Papakowhai School

46,850 pages read and 3,232 team points

Team members

CManning

12,248 pts

(10,840 pages read)

My Friends

By Fredrik Backman

5 stars

An absolute delight of a book. Takes a little bit of time to get used to the cadence of the story. My favourite read of the Summer.
Summer Island

By Kristin Hannah

3 stars

Not her best work but a quick read where everything gets tied up in a nice bow and they all live happily ever after.
Genesis

By Karin Slaughter

4 stars

Book 3 in the series.
Fractured

By Karin Slaughter

5 stars

Looks like I have a new favourite crime writer. Very much enjoying this series.
A DIfferent Kind of Power

By Jacinda Ardern

4 stars

Well written. Obviously not for the NZ audience though.
Triptych

By Karin Slaughter

4 stars

Shades of Patricia Cornwell, a series of brutal murders and a damaged detective looking to stop the madness.
The Kind Worth Killing

By Peter Swanson

3 stars

Strangers meet at an airport bar... a few drinks and a long flight later they've decided to kill his wife. There's potential there for a good story, but I feel that the author never quite got there.
Broken Country

By Clare Leslie Hall

3 stars
Land of Light

By Peter Latham

5 stars

Beautiful coffee table book with extraordinary photos of NZ. It was a lovely Xmas present!
Last Shot

By Jock Zonfrillo

5 stars

I was deeply saddened by Jock Zonfrillo's death in 2023 and not knowing much about him, other than the TV persona, picked this book up not really expecting much, autobiographies aren't really my thing. It was a well spent $5 at the Rotary book sale that's for sure. He was a lovely writer, and as well as learning about his very colourful life, I also learned a lot about his passion for the Aboriginal culture and how he possessed a desire to start conversations about honouring the traditions and food of indigenous Australians through promoting their knowledge of native ingredients.
Nemesis

By Greg Hurwitz

4 stars

I'd kinda gone off the Orphan X series but this latest addition is a winner. More of the human element and less of the efficient killing. Maybe there's hope for Orphan X after all.
Acid for the Children

By Flea

2 stars

Funnily enough this book reads like it was written by somebody whose brain was fried with drugs during his formative years. Interesting if you're a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan, this book is all about Flea's childhood and finishes just at the part I was interested in. Apparently there's a part 2, I won't be bothering. Highly recommend Anthony Keidis's biography though.
There Should Have Been Eight

By Nalini Singh

1 stars

I know she's a New York Times Bestseller but I officially give up on Nalini Singh. A gathering of 7 old friends, together again for the first time since their 8th member died. Set on the West Coast, the truth of Bea's death will come to light. But not in a way that's believeable or entertaining!
Life, and Death, and Giants

By Ron Rindo

5 stars

It says it all in the title. The story of the life of Gabriel, a giant of a human and gifted sportsman who grew up in an Amish community in Pennsylvania. Beautifully written.
Attack of the Black Rectangles

By Amy Sarig King

5 stars

YA novel about the censorship of books and a determined group of 12yr olds who rally the support of their community and take on the school board.
Butter

By Asako Yuzuki

1 stars

I tried really hard to like this book but in the end I've pulled the pin halfway through.
Into This River I Drown

By TJ Klune

1 stars

I've loved other books by this author. This one, not so much!
The Detective

By Matthew Reilly

4 stars

Great post Xmas easy reading. Black women in the American South have been going missing in groups of 4 for 150 years, along with the people who were tasked with finding them. A unusual kind of detective works on solving the case. Fast paced, and pretty unbelievable, our hero tackles modern slavery and entitled, wealthy bad guys/gals, ultimately emerging with a win for the good guys.
Childish

By Morris Gleitzman

3 stars
The Elements

By John Boyne

5 stars

Book(s) of the year. Four books that stand alone, but are also linked make up The Elements. John Boyne's writing is so wonderful that situations that are really icky are still something that you can somehow relate to - that sounds dreadful! Tied up wonderfully with the last in the series, Air. Highly recommend.
Coyote Lost and Found

By Dan Gemeinhart

5 stars

YA. I just love Coyote and the other characters in this book. So well crafted, I laughed, and cried. Second in a series, I highly recommend them both.
James

By Percival Everett

3 stars

The story of Huckleberry Finn told from the perspective of Jim the slave man. I really wanted to love this book and had heard such good things about it, but in the end, despite the excellent writing, it was a meh from me.
Last One Out

By Jane Harper

4 stars

A slow burn. A family moving through the grief of losing their son in small town Australia.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea

By TJ Klune

5 stars

Second book in this series. One for those of you who love the weirdo kids.
The Book of Guilt

By Catherine Chidgey

5 stars

Such an interesting premise. I find it fascinating that every book she writes is so incredibly different.

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Papakowhai School

46,850 pages read and 3,232 team points

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