Librarian Picks for August 2022

Published on 02 August 2022

Ever wondered what the staff at the Ōamaru Library are reading? Well here's your chance!  Check out our list below for all the goodies the staff are reading and their reviews for August 2022.

Debbie's pick:

The Swerve: how the world became modern by Stephen Greenblatt (Adult Non-Fiction).

Captivating from beginning to end, the Swerve follows the life of Poggio Bracciolini, one of Italy’s greatest book hunters who, at the dawn of the Renaissance, discovers the only known extant copy of the ancient Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius’ De Rerum Natura or The Nature of Things.  Poggio’s discovery informs and inspires the greatest minds of the Renaissance: from Leonardo da Vinci to Galileo and beyond, and sets the course for the modern world.

Lisa's pick:

The Forgotten Coast by Richard Shaw (Adult Non-Fiction). 

I have been reading a compelling book called ‘The Forgotten Coast’ by Richard Shaw.  I read a favourable review of the book some time ago and then had a discussion with a regular customer who spoke to me about what an impression the book had made on her.  The middle-aged Pākehā writer of the book delved into his own family history and discovered some uncomfortable truths about his great grandfather’s involvement in the 1881 Parihaka land clearances and subsequent confiscations.  It is important reading for anyone living in Aotearoa – New Zealand and can be found in the New Zealand and Pacific collection in the Ōamaru Library.

Glenys' pick:

The Glittering Court trilogy (Glittering Court, Midnight Jewel, and The Emerald Sea) by Richelle Mead (Young Adult Fiction)

Three slightly overlapping stories that meant I whizzed over the duplicated parts but enjoyed a sojourn in an imaginary place enough to complete the set. The tales included political maneuverings, selfless deeds, greedy merchants, fabulous clothes, and lashings of troublesome romances.

Kerrie's pick:

Lightning in a Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz (Adult Fiction). 

This is an exciting, intense, suspenseful thriller, with supernatural elements.

Susanna's picks:

Lovelessby Alice Oseman and All your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban (Young Adult Fiction)

It's a pick and an anti-pick for me this month...Loveless by Alice Oseman is a beautiful tale about identity and self-acceptance. A young woman in her first year of university tries to navigate her new social world and figure out her sexuality. The writing is warm and clever, and the story is refreshing in its expression of platonic love being as valid as romantic love. Truly a special book!

All your Twisted Secrets has a promising 'escape room' type premise. Six of students get invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it's a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill...While the premise excited me, the execution was somewhat trope-based and lackluster. Still, it is a wild read, particularly for fans of the hit book 'One of Us is Lying'.