Staff Recommended Reads

Check out what the staff have read and enjoyed.  Periodically Waitakere Libraries will update a list of staff recommendations for you.  The will cover all areas of our collection  and may include new and not so new titles.

Find more staff recommendation from Auckland Libraries Hand Me Down World - By Lloyd Jones
	Another unusual but great tale from the author of the popular Mister Pip.  This is the story of an African woman's travels across Europe to find her baby son who has disappeared. She is forced to be resourceful in her search and on her journey she meets many people who help her out while others exploit her too. This is a moving story of a woman in a foreign world. It is as gripping & memorable as Mister Pip.
Freeing Grace - By Charity Norman
	This novel is about the people involved in an adoption and how they lived and resolved Gracie's situation, with the help of an uncle from New Zealand. This is a rich, engrossing tale.
Quinine - By Kelly Ana Morey
	Kelly Ana Morey is a young New Zealand author. This novel is set in 1903 and onwards in what is now known as Papua New Guinea. It is an exotic setting in which the heat and humidity is almost another character. The main character Marta Schmidt matches the setting very well. She is unconventional at a time when that was unacceptable and so is her marriage. The author manages a complex plot sometimes switching back to Marta's early life in Austria. I certainly cared enough about the characters to keep turning the pages as fast as possible.
An exclusive love - By Johanna Adorján
	This book is written by the granddaughter of a couple who committed suicide on the same day in 1991. Quite an intense story but not one that makes you feel sad, instead this is a thoroughly absorbing read that's hard to put down.
Contested Will: who wrote Shakespeare? - By James Shapiro
	Some people argue that Shakespeare was not the author of the works attributed to him. They say Francis Bacon, Christopher Marlowe or the Earl of Oxford in fact wrote his works. Shapiro examines how these various theories of authorship emerged. There were some famous supporters for these ideas. Helen Keller, Mark Twain & Sigmund Freud all believed Shakespeare's works were not written by Shakespeare himself. Shapiro, a Shakespeare specialist, is a stylish & witty writer.
Why dogs are better than cats - By Bradley Trevor Greive
	A warning should come with this book, it will make the most militant cat owner want a dog and it will make the most devoted dog lover look upon the next cat they meet with tolerant benevolence. You will get a catch in your throat and you will laugh from the depths of your belly. It is beautifully designed with more photos than text, but the text is light and entertaining but also positively poetic and profound in parts.
Global baker: inspirational breads, cakes, pastries & desserts with international influences - By Dean Brettschneider
	Dean Brettschneider is a Kiwi baker who has built up a name for himself internationally. He has also been a judge on television's Nestle New Zealand's Hottest Home Baker. His book is full of lovely recipes & good practical information on baking. The author's instructions are simple. What is especially helpful is the DVD in which Brettschneider demonstrates how to make breads, sponges & pastries.
Sugarmilk Falls - By Ilona van Mil
	While this is not your typical crime story it is still a fascinating account of a town with a secret (or two). In this tiny Canadian town wary of strangers a visitor asks questions about mysterious incidents that occurred in the past. The author vividly presents the town's web of characters. Some say this book is richly atmospheric like David Guterson's Snow falling on the cedars.
Trespass - By Rose Tremain
	This is a real page-turner set in the Cevennes, a darkly beautiful area of Southern France. Some of the characters are ruined by their past, another perhaps ruins himself. The countryside sounds lovely, the characters not so much so. An English antiques dealer who wants to buy a house and land from a French peasant sets in motion more than he intends. Rose Tremain plots her novels so well that you will surely want to know how it all turns out.
The true deceiver: a novel - By Tove Jansson
	Jansson was the creator of the popular Moomins stories for children however she also wrote novels for adults such as the Summer Book.  The true deceiver is set in an isolated Swedish village. Katri, the story's main character, is an unusual girl who has little time for social niceties. She quite deliberately sets out to befriend an elderly woman one winter. By spring their lives are changed forever. Jansson's writing is beautifully simple & pure much like the pristine environment of the story.
The Parthenon sculptures - By Ian Jenkins
	While this book contains very interesting chapters about the sculptures what really appeals are the beautiful photographs. The numerous photographs are often large in size and are of superb quality. The Parthenon sculptures are certainly contested property and much has been written about this, but here you'll be reminded of what astonishingly beautiful works of art they are. Close up shots capture the gorgeous detail of the sculptures which is still breathtaking despite their age. This book would great for art students or art lovers who want to see the sculptures & not just read about them.
The Other - By David Guterson
	This is the story of two young men from very different backgrounds who become friends in their teenage years. Later their lives again take different paths but their bond remains. One becomes an English teacher, the other, heir to the family fortune, becomes a recluse in the remote wilderness in Washington, USA. This story of their friendship unfolds beautifully. This is a moving book about friendship & what it means to have 'a good life'.