Hillmorton High School

Top 10 team members

Team members

Pat

17,949 pts

(16,586 pages read)

Sharp Objects

By Gillian Flynn

3 stars

As a debut novel it is really good but as a suspense novel it lacks the nuances to make it great. All the characters are unusual and not that authentic.
The Running Grave

By Robert Galbraith

4 stars

I started this as I like Cormoran Strike's flawed character - the cult rescue also sounded good. It was unexpectedly as good as the first of the Strike books: unexpected twists, builds anticipation and finishes with an empathetic last idea.
The Coffin Maker's Garden

By Stuart MacBride

5 stars

It sounds terrible to praise a book where murders are violence reign supreme but it is VERY good in terms of suspense. Ash Henderson is a flawed hero and Dr McFruitloop and he have moved on in their relationship. Better than when Ash was a DI.
Little Bones

By Sam Blake

5 stars

A great read that involves complexity but also allows characters to develop fully in their motivations. The PoV of the protagonist is believable and the ending ensures that I will read any sequel.
Only Child

By Rhiannon Navin

5 stars

A fantastic read on a terrifying subject - a school shooting. Told from a six year old's PoV and the way one family tries to cope - get out the tissues!
Merry Christmas Alex Cross

By James Paterson

3 stars

A light read despite the terrible topics covered - Alex Cross always wins so an unsurprising ending.
Hillbilly Elegy

By J D Vance

4 stars

A memoir that shows that upward mobility is in the eye of the beholder. I read it to try to understand the appeal of Donald Trump and why he is supported by 'rednecks'. The power of envy, distrust and poverty seem to drive many in America in terms of their politics.
Our Father

By Bernice Rubens

4 stars

A fascinating read - some good black humour and I like the integration of quips. A great opening = 'Veronica Smiles was crossing the Sahara desert, minding her own business, when she ran into God.' At times, it is hysterically funny.
Children of the Dust

By Louise Lawrence

5 stars

This YA is the BEST holocaust read - better than many of the more modern or popular ones. I feel that it has many teachable scenes and exposes YA to thinking about society. I re-read it these holidays as I have a particular reluctant reader who may relate to the 'issues' that Sarah faces.
The Silent Girl

By Tess Gerritsen

4 stars

The characters are developed well within a complex yet subtle plot. Gerritsen's style is smooth and the words flow easily. A novel that engages and, at times, surprises the reader.
Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End

By Leif G.W. Persson

3 stars

A rather torurtous style of writing and the characters are not that likeable but an interesting take on corruption - almost reaches a level of satire mot often found today.
The Heart is a Lonely Hinter

By carson McCullers

5 stars

One of the books that you can read many times (fourth now for me) and you will discover nuances that explain the characters and their actions. Carson McCullers has used a group of people to expose individual loneliness and the impact it has on their lives. I have seen the film and the play and both are as powerful as the book.
The Dying Hours

By Mark Billingham

4 stars

One of the better Tom Thorne books - but then a tale of vengeance appeals to me. I felt the storey moved along well with enough details to keep me interested in the final outcome.
Bombproof

By Michael Robotham

4 stars

A truly 'unlucky' main character who is helped by Ruiz rather than DrJoe. Some interesting dilemmas and judgements are made by other characters - a great holiday read.
The Sun Goes Down

By Jean Lartéguy

5 stars

An amazing collection of last letters from Japanese suicide pilots and soldiers. It is a very human testimonial of the horrors of war and tries to answer what are the limits of devotion to duty.
Dark Music

By David Lagercrantz

3 stars

I thought it would be unusual due to Lagercrantz writing some of the Millennium Series books. It did have some great characters and the plot was convoluted but believable.
Alone

By Lisa Gardner

4 stars

A typical story by this author - hard to put down as you want to know why each 'survivor' does what they do, A good portrayal of mental states after traumatic event/s.
The Girl from Slope Point

By Anne Ashby-Neilson

5 stars

This is a Life and Land Story and as such is a very personal account of a life.
Unless

By Carol Shields

1 stars

A pretentious novel exploring 'goodness' but has great names for each chapter.
Red Mist

By Patricia Cornwell

3 stars

I like the forensic science details but find the people's relationships annoying. This is a highly believable killer and the twist is not obvious until close to the end.
Dead Midnight

By Marcia Muller

1 stars

A very light read with a predictable plot and characters. I thought it might have more gravitas as two people commit suicide but it is very fatalistic rather than reflective.
Noel Hilliard Selected Stories

By John McIndoe

4 stars

I read his novel 'Maori Girl' and wanted to read other texts as his PoV is extraordinary for the 1960s. His characters have hard lives and it is clear that NZ has always struggled with economic and cultural divides.
Lie Down In Me

By Andrew Jolly

5 stars

A young Mexican cabrero tries to find a burial place for his dead Indian (First Peoples) wife - some very clear descriptive prose and shows an insight into how cultures do not connect.
The Rembrandt Affair

By Daniel Silva

4 stars

Has a good story behind the use of a 'lost' painting to highlight Nazi atrocities. Allows a different view of Holland's indifference to Jews and the Holocaust. It also puts some of the Swiss actions regarding banking under a spotlight. Overall a very believable novel, both in terms of plot and characters.
A Promise to Kill

By Erik Storey

3 stars

Another flawed 'hero' type of in to save the day story - had some redeeming parts where it explained the problems of policing on a First People's Reservation.
Stephen Leather

By nightmare

2 stars

The story has several twists but the premise is too unbelievable - selling your soul worked for his first book but not this one. The last two pages are very good and link back to an earlier recount.
Marathon Man

By William Golding

2 stars

Rather dated now but another Bookerama find and I'd seen the film with Dustin Hoffman years ago so it was good to read the actual story with all its extra nuances.
My Soul to Take

By Yrsa Sigurdardottir

3 stars

A good read that moves through the story smoothly and yet has a few unexpected twists.
Core of Evil

By Nigel McCreary

3 stars

Another story of DCI Lapslie - the crime is interesting, the PRU is believable and Lapslie's synaesthesia makes him a flawed protagonist. I liked Violet/Daisy and almost wanted her to succeed - the core of evil idea was intriguing.
Dark Rivers of the Heart

By Dean Koontz

4 stars

There are an intriguing number of ideas that are interwoven and Koontz explains why some parts of the story appear 'conspiracy' driven in the Afterword. I found this book sets the scene for his Jane Hawk series and has been thought-provoking.
Why men don't listen ... and can only do one thing at a time

By Allan & Barbara Pease

2 stars

I re-read this as I had been to some of Allan's shows and it has some good 'lessons' BUT it is a little outdated.
Lockdown Island 2020

By henry Sunderland

3 stars

Always good to read Henry's work and I had a chance to remember bits of lockdown when I re-read this today.
YOU

By Caroline Kepnes

1 stars

It is named a novel of dark obsession but it is just full of deceit and how people cannot be themselves. Don't waste time - I kept going as I wanted to know how many characters died - I felt they should have!
Blockade

By Derek Hansen

4 stars

Derek is an Anglo-Australian-New Zealand author who wrote Lunch with the Generals and Lunch with Mussolini - both great books! This is his 'conservation' piece and had some characters that come to life through his prose and their names and character-defining actions. Has one of the most dramatic pieces of protest I have read!
Tim

By Colleen McCullough

4 stars

Another Bookarama find - I thought I'd seen this as a film with Mel Gibson years ago and I was right! The book has a much more sensitive telling of this story than the film but you are still left with a sense of despair about how people's judgements affect relationships.
The Seed and the Sower with The Sword and the Doll

By Laurens van der Post

4 stars

A novel that has an additional chapter that explains why the film was called Mery Christmas Mr Lawrence. Superb writing that explores how people deal with different individuals whose cultural biases make this an intense story of captors and captives in a Japanese POW camp.
A Patch of Blue

By Elizabeth Kata

5 stars

It never ceases to amaze me how horrifically some people are treated. This story has a few twists and the language in the book is shocking at times. But then back in the 1960s racial slurs were common. I have seen the Sidney Poitier film and it brought home just how cruel people can be to each other.
The Collins Maori Phrase Book

By Patricia Tauroa

5 stars

My go-to text to check expressions if I am unsure. You can read it closely, scan or skim through as the Contents page is very clear on where to find a phrase according to the occasion.
Man Friday

By Adrian Mitchell

5 stars

A novella that I picked up at Bookarama that surprised me with its retelling of the classic ROBINSON CRUSOE but from Friday's POV. Friday, the 'savage', is taught things by Crusoe for his own good but as Feridat tells his tribe - the man is a plague. A fascinating take on how becoming civilized could destroy a tribe. I would not mind seeing the film with Peter O'Toole and Richard Roundtree.
Swimmer in the Secret Sea

By William Kotzwinkle

5 stars

This is a poignant story of how a man and a woman endured the shock and anguish of their newborn baby's death. The writing is superb and the pain of the father-to-be encompasses his love for his wife and his baby. A novella that has real impact!
Mister God This is Anna

By Fynn (Sydney Hopkins)

5 stars

I re-read this book often as it is a Ah! Book. The author describes an Ah! Book as a book that induces a fundamental change in the reader's consciousness. It revolves around a young girl of six who has been abused and is taken in by a 16 year old and his mum. This book relies heavily on the idea of thinking for yourself and the utter belief Anna has in Mister God. While the book has much sentiment, it is also dark.
SCTA

By PPTA

5 stars

Has all the conditions of the most recent SCTA.
House of Corrections

By Nicci French

5 stars

A great read where the character is authentic and the twists keep you thinking. Right up to the end I was absorbed in the plot and needed the author to use the ending to draw the threads together. Highly recommend as a holiday read for a rainy day!
Teaching to the North-East

By Russell Bishop

3 stars

Not sure I believe most of what Bishop is saying but it certainly is designed to make you think and review your own practice.
The Brother

By Joakim Zander

3 stars

An intriguing take on how and why young men are drawn into becoming jihadists - 'It's as if I see my own life through the jihadist's eyes. See how poor and empty my life is, how utterly useless... It's as if my brain embraces the full extent of something that no one should be allowed to understand: nothing matters.'
Woman with Birthmark

By Håkan Nesser

2 stars

Slightly disappointing quick read but I do like some of the sentences and phrases used by the main character.
The Feedback-Friendly Classroom

By Deborah McCallum

5 stars

This text has some great hints and provides meaningful ways to give/receive feedback in a classroom situation.
Keeping your children safe ONLINE

By John Parsons

5 stars

A great book that all parents should read - 'in coping with the online world, the most important relationship a child has is the one with their family, not with technology.' He explains how family values and role models keep a child safe online and allow them to set appropriate boundaries rather than rely of tech safeguards.
Crushed

By Kate Hamer

1 stars

Reviewers claim it is a dark and haunting tale but I just think it is a weird novel that had an unsatisfactory ending. The three girls seem artificial and parts of the story are forced. Don't waste your time reading it!
The Goldfinch

By Donna Tartt

4 stars

I struggled to get into this book as the writing is very convoluted but from Chapter 4, I am finding it more interesting, I would not call it an odyssey but it certainly is a strong telling of loss and obsession. I was pleased I kept going.
Grasshopper

By Barbara Vine

2 stars

This novel started well and had an unusual plot but, at times, it plodded. I liked the protagonist but found some minor characters irritating - the conclusion left some parts of the story unsolved but by that time, I really did not care.
The Drowned Boy

By Karin Fossum

3 stars

Some twists and turns in this quick read as you try to work out if the characters' morals are dark or just unformed. The final chapter pulls all the threads together.

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