Woodford House

96,035 pages read and 4,517 team points

Team members

Di M

15,000 pts

(10,288 pages read)

Petticoat Pioneers - North Island Women of the Colonial Era - book two

By Miriam Macgregor

3 stars

More research reading - just 29 pages so far but already I am in awe of how tough it was for nz pioneers. These women were incredible. This is the second book I’ve read in this series.
Global

By Colfer, Donkin and Rigano

4 stars

A graphic novel about the effects of global warming from the point of view of Yuki in Northern Canada and Sami in the Bay of Bengal. High tension and compelling.
Alone

By Chaboute

5 stars

Without context, words can be misinterpreted in surprisingly creative ways. This is the premise of this stunning graphic novel drawn in black ink, about a man who has only ever known the life of that of a hermit in a lighthouse. Conveyed with few words, mainly pictures.
The famous five on a treasure island

By Enid Blyton

3 stars

This graphic novel version captures the essence of the Famous Five books and conveys the characters of Julian, Ann, Dick, George and Timmy to a T - with lashings of ginger ale!
Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

By J R R Tolkien

2 stars

I’ve been watching The Rings of Power. To “fact check” the tv version, I read the relevant chapter in The Silmarillion. Archaic language. Lots of consistencies although the story is much embellished and the time span has been greatly condensed for film.
The Inkberg Enigma

By Jonathan King

3 stars

A graphic novel for 8-12 year olds in the style of Tintin. About the strange goings on in a peculiar yet prosperous fishing village that might be somewhere near Dunedin (clue: there’s a Larnach Castle look-a-like). Suspense is built up methodically as the characters take risks, but the story is resolved rather too quickly.
1985

By Dominic Hoey

5 stars

1985 is a coming-of-age story about 11-year-old Obi and his best mate, Al, set in Greylynn. There’s overlying themes of crime, poverty and dysfunctional families and references to the Rainbow Warrior bombing, video games, and popular culture, that, if you lived through this time, will bring back memories and connections. Definitely recommend.
Sandman Slim

By Richard Kadrey

0 stars

Couldn’t get into this book, and gave up after 73 pages. Apparently very popular and the first of 13 in the series, but I found it a conglomeration of a lot of other books and popular culture. Think “Supernatural” meets Adair’s “SlowBurn” series meets “Pulp Fiction” (especially the gratuitous violence) meets David Bowie’s “I’m afraid of Americans” - not recommended (values).
Fangs

By Sarah Andersen

5 stars

Graphic novel. Romance between vampire and werewolf. Embossed and cloth bound. Dark humour. Extremely cute.
Displaced

By Cristina Sanders

5 stars

I enjoyed this young adult novel immensely. It’s a tale about a Cornish family arriving in Napier in the 1870s accompanied by much tragedy and eventual scandal. But ultimately it’s a sweet, early settler love story, which I read fast - it was hard to put down! Recommended.
Owairoa to Howick

By Edited by Alan La Roche

3 stars

Disjointed sentence structure at times but a wealth of historical information about the lives of the Howick Fencibles.
Rufus Marigold

By Ross Murray

5 stars

There are aspects of this graphic novel about anxiety that made me feel anxious and embarrassed, on behalf of the character - but then the humour would dash those feelings. An hilarious take on being paranoid and anxious about everything. These are recognisable and awkward situations…drawing attention to our own insecurities… but no one has anxiety this bad, surely!? Cute, colourful illustrations and a likeable character.
At the Mountains of Madness

By H. P. Lovecraft

4 stars

Vivid descriptions of a doomed expedition in 1930 into the interior mountains of Antarctica by scientists, leads to a glimpse of a “thing that should not be…” and resultant insanity for the survivors… and doesn’t neglect to include the signature Lovecraft stenches.
You like it Darker

By Stephen King

5 stars

I really enjoy reading Stephen King’s short stories. I especially enjoyed this 2024 publication as the tales are always grounded in reality (but with unexpected and often terrifying twists), making them feel so everyday but with the potential of something horrendous and convincing, lurking beneath the surface (like Jack Heath’s horror style). These stories are THIS DECADE with their references to current events like Covid, presidencies, Netflix etc. while most of King’s earlier short stories are written in , say, the eighties, giving a “Stranger Things” vibe. Highly recommended.
Just My Type

By Simon Garfield

4 stars

Classified as “Reference/Humour” this book is everything you ever wanted to know about fonts. Beautifully presented with a tactile and colourful dust jacket along with informative illustrations, it is all a typography nerd could wish for: the practicalities of type manufacture across the ages; subtle type distinctions and analysis; the history of type and the trendsetters.
Those were the days 1940s

By The Weekly News - various reporters

2 stars

A year by year nostalgic tour through the news of the day collated from reports from The Weekly News and supported by photographic images of the time. Conveys a sense of day-to-day events and the patriotism of the decade.
Bow waves on the Waikato

By Graham Vercoe

2 stars

A fairly dry summary of the types of boats that have used the Waikato River from early Maori to present day. Another research read - significant visually as 50% photographs.
The Art Thief

By Mickael Finkel

3 stars

The true story of an obsessive art thief who stole and amassed a huge art collection for aesthetic reasons, and likely the thrill, rather than monetary gain.
Waimiha - people of character

By A Walker & R Cooke

4 stars

A valuable and fascinating collection of early settler histories with abundant photos. Also has information on the establishment of the main trunk line through this region of the King Country.
Bush Track to Highway

By Tui Brake

3 stars

Early settler family histories covering 75 years of settlement in the districts of Tangitu, Mapiu, Kaitangiweka and Aratoro in the King Country. More selected research reading…
Ongarue - A place of the heart

By L McMillan & A Walker

2 stars

More research reading of family histories collated with connections to this district on the Main Trunk Line in the heart of the King Country. Stories of sawmilling and farming by early settlers.
The Writing Desk

By Di Morris

3 stars

Graphic novel re-read for research and reflection. Postcard writing could have been bigger; some of the drawing is a bit clunky; story not too shabby.
The Story of New Zealand

By Bassett, Sinclair and Stenson

0 stars

I’m not giving this dinosaur from the 1980s any stars. Written for children, it’s tone is simplistic and can be patronising at times. Although trying to deliver both sides of the story, often referencing the experiences of children from the era, it can read with more of a colonial lens. It seems out of touch with 21st century telling but the wide variety of photographs will be useful for anyone doing visual research.
The Forgotten Worker - rural wage earner in 19thC NZ

By John E. Martin

2 stars

Research reading so only read a portion of this book. Great range of photographs and quotes from people living at the time but otherwise fairly dry.
Habibi

By Craig Thompson

4 stars

Exquisitely illustrated, Habibi (which translates to “my beloved”) has frequently been on the banned books list in the US. It tells the story of two children faced with abuse, extreme poverty, oppression and sexism who fight to gain control of their lives. Controversial on many levels: it’s a graphic novel created by a lapsed fundamentalist US christian about Islamic and Biblical parallels that’s set in an imaginary city in the Middle East; the bad guys are often stereotypical Arab men; it doesn’t shy away from visual details and often references Orientalism. Habibi reminded me of the fantastical worlds created by Salman Rushdie that caused anger for some across Islam and made me wonder what Arab peoples think of it.
Blankets

By Craig Thompson

5 stars

A beautifully illustrated graphic novel about family, first love and coming of age. The author is the winner of THREE(!) Eisner awards, made clear by the skilled and varied panel transitions, confident and abundant drawn textures combined with an engaging story make reading this vast book effortless. A book that will stay with you for a long while.
Incomplete Works

By Dylan Horrocks

4 stars

An inspirational collection of short (sometimes fragmented) comics that convey the breadth and depth of Horrock’s oeuvre.
Children of Lovecraft

By Edited by Ellen Datlow

2 stars

As a lifelong fan of H P Lovecraft, I was looking forward to this anthology of modern horror short stories inspired “in theme and plot by Lovecraft’s Mythos.” Most missed the mark but three nailed the creepiness and atmospheric dread to the point where I kept experiencing deja Vu: “Nesters”, “Little Ease” and “On these Blackened Shores of Time.” And you can’t do Lovecraft without evoking the smells…
The Pale North

By Hamish Clayton

2 stars

I found the first half of this book beautifully written but irritatingly mysterious. Set in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake in the capital, it is essentially a love story for the city, as well as being about a love abandoned, and all mixed up with a ghost story. I was bored by the second half of the book…ultimately, Clayton’s first book, Wulf was much stronger.
Mansfield and Me

By Sarah Laing

5 stars

I enjoyed this book even more on my third read. It tells the story of Katherine Mansfield with many uncanny connections and parallels with the life of the author. It reads as a memoir and biography with some fantastical elements as well. Colour and sepia are used to delineate between Laing’s adventures and Mansfield’s life in this graphic novel.
Hicksville

By Dylan Horrocks

5 stars

A globally famous graphic novel with lots of layers and commentary about the comic industry set mostly in NZ and LA. I’ve both enjoyed and understood a lot more with my second reading.
30 Days of Night

By Steve Niles and Ben Templesmith

5 stars

My all time favourite horror graphic novel with incomparable, evocative and atmospheric illustrations by Ben Templesmith.
The Magic Pen

By Dylan Horrocks

5 stars

This graphic novel is an hilarious take on comic writer’s block and subverting the male view. Full of vintage styled lines like “viridian vamps”, “trembling Taniwhas” and “wailing wahines” - expertly illustrated.
In a Fishbone Church

By Catherine Chidgey

1 stars

Struggled to get into this one. Much prefer her more recent “The Axeman’s Carnival” although this first book shows how much Chidgey has developed her craft. A family story from five members with a sometimes epistolary approach.
Stories on the Four Winds

By Editors Brian Bargh & Robyn Bargh

5 stars

A collection of satisfying short stories, always with a twist that stay with you to ponder long afterwards. Of note especially Albert Wendt.
Wulf

By Hamish Clayton

5 stars

Wulf tells the story, through the eyes of two English sailors, of the the shrewd, but brutal chief, Te Rauparaha, who launched campaigns against southern enemies and commandeered much of the North island and top of the South Island in the early 1800s. Beautifully written prose and poetry evoke the landscape of bush clad nz and early interactions with traders. Although it took a while to embrace this novel, eventually I couldn’t put it down.
The New Zealand Wars - A brief history

By Matthew Wright

5 stars

Best book(let) I’ve read yet on this topic - concise and easy to understand. Outlines the sequence of events chronologically, conveys a sense of the key players on all sides and doesn’t shy away from the often tragic outcomes, although Parihaka lacked discussion.
The Colonial New Zealand Wars

By Tim Ryan and Bill Parham

3 stars

More research. Read 63 somewhat interesting pages out of 226. Loads of useful illustration, photos and sometimes repetitive descriptions of battles, weapons and uniforms.
The New Zealand Wars 1820-72

By Ian Knight

4 stars

A useful research book as it summarises the key events but most importantly for my interests, what all involved wore, what they were armed with and how they operated, supported by extensive descriptions and excellent visuals.
Lifel1k3

By Jay Kristoff

3 stars

As the cover says, “it’s Romeo and Juliet meets Mad Max meets X-men with a little bit of Bladerunner from the sidelines.” As a big fan of Kristoff’s Empire of the Vampire series I can see how this post apocalyptic YA version builds his writing style and explores his typically strong female characters. Fast paced denouncement of AI robotics.
Tangi

By Witi Ihimaera

5 stars

Utterly beautiful prose about love, grief and losing one’s father.
Turncoat

By Tihema Baker

3 stars

Set in the future, Turncoat is sci-fi parody of colonialism’s impact on the colonised: in this world, humans and aliens; and how interpretation of a covenant (treaty) are enacted and breached in favour of the colonisers. Uncomfortable concepts to contemplate, alternating with laugh-out-loud observations that feel “strangely” familiar.
The Frozen River

By Ariel Lawhon

5 stars

Couldn’t put this one down. Raw and realistic portrayal of a midwife asserting her rights and dealing to gaslighters c. 1800 in small town Maine, USA.
The Graveyard Book volume 1

By Neil Gaiman

5 stars

Cute and engaging ghost story about a little boy growing up in a graveyard cared for by ghosts. Shades of Lincoln in the Bardo
The Handmaid’s Tale - graphic novel

By Margaret Atwood

4 stars

More telling and less traumatic than the tv series and a quicker way to read the book.
1984 The Graphic Novel

By George Orwell

4 stars

I read this book 50 years ago and saw the movie version in 1984. Always wanted to read it again and more so given changes in world politics- it hasn’t disappointed. The comic format reinforces the warning.
Rat

By Stephen King

4 stars
If it Bleeds

By Stephen King

5 stars

Builds on the Mr Mercedes characters and introduces a new series in between that I didn’t know I was missing. Suspenseful and classic King in novella format.
The Life of Chuck

By Stephen King

1 stars

Confusing. A story in reverse?
Mr Harrigan’s Phone

By Stephen King

4 stars

25 - 0 - 1

Add pages read

Woodford House

96,035 pages read and 4,517 team points

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78