book 115: The Kind Worth Killing

Sunday 12 April 2026

 

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson is a psychological thriller revolving around a deadly pact made between two strangers who meet in an airport bar.  A modern take on Strangers on a Train, this is Boston-based Swanson's second novel, following The Girl with a Clock for a Heart.

 

We'll meet at Tim & Wendy's and Tim will bring the shortlist.

 

Ratings (out of 17):

 

Book 114: The Sound and the Fury

Sunday 1 February 2026

In The Sound and the Fury (1929), American author William Faulkner serves up a literary gumbo of time, chaos, and family dysfunction - stirring existential angst with a dash of Southern Gothic flair.

We met at Leigha's place, and Leigha brought the shortlist. 

Ratings (out of 17):

Wendy: 9

Leigha: 7

Steph: 4

Tim: 4

Average: 6.3

Book 113: The Vanishing Half

Sunday 19 October 2025

The Vanishing Half is a historical fiction novel by American author Brit Bennett. It is her second novel and was published 2020 and is frequently included in lists of the best novel of that year. The story follows 20 years in the lives of identical twin sisters, Desiree and Stella, who grow up in a small Louisiana community in the 1950s and 60s. They run away at age sixteen, but their lives diverge significantly as adults.

We'll meet at Steph's place and Steph will bring the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Steph 14

Leigh 13

james 15

Wendy 15

Tim 15

Average: 14.5

Book 112: Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind

Sunday 10 August 2025

Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind, by Molly McGhee, is a story about a spacesuit-clad dream auditor that balances lighthearted whimsy and darker themes, exploring how kindness can heal and connect us in challenging times. McGhee's personal experiences with debt and overwork inform the narrative, which serves as a critique of modern work culture.

We met at Tim & Wendy's place. Wendy brought the short
list.

Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha: 8

Stef: 7

Tim 9

Wendy 10

Average: 9.0

Book 111: The Heart's Invisible Furies

Sunday 22 June 2025

The Heart's Invisible Furies is a novel by John Boyne, the Irish author of The Boy In the Striped Pajamas.  The Heart's Invisible Furies follows the life of Cyril Avery as he navigates societal pressures, love, and loss across several decades in Ireland.

We'll meet at James' place. 

Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha 12 

Steph 10

Tim 14

James 11

Monica 15

Average: 13.0

Book 110: Trust

Sunday 13 April 2025

"Trust" by Hernán Diaz won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.  It is a "literary puzzle about money, power, and intimacy", according to its publisher.

We met at Monika's place and Leigha brought the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha 13

Monika 16

Wendy 12

Tim 15 

Jim 15

Steph 15

Average: 14.2

Book 109: The Quiet American

Sunday 2 February 2025

"The Quiet American" is Graham Greene's 1955 novel about political intrigue in Vietnam, exploring Western involvement and idealism. Criticised for its portrayal of Americans, it sparked debate over imperialism and morality.

Chris brought the shortlist and we were generously hosted by Leigha and Steve.

Ratings (out of 17):

Chris 16 

James 15 

Tim 11

Wendy 14

Monika 16

Steph 16

Leigha 15

Average: 14.2

Book 108: Klara and the Sun

Sunday 17 November 2024

"Klara and the Sun" by Kazuo Ishiguro is a thought-provoking novel about an Artificial Friend named Klara who observes human behavior. It explores themes of love, loneliness, and what it means to be human in a near-future world.

Steph brought the shortlist and we met at Tim and Wendy's.

Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha 15

Steph 16

Monika 17

Ann 12 

James 15 

Tim 12 

Wendy 14 

Average: 14.4

book 107: Black Cake

13 October 2024

Our next book is Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson, spans sixty years in the life of one Caribbean/American family.  There's a cake, too.

Oprah made it into a TV show that is available on Disney Plus.  It featured on Obama's Summer 2022 Reading list and became a No. 2 New York Times bestseller.

We'll meet at Steph's place and Tim will bring the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Monika: 13

Stef: 9

Wendy: 13

Leigha: 11

Chris: DNF - wasn't enjoying it 

Tim: 14

Cherie: 12

Average: 11.7

book 106: The Yiddish Policemen's Union

4 August 2024

Our next book is The Yiddish Policemen's Union, by Michael Chabon, who also wrote The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay which we read way back in 2009.  

The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a detective story set in the present-day in an imaginary Alaskan city named Sitka that was settled by Jewish refugees during World War Two. 

We'll meet at Monika's place and Monika will bring the shortlist.

 Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha 14

Steph 14

Wendy 12 and rising

Monika 14

Tim abstained (did not finish)

Average: 13.5

book 105: Before the Coffee Gets Cold

Sunday 19 May 2024

Before the Coffee Gets Cold, by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, was originally published in Japanese. Aucklanders love it.

We met at Tim & Wendy's place and Wendy brought the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha 10

Steph 10

Monika 14

Ann 12

Nicole 10

James  10

Tim 10

Wendy 12

Average: 11.0

book 104: Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Sunday 24 February 2024

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (yes, those Oxford commas are in the actual title) is by bestselling US author Gabrielle Zevin.  Set against a game-development backdrop, it is really a story about the relationship between childhood friends and adult collaborators Sam and Sadie.

We'll meet at Leigha's place and James will bring the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Steph 17

Chris 10

Ann 14

Tim 11 

James 15

Leigha 16

Wendy 16

Average: 14.1

book 103: The Covenant of Water

Sunday 5 November 2023

The Covenant of Water is a 700+ page monster of a book by Abraham Verghese that has made its way on to Oprahs' Book Club list, complete with companion podcast.  Over-achiever Verghese is also a doctor and professor at Stanford.

We'll meet at Ann's place. Steph will bring the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Monika 16
Ann 16
Stef 14
Leigha 15
Nic 15
Wendy 15
Tim 15
James 12

Average: 14.8

book 102: So You've Been Publicly Shamed

Sunday 23 July 2023

So You've Been Publicly Shamed, by British journalist Jon Ronson.  

Some Arazonans think this book is inappropriate for high-schoolers, so it must be good.

We'll meet at Monika's place.

Ratings (out of 17):

Nicole: 12

Tim: 12

Ann : 12 

James: 14

Steph: 13

Leigha 11

Monika: 14

Wendy: 15

Average: 12.8

book 101: The Feather Thief

Sunday 21 May 2023

The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century, by Kirk Wallace Johnson.  A weird but true story.

We'll meet at Steph's place.

Monika will bring the shortlist.

 Ratings (out of 17):

Steph 14

Nicole 14

Ann 14

Monika  14

Leigha 13

James 12

Tim 13

Average: 13.4

100 books! Our faves so far...

So there you have it, we've reached 100 books and it only took us 16 years.  Our top ten books of all time included book no. 100, scraping in at tenth position.  

Here they are, in descending order by average score: 

20/1/2013 Gone Girl 15.7

21/2/2010 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 15.3

22/4/2012 Lolita  15.3

24/5/2009 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close 15.1

16/1/2022 A Gentleman in Moscow 15.1

28/6/2009 The Book Thief 15.0

7/5/2017 The Gentleman 15.0

12/9/2021 Do Not Say We Have Nothing 14.8

31/5/2015 Daughter of Fortune 14.7

26/3/2023 Lessons in Chemistry 14.6

book one hundred: Lessons in Chemistry

Sunday 26 March 2023

The story of Elizabeth Zott, scientist, dog-owner and TV cook.Coming soon to Apple TV+!

We'll meet at Tim and Wendy's place.  Ann will bring the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Nicole: 16

James:  13

Wendy: 16

Tim: 16

Monika: 16

Leigha: 13

Ann: 14

Steph: 13

Average: 14.6

book ninety-nine: Sisters In Resistance

15 January 2023

Our ninety-ninth book is Sisters In Resistance by Tilar J. Mazzeo, billed as "the extraordinary true story of how three women - a fascist's daughter, a German spy, and an American socialite - raced against Hitler's SS to get key evidence into the hands of the Allies."

Hear an ABC Radio interview with the author here.

We met at Leigha's place. Tim brought the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Ann 8 below par

Leigha  11 learnt a lot but felt like a  school assignment 

Steph 9 

Wendy

Tim 

Nicole 11 as per Leigha 

Average: 11.0

Book Blurbs decoded

Shamelessly stolen from some random facebook page. 

book ninety-eight: The Lincoln Highway

Sunday 16 October 2022

The Lincoln Highway is by Amor Towes, who wrote bookclub favourite A Gentleman In Moscow (average score: 15.1).  This one is set in a different time and place.  Will it be as popular? 

We met at Tim & Wendy's place.

Wendy brought the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha 15 

James15

Anne 15

Tim 15

Wendy 13 

Average: 14.6

book ninety-seven: American Dirt

Sunday 7 August 2022

American Dirt is a controversial 2020 novel by American author Jeanine Cummins, about the ordeal of a Acapulco bookshop-owner forced to leave behind her life and escape as an immigrant to US with her son.

We met at Ann's place and Maree brought the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha 15

Maree 15

Ann 12

Wendy 13

Tim 

Steph 14

Average: 13.8

book ninety-six: 'The Secret History' by Donna Tartt

Sunday 22 May 2022

'The Secret History', a bestseller debut novel by Donna Tartt. You'll have to read the book because there is no movie.

We'll meet at James and Mari's place and Maree will bring the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):
Steph 14

James 11

Leigha 14

Ann 13

Tim 12

Average: 12.8

book ninety-five: The Prague Cemetery

Sunday 27 March 2022

The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco has been called a sort of highbrow Dan Brown.  No word on how either Umberto or Dan feels about that.

Steph kindly hosted; Leigha brought the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Leigha - 7 - Like trudging through a university assignment
Stephanie - 5 - So over it by page 100
James - 12 - Was hoping for something more like Eco's other novels. Respect but not love it.
Ann - 10 - Thought provoking, but didn't like it

Average: 8.5

book ninety-four: A Gentleman in Moscow

Sunday 16 January 2022

A Gentleman in Moscow, the worldwide bestseller by American novelist Amor Towles.  Apparently, it is "The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Eloise" meets all the Bond villains.

We met at Leigha's place.

James contributed the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Tim 16

Wendy 15

Leigha 16

Steph  14

Maree 16

Monika 15

Ann 14

Average: 15.1

book: ninety-three: The Labyrinth

Sunday 28 November 2021

From Anne's shortlist comes the winner of the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award by Tasmanian and one-time alleged senator-defamer Amanda Lohrey.

We'll meet at Tim and Wendy's place.

Maree will bring the shortlist.

Ratings (out of 17):

Monika 12

Ann 12

Leigha 13

Stef 12

Tim 9

James 12

Maree 12

Average: 11.7