Author: Charlotte Brontë Published: 1840s Genres: Bildungsroman (novel about growth or morality, education etc.), Classic, Gothic, Romance By: Alexandrina Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I loved Jane Eyre. Jane Eyre is a romance novel which mixes with various other genres such as coming-of-age and gothic. It was published by the author Charlotte Bronte in the 1840s under the male pseudonym Currer Bell. The novel describes the life of a girl … Continue reading Book Review: Jane Eyre
We had a 2 day event in our library this year to celebrate and commorate ANZAC Day 2026! The event included workshops by the Friends of the Nurses’ Memorial Chapel which explored the heroic work that ANZAC Nurses did for the war effort, NZ Armed Forces looking at equipment, trying on old uniforms, Poppy making and an informational session about the history of ANZAC by … Continue reading Māpuna Library’s: ANZAC Day Display 2026!
Our lastest display of the term is was put up on Monday, May the 4th! Looking fantastic! The idea was simple – we combined a Star Wars inspired display with New Zealand Sign Language Week! Thank you to the staff who helped creating the star-wars terms in ASL! Thanks to the student librarians who put the display together! #MayTheForceBeWithYou #Maythe4th #NZSLW2026 #DeafAotearoa Continue reading Māpuna Library’s: Star Wars May the 4th & NZ Sign Language Week 2026!
Author: N.H. Kleinbaum Published: 1988 Genres: Coming of age, Fiction, Poetry, YA By: Catherine Dead Poets Society a well-written and executed novel by N.H Kleinbaum, embarks you on a journey of friendship-brotherhood, self-discovery, bittersweet tragedy, conformity vs individualism, and romance. Todd Anderson, a timid, woke, and somewhat reserved 16-year-old boy transfers to Welton Academy. A private, disciplined, academy for boys’, where he meets his permanent dorm roommate, Neil Perry, a charismatic, passionate, and charming boy, and his friend group of somewhat rebellious and intelligent boys. Despite stark contrast to himself, they quickly become friends. Welton Academy is infamous … Continue reading Book Review: Dead Poets Society
Author: R.F. Kuang Published: 2025 Genres: Dark Academia, Fantasy By: Maya Star Rating: 4/5 stars Katabasis by RF Kuang is a novel that one can only describe as addictive. The novel, entitled after Greek word Katabasis, directly translates to “descending” and follows Alice Law and Peter Murdoch’s descent into Hell. The main characters, both of which are graduate students at Cambridge, aim to retrieve the soul of their … Continue reading Book Review: Katabasis
Author: Susan Dennard Published: 2022 Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, YA By: Katie Star Rating: 3.7/5 stars Did you like this book? The Luminaries is the first novel in a compelling fantasy trilogy. It follows Winnie Wednesday and her pursuit of becoming a nightmare hunter, having to face three trials during the month of her sixteenth birthday. Although, after her family was outcasted from the Wednesday clan years ago … Continue reading Book Review: The Luminaries
Author: E. Lockhart Published: 2014 Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, YA By: Cassia Star Rating: 4/5 The Sinclair family is perfect. They have money, good looks, passion and a private island. But what happens when a group of four friends, the Liars, make a mistake which leads to a heart-breaking accident? I would tell you, but I’m just going to lie. Personally, I liked this book. It was different from my usual genre of books, but … Continue reading Book Review: We Were Liars
Author: Gaston Leroux Published: 1910 Genres: Gothic Literature, Horror, Romance By: Lucinda Star Rating: 5/5 stars In the gothic heart of Paris in the late 1800s, Gaston Leroux transports us to a time of beauty, glamour and romance but with a touch of the sinister, the melancholy, the cursed. The Phantom of the Opera follows the strange occurrences in the Paris Opera House once the new managers take … Continue reading Book Review: The Phantom of Opera
Author: Aloha Higa Published: 2023 Genres: Animals, Humor, Manga, YA By: Huxley If you are looking for a new book series to read, one I would recommend is the Polar Bear Cafe, by Aloha Higa.Polar Bear Cafe is a fictional manga about a group of friends going about their comedic life. If you have not read manga yet, it is read in the traditional Japanese order of left … Continue reading Book Review: Polar Bear Cafe
Author: Lily Braun-Arnold Published: 2025 Genres: Dystopia, LGBT+, Romance, YA By: Jess Star Rating: 4/5 stars It has happened. The world has ended. Ripped apart by storms and acid rain, Liz has nothing left, except for her bookstore. For a year she has lived here, trading books and passing mail, never venturing outside of the bookstore’s safety. She wasn’t always alone, but old friends left for survival, for new possibilities, for a … Continue reading Book Review: The Last Bookstore on Earth
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