The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley – she’s of course the author of the Seven Sisters series, who sadly died last year. She was incredibly prolific and managed to write this one even whilst unwell. It’s a standalone story, not related to any other series, about the murder of a boy at a private school which the headmaster is very keen to call a tragic mistake but of course there’s a lot more to it than that. This is the one I still need to read – but expect it to be great storytelling, and I know her fans are terribly excited about its publication.  
Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor. There’s recently been an explosion of crime thrillers out of Australia – in the last 2–3 years there’s been a huge number published, many of them from previously unknown writers who are doing a great job and this is the first book from Hayley Scrivenor. It’s really good … set in a small Australian town on the wane where there’s an air of general hopelessness, and one day a 12-year-old girl doesn’t come home from school. We know right from the beginning where she ended up, but we don’t know who was responsible, or why. Two Sydney missing persons cops with their own issues are sent to the town to figure it out but one of the most interesting features of the story – to me, at least – is a kind of Greek chorus of the town’s children who have their own chapters (headed up, We) and who comment on the goings-on in the town, seeing things that the adults might not.

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This week is an interesting one as a new paper has come out on Lift Energy Storage Technology. 
Published in the journal Energy the researchers involved have come up with a new energy storage concept that could turn tall buildings into batteries! 
Building consumes around 40% of electricity worldwide, and while making them more efficient is one way to reduce this energy drain, there aren't many options (other than solar panels) that allow a building to generate its own electricity. 
In the research paper the researchers propose a new type of gravitational-based storage system which uses lifts and empty apartments in tall buildings to story energy. 
The concept is super simple – excess renewable energy can be stored as potential energy by using it to lift something heavy up to a height. This energy can then be released using gravity to drive a generator. 
The system proposed works by lifting wet sand containers (or other dense materials) in and out of a lift when the energy demands on a building are low. These containers will be transported autonomously using a robotic trailer. The advantage of the robot is that it can get out of the lift if a person wants to get in so it doesn't interfere with the function of the building, then catch an empty lift up later. 
The containers will then be brought back down in the lifts when the power need is high to help generate energy by converting potential energy to kinetic energy. This system would work in lifts that are installed with regenerative braking systems, of where there are over 18 million lifts like this worldwide. 
The great thing about this solution is that it's simple and doesn't require any new infrastructure as high-rise buildings already have lifts and are likely to have at least 1 room or corridor free close to the top of the building where the containers can be stored. 
With the right battery storage technology in the building, the LEST system could store lots of energy in the summer, then release its reserves gradually through the winter or when needed in a power cut. 
Dr Michelle Dickinson joined Francesca Rudkin. 
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Let's celebrate the Queen's Birthday. 
I have done some research and one of the Queen's favourite desserts is Bombe Alaska!  
So, this weekend let's party like the English and prepare a pretty cool dessert (get it, frozen) ice-cream dessert.  
We can run through the making of the all-important meringue and the final making up of the bombe.  
We served this dish at a function last week and it was such a cool old school memory. 
 
Italian meringue 
Cook time: 12 minutes 
Prep time: 30 minutes 
Serves: 10 
 
350gm sugar  
30gm liquid glucose  
80ml water  
6 egg whites 
 
Bring the sugar, glucose and water together in a pot up to the boil. Start whipping whites.  
You want the whites to be stiff, if this is reached before sugar is ready, turn mixer down to low speed to stabilize the whites until sugar is ready.  
When sugar reaches 120C take off the heat and slowly pour into whipping whites at a medium speed.  
Turn mixer up faster as the sugar blends in. (take care not to pour sugar onto beater as it will spin it around bowl and not into the whites)  
When all sugar is in, turn mixer to high and beat until cool and glossy.  
The end product should be extremely glossy and quite dense to touch. It should not be runny 
 
Queens Bombe Alaska 
Cook time: 10 minutes 
Prep time: 30 minutes 
Serves: 6 
 
Italian meringue  
Vanilla Ice-cream Rolled into balls and then refrozen  
 
Bomb sponge 
6 eggs  
pinch salt  
1 cup caster sugar  
1 tsp vanilla essence  
10 Tbsp flour  
2 tsp baking powder  
50 gm unsalted butter, melted 
 
To begin with make up the Italian meringue.  
Once made, it's time to make up the bombe, place the ice-cream onto of the round sponge. Pipe the meringue mixture around the ice-cream, layering up around the ice-cream.  
Take a blow torch and burn the outside of the meringue until well coloured or (turn the oven to grill and place the bomb’s up high and close to the element) pour a touch of brandy over the top before serving.  
 
For the sponge  
Beat eggs and salt. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until thick.  
Sift flour and baking powder together.  
Fold lightly into egg mixture. Fold in butter.  
Pour into greased 20cm tray Bake at 200 for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  
Turn out and cut into small discs. 
 
Mike’s website – goodfromscratch.co.nz

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In less than three weeks, on Friday 24 June, we will be celebrating another long weekend, our new public holiday to mark Matariki.  
A new children’s book, The Astromancer, has been released and tells the story of Matariki and the Māori lunar calendar.  
The book is written by the one and only, one of our most accomplished authors, Witi Ihimaera and illustrated by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White.  
Witi Ihimaera joined Francesca Rudkin. 
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Steve Newall, editor at flicks.co.nz, joined Francesca Rudkin to chat about Danish political drama Borgen and Taite Music Prize winner, Anthonie Tonnon. 
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Students at Yale University can take a class on how to increase their influence – and get this, it is the most popular course at the university's School of Management.  
The lecturer behind the course is behavioural scientist Dr Zoe Chance.  
Zoe’s wisdom has now been put into a book – Influence is your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Chance and making Good Things Happen.  
Dr Zoe Chance joined Francesca Rudkin from Connecticut. 
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There’s not much better than to whip out the family board games on a wintery long Queen’s birthday weekend.  
If you are anything like Francesca, your board game repertoire doesn’t go much past Monopoly and Cluedo … so we’re bringing in an expert to widen our horizons.  
This weekend mini-Wellycon is on.  
Wellycon is the biggest board game convention in New Zealand.  
Wellycon organiser and chairwoman Ceedee Doyle joined Francesca Rudkin. 
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On Monday, Francesca filled in for Kerre Woodham, she took talkback on the state of youth mental health – so many truly heart-breaking stories.  
So, it came as no surprise to read this week, that a survey found sixty per cent of people said New Zealand isn’t doing enough to improve the mental wellbeing of our children.  
Three-quarters of those surveyed had concerns children were at greater risk of mental health problems than previous generations.  
The survey was commissioned by Sir John Kirwan, who in response has launched a national campaign to expand his initiative Mitey into more primary schools.  
Sir John Kirwan joined Francesca Rudkin. 
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No Escape by Nury Turkel. This book is extraordinary – written by a man who was born in a Uyghur “re-education” camp during the Cultural Revolution, about the plight of the Uyghur people living in Xinjiang Province in Northwest China and much of it is simply unbelievable. 
The area has been turned into a huge open prison and while it’s believed there are around 3 million people living inside the actual camps, life’s not much better for those outside. China has set up the most repressive surveillance state the world has ever seen and there is constant monitoring and persecution of the inhabitants – who are labelled as potential religious extremists and a threat to the Communist Party’s authority. The book is full of first-hand accounts and interviews with Uyghur people who’ve managed to get out and it’s chilling – China denies it all of course but you read this and you know it has to be true. I’ve got loads of examples but will just give you this one: at 8am every Monday morning there’s a flag raising ceremony at which attendance is compulsory. The temperature can get to minus 40 but head coverings aren’t allowed because they could be a sign of religious devotion. They have an attendance booklet which needs to be stamped and if you go below 90%, you can be sent off to a re-education camp. 
  
The Improbable Life of Ricky Bird by Diane Connell. Fiction. Ricky Bird is a 12-year-old tomboy who escapes into stories when her real life is turned upside down. Her parents have divorced and she moves with her mother into a London council flat, where she draws unwanted attention from her mum’s new boyfriend. Meanwhile, her young brother Ollie has become terribly sick, and her mum is too distracted by the anxieties of that to notice what is happening to her daughter. It’s been recommended as a book for people who loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine – seems to fit right in there with the very, very long title genre! 
Joan MacKenzie joined Francesca Rudkin.
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Megan Singleton, bloggeratlarge.com, joined Francesca Rudkin on the current state of travel.
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