Botany Downs Secondary College

39,513 pages read and 3,945 team points

Team members

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34,874 pts

(24,436 pages read)

The Silence of Snow

By Eileen Merriman

5 stars

Reread this book by my favorite NZ writer, Eileen Merriman, a doctor at North Shore hospital. Deals with addiction and self harm.
Brotherless Night

By V. V. Ganeshananthan

4 stars

Recommended by a colleague, the book provides insights of life in Sri Lanka during the 80s both under the LTTE and the Indian peacekeeping force.
Exit. 45

By Ben Sanders

3 stars

Crime thriller. Ok.
Tangi

By Witi Ihimaera

4 stars

An interesting take on returning to one's roots and family relationships.
The Titanic secret

By Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul

3 stars

A mystery surrounding a rare mineral linked to the Titanic.
Ghosts of Parihaka

By David Hair

2 stars

YA fiction, fantasy.
Hell West of the Pecos

By V. J. Rose

3 stars

Western adventure tale. Ok.
Bonds of Beauty and Love

By Mikayla Everitt

2 stars

Dark fantasy/romance. Didn't enjoy it much.
Come to kill

By Wendy Wilson

3 stars

Can Sargeant Frank keep his family safe from contracted killers bent on wiping them out? A mystery thriller set here in New Zealand.
The engagement party

By Darby Kane

4 stars

Mystery at its best. At an exclusive party, a corpse is found in the boot of a car. The guests are haunted by the death of a college mate more than a decade ago.
Those people next door

By Kia Abdullah

4 stars

Set in Blenheim, a migrant family stands up to their racist neighbors.
All day at the movies

By Fiona Kidman

4 stars

A glimpse into New Zealand's history told through the fictional story of a widow and her descendants settling here for a better life.
Under a riviera moon

By Helen McGinn

3 stars

Romance set in Paris. Heartbroken Maggie learns about her grandmother's love interest in the swinging sixties and is inspired to give love another chance.
Murder island

By James Patterson and Brian Sitts

4 stars

Suspense thriller. Fast paced. An idyllic island turns out to bring anything but peace and solitude to the professor and his partner.
You're so vine

By Catherine Robertson

3 stars

Romance, starts off one-sided but love blossoms along the way.
The favorites

By Rosemary hennigan

4 stars

The book starts off well but the plot loses interest along the way. Jessie enrols at university in a bid to take down the lecturer she feels is responsible for her sister's death.
The Berlin sisters

By Soraya Lane

4 stars

The Muller family are loyal Nazi supporters. Till the daughters realize they have been brainwashed and decide to work underground for the resistance. Will they be successful?
Snowy and the seven doves

By Jude Knight

3 stars

Romance. Quick read.
The Murder Inn

By James Patterson and Candice Fox

4 stars

Suspense thriller.
Shipwreck at the bottom of the world

By Jennifer Armstrong

3 stars

Historical recount of Ernest Shackleton's maiden voyage to Antarctica and the sinking of his ship, the Endurance.
No Plan B

By Lee Child and Andrew Child

4 stars

A Jack Reacher thriller. Good read.
Better left dead

By Catherine Lea

4 stars

Crime thriller set in Northland.
She Lies Hidden

By C. M. Stephenson

4 stars

The remains of Detective Thomasine's teenage sister, who went missing ages ago, are found. Turns out some other girls went missing too. Psychological thriller. Enjoyed it!
Unfortunately yours

By Tessa Bailey

3 stars

Romantic comedy. A marriage of convenience set in the Napa valley vineyards. Ok
The Bone Code

By Kathy Reichs

4 stars

Written by the producer of the TV series, Bones, this novel did not disappoint. Forensic anthropologist, Tempe, struggles to identify the remains of two highly decomposed bodies.
The Royal Daughter

By Soraya Lane

4 stars

A romance set on a Greek island. Upon the closing down of a home for unmarried mums, Ella inherits a dated photo of a mum and baby. Who are these people and where are they now?
Coffin Island

By Kate Ellis

4 stars

Good read, good plot but a bit long winded. A storm erodes part of an ancient church graveyard leading to the discovery of recently buried corpse.
Trifecta

By Ian Wedde

3 stars

The story is told through the lives of three siblings, one favored more than the others. Passable.
Lady in the Lake

By Laura Lippman

4 stars

Crime thriller. A greatly decomposed body is found in a lake. Is the body that of a long missing mum?
The Colour of our Country: the Lucky Years

By John Sargeant

3 stars

Set after the second world war. Passable.
Embrace the chicken

By Mahtab Narsimhan

4 stars

A great story about a migrant family. Set in Canada, it revolves around children's conflicts and settling in a new country. Suitable for intermediate students.
Shifting Colours

By Fiona Sussman

4 stars

A novel about finding one's roots. A South African child is adopted out to a family in the UK. But she decides she doesn't really belong there.
Missing white woman

By Kellye Garrett

4 stars

A missing woman is found dead. But has someone assumed her identity or did she fake her own murder?
Tales of World War II

By Dr Hattie Hearn

3 stars

True short stories. Ok.
Hannah & Huia

By Charlotte Lobb

5 stars

Set in a mental health unit, two mothers, two generations apart, share the loss of their infant sons. A fantastic read.
The Fortunes of Jaded Women

By Carolyn Huynh

4 stars

The females in a Vietnamese family appear to be cursed in love. Can the current generation change their fate?
Murder over Gold

By Rose Pascoe

4 stars

Grace is on her honeymoon with her detective husband, when they get a chance to solve a cold case. Set in Clyde, in the South Island, just after the gold rush.
They Thought I was Dead

By Peter James

5 stars

A happily married woman suddenly disappears. Has her mysterious double life caught up with her? Enjoyed the suspense.
The Daughter's Promise

By Rose Pascoe

3 stars

Romance set against the aftermath of the French revolution. Quite a quick read.
Poor people with money

By Dominic Hoey

3 stars

A novel set in the depths of poverty in New Zealand.
Chasing the Dead

By Tim Weaver

4 stars

A grieving mum sees her son a year after she buried him. Is she chasing a ghost? Good read with suspense till the last chapter.
The No. 1 Lawyer

By James Patterson

4 stars

Crime thriller.
Out of bounds

By Beverly Naidoo

4 stars

A collection of short stories set in South Africa during different decades of apartheid
April Fool's Day

By Bryce Courtenay

5 stars

Compelling novel. The sad yet positive story of the author's son's short life. A necessary blood transfusion left him HIV positive at a time when knowledge of Aids was limited.
Further under the Duvet

By Marian Keyes

4 stars

Funny, but relatable light read.
Straight Up

By Ruby Tui

4 stars

Ever since I came across an extract of this autobiography in a CAA exam paper, I've been wanting to read this book. Did not disappoint.
Only two seats left!

By John Anderson

4 stars

The semi autobiography of the founder of Contiki. The ups and downs of running a business, especially one based on travel and adventure.
River Song

By Di Morrissey

3 stars

An Australian novel. Good story line, but a too long winded.
The Best New Zealand Fiction Volume 3

By Fiona Kidman

4 stars

A collection of short stories. My favorite was 'Julia' by Tina Shaw.
Careless people

By Sarah Wynn-Williams

3 stars

True story. Ok
Leave the world behind

By Rumaan Alam

2 stars

Passable
Light of the World

By James Lee Burke

4 stars

Alafair, a writer, interviews an evil murderer in prison, against the wishes of her father, a detective. The prisoner is killed in an accident, but years later it appears someone is out to get her.
The Adventures of Rusty

By Ruskin Bond

4 stars

From an author who grew up in the same town I once lived in, a delightful collection of adventures of Rusty, who makes his way to London to become a writer.
Deception

By Lesley Pearse

4 stars

Beautifully written novel. Janet is neglected and abused as a little girl, and develops different personas as defence mechanisms. It is only upon her death at seventy-five, that her daughters find out that their mother wasn't the person they knew.
The Taming of the Queen

By Philippa Gregory

4 stars

Historical fiction based on the life of Henry VIII's sixth and final wife, Kathryn Parr.
Nothing To Lose

By Lee Child

4 stars

A Jack Reacher thriller. Does not disappoint:)
Chelsey

By Chelsey Shannon

5 stars

Chelsey lost her mum to cancer soon after she started school. Her dad was accidently murdered just before she turned 14. This is a raw recount of Chelsey's early memories and the mechanisms she adopted to cope with the grief.
Five Strings

By Apirana Taylor

4 stars

Recommended by a colleague, I couldn't put the book down. Love story of Mack and Puti, each fighting their own demons.
to the is-land

By Janet Frame

4 stars

A vivid autobiographical recount of the author's early life.
A Perfect Life and other stories

By New House Publishers Ltd

4 stars

A Perfect Life was written by an ex-student when she was in Yr 11. The other short stories are great as well, especially, Sophie, by Merryn Patrick.
Under the Banner of Heaven

By Jon Krakauer

4 stars

Starting with the murders of Brenda Lafferty and her toddler by her brothers-in-law, a researched recount of the religious beliefs in Utah. An eye-opener into human behaviour for me.
The White Mouse

By Nancy Wake

4 stars

The true story of a young wife's bravery during the Second World War. Steeped in history and detailed descriptions.
The Keeper of Secrets

By Julie Thomas

4 stars

The novel starts off in Germany, with a musically gifted child violinist. Soon the Nazis and the Second World War arrive. The musical instruments and talents are lost. Will the following generations be able to retrieve the instruments, especially the violin?
Through My Eyes: Shaozhen

By Wai Chim

4 stars

Set in Henan, China during the drought in 2014, a schoolboy's journey into saving his family, friends and village. Highly recommended for Intermediate age students.
Archie and Friends: Endless Escapades

By Archie Comic Publications

5 stars

Light-hearted:) Who doesn't like Archie, Betty, Veronica and Jughead?
A Mistake

By Carl Shuker

4 stars

Fast paced, medical setting, interesting view of a female doctor's challenges in a Wellington hospital.
East

By Peri Hoskins

2 stars

Took me a long time to get through the novel, wasn't really compelling.
A Needle in the Heart

By Fiona Kidman

4 stars

Six short stories set across New Zealand. Mister Blue Satin, revolving around a court case, appealed to me the most.
Mellons Bay

By Suzanne Singleton

4 stars

Historical fiction set in East Auckland in the 19th century. Based on the experiences of the (Irish) Mellon family, the novel provides interesting glimpses of the Fencibles' lives.
Give Love a Chai

By Nanxi Wen

3 stars

Ok. Not really my cup of chai!
Love Strikes Twice

By Jill Barry

3 stars

Romance. Passable
The Journey of the Guardian Stone

By Michael Hart

4 stars

Set during the first world war, an unlikely romance between a Kiwi nurse and a Japanese soldier.
All That we Know

By Shilo Kino

4 stars
Zealandia The Dreadstones Grasp

By James Lovell

4 stars

Set in the Southern Alps, a magical fiction, suitable for pre-teens.
Yoko's Diary

By Kohji Hosokawa

5 stars

I thought this book would be the story of Yoko Ono's childhood. I was wrong. This is a fascinating read of a young girl's life, before it was cruelly snatched away by the Hiroshima bombing.
A Midsummer Night's Dream: A Graphic Novel

By William Shakespeare

4 stars

Would appeal to reluctant readers
How To Bee

By Bren MacDibble

4 stars

Easy read, will appeal to young teens.
Sherlock Holmes: Journeys By Train

By N. M. Scott

2 stars

Not really as exciting as I expected.
A Child Called It

By Dave Pelzer

3 stars

Well written and an easy to read book, but very raw and at times disturbing:(
The Widower's Lie

By J. A. Baker

4 stars

Suspense till the last page:)
The Wish

By Heather Morris

5 stars

A great read. Recommended for Reading Logs, Level 2/3 NCEA.
Mutuwhenua

By Patricia Grace

4 stars

13 - 0 - 1

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Botany Downs Secondary College

39,513 pages read and 3,945 team points

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