Auckland Libraries blog

It's the best of the best, the cream of the crop - we've narrowed our Top 100 down to the Top 10 best reads of 2020! We've chosen our Top 10 books that you cannot go without this summer. Our Top 10 features one book from each category of the much-anticipated Top 100, so there's something for every kind of reader! Browse the full Auckland Libraries Top 100 on our website. Fiction Such a fun age by Keily Reid : Alix is a woke white woman, a mother and a successful internet influencer. She is shocked when her young black babysitter, Emira, is accused of kidnapping while out with Alix's toddler at a high-end supermarket. Non-fiction Husna’s story by Farid Ahmed : Husna and her husband Farid Ahmed were praying at El Noor Mosque in Christchurch when a gunman burst in and shot and killed 51 people and injured many others in a terrorist attack. This book is about a life of selflessness, bravery and love. Graphics Mophead tu by Selina Tusitala Marsh : Poet laureate Selina T...

What will you be reading this summer? These tips will have you fully prepared for a summer of rest and relaxation. Just for you After the year that we've had, it's time to read, relax and reset with our Summer reading, sorted programme.  Earn badges by logging your reading, completing activities and submitting reviews that put you into the draw to win fantastic prizes from Specsavers, Auckland's hottest attractions and more! All whilst you kick back and chill out with a good book! Download the Beanstack Tracker app on your device and register to be in to win. Find out more about Summer reading, sorted on our website. Fun for the whole whānau The fun doesn't stop there! Register your whole family for our summer reading programme and take on our reading missions as a team. Read to earn badges that put you and your readers into the draw to win great prizes from Specsavers, MOTAT, Snowplanet and many more!   Download the Beanstack Tracker on your device and register to be i...

Alison and Ineka talk elegies, eulogies and the euphoria of lives well lived. We promise you at least one Eureka moment. (Hint: it’s to do with dogs who drive cars). Find out on this Literary Lounge episode of Books & Beyond . Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Books and Beyond: Literary lounge: Everything begins with E Books mentioned in the show  Homeland elegies by Ayad Akhtar  Death in her hands by Ottessa Moshfegh  Zen heart: what I've learned from animals and life by Mark Vette  The Pōrangi Boy by Shilo Kino Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore  The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue 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 9.35 pm. Recent shows can be listened to via the Auckland Libraries podcast .

For many Aucklanders, reading has been a top priority in 2020. People have told us that they have read to learn and discover, and to escape into the pleasures of a good book. Read on for the  books that have been the most popular with Aucklanders in 2020: Adult fiction Blue moon by Lee Child The night fire by Michael Connelly The giver of stars by Jojo Moyes Grown ups - Marian Keyes Past tense - Lee Child Adult non-fiction Becoming - Michelle Obama Lady in waiting: my extraordinary life in the shadow of the crown by Anne Glenconner Veg by Jamie Oliver The body: a guide for occupants by Bill Bryson Jacinda Ardern: the story behind an extraordinary leader by Michelle Duff Children's fiction The missing movie by Geronimo Stilton The getaway by Jeff Kinney The test of time: the sixth journey through time by Geronimo Stilton The hunt for the Colosseum ghost by Jeff Kinney The island of dragons: the twelfth adventure in the Kingdom of Fantasy by JKRowling Children's no...

It’s been ten years since the union of seven councils and seven different library systems into one library network with 55 libraries!  Read on for our top ten milestones of the last ten years. 1. Auckland Council Libraries | Ngā Pātaka Kōrero o Tāmaki Makaurau is born We became the largest public library system in Australasia on 1 November 2010 when our super-sized Auckland Council was formed. Our buildings and collections merged, and a diverse range of staff following different library policies and offering different services came together.  Since then, we have shared one huge library collection, cared for by our committed staff, who are dedicated to creating, uplifting and nurturing community taonga and sharing it in the most inclusive ways possible. 2. From Waiuku to Wellsford Our customers take full advantage of the vast geographical range of Auckland Libraries by requesting, borrowing, and returning items through any of our 55 locations .  Having a single membership...

What happens when the biography you are writing is secretly a memoir and your emotional support animal has gone rogue? Will you ever find the wisdom to live in harmony with the planet?  Find out on this Literary Lounge episode of Books & Beyond with Alison and Ineka. Ngā Pātaka Kōrero - Auckland Libraries · Books and Beyond: Literary Lounge: Biography edition Books mentioned on the show Aroha: Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet   by Dr Hinemoa Elder  Pet: stories by Kathryn van Beek   Bruce goes outside by Kathryn van Beek   My autobiography of Carson McCullers  by Jenn Shapland   The trauma cleaner: one woman's extraordinary life in the business of death, decay, and disaster  by Sarah Krasnostein   Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls-Wilder  by Caroline Fraser   Remote sympathy  by Catherine Chidgey   Last Hope Island: Britain, occupied Europe, and the brotherhood that helped turn the tide o...

Our 'Ask us to buy it' service has made a comeback! We are now ready to take your suggestions for Auckland Libraries’ collections again.  Council’s Emergency Budget resulted in reduced funding for our collections this year. Also, the publishing world and international distribution networks continue to be impacted by COVID-19. This meant our ‘Ask us to buy it’ service was put on hold while we worked through the effects of these challenges. We have taken the opportunity while the service has been on hold to evaluate it and make some improvements.  Our online request form has been re-developed to make it a more streamlined experience. Thank you for your patience as we have worked through these challenges, and we look forward to receiving your valued suggestions for our collections once more.  Visit the 'Ask us to buy it' request form .