As another year draws to a close, we thought it would be fun to look at what some of our most-borrowed (and beloved) items were for 2021. The search has uncovered some surprises and confirmed what we already suspected – this list of adult non-fiction proves that we love a good mystery, we love a story of triumph, and that we love to cook. Starting with our most popular books at the top – here’s some inspiration for your reading list. They’ve got the public vote that they’re good!
10. Wild at Heart: The Dangers & Delights of a Nomadic Life, by Miriam Lancewood.
Miriam Lancewood’s first book Woman in the Wilderness told how she and her husband, Peter, lived for six years in the wilderness of New Zealand, hunting and gathering, and roaming the mountains like nomads. A year later they left New Zealand to explore other wild places.
9. Becoming, by Michelle Obama.
In a life filled with meaning and accomplishment, Michelle Obama has emerged as one of the most iconic and compelling women of our era. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private. A deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations.
8. A Richer You: How to Make the Most of Your Money, by Mary Holm.
Author and New Zealand’s financial expert on how to make your money work in the real world. We live in uncertain times. But this need not affect how you can make the most of your money.
7. 7 Ways, by Jamie Oliver.
Naked Chef television personality Jamie Oliver has looked at the top ingredients we buy week in, week out. We’re talking about those meal staples we pick up without thinking – chicken breasts, ground beef, eggs, potatoes, broccoli, mushrooms, and shares 7 achievable, exciting and tasty ways to cook 18 of our favorite ingredients.
6. The Cause of Death, by Cynric Temple-Camp.
Spontaneous combustion and exhumation, drug mules and devil-worshippers, a gruesome killing beneath the Palmerston North Airport control tower, a mysterious death in an historic homestead, rare diseases, drug-mules, devil-worshippers, a first-hand dissection of the infamous Mark Lundy case … provincial pathologist Dr Cynric Temple-Camp lifts the lid on the most unusual stories of death and murder he has encountered during his 30-year career
5. Bella: My Life in Food, by Annabel Langbein.
Annabel Langbein, New Zealand’s well-known food writer, writes about her remarkable life and how food has shaped it, highlighting some of the recipes that have resonated most strongly with her over the years.
4. Impossible: My Story, by Stan Walker.
Stan Walker speaks with startling honesty about abuse and addiction, hardship and excess, cancer and discrimination, and growing up in a family where love and violence were horribly entwined.
3. Supergood, by Chelsea Winter.
These plant-based recipes are 100% meat-free, egg-free and dairy-free with loads of gluten-free options to inspire every cook.
2. The Official New Zealand Road Code 2019/20: Including Licence and Study Guide.
Your guide to becoming a safe and responsible driver. The essential for all learner drivers!
1. The Quick and the Dead: True Stories of Life and Death from a New Zealand Pathologist, by Cynric Temple-Camp.
A dead body without a trace of trauma; alien parasites; worms of the brain; crocodile attacks; bizarre eating disorders and surgical puzzles. Pathologist, former medical officer and self-confessed death-aficionado Cynric Temple-Camp’s compelling stories will leave you with a new lease on life, as he seeks answers to the questions posed by disease and death.
If any of these books catch your fancy, you can click on the linked title to go to our website, which will then show all of the formats of your chosen book. Many of our books are available in a digital format as well as a physical book, so even if the physical book is on loan, you’re away on holiday or the Library is closed for the festive season, you can still borrow or reserve a copy for the hottest books your Library has on offer.
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