P.D. James 1920-2014

The hugely popular writer  Phyllis Dorothy (P.D.) James has died at the age of 94. She was well known for her series of novels featuring the policeman and poet Adam Dalgliesh who made his debut in Cover her Face.(1962) She has also written the dystopian novel The Children of Men, which was adapted into a film staring Clive Owen, Julieanne Moore and Michael Caine in 2006. Her final novel  Death Comes to Permberley, was a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice but featuring a murder mystery. Made into a BBC television series it premieres on the ABC this Friday 28 February.

As well as pursuing her writing career, James led an interesting and varied life. She had a long career as a civil servant, working at one time in the forensic science section of the Home Office. In 1991 she was created a life peer as Baroness James of Holland Park and sat in the House of Lords. From 1988 to 1993 she was a governor of the BBC. One famous story from her time there reounts that on a tour of the BBC Television Centre she visited the set of Doctor Who and refused to leave until she'd had her photo taken with the story's monster!

She wrote about the craft of detective fiction and shared her personal thoughts and observations on one of the most popular forms of literature in her book, Talking About Detective Fiction.  In an interview in 2013 James said she was working on another novel as it was, "important to write one more." Her many fans may get to enjoy her work one last time.

"And the winner is..."

 

 

 

 

Australian author Richard Flanagan has won the 2014 Man Booker Prize for Fiction for his novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North. Described by the judges as being "profound and often harrowing," Flanagan's novel is about Australian soldiers working as POWs on the Burma Railway. Flanagan is the fourth Australian to win the prestigious award; the others being Thomas Keneally for Schindlers's Ark (1982), Peter Carey for Oscar and Lucinda (1988) and True History of the Kelly Gang (2001) and DBC Pierre for Vernon God Little (2003).

 

The other novels shortlisted for this year's award are:

• To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris
• We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler
• J by Howard Jacobson
• The Lives of Others by Neel Mukherjee
• How to be Both by Ali Smith

All of which are available at Hurstville City Library.



Top 10 Fiction January to March 2014

Ever wondered what other people in Hurstville are reading? Well here's our Top 10 titles for January to March this year. What does it say about the reading habits of the people of Hurstville? Action and adventure currently seems to be the order of the day, along with a walk on the dark side. But I'll leave that for you to decide.

1. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
2. Life of Pi by Yann Martel
3. The Affair by Lee Child
4. Infero by Dan Brown
5. Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
6. I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
7. The Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly
8. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
9. A Wanted Man by Lee Child
10. The Reversal by Michel Connelly

Late Bloomers

A late bloomer is defined as one whose talents are not visible to others until later in life. So in honour of Seniors Week, let's consider some well known literary late bloomers.

• Laure Ingalls Wilder became a newspaper columnist in her forties but did not publish the first book in the Little House series until her sixties.
• The first volume of Flora Thompson's Lark Rise to Candleford trilogy was published when she was 63.
• The Pulitzer Prize winning Angela's Ashes was published when Frank McCourt was in his 66th year.
• Mary Wesley's writing career didn't take off until after her first novel was published at age 70 (but she had written two children's books in her late fifties).
• Jean Rhys' best known work Wild Sargasso Sea was first published in 1976 when she was 76.

So celebrate Seniors Week by trying these and other "late bloomers" available from Hurstville Library.

We Need Your Help

Optimising Your Local Library

Redrollers Research is currently working with Hurstville City Library to explore how people in the community would like to see their library improved and optimised. During April 2013 we will be inviting a range of people to participate in face to face workshops which will be held at the library.

DESIGN LAB

The face to face workshops are an informal, relaxed process where you will share your experiences and stories, learn from each other and work on creative activities that will be used to develop a future vision for Hurstville City Library. It is kind of like a design lab where you will play with new prototypes and thought starters to build future services catering to the special needs of different people in the community. We are offering some incentives to thank you for your time.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

If you would like to know more about the project or would like to register your interest in participating, please contact: natalie@redrollers.com.au

Patrick Moore, 1923-2012

The renowned astronomer Sir Patrick Moore passed away on Sunday. He was author of over 70 books on astronomy and the presenter of The Sky at Night making him the Guinness Book of World Records holder of the worlds longest serving television presenter having presented every episode, bar one, since the programmes inception in 1957 (what turned out to be his final episode only went to air the Monday before he passed away). He was also a keen pianist and accomplished xylophone player and was thought to have been the only person to have met the first man to fly (Orville Wright), the first man into space (Yuri Gagarin) and the first man to land on the moon (Neil Armstrong). And he was never afraid to send himself up as his many appearances on The Goodies attest!

But Sir Patrick will be remembered as one of the great educators of modern television. Following his death, scientist Maggie Aderin-Peacock was quoted as saying: "What he did was something very straightforward - he would tell us what to look for and where to look for it, which for budding astronomers everywhere is what we need - that information. But he would tell us more; he would go into depth; he would take us on a journey through space, and we can't ask for better than that really."

The One That Started It All

If you liked  Fifty Shades of Grey why not read the book that started it all.

In 2003 Nikki Gemmell created waves when, writing under the tag 'Anonymous', The Bride Stripped Bare became a literary sensation, with its raw and unflinching depiction of female sexuality.

Eight years later Nikki Gemmell followed it up with another little gem called With My Body. This novel  addresses the questions of what is intimacy and whether it is ever truly possible to know another person.

Both titles are available at the Hurstville City Library and they make for interesting holiday reading.

If you enjoy reading Maeve Binchy why not try........................

Bestselling Irish writer Maeve Binchy, died recently after a short illness aged 72.

Her family sagas and short stories focussed on small-town Irish life and explored the friction between tradition and modernity. Her work included Circle of Friends which was made into a popular film.
 If Maeve Binchy is one of your favourite authors why not see who else writes like her on Friday 19 October at Hurstville Library when books by authors written in a similiar style and with similiar themes will be on display and available for loan.

Read more about Maeve on her website http://www.maevebinchy.com/

Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series

"Hello, I'm the Doctor. Basically, run."

Things to love about Doctor Who: The Complete Fifth Series.

• Matt Smith's Doctor.
• Karen Gillan's Amy Pond. The girl who waited.
• River Song.
• The move to filming in HD. The series has never looked better.
• The latest arrangement of the theme music. It does grow on you.
• Standout episodes: The Eleventh Hour, The Beast Below, The Time of Angels/Flesh and Stone (remember, don't blink!), Amy's Choice (killer OAPs), The Lodger (the Doctor stranded without the TARDIS and attempting to live like a normal person. If such a thing was even possible!).
• The new look Daleks.
• The Winders from The Beast Below (I swear one day I'll put on on my desk so people know if I'm in a good mood or not).
• The Pandorica Opens.. and it's Doctor Who's Woodstock.
• A Dalek begging River for mercy.
• The reason why the TARDIS makes that noise whenever it arrives or departs.

And many more.

In the Blood

"Cheer, cheer the red and white..."

Thirty years ago, in 1982, the struggling South Melbourne Football Club flew north of the Barrassi line to become the Sydney Swans. In round one of that year, the Swans played their first game at the SCG against the Melbourne Demons and tomorrow night (Saturday), to mark the occasion, the Swans play the Dees again (in 1982 the Swans won 137 points to 108. Needless to say I'm hoping for a similar result tomorrow night!). So, in honour of the occasion, let's consider this offering.

In the Blood by Jim Main (a fellow Swans tragic) celebrates the rich history of the South Melbourne/Sydney Swans Football Club. Covering every season from its foundation in 1874 up to 2009 (when this book was originally published), Main's passion and knowledge of The Bloods history shines through, with the highlight being the 2005 Grand Final triumph (as well it should be!).

While there may be two AFL teams in Sydney now, the Swans were here first and in many ways blazed the trail for what was to become a truly national competition.

"What though the odds be great or small, Souths/Swans will go in and win over all.
While here loyal sons are marching, Onwards to victory!"

The Voice

Everyone is talking about The Voice at the moment. I have enjoyed every minute of the show and am amazed at the range of singing talent in this country. The coaches are fantastic and a great balance of personalities who are very respectful to all the contestants.
It is so entertaining to see Keith, Delta, Joel and Seal hear a singer who resonates with them and they start to sing along or start dancing along to the song.
I can't wait to see what happens once the blind auditions are done.

If you are a fan of any of the coaches have a listen to the following CDs which are free to borrow from Hurstville City Library and Penshurst Branch Library.

Keith Urban - Greatest Hits; Be Here

Delta Goodrem - 3 free downloads a week from Freegal via the library website select elibrary

Joel Madden (Good Charlotte) - Cardiology

Seal - Seal 6: Commitment; Soul

Byron Bay Bluesfest

The 23rd Byron Bay Bluesfest is on this Easter weekend and there is a great line-up of artists. If you can't get to Byron Bay this weekend or you are just interested in the music and artists performing check out the following.

Cold Chisel: The Best of Cold Chisel; Last Stand; Ringside (DVD)
The John Butler Trio: April Uprising; Grand National Live at Red Rocks (DVD)
Blue King Brown: Worldwize Words
The Pogues: The Very Best of The Pogues
My Morning Jacket: Circuital; Evil Urges; Dark Was the Night; Z
Buddy Guy: Buddy Guy Collected; Living Proof; East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival 2009; 21st Annual Byron Bay Bluesfest 2010
Lucinda Williams: Car Wheels on Gravel Road
Josh Pyke: Only Sparrows
The Audreys: Sometime the Stars

All these titles are free to borrow from Hurstville City Library & Penshurst Branch Library.

Free DVDs

DVDs are free to borrow from Hurstville City Library. New titles come in regularly so keep checking here to see if there is something you would like to watch.
Here are a few new titles that will be on our stands within the next few days:
The Cup
Love Never Dies
Salvation Boulevard
Mozart's Sister
Win Win
Warrior
The Three Musketeers
What movies would you like to see in our DVD collection? Post the titles here.

Best on Ground

In memory of Jim Stynes, 1966-2012.

In what is truly Australia's national game (yes, I know there's a National Rugby League. But I don't know how you can call it a national competition when it's only played in the eastern states!), supporters on both sides of the Barrassi Line will passionately defend their love for their team. In Best of Ground sixteen authors (Gold Coast and GSW weren't offically in the competition at the time of publication), including such luminaries as David Williamson (Collingwood), Peter Corris (Essendon), Malcolm Knox (Richmond) and Don Watson (Carlton), write with great eloquence on their love for their respective teams.

Just the thing for the start of the 2012 AFL season this Saturday.

Duran Duran 2012 Australian Tour

It has been 3 years since Duran Duran last toured Australia and word has it that they are better than ever. With the original line up they have already played Brisbane and Melbourne to rave reviews and are playing the Sydney Entertainment Centre early next week.
If you like the band or are just feeling nostalgic for the 80's listen to one of these albums.
All you Need is Now; (their latest album)
Duran Duran Greates Hits

The Seeds of Doom

"I suppose you could call it a galactic weed, though it's deadlier than any weed you know. On most planets the animals eat the vegetation. On planets where the Krynoid gets established, the vegetation eats the animals."

The Seeds of Doom has an impressive reputation. Tom Baker and the late, great Elisabeth Sladen, as the Doctor and Sarah Jane respectively, were in their stride by this stage. They were always good in any story of this era, but if you combine a really good script and good direction with actors of their talents you're in for a cracker. Production standards are high (especially the visual effects. It's not surprising that the effects design on this story - Richard Conway - later went on the win an Oscar) and the guest cast are all impressive with Tony Beckley, John Challis and Sylvia Colderidge as the stand outs. 

The Seeds of Doom is an excellent example of classic Doctor Who at its best.

Womadelaide

Womadelaide is a music, arts and dance festival held all over the world with a fantastic diversity of styles. It has become the biggest world music festival in Australia and is held in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. This year it is on from the 9th March to 12th March.
There is a great line up of performers from Australia and overseas. Some of the Aussie's performing are: Gurrumul; Dirty Three; Blue King Brown; Pajama Club. Overseas artists include: Baaba Maal (Senegal); First Aide Kit (Sweden); Eddie Reader (Ireland); Dobet Gnahore (Ivory Coast);Groundation (Jamaica/USA): Anda Union (China).
There are so many more artists on the list of this years festival but if you would like to listen to past Womadelaide music try these: Sounds of the Planet Womadelaide 2009; Womadelaide: Sounds of the Planet 2010; Womadelaide - Sounds of the Planet 2011

The Brotherhood

This was different to what I was expecting, but good.

Based around one single event, The Brotherhood tells the tale of when Tasmania's super-cop gets killed in the line of duty. We see the aftermath through the eyes of a number of people; from the commissioner down to the suspect himself.

Y.A. Erskine is herself a former Tasmania Police officer. So she writes with an insiders perspective (I only hope Tasmania's finest are really as corrupt and backward as depicted here). It was a great read and I look forward to more from this author.

Steve Jobs

When Steve Jobs' asked Walter Isaacson to write his life story his reason for doing so was (a) Isaacson wasn't an Apple insider and (b) no one could accuse it of being an inside job. For someone who was a infamous control freak it was a surprising move, but I think the book comes off better for it. It's an honest portrayal of Jobs who, at times, does not come across as a very nice person (to put it politely). But I think he may have approved (sadly Jobs died weeks before this was published and, as far as I know, never saw the final text).

While Jobs may not have been a nice person, he was responsible for some of the greatest innovations in technology for the last 50 years. While I'd like to say I'm writing this on a MacBook (I used to have one but some devil stole it, along with my two iPods a few years ago), I am writing it on a Windows PC who's look was influenced by the Mac's original GUI. Plus, outside of working hours, I'm contantly downloading tracks off iTunes to play on my new iPod. And I've got friends who rave about their iPhones and iPads. Jobs changed the world in ways few people have. And for that we should be thank full.

A Centenary of Rugby League, 1908-2008

Yes, I know it's now more than a century. But in honour of the 2012 National Rugby League season kicking off tonight, you could do worse than this magnificent record of this history of the great game. Full of photo's, facts and figures (including the infamous Super League war) and the 100 greatest players of all time (from Dally Messenger to Darren Lockyer),  A Centenary of Rugby League, 1908-2008 is the final word on the subject... until 2108 at least!