Wireless Books

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? - Good old Lord Jellicoe was back in the news a 100 years ago when some wag in the Cromwell pub stole the impressive 15-point stags head he had bagged on a deer-stalking expedition to Wanaka. We also have new books to discuss. 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