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

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

Beth is delighted to have the new Vera Stanhope, The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves, book number ten in the popular series. We talk about other new books and then discuss the State Funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth.

Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

Lord Jellicoe was a hero of the First World War and Governor-General of New Zealand afterwards. Christine talks about his career in the Royal Navy. We also have new books to discuss.

Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz

A lot of legions and folktales have sprung up around the frontiers of early America. Christine and Beth try and shed light on the truth of the careers of three much mythicised men Daniel Boone, Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie as well as reviewing some of the new books at the Athenaeum Library.

Broadcast on OAR 105.4FM Dunedin oar.org.nz