Mt Roskill Grammar

154,309 pages read and 3,755 team points

Team members

Book Butterfly

1,350 pts

(1,220 pages read)

The Subritzky Family History from 1785 to 1915

By Stephen Subritzky

2 stars

I ploughed through this book, in PDF form, off and on throughout the school holidays. It was only the fact that I knew many of the historical locations referred to both in New Zealand and Australia and also that I had read quite a lot of European history (where the family came from) that kept me reading. And of course, the Book Challenge! I often wondered why was I doing it as it required a lot of willpower to dip back into page after page of an at times interesting, but often tedious account of how the pioneer Subritzky family came to live in Houhora, Northland via Poland, Australia and Wairau, only to build up and lose a trading empire. Probably thousands of New Zealanders, both Pakeha and Maori are descendants of this one family, who amongst other achievements, established the Northland town of Awanui. Recommended to learn more about early colonial history in Aoteaora.
Truly Madly Guilty

By Liane Moriarty

4 stars

I considered reading this book last summer as part of the Book Challenge but only just got to it now. Liane Moriarty's meditation on life this time explores the heart rending conscequences of what started out to be an innocuous back yard barbecue with three couples and their families. At times, I could see myself and others in her characterisations which was both humorous and a little confronting but the climax of the novel was completely unexpected and, I think, would take many a reader off guard. An insightful meditation into the intricacies and unspoken truths of human interrelationships .
A Simple Twist of Fate

By Deb Gray

3 stars

This is the life story of the late Deb Gray, an Australian'thalidomide baby' born in 1953. Despite having identical disabilities to thalidomide babies, Deb could never prove this officially so she missed out on the modest compensation paid out to victims and spent her entire life supporting herself and advocating for the disabled community. This book is her final testimony as she passed away shortly before it was published. At times, the book is tense, humorous, poignant and outrageous. Deb's loving family helped her navigate life's injustices but at times she was treated shamefully by disabled services and other organisations/companies. Nevertheless, she always had to ability to pick herself up and carry on. I hope she would do better today in Australia.
The Second Worst Restaurat in France

By Alexander McCall Smith

2 stars

A lightweight, pleasant novel set around a food writer who goes to France after a failed love affair and ends up being a bemused onlooker in a small French village, at the same time trying to help a young guy follow his dream of becoming a chef I had read the other book in the series some years ago but didn't remember at all until doing some research around the titles. Some funny moments but I sometimes get bored with McCall Smith's philosophical meanderings.

51 - 0 - 1

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Mt Roskill Grammar

154,309 pages read and 3,755 team points

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