Library News for this issue:

Welcome to the second Sound and Touch for 2022. It has been pretty evident that the temperature has been slowly plummeting and the weather is getting wetter and windier. Just the right conditions to find a cosy space and get lost in a good book. Here at the library we’ve been busy adding new books and wanted to share with you more books we think you might like.

We also wanted to remind you of some changes that are coming to some of our services.

BookLink iOS and Android app Retirement

The BookLink apps have been in use for about eight years and were created at a time when other suitable library apps were not available. However, the technology has improved and over the last couple of years we have been integrating the library service into applications built by Dolphin.

We’re confident with EasyReader as the people at Dolphin have been specializing in creating accessible software for over 35 years. Many organizations use EasyReader to distribute their library content including RNIB, CELA and Vision Australia.

We acknowledge that change is difficult and we’re building more resources to support people to make the switch to EasyReader. We do believe that the new applications will be stable, reliable and provide an enhanced reading experience for our members.

Alexa

Alexa still remains a key platform for delivering books and providing access to other services. This year the Alexa skill will continue to be improved. In addition to small functionality improvements, the BLVNZ Technology team are currently working on an exciting new method to recommend books that we hope to complete in the coming months, this is focused on providing more accurate and relevant recommendations for titles. Also, we now have added back issues for magazines. When you choose a magazine title, Alexa will offer you the latest issue we have available. If you want to read an older issue of that magazine, you can say, “Alexa, list magazines” to get a numbered list of all the back issues we have recorded.

Book Quote of the Month

Authors (Biography)

Bus stops on the moon: Red Mole days, 1974-1980 by Martin Edmond

Book number: 137953

A troubled and restless young Martin Edmond is on his way to becoming the wiser, older man who will sit down and write both narratives. As cultural history, the book gives us a participants-eye view of the early years of Alan Brunton and Sally Rodwell’s avant-garde theatre troupe Red Mole. Formed in 1974, Red Mole performed Dadaesque cabaret, agit-prop, costume drama, street theatre, circus and puppetry, live music, and became a national sensation. Read by Simon Lynch in 9 hours, 53 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 137953

You can’t stop the sun from shining by Sonny Bill Williams with Alan Duff

Book number: 139148

Sonny Bill Williams is a once in a generation athlete—a player with immense sporting talent in rugby league, rugby union and boxing. In his remarkable career, he has won World Cups with the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015 and helped the Kiwis reach the 2013 final of the rugby league equivalent. His athleticism has taken him from inner-city Auckland, where he grew up, to the highest sporting moments in Twickenham, Eden Park and Sydney’s Olympic Stadium. But there is so much more to Sonny Bill Williams’ life and journey than his on-field and in-the-ring triumphs. In his book, we see a new side to SBW. Read by Tyrone Ngatai in 7 hours, 52 minutes. Produced by Hachette Australia. Book number: 139148

Blindness and Vision Impairment (Biography)

Kika & me: how one extraordinary guide dog changed my world by Amit Patel

Book number: 139641

Amit Patel is working as a trauma doctor when a rare condition causes him to lose his sight within thirty-six hours. Totally dependent on others and terrified of stepping outside with a white cane after he’s assaulted, he hits rock bottom. He refuses to leave home on his own for three months. With the support of his wife Seema he slowly adapts to his new situation, but how could life ever be the way it was? Then his guide dog Kika comes along … But Kika’s stubbornness almost puts her guide dog training in jeopardy—could her quirky personality be a perfect match for someone? Read by Christina Cie in 9 hours, 22 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139641

General Non-Fiction

Unconditional life: mastering the forces that shape personal reality by Deepak Chopra

Book number: 133839

Chopra, a Boston endocrinologist, is fascinated by the different ways people react to illness and the effects these reactions have on their health. Drawing on his Indian upbringing, Chopra advocates transcendental meditation as one way to alter the mind-body interaction. Anecdotes of various patients illustrate his points. Read by Gregory Gorton in 9 hours, 40 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 133839

Strangers in their own land by Arlie Russell Hochschild

Book number: 139149

The renowned sociologist Arlie Hochschild embarks on a thought-provoking journey from her liberal hometown of Berkeley, California, deep into Louisiana bayou country—a stronghold of the conservative right. As she gets to know people who strongly oppose many of the ideas she famously champions, Hochschild nevertheless finds common ground and quickly warms to the people she meets. Read by Madeleine Lynch in 14 hours, 56 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139149

Guarded by dragons: encounters with rare books and rare people by Rick Gekoski

Book number: 139579

Rick Gekoski has been traversing the rocky terrain of the rare book trade for over fifty years. The treasure he seeks is scarce, carefully buried and often jealously guarded, knowledge of its hiding place shared through word of mouth like the myths of old. In Guarded by Dragons, Gekoski invites readers into this enchanted world as he reflects on the gems he has unearthed throughout his career. Read by Owen Scott in 7 hours, 32 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139579

Health and Wellbeing

Dr Libby’s women’s wellness wisdom what every woman needs to know by Dr Libby Weaver

Book number: 139585

In this unique approach to wellness, designed to specifically address the issues that women of all ages face, readers gain a deep understanding of their body and what it needs in order to not just survive but to thrive. Often, we are simply told to eat “healthily” because it is “good for us.” Rarely does a book this beautiful explain the processes of the body, and how they’re all interdependent on each other, while offering real guidance on how we can support ourselves in such succinct and easy to understand language. Read by Christina Cie in 8 hours, 48 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139585

Maori Language and Literature

He iti te kupu by Hona Black

Book number: 137285

Māori metaphors and similes poignantly mirror and draw a comparison between something, often the natural world, and the characteristics of particular people or contexts. He Iti te Kupu contains nearly 500 of the principal figures of speech in te Reo divided into themes with use and meaning explained in Māori and English—making it useful to readers and students of both languages. Read by Chance Henry in 6 hours, 46 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 137285

NZ and Pacific Non-Fiction

She is not your rehab: one man’s journey to healing and the global anti-violence movement he inspired by Matt Brown with Sarah Brown

Book number: 138854

Mataio (Matt) Faafetai Malietoa Brown offers the men in his barbershop a haircut with a difference: a safe space to be seen and heard without judgement. As the creator of My Fathers Barbers, Matt has inspired a new generation of New Zealand men to break free from the cycle of abuse—and those men have in turn inspired Matt and his wife, Sarah, to create the global anti-violence movement She Is Not Your Rehab. In this book, Matt shares his own story and those of his clients: how they survived family violence and abuse, and how they were able to find healing and turn their lives around. Read by Romy Hooper in 7 hours, 47 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138854

Tasman Street by Shane Page

Book number: 139257

Tasman Street is a collection of eighteen sometimes bizarre and always varied stories featuring Shane Page’s signature irreverent humour, sharp wit and wordplay. Adult content advised. Read by Romy Hooper in 6 hours, 6 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139257

New Zealand (Biography)

Life as a casketeer by Francis & Kaiora Tipene

Book number: 136731

Francis and Kaiora Tipene aren’t your typical funeral directors. The TVNZ and Netflix reality TV stars are changing the way we think about death and grief. Francis and Kaiora talk about how they grew up in families that had few possessions but were rich with love and tikanga, and how they came to work in their often misunderstood profession. It’s also a book about the Māori world view and traditional funeral customs. The Tipenes make death feel less mysterious and life feel more precious. Read by John Leigh in 8 hours, 1 minute. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 136731

New Zealand History

Pacific Corsair: the Vought Corsair in New Zealand service by Robert E. Montgomery with David J Duxbury

Book number: 138441

Covers all aspects of the Corsairs service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force: training, operational squadrons, the Servicing Units, and post-war service in Japan. Robert E. Montgomery has recorded information about New Zealand World War Two aviation history since childhood, and David Duxbury is a leading expert on the RNZAF in the Pacific war. Read by Owen Scott in 9 hours, 45 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138441

Poetry

The savage coloniser book by Tusiata Avia

Book number: 137947

The voices of Tusiata Avia are infinite. She ranges from vulnerable to forbidding to celebratory with forms including pantoums, prayers and invocations. And in this electrifying new work, she gathers all the power of her voice to speak directly into histories of violence. Adult content advised. Read by Catriona MacLeod in 1 hour, 59 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 137947

Magnolia by Nina Mingya Powles

Book number: 138406

Nina Mingya Powles’ first full collection, dwells within the tender, shifting borderland between languages, and between poetic forms, to examine the shape and texture of memories, of myths, and of a mixed-race girlhood. Abundant with multiplicities, these poems find profound, distinctive joy in sensory nourishment. Read by Catriona MacLeod in 1 hour, 45 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138406

Politics

Helen Kelly: her life by Rebecca Macfie

Book number: 138546

When Helen Kelly died on a Wellington spring night in October 2016, with her partner by her side and a bunch of peonies, the first of the season, by her bed, Aotearoa New Zealand lost an extraordinary leader. Kelly was the first female head of the country’s trade union movement, but she was also much more—a visionary who believed that all workers, whether in a union or not, deserved to be given a fair go; a fighter from a deeply communist family who never gave up the struggle; a strategist and orator who invoked strong loyalty; a woman who could stir fierce emotions. Read by Madeleine Lynch in 18 hours, 38 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138546

Royal Families (Biography)

The family Romanov: murder, rebellion and the fall of imperial Russia by Candace Fleming

Book number: 138857

Here is the tumultuous, heartrending, true story of the Romanovs—at once an intimate portrait of Russia’s last royal family and a gripping account of its undoing. Read by Karen McLeod in 9 hours, 26 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138857

The Environment

Climate Aotearoa: what’s happening and what we can do about it edited by Helen Clark

Book number: 138851

Climate Aotearoa outlines the climate situation as it is now, and as it will be in the years to come. It describes the likely impact on the environment and on our day-to-day living situation. It suggests the changes you can make for maximum impact, what we should be asking of our government and what we should be asking of our business community. Read by Romy Hooper in 9 hours, 37 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138851

Adventure Stories

War cry by Wilbur Smith

Book number: 138403

When a family tragedy forces Saffron to move to England, she is inevitably drawn into the heart of the gathering storm, leading up to the Second World War. Gerhard von Meerbach is the privileged younger brother of a vocal supporter of the Nazi Party. Consequently, Gerhard’s friendship with a Jewish man places him in danger and forces him to take a stand. As the Second World War looms, Saffron and Gerhard’s worlds will collide—but will there be more to unite them than tear them apart? Publisher description. The Courtney family series, book 15. Sequel to: The Golden Lion, not yet in collection. Has sequel: The Tiger’s Prey, 120100. Adult content advised. Read by John Leigh in 17 hours, 34 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138403

Shantaram: a novel by Gregory David Roberts

Book number: 134183

An Australian bank robber escapes from prison and flees under an assumed name to Bombay, India, where he hides in the slums. Aided by tour guide Prabaker, Lindsay becomes part of the city’s Mafia and falls in love with an emotionally damaged young woman, Karla. Violence and strong language. Read by Alec Volz in 41 hours. Produced by NLS. Book number: 134183

Australian Stories

The riders by Tim Winton

Book number: 139357

Fred Scully can’t wait to see his wife and daughter. He’s got them all worked out. He’s sweated on this reunion. The doors hiss open. Scully’s life falls apart. Read by Noel Gallahar in 11 hours, 24 minutes. Produced by VisAbility. Book number: 139357

Shallows by Tim Winton

Book number: 137856

Whales have always been the life-force of Angelus, a small town on the south coast of Western Australia. Their annual passing defines the rhythms of a life where little changes, and the town depends on their carcasses. Read by John Gandy in 11 hours, 52 minutes. Produced by VisAbility. Book number: 137856

Crime Fiction

The intrusions by Stav Sherez

Book number: 137934

Detectives Carrigan and Miller are thrust into a terrifying new world of stalking and obsession when a distressed young woman bursts into the station with a story about her friend being abducted and a man who is threatening to come back and “claim her next”. Carrigan and Miller series, book 3. Sequel to: Eleven days, 137937. Adult content advised. Read by Wendy Karstens in 10 hours, 11 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 137934

Blind eye by Stuart MacBride

Book number: 131676

It’s summer in the Granite City and Aberdeen’s growing Polish community is under attack from a serial offender. Detective Sergeant Logan McRae is assigned to the investigation, but with the victims too scared to talk, it’s going nowhere fast. Logan McRae series, book 5. Sequel to: Flesh house, 131178. Has sequel: Dark blood, 132509. Adult content advised. Read by Christine Hewton 14 hours, 52 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 131676

Fantasy

Cold days by Jim Butcher

Book number: 139542

Harry Dresden became Mab’s Winter Knight. He must now balance those duties—including assassinating an immortal—with his usual responsibilities as a PI and professional wizard in Chicago. Violence and some strong language. Dresden files; book 14. Sequel to: Ghost story, 130734. Has sequel: Skin game, not yet in collection. Adult content advised. Read by Gregory Gorton in 18 hours, 34 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 139542

Slave to sensation by Nalini Singh

Book number: 138619

Born a Psy, Sascha Duncan must hide the emotions which mark her as flawed. But a passionate Changeling will tempt her to reveal everything—and risk her very soul. Psy-Changelings series, book 1. Has sequel: Visions of heat, not yet in collection. Adult content advised. Read by Owen Scott in 10 hours, 30 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138619

General Fiction

The murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters

Book number: 133944

Yorkshire, England. Librarian Jacqueline Kirby and her friend Thomas Carter attend a house party hosted by Sir Richard Weldon, who is obsessed with clearing the name of King Richard III. Guests masquerade in period costumes and reenact historical events—until an all-too-real murder occurs. Jacqueline Kirby series, book 2. Sequel to: The seventh sinner, not yet in collection. Has sequel: Die for love, 58327. Read by Kristin Allison in 6 hours, 31 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 133944

Winter’s bone by Daniel Woodrell

Book number: 133676

Sixteen-year-old Ree’s father Jessup puts their house up for bond and disappears. If Jessup misses his court date, the family—Ree, her mentally ill mother, and two younger brothers—will lose their home. Ree searches for Jessup in the wintry Ozarks, confronting kinfolk and meth dealers. Violence and strong language. Read by Celeste Lawson in 5 hours, 35 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 133676

Darke matter by Rick Gekoski

Book number: 138528

James Darke is dreading the first family Christmas without his wife Suzy. Engulfed by grief, his grudging preparations are interrupted by a persistent knock at the door. Questions about the circumstances of his wife’s death force him to confront the outside world and what really happened to her. James Darke series, book 2. Sequel to: Darke, not yet in collection. Has sequel: After darke, not yet in collection. Read by Owen Scott in 10 hours, 43 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138528

Born to serve by Josephine Cox

Book number: 139358

After Claudia seduces Jenny’s sweetheart, Frank, she gives birth to a baby girl. When the child is disowned Jenny cares for her and loves her as her own. Jenny is constantly called upon to show courage and fortitude to fight for all she holds dear. Read by Maureen Bartley in 15 hours, 55 minutes. Produced by VisAbility. Book number: 139358

Historical Novels

The nine lives of Kitty K: an unsung heroine of the goldfields by Margaret Mills

Book number: 139427

Set in a turbulent period of goldfields’ history, The Nine Lives of Kitty K. paints a vivid picture of pioneer life as told by the sons and daughters of those who lived it and survived the terrible Depression of the 1890s. Kitty Kirk (1855-1930), arguably the toughest woman in Otago history, endured those times, supporting herself as a woman alone. Read by Romy Hooper in 11 hours, 35 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139427

Death comes as epiphany by Sharan Newman

Book number: 134170

Twelfth-century France. Heloise, abbess of the Convent of the Paraclete, sends novice Catherine Leffendeur on a mission to discover why someone has changed the text of a psalter that the convent made for the abbot of Saint-Denis. The manuscript disappears, and rumours about the alterations incriminate theologian Peter Abelard, the lover of Heloise. Catherine uncovers intrigue and murder and has second thoughts about her life. Some strong language. Adult content advised. Read by Suzanne Toren in 7 hours, 58 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 134170

Weighed in the balance by Anne Perry

Book number: 133864

Prince Friedrich gave up his crown and his country for Princess Gisela. Now, twelve years later, he has died and Countess Zorah Rostova—living in Victorian London—has accused the princess of murder. But when the countess is charged with slander, she comes to Sir Oliver Rathbone for help. Naturally, Rathbone calls upon his friend William Monk to investigate. William Monk series, book 7. Sequel to: Cain his brother, not yet in collection. Has sequel: The silent cry, not yet in collection. Read by James DeLotel in 13 hours, 39 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 133864

The missing sister by Lucinda Riley

Book number: 139322

The six D’Aplièse sisters have each been on their own incredible journey to discover their heritage, but they still have one question left unanswered: who and where is the seventh sister? They only have one clue—an image of a star-shaped emerald ring. The search to find the missing sister will take them across the globe. Seven sisters series, book 7. Sequel to: The sun sister, 132641. Has sequel: Atlas: the story of Pa Salt, not yet in collection. Read by Caroline Lennon and Georgia Mcquire in 23 hours, 49 minutes. Produced by Wavesound Pty Ltd. Book number: 139322

Until the sea shall give up her dead by Sean Russell

Book number: 137936

Under the command of the steadfast Captain Charles Hayden, Royal Navy frigate HMS Themis is sent across the Atlantic to counter the threat of the French forces in the West Indies. But before she strikes port in Barbados, the Themis intercepts a single boat adrift in the middle of the ocean—its sole occupants, two young Spanish noblemen. But not is all as it seems with Hayden’s unexpected guests. The mystery only deepens as Hayden’s ship reaches Barbados, where he must take new orders from the Admiral. Adventures of Charles Hayden series, book 4. Sequel to: A ship of war, not yet in collection. Read by John Leigh in 14 hours, 50 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 137936

Mystery and Detective Stories

Taking Eve by Iris Johansen

Book number: 139556

Jim Doane wants to use Eve Duncan’s forensic sculpting skills to avenge the death of his grown son Kevin. He will do anything to get Eve’s cooperation, including harming her adopted daughter Jane. Meanwhile, the CIA secretly knows Eve is in danger. Violence and strong language. Eve Duncan series: book 16. Sequel to: Sleep No More, 139563. Has sequel: Hunting Eve, 139558. Adult content advised. Read by Madelyn Buzzard in 10 hours, 21 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 139556

Worst fears realized by Stuart Woods

Book number: 133689

People are dying all around Stone Barrington, an ex-cop-turned-lawyer, including his secretary and a young woman he just met. With the aid of longtime friend Dino Bacchetti, Stone searches for the killer, whom he believes is a man he and Dino put behind bars years ago. Strong language and violence. Stone Barrington series, book 5. Sequel to: Swimming to Catalina, not yet in collection. Has sequel: L.A dead, not yet in collection. Adult content advised. Read by Chuck Benson in 8 hours, 47 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 133689

Before you knew my name by Jacqueline Bublitz

Book number: 138409

When Alice Lee arrives in New York on her eighteenth birthday, carrying nothing but 600 dollars in cash and a stolen Leica in her bag, she is a plucky teenager looking to start a new life away from her dark past. Now she’s “Jane Doe”, “Riverside Jane”, an unidentified body on a slab at City Morgue. Newspaper headlines briefly report that “the body was discovered by a jogger”. Ruby Jones is a lonely Australian woman trying to put distance between herself and a destructive relationship back home, and is struggling in the aftermath of being the person to find Alice’s body. Adult content advised. Read by Christina Cie in 11 hours, 7 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138409

Running blind by Lee Child

Book number: 133682

Jack Reacher, a former military cop, is accused of murdering several women he knew in the service who were involved in sexual harassment suits. When he is cleared, the FBI forces Reacher to assist with the case. Some explicit descriptions of sex, some violence, and some strong language Jack Reacher series, book 4. Adult content advised. Read by Christopher Walker in 13 hours, 22 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 133682

The unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers

Book number: 139283

Lord Peter Wimsey’s investigation of the suspicious death of General Fentiman takes him from London to Paris and back to the Bellona Club. Who was the mysterious Mr X who fled when he was wanted for questioning? And which of the General’s heirs, both members of the club, is lying? Lord Peter Wimsey series, book 5. Sequel to: Lord Peter views the body, 48420. Has sequel: Strong poison, not yet in collection. Read by Christina Cie in 8 hours, 34 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139283

Poetry

Goddess muscle by Karlo Mila

Book number: 138405

This long-awaited poetry collection from award-winning Pasifika poet Karlo Mila spans work written over a decade. The poems are both personal and political. They trace the effect of defining issues such as racism, poverty, violence, climate change and power on Pasifika peoples, Aotearoa and beyond. Read by Catriona MacLeod in 3 hours, 59 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 138405

Romance

Nine lives by Danielle Steel

Book number: 139434

Nine Lives is a thought-provoking story of lost love and new beginnings, by the number one bestseller Danielle Steel. Everyone needs excitement in their lives, and sometimes there are risks worth taking … Maggie Kelly had become used to losing those who were closest to her when her father and brother were killed in wartime military missions in Vietnam and Iraq. She sadly discovered that the luck inevitably runs out for those who put their lives on the line, and after the devastating effect their deaths had on both Maggie and her mother she vowed never to get involved with thrill seekers or risk takers. But when Maggie re-meets her first love, Paul Gilmore, now a successful entrepreneur and F1 racing driver ho has not left the wild and crazy days of his youth behind, she must ask herself whether she’s still content to play it safe. Because sometimes you need to take a risk to get the life you want. Read by Janice Finn in 6 hours, 57 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139434

The long road home by Fiona McCallum

Book number: 137289

Alice Hamilton is enjoying her new life in Ballarat with the freedom to explore her future now she’s stepped away from the constraints of her upbringing. She’s learnt the hard way that knowledge is power, and is looking forward to her legal studies, then making a difference as a lawyer with heart. But while Alice’s life is looking up, back in Hope Springs the world of her former husband Rick Peterson is unravelling. Adult content advised. Read by Janice Finn in 11 hours, 54 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 137289

Sweet salt air by Barbara Delinsky

Book number: 139545

Travel writer Charlotte and food blogger Nicole reunite after ten years on Quinnipeague Island, Maine, to collaborate on a cookbook. Both hide secrets concerning Nicole’s husband Julian, a renowned surgeon. Meanwhile, Charlotte finds romance from an unexpected source. Some strong language and some descriptions of sex. Read by Carol Dines in 15 hours, 35 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 139545

Thrillers

In the Winter Dark by Tim Winton

Book number: 137855

In a lonely valley called the Sink, four people prepare for a quiet evening. Then in his orchard, Murray Jaccob sees a moving shadow. Across the swamp, his neighbour Ronnie watches her lover leave and feels her baby roll inside her. And on the verandah of the Stubbses’ house a small dog is torn screaming from its leash by something unseen. Nothing will ever be the same again. Read by James Wright in 4 hours, 5 minutes. Produced by NLS. Book number: 137855

Cross Country by James Patterson

Book number: 139359

When the home of Alex Cross’s oldest friend, Ellie Cox, is turned into the worst murder scene Alex has ever seen, the destruction leads him to believe that he’s chasing a horrible new breed of killer. As Alex and his girlfriend, Brianna Stone, become entangled in the deadly Nigerian underworld of Washington D.C., what they discover is shocking: a stunningly organized gang of lethal teenagers headed by a powerful, diabolical man—the African warlord known as the Tiger. Just when the detectives think they’re closing in on the elusive murderer, the Tiger disappears into thin air. Tracking him to Africa, Alex knows that he must follow. Alone. Alex Cross series, book 14. Read by Garrick Hagon in 8 hours, 5 minutes. Produced by VisAbility. Book number: 139359

Private Delhi by James Patterson and Ashwin Sanghi

Book number: 139642

Jack Morgan has managed to persuade Santosh Wagh to rejoin his global investigation agency and set up a new branch in Delhi. It’s not long before Santosh is thrown headlong into a dangerous case which could implicate the highest members of the Indian government in a string of murders. Private series, book 13. Read by Christine Hewton in 7 hours, 11 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139642

Dead water by Ann Cleeves

Book number: 139286

When the body of journalist Jerry Markham is found in a traditional Shetland boat, outside the house of the Fiscal, down at the Marina, young Detective Inspector Willow Reeves is drafted in to head up the investigation. Since the death of his fiancé, Inspector Jimmy Perez has been out of the loop, but his interest in this new case is stirred and he decides to help the inquiry. Shetland series, book 5. Read by Catriona MacLeod in 10 hours, 42 minutes. Produced by RNZFB. Book number: 139286

General (Biography)

Sully: my search for what really matters by Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III with Jeffrey Zaslow

Ebraille: 125494

On January 15, 2009, the world witnessed one of the most remarkable emergency landings in aviation history when Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger skillfully glided US Airways Flight 1549 onto the surface of the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 aboard. His cool actions not only averted tragedy but made him a hero and an inspiration worldwide. To Sullenberger, a calm, steady pilot with forty years of flying experience who is also a safety consulting expert, the landing was not a miracle but rather the result of years of practice and training—wisdom he gained in the cockpit of U.S. Air Force jets and in his Texas boyhood. Bestseller. c2009. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 3 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125494

Muhammad Ali a tribute to the greatest by Thomas Hauser

Ebraille: 125488

Muhammad Ali has attained mythical status. But in recent years, he has been subjected to an image makeover by corporate America as it seeks to homogenize the electrifying nature of his persona. Hauser argues that there has been a deliberate distortion of what Ali believed, said, and stood for, and that making Ali more presentable for advertising purposes by sanitizing his legacy is a disservice to history as well as to Ali himself. Hauser provides a compelling retrospective of Ali’s life, relying on personal insights, interviews with close associates and other contemporaries, and memories gathered over the course of decades on the cutting edge of boxing journalism. 2016. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 4 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125488

General Non-Fiction

A number of things: stories of Canada told through fifty objects by Jane Urquhart

Ebraille: 125526

For Canada’s 150th birthday, Urquhart chooses 50 Canadian objects and weaves a rich and surprising narrative that speaks to our collective experience as a nation. The fifty artefacts range from a Nobel Peace Prize medal, a literary cherry tree, a royal cowcatcher, a Beothuk legging, a famous skull and an iconic artist’s shoe, as well as an Innu tea doll, a Sikh RCMP turban, a Cree basket, a Massey-Harris tractor and a hanging rope. Bestseller. 2016. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 2 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125526

Politics (Biography)

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow

Ebraille: 125480

Award-winning author chronicles the life of the foremost American founding father who never became president. Describes Hamilton (1757-1804) as self-pitying, cynically manipulative, yet compassionate. Documents his membership in the Constitutional Convention, service as Treasury secretary, and prolific authorship that helped shape U.S. political agendas and institutions. Bestseller. 2005. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 1 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125480

Justin Trudeau the natural heir by Huguette Young; George Tombs, translator

Ebraille: 125479

A reluctant heir and a breakthrough leader, an underdog and an historic champion, the bearer of a nation’s hopes and an unsettlingly blank slate, Justin Trudeau is one of Canada’s most compelling and enigmatic figures. Journalist Huguette Young retraces his steps from his early days to the height of power, and gives a rare look at the real Trudeau. Bestseller. 2016. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 3 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125479

Social Sciences

Brown: what being brown in the world today means (to everyone) by Kamal Al-Solaylee

Ebraille: 125529

Brown is not white. Brown is not black. Brown is an experience, a state of mind. Historically speaking, issues of race and skin colour have been interpreted along black and white lines, leaving out millions of people whose stories of migration and racial experiences have shaped our modern world. The book takes a global look at the many social, political, economic and personal implications of being a brown-skinned person in the world now. Brown people have emerged as the source of global cheap labour (Hispanics or South Asians) while also coming under scrutiny and suspicion for their culture and faith (Arabs and Muslims). Packed with personal narratives and on-the-street reporting conducted over two years in ten countries from four continents. Winner of the 2016 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. 2016. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 4 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125529

Women (Biography)

In-between days a graphic memoir about living with cancer by Teva Harrison

Ebraille: 125492

Teva Harrison was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at the age of 37. She documents what it means to live with the disease, and confronts the crises of identity that cancer brings: a lifelong vegetarian, Teva agrees to use experimental drugs that have been tested on animals. She struggles to reconcile her long-term goals with an uncertain future, balancing the innate sadness of cancer with everyday acts of hope and wonder. She also examines those quiet moments of helplessness and loving with her husband, her family, and her friends, while they all adjust to the new normal. 2016. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 1 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125492

Crime Fiction

The book of mirrors by E.O. Chirovici

Ebraille: 125618

When literary agent Peter Katz receives a partial book submission, he is intrigued. The author, Richard Flynn, has written a memoir about his time as an English student at Princeton in the late 1980s, documenting his relationship with the protégé of the famous Professor Joseph Wieder. In 1987, Wieder was brutally murdered in his home and the case was never solved. Now, twenty-five years later, Katz suspects that Richard Flynn is either using his book to confess to the murder, or to finally reveal who committed the violent crime. But the manuscript ends abruptly—and its author is dying in the hospital with the missing pages nowhere to be found. Katz hires investigative journalist John Keller to research the murder and reconstruct the events. Keller tracks down several of the mysterious key players, and decides to try and solve the case once and for all, leading him to a truth that has been buried for over two decades … or has it? 2017. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 3 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125618

Disabilities

Seeing red by Lina Meruane; translated from the Spanish by Megan McDowell

Ebraille: 125612

This autobiographical novel describes a young Chilean writer recently relocated to New York for doctoral work who suffers a stroke, leaving her blind and increasingly dependent on those closest to her. Fiction and autobiography intertwine in an intense, visceral, and caustic novel about the relation between the body, illness, science, and human relationships. Winner of the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize (Mexico), 2012, and of the Anna Seghers Prize (Germany). Produced by CNIB, contracted, 2 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125612

Fantasy

Norse mythology by Neil Gaiman

Ebraille: 125624

Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he presents his fashioning of the primeval Norse myths into a novel, which begins with the genesis of the legendary nine worlds, delves into the exploits of the deities, dwarves, and giants, and culminates in Ragnarok, the twilight of the gods and the rebirth of a new time and people. Gaiman stays true to the myths while vividly recreating the characters—the gods with their fiercely competitive natures, their susceptibility to being duped and to dupe others, and their tendency to let passion ignite their actions—and making these long-ago myths breathe pungent life again. Bestseller. 2017. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 2 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125624

General Fiction

The longest year by Daniel Grenier; translated by Pablo Strauss

Ebraille: 125617

Thomas is a young boy growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a French-Canadian father, Albert, and an American mother, Laura. But beyond the fact that he lives between two cultures and languages, there’s something else about Thomas that sets him apart: he was born on February 29. Before Albert goes on a strange quest to find out more about their mysterious relative, Aimé Bolduc, he explains to Thomas that he will only age one year out of every four and he will outlive all of his loved ones. Thomas’s loneliness grows and the years pass until a terrible accident involving a young girl sets in motion a series of events that link the young girl and Thomas to Aimé Bolduc, a Civil War-era soldier—and perhaps their contemporary. 2017. Produced by CNIB, contracted, Unified English Braille code (UEB). Ebraille: 125617

Transit by Rachel Cusk

Ebraille: 125611

In the wake of family collapse, a writer and her two young sons move to London. The process of upheaval is the catalyst for a number of transitions, personal, moral, artistic, practical as she endeavours to construct a new reality. In the city she is made to confront aspects of living she has, until now, avoided, and to consider questions of vulnerability and power, death and renewal, in what becomes her struggle to reattach herself to, and believe in, life. A penetrating and moving reflection on childhood and fate, the value of suffering, the moral problems of personal responsibility, and the mystery of change. 2017. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 2 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125611

Historical Novels

Everything belongs to us, a novel by Yoojin Grace Wuertz

Ebraille: 125627

This debut novel takes place at the elite Seoul National University in 1970s South Korea during the final years of a repressive regime. The novel follows the fates of two women, Jisun, the daughter of a powerful tycoon, who eschews her privilege to become an underground labour activist in Seoul; and Namin, her best friend from childhood, a brilliant, tireless girl who has grown up with nothing, and whose singular goal is to launch herself and her family out of poverty. Drawn to both of these women is Sunam, a seeming social-climber who is at heart a lost boy struggling to find his place in a cut-throat world. At the edges of their friendship is Junho, whose ambitions have taken him to new heights in the university’s most prestigious social club, called “the circle,” and yet who guards a dangerous secret that is tied to his status. 2017. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 4 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125627

Mystery and Detective Stories

In this grave hour: a Maisie Dobbs novel by Jacqueline Winspear.

Ebraille: 125626

1939. Dr. Francesca Thomas, a senior Secret Service agent, has an urgent assignment for Maisie Dobbs: find the killer of a man who escaped occupied Belgium as a boy, some twenty-three years earlier. Within days, another former Belgian refugee is found murdered. And as Maisie delves deeper into the killings of the dispossessed from the “last war,” a new kind of refugee—an evacuee from London—appears in Maisie’s life. The little girl billeted at Maisie’s home in Kent does not, or cannot, speak, and the authorities do not know who the child belongs to or who might have put her on the evacuee train. They know only that her name is Anna. As Maisie’s search for the killer escalates, the country braces for what is to come. Bestseller. Produced by CNIB, contracted, 4 f, UEB. Ebraille: 125626

Junior Collection

Song beneath the tides by Beverley Birch. Ally arrives from England with her brothers to stay for a month in Africa—weeks of running wild on an unspoiled, untamed coast. But on their first walk through the forest to the beach, Ally is swamped by a sense of an unseen presence close to her—of being spoken to. The feeling increases as a local teenager, Leli, enthusiastically sweeps her into the world of his village and their offshore island (Kisiri—the place of secrets). Available as: Braille 139610, Ebraille 139604

The curse of the cheese pyramid by Geronimo Stilton. Geronimo Stilton sets off to Egypt to interview a famous archaeologist. At the Cheese Pyramid among mummies and hieroglyphs he will learn about the secret of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient Mouse World. Available as: Braille 139750, Etext 139715

The dark blue 100-ride bus ticket by Margaret Mahy. When Carlo and his mother, Jessica, accept a free bus ticket to the supermarket at the end of the world they are really only being polite. But the wonderful supermarket turns out to be real, and so are the horrible howling Dowlers who are plotting to destroy it! Available as: Braille 139716, Etext 139765

Pay attention, Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt. Carter Jones is astonished early one morning when he finds a real English butler, bowler hat and all, on the doorstep. He announces he is here to stay to help the Jones family, which is a little bit broken. In addition to figuring out middle school, Carter has to adjust to the unwelcome presence of this new know-it-all adult in his life and navigate the butler’s notions of decorum and love of cricket. Available as: Braille 139736, Etext 139713

Shock Forest and other magical stories by Margaret Mahy. These fantastical short stories will take readers on a journey; sometimes haunting, sometimes surreal but always enchanting. Available as: Braille 139308, Etext 139309

Where arrows fly: fun and adventures of a pioneering New Zealand family by Rosie Boom. Read about the continuing adventures of the Boom family and the everyday joys and challenges of the “simple life”. Available as: Braille 139554, Etext 139562

Nee Naw and the cowtastrophe by Deano Yipadee; illustrations by Paul Beavis. Help! Granny’s cow Ploppy is in trouble! She’s stuck up a tree, and the two big fire engines are away on an important call. A crowd has gathered to watch. Will little Nee Naw step up and save the day … again? Available as: Twin Vision 138280

Ziggy’s zoo by Pat Simmons; illustrated by Vicky Pratt. Ziggy’s Zoo is a rhyming picture book text which describes a young girl playing in her garden, creating a zoo consisting of live minibeasts, a toy, the family dog and, finally, her parents. The story focuses on play, both natural and imaginary. She wants to find ten exhibits, so counting is also a feature of the book, as is identification of hidden creatures embedded in the illustrations. Available as: Twin Vision 139631

Young Adult Collection

Fairytales for Wilde girls by Allyse Near. There’s a dead girl in a birdcage in the woods. That’s not unusual. Isola Wilde sees a lot of things other people don’t. But when the girl appears at Isola’s window, her every word a threat, Isola needs help. Her real-life friends—Grape, James and new boy Edgar—make her forget for a while. And her brother-princes—magical creatures seemingly lifted from the pages of the French fairytales Isola idolises—will protect her with all the fierce love they possess. It may not be enough. Available as: Etext 136913

Hindsight: pivotal moments in New Zealand’s history by Mandy Hager. Four pivotal moments in New Zealand’s history are examined through a variety of source materials and commentary that enlivens the event and describes its impact on our society and growth as a nation. Topics are linked to themes in the social sciences and history syllabus. Available as: Braille 138065, Etext 138064

Contact details

Blind Low Vision New Zealand Library

Postal Address:

Library

Blind Low Vision New Zealand

Private Bag 99941

Newmarket, Auckland 1149

Street Address:

Awhina House

4 Maunsell Road

Parnell, Auckland 1052

Phone during working hours: 0800-24-33-33 (Toll free)

Email:
library@blindlowvision.org.nz

Fax: 0800-24-33-34 (Toll free)

Blind Low Vision NZ Library—Youth

Homai Campus

Blind & Low Vision Education Network NZ

Private Bag 801

Manurewa, Auckland 2243

Email:
youthlibrary@blindlowvision.org.nz

Phone during working hours: 0800-24-33-33 (Toll free) or 268-3215 (Auckland callers)

Library Newsline on the Telephone Information Service (TIS)

Free calling areas:

Whangarei: 929-9099

Auckland: 302-3344

Hamilton: 834-2288

Tauranga: 929-6199

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All other areas: 0800-36-33-44 (Toll free)

Sound and Touch is available in print, DAISY Audio over Alexa, on Bookdrive, email, braille or on TIS176. To change your format or cancel, please contact the Library. To receive Sound and Touch by email, send an email to library@blindlowvision.org.nz