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Woodend School

9,873 pages read and 1,723 team points

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    Emily C

    3,826 pts
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    MrsNeylon

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    Adelle

    2,380 pts
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    nonzeroenfilade

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    LouHayes

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    Logan

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    LagsB

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Emily C

3,826 pts
(3,239 pages read)

  • Hardship and Hope

    By Rebecca Macfie
    0 stars

  • The Mystery of Mercy Close

    By Marian Keyes
    0 stars

  • Tussock

    By Elizabeth Pulford
    0 stars

  • The Dutch House

    By Ann Patchett
    5 stars

    The third Ann Patchett novel I've read, and another exceptional read. Spanning decades, this is the story of a brother and sister, Danny and Maeve, and the way in which their lives are shaped by their childhood home and the people that lived in it with them. By the end of this novel, I felt like I'd spent a lifetime with with them and can't understand how it's possible I only spent several hours reading about them.

  • Skullduggery Pleasant

    By Derek Landy
    4 stars

    This middle-grade dark fantasy novel has long been on my list to read and I'm sorry I waited so long. Fast-paced, witty, with a cast of bizarre and loveable characters. I can see why this series continues to be a world-wide favourite.

  • Anybody Out There?

    By Marian Keyes
    4 stars

    The third in Marian Keyes' books featuring the Walsh sisters, which I'm currently rereading. Relieved to say that this is so much better than Angels. While I've read it before and knew "the twist" that comes about half way through the book, I still really enjoyed it. Loved the characters, the warmth, and the care with which Keyes deals with difficult subjects.

  • Orbital

    By Samantha Harvey
    5 stars

    Novella length, this follows half a dozen astronauts on the International Space Station over the course of 24 hours, which is 16 orbits of Earth for the ISS residents. The astronauts reflect on their experiences back home as well as their unique perspective of Earth from space. We are delivered a poetic reflection on our place in time and space, what it means to be inhabitants of Earth, and part of humanity. The writing never feels overly dense or weighty. A beautiful read.

  • Uncle Trev and his Whistling Bull

    By Jack Lasenby
    3 stars

    I wanted so much to love this. I really love Jack Lasenby's writing and his distinctly "New Zealand" voice. This is one of a series of books based on wacky Uncle Trev and his tall stories that he tells to his nephew. It's set in rural 1930s New Zealand and while I loved the nostalgia and glimpses of the life nearly one hundred years ago, this style of humour is just not for me.

  • Unstuck

    By Dr Emily Mushrove
    5 stars

    This is an incredibly accessible guide to getting "unstuck" when depression or anxiety hit. It's not a cure all and nor does it claim to be. But it has some excellent insights into why one might end up feeling stuck as well as practical steps one can take to start lifting themselves out of a dark place. Musgrove works mostly with Compassion and Acceptance Therapy as well as a bit of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and I love that the author sites her sources as she goes and everything is firmly based in the latest evidence-based practises in positive psychology.

  • Isola

    By Allegra Goodman
    5 stars

    Too many late nights because of this one! Beautifully written, I felt I was alongside the main character from start to end. Rarely does a book give such attention to character, setting, and plot equally. I'm going to have to do a deep dive into Allegra Goodman's other work now, including her new book due out in February. Highly recommend.

  • Angels

    By Marian Keyes
    2 stars

    In 2025, Irish Television produced a TV series based on the Walsh sisters that feature in a number of Marian Keyes books, including this one. While the series hasn't yet screened in NZ, a few friends and I decided to reread the books we adored in our early 20s when they first came out. Let's just say, they have not aged well! This (the third in the series) is the worst of the rereads so far. While it wasn't completely terrible - an easy read, which is nice after a long year - it is very, very dated. Hoping the TV series is better.

  • Good Things Come and Go

    By Josie Shapiro
    4 stars

    Another great read from Josie Shapiro. Once again she’s demonstrated an extraordinary ability to describe the landscape in exquisite detail and put you right into some of New Zealand’s most rugged and beautiful settings. The characters and plot are great also, but it’s the way she builds her settings that I really love.

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