have to cope with some form of mental illness at some point in their lives - that equates to nearly half a million people. This month our health page features some mental illness resources.

An intoxicating summer fling

Soccer chicks, evil gangs, the crusades, a princess who prefers to play with frogs and a massive beast of unimaginable strength and rage. See our teen hype page.

A taste for matches

Arsonists, young renegades, highland castles, scandals and the torments of affluenza are sprinkled among our latest bestsellers. Some of the books are so new that they haven't reached your local library yet - look out for them later this week.

The ladies' loos

Climate change, the collapse of pot-friendly utopian community Rainbow Farm, the West's approach to fundamentalism, the history of duelling and sex in marriage are among the topics of our latest popular non-fiction recent picks.

Odd people in our parish

We have new fiction from Norman Mailer, Tim LaHaye, James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Janet Evanovich, Anne McCaffrey, and many more. Among our new mysteries there are blood vendettas, shadow walkers, red chrysanthemums and "a thrust to the vitals". Among our new sf and fantasy there are changelings, eternal artifacts, sky people, and daughters of hounds. Our new DVDs include many TV comedies, celtic music, Serge Gainsbourg, Neko Case and the fascinating Beales of Grey Gardens. For full listings, see our booklists page.

Zola and Tintin

The British monarchy, Hitler's bandit hunters, European culture, an enormously successful Bronx heroin dealer, and fearsome vikings destroying monasteries are among the subjects of our latest history picks.

Paris exploded like a champagne bottle left in the sun

Tutu and Mandela, an enfant terrible, a nature conjurer, a fearsome warrior queen, a duchesses, British fascists, a Coro Street actress and a happy-go-lucky seadog are among those featured in our latest biography recent picks.

To act boldly

Purpose, mavericks, radical collaboration, tough choices, Carly Fiorina, zag strategy, excellence, meetings, influence and streetwise business planning are among the topics of our latest management recent picks.

Epic motorcycle journeys

Wanting a holiday with a difference? Why not try a road trip on a motorcycle? Check out our travel page for more information on motorcycle trips.

Music ad lib

Our radio show can be heard on Access Radio 783 AM, at 4.30pm, February 24th. Hear hurdgy gurdys and loud guitars from Sweden's Garmarna, one of Algerian Souad Massi's lovely ballads, very different kinds of Englishness from Black Box Recorder and Billy Bragg ... and much more.

Keeping-up-with-the-Joneses

Four new bestsellers - the story of Mukhtar Mai and honour crimes in Pakistan, NY Times journalist Frank Rich's investigation of the "decline and fall of truth" under Bush, and psychologist Oliver James' diagnosis of 'affluenza' among the unhappy middle classes. Plus, the 8 tribes of New Zealand.

Perennial quest for happiness

The power of kindness, our blatant disregard for worst-case scenarios, the spiritual roots of yoga, toxic language in the workplace and a guide to dying for New Zealanders are among our personal development recent picks.

Our lady of weight loss

Yoga therapy, fitness for those aged 50+, how to cope when someone close to you has depression, apple cider vinegar and the digestive system are the topics of some of our latest health recent picks. In 'Bad medicine', David Wootton argues that doctors have relied on patients' misplaced faith for thousands of years.