Selwyn College

137,983 pages read and 3,445 team points

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KatieL

5,502 pts

(3,673 pages read)

The Axeman’s Carnival

By Catherine Chidgey

5 stars

I was surprised I enjoyed this book about a talking magpie, I mean who likes magpies!? But the way the author weaved in themes like domestic violence brought on by the hardships of high country farming; how social media fame can be both a blessing & a curse and the idea of home/family made it a page turner. I would definitely recommend & I look forward to reading more of Chidgey’s books.
Full circle - a personal story of reconnection

By Jenny-May Clarkson

5 stars

An honest reflection of an interesting life where opening herself up fully to her culture and language helped her understand who she is as a person. Jenny-May has been a wahine toa throughout my life on the netball court & tv screens and I enjoyed reading her story about connection, culture & family.
The Heir Apparent

By Rebecca Armitsge

5 stars

Loved it. Included themes of society, colonialism, sexuality, and family loyalty vs love. The characters felt so real and I was really taken on the journey of Princess Alexandrina’s decision whether or not to wear the crown after she unexpectedly became the next in line. I really hope there is a sequel to this one.
Flesh

By David Szalay

4 stars

Not my favourite book, but well written in a dialogue style about an impulsive Hungarian man who wasn’t fully aware of himself as he tumulted through relationships & life.
Three Trees

By D T Garner

5 stars

A very special book as it is my maternal Nana’s autobiography. I haven’t read it for years and it hits a bit different now. Nana was a devout catholic whose faith lead her through a traumatic life. She survived the Napier earthquake as a toddler, only to lose her mum and older sister to typhoid when she was just 5. Her Irish dad was a survivor of WW1 but had his demons and turned to alcohol to get through life. This made him have violent outbursts which must have been scary. She spent time in an orphanage and was eventually taken in by her aunt & uncle in Wellington. Nanna was of Māori descent and knew her grandmother Maraea, but didn’t learn more about her whakapapa until late in life. This story weaves her 3 trees together in a tale of finding herself. The trees are her Irish ancestory, Māori whakapapa & her spirituality - which all made her the person she was.
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky

By Emma Carey

4 stars

A true story of how Australian Emma Carey & her sky diving instructor fell 14,000 feet and survived when their parachute failed in Switzerland. This is a crazy story of survival, frustration, hope and happiness and was a good read. Emma regained the ability to walk but her spinal cord injury has left her with no feeling in her legs, incontinence and more. However her positive outlook on life is what is noteworthy. Despite having to wait 6 years for a personal injury claim, Emma forged on with her life with ambition and purpose.
The Mires

By Tina Makereti

4 stars

This was an interesting read and one that I found hard to rate. I kind of liked it and I think it challenged me, but it wasn’t always a page turner like my last one. It wove the lives and stories of three next door neighbours together. There was a Māori teen with magic powers she had to manage, a crazy white supremicist with half a conscience and a refugee family from an unspecified country but one that had displaced its locals through ‘the great heat’ of the northern hemisphere. There was a lot going on in this book and I definitely stopped to reflect a couple of times, however it was also all a bit out there for me. It would be a good book-club book as I think the discussion around it would be even more interesting than reading the book itself.
The Mademoiselle Alliance

By Natasha Lester

5 stars

I loved this book. I ignored my young children for a few days and devoured it, I found it hard to put down. I do enjoy a good historical fiction novel and this was a good one. Clearly well researched, this is the story of Frenchwoman Marie-Madeleine Fourcade who grew up in Shanghai, lived her early married life in Morocco and ended up being the only female leader of a resistance network in WW2 occupied France - a real unsung hero. I enjoyed the pace of this book, as well as the feminist perspective as the main character struggled with an adventurous spirit but an oppressive husband, but found herself and love during the dark days of a world war.
Hine Tao A story of bravery

By Ngāhuia te Awekōtuku

4 stars

This was an interesting insight into a Māori woman’s life and all the challenges she faced in the world and everything she questioned as a young, queer New Zealander. I enjoyed the historical lens as well as the questions that the youth of today still face despite a great deal of progress in Aotearoa since Ngāhuia was a young adult.
The God Boy

By Ian Cross

4 stars

An interesting perspective from a young boy of the distressing things happening around him.
Good Things Come and Go

By Josie Shapiro

4 stars

Again I liked the settings in this book of Waiheke & the Coromandel. The story line was easy to follow and believable. Another easy read, although I think I preferred her first book.
The Stars Are A Million Glittering Worlds

By Gina Butson

4 stars

Nice easy read and I enjoyed the settings of Central America and Tasmania.

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Selwyn College

137,983 pages read and 3,445 team points

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