Kumara School

31,391 pages read and 8,473 team points

Janelle

9,297 pts
(7,079 pages read)
  • The Axeman's Carnival

    By Catherine Chidgey
    4 stars

    Great to read this book from a NZ Author, cleverly told from the POV of a Magpie (Tama).

  • The Luminaries

    By Eleanor Catton
    4 stars

    I loved reading this historical fiction story set locally. It moved a little slowly at times, but the murder mystery and gold rush backdrop were interesting.

  • Nobody's Girl

    By Virginia Roberts Giuffre
    5 stars

    This book is well written but deeply disturbing at times. Jenny suffers abuse at every turn, which ultimately leads to her being trafficked at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein.

  • Woman Down

    By Colleen Hoover
    4 stars

    More like 3.5 ✨ An easy-ish read, but calling it a thriller feels like a stretch. More of a cheesy romance with a predictable twist and ending. Not my favourite Colleen Hoover book.

  • Impossible to Forget

    By Imogen Clark
    4 stars

    A story about people coming together to each play an important role in a young lady's life after the passing of her mother.

  • Death Row

    By Freida McFadden
    4 stars

    Interesting to read a short story by Freida McFadden. The story as a whole was easy to read but the twist made the plot line a little confusing.

  • The Ex-Wives Club

    By Sally Hepworth
    5 stars

    A short, sharp mystery that moves at a fairly fast pace.

  • The Sideways Life of Denny Voss

    By Holly Kennedy
    5 stars

    An honest and heartwarming story about a young man with intellectual challenges who simply wants the world to be a better place. A wee gem!

  • In the likely event

    By Rebecca Yarros
    4 stars

    Not my usual genre, but if you like action-packed military romance, this is the right book.

  • Honeybee

    By Craig Silvey
    4 stars

    A moving story about a teenager navigating his identity and the power of a friendship in a challenging world.

  • True Colours

    By Kristin Hannah
    5 stars

    A powerful story of a close-knit family’s struggles and triumphs, particularly in the aftermath of a devastating event. It highlights the deep injustice faced by those judged and limited by their background or upbringing.

  • Rose Carlyle

    By No one will know
    5 stars

    Another gripping mystery from Rose Carlyle that keeps you guessing right to the very end.

  • The Space Between

    By Lauren Keenan
    5 stars

    A Space Between by Lauren Keenan tells a story not often heard. I have never felt so infuriated by a gaslighting settler brother, nor such deep admiration for Matāria and the strength she shows through all she endures. A powerful, well-told story that shines a light on New Zealand’s dark history of colonisation.

  • The Song of Achilles

    By Madeline Miller
    4 stars

  • Little Women

    By Louisa Man Alcott
    4 stars

    A lovely, timeless classic set in the 1800s. Little Women is relatable, capturing the theme of four sisters growing up together within a close-knit family.

  • The Sky Beneath Us

    By Fiona Valpy
    4 stars

    A story set during the pandemic, following a woman’s journey to Nepal to uncover an ancestors’ past and trace her journey.

  • Beneath a Scarlet Sky

    By Mark Sullivan
    5 stars

    What a story! Italy is not usually the first country that comes to mind when thinking about the war, so this was a refreshing and interesting love/war story told from an Italian perspective.

  • Gangster's Paradisese

    By Jarad Savage
    5 stars

    An eye-opening look into New Zealand’s gang life and the origins of its war on drugs.

  • The Intruder

    By Freida McFadden
    4 stars

    A good, fast-paced read with a twist in true Freida McFadden fashion

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