What's new in Adult non-fiction

Whatever your interests, we have books to deepen your knowledge and expand your mind! Some recent titles include:

The Perfume Bible by Josephine Farley and Lorna McKay

In this beautifully illustrated, comprehensive guide, beauty experts Josephine Fairley and Lorna McKay bring together everything you need to know about perfume. Including guidance on which ‘scent family’ you belong to, the different strengths of perfume, the art of shopping for fragrance, 100 perfumes to try before you die plus the greatest scents ever bottled.

Packed with insider info from the world’s leading experts, with interviews with some of greatest international perfumers, this is an essential companion for anyone with a passion for fragrance.

The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces by William H. Whyte

“What attracts people most, it would appear, is other people.”

William H. Whyte pioneered research on pedestrian behavior and city dynamics, as part of the New York based Street Life Project.
Originally published in 1980, 'The Social Life of Public Spaces'  advances the argument that social life in public spaces directly contributes to the quality of life of both individuals and society as a whole. Therefore, Whyte argues, there is a moral responsibility to create physical places that facilitate civic engagement and community interaction.*

*Information from the Project for Public Spaces http://www.pps.org/reference/wwhyte/

A true story of the great escape : a young Australian POW in the most audacious breakout of WWII by Louise Williams 

Shot down in 1942, young Australian fighter pilot John Williams became a POW in the notorious Stalag Luft III camp in Germany. John had joined the air force shortly before the outbreak of war and led his squadron into air combat over the deserts of Libya and Egypt.
John and his best mate Rusty Kierath were among the 76 POWs who tunnelled their way out of the supposedly escape-proof camp under the noses of their German guards in what later became the Hollywood blockbuster, The Great Escape. Their families never learned what really happened once the pair made it out into the forest.

John's niece Louise Williams has pieced together his life, from his upbringing in a tight-knit family hit hard by the Depression, to his exploits in the air, and the many missing details of the tragic escape. It is a powerful and intimate story of one of the most dramatic episodes of World War II.

Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis by Tim Flannery

In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Summit to be held in Paris in December, Atmosphere of Hope provides both a snapshot of the situation as it stands and an up-to-the-minute analysis of some of the new possibilities for mitigating climate change that are emerging now.

From atmospheric carbon capture through extensive seaweed farming, CO2 snow production in Antarctica and the manufacture of carbon-rich bio-char to reflecting the sun’s rays by releasing sulphur into the atmosphere and painting landscapes and cities white, Flannery outlines an array of innovative technologies that give cause for hope.

The Luck of Politics: True Tales of Disaster and Outrageous Fortune by Andrew Leigh

Andrew Leigh weaves together numbers and stories to show the many ways luck can change the course of political events.

This is a book full of fascinating facts and intriguing findings. Why is politics more like poker than chess? Does the length of your surname affect your political prospects? What about your gender? And who was our unluckiest politician? 

Andrew Leigh is the federal member for Fraser and the Shadow Assistant Treasurer. Before being elected in 2010, he was a professor of economics at the Australian National University.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Super School Holiday Ideas

In addition to the excellent activities running in the holidays, we have brilliant books, movies and music to keep the kids busy!

Fancy a crafty afternoon? Click here to see the range of activity books filled with great ideas for kids of all ages.

In the mood for a movie? Browse the children's DVD collection in the catalogue.

Or if you're off on a road trip, maybe some music might keep them happy in the car!

Online activities for the kids include Busythings and Story Box Library.

If your looking for a good book, we have a great range of children's and young adult literature available. Some of our latest purchases include:

The Lego Movie

Meet Emmet: an ordinary LEGO mini-figurine who is mistakenly thought to be an extraordinary Master Builder. When he is recruited to join a quest stop evil tyrant Lord Business from gluing the universe together, Emmet and his friend Lucy must venture through various LEGO lands to save the world and creativity!

Bella and the Wandering House by Meg McKinlay

Bella is very surprised one morning to discover her house has moved in the night - not a lot, just a little. Her parents are too busy to notice, but even they can't pretend it's not happening when they wake up to find their house on the banks of a lake. Night after night the house moves and the family wakes to a new location. Unless Bella can solve the mystery, who knows where they'll end up?

Infinity Drake: The Forbidden City by John McNally

Humour and high-stakes combine in the action-packed Infinity Drake series. A BIG adventure with a tiny hero! Infinity Drake - Finn for short - is STILL only 9mm tall. But before his crazy scientist uncle can figure out a way to return him to his normal size, a new threat emerges on the other side of the world. Supreme villain, Kaparis, plans to release an army of self-replicating nano-bots - a hardware virus that will give him total control of global communications. Finn and his gang of bullet-sized heroes find themselves on a deadly mission: to stop the bot infection before it conquers mankind...

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

eBooks are for Everyone!

eBooks are awesome, and they return themselves! If you are just beginning your e-book journey, check out our e-book help  for assistance in getting started or drop in to your local branch. Select, read online or download titles from our ever-growing collection of e-books including fiction and non-fiction, as well as resources for students and kids. Some titles available for loan now include:

Adult non-fiction - Classic Motorcycle Restoration and Maintenance

A complete workshop guide to restoring and maintaining your classic British motorcycle. Covering the principles of restoration and maintenance, and therefore applicable across all post-war classic British marques such as BSA, Matchless, Triumph, Norton, AJS and Royal Enfield, Classic Motorcycle Restoration and Maintenance covers everything from general maintenance procedures to full engine strips and rebuilds. With step-by-step instructions and over 800 images, the book covers, amongst other things, buying guides, legislation, essential tools, workshop advice, safety, stripping and rebuilding the key components for both singles and twins. With general maintenance, advice, recommended sources and additions included, this new book is an essential resource for the classic motorcycle restorer. Superbly illustrated with 735 colour images and 80 CAD diagrams along with step-by-step instructions.

Young Adult fiction - Afterlight by Rebecca Lim

From the acclaimed author of the Mercy series and The Astrologer's Daughter . Since her parents died in a freak motorbike accident, Sophie Teague's life has fallen apart. But she's just enrolled at a new high school, hoping for a fresh start. That's until Eve, a beautiful ghost in black, starts making terrifying nightly appearances, wanting Sophie to be her hands, eyes and go-to girl. There are loose ends that Eve needs Sophie to tie up. But dealing with the dead might just involve the greatest sacrifice of all. Dark, thrilling and unrelentingly eerie, Afterlight will take you deep into the heart of a dangerous love story, revealing the otherworldly--and deadly--pull of past wrongs that only the living can put right.

Adult fiction - The Storm by Neil Broadfoot

After his editor is murdered in front of him, crime reporter Doug McGregor's world falls apart. As prime witness, he's not allowed to investigate the case, and he's left only with questions and a bloody memory seared in his mind. On top of that, Doug's 'friendship' with his police contact, DS Susie Drummond, is in a weird place right now. So he leaps at the chance to take some time out with an old friend on the Isle of Skye. But when another savage killing occurs, Doug realises that the murders may be linked, and that going to Skye was the best and worst move possible. He's in the eye of the Storm - and this one could engulf them all.

Junior fiction - Phreddie and the Purple Pyramid by Jackie French

Join Phredde, a fractious but fun-loving phaery, Bruce, a mosquito-eating frog, and Pru, an everyday-normal school girl (except that she lives in a fairy castle, keeps pet piranhas, has a werewolf for a brother and a vampire for a teacher!), for a spooky and spell-binding adventure.

Junior non-fiction - The Surfing Scientist: 40 Cool Science Tricks by Ruben Meerman

Want to learn how to stick a potato through a straw? How you can make ice stick to a piece of cotton thread? Stick two books together without glue? Pick up a jar of rice with a pencil? Impress your mates? Too easy - the Surfing Scientist can show you how! Using only household ingredients and with nothing tricky for kids to buy, this book is perfect for every budding scientist or surfer! And it′s packed with facts, knowledge and trivia that interests and fascinates kids, and with photographs of each experiment to make the whole process easy but most of all fun. Ages 7-12 years.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

New Adult Fiction

We have new titles arriving all time, here's a sample. Follow the link to access the catalogue record, place a free hold or find out more...

Candlesight by Michael Liddy

To a quiet life has come something truly extraordinary. Jared's seen the Lights since he was a child. Every night for a few minutes at ten pm a strange beacon would shine high up in the darkened factory opposite his tiny house. He ventured there one fateful night, and there he found the spectral creatures. Since then they've taken him to fantastical places, far away from the grey monotony of his life and the darkness of his past. All he's ever cared about is keeping the secret intact and leading a quiet life of anonymity. But it's a lonely, introspective existence that's always eaten away at him.When change comes to the factory, he finally finds another that he comes to trust and then share his secrets. But in the shadow of Amelia's arrival is one that already knows everything, and has intentions that are both dark and vicious. An ancient ritual is then taken to another time.Candlesight is a new fiction work by the author of Within Fallen Light and Behind Two Voices; the first installment of a sprawling story, one where the boundary between life and death is blurred.

No Cure for Love by Peter Robinson

'You think you do not know who I am, but you do... ' At first, newly successful British TV star Sarah Broughton thinks the letters she has been receiving are from a typical fan. Someone harmless, though a little strange. But when her admirer starts threatening Sarah and her loved ones, she turns to detective Arvo Hughes of the LAPD Threat Management Unit - expert in pursing the most dangerous of stalkers. Pitted against a frighteningly twisted mind, the policeman tests his expertise and experience to the limit in the desperate race to save Sarah's life.

The Dust That Falls From Dreams by Louis de Bernieres

In the brief golden years of King Edward VII's reign, Rosie McCosh and her three very different sisters are growing up in an eccentric household in Kent, with their neighbours the Pitt boys on one side and the Pendennis boys on the other. But their days of childhood adventure are shadowed by the approach of war that will engulf them on the cusp of adulthood. When the boys end up scattered along the Western Front, Rosie faces the challenges of life for those left behind. Confused by her love for two young men - one an infantry soldier and one a flying ace - she has to navigate her way through extraordinary times. Can she, and her sisters, build new lives out of the opportunities and devastations that follow the Great War? Louis de Bernières' magnificent and moving novel follows the lives of an unforgettable cast of characters as they strike out to seek what happiness can be built from the ruins of the old world.

The Way of Sorrows by Jon Steele

The highly anticipated final book in Jon Steele's thrilling cosmic Angelus trilogy, The Way of Sorrows counts down the dwindling hours between humanity and the apocalypse. Steele again sets the stage for an epic battle, played out in Alaska, Russia, Switzerland, and ultimately Jerusalem,pitting the protectors of paradise--the eternal angels--against the "goons" of timeless evil. As the forces engage, we find the former escort Katherine Taylor having somehow survived the hideous scorched-earth attack on her Pacific Northwest home, but with no other signs of life in sight. Katherine soon realizes that her memory has been wiped clean, with few clues whether her toddler, Max, the child of prophecy who will guide creation through the next stage of evolution, has been killed or captured. Meanwhile, Detective Jay Harper is once again at Lausanne Cathedral, where he is following a new directive from his immortal, heavenly central command: rescue both Katherine and Max before the goons eliminate all trace of goodness from the world at midnight. What unfolds is a thrill-packed, action-filled journey that spans the globe--and the heavens. Combining science, religion, and fantasy, The Way of Sorrows is a wildly imaginative, inventive, one-of-a-kind finale to Jon Steele's monumental trilogy.

The Hands by Stephen Orr

He didn't look like he could jump a bull, but she knew he could. It was all in the hands, he'd often explain. The will. The bloody mindedness. On a cattle station that stretches beyond the horizon, seven people are trapped by their history and the need to make a living. Trevor Wilkie, the good father, holds it all together, promising his sons a future he no longer believes in himself. The boys, free to roam the world's biggest backyard, have nowhere to go. Trevor's father, Murray, is the keeper of stories and the holder of the deed. Murray has no intention of giving up what his forefathers created. But the drought is winning. The cattle are ribs. The bills keep coming. And one day, on the way to town, an accident changes everything.

The Fall by R.J. Pineiro

In R. J. Pineiro's The Fall, a sci-fi thriller, a man jumps from the upper-most reaches of the atmosphere and vanishes, ending up on an alternate Earth where he died five years earlier. Jack Taylor has always been an adrenaline junkie. As a federal contractor, he does dangerous jobs for the government that fall out of the realm of the SEALS and the Marines. And this next job is right up his alley. Jack has been assigned to test an orbital jump and if it works, the United States government will have a new strategy against enemy countries. Despite Jack's soaring career, his personal life is in shambles. He and his wife Angela are both workaholics and are on the verge of getting a divorce. But the night before his jump, Jack and Angela begin to rekindle their romance and their relationship holds promise for repair. Then comes the day of Jack's big jump. He doesn't burn up like some predicted--instead, he hits the speed of sound and disappears. Jack wakes up in an alternate universe. One where he died during a mission five years earlier and where Angela is still madly in love with him. But in this world, his boss, Pete, has turned to the dark side, is working against him, and the government is now on his tail. Jack must return to his own world but the only way for him to do that is to perform another orbital jump. This time is more difficult though--no one wants to see him go. Jack's adrenaline is contagious-- The Fall will keep readers on the edges of their seats, waiting to find out what crazy stunt Jack will perform next and to learn the fate of this charming, daredevil hero.

Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.

Kids who code

Coding is a global education trend and it's on the rise. Digital literacy is fast becoming a foundation skill and has been described as the fourth literacy. Coding is the art of understanding the language of computers and telling a computer how to perform complex tasks. Once you understand the basics, the only limitations are that of your imagination. This is encouraging a whole generation to not just use technology but understand how it works and ultimately create it.

Encouraging your child to learn small lessons about coding is a wonderful investment in their education considering the rate of change in the tools and platforms that we use every day. Computational thinking teaches you how to tackle large problems by breaking them down into a sequence of smaller, more manageable problems. Coding not only teaches children about technology, it also teaches them how to think differently about any problem which supports academic subjects.

Children can so quickly absorb all these wonderful skills through exploration and play - the best way to learn! The library has recently purchased some new eBook titles available for kids wanting to get tech savvy :

- Coding for Kids for Dummies

- Digital Filmmaking for Kids for Dummies

- Minecraft Modding for Kids for Dummies

- Raspberry Pi for Kids for Dummies

- Scratch for Kids for Dummies

Want to learn more? Check out Code Club Australia - a network of coding clubs for Aussie kids 9-11 years. Also, watch this space for future programs related to coding and digital literacy in the library.

 Visit Newcastle Region Library's Catalogue and Website.