Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

We talk with romance enthusiasts Jordon and Nell about romance novels. They discus Ali Hazelwood, Emily Henry, Rachel Reid and collaborators Eden Finley and Saxon James. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Athenaeum Library starts their first poetry section thanks to the generous donation by Sir Vincent O'Sullivan's family. We discus poets, Jack Underwood, James Tate, Rachael Long. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

This week Holly and Bella talk about Historical Fiction Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Chat about Emily Perkins & Saraid D Silver - NZ Authors Emily Perkins & Saraid D Silver. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

A conversation about Irish fiction writers. Featuring John Boyne, Sally Rooney, Oisín McKenna and Megan Nolan. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

The Last Wireless Books show. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Guest Gareth West comes in for a chat about archival and library work. We discuss what we're reading and play a poem by Raymond Antrobus. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Holly & Bella Chat Books - The Athenaeum's new librarian Holly Fletcher speaks with Bella King, about writers Sinéad Gleeson, Laureen Groff, Louise Erdich and Ottessa Moshfegh. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Hello Holly - It is a time of change at the Athenaeum. Christine has retired and we have a lovely new librarian Holly Flecther. In todays show we introduced Holly and talk a little about her background and of course we have new books to talk about. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Even more St Kilda - We return to St Kilda's past where the fear of being inundated by the sea did not put people off removing sand from the sand dunes. We call them Karens' but they were just busy bodies back then and we have some examples as well as odd financial dealings that would have Rate Payers Groups hopping mad today. Also new book reviews. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Censorship at the Athenaeum - One of our members took out an old Ken Follett and when she brought it back she said 'what's the story with the missing pages?' and she showed me that six pages were missing. So Rosalie the librarian before me had censored this book. I was able to uncover some of the story behind this and share it with our listeners. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

More St Kilda - We have a host of new books. Christine provides an update on our favourite ancient Greek Aeschylus and tells us more about the borough of St Kilda. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

History of St Kilda - Not that long ago Dunedin was a compact city surrounded by independent Boroughs one of the last of which was St Kilda. Something reminded Christine that people living in St Kilda had to pay a non-residents fee to borrow books from the Dunedin City Library and in trying to research that she stumbled upon lots of other interesting information about the creation of St Kilda. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Maids of Honour - Beth is back on deck hitting all the buttons at the right time (sort of) and Christine is very happy to see her. We have new books and old-time tips on economical ways to keep your leather shoes in tip top shape. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Books, books, books - The Athenaeum Library reopens on Monday the 29th of January and Christine runs through some of the great new books you can borrow then. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Books for Christmas - It's starting to look a lot like Christmas and one of the great Athenaeum Christmas traditions is being about to take a double lot of books over the summer break and Christine is busy buying up new books to meet the demand. In todays episode she reviews some of the new books.

Randolph Churchill - Randolph was the only son of Sir Winston Churchill (Britain's war time prime minister) and famous for his volcanic tempter. The Athenaeum has a biography written by his cousin Anita Leslie in the collection and Christine shares some of the funnier stories contained in it. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

The Dangers of Lawn Tennis - A hundred years ago people were worried that women were ruining their figures by playing lawn tennis becoming lean, tough and unattractive. But here in the present we have new books to talk about. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Waving Ghost - A recent haunting in Dunedin turned out to be much less spooky than it originally appeared. The police were called and soon got to the bottom of it. Christine has all the details as well as lots of new books to review. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Suffragette City - New Zealand women have been able to vote for 130 years now. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Goodbye Durham Town - Christine and Beth are sorry to hear of the death of Roger Whittaker. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

A Real Who Dunnit! Theft at the British Museum - The thefts from the British Museum that are hitting the headlines have not been the first ones from the museum in recent years. Christine lists some incredible security failures. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

By Dickens! - Barbara Kingsolver's novel Demon Copperhead was modeled on David Copperfield by Charles Dickens and when Christine mentions this Beth reveals a surprising amount of knowledge about the great man's ten children. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

New Books - So many books to talk about, they make up most of the show. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

A Stack of Books - The Athenaeum was lucky enough to have a stack of books donated to us in the last week so Christine's rundown of new books is longer than usual this episode. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

The History of the Mountain of Light - The Mountain of Light is the Koh-i-noor one of the world's biggest diamonds. Christine gives a very quick run through it's complicated history to explain how India, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and the Taliban all feel they have a claim for it's return from the British government. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Still No Beth - Beth is back from her holiday in Vanuatu but the change in temperatures has left her with a nasty cold, so we made her stay home and once again Christine is flying solo. Get well soon Beth is all we can say. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

The One Without Beth - Beth is off on an Island holiday and Christine is left holding the fort. We have reviews of some cracking new books and to save Christine's voice some musical interludes. Hiawatha by Look Blue Go Purple - Christine outlines some of the inspiration and plot of The Song of Hiawatha the epic poem by Longfellow that inspired the song. We finish with Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush other song inspired by a literary work. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Who stole the Governor General's Head Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

The Last of the Book Sale - Thomas A Watson the assistant of Alexander Graham Bell did more than help Bell invent the telephone, Christine explains why he is interesting in his own right and then we talk about the last batch of books from last month's Regent Book Sale. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

More Treasures from the Regent Book Sale - Christine got a heck of a lot of books at the Regent Book Sale and here are quick reviews of more of them. Also we talk about the strange case of the Russian Princess travelling by train in the South Island a 100 years ago whose fondness for whisky caught the attention of the justice system and the press. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Goodies from the Book Sale - Christine made it to the Regent Book Sale last week and she came laden with some of her selections. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Christine Won't Shut Up. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Christine ruins everything! Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

The Act of Oblivion - The Stuart Kings of England are back in fashion again with two new books featuring them - Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris and Dawnlands by Philippa Gregory but that's not the only new books that Christine and Beth talk about. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Last year Christine talked a little about the life and career of A A Milne and now she returns with more information about the man who did much more than write about his child's adventures with his stuffed toys. We also have reviews of the latest books to join the Athenaeum's shelves. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

In what has become a New Year's tradition we mark the changing of the year with music. This year all the picks are Beth's and she has gone full Diva Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Christmas is close and we return to our Christmas tradition of non-stop Christmas Songs - this year they all have a country flavour including Country Christmas by Loretta Lynn the long time Queen of country music and New Zealand's own country star John Hore, both who died recently. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

A A Milne is best known now days as the writer of children's stories about Pooh Bear but he had an enormously successful career as a writer for adults. Christine shares some details of his life including that he wrote a very popular series of skits for Punch magazine called Rabbits about the doings of the bright young things of Edwardian London. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Able Seacat Simon - A dockside kitten stowed away to sea on the HMS Amethyst and for a brief time was the most famous cat in the world when his courage under fire and ratting abilities helped his crew through a difficult incident. Christine and Beth share his story and information about the Athenaeums new books. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

This time of year Christine is taken by surprise by Halloween, The Melbourne Cup and Guy Fawkes night in quick succession. She admits she keeps forgetting about them because she doesn't celebrate any of them - Beth of course is horrified by her lack of party spirit. They both agree that there are some crackers amongst the Athenaeum's new books. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

The first European settlers of Dunedin wanted it to be an Antipodean Arcadia but their own actions made that difficult. We tend to think of Dunedin as it is today but of course the settlers almost immediately set about changing the shore line and removing inconvenient hills. We talk about instances of this as well as reviewing new books. Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz