This is the moving story of a woman who, throughout her life, has refused to be defined by what others think she can or cannot do. Minnie Baragwanath was diagnosed, at the age of 15, with a congenital condition that left her legally blind. However, she did not meekly accept the limitations that blindness might have imposed on her: instead, she dug in her heels and set about improving not only her own life but also the lives of all New Zealanders with access needs. The dramatic events of Minnie’s life – losing her sight, being admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Japan at 19, becoming a television presenter, participating in the New York Marathon, surviving life-threatening illnesses, founding and leading innovative organisations, receiving prestigious awards (including the New Zealand Order of Merit) – are related in vivid detail. Minnie looks candidly at both her challenges and her triumphs, giving the reader the opportunity to share her exceptional experiences. This book has the potential to change our views of what ‘disability’ means. Minnie’s far-reaching ideas on how our society could be transformed – to everyone’s benefit – are not just intellectual speculations: they are based on her experiences and on those of the many people with disability with whom she has worked. There is a growing demand for information about ‘diversity and inclusion’. This book, with its keen insight into what it means to be in a meaningful relationship ‘with’ one another, and in particular how we as a society choose to relate to leaders and pioneers of a more progressive world, breaks new ground on those subjects.

This podcast is released weekly.
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Written By: Minnie Baragwanath
For more about Minnie go to www.minnieb.co.nz
Read By: Romy Hooper
Produced and Distributed by Audiobooks New Zealand
To make your audiobooks head to www.audiobooksnz.com

The Dragons of Malescia, is a six part fantasy adventure story for children from seven to seventy. Twelve-year-old Callam finds a stone of unusual thinness and colour. He tells his best friend Leisha, and together they try and find out more about it. They meet a museum professor, who behaves suspiciously and then an elderly couple who clearly know much about the stone and its history than they say. Is it a stone or could it be a scale of a mythical beast? To his horror Callam turns into a dragon at night. He tells Leisha and together begin their exciting adventures of magic, monsters and mystery.

​For further details about Simon Taylor, his audiobooks, books, broadcasts and storytelling at primary schools, see www.simontaylorstoryteller.com

Just search The Dragons of Malescia at your library service of choice.

Twelve short stories about eight year old Imogen and her best friend, Roari, a four metre tall dragon. Wonderfully narrated with voices for every character, in each story they meet a new friend, from Bluey the Penguin to Mr Kiwi. Each enchanting story is a combination of a fun tale with interesting facts for the children. Two of the stories include helping Father Christmas in different ways. For 3+ years of age.
Originally broadcast on ‘Suzy and Friends with Suzy Cato’, the award winner, for best children’s radio programme 2023 radio.
Author, narrator and recording studio, Simon Taylor. Copyright 2023 Simon Taylor. Editor Eileen Clews. Produced by Phil Yule - Voice Box. Sound effects from ‘FreeSound' - details of individual sound effects and license holders available on application.
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For further details about Simon Taylor, his audiobooks, books, broadcasts and storytelling at primary schools, see www.simontaylorstoryteller.com

Just search Imogen and Roari's Adventures at your library service of choice.

Being a Dad can be hard. Its not just the parenting but also balancing your other relationships, work, health and your life enjoyment.
Be the Dad has been written by father of five, Ferg Turnbull, full of the tips he has picked up on his parenting journey to help you find happiness and success in all areas of your family life.
Written in short, entertaining and easy to digest chapters Be The Dad is packed with practical tips in everyday language you can apply straight away to help your 'Dad' life.
Be The Dad is broken down into three categories: Parenting, Marriage Life and Personal Life which contain chapters on: device usage, finding a work/home balance, being on the same team with your spouse, being a great life coach for your kids and creating more time in your life.
Be The Dad has already helped many Dads, here is what a couple of the Dad say:
'Incredibly encouraging, real life stuff that's easy to apply' Ben, Father of two, Christchurch, New Zealand
'Saved me, my relationship and my kids from me losing my way as a man and a dad.
I have shared Be the Dad with so many people and hope it impacts them in such a way as it did me.' Brett, Father of four, Queensland, Australia
Be the Dad has already helped many dads with their parenting, relationships and mental health and well being, I'm sure it can help you and your family have a great quality of life!

Just search Be The Dad at your library service of choice.

This is the moving story of a woman who, throughout her life, has refused to be defined by what others think she can or cannot do. Minnie Baragwanath was diagnosed, at the age of 15, with a congenital condition that left her legally blind. However, she did not meekly accept the limitations that blindness might have imposed on her: instead, she dug in her heels and set about improving not only her own life but also the lives of all New Zealanders with access needs. The dramatic events of Minnie’s life – losing her sight, being admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Japan at 19, becoming a television presenter, participating in the New York Marathon, surviving life-threatening illnesses, founding and leading innovative organisations, receiving prestigious awards (including the New Zealand Order of Merit) – are related in vivid detail. Minnie looks candidly at both her challenges and her triumphs, giving the reader the opportunity to share her exceptional experiences. This book has the potential to change our views of what ‘disability’ means. Minnie’s far-reaching ideas on how our society could be transformed – to everyone’s benefit – are not just intellectual speculations: they are based on her experiences, and on those of the many people with disability with whom she has worked. There is a growing demand for information about ‘diversity and inclusion’. This book, with its keen insight into what it means to be in meaningful relationship ‘with’ one another, and in particular how we as a society choose to relate to leaders and pioneers of a more progressive world, breaks new ground on those subjects.

Just search Wealth Plan at your library service of choice.

Are you looking to achieve financial freedom? Does the idea of investing in property sound attractive but you don’t know where to begin? Andrew Nicol and Ed McKnight have the answers to:

• get you started on your investing journey
• structure your investments to ensure the best returns
• identify and amass the highest yielding properties
• achieve a portfolio of properties that you can live off

In this easy-to-read and practical guide, you’ll learn how investing
in property can achieve your financial goals at every stage of your
life — from buying your first home, to building a portfolio and into retirement. Full of helpful case studies, useful data and clearly articulated strategies, this is an indispensable read for anyone wanting to build a long-term Wealth Plan.

Just search Wealth Plan at your library service of choice.

How do you mend the broken, be it toasters, relationships or people? Julia once re-created broken objects to be better than before. However, a series of earthquakes triggered Julia’s descent into apathy and now she’s lost the will to repair anything, including herself. She’s going to a support group for help – Obsessives Associated. Each member has their own obsession to overcome – eating plasterboard, amassing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, brand-name tattoos. Finding a friend in Lynda, a doll-obsessed marathon runner, Julia feels as though she's finally on the mend until a dilemma fragments the group and threatens to break Julia all over again. Which glue repairs fractured humans?


Broken is Beautiful is a novel about breaking, mending and how to be friends across ideological divides.

*Just search Jane Shearer at your library service of choice.

If your life appears to be royally fucked from your drinking, it probably is. But the good news is Maree MacLean's books is a call to action not a death sentence. The No Bullshit Guide to Getting Sober challenges us to get more honest than we've ever been before about how and why we are fucking up our own lives.

The Pumping Entrepreneur is an honest, raw look into how one entrepreneur navigated becoming a mum, dealing with ‘pregism’, and running a business through some of the hardest times our world has ever experienced. In this sometimes heartbreaking, often funny, and always authentic book, Laura Heynike shares the ups, downs, and zig zags that she’s experienced while juggling pregnancy, birth, and motherhood with running a business.

*Just search Laura Heynike​ at your library service of choice.

Are you interested in living a more authentic and adventurous life? Would you like to be inspired by incredible outdoor adventures around New Zealand? Instead of making excuses for missing out, are you ready for experiences that will enrich your life? If so, this book is for you. You will be captivated by the ups and downs of real-life shared experiences of Adventurous Women on the Loose (AWOL), hiking up mountains, across golden sandy beaches and through spectacular bush, kayaking across idyllic fiords and busy harbours, exploring an active volcano, and so much more. In Going AWOL you will learn: • how being adventurous boosts our resilience for handling change, disruption and upheavals • when we step outside our comfort zone on stretch challenges, real growth happens • midlife transitions take longer than we think to recalibrate and become fully alive. Discover how being more courageous, choosing your own adventures and trying new experiences rebuild confidence and resilience to navigate through work and personal challenges. Mary Somervell is a transition guide, blogger and outdoor adventurer who lives in Nelson, New Zealand. Mary founded AWOL (Adventurous Women on the Loose) to share her passion for being active outdoors with other women. Including AWOL, she has organised over 70 different outdoor adventures around New Zealand.

Request your free AWOL guide: www.insideoutworks.co.nz/free-going-awol-guide

​A personal, intimate, memoir spanning 70 years, in three parts, describing my childhood in the UK and New Zealand, my 35 years as a New Zealand diplomat, and the hundreds of amazing individuals I met on the way, from farming folk to Kings, Queens and Presidents. Part One is the story of an English boy growing up on a farm in rural Devon and Somerset in an extended family, and then, aged 9, moving to rural New Zealand. It covers my school years, my year as a volunteer teacher, aged 17, at an all boys school, in the South Pacific Kingdom of Tonga and my year as a university student in a still divided Germany. Part Two describes my career as a junior, then senior, New Zealand diplomat, and my postings in Fiji, Canada, Geneva, Samoa, Germany and Singapore, the last three as Ambassador. Part Three argues that New Zealand should become a republic in the Commonwealth, with its own Head of State. It describes, too, my liberating journey from Anglicanism to freedom from any religion. I have aimed to tell the memoir with a sense of humour, humility and (for the most part) optimism!

*Just search Peter Hamilton at your library service of choice.