CK Stead
One of New Zealand's most famous writers is CK Stead who has written widely, including novels, poetry and short stories. His name is Christian Karlson Stead but he is always known as CK Stead.
If you haven't yet read any of his work, you have plenty of treats in store. You could try any one of the following and get yourself a really good book:
The Singing Whakapapa
The Secret History of Modernism
Mansfield
Sister Hollywood
All Visitors Ashore
Come on into the shop and buy yourself a copy or two - or have a look on line and order on the website.
Renee
Over the next couple of days, we're going to recommend a few New Zealand authors in case you haven't heard of them and have missed out on the chance of a good read
Renee is a New Zealand author who is published only under her first name but her full name is Renee Taylor. She was born in Napier in 1929. She has written quite a number of plays and novels.
Why not try Kissing Shadows to start with? And then if you like her books, you could try The Skeleton Woman or Finding Ruth (must be good with that name in the title).
e e cummings
Fans of American poet E E Cummings will be interested in this unusual book.
EE Cummings: Poems 1905-1962
An Authorised Typewriter Edition of 770 Collected, 45 Uncollected and 20 Unpublished Poems recreated from the Poet's Manuscripts with Bibliographical & Textual Notes by George Firmage.
This is a limited numbered edition published by The Marchim Press Ltd in 1973. It's a small quarto, half bound with green leather spine & board fore-edges. There is gilt title lettering to the spine and the boards are textured orange cloth. You have to have this volume if you are a cummings fan.
neither could say
(it comes so slow
not since not why)
both didn't know
exeunt they
(not false not true
not you not I)
it comes so who
Yoga
Imprpove your balance, flexibility, strength and mental well being - take up yoga. Why not try Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga?
Ashtanga Yoga: Practice and Philospohy
by Gregor Maehle
This book goes through the history of yoga, the fundamentals of breathing, bandhas, drishti, vinyasa and yoga terminology. The postures are clearly illustrated and come with instructions and practical tips. There is information on the philosophy and mythology of Yoga Sutra.
Whether you're just starting out or actually teaching yoga, this is an invaluable resource.
For those who prefer cars to motorcycles
Paolo Altiere & Marco Matteucci (Eds)
Everything you could possibly want to know about the fabulous Alpha Romeo, its history, its technical specifications, its huge array of models, its racing successes and its superb mechanics and designers is in here. And it is accompanied by a massive selection of photographs.
This is a beautiful two-volume set in a matching slipcase. There are two large quarto volumes with red boards and red dust jackets and the slipcase is red with green four-leaf clover motif. The text is in English, French and Italian so you get the added bonus of brushing up on your languages while perusing.
The Indian
The Indian: The History of a Classic American Motorcycle by Tod Rafferty
For all motorbike fans, this is a beautiful book with superb illustrations featuring the Indian Motorcycle COmpany. These days it's hard to believe that it was miles more successful than Harley Davidson in the past.
This is a history of the company, its racing successes, its manufacturing dominance, its beautifully built machines, and the sheer magic of the Indian name.
Feast your eyes on a huge range of models, including of course Burt Munro's famous Bonneville world record bike. Get a copy for yourself or a motorcycle enthusiast friend.
Margaret Atwood
Moral Disorder
Bluebeard's Egg
The Handmaid's Tale
The Blind Assassin
Oryx and Crake
Alias Grace
Cat's Eye
The Heart Goes Last
That's just a few. She's a very prolific writer not only of novels but also of short stories and poetry and she has also written quite a wide variety of non-fiction. See you in the shop,
Calligraphy
Perhaps you aren't keen on the idea of making leadlight windows as a hobby. Why not start with something less daunting such as calligraphy.
It is an art that you can learn from a book (of course). Once you get a bit of practice under your belt, you can do all sorts of jobs for your friends and family: wedding invitations, party invites, logos, announcements, graphic design, inscriptions, certificates, labels and annotation for maps.
The results can be really beautiful and the practising of the lettering can be therapeutic as well. COme on in and get a book to get you started.
