THE GROOVE BOOK REPORT

  We were promised a tell-all book. A hard-hitting deep dive into the family that spawned the Frankenstein's monster that currently sits behind the Resolute Desk at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Donald Trump's niece, Mary L Trump felt so compelled to write this, that she couldn't hold back any longer. The Trump legacy, starting with her grandfather, Fred Trump, was so poisonous and the venomous bloodline so deadly that her hand was inevitably forced. At least that's how it appears.  "In order to understand what brought Donald - and all of us," she writes, "to this point, we need to start with my grandfather and his own need for recognition, a need that propelled him to encourage Donald's reckless hyperbole and unearned confidence that hid Donald's pathological weakness and insecurities." Put simply: she blames the creation of the world's biggest arsehole on his father, her grandfather, the son of a German immigrant, Fred Trump! This is a man ...

https://covid19.govt.nz

Today (22/08/2020) is World Poetry Day and what better way to recognize it than with a piece written and filmed and starring Kiwi-born Welsh poet Tomos Roberts (aka Probably Tomfoolery).  His YouTube clip,  The Great Realisation,  has captured the imagination of millions of people around the globe. This came out back in May and has now been turned into a book. You can read more or order it here:  https://www.probablytomfoolery.com It's a fairytale-esque rhyme detailing the grim realities of pre-Covid life, such as pollution and over-consumption, before imagining a brighter future once the pandemic is over. Roberts said, in an interview in May, that before the lockdown he was working as a filmmaker, mainly filming and editing videos for corporate clients for advertisements. When the Covid-19 hit that work dried up. He began homeschooling his younger brother and sister as his parents and older sister were working in UK hospitals. That gave him more free ti...

We begin our virtual fantasy tour of some of the best libraries in the world. Some are big, some grand and some small and humble.  We love them all.  The  Rijksmuseum Research Library  is the largest public  art history   research library  in the  Netherlands . The library is part of the  Rijksmuseum  in  Amsterdam . The profile of the library collection parallels that of the museum. The online catalog contains over 400,000 monographs, 3,400 periodicals and 90,000 art sales catalogs. About 50,000 art sales catalogs published before 1989 are not yet entered in the online catalog. The collection grows, on average, by 10,000 books, auction catalogs, and periodicals every year.  Now that is a phenomenal collection. Check out more at:  https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/en

A striking historical novel about an ordinary young British woman sent to uncover a network of spies and war criminals in post-war Germany that will appeal to fans of The Huntress and Transcription but also to fans of TV series The Bletchley Circle .  World War II has just ended.  Germany is decimated, especially major cities. The Allies, led by Britain  has established a new organisation to rebuild the country, called the Control Commission for Germany.  The Commission oversees the UK zone of the occupation.  To build up education, medical and other core services, following the extensive bombing, The Control Commission hires British civilians, who will work alongside 'trusted' Germans to rebuild the shattered nation, and to find and and prosecute war criminals.  They must be able to work with the locals and rat out the Nazis and sympathizers.   Enter Edith Graham, a somewhat aimless individual., hungry for adventure.  She's bored with comfo...

Recent New Zealand Poet Laureate Selina Tusitala Marsh’s first book for children has been judged the supreme winner at the 2020 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.   Mophead  was awarded the highest prize in children’s publishing   – The Margaret Mahy Book of the Year   – during a virtual presentation this evening to celebrate this year’s awards. The judges said  Mophead  is “clever, joyful and inspiring, with not a smidgen of pretension or condescension”. They went as far as calling the book “perfect” – describing it as a taonga that should be placed in the hands of every child in Aotearoa, especially young Pasifika children who might not yet know their own creative power.   “We love this book’s design and production. We love that it’s part picture book, part graphic novel, part memoir, part poem – its form is exactly what it wants and needs to be, which is the message of the book too,” says convener  of judges Jane Arthur. Mop...

 We understand, due to a recent Covid-19 Outbreak in Auckland that this has now been postponed. https://www.vicbooks.co.nz/whats-on/pandemics-animals-us

An egg in the garden. An egg on the path. An egg in a shoe. An egg in the bath. 'Cluck, cluck! Wonderful me! Cackle, cackle! My eggs are free!' Young Nelson despairs that his hen won’t lay her eggs in his henhouse, so decides to lock her in until she lays in the nest. But Omeletta is a stubborn creature and refuses to lay any eggs at all until she is freed. I love this book.  A real expression of of nature over will!  Writer Janelle Wilkey creates a story that explains to children how the animal world actually works.  That animals will choose where to lay, or sit or behave.  This is a reality for anyone on a farm but for us 'townies' we'd often think animals will bend to out will.  This is a story that gently reminds us that nature and the animal kingdom have different agendas to us and sometimes, we need to accept that.  It's a simple story, illustrated well.  not much else to say.  A book worth buying if you want to introduce your children ...

When Golriz Ghahraman was nine years old she and her parents were forced to flee their home in Iran. In Know Your Place , Golriz offers a moving, honest depiction of seeking asylum, making a home in Aotearoa, and becoming the first refugee to be elected to the New Zealand Parliament. Join Susie Ferguson (RNZ) and Golriz for a conversation about this extraordinary journey.  About Golriz Golriz Ghahraman made history as the first refugee to be sworn in as a member of New Zealand’s parliament in 2017. Iranian-born, Golriz arrived in New Zealand with her parents seeking asylum as a child. She studied human rights law at Oxford and has practiced as a lawyer in New Zealand and for United Nations tribunals in Africa, The Hague, and Cambodia.  As part of this event, Verb are offering a pre-ordered, discounted, signed copy of Know Your Place, by Golriz Ghahraman, which can be collected on the night of the event (this can be purchased when you buy tickets, or directly through Vic Books ...

We're keeping in touch with the Council team who are running the engagement campaign to gather views on what we should do about Central Library.  Here''s how to get your thoughts on the project:  The Central Library plays a key role in our city’s social, physical, and civic heart. We want to hear everyone’s views on how to make it safe, and set the service up so it can continue to support Wellington’s growing and diverse communities for the next 50 years.   Wellington City Council has released a Statement of Proposal outlining the issues with the building, the practicable options available, and the factors they were assessed against to help people in making their decision. We will also be running events at our libraries; the Planning for Growth information kiosk and online over the coming weeks – so we encourage people to join us and ask questions. The Statement of Proposal outlines five options for retaining a Central Library service in Te Ngākau Civic Precinct. Three op...

Last week Danyl Mclauchlan interviewed former leader of the National Party, Simon Bridges. It was a highly entertaining, revealing conversation in a packed-out pub. If you missed it you can  watch online here  and read Toby Manhire's (The Spinoff)  write up here . The next in the series will be hosted by Morgan Godfery who will talk with Debbie Ngawera-Packer about key election issues facing Māori in 2020.  Save the date! Wednesday 26 August, 6pm at Meow. Tickets will be on sale from our website by 7 August (Verb Community members receive a complimentary ticket. You can join us for these benefits and more over on  The Verb website ). Politics in Pubs is made possible by The Spinoff Members and the Verb Community.