Opera, classical, Afro punk and karaoke, musical fiction covers a broad range of genres as we celebrate New Zealand Music Month in May.         Bel Canto by Ann Patchett In 1996 a group of Peruvian guerillas stormed the home of the Japanese ambassador, holding hostages for 126 days before they were stormed and executed by the military. Patchett takes his piece of history and places an opera singer, her translator and a Japanese business man amongst the hostages. A surprisingly intimate and delicate story of love and friendship.   Utopia Avenue by David Mitch ..read more

Richard Osman's hit series, The Thursday Murder Club features a group of true crime obsessed retirees in retirement complex who set out to solve a brutal murder in their midst. It's quirky, funny and quintessentially offbeat British and if you've read it, try these next!     An A-List for Death by Pamela Hart A clever and comedic caper full of celebrity culture, fandom, senior citizens and archaeology, where one paparazzi photograph sends Poppy McGowan's rather mundane life spiraling out of control. And when her boyfriend Tol is fingered by the police for a murde ..read more

Another lively discussion at the group which meets monthly on the third Wednesday at Stoke Library. Stoke Book Chat met on Wednesday 19th April.  This month readers covered a huge range of titles and topics.  We did discuss the thorny question ‘Can you get tired of a favourite author’.   Most of us thought it was possible if you read many of an author’s books in quick succession.  So, that’s a recommendation to vary one’s reading diet!  The Books we read this month: Henry VIII in 100 Objects : The Tyrant King who had Six Wives by Paul Kendall.  ‘I was struck ..read more

The March Bookchat  meeting was very ‘chatty’ with lots of talk about a wide range of books. All are welcome to join us at future 'chats' on the third Wednesday of the month at Stoke Library. The books…. A Brief Affair by Margaret Leroy [mentioned at previous Book Chat meeting]. Marriages are Made in Bond Street by Penrose Halson. This book met the reader’s request for a ‘factual romance’.  It’s the story of two young women who set up a marriage bureau in London in the 1940s.  Delightful and funny! Marple : Twelve New Stories. A collection of 12 short stories each featuring a d ..read more

Celebrate the laughs, loves, tears and triumphs of the rainbow spectrum in our contemporary fiction selection.      And Then the Gray Heaven by RE Katz Delving into what it means to try to be alive to your own pain and the pain of others under late capitalism, And Then the Gray Heaven explores the themes of queer grief and affection, queer failure, burial as hero’s journey, and the grotesqueries of artistic determination within and beyond the institutions that define our lives.    Still Life by Sarah Winman Ulysses and Evelyn meet by chance on the road to Fl ..read more

A small group of us met for our monthly bookchat after the Easter break, but a good range of books was discussed - both Fiction and Non-Fiction. Join us next time on Tuesday May 9, 10.30am at Elma Turner Library. The books: The Fight of our lives -  my time with Zelenskyy, Ukraine's battle for democracy, and what it means for the world by iulia Mendel -  4* Interesting, and surprising, background reading for the current Ukraine war. Chasing the Ace by Nicholas J. Johnson -  3.5* Australian novel about a conmen. Hilarious plot but let down in the writing The Restaurant of l ..read more

Celebrate the rich and diverse tradition of LGBTQI+ fiction writing in Aotearoa New Zealand with some of our staff's favourite reads. Watch our blog throughout April for more Pride reads.         Greta & Valdin by Rebecca K. Reilly Imagine the perfect mashup of Sally Rooney's millennial dread, Wes Anderson's colour and Schitt's Creek's warm hearted family and you've got this hilariously funny, charming and quirky debut novel. There's a lot of love in this book, familial, romantic and fraternal. It's a warm, loving family being kind and supportive to each other through h ..read more

“The discipline of creation, be it to paint, compose, write, is an effort towards wholeness.”                  Madeleine L'Engle. Find your wholeness this autumn by knitting a jersey, building a treehouse or painting a bird.     How to Build a Treehouse by Christopher Richter This book is a comprehensive guide to designing and building your perfect treehouse - no previous building expertise required. Beautifully illustrated, and written by a professional treehouse builder, the book explains how you select the right tree, which materials a ..read more

A lively group of 14 joined Michelle to celebrate being back in our Elma Turner Library "home" and discuss a great selection of books. The books discussed - and their star rating: Five stars The afterlife of Kenzaburo Tsuruda  by Elisabeth Wilkins Lombardo  Jean de Florette  & Manon des sources  ( Manon of the Springs) by Marcel Pagnol   Death in focus  by Anne Perry  Maureen Fry and the Angel of the North  by Rachel Joyce  Four and a half stars The seven moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka     Invasion ..read more

From classics to modern staff favourites, humour to biopics, before you see these Oscar nominated movies, read the books that inspired them.     Women Talking by Miriam Toews A group of Mennonite women, having discovered they and their children are not being assaulted by demons but are being drugged and violated by men in their community meet to decide what to do about it. Based on a true story, this is a deftly woven and beautiful book. Read Rosamund's review here.   Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates Oates controversially reimagines the magic and tragedy of America's favourite ..read more