Arrowtown book buyer Miranda Spary continues her regular column about her recommendations for a good read and life as she sees it ...
Thanks for all the emails this week. I've been prodded about several subjects. The first, of course, is that I forgot to mention some of the other great new businesses that have opened recently: Lululemon (for the yoga nuts and other stretchy, sweaty types), Fergbaker (for the pie and pastry people, maybe they should swap customers with each other) and the new Gibbston pub.
They all sound terrific and now that I know they are here, I am going to have difficulty ignoring them.
The one I have found impossible to ignore is Holly Hargreaves' Somebody's Darling, behind Provisions in Arrowtown.
The much-loved Millers Flat church has now settled in Romans Lane, where Holly has turned it into a studio and selling gallery for her own and other clever people's creations.
It's sensational.
I'm definitely ignoring the emails I got about how to contact my streaker.
It is perfectly acceptable for silly old bats like me to pretend they want naked young men to find them irresistible, but it is only fun if it remains imaginary.
It would be very stressful going to a public event with a darling who felt the need to rip his gear off and run around.
I am very happy to stick with my own darling who is perhaps a little portlier and pastier than the streaker, but also totally streak-resistant.
A big crowd of us ended up at Dorothy Brown's last week to see Bill Cunningham, New York.
I was keen to see it, because everyone I knew who had seen it had seen it twice, or was planning to.
Bill Cunningham is an octogenarian who photographs styles and trends he sees on the streets and at society events and from that creates his "must read" pages in the New York Times.
You don't need to have any interest in style or fashion to love this film. He's the quirkiest man and the most unlikely person to be doing the job he does.
His life philosophy is so different and appealing. When he received the French Legion of Honour for his work, there probably wasn't a dry eye in the house, especially when he summed up his "Franglish" acceptance speech with "those who seek beauty will always find it".
It's a terrific snapshot of a most unusual, totally unassuming genius who adores what he does, does it brilliantly and is adored by everyone with whom he comes into contact (which seems to be everyone in the world).
And someone else hugely adored is Sophie Newbold.
This brave and cheery girl, who was the CureKids ambassador here for such a long time, just turned 17.
Happy birthday Sophie - your very proud godfather emailed me to let me know.
The third subject (I've only had four emails on this but I want lots more) is books for men and older teenage boys, especially those men and boys who are reluctant to read.
Get your thinking caps on and send me more suggestions.
Please.
I am in heaven at the moment because all the Maggie Gee titles I ordered have arrived.
I didn't know she was such a prolific writer and because I had loved her My Cleaner and My Driver, I couldn't wait to get stuck into another book of hers.
After much happy dithering I chose The White Family.
These three books all look at the issues of immigration and racism in Britain, but where the first two were written in a very lighthearted way, The White Family is much angrier.
Alfred White is a park-keeper who doesn't just love being an authoritarian at work, but also at home.
None of his adult children like him much, but when he has a stroke they come to visit.
It's an uncomfortable read, but an important one, especially for us here in our lovely town where we have so many new residents from all corners of the globe.
I'm glad we like our newcomers more than Alfred White likes his.
We're smart.
Lastly, Cath Hanna has persuaded Afife Harris, who has that great Lebanese food stall at Dunedin Farmers Market, to come and do a cooking course this Sunday.
Call Cath at Motogrill if you are interested.
