Our new website is live

For a while now we at the library have been working on a new library website. Well in the last week thanks to a lot of hard work from staff we've got the new library website up and running.

On a sadder note however the new website means that this library blog which we have come to know and love is no longer needed as the new website comes with its own blog in built.

So join us in saying goodbye to blogger and go ahead a visit the new Invercargill City Libraries & Archive Blog.

The Collaborator

Vivienne lives on Guernsey island with her two daughters and her mother-in-law who has dementia during the World War 2. She makes the decision to stay on the island instead of fleeing to London like many locals have. She has made the decision to stay telling herself everything will be OK.... then the Germans came.

Curfews, food shortages and the impending winter are the least of Vivienne's worries after she starts to have feelings for an officer living next door. Vivienne must decide to either give into her feelings or do the "right thing" and shun his kindness.

This novel by Margaret Leroy captures the struggle of not only Vivienne and her family but those around her as they face uncertainty of the war. In a island cut off from England and with no hope of the British coming to save them, they must all make a decision of whether to comply with German rules or stand up and do what's right.

This was a heartrenching story about the horrors of war seen through the eyes of a wife, mother and friend. This is not just a love story, but a journey of discovery for one woman to find the courage she needs do what she thinks is right.

Summer reading fun

We at the Invercargill City Libraries endeavour to ensure that we are providing services and support for those children and young adults who are enthusiastic about reading.

We have implemented two fantastic progammes that promote active minds while away from school during the Summer holidays from 1 December 2011 through to 28 January 2012.
As you may already know, the Children’s Summer Reading Programme has been running for a number of years now with fabulous success. Last year we introduced a new component to the
mix and offered a reading programme for teens over the summer holidays. The young adults’ programme will be open to anyone in Year 9 through to 20 years of age. The Children’s Reading Programme is open to those from Year 0 to year 8. In doing so we are covering all children interested in taking part.

The Children’s Summer Reading Programme and the Young Adults’ Programme will be coordinated slightly differently to accommodate the two different styles of reading. Children’s participants will be monitored by their parents and/or guardians to ensure they are reading the recommended 20 minutes per day over the set period of time. Once these times have been recorded in the log book provided, children are eligible to collect prizes.

The teen programme, however, will be independently focused with the participants reviewing the material read in order to gain points. Once a certain amount of points have been reached they will go into the draw to win prizes that are desirable and appropriate to the age group.

Registrations open on 1 December for both programmes and will remain open until all places are filled. Online registrations will also be available via www.ilibrary.co.nz We officially invite anyone who is interested in taking part to register as soon as possible and be in to win some amazing prizes.

Put a hold on these new fiction books

Here is a list of our new fiction books that are available for you to reserve this week. If you would like to reserve any of these titles please contact the library or reserve on-line by clicking on the book’s title and select Place Hold underneath the book’s image.

There are also new non fiction titles available to reserve, so come on in to view the selected titles this week.

New Crime Fiction

Watch the book trailer for Rhys Bowen’s new novel “Naughty in Nice”

• Double Dexter by Jeffry P. Lindsay
• Heat rises by Richard Castle
• The ballad of Tom Dooley : a ballad novel by Sharyn McCrumb
• The house of silk: Sherlock Holmes novel by Anthony Horowitz
• Until thy wrath by past by Asa Larsson

New Fantasy Fiction

Read the first chapter of C.E. Murphy’s “Wayfinder” on the author’s website

• Awakening by William Horwood
• Changes by Mercedes Lackey

New General Fiction

Watch the book trailer for Catherine Robertson’s “The sweet second life of Darrell Kincaid”

• Lola’s secret by Monica McInerney
• Scandal in Prior’s Ford by Eve Houston
• The lost wife by Alyson Richman
• The marriage plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
• Wolf at the door by Mary Janice Davidson

New Historical Fiction

Watch the video of Alice Hoffman talking about what inspired her to write “The dovekeepers”

• Beat the drums slowly by Adrian Keith Goldsworthy
• Ruler of the world by Alex Rutherford

New Romance Fiction

• An angel for Christmas by Heather Graham
• Silk is for seduction by Loretta Lynda Chase
• Tied with a bow by Virginia Kantra

New Saga Fiction

Read the first three chapters of Lynn. N. Austin’s “Wonderland Creek” on the author’s website.

• To have and to hold by Tracie Peterson

New Suspense Fiction

Watch the book trailer of Ted Dekker’s new novel “Forbidden”

• The litigators by John Grisham

New NonFiction Titles

Check out the new Non-fiction titles available this week in your library

Beyond the front line

Mike McRoberts talks about his biography “Beyond the front line” on Radio Wammo Show.

Lost in Shangri-la

Watch the book trailer of "Lost in Shangri-la" by Michael Zuckoff.

More Titles

Click on the book cover to view the title in the library catalogue.

Breaking Silence: the Kahui case - Ian Wishart

Yes, ok – we have that book. The one that resulted in a Facebook hate page and consumer threats to boycott any shops that sold it. People wanted this book banned. But let’s not forget that the Public Library also holds (amongst others) the David Bain, the Rex Haig, and the Scott Watson books. Let us also remember the role of non-fiction material, that is to inform, to educate, to enlighten, and to allow an author to voice an opinion based on evidential research. Non-fiction material is instrumental in clarifying issues, changing a reader’s opinions, and altering people’s preconceived notions.

In Breaking Silence, author Ian Wishart allows Macsyna King to tell her story in her own words. He then puts forward his views based on the evidence given in the trial of Chris Kahui, his own research into some of the issues that arose from that trial, and the transcripts from the recent inquest. Compelling reading – particularly the transcripts from the inquest. Read this book with an open mind, hear the other side of the story and draw your own conclusions.

Reviewed by Jill

Put a hold on these new fiction books

Here is a list of our new fiction books that are available for you to reserve this week. If you would like to reserve any of these titles please contact the library or reserve on-line by clicking on the book’s title and select Place Hold underneath the book’s image.

There are also new non fiction titles available to reserve, so come on in to view the selected titles this week.

New Crime Fiction

Watch the video where Phil Rickman introduces the new Merrily Watkins novel “The secrets of pain”

• Rule 34 by Charles Stross
• The blackhouse by Peter May
• The night stalker by Chris Carter

New Fantasy Fiction

Watch the book trailer for Isaac Marion’s novel “Warm bodies”

• Beauty and the werewolf by Mercedes Lackey

New General Fiction

Read the first chapter of Jennifer Chiaverini’s new novel "The wedding quilt" on the author's website

• A village deception by Rebecca Shaw
• Cloudburst by V.C. Andrews
• Hotel Vendome: a novel by Danielle Steel
• Letter from a stranger by Barbara Taylor Bradford
• No turning back by Susan Lewis
• Obedience by Jacqueline Yallop
• Save me by Lisa Scottoline

New Historical Fiction

Watch the book trailer for Erin Morgenstern’s new novel “The night circus”

• The favoured queen: a novel of Henry VIII’s third wife by Carolly Erickson
• The Parihaka woman by Witi Tame Ihimaera

New Horror Fiction

• All soul’s night by Jennifer Armintrout

New Romance Fiction

Watch the trailer for Katie MacAlister’s new novel “Much ado about Vampires”

• Adam by Jacquelyn Frank
• Only his by Susan Mallery
• Prince of Ravenscar by Catherine Coulter
• Riptide by Cherry Adair
• The unquiet by J.D. Robb

New Suspense Fiction

• Zero day: a novel by David Baldacci

Lady of the English

Elizabeth Chadwick

This is the story of two women: Adeliza, Queen of England, and Matilda, Empress of Germany. Matilda is the granddaughter of William the Conqueror.

At a young age, Matilda is married off and becomes Empress of Germany. But when her husband dies early, she travels back to England, where she meets her new stepmother, Adeliza. Her stepmother is a year younger than her, but despite this, they bond and become close. The two young women become even closer when Matilda is married to Geoffrey of Anjou. As the king has no

living legitimate male son, it is Matilda's son who will inherit the throne when he dies. But when the king dies, Matilda is betrayed and her cousin Stephen takes the throne. Now, it is cousin against cousin in a bloody civil war that knows no end.

The loyalties of all Englishmen and women are tested, and Adeliza must choose between supporting her new husband or her stepdaughter. Will Matilda ever become Lady of the English? Or will her cousin's betrayal win over?

This is a must read for all fans of historical fiction.

(Reviewed by Jasmine.)

Embracing the eBook revolution!

It looks like Invercargill City Libraries borrowers are embracing the eBook revolution!

To date, there have been 523 checkouts of eBooks and eAudiobooks from the South Island Downloadable Zone (powered by OverDrive), 25% of which have been by Invercargill people, well ahead of any of the other 14 South Island consortium members.

The new service has been so popular that you may have noticed that there are not many titles currently available for downloading, as so many are already checked out. You can, of course, always place a hold on any title you want to read that is currently out and you will be alerted by email when it is available for you to download.

As of today we have added a number of Advantage titles to our OverDrive website. These are titles that are only accessible to Invercargill patrons and are in addition to the titles available to all consortium members.

Remember you will need to sign in with your Invercargill City Libraries card number if you want to be able to see and access these exclusive Invercargill library titles. If you do not sign in you will only see the titles shared by all consortium members.

Still mystified by the whole process of borrowing eBooks and eAudiobooks? Click through to the South Island Downloadable Zone and visit the “Getting started” section for step-by-step instructions, or contact the library in person, by phone, email, or via Facebook or Twitter, and we will try to help.

New NonFiction Titles

Check out the new Non-Fiction available this week in your library

Love at the end of the road

Rae Roadley talks about her memoir “Love at the end of the road” on Radio Wammo.

Flourish: a visionary new understanding of happiness

Martin Seligman talks on Newsnight about his new book “Flourish: a visionary new understanding of happiness”.

More Titles

Click on the book cover to view the title in the library catalogue.

Put a hold on these new fiction books

Put a hold on these new fiction books

Here is a list of our new fiction books that are available for you to reserve this week. If you would like to reserve any of these titles please contact the library or reserve on-line by clicking on the book’s title and select Place Hold underneath the book’s image.

There are also new non fiction titles available to reserve, so come on in to view the selected titles this week.

New Crime Fiction

Watch the book trailer for “Skeleton letters” by Laura Childs

• Bones under the beach hut : a Fehering mystery by Simon Brett
• Bonnie by Iris Johansen
• By any means by Ben Sanders
• Death toll by Jim Kelly
• Dreams of the dead by Perri O’Shaughnessy
• Palace of justice by Susanne Alleyn
• The day is dark by Siguroardottir Yrsa
• The tale of Castle Cottage by Susan Wittig Albert

New Fantasy Fiction

Read an excerpt of Terry Pratchett’s new Discworld novel “Snuff” on the author’s website

New General Fiction

Carole Matthews talks about her new novel “Wrapped up in you” in the following video.

• Exiles : a novel by Cary Groner
• The faithless by Martina Cole
• The little coffee shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez
• To Algeria, with love by Suzanne Ruta

New Historical Fiction

Philippa Gregory talks about her new novel “Lady of the rivers” in the following video.

• Pirates of the Levant by Arturo Perez - Reverte

New Horror Fiction

• Autumn : purification by David Moody

New Romance Fiction

Read an excerpt of Liz Carlyle’s new novel "The bride wore scarlet" on the authors website

• Rush of Pleasure by Rhyannon Byrd
• The dark earl by Virginia Henley

New Saga Fiction

• A lineage of grace : five stories of unlikely women who changed eternity by Francine Rivers

New Suspense Fiction

Watch the Book trailer of “Robert Ludlum’s The Ares decision: a Covert-One” novel by Kyle Mills.

• Damage control : a novel by Denise Hamilton
• The Delta solution : an international thriller by Patrick Robinson

Based on the book

The next meeting of the adults’ book group will be held on Thursday 10 November at 5:30pm in the Library Meeting Room on the first floor.

This month’s theme is ‘Based on the book’. Pick a book that has been adapted for the movies.

This is a free event and light refreshments will be provided. Please contact the library for further information about the book group.