Can You Tolerate This? by Ashleigh Young

With apologies to Ashleigh Young, this book had not been on my radar until Young was in the news for winning an international literature prize recently.

Can you Tolerate This? is a fabulous read. Young has written personal essays that I found very engaging; she makes the ordinary interesting, and captures details of people and place so well.

My favourite story is Big Red, about Young's musician brother JP who is so cool and yet not cool. JP is entirely himself and does not care about his appearance. The ugly red bomber jacket on the cover of the book depicts the hand-me-down worn constantly by him ('you're not wearing that out are you?’) until eventually a friend wrestles it off of him and mysteriously disposes of it. The story is evocative of growing up in small town New Zealand and the expectation to fit in:

"Hamilton always let you know when you were drawing too much attention to yourself"

Other essay topics include conversations with strangers on a plane; living with an eating disorder; developing a crush on a chiropractor (‘can you tolerate this?’ relates to physical manipulation and discomfort), and the world of hikikomori – the unusual phenomenon of young Japanese men who shut themselves away from society for months or years at a time. These essays are quirky, a pleasure to read, and seem effortless.

Young won the prestigious and secretive Yale University Windham-Campbell Literature prize earlier this year. So secretive that Young initially dismissed the email notification of the prize as spam. Oh, and she won $230 000. Although most of the essays have a somehow essentially New Zealand flavour, Young’s expression of the human condition is obviously universal.

Can You Tolerate This? is a great book for anyone who is in a reading slump – the essays read like great short stories that can be picked up and put down until, like me, you are hooked.

Reviewed by Katrina

Catalogue link: Can You Tolerate This

Prick with a Fork: The world's worst waitress spills the beans by Larissa Dubecki

If you have ever worked in hospitality this book will give you a giggle; if you haven't then you will feel grateful; if you are a frequent diner this will positively horrify you.

Larissa Dubrecki spent 10 years working in dining rooms of all descriptions, and later as a journalist and restaurant reviewer.
From deranged chefs to entitled customers and passive aggressive waiting staff, Prick with a Fork is witty and at times nauseatingly honest.
Anecdotes also take a dark turn with  horrifyingly frequent accounts of sexual harassment and drug use.

Overall the book lacks cohesion but is mostly a good light-hearted diversion; and perhaps a warning to treat those who serve you, well.

Reviewed by Katrina

Catalogue link: Prick with a Fork

Catalogue link: Prick with a Fork eBook

Rolling with the Punchlines: a memoir by Urzila Carlson

'Urzila is a force of nature, unsinkable and funny.  she's the heroine we hope is inside every one of us."  Lucy Lawless

I read this interesting memoir over a couple of days.
Urzila Carlson is a New Zealand comedian of South African descent.
She started her journey in stand up comedy after a work mate from her job in advertising entered her into a open mic night.
She has earned a living from comedy ever since.

She writes of her childhood growing up in a loving but poor Africaans family and how the family had to escape in the night from their alcoholic violent father coming after their mother with a gun.  I found her honest explanations of why she became desperate to leave post-Apartheid South Africa very informative.

A self-described lesbyterian (great word) she does not agree with some of the labels we apply to sexuality. Urzila shares her journey into marriage and motherhood and some of the difficulties faced along the way.

Urzila is open, honest and forthright (code for lots of swearing!), but no surprises if you have seen her TV performance on 7 Days or other comedy shows.  She writes like she speaks and amongst the humour there are also some fairly sobering life events, such as growing up scared of her violent father, surviving cancer and losing a baby.
The business of making a living from making people laugh is also fascinating.

Reviewed by Katrina

Catalogue link: Rolling with the Punchlines

Harry Potter: Revisited

I am not ashamed to admit it, I am 25 and I LOVE Harry Potter.

Over the years, admittedly more in recent years, many people have given me the side eye when I proclaim my love for all things Potter. Some have even gone as far as telling me that they feel sorry for me! An adult who liked to read kids’ books?

Sorry for ME? Here are the reasons why I don't feel sorry for me.

Harry Potter has been my constant companion since the Christmas my brother and I received The Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. I believe I was 8. What started as a bed time read-aloud quickly became an all-out war over who would be allowed to read the next chapter first, once lights were meant to be out, of course. That year also brought my first Harry Potter party. It wouldn't be my last!

Over the years I have visited Hogwarts, the Burrow, Hogsmead and Diagon Alley enough that I know them like the back of my hand. I know Ron and Hermione well enough to know that we would be great friends (I always felt that a fourth friend named Kristen was needed). I know that if I had received my owl inviting me to attend Hogwarts I would be in Ravenclaw… but we all know how unreliable owl post is these days.

I remember the summer at the end of high school where my best friend and I had a race to see who could read the whole series the fastest, back to front, because what better way is there? The online Harry Potter quizzes we would take, just to make sure there was nothing we didn’t know.

Don’t even get me started on the madhouse our house became when a new Harry Potter book was released! Mum had to buy AT LEAST two copies to help meet the household demand. Over the next few days there would be a house full of tired, grump kids (and adults) who were all too afraid to shower, use the bathroom or go to sleep because the minute they put the book down it would be snapped up by other family members who were circling like wolves. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the first book that kept me up all night, there was no way I was letting it out of my sight until it was finished!

As I sit here listening to my Harry Potter audiobook, colouring in my Harry Potter colouring book reminiscing over my recent 25th birthday (Harry Potter themed of course) I feel very lucky. At a young age I discovered a series of books that hooked me. I discovered a series of books that grew as I did. I discovered early on that any book can be enjoyed by anyone of any age and that there is nothing wrong with that.

Books we got (and gave) for Christmas

Working at a library, you might think we see enough books to last a lifetime, and that receiving them as gifts is a bit of a busman’s holiday. Not for us! We really can’t get enough of them and we think we have the best job in the world; working in a library is like being a kid in a sweet shop so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that most of us here found at least one book in our stockings come Christmas morn, and we gave as good as we got!

The sleuth

Judith is in mystery mode this month, having used a gift voucher to pick up a copy of Wolf Winter by Ceclila Ekback – a chilly, Nordic mystery that looked interesting and a nice respite from the heat of summer. It is set in 1700s Lapland; a family of settlers arrive to eek a living out of a bleak and inhospitable climate, when the 14 year old daughter stumbles upon a body. The death is put down to mauling by wolves, but young Frederikia and her mother aren’t so sure and set out to find out the truth. Judith liked the eerie and atmospheric look of the story, plus the writing is good, vividly drawing you in. She also bought an eBook online, the first in The Detective’s Daughter series by Lesley Thompson. We have one of the later books at the Libraries' and it looked so good, Judith wanted to read this one first. It’s pretty good too – quirky peculiar amateur detective who decides to solve the case that obsessed her late father.

Catalogue Link: The Detective's Secret

The gastronome

This wasn’t strictly a gift but I’ve included it anyway as it was given at Christmas – even if Carla had to arrange it herself! A lover of modern gastronomy, both cooking and eating out, a subscription to Cuisine magazine was the perfect self-indulgent present for our Carla who loves both fine dining and good kai at home. Cuisine features try-at-home recipes and restaurant reviews and is available to borrow free of charge from the Hastings District Libraries.

Catalogue Link: Cuisine

The humanitarian

Kristen is the Childrens Librarian at Hastings War Memorial Library and always has a smile on her face and a kind word for anyone. She was given the Humans of New York storybook for Christmas which is filled with inspirational people with often heart-breaking (but uplifting) stories to tell. In 2010 photographer Brandon Stanton set out to create a photographic census of New York City. Armed with his camera, he began crisscrossing the city, covering thousands of miles on foot, all in an attempt to capture New Yorkers and their stories. The result of these efforts was a vibrant blog he called Humans of New York. If you haven’t come across this phenomenon yet, take a look at the Facebook page. Humans of New York is available to download free of charge as an eBook from Hastings District Libraries.

Catalogue Link: Humans of New York

The neophyte

I call myself a lifelong learner. I’m always into something new and I’m forever studying some topic or other. I’m also a very keen traveller but I am, however, a terrible photographer. I even bought myself a bridge camera last year in the belief that it was my tiny point-and-shoot that was letting me down. It turned out not to be my equipment but rather my lack of talent that was holding me back (“a bad workman blames his tools” and all that). So I was pretty chuffed to receive not only a copy of Cities: Explore 100 Fascinating and Iconic Cities by Falko Brenner, but the very practical Complete Photography Manual by Weldon Owen, which promises to turn me into the next David Bailey, or at least Instagram-superstar Taylor Swift. Hastings District Libraries holds large collections of both travel guides and photography how-to manuals available to borrow.

Catalogue Link: Travel guides
Catalogue Link: Photography Manuals

The baker

Viv, our Assistant Customer Services Team Leader, is an enthusiastic cook and loves whipping up puddings, pies and cakes for her delighted family and colleagues. She did actually receive a few cook books as presents but she gave a few as well! She chose Simon & Alison Holst’s Everyday Easy cookbooks as gifts for all FOUR of her sons as a sort of tongue-in-cheek present, but it turns out they love them! Everyday Easy is designed to help you prepare healthy, delicious food everyday with easy to follow recipes, ideas and inspiration, and all with affordable, readily available ingredients. We have an enormous collection of Simon and Alison Holst’s brilliant cook books at Hastings District Libraries.

Catalogue Link: Simon Holst books

The fanatic

If you’ve been keeping an eye on our microvlog series, you might have spotted Kim, the Local History Librarian at Havelock North Library, giving his opinion on Jerome Kaino’s autobiography. Kim’s reading habits reveal he’s a total fanatic who can’t get enough of the game, as he received not one but three books about rugby. First up is Sir Graham Henry celebrates The World Cups 1987 to 2015, by Sir Graham himself. Kim has always wanted to read this as he was fascinated by the World Cup. A slightly left-field entry, but rugby-themed nonetheless, was Rugby Pantry: Healthy Measures and Guilty Pleasures by Daisy Dagg, the wife of All Black Israel Dagg. It’s an awesome cookbook of great rugby food. Kim’s final (for now!) rugby read was Dan Carter’s My Story. Another book on Kim’s wish list, Dan was an awesome All Black and the book is a great read which showed us what makes him tick and the mischief he got up to as a child and an All Black. All three books are available to borrow from Hastings District Libraries.

Catalogue Link: Sir Graham Henry celebrates The World Cups! 1987 to 2015
Catalogue Link: Rugby Pantry: Healthy Measures and Guilty Pleasures
Catalogue Link: Dan Carter: My Story

The eclectic

Katrina, one of our Library Assistants at Havelock North Library, also chose to give Dan Carter’s My Story to the man in her life (for the gossips among you… this is not Kim!). He loves rugby but will only read one or two books a year so this was an inspired gift. Katrina’s 12 year old requested the YA classic, The Maze Runner by James Dashner after a friend recommended it, which sent Katrina on a treasure hunt of her own, only tracking down a copy after visiting her third book shop. After all this excitement, Katrina treated herself to a couple of self-indulgent reads. First off, the best-selling Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith. This is a great series and so far, in Katrina’s opinion, this one is the best yet. Lastly, she picked up a copy of Homemade Happiness by Chelsea Winter, a cookbook which has the most amazing looking custard square recipe which she is attempting this weekend! Again, all three books are available to borrow from Hastings District Libraries.

Catalogue Link: The Maze Runner
Catalogue Link: Career of Evil
Catalogue Link: Homemade Happiness

Books Change Lives!

Recently we had a library customer tell us that while reading a memoir she realised that the author was an unknown relative. Her decision to read that particular book and subsequent decision to contact the author has indeed been life changing.

“In books I have travelled, not only to other worlds, but into my own.” - - Anna Quindlen

A colleague of mine was kind enough to share how her love of reading began at the age of eight, when a family friend dropped off a sack full of old books to her home. Classic children’s stories like Anne of Green Gables and The Famous Five were read and re-read countless times. They opened up her world and imagination.

We see this every day in our libraries too as children rush in clutching their returns and race off to find their next book. These are children that are curious and questioning and excited to see and do and think.

“I read because one of these days I'm going to get out of this town, and I'm going to go everywhere and meet everybody, and I want to be ready.” - - Richard Peck

I was also told how thrilled a friend’s children were when writer Margaret Mahy answered their letters in her own hand and with illustrations! This is a memory and keepsake they will have for life.

For me, as a collector of books, their physical presence on my bookshelf (or should I say shelves) is important in itself. For each one reminds me of a person, place or moment in time. When a loved one died a few years ago many books that were important to her became important to me. I shall be happy to be surrounded by these memories for many years to come and curse my collection only when I move house!

“To build up a library is to create a life. It's never just a random collection of books.” - - Carlos María Domínguez

Books may profoundly affect us with their message, teach us a new skill, or simply let us escape to another world for a brief period of time. Whatever their impact, for us as readers, our relationship with books and their authors is significant and lasting.

Books really do change lives!

Please let us know how books have changed your life.

Posted by CP.