Hastings Girls' High School, Ngā Rau Huia o Ākina

63,804 pages read and 5,661 team points

Team members

Max

3,239 pts

(2,544 pages read)

In Order to Live

By Yeonmi Park

5 stars

Wow, a harrowing memoir from a 21 year old defector from North Korea. Growing up under oppressive dictatorship, escaping to China through human trafficking and again across the dessert into South Korea, this is a story about survival. An amazing, inspiring read that still sits with you long after you have finished it.
Lecretia's Choice

By Matt Vickers

3 stars

Matt Vickers writes this biography in the form of a powerful love story and account of his wife Lecretia Seales fight to change the law in New Zealand to enable assisted dying. Lecretia was a fiercely independent, talented and tenacious young lawyer who after being diagnosed with a terinal brain tumour had to confront her own mortality. She wanted to die on her terms in a dignified way without suffering, mounting a challenge to the NZ High Court in order to change the law. Although Lecrectia was unsuccessful in her challenge and passed away in 2015, her journey and story was monumental in highlighting the issue of medical assisted euthanasia in NZ which makes it a must read. A personal and thought provoking read.
Lessons in Life

By Julie Houston

3 stars

A warm, uplifting comfort novel which is great for a holiday read. Set in a small English village in Yorshire, Lessons in Life follows the lives of a mother and her three daughters as they navigate life and relationships. Lovely and relatable characters that make you invested in their story with just the right amount of romance and humour.
The Art of a Lie

By Laura Shepherd-Robinson

5 stars

A clever and masterfully written historical thriller, set in England in the 1800's about a wife with a dead husband, a fortune hunting con-man and a magistrate who is investigating mysterious funds. This book is a joy to read with a tale and plot that will keep you captivated right until the last page wondering who is going to come out on top. The best thing I have read in ages.
The Well-Trained Wife

By Tia Levens

3 stars

A fascinating and harrowing memoir, narrated by the author about her life growing up and marrying within a fundamentalist, patriachial Christian religion in the USA. Tia Levings recounts her life in detail - a life of a wife who is regarded as a 'utensil' -expected to obey, be submissive and godly and a marriage where the husband is the head of the household and is charged with physically disciplining his wife as she cooks, cleans and home schools the children. After finally escaping with her four children, Tia documents her journey as she unpacks the years of brainwashing, abuse and trauma to rediscover her own identity and voice.
The Girl I Used to Know

By Faith Hogan

4 stars

A lovely, heart warming novel about two acromonious neighbours, unhappy in their lives who become unlikely friends. We follow their journey from unhappy older women who rediscover themselves and make changes in their lives to find joy and happiness.
Adventures with Emilie

By Victoria Bruce

4 stars

An autobiography about a woman who quits her corporate job in 2021 and packs up her life to travel the 3000 kilometre Te Araroa Trail in NZ with her seven year-old daughter. Victoria writes a powerful, personal story as whilst setting out to have an adventure and creating memories with her daughter, she also used it as a time to confront her PTSD and personal struggles. An epic journey - not for the faint hearted, Victoria and Emilie meet many people along the way and explore our beautiful New Zealand environment and all its rawness.
A different kind of power

By Jacinda Ardern

5 stars

A political memoir written and narrated by former prime minister Jacinda Ardern. I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would. It was thoughtfully written as Jacinda described her upbringing and what shaped her as a person. She talks about her journey into politics and how and why she became the leader she became as well as the challenges she faced whilst in power - not only as a woman and mother navigating a stressful role, but political challenges such as covid and the Christchurch mosque attack. A great read.
Daughter of Gloriavale

By Lilia Tarawa

5 stars

An autobiography by Lilia Tarawa who was born into and grew up in the religious cult Gloriavale. It was a candid and gripping account of life in the cult and the increasing control measures used by her grandfather Hopeful Christian to keep the members compliant. Lilia describes the internal conflict about making the decision to leave and the difficulty processing and challenging a lifetime of brainwashing and conditioning to develop a new set of beliefs while navigating a new world. A great read
Cult Bride

By Liz Cameron

3 stars

A memoir of a young Australian girl from a normal family who gets caught up and brainwashed into a religious cult. She details the controlling methods used by the followers to gradually lure her in and groom her to what seemed initially to be a small, friendly and harmless church group. It also showed the difficulty in turning around a person's thought process to undo mind control as her family eventually helped her to break free.
The Teacher

By Freida McFadden

4 stars

An extremely well-written thriller about a couple who are seemingly leading ordinary lives but are hiding secrets. A chilling tale with twists that leaves you hooked.

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Hastings Girls' High School, Ngā Rau Huia o Ākina

63,804 pages read and 5,661 team points

Team members

Anonymous Reader

GBHGHS

Trina

Ashlei

CaptainSpaghetti

Max

Moniqa

AnitaO

TaniaM

Jess C

Blossom

???L

pamangland

Taha

Max

In Order to Live

Lecretia's Choice

Lessons in Life

The Art of a Lie

The Well-Trained Wife

The Girl I Used to Know

Adventures with Emilie

A different kind of power

Daughter of Gloriavale

Cult Bride

The Teacher

Hastings Girls' High School, Ngā Rau Huia o Ākina

63,804 pages read and 5,661 team points

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