Aotea College

21,630 pages read and 1,256 team points

Team members

JMY

2,813 pts

(2,613 pages read)

Last One Out

By Jane Harper

5 stars

Without contest, Jane Harper is my favourite crime writer. The way she builds such an authentic picture of community and relationships alongside the mystery itself is exceptional. I like this one the most out of all her standalone novels so far, with only the Aaron Falk trilogy and its longer character development arc rating higher.
Taniwha

By Gavin Bishop

3 stars

Beautiful illustrations. The stories are pretty barebones, but I wouldn't say this is just for kids. A good starting point if you are interested in pūrākau about taniwha, as it will provide you with names and places to research further.
Ten Acceptable Acts of Arson

By Jack Remiel Cottrell

4 stars

My third summer in a row re-reading this. It's still very, very good.
The Rose Field (The Book of Dust #3)

By Philip Pullman

4 stars

I'm at more of a 4.5 with this one. I think the conclusion is a little heavy-handed in its themes, and there are a number of "loose threads" that aren't tied up. However, I think the scale of the journey and the sheer number of people that we meet and are involved in this book and the last means I am okay with not everything being tied up neatly. There are complex and wide-reaching changes happening in these worlds, and not everyone in the story has reached their individual conclusion when the pages run out. Feels real.
The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust #2)

By Philip Pullman

5 stars

Even better than the first! Intriguing, more grounded plot, even though it is still set in a fantasy world. Can't wait to read the third.
La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust #1)

By Philip Pullman

4 stars

The first book in the follow-up trilogy to the "His Dark Materials" books. I really liked the darker tone that this book has; it felt like less averting the gaze of the reader from the harsher moments and themes. The flood as a framing device works wonderfully, with the build-up and then the release, and the changing blend of magic and alternative reality is done well.
Orbital

By Samantha Harvey

4 stars

An interesting discussion to be had about how much of a certain type of prose is "enough" to get the point. In reading reviews after I'd finished, a lot of people seem to be put off by the way the listed observations of the Earth repeat and blend into one another. I, personally, really enjoyed it, and felt like that was the point; the orbiting of the Earth is a metaphor for how our minds churn and circle around, even in the most foreign contexts.

25 - 0 - 1

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Aotea College

21,630 pages read and 1,256 team points

Team members

Mferris

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JMY

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JMY

Last One Out

Taniwha

Ten Acceptable Acts of Arson

The Rose Field (The Book of Dust #3)

The Secret Commonwealth (The Book of Dust #2)

La Belle Sauvage (The Book of Dust #1)

Orbital

Aotea College

21,630 pages read and 1,256 team points

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