Wellington Girls' College

121,350 pages read and 6,148 team points

Team members

LBaker

9,437 pts

(8,382 pages read)

After I Do

By Taylor Jenkins Reid

5 stars

This is one o TJR's lesser-known books, however after listening to it being recommended on one of my favourite podcasts , I knew I had to go out a buy it straight away (sorry to the 25 unread books sitting on my shelf still, I'll get to you I promise). I really loved this book, based on a couple who fell in love in high school and then got married to find they didn't love each other ten years later. They decide to take a year-long break to decide what to do with their marriage. I loved this book for a number of reasons. The main character is turning 30; just like me, the novel talks about marriage; which I am about to enter into, and it has short chapters which I always helped hook me into a book. I read this one in three days and whilst being at work, I wished I was at home with my book. I think this story shouldn't be overlooked amongst TJR's more well-known novels.
The Frozen River

By Ariel Lawhon

4 stars
The Memory Police

By Yoko Ogawa

3 stars

3.5 ⭐ This book had an interesting premise, however was one of those books with no answers or clarifications. It spoke to the wider themes of totalitarianism and following authority figures with no questions asked. It was an interesting book, but not necessarily one I would recommend to everyone.
A Walk in the Woods

By Bill Bryson

3 stars
Ara: A Māori guidebook of the mind

By Dr Hinemoa Elder

5 stars

My mind was blown in the introduction; hinengaro = Hinengaro atua wahine of the mind. This was a great book that illustrated the different rua of our minds and the lesson Hinengaro has for us as we journey through. This may be my favourite book from Dr Hinemoa Elder.
Incidents Around the House

By Josh Malerman

4 stars

A horror written by the author of Birdbox. This book was actually scary, but some of the long ranting dialogue from the parents was confusing and not an accurate representation of how parents talk to their kids??? Still a good one to help me face the horror of returning to mahi.
What Did I Miss?

By Holly Brunnbauer

3 stars

I think I catfished myself with this book and thought it would be something a bit different than what it was. It is still a good book, but I felt a bit disappointed I didn't get the story I was hoping for, which was a nearing 30 and finding yourself by reliving your early 20s with all the fun and bad decision making that comes with it story. This ended up being more of a romance, with the bucket list of things to relive your 20s being the sub-plot.
None Left to Tell

By Noelle W. Ihli

5 stars

4.5 ⭐ a historical fiction about the meadows massacre, a massacre in 1857 Utah, orchestrated by Mormons, and blamed on indigenous Americans. This was a very interesting read, and a piece of history I had no idea about. 120 people, mainly women and children were killed when crossing Utah to make way for California, the truth only coming to light years later when the mass graves were uncovered. A very sad but interesting read, especially as there's still a lot of false narratives to this day about the massacre.
Speaking my Language - Te Kōrero i Tōku Kōrero

By Mike McRoberts

5 stars

I was generously gifted this pukapuka at the end of the school year and wanted to save it until just before getting back into mahi, as a bit of an inspiration read. Mike is incredibly māia in sharing his story about growing up without his reo, and the journey he went on to reclaim not only his Māoritanga but also his arero Māori. This is a great read, for both Māori and tauiwi and also gives insight into related kaupapa such as taonga, te Tiriti o Waitangi, He Whakaputanga, tā moko, etc etc. It has definitely been an inspirational read, which will lead nicely getting back into mahi for 2026.
Love Overdue

By Ali Berg & Michelle Klaus

3 stars
My Year or Rest and Relaxation

By Ottessa Moshfegh

1 stars
The Conditions of Will

By Jessa Hastings

3 stars

A 3.5 ⭐ read for me. This book followed the dynamics of an incredibly dysfunctional family as they navigate the sudden death of their father. This was really highly rated by booktok, and by an Australian author (so close to a NZ author), but unfortunately it didn't really hit home for me. The romance was incredibly fast-paced making it an unbelievable time line, the MMC literally moved countries for this girl after knowing her for a week and a half. Also, the main character was somewhat dislikeable in how she dealt with certain situations, which although made her seem more real, it just didn't sit right with me at times. Still a good read, just not an all time fav.
When the Moon Hatched

By Sarah A. Parker

5 stars
The Compound

By Aisling Rawle

5 stars

This book was so captivating I read it in one day! It was like reading a season of Love Island but slightly more dystopian. Despite never having actually watched love island, it was interesting seeing the lengths the characters would go to to win meaningless things, but it felt like a good reflection on our consumption driven society.
Hidden Pictures

By Jason Rekulak

4 stars
China Rich Girlfriend

By Kevin Kwan

3 stars
The Covenant of Water

By Abraham Verghese

4 stars

The length of this book had it sitting on my shelves for most of the year, but as I've hit my book goal for the year, I thought I would give it a shot. There is a lot of history, characters, plots, and sub-plots, and the author does a good job tying it all together at the end, however, I do feel this book could have been shorter. I really loved the intertwining history and how it impacted the characters lives and this book gave me more insight into how different events in India shaped people's lives at the time. Some people find this novel somewhat romanticises child marriage and Christianity, which I somewhat agree with, but also I think there is definitely some counter whakaaro throughout, especially towards Christianity. I do agree there is a bit of a white saviourism vibe at times. All in all, it was an enjoyable book and I really liked it. The lack of real emotional reaction to sad scenes and length is what stopped this being a 5 ⭐ for me.
The Christmas Bookshop

By Jenny Colgan

3 stars
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

By J. K. Rowling

5 stars
Good Spirits

By B.K. Borinson

4 stars
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

By JK Rowling

5 stars

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Wellington Girls' College

121,350 pages read and 6,148 team points

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