Assembly/online Book Reviews by students and staff
Books that have been reviewed at Assembly.
Special | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | ALL
2 |
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2 The tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather MorrisReviewed by Cam Baker |
A |
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A Handmaidens Tale by M. AttwoodReviewed by Mr Hop Wo |
A Matter for Men by David GerroldReviewed by Mr Jochem |
A MONSTER CALLS By Patrick NessReviewed by guest, Librarian, and Reading Ambassador, Alan Dingley |
ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE By Anthony DoerrReviewed by Head Prefect Jake Maskill |
ASSASSIN'S CREED: THE SECRET CRUSADE by Oliver BowdenReviewed by Jerome Te Kanawa Year 12 |
B |
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Barbarossa - How Hitler Lost the War by Jonathan DimblebyReviewed by Mr Miller |
BARBAROSSA: HOW HITLER LOST THE WAR by Jonathan DimblebyReviewed by the Rector, Mr D Bovey |
BOUNCE by Matthew SyedReviewed by Josh Bergerson Y12. |
Brando Yelavich - WildboyReviewed by Connor Giltrap |
C |
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Can't hurt me by David GogginsReviewed by Fletcher Lockhead |
Century Trilogy by Ken FolletReviewed by Hugh Drake |
Child 44 by Tom Rob SmithReviewed by Mr C Higgie. | |
Code to Zero by Ken FollettReviewed by Chris Higgie |
Cristiano and Leo by Jimmy BurnsReviewed by Aadesh Ganugapati |
D |
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DAVID JUBERMANN BOOKSShiftlight, Driftrace & Hypercar reviewed by Hayden Macdonald |
DECLARED by Brendon McCullumReviewed by Thomas Walshe (Prefect and Captain 1st 11 Cricket) |
Deon Meyer's "Devil's Peak" and othersReviewed by Mr G Miller. |
Devil at my heels by Louis ZamperiniReviewed by John Coles |
Diddly Squat by Jeremy ClarksonReviewed by Jonathan Jamieson |
Dominion by C J SansomReviewed by Mr P Dredge |
F |
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Fatty Batter by Michael Simkins |
Fever by Deon MeyerReviewed by Mr Siebert. |
Finding Gobi by Dion LeonardReviewed by Angus Lyver |
Friday Night Lights by H. G. BissingerReviewed by Tamati Ruawai 13LD |
G |
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Game of Thrones by George R.R. MartinReviewed by Mr Vindriis |
GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper LeeReviewed by Mr Atkin |
Golden Son by Pierce BrownReviewed by Afu Taumoepeau (Y11) |
Gone Girl by Gillian FlynnReviewed by Mr C. Higgie |
Greg Iles Trilogy - Natchez Burning, The Bone Tree, Mississipi BloodReviewed by Mr Moore |
H |
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Handmaidens Tale by Margaret AtwoodReviewed by Andrew Karatea |
Hanns and Rudolf by Thomas Harding
Reviewed by Mr Atkin, Deputy Rector | |
Harold Larwood by Duncan HamiltonBook reviewed by Mr Bovey, Rector | |
HATER by David MoodyReviewed by Isaac Harris Year 13 |
Heart of Darkness by Joseph ConradReviewed by Mr Bovey |
HORNS by Joe Hill |
HOW TO ARGUE WITH A RACIST by Adam RutherfordReviewed by Jordan Long-Lay. |
How to build a car by Adrian NeweyReviewed by Tyler Fleming Y13 (Prefect) |
How to Escape from Prison by Dr. Paul WoodReviewed by Mr Atkin |
Hunger Games by Suzanne CollinsReviewed by Mr L. Higgie If you have seen the movie - read the book. |
I |
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I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina LambWhen the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. I am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world. |
I am Pilgrim by Terry HayesReviewed by Callum Grayson |
I'm here to Win: a world champion's advice for peak performanceBy Chris "Macca" McCormack with Tim Vandehey Reviewed by Mr J Kendall |
IN ORDER TO LIVE by Yeonmi ParkReviewed online by Leo Mwape (Y10) |
Infinity by Brian CleggReviewed by Dr. Tularam |
Injun Joe by Marian DayReviewed by Tom Hansen (Prefect) |
J |
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JACKDAWS by Ken FollettReviewed by Mr C Higgie. |
JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL by Richard BachReviewed by Mr Atkin |
K |
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Kevin Pietersen on Cricket: the toughest opponents, the greatest battles, the game we loveWritten by Kevin Pietersen MBE. Reviewed by Braden Rowe Yr13 |
KIWI SPEEDWAY CULTURE by Steve Holmes
Reviewed by Mr Brockelbank. Kiwi Speedway Culture goes beyond the gritty quarter mile dirt ovals dotted throughout our landscape, and visits some of the characters involved. |
L |
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Lee Child and Daniel Silva's booksReviewed by Mr King [Leadership Director] Mr King talked about his Top Ten List and then the following authors: | |
Legacy - 15 Lessons in Leadership by James KerrReviewed by Brayden Iose |
LEGACY BY JAMES KERRReviewed by Jack Trotter, Deputy Head Prefect |
M |
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Mana of the PacificReviewed by Telson Liuvaie (Head Prefect) |
March Violets by Philip KerrReviewed by Mr Bovey (Rector). |
Memory Man by David BaldacciReviewed by Liam Edmunds |
Mike Allsop - High Altitude Reviewed by Mr Hann |
Moz : My Story by Adrian MorleyReviewed by Callum McKenzie |
Mud Sweat and Tears by Bear GryllsReviewed by Richard Bell |
MUD, SWEAT AND TEARS by Bear GryllsReviewed by Mr Barwick Known and admired by millions, Bear Grylls has survived where few would dare to go. Now, for the first time, Bear tells the story of his action-packed life. Gripping, moving and wildly exhilarating, Mud, Sweat and Tears is a must-read for adrenalin junkies and armchair adventurers alike. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mud-Sweat-Tears-Bear-Grylls/dp/1905026498 |
Muhammad Ali the Greatest, My Own StoryReviewed by Josh Ellingham |
Munich by Robert HarrisReviewed by William Wood Set over four days against the backdrop of the Munich Conference of September 1938, this book follows the fortunes of two men who were friends at Oxford together in the 1920s. Hugh Legat is a rising star of the British diplomatic service, serving in 10 Downing Street as a private secretary to the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. Paul von Hartmann is on the staff of the German Foreign Office - and secretly a member of the anti-Hitler resistance. They have not been in contact for more than a decade. But when Hugh flies with Chamberlain from London to Munich, and Paul travels on Hitler's train overnight from Berlin, their paths are set on a collision course - with dramatic results. |
N |
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Night by Elie Wiesel - his record of Childhood in the Death Camps of Auschwitz and BuchenwaldReviewed by Mr Higgie |
No Limits by Michael Phelps | |
No Spin - Shane WarneReviewed by Jack Wenham |
O |
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Oh Boy - A storybook of epic NZ men.Reviewed by Mr Atkin |
One Shot by Lee ChildReviewed by George Gaimster r |
ONLY TIME WILL TELL by Jeffrey ArcherReviewed by Mr C Higgie. |
OPEN : and autobiography by Andre AgassiReviewed by Mr Lambert |
ORPHAN X by Gregg HurwitzReviewed by Mr Atkin (Deputy Rector) The Nowhere Man is a legendary figure spoken about only in whispers. It's said that when he's reached by the truly desperate and deserving, the Nowhere Man can and will do anything to protect and save them. But he's no legend. Evan Smoak is a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He's also a man with a dangerous past. Chosen as a child, he was raised and trained as part of the off-the-books black box Orphan program, designed to create the perfect, deniable intelligence assets - i.e. assassins. [Goodreads.com] | |
OUTLIERS by Malcolm GladwellReviewed by Reuben Davis. |
P |
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Pathfinder by David BlakeleyReviewed by Callum Crawley |
Perform under Pressure by Ceri EvansReviewed by Head Prefect Elyjah Crosswell |
Philip Ker's Bernie Gunther Thriller seriesReviewed by Mr Bovey |
Pipe Dreams, a Surfers journey - Kerry SlaterReviewed by Lachie Nevill |
Poetry of Billy CollinsReviewer is Mr P Dredge |
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane AustenReviewed online by Lucas Richardson. |
PURAKAU : Māori myths retold by Māori writersReviewed by James Pinfold-Whanga (Y11) |
R |
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REFUGEE BY ALAN GRATZReviewed by Leejun Kim Year 9 |
S |
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Sachin Tendulkar - Playing it My WayReviewed by Tom O'Connor |
Sapiens - A Brief History of HumankindReviewed by Henry Yan 9BS Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it:us What makes us brillant? What makes us deadly? What makes us sapiens? In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we're going. sapiens is the thrilling account of our history - from insignificant apes to rulers of the world. |
Sapiens: a Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah HarariReviewed by Matthew Jamieson |
SCAR TISSUE by Anthony KiedisReviewed by Mr S Davidson |
Scythe by Neal ShustermanReviewed by Luke Cherrington Scythe is a 2016 young-adult novel by Neal Shusterman and is the first in the Arc of a Scythe series. It is set in the far future, where death by natural causes has been virtually eliminated thanks to advances in technology and an advanced computer system known as "the Thunderhead" controls society. |
Searching for Charlie by Tom ScottReviewed by Mr Bovey |
Shadows in the Ice by Des HuntReviewed by Harry Maxwell 9KR |
Shakespeare's works, Philip Kerr's final book, Asterix, Tintin and Stephen Fry's MythosReviewed by Mr Bovey, Rector |
She is not your rehab by Matt BrownReviewed by Mr Smith |
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane Reviewed by Greg Shaw Deputy Head Boy |
Skyward by Brandon SandersonReviewed by Liam Lewis |
Sooley by John GrishamReviewed by Connor Puanaki |
Steve Jobs by Walter IsaacsonReviewed by Tyler Price |
Steven Adams My Life, My Fight.Reviewed by Ethan Johanson |
T |
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Temeraire by Naomi NovikReviewed by Ms. Mills |
The 100 Best Poems of all Time edited by Leslie PockellReviewed Mr Braddock |
The Abduction by Jonathan HaltReviewed by Mr J Richards |
THE BELGARIAD SERIESReviewed by Luke Cherrington, Prefect 2022 |
THE BONE TREE by Airana NgarewaReviewed by Ms Durston including interview with young author. |
The Boy Who Followed his Father into Auschwitz by Jeremy Dronfield. zReviewewd by Mr Sinclair |
The Captain Class by Sam WalkerReviewed by Mr Bovey |
The Century Trilogy - Ken FollettReviewed by Chris Higgie |
THE CHAMPION by Maurice GeeReviewed by Mr Lobb (Leadership Director) |
The Chestnut Man by Soren SveistrupReviewed by Mr Atkin |
The Cocaine Diaries by Paul Keany with Jeff FarrellReviewed by Jack Gibbs |
The Disappearing Spoon by Sam KeanReviewed by Jonathan Stone |
The Dry by Jane HarperReviewed by Digby Werthmuller |
The Excalibur Alternative by David WeberReviewed by Hamish Forbes |
The Fat Man by Maurice GeeReviewed by Mr Lobb |
The Five People you meet in Heaven by Mitch AlbomReviewed by Zinzan Deans-Emery |
The girl you left behind by Jojo MoyesReviewed by Digby Werthmuller |
THE GONE SERIES by Michale GrantReviewed by Luke Wheelhouse Year 9 |
The Good Doctor by Lance O'SullivanReviewed by Mr Noema-Barnett |
THE GUNSLINGER AND THE DARK TOWER SERIESWritten by Stephen King. Reviewed by Mr Ducre. The story centers upon Roland Deschain, the last gunslinger, who has been chasing after his adversary, "the man in black", for many years. The novel fuses Western fiction with fantasy, science fiction and horror, following Roland's trek through a vast desert and beyond in search of the man in black. Roland meets several people along his journey, including a boy named Jake Chambers who travels with him part of the way. [Wikipedia] | |
The incredible story of Tony Christiansen, Don't just sit thereReviewed by Jordan Pederson |
The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick NessReviewed by Mr Strang |
The Man Who Cycled the World by Mark BeaumontReviewed by Matthew Jamieson |
The Martian by Andy WeirReviewed by Jack Burden 12 PG |
The Monk who sold his Ferrari by Robin Sharma
Reviewed by Orin Ruaine-Prattley Yr 13
|
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha ChristieReviewed by Mitchell Liang |
The Music of Silence: a memoir by Andrea BocelliReviewed by Mr Ferreira. | |
The New Girl by Daniel SilvaReviewed by Mr Greer |
The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan HolidayReviewed by Jonty Fleck |
The Odyssey by HomerReviewed by Mr Dawson |
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY By Oscar WildeReviewed by Saem Millward, Deputy Head Prefect. |
The Potatoe Factory by Bryce CourtneyReviewed by Lance Retemeyer |
The Potatoe Factory by Bryce Courtney.Reviewed by Lance Retemeyer |
THE PREFECT by Alaistair ReynoldsReviewed by Nathan Hotter Year 12 |
THE PUSH by Tommy CaldwellReviewed by Kopere Tanoa (Year 13, Prefect) |
The rudest Book Ever by Shwetabh GangwarReviewed by Varanjit Singh |
The Second World War by Antony BeevorReviewed by Mr Bovey, Rector | |
The Secret Race by Tyler Hamilton and Daniel CoyleReviewed by Tom Peel |
The short and tragic life of Robert Peace by Jeff HobbsReviewed by Piripi Pinfold-Whanga |
The Stars Tennis Balls by Stephen FryReviewed by William Hince |
The Start-up Nation by Dan Senor and Saul SingerReviewed by Tommy Le |
The subtle Art of not giving a Fuck by Mark MansonReviewed by Hemi Pinfold-Whanga |
The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather MorrisReviewed by Connor Hurnard |
The Upward SpiralThe Upward Spiral reviewed by John Adams |
The Upward Spiral by Alex Korb, PhDReviewed by Mr Adams | |
The Wall by John LanchesterReviewed by Jacob Dredge |
Thr3e by Ted DekkerReviewed by Taylor Monk Yr13 Enter a world where nothing is what it seems. Where your closest friend could be your greatest enemy. |
Time and time Again by Ben EltonReviewed by Mr. C. Higgie |
tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell Reviewed by Ben Blyde |
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeReviewed by Raza Jawad |
Today in New Zealand history, reviewed by James Pinfold-Whanga 10MS |
True Grit by Bear GryllsReviewed by John Gummer Yr12 |
True Red by Isaac TuhoeReviewed by Taare Ferris 28:5:14 |
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch AlbomReviewed by Zinzan Deans-Emery Year 12 |
Twenty Contemporary New Zealand Poets.Reviewed by Mr Ross |
U |
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Unbroken by Laura HillenbrandReviewed by Bryn Gordon |
Under the Eagle by Simon ScarrowReviewed by Mr Hobson |
Usain Bolt - Faster than lightening. My StoryReviewed by Josh Ellingham |
W |
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Warbreaker by Brandon SandersonReviewed by Cody Reid Year13 |
Watchman by Alan MooreReviewed by Jacob Waugh |
What I read presented by Mr Benn |
What if Serious Scientific answers to Absurd Hypothetical questions by Randall MunroeReviewed by John Cole |
WILDBOY by Brando YelavichReviewed by Zac Tutty. |
WINX by Andrew RuleReviewed by Mr McDougall |
Y |
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You have the Power to Change Stuff by Daniel FlynnReviewed by Matthew Brennan |
Z |
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ZEROES by Chuck WendigReviewed by Finlay McRae Yr12Five hackers—an Anonymous-style rabble-rouser, an Arab Spring hacktivist, a black-hat hacker, an old-school cipherpunk, and an online troll—are detained by the U.S. government, forced to work as white-hat hackers for Uncle Sam in order to avoid federal prison. But once the Zeroes begin to work, they uncover secrets that would make even the most dedicated conspiracy theorist's head spin. |