Matariki – the Māori New Year – takes place on Pipiri 28 June. There will be Matariki storytimes and activities at our libraries throughout June.
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New and Recently Released!
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| Ruby: a novel by Cynthia BondWhen they were kids, Ruby was the beautiful mixed-race girl whom preacher's son Ephram Jennings loved and others used. She escaped to New York as soon as she was able, and at 30, she came back to town. But the memories of the trauma she suffered there may be her undoing; she's been slipping towards madness for the decade since. Still in love with her, Ephram is torn between duty to the domineering sister who raised him and a chance for a life with Ruby -- one the townspeople seem determined to prevent. The town of Liberty is vividly depicted, as is the entrenched poverty, racism, and brutality of rural Texas in the 1960s and '70s. Told in poetic language, this debut is at times distressing, and will likely appeal to fans of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. |
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Cataract city
by Craig Davidson
Border town overlooking Niagara Falls is home to men from different sides of the track whose lives will intersect. By the Canadian author whose Rust and bone was made into a very memorable film.
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| The painter by Peter HellerPainter Jim Stegner has retreated to a small house in the wilds of Colorado; though he's a celebrated artist, he's haunted by grief over the death of his daughter. He's also served time for nearly killing a man who leered at her; when he sees a man abusing a horse, that familiar and unstoppable rage rises again, and the man ends up dead. Though there's suspense in what happens next -- Jim's avoiding both the law and the dead man's family -- his narration also encompasses an almost spiritual take on art and nature. |
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| The possibilities: a novel by Kaui Hart HemmingsAs in her debut novel (The Descendants, adapted into a movie by the same name starring George Clooney), author Kaui Hart Hemmings addresses grief in a strongly depicted setting, only this time it's Colorado. Overwhelmed by her son Cully's death in an avalanche, single mother Sarah St. John can find no meaning in her ordinary activities, until the arrival of a young woman on her doorstep opens her eyes to those around her. Though Sarah's a bit wary of the young woman's claims to a relationship with Cully, the two embark on a trip to Cully's college for a memorial service, accompanied by Sarah's dad, her best friend, and Cully's father. By turns hilarious and touching, the road trip allows each of the well-drawn characters to move forward in some way. Though of especial interest to readers who have faced similar losses, The Possibilities is also an appealing take on parenthood. |
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Next life might be kinder
by Howard A. Norman
Selling his life story to a violent filmmaker in the aftermath of his sensual wife's murder, Sam develops a cat-and-mouse relationship with the filmmaker and begins experiencing wrenching hallucinations. By the National Book Award-nominated author of The Bird Artist.
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Nothing holds back the night
by Delphine de Vigan
Only a teenager when Delphine was born, Lucile raised two daughters largely alone. She was a former child model from a Bohemian family, younger and more glamorous than the other mothers. But as Delphine grew up, Lucile's occasional sadness gave way to overwhelming despair and delusion. She became convinced she was telepathic, in control of the Paris metro system; she gave away all her money; she was hospitalised, medicated, and released in a kind of trance. Young Delphine was left to wonder: what changed her, or what shaped her all along?
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The secret life of Violet Grant
by Beatriz Williams
Defying the privilege of her 1960s Fifth Avenue family to pursue a job with a style magazine, recent college graduate Vivian Schuyler discovers a secret about an aunt she never knew who at the dawn of World War I fled her oppressive marriage to pursue an audacious goal.
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News pigs
by Tim Wilson
A sharp media satire, fast and funnny, about a flailing reporter, Tom Milde, who gets pulled into covering a live TV report about the latest gun massacre in an American university.
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"My life has often been described as 'from rags to riches,' but in fact, the Rosses were never raggedy." ~ Diana Ross, American singer
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| Lionel Asbo: state of England by Martin AmisLionel Asbo -- whose first run-in with the police occurred at the tender age of three -- is a ruthless, foul-tempered thug who raises pit bulls on hot sauce and booze. He's also the polar opposite of his nephew, Desmond "Des" Pepperdine, a brainy, biracial young man with a bright future. Lionel, only six years older than Des, becomes the lad's guardian when Lionel's sister dies -- and attempts to mentor her son in his own unique fashion. While Des attends university and becomes a journalist, Lionel bounces in and out of prison until he unexpectedly wins the lottery, a windfall that enables him to engage in even worse behaviour, albeit with fewer consequences. This offbeat, darkly humorous tale satirises contemporary British culture while sensitively portraying a very unusual familial bond. |
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| The 100-year-old man who climbed out the window and disappeared by Jonas JonassonFaced with the prospect of attending his 100th birthday party without any alcohol at all, Allan Karlsson does the only sensible thing: he climbs out through the nursing home window and heads to the nearby bus station. Despite wearing slippers and possessing the achy joints of a centenarian, Allan embarks on a rather unforgettable adventure as his own larger-than-life story slowly comes out. Thugs, elephants, a suitcase full of money, and a friendly hot dog stand operator all figure, as do many other remarkable characters, including some of the 20th century's most familiar names. Fans of this lighthearted picaresque romp will be pleased to hear that the author's second novel was published in April; it's called The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden and is equally delightfully nutty. |
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| Remember me? by Sophie KinsellaTwenty-five-old Lexi faces some unusual problems when she wakes up in a hospital. She's actually 28 -- and doesn't remember anything of the preceding three years, during which she apparently married an attractive millionaire, embarked on a successful career, and got the perfect body/hair/teeth/handbag she always wanted. Unfortunately, life's not all good -- she's also somehow become the boss from hell and has alienated every single one of her friends. And that handsome husband? There's no chemistry. With a great deal of humour, author Sophie Kinsella showcases Lexi's struggles to go from "the perfect life" to one that actually makes her happy. |
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| Girl in translation by Jean KwokDrawing on author Jean Kwok's own experience, this debut novel tells the story of Ah Kim, who emigrated with her mother from Hong Kong to Brooklyn, where she decides to go by Kimberly Chang at school. Their unheated apartment is condemned (and infested), and both must work at a sweatshop to pay back the aunt who financed their transport, but that doesn't stop Kimberly from excelling at school. Success there eventually takes her to Yale, but not without some hardships. Partially a coming-of-age story, this tale of an immigrant's experience offers "much to savor" (Booklist). Kwok's second novel, Mambo in Chinatown, will be published this month. |
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| Lottery by Patricia WoodPerry Crandall has been raised by his grandmother, who has always told him to trust his instincts, even if, with an IQ of 76, others may try to tell him what to do. After her death, his family swindles him out of the house she left him, and when he wins the lottery, they come calling again. His friends are also behaving differently, and Perry isn't sure what to do. A likable fellow, 32-year-old Perry narrates the story himself, sharing his Gram's wise words and his own interpretations of the situations he finds himself in. Fans of the naive young narrator of Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time may enjoy reading Perry's story too. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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