Thursday, January 10, 2008

The Eastern Regional Library Show - Jan 9 2008

Library staff members Lesley Conway and Pia Butcher run a radio show each Wednesday 12:05pm-12:45pm on Eastern FM 98.1 called The Eastern Regional Library Show. Tune in next Wednesday for a great show.

On today's show with Lesley

True to her promise, Lyn Baines, our Collection Development Manager watched DVDs and read solidly for two weeks over the Christmas & New Year period, and has much to recommend. A spate of European detective series came to our TV screens in recent times, of which Lyn has purchased several, including Unit One, Series 1-4 and The Eagle : a crime odyssey, Series 1-3, which Lyn checked out personally. These Scandanavian programmes are responsible for the lilting accent and craving for herring which Lyn has acquired in the last two weeks. How she will fare after watching Inspector Rex we are keen to see. Maybe a taste for sauerkraut and German beer drinking songs.

As for reading matter, some old favourites which have just been reprinted in very attractive paperback format include Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor, and all of Jean Plaidy's historical novels of English royalty such as The thistle and the rose,
Lord Robert, Katherine the virgin widow and Queen Jezebel. Lyn and I reminisced about reading these and other historical novels in the 1960s and 1970s when the leap from children's books to adult reading was not bridged by books written specifically for teenagers. Agatha Christie was another author who wrote very accessible novels for keen young readers to graduate to. Apparently they have been reissued in their original hardcover format and covers, as an anniversary edition, and you will find them on our shelves.

Last but not least, a new non fiction title by Robert Macfarlane, The wild places, is a fascinating read. Macfarlane was concerned at the diminishing wilderness of Great Britain, and set out on a personal quest to find and record the wild places that still exist. His book is part report, travelogue and spiritual quest.

---- Lesley

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