Staff Picks
The Bee Sting by Paul Murray
Adult Fiction
Picked by Kia
The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie's car business is going under, but instead of doing anything about it, he's out in the woods preparing for the actual end of the world. Meanwhile his wife Imelda is selling off her jewellery on eBay and half-heartedly dodging the attentions of fast-talking local wrongun Big Mike. Their teenage daughter Cass, usually top of her class, seems determined to drink her way through the whole thing. And twelve year old PJ is spending more and more time on video game forums, where he's met a friendly boy named Ethan who never turns his camera on and wants PJ to run away from home.
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Sociopath by Patric Gagne
Adult non-fiction 92 GAG
Picked by Amanda
Ever since she was a small child, Patric Gagne knew she was different. Although she felt intense love for her family and her best friend, David, these connections were never enough to make her be 'good', or to reduce her feelings of apathy and frustration. As she grew older, her behaviour escalated from petty theft through to breaking and entering, stalking, and worse. As an adult, Patric realized that she was a sociopath. Although she instantly connected with the official descriptions of sociopathy, she also knew they didn't tell the full story: she had a plan for her life, had nurtured close relationships and was doing her best (most of the time) to avoid harming others. As her darker impulses warred against her attempts to live a settled, loving life with her partner, Patric began to wonder - was there a way for sociopaths to integrate happily into society? And could she find it before her own behaviour went a step too far?
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To Be Fair: Confessions of a District Judge by Rosemary Riddell
Adult non-fiction 347.014 RID
Picked by Nikki
Retired judge Rosemary Riddell shares her reminiscences of life on the bench, complete with its humour, frustrations and poignant moments. A unique glimpse into a world most of us can only imagine, her story is a fascinating commentary on New Zealand life from the point of view of a woman involved in the top levels of our justice system.
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Mythos by Stephen Fry
Adult non-fiction 398.2 FRY
Picked by Bill
The Greek myths are amongst the best stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney. They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. You'll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia's revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis.
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Imposter by Matt Chisholm
Adult non-fiction 92 CHI
Picked by Janet
Country boy and television host Matt Chisholm seemed to have it all. With a plum job on TV and a great family, his future looked bright. But behind the happy façade, Matt was barely coping, driving himself into the ground with work and withdrawing from everyone but his family. One day something snapped. After admitting in a social media post that he was struggling with depression, Matt was shocked at the outpouring of public support. It would be the catalyst for him to face up to his unhappiness and change his life.
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Doppelganger by Naomi Klein
Adult non-fiction 302.231 KLE
Picked by Jenny and Tania
When Naomi Klein discovered that a woman who shared her first name, but had radically different, harmful views, was getting chronically mistaken for her, it seemed too ridiculous to take seriously. Then suddenly it wasn’t. She started to find herself grappling with a distorted sense of reality, becoming obsessed with reading the threats on social media, the endlessly scrolling insults from the followers of her doppelganger. Why had her shadowy other gone down such an extreme path?
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