The Hills Shire Library Online Book Club

Laugh

2012-02-03T11:52:00.000+11:00

This months theme is "Laugh". We all know laughter is the best medicine. There is nothing quite like a good laugh or even a wee chuckle or giggle. It really feels good! What have you read lately that has made you laugh? Funny joke books, satire or black humour, or just a really funny book. Tell us your favourites and share the laughter around. Here are some suggestions available at The Hills Shire Library Service. Come in and pick up your copies today.

The Lucy family alphabet : Judith Lucy

The shopaholic series : Sophie Kinsella

Any of Ben Eltons books

Get a grip : Kaz Cooke

Cold Comfort Farm : Stella Gibbons

Mum had a Kingswood : Tim Ross

Hee! hee! hee! : the funniest joke book ever! by Mik Brown

Any of Janet Evanovichs novels

The best of Ronnie Barker ( DVD)

Making stuff up : Bill James

Womens stuff : Kaz Cooke

Laughter is the best medicine : Jean-Paul Bell.

The Amazing Read

2012-01-03T16:21:00.000+11:00

The theme for January is the Amazing Read. What have you read lately that you found amazing? We would love to hear about your amazing read. Here are some staff amazing reads to get you started

All these titles are available as Digital downloads also

· The Visitor/ Lee Child

· The Devil’s Teardrop/Jeffery Deaver

· Elegance of the hedgehog / Muriel Barbery

· Water for Elephants / Sara Gruen

· The Friday night knitting club/Kate Jacobs

· Shelter me/ Juliette Fay (Digital Download only)

· Family album / Penelope Lively

· Olive Kitteridge / Elizabeth Stroud

· The help/ Kathryn Stockett

More Books we loved in 2011

2012-01-03T10:19:00.004+11:00

  ·                   Thicker Than Water /Anthea Fraser
·          Mortal curiosity/ Ann Granger
·          The Queen of new beginnings / Erica James
·          Once in a lifetime/ Kathy Kelly
·          Pieces of my heart / Sinead Moriarty
·          Distant hours/ Kate Morton
·             Daffodils before swallows / Daniel Peltz
·                  Scarecrow and the army of thieves / Matthew Reilly
·          Among thieves / Douglas Hulick
·           Room / Emma Donoghue
·           1Q84 / Haruki Murakami
·           A sense of an ending / Julian Barnes
·           Before I go to sleep / S.J. Watson
·           Jasper Jones / Craig Silvey
·           Sarah’s key /Tatiana De Rosnay
  ·                   Freedom / Jonathan Franzen
·           At home with the Templetons /Monica McInerney
·           Finding home/Roisin McAuley
·                I still dream about you/Fannie Flagg
·           The little coffee shop of Kabul/Debor Rodriguez
·           The memory keeper’s daughter/Kim Edwards
·           Lake of dreams/Kim Edwards
·           The crimson petal and the white/ Michel Faber
·                 Never Let me Go/ Kazuo Ishiguro
·           North and South/ Elizabeth Gaskel

Books we loved in 2011

2011-12-29T10:24:00.001+11:00

Some are new, some are not so new. Check our catalogue for availability

http://librarycatalogue.thehills.nsw.gov.au/amlibweb/

Dont forget to come back and tell us which were your favourites for 2011

· Millennium trilogy/ Stieg Larsson

· Executive orders / Tom Clancy

· Different seasons / Stephen King

· I came to Say Goodbye/ Caroline Overington

· A thousand splendid suns/ Khaled Hosseini

· The Spellman Files / Lisa Lutz

· Let the right one in / John Ajvide Lindqvist

· Hundred foot journey/ Richard Morais

· Super sad true love Story / Gary Shteyngart

· Dead Reckoning / Charlaine Harris

· Sarah's Key / Tatiana De Rosnay

· Winter's Bone / Daniel Woodrell

· The Aloha Quilt/ Jennifer Chiaverini

· Hold Tight/ Harlen Coben

Holiday Reads

2011-12-16T14:29:00.001+11:00

What are you planning on reading over the Christmas break?? Have a look at these titles and add them to your holiday reading list. Dont forget to drop back in and let us know which were your favourites.

· Scarecrow & The Army of Thieves – Matthew Reilly

· The Affair – Lee Child

· Lola’s Secret – Monica McInerney

· The Opal Desert – Di Morrissey

· Kill Alex Cross – James Patterson

· The Help – Kathryn Stockett

· Tiger Men – Judy Nunn

· The Best of Me – Nicholas Sparks

· The Drop – Michael Connelly

· Steve Jobs – Walter Issacson

Holiday Reading Adventure

2011-12-01T14:57:00.001+11:00

The Holiday Reading Adventure has started! Open to children 5-17 years of age and is now open to adults too.

Check out the details below

http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/Holiday-Reading-Adventure.html

Adults can join at any Hills Shire Library and borrow twice between 1 December 2011 and 31 January 2012 to go in the draw!
Borrow each week to be automatically entered in the weekly draw to win a book prize.

Family and Friends

2011-12-01T14:50:00.000+11:00

It almost that time of the year again when the year winds down and we can enjoy some time with family and friends. Hopefully we will all have time for plenty of reading! What better to read in the holiday season than something that reminds you of family and friends. Here are some suggestions for you. Let us know what you are reading over the holiday season and how that has reminded you of your family and friends, or maybe even someone elses.

Torn apart by Peter Corris
The Harp in the South series by Ruth Park
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
The Hunger Games trilogy By Suzanne Collins
The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares
Feeling Sorry For Celia by Jaclyn Moriarty

National Year of Reading 2012

2011-11-09T11:54:00.000+11:00

What is ‘Our Story’?

2012 is the National Year of Reading.

Every state and territory around the country is invited to vote on a shortlist of six books each, chosen by an independent panel of readers, which will form a collection that when read together, describes the Australian experience.
This is an exciting opportunity to help choose one of the final eight books that are the 2012 National Year of Reading collection.

Click on the link below to register your vote.

http://www.abc.net.au/arts/yearofreading/nsw.htm

Historical fiction

2011-11-02T15:43:00.001+11:00

The Hills Shire Online Book Club theme for November is historical fiction. Many fans of this genre enjoy the sense of stepping back in time. A historical novel will give one an insight into the social life of the era the book was set in. Who is your favourite historical fiction writer and why? If you are not a reader of historical fiction, why not give it a try.
Some suggestions to get you started:

• Polly’s March by Linda Newbury

• Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon

• Flaunting, extravagant Queen by Jean Plaidy

• Antony and Cleopatra by Colleen McCullough

• Brideshead revisited by Evelyn Waugh

• The constant princess by Philippa Gregory

• The Saxon series by Bernard Cornwell

• Ireland: awakening by Edward Rutherfurd

• Kingdom of shadows by Barbara Erskine

• Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe

• Nightshade by Paul Doherty

• Queen of swords by Sara Donati

Spotlight on......... Nicholas Sparks

2011-10-19T15:26:00.002+11:00

Nicholas Sparks was born in 1965 in Omaha, Nebraska, second child of three siblings. While attending the University of Notre Dame in the mid 1980s he wrote his first novel which was never published. Nicholas and his wife Catherine, were married in 1989 and moved to Sacramento. This was when he wrote his second novel, again not published. He worked a variety of odd jobs after this time which setting up his own business. He began selling pharmaceuticals and moved from Sacramento, California to North Carolina in 1992.

In 1992 he wrote the now famous “The Notebook”, followed by “Message in a Bottle” in 1998 and in quick succession many more bestsellers. This continues to this day with his latest book “The Best of Me” recently released. Many of Nicholas’ books have been released in movie version, including “Nights in Rodanthe” starring Richard Gere, and “Dear John”.
Nicholas and his wife founded The Epiphany School in North Carolina, and he spent five years coaching track and field athletes at the local public high school. Nicholas lives in North Carolina with his wife and family.
Nicholas will be speaking at Castle Hill Library on November 5th 2011. Click below for more details.

http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/EventDetails.aspx?EventID=2709&PageID=42

Have you read any Nicholas Sparks books? If so, which was your favourite?

http://www.nicholassparks.com/

WIN $100 WORTH OF BOOKS!*

2011-10-06T11:14:00.000+11:00

*Simply login to Good Reading online with your library membership number and look for the answer to this question ..... On page 12 of Good Reading October issue 2011 what is the name of the book featured
Send your answer to libraryseminars@thehills.nsw.gov.au with the subject line of the email ‘Oct GR comp’ to be in the draw to win by 30 October 2011!

Winner will be drawn on Thursday 3rd November and notified by email.

Obsession

2011-10-04T14:52:00.001+11:00

What is your obsession? It could be cooking, Twilight, romance, science fiction, football or cars and the list could go on. Most of us have something we are passionate about. Have you read a book about your obsession that you really enjoyed, or really didn’t. Some ideas to get you started are below.
Post your review and let us know.

Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman
Collectors: obsessions on DVD
Good weekends away edited by Kerrie O'Brien
Food, fashion, friends by Karen Bussen.
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer
Obsession by Karen Robards
A passion for trains : the railroad photography of Richard Steinheimer with text by Jeff Brouws.
Obsessions can be murder : a Charlie Parker mystery by Connie Shelton.
Top Gear on DVD
Crave : a passion for chocolate by Maureen McKeon.
Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber on CD
A passion for place : gardens of the Blue Mountains by Alison Halliday and Joanne Hambrett

Coming up next month

2011-09-29T10:44:00.001+10:00

The theme for October is Obsession. What is your obsession? Is it cooking? Or a favourite activity? You could be obsessed with cookery books, or reading about far away places. Maybe you love reading biographies, or romance novels. Whatever your obsession we are looking forward to hearing about it.

Spotlight on.......Di Morrissey

2011-09-15T15:59:00.000+10:00

Di Morrissey was born in Wingham in the Manning Valley. She moved to Pittwater as a young child and grew up near Chips Rafferty and Dorothea MacKeller who both had an influence on her. Di started her career working as a copy girl for an Australian magazine, before heading to the UK to further her career. On her way back to Australia some time later she met Peter Morrissey and they married. Di and Peter travelled extensively due to Peters work in the Foreign Service, living in Honolulu, Washington, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and Guyana. Di missed Australia though, so returned home and to her love of writing. Her first books were about Australians living in Australia until realising Australians have made their mark all around the world she now also sets her books overseas.

Have you read any of Di Morrisseys books? Which is your favourite and why?

Man Booker Award Short List announced

2011-09-08T15:18:00.003+10:00

The short list for the Man Booker award has been announced.

The six books, selected from the longlist of 13, are:

Julian Barnes -The Sense of an Ending
Carol Birch - Jamrach’s Menagerie
Patrick deWitt - The Sisters Brothers
Esi Edugyan - Half Blood Blues
Stephen Kelman - Pigeon English
A.D. Miller - Snowdrops

Author of the Week- Susan Duncan

2011-09-07T14:55:00.000+10:00

After 25 years working in the media, Susan Duncan woke up one day and resigned from her job. She had recently lost her husband and her brother within days of each other and was unwell herself. Salvation Creek is a story of a woman’s courage, her strength to go on when many would have faltered, and a new beginning in a special place cut off from the pressures of the outside world. Susan Duncan’s first book “Salvation Creek” has been followed by “The House at Salvation Creek” , “ A Life at Pittwater” and recently released “Briny Café’.

Australiana

2011-09-01T15:54:00.002+10:00

To celebrate the upcoming visits to the Hills Shire Libraries by Susan Duncan and Belinda Alexandra, this month we are going to feature Australiana. That can be your favourite Australian author, your favourite Australian cookbook, an excellent Australian travel guide, a biography on any Australian, or anything else that makes you think of Australia!
Here are some ideas to get you started, so get reading and post your review below.
Don’t forget to mark Monday September 26th in your diary and book in for Susan Duncan at Castle Hill Library talking about her latest novel “Briny Café”. Keep a look out for Belinda Alexandra, talking in at the Hills Shire Libraries later this year.
Some ideas to get you started:

Calebs Crossing - Geraldine Brooks
The House at Salvation Creek - Susan Duncan
Matthew Flinders Cat - Bryce Courtenay
Tuscan Rose - Belinda Alexandra
Naked Cruelty - Colleen McCullough
Kimberley Sun – Di Morrissey
Cloudstreet – Tim Winton
The great Aussie family cookbook – Kim Terakes
The Food Lover’s guide to Australia DVD series – Joanna Savill

Coming up next month

2011-08-22T10:56:00.000+10:00

Next months theme is Australiana. Who is your favourite Australian author?
What do they write about or where? Get ready to tell us all about your
favourite Australian book in September.

Books2Devour is back!

2011-08-18T15:12:00.000+10:00

Create a book good enough to eat. Grab your apron, use your imagination & turn a book into an edible piece of art! Win fun prizes including cake decorating classes & movie tickets

Check here for more details
http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/Library.html

Book of the Week

2011-08-16T11:43:00.000+10:00

Arctic Drift : A Dirk Pitt novel written by Clive Cussler with Dirk Cussler
A possible breakthrough discovery to reverse climate change, a series of suspicious deaths in British Columbia, a series of events between the US and one of its closest allies that threatens to erupt into open conflict……..

Tell us what you thought of this book. Leave your review below

Book of the Week

2011-08-10T10:34:00.002+10:00

“The Jungle” written by Clive Cussler with Jack du Brul (2011)

Join Juan Cabrillo and the crew of Oregon on a hair raising adventure through the steamy rainforests of Burma. There are lies and treachery, there are dark and twisted men. Cabrillo and his men must survive them all to prevent the greatest threat to US security ever known.

http://www.clivecussler.com.au/

If you've read this title tell us what you thought of it.

Who writes like??

2011-08-04T14:34:00.002+10:00

You've read all Clive Cusslers books? Why not try some of these authors

Frederick Forsyth
Jack Higgins
Stephen Leather
Wilbur Smith
Ken Follett
Colin Forbes

Spotlight on...... Clive Cussler

2011-08-03T14:27:00.005+10:00

Adventure author Clive Cussler has two books on the bestseller list at the moment. These are “The Jungle” as part of his Oregon Files series and “The Kingdom” as part of the Fargo Adventures. What a feast of adventure!!
The Hills Shire Library Service holds multiple copies of both these titles and many of his other titles. Check the catalogue and reserve yours now.

http://librarycatalogue.thehills.nsw.gov.au/amlibweb/

Both of these titles are also currently available in our Rapid Reads collection

Adventure

2011-08-01T15:01:00.001+10:00

Have you ever wanted to just throw off the shackles of your normal routine and go gallivanting around the world? Or maybe save the world from imminent danger and rescue the fair maiden? Well we have the adventure for you so take the plunge and leap into the danger inside one of these marvelous reads:

Seven ancient wonders By Matthew Reilly
Atlantis found By Clive Cussler
The Bourne Identity By Robert Ludlum
Assegai By Wilber Smith
The Book of Air and Shadows By Michael Gruber
The Hobbit By J. R. R. Tolkien
The Dakota cipher By William Dietrich
A Dangerous Fortune By Ken Follett
The Alexander Cipher By Will Adams
Rough Justice By Jack Higgins
The secret of Excalibur By Andy McDermott
The snow Empress By Laura Joh Rowland
Scorpia Rising By Anthony Horowitz

Also available travel guides including Lonely Planet Guides, DVDs and atlases to your worldly destinations.

Check out the great range of language kits that are on offer through our digital download site.

Story writing and Storytelling competition

2011-07-27T11:39:00.002+10:00

The Hills Shire Library Service is running a Story writing and Storytelling competition for all children aged between 8-18, to celebrate Children’s Book Week 2011. As the theme is “One World Many Stories”, children need to write an original, creative story about a country of their choice. It can be about a tradition, famous landmark or interesting ways of life in different countries, anything at all. The choice is up to them.

Entries are open now.

Pick up an entry form at your local Hills Shire Library.

Entries close on Sunday 7th August. The event will conclude with finalists reading their story at Vinegar Hill Memorial Library on 24/8/11.

Check the Hills Shire Library Events Calender for more details.

http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/EventDetails.aspx?EventID=2571&PageID=42

There are some great prizes - Gift vouchers for the winners!

Magical Moments

2011-07-04T14:57:00.008+10:00

With the approaching release of the last Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 we have proclaimed July as Magical Moments Month…..

What book have you read lately that has given you a moment of magic? A little bit of fantasy is good for all of us so get reading and tell us which books have taken you to worlds unknown.

Some suggestions to start with are……

Any of the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling
The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S.Lewis
Colour of magic by Terry Pratchett
The book of the alchemist by Adam Williams
The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
The Dark Volume by Gordon Dahlquist
Across the Wall by Garth Nix
Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Winter Warmers

2011-06-03T17:17:00.005+10:00

The sky is grey, the rain is falling and the temperature is dropping. All that is calling on these cold days and nights is snuggling with a good book. Whisking yourself off to another place, perhaps a warmer location or perhaps the heat is being turned up.
Either way its time to put your feet up, get comfortable and enjoy a great read.

Here are a few tempting winter warmers for you to try:

Born In Fire By Nora Roberts

Kiss Of The Night By Sherrilyn Kenyon

Burning Lamp By, Amanda Quick

Dark Winter By Andy McNab

Winter's Bone By Daniel Woodrell

The new book of soups By Anne Sheasby

Chocolat By Joanne Harris

Snow Falling On Cedars By David Guterson

Winterwood By Pat McCabe

The Plantation by Di Morrissey

Winter Journey By Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

Winter Mantel By Elizabeth Chadwick

This is My Life: Biographies

2011-05-03T17:19:00.003+10:00

Ever wondered what it was like being a prime minister? Thought to yourself, is it possible to climb Mount Everest if you are not an athlete? What would it be like to sail around the world alone?

Biographies are a great way to look into another’s life, understand their struggles and triumphs or learn something new.

Why not try:

Your Voice In My Head by Emma Forrest
Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
Andre Rieu: My music, my life
Dannii: My Story by Dannii Minogue
The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do
Parky: My Autobiography by Michael Parkinson
True Spirit: The Aussie Girl Who Took On The World by Jessica Watson
Robert Pattinson: the unauthorised biography by Virginia Blackburn
Susan Boyle: Dreams Can Come True by Alice Montgomery
Sophie's Journey by Sally Collings

There is also a large selection of biography e-books available through our library website or click on the link below

http://thehills.lib.overdrive.com/327E559A-7454-498B-81B3-D95DF285E880/10/601/en/default.htm

Friendship

2011-04-01T12:35:00.002+11:00

Some people come and go in our lives while there are some that stay for a lifetime. These cherished ones are friends. Through thick and thin, they are there and this month we are celebrating friendship.

"Truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget” - G. Randolf

"It takes a long time to grow an old friend." - John Leonard

Books:
* The sisterhood of the travelling pants by Ann Brashares
* Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy
* The five greatest warriors by Matthew Reilly
* Big Girl by Danielle Steel
* The Holly Tree by Nicola Thorne
* Friends, lovers & other indiscretions by Fiona Nell

DVDs:
* Divine secrets of the yaya sisterhood
* Harry Potter series
* Dead Poets Society
* Shawshank Redemption
* Paradise Road

Adult Non Fiction
* Making friends by Andrew Matthews
* Toxic friends: the antidote for women stuck in complicated friendships by Susan Barash

We are off to................

2011-03-17T12:30:00.003+11:00

With autumn approaching, are you planning to escape the cooler months and take off

to somewhere warmer? Hawaii? Fiji? Far North Queensland? Anywhere warm will do.

Pop into your local library and check out our travel guides. Lonely Planet will help solve your

quandary on where to go and what to do.

Try Hawaii (Lonely Planet) 2009 Call number 919.69 HAW

or Hawaii : A Walkers Guide (available from our digital downloads)

Cant get away at the moment? Enjoy the world from the luxury of your own armchair
with any one of our range of travel DVDs.
Try “Far North Queensland: Land of Tropical Splendour” Call number DVD 919.43 LAN
or any of the “Lonely Planet: roads less travelled” series Call number DVD 910.4 LON

Been somewhere exciting lately and want to re-visit it? Why not check out our cookery

books and recreate a delicious meal you had in the country you visited?

Bamboo: a journey with Chinese food / by Sally Hammond Call number 641.5951 HAM

or maybe
Audrey Gordon's “Tuscan summer recipes and recollections from the heart of Italy”

Fangtastic

2011-02-01T15:09:00.004+11:00

Doesn’t matter if your team Spike or Edward, like the good old vampires of Transylvania or just enjoy the tall brooding pale types. The library has all the books for you and your eternal love.

Sink your teeth into

Interview with the vampire By Ann Rice (Series: Vampire chronicles)

Vampire Academy By Richelle Mead (Series Vampire Academy)

Bloodthirsty By Flynn Meaney

Twilight By Stephenie Myer (Series: Twilight)

Undead and unwed By Mary Janice Davidson (Series: Queen Betsy)

Dead until dark By Charlaine Harris (Series: Sookie Stackhouse)

From the shadow of Dracula: a life of Bram Stoker By Paul Murray. This biography takes a look at the life of Bram Stroker the man who lived in a world filled with mystery.

Dracula By Bram Stoker. The original vampire king himself Dracula need we say more.

Vlad the Impaler: in search of the real Dracula By M.J. Trow. This is for the adventurous type who want to know the man behind the mystery, it is said that Vlad is descended from Dracula himself.

New Year Resolutions

2011-01-11T15:18:00.002+11:00

Did you make a New Year Resolution this year?? Or two?

What was your resolution for 2011? Getting thinner, getting fatter, getting fitter? Maybe stopping smoking? Learning to speak French? There are probably some really interesting resolutions out there.

If you are stopping smoking you could look at :

Never smoke again : the top 10 ways to stop smoking now and forever by Grant Cooper, or you might enjoy “Quitters Inc” by Stephen King, (available as a digital download).

Maybe like a lot of us you have resolved to “get healthy’. Did you know the library has a Health and Wellbeing Zone, THAT HAS DVDS you can borrow? Try:

Dance off the inches : calorie blasting party! or Pilates for beginners

When you’ve finished, check out Mango Languages the library’s new online database. For those who would like to learn a new language, this database is an online course in a wide range of languages. Check it out at

http://www.thehills.nsw.gov.au/Online-Databases.html

Tell us your resolution and how are you going with it? Did you get into the second week of 2011 still resolved?? What books have you used to help you along the way?

Heat

2010-12-06T12:21:00.002+11:00

The sun is up….The sky is clear……
The HEAT is on…..
Its summer time in the Hills and it's time for holidays, sand, surf and relaxation. With the temperatures soaring now is the chance to read up on some great hot travel locations, sit down with a simmering romance or cool down with your own diy projects.

Good Reading Competition

2010-11-02T14:54:00.002+11:00

BROWSE GOOD READING MAGAZINE ONLINE AND WIN $50 WORTH OF BOOKS!*
* Simply login to Good Reading online and look for the answer to this question .....

QUESTION: In Good Reading’s ‘book bite’ section what is the name of the book that is featured?
HINT ‘book bite’ can be found on page 50 of November’s Good Reading.

Email your answer to libraryseminars@thehills.nsw.gov.au by 30 November Type ‘Nov GR Competition’ in the heading of the email to be in the draw to win $50 worth of books from Good Reading magazine! The Hills Shire Library members can access Good Reading online today here
http://tinyurl.com/goodreadingonline

Chocolate

2010-10-20T12:00:00.003+11:00

Do you just looove chocolate? Do you rank a restaurant by the chocolateness of its desserts? Is too much chocolate just impossible to comprehend?? If all of the above, or even none of the above applies to you, we are sure you will certainly find something equally divine to devour in the reading world this month.

Try out

The chocolate jewel case" by JoAnna Carl, a crime mystery fiction

The chocolate lovers club" by Carole Matthews, a novel based on 4 women who form the chocolate lovers club. In their eyes there is no problem chocolate cannot fix.

Dying for chocolate" by Diane Davidson. A murder mystery with lots of cooking thrown in the mix

Charlie and the chocolate factory" by Roald Dahl. Need we say more?

Cadburys purple reign : the story behind chocolates best loved brand" by John Bradley

The big book of chocolate : 365 decadent and irrestible treats" by Jennifer Donovan

Chocolat" by Joanne Harris. This title is also available to download digitally so why wait?? Here is the link: http://thehills.lib.overdrive.com/

Like water for chocolate" by Laura Esquivel

Chocolate quake : a culinary mystery with recipes" by Nancy Fairbanks

Light

2010-07-16T11:08:00.008+10:00

Originally uploaded by Gary Hayes

The way in which humans perceive light is intergral to the way in which we interpret the world. This month, the theme is light, and we want you to interpret it however you like! Sydneysiders are never prepared for the chill of the winter months, so with an absence of sun, I'm using books to keep me warm. You may want to read a book set somewhere warm and sunny, perhaps a summer romance? Or maybe just do some "light" reading. If you have a great idea, it's said to be a "lightbulb moment"; the phrase "seeing the light" refers to a revelation or enlightenment of some kind. There are so many ways to think about the word "light", so tell us what you've been reading and how "light" it is.

Light/Sun titles
* Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
* The Saga of the Seven Suns by Kevin J Anderson
* Lost Light by Michael Connelly
* Sixty Lights by Gail Jones
* The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundura
* Northern Lights by Philip Pullman
* A Song in the Daylight by Paullina Simons
* Southern Lights by Danielle Steel
* To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Light reading
* The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
* Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
* Why She Loves Him by Wendy James
* No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July

Cold

2010-05-07T12:28:00.006+10:00

We have reached the time of year where the weather is finally cooling down and Sydney is descending into Winter, so the theme for May/June is cold. There are lots of ways to think about the theme this month. You could read a "cold case" mystery or true crime, a novel about the Cold War, a story set somewhere cold or even a ghost story that sends shivers down your spine. Winter is a great time to catch up on your reading, so to keep your mind off the weather, read something "cold". Here are some suggestions to get you started.

Cold Case Mysteries:

Crusader's Cross by James Lee Burke
Echo Park by Michael Connelly
A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
Chill of Fear by Kay Hooper
A Cold Case by Faye Kellerman
What the Dead Know by Laura Lippman
A Field of Darkness : A Novel by Cornelia Read

Snow/Winter Titles:

If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino
Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson
The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey
To Dream of Snow by Rosalind Laker
Last Snow by Eric Lustbader
Light on Snow by Anita Shrieve
Snow Blind by P. J. Tracy

Heart

2010-02-15T15:34:00.004+11:00

We've been on hiatus over the holidays, but the Online Book Club is back with a new theme for February/March, Heart. Yesterday was Valentine's Day, also known as Library Lovers Day. One way or another, February 14th means 'love' to millions of people around the world, so this month, pick up a book with the theme of love or the heart. It doesn't have to be a typical romance, most books have a romance as a subplot. Read one of the Romantic poets. If someone shows great courage, don’t people say the person “has heart”? Maybe you want to read about legendary lovers, fictional or real. Perhaps you want to give a vampire book a try? There's plenty of blood and romance there! Or simply read an author or a topic that you love. There are lots of ways to think about the heart, be creative!

Romance Authors:
* Cecelia Ahern
* Catherine Coulter
* Cynthis Harrod-Eagles
* Marian Keyes
* Stephanie Laurens
* Nora Roberts

Classic Romance:
* Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
* Emma by Jane Austen
* Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
* Atonement by Ian McEwan
* Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
* Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

"Heart" titles:
* Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
* Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
* Hearts in Atlantis by Stephen King
* The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
* Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
* The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe

Books on Film

2009-11-09T16:32:00.002+11:00

This month's theme is Books on Film. There have been lots of recent film adaptations of books, like Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper, J. M. Cotzee's Disgrace and the intriguing biography by Li Cunxin, Mao's Last Dancer. Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveller's Wife is coming out this month, as well as the much anticipated adaptation of Maurice Sendak's children's classic Where the Wild Things Are. So is it true what they say, is the book always better than the movie? Let us know your verdict on your favourite books and movies.

Book vs. Movie suggestions:

Adult fiction:
* Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
* A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
* Atonement by Ian McEwan
* The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
* Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
* The Reader by Bernard Schlink
* Perfume by Patrick Suskind
* The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
* Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

Children's fiction:
* The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
* Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
* Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
* Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
* Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

Fantasy

2009-09-05T14:13:00.002+10:00

The theme for this month is Fantasy. Fantasy is a huge genre at the moment. It is the ultimate escape genre, where you can immerse yourself in other worlds and magic. With Twilight-mania still thriving, the vampire novel is more popular than ever, and there are plenty of them. Magical realism is an amazing sub genre that often gets overlooked. Popular amongst Latin American authors, it blends magical elements into the real world of the novel. So this month, escape into a world of fantasy, and let us know what happens when you do!

Reading suggestions:

Staff suggest:
* Annette and Rina recommend Twilight by Stephanie Meyer- Rina says it's a fantasy with a twist!
* Sarah recommends the Night Watch trilogy by Serge Lukyanenko
* Paloma recommends the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton and the Sookie Stackhouse Vampire Mystery series (True Blood) by Charlaine Harris

Fantasy authors:
* Iain Banks
* Terry Brooks
* Philip K. Dick
* David Eddings
* Raymond E. Feist
* David Gemmel
* Robin Hobb
* Terry Pratchett
* Marion Zimmer-Bradley

Magic Realism:
* The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
* Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival
* 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
* Life of Pi by Yann Martel
* The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
* The Passion by Jeanette Winterson

Fairy Tales and Magic:
* Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
* The Princess Bride by William Goldman
* Wicked, A Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire

Youth Fiction:
* Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead
* Eragon series by Christopher Paolini
* His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
* Harry Potter series by J K Rowling

Mystery

2009-08-03T10:37:00.009+10:00

This month's theme is Mystery. Crime and mystery is one of the most popular fiction genres at the moment. Many novels have some sort of mysterious element, whether it's a crime that needs to be solved, a ghost story with suspicious characters, or perhaps just a character with something to hide. With so many fantastic books to chose from in this genre, don't let my suggested reading list stop you, go out and read whatever you like!

Mysterious reading suggestions:
*Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
*The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
*The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
*Tales of Mystery and Suspense by Edgar Allen Poe
*The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
*Affinity by Sarah Waters

Crime novels:
*The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
*The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle
*Bangkok 8 by John Burdett
*The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
*One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
*Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larssen
*The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

Authors that write crime fiction:
*Kathryn Fox
*John Le Carre
*Agatha Christie
*P. D. James
*James Patterson
*Fred Vargas

Comments:

Katemary said...
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is one of my favourite books. It's a very haunting novel that leaves you hanging until the very last page until the mystery is solved! It's about a young woman who marries Maxim de Winter, a widow. When she moves to Manderlay with him, she realises that his wife, Rebecca, may be dead but is still a prescence to contend with, as is Manderlay itself. Beautiful prose personifies the house, "when the leaves rustle, they sound very much like the stealthy movement of a woman in evening dress, and when they shiver suddenly and fall, and scatter away along the ground, they might be the pitter, patter of a woman's hurrying footsteps, and the mark in the gravel the imprint of a high-heeled satin shoe." and brings to life the gothic romance of the narrator and Mr de Winter. Brilliant!
10th August, 10.44am

Starfire said...
American Gods by Neil Gaiman is not a traditional mystery book but has a murder and twist within. It's a strange book, a little fantasy mixed in as well because there are Gods in it. They walk the earth with us but no longer worshipped as they were in the old time. The names are great too. Mr Nancy is really Anansi, a West African god or Mr Jacquel is Anubis the Jackal-headed god. If you like something a little different and bizarre, this is the book for you.
10th August, 2.30pm

Loveit said....
The Alexander McCall Smith, No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series are a really great mystery read. There is humour, history, drama and a few mysteries woven into the story that make them an easy, delightful read for anyone!
11th August, 2.10pm

Readergirl said...
Middlesex is an amazing read. Beginning with a desperate flight from a war zone, it begins as the story of two Greek immigrants to the USA who harbour a dark secret. Eugenides has created some truly memorable characters, not the least of which is Cal, the grandaughter who turns out to be a boy, hence the title. Highly recommended, it didn't win the Pulitzer for nothing!
15th August

Anonymous said...
I really enjoyed The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon. The story is told through the eyes of a teenage boy who has autism. His sees the world through a different perspective and gives you an insight into what it's like living with a disability and trying to make sense of happenings around him. Apparently the author has worked with people with disabilities and he felt he could put himself into the shoes of someone with autism. Whether he entirely suceeds is very difficult to judge, but anything that raises awareness of people with disabilities is good. It's a very quick and easy book to read. Loved it.
21st August

2009 Man Booker Prize Long List

2009-08-03T10:24:00.005+10:00

The 2009 long list for the Man Booker Prize has just been announced. The list features Booker veterans such as A. S. Byatt, who won previously for Possession, and J. M. Cotzee, who has the award twice, as well as some newcomers. There are some amazing novels on the list this year, so be sure to check them out!

Comments:

Michelle said...
I'm currently reading How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall. It's a very rich and complex story. I love Hall's prose, it's quite beautiful. I'm also looking forward to reading A. S. Byatt's Children's Book and Sarah Waters' Little Stranger, although I think maybe Cotzee might take the prize for the third time this year. Has anyone else read any of the long listed books yet? Such a good list, it's hard to decide which one to read!
August 3rd, 2009 3.44pm

Special Author Event at Your Library

2009-08-02T14:29:00.000+10:00

Kathryn Fox will be visiting us here at the library to talk about her latest Anya Chrichton novel, Blood Born. She will be appearing at Vinegar Hill Memorial Library on Wednesday 16th September. Tickets are available now at all branches. If you've read any of Kathryn Fox's novels, we'd love to hear your reviews.

The First Tuesday Book Club

2009-07-20T13:11:00.006+10:00

The First Tuesday Book Club is coming up in two weeks time. For August, they are reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides and Lee Child's new thriller Gone Tomorrow. Click here to see if they are available in the library's catalogue. Write a review and let us know what you think about them!

Beauty

2009-06-29T13:17:00.008+10:00

Beauty is the theme for this month. Beauty is an abstract concept, so be as creative as you like! What you read may evoke some feeling or image of beauty for you. Poetry in itself is a beautiful thing. Maybe it's a physical manifestation of beauty, or something to do with the beauty industry.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so tell us what you found beautiful about what you read this month. Here are some suggestions, but remember, you can read whatever you like!

Beauty titles:
*The Line of Beauty- Alan Hollinghurst
*The Sleeping Beauty- Phillip Margolin
*The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty- Anne Rice
*On Beauty- Zadie Smith
*Black Beauty- Anna Sewell

Ugliness:
*The Hunchback of Notre Dame- Victor Hugo
*The Bluest Eye- Toni Morrison
*Uglies series- Scott Westerfeld
*The Picture of Dorian Gray- Oscar Wild

Non-fiction:
*Kabul Beauty School- Deborah Rodriguez

Makeovers/disguises:
*Invisible monsters- Chuck Palahniuk
*Pygmalion- Bernard Shaw
*Elegance- Katherine Tessaro
*Orlando- Virginia Wolf

Comments:

Anonymous said...
I am currently reading the first book of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld - (first book is actually called "Uglies"). The book explores an interesting idea. Its set in the future where everyone is considered to be an "ugly" until they turn 16 and undergo surgery to make them into what they call "pretties." The main character of the book is nearly 16 and awaiting her tranformation until she meets Shay - a girl who doesn't want the operation and runs away to live outside the town. I haven't got that far through the book yet but so far its not bad.
June 29, 2009 11:57 AM

Amo said...
Just reading Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs. Set around the characters from a Home Shopping network it explores their lives in a really funny and intricate way. The main focus is a really interesting mystery of one woman who is being stalked by someone who keeps commenting on her body hair (earlobes, knuckles etc) - so here is my link to beauty. Havent quite finished yet - but very good! - Highly recommended - my husband has even read and enjoyed it.
June 30, 2009 3:46 PM

Starfire said...
I've just finished "People of the book" by Geraldine Brooks. The beauty in this is actually the book. It tells of what hands the book has passed through and finally to how it was created. It's a lovely story. I don't normally read things like this but I quite enjoyed it.
July 8, 2009 11:46 AM

Anonymous said...
I've just finished reading 'Briar Rose' by Jane Yolven. It is a version of sleeping beauty and is a very lovely story about a girl finding out the truth about her grandmother, and who she claims to be.
July 25, 2009 7:17 PM

Anonymous said...
As yet I can't see a new one coming any time soon- fingers crossed
July 28, 2009 10.14 AM

Loveit said...
Just finished Ä child called It"a enthralling book about a mother who not only physically neglects her child but refuses to call him by his name, David and calls him ït". The child through intervention, grows up to be an upstanding citizen, a "beautiful" person. A "can't put this down"book which will move you emotionally.
July 28, 2009

Katemary said...
I recently read a book called One Day by David Nicholls (of "Cold Feet" fame). It's the story of two people, Emma and Dexter, who meet in college on July 15th 1980. Nicholls writes of their lives on July 15th of every year, and we watch their tumultuous relationship grow over 20 years. It completely hooked me, best love story I have read in years. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed The Time Travellers Wife. The beauty in the book is definately their relationship, the way it grows and changes. It really hits you at the end, which Nicholls does with a twist you wont expect!
July 29th, 2009

2009 Miles Franklin Award

2009-06-21T15:24:00.005+10:00

Tim Winton's Breath has just been announced as the winner of the 2009 Miles Franklin Award. He first won the award twenty five years ago for Shallows. This is the fourth time Winton has been awarded the prize. Breath is about paramedic Bruce Pike. When he is called out to deal with another teenage adventure gone wrong, he knows better than his partner - better than the parents - what happened and how. Thirty years before, that dead boy could have been him.

Challenge # 1 - Time

2009-05-20T11:48:00.000+10:00

Time is always on everyone’s mind: the passing of it, past, present, future, planning how we will spend the year with our lists upon lists of resolutions and goals. Time can be an abstract concept, or it can be one of the most precise measurements in the world. History is the study of the times of a place, historical fiction is set in a certain time, epics take place over time. Biographies are a way to immerse yourself in a specific time period and look at it through the eyes of the person living it. Your first challenge: read a book involving time.

Reading suggestions:

Time travel :
* First Among Sequels by Jasper Fforde
* Slowness by Milan Kundura
* The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
* Playing Beatie Bow by Ruth Parks
* Slaughterhouse-5 by Kurt Vonnegut
* The Time Machine by H G Wells

Historical fiction
* Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon
* The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer
* Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
* River God: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by Wilbur Smith

Epic fiction
* Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
* A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
* The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
* The Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough
* The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Parallel Universes
* The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum
* Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol
* The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis

Time titles
* Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
* The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
* Ninety Day Geisha - My Time as a Tokyo Hostess by Chelsea Haywood
* Midnight by Dean Koontz
* A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
* Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
* Fifty Years of Silence by Jan Ruff-O'Hearne

Sydney Writers' Festival

2009-05-19T09:05:00.016+10:00

This week is the Sydney Writers' Festival, so head down and check out all the great things they've got on offer. They've got workshops for budding writers at the State Library, loads of author talks, poetry readings and other such things. Be sure to check out their children's program on Sunday which is sure to be one of the highlights of the week.

The Hills Shire Library Online Book Club

Top Reads

Laugh

The Amazing Read

More Books we loved in 2011

Books we loved in 2011

Holiday Reads

Holiday Reading Adventure

Family and Friends

Top Reads

National Year of Reading 2012

Top Reads

Historical fiction

Spotlight on......... Nicholas Sparks

Top Reads

WIN $100 WORTH OF BOOKS!*

Obsession

Coming up next month

Top Reads

Spotlight on.......Di Morrissey

Top Reads

Man Booker Award Short List announced

Author of the Week- Susan Duncan

Australiana

Coming up next month

Books2Devour is back!

Book of the Week

Book of the Week

Who writes like??

Spotlight on...... Clive Cussler

Adventure

Story writing and Storytelling competition

Magical Moments

Winter Warmers

This is My Life: Biographies

Friendship

We are off to................

Fangtastic

New Year Resolutions

Heat

Good Reading Competition

Chocolate

Light

Cold

Heart

Books on Film

Fantasy

Mystery

2009 Man Booker Prize Long List

Special Author Event at Your Library

The First Tuesday Book Club

Beauty

2009 Miles Franklin Award

Challenge # 1 - Time

Sydney Writers' Festival