Books and Beyond: Talking points

Sharing little-known facts, talking about the weather, gossiping, pondering the big questions… What are your favourite conversation topics as you while away a weekend afternoon at the beach, or, one of our long summer evenings? Karen and Louisa recommend a selection of books which will assure you a brilliant head-start at the game!

Listen to this week's episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast.

Books mentioned in the show:

• The Guinness book of world records  
• Come rain or shine: a weather miscellany by Storm Dunlop
• The cloudspotter's guide by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
• A million years in a day: a curious history of everyday life: from the Stone Age to the phone age by Greg Jenner
• Can a bee sting a bee? and other big questions from little people compiled by Gemma Elwin Harris
• Is it true? The facts behind the things we have been told by Max Cryer
• Factfulness: ten reasons we're wrong about the world - and why things are better than you think by Hans Rosling
• The merry wives of Battersea and gossip of three centuries by Anna Maria Diana Wilhelmina (Pickering) Stirling

Karen’s recommendations for the Same Same but Different LGBTQI Literary Festival:

Joanne Drayton, author of Hudson & Halls: the food of love, appearing with Ron Brownson
Victor Rodger, author of My name is Gary Cooper.


Auckland Libraries' radio show Books and Beyond explores the world of books with guest authors, recommended reads, gems from the Central City Library basement and… beyond.

Catch us on Planet FM104.6, Sundays at 9.35pm. Recent shows can be listened to as podcasts via the Auckland Libraries podcast.