Baradene College

41,022 pages read and 3,126 team points

Team members

JaneP

7,494 pts

(6,240 pages read)

A Gathering Light

By Jennifer Donnelly

5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The historical story of the fate of Grace Brown is interwoven with that of the fictional Mattie Gokey. The North Woods in the early 20th century is a tough place. Money is scarce but friendship and kindness are without price. A bit of a feminist slant sees Mattie battling her promise to her recently dead mother and her guilt for her brother's leaving the family stranded finally acknowledge that you can't let a promise break you. The novel shows the rawness of life - when there is little food, or you are a poor widow like Emmie Hubbard with seven children, or Mattie's friend, Minnie, married with twins and just worn out, or her friend, Weaver and his Mamma, the only blacks, trying to make a life for themselves. There is also an inspirational teacher who helps Weaver and Mattie sit their exams to gain entry to College. Mattie is a strong character, turning 17 by the end of the novel. She struggles to listen to her heart because she is overwhelmed with the needs of others. Her friend, Weaver, and the letters of Grace Brown help her make the decision that is right for her.
Animal Farm

By George Orwell

4 stars

Orwell’s fable as poignant today as when first published in the 1940s.
Holes

By Louis Sachar

4 stars

While a story for 9-12-year olds, the clever weaving of several story threads make it intriguing for the reader. Strong themes about honesty, justice, truth, trust, loyalty and finding a reason to love oneself.
Wolfskin

By Juliet Marillier

5 stars

Fantasy duet. A dark tale, with folk and myth woven in. The narrative shows us how faith drives our lives – faith in something, whether it be divine or otherwise – and even when our faith in one thing is broken, something else invariably comes along to replace it. Until, that is, we are stripped of everything but our faith in ourselves. Wolfskin explores, so poignantly, of what humans are capable when pushed to their limits, when they have nothing and no one to turn to but themselves and their allies and whether, at the end, their faith stands the true test of time, come what may.
Mr Allbones’ Ferrets

By Fiona Farrell

5 stars

Who would have thought that a tale about ferrets, stoats and weasels would be so entertaining! Based on a real person, and his real ferrets, this is a Victorian romance set in the context of the great colonial experiment, in which exotic species travelled across the world to join European collections, and useful species were sent to populate the colonies. Exotic species travel back to stock the collections of Europe while useful species are dispatched to found new colonies in the antipodes. From a factual base, Fiona Farrell spins a delicate, satirical fantasy about human folly and the perils of disturbing the subtle balance of nature.
The Thursday Murder Club

By Richard Osman

5 stars

Hilarious account for most of the time of the Septuagenarian sleuths who outwit the police. Moments of sadness, too. Thoroughly entertaining.
The Secret Life of Bees

By Sue Monk Kidd

4 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2. A re-read in preparation for teaching. Historical fiction set in the South at the time of the Civil Rights. A beautiful tale about imperfect people, battered by life and doing the best they can by choosing to “love … to persist in love.’
Murder on the Orient Express

By Agatha Christie

4 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Jolly good read.
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

By Gail Honeyman

5 stars

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❤️What a roller coaster of a read. ‘Eleanor Oliphant’ is delightful. Quirky, hilarious, endearing, so lonely, but eventually so respected and loved. A beautiful, poignant narrative.
Skylark

By Jenny Patteick

5 stars

I loved ‘Deniston Rose’ and ‘Heart of Coal’, and ‘Skylark’ didn’t disappoint. The novel is structured a bit like a performance and provides an interesting way to read the novel. As with any Pattrick novel, there is research undertaken to provide the historical context. Set in the time of the land wars and the gold rushes, the novel focuses on main character, Lily Alouette, a performer ‘artiste’ as she calls herself in several travelling troupes. The story moves fluently between the narrators and timeframes and focuses mostly on the relationships in Lily’s life.
The Chocolate Tin

By Fiona McIntosh

4 stars

Historical romance, following the lives of well-to-do couples in York towards and following the close of WW2. Some complicated relationships, but the plot twist was spottable by about p.100, detracting a bit from how the story would unfold. A rollicking good yearn about the Rowntree chocolate factory, and a strong, independent woman who desires to make a career for himself despite the expectations for married women of the time.
And then there were None

By Agatha Christie

5 stars

Published 1939. In this mystery, ten people are invited to an island by a host who fails to appear, and each of the ten has something to hide. This murder mystery has no detective, adding a layer of mystery for the reader. Great page turner.
Lessons in Chemistry

By Bonnie Garmis

5 stars

Best read of 2024. Irreverent, laugh-out-loud, and moments of sadness. The main character, Elizabeth Zott, is a woman trail-blazer in her field of chemistry in the 1950s - 1960s but has to deal with the gender prejudice constantly. A rollicking narrative with a cast of supporting characters. Historical fiction.
It’s in his Kiss

By Julia Quinn

4 stars
A Spell of Winter

By Helen Dunmore

4 stars
Silent Sister

By Megan Davidhizar

4 stars

As a teen read, it hits the mark resoundingly. Fast-paced narrative. Alternating timeframes and narrative povs keep the reader guessing how the mystery will reveal itself. The twist was visible to a seasoned, thinking reader.
Home (The Marsh King’s Daughter)

By Karen Dionne

5 stars

Cleverly narrated with flashbacks and pacy plot. Evocation of the geography- the marsh - so clear.
The Atlas Six

By Olivie Blakie

3 stars

Very slow start. Some character and plot interest in the middle but the ending was rushed. Overall, felt like it needed further revision.

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Baradene College

41,022 pages read and 3,126 team points

Team members

Laura Thomas

Reanna

JaneP

ahookings

OMA

Aybee

triggy

rmoh

Rebecca_R

Dross

zrec

CLAUDE-BRARIAN

Gordon

Janelle25

LusindaBrookland

JaneP

A Gathering Light

Animal Farm

Holes

Wolfskin

Mr Allbones’ Ferrets

The Thursday Murder Club

The Secret Life of Bees

Murder on the Orient Express

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

Skylark

The Chocolate Tin

And then there were None

Lessons in Chemistry

It’s in his Kiss

A Spell of Winter

Silent Sister

Home (The Marsh King’s Daughter)

The Atlas Six

Baradene College

41,022 pages read and 3,126 team points

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