New Non-Fiction
The Abundant Garden: The Practical Guide to Growing a Regenerative Home Garden. Niva Kay
Niva and Yotam Kay of Pakaraka Permaculture, on the Coromandel Peninsula, share their long experience in organic garden. This book is comprehensive, clearly written, and beautifully illustrated.
AOC: The Fearless Rise and Powerful Resonance of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Lynda Lopez
A working class girl of Puerto Rican heritage from the Bronx, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aka AOC, became the youngest US congresswomen ever elected. This book is a collection of essays that pay tribute to her political significance as a representative for Latinx, black and marginalised communities, as well as her championing of the Green New Deal.
Door J'Adore: A Celebration of the World's Most Beautiful Doors. Nick Rowell
Doors are the portal between private and public worlds - the ones featured in this volume are all unique, some vibrantly coloured, some grand, some humble, some ornately decorated, others aged with peeling paint - but all arouse the readers' curiosity as to what lies beyond.
The Florentines: From Dante to Galileo. Paul Strathern
The Florentines relates how human culture was transformed between the birth of Dante 1265 and the death of Galileo in 1642; how Florence was at the centre of the Renaissance where painting, sculpture and architecture were irrevocably transformed; and how the sciences began to emerge and advance a journey from medievalism to humanism.
Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age. Annalee Newitz
Newitz travels to the lost cities of Çatalhöyük, Pompeii, Angkor and Cahokia. She examines the latest archaeological research to reveal the environmental changes and political turmoil that led to the abandonment of these ancient settlements.
The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything. Michio Kaku
Popular American theoretical physicist, Michio Kaku is a great communicator. Here he presents a unifying concept of all the theories of physics, written in terms that most of us can understand.
Hate Inc.: Why Today's Media Makes Us Despise One Another. Matt Taibi
Celebrated Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibi highlights the fact that news is now a consumer product, and news media manipulate their customers. He writes with humour and lots of punch.
The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country. Amanda Gorman
This volume contains the poem that Amanda Gorman delivered with poise and passion at Biden's presidential inauguration, who, at the age of 22 is the youngest poet to do so.
My Inner Sky: Embracing Day, Night and All the Times In Between. Mari Andrew
Mari Andrews is an artist and writer based in New York. This memoir/self-help book is a beautiful telling of life's often painful path. Her whimsical and inspiring style will speak to you and help you on your way.
Reading the Seasons: Books Holding Life and Friendship Together. Germaine Leece
Two Australian bibliotherapists share their candid letters about life, love, and book recommendations.
Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting. Lisa Genova
The Harvard-trained neuroscientist and bestselling author of Still Alice, gives us a fascinating book on memory divided into three parts: How We Remember, What We Forget, and Improve or Impair. You will learn the latest facts, and understand what is normal, and when to get worried.
Waste Not Want Not: Fridge Cleaner Cooking. Sarah Burtscher
Sarah Burtscher, a chef who has run restaurants in Christchurch and Tekapo, looks at the top 10 foods we tend to waste and pairs them with yummy recipes. Here is the recent review article in ODT whi. ch includes some recipes.
Wolf Hall Companion: The People. The Places. The History. Lauren MacKay
An authoritative and engaging companion to the people, places, history and aspects of social life in Tudor England that feature in the Booker prize-winning novels by Hilary Mantel about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell.
World Travel: An Irreverent Guide. Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain was not only a chef, television personality and culinary ambassador, he was also a fabulous writer. World Travel is a tour of places and cuisines, with stories and recommendations from Anthony told in his irreverent style, as well as contributions from friends, family and colleagues.