Weekly Reading Corner

Mele is reading The Wrong Boy by Suzy Zail

Dakota issued Evercrossed by Elizabeth Chandler & The Collector by Victoria Scott

Aki is obsessed with Telesa and is waiting for the second book. In the mean time she might check out Where We Once Belonged by another Samoan writer, Sia Figiel

Bobbi Grace just finished Scarlet Secrets by Lani Young and is waiting until next year for the sequel. She'll be reading  Storm & Stone by Joss Stirling next

Racheal is also reading Scarlet Secrets and is struggling to find time to read =(

Kim is reading The One by Kiera Cass

Lana is reading My Brother's Secret by Dan Smith as well as Torment by Lauren Kate

Lusia wanted a romance, so was recommended Whisky Beach by Nora Roberts

Next week we'll be welcoming Mr Tindling as the new host of book club- looking forward to it!

Wednesday Catchup Corner

What we're reading at the moment...

Bobbi-Grace is reading Scarlet Lies, Racheal has I am Daniel Tahi and Aki is reading Telesa

'Asinate is reading the third book in a romance trilogy, The Next Always, Cherub is reading Wintergirls and Ms Wethey just started reading The Colour Purple.

Lana is reading Sophie's Legacy, a non-fiction work about a university student who was killed by her ex-boyfriend. Mele is reading The Miracle Stealer, about a boy and his family who don't get along and Christina is going to try The Vanishing Season on Ms Metcalfe's recommendation and see how it goes.

We had a chat about how we fit reading for pleasure into our day. Most people said they did homework first and then read, but some people scheduled time to read...

Bobbi-Grace- reads at 8.40pm for 20 mins. 

Racheal- 9pm-11pm

Lana- anytime she feels like it

Asinate- when she goes to bed, around 10, tries to limit herself

Aki- depends, sometimes after homework

Mele- averages three chapters a day after homework

Ms Metcalfe- after children go to bed, usually around 8

Ms Wethey- readsbefore sleeping, usually late night, but time varies

Books Yay!

Welcome back to Term 3! We had a good discussion around teaching and learning, particularly what motivates students to work hard enthusiastically. Thanks guys for the interesting ideas.

We also discussed where we buy our books online- bookdepository and amazon are both popular.

This is what we're currently reading- 2 copies of Scarlet Lies were floating around the table.

Bobbi - Scarlet Lies by Lani Young
Lana - Torn by David Massey
Cherub - Bone Bearer by Lani Young
Asinate - The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts
Mele M - Telesa by Lani Young
Racheal - I am Daniel Tahi by Lani Young
Kim - Infernal Devices by Phillip Reeve
Ms Metcalfe - The Mage Winds by Mercedes Lackey
Aki - Selection stories by Keira Cass

All the students, independent, throw your hands up in the air!

Today at book club we are talking about our licenses and books. Lana is reading Sworn which is on E  book. She started today and won’t stop as the book is really relatable to us girls, especially with teenagers hanging around with the wrong crowd, just to be cool and known. Really rebellious character named RACHEL!

Kim is reading ‘All The Bright Places’ written by Jennifer Niven.

Asinate is reading ‘ The Last Boyfriend' written by Nora Roberts

Lonise is reading 'Blue Spring Ride'

Racheal is reading the second bit of Telesa ‘When Water Burns’  - Lani Wendt Young

We are now talking about book title and how off it can be , but the book is nothing racey as the cover.

Talking about future jobs, majority of us don’t know what we want to do. Lonise wants to be a Vet and Nate wants to do Hospitality but she’s taking all sciences this year! hahahh LOL

Talking about Holidays - Kim- hanging out with Bae , Bobbi-Grace - Sleep in , do work and watch programs Aki- Gateway course , Nate - Going to Wellington to have a holiday with her cousin, Racheal - Relax and do assessments and catch up with my programs and EAT EAT EAT! Lonise- Relax, Lana- First week of the holiday going to a program at AUT and going to go Cook Island.

(Thanks Racheal for recording the bookclub notes in my absence today- Ms M)

Favourite author tweeted us!

We all love the Telesa series (staff included) here at Tamaki College. Hopefully we can arrange a visit!

Wednesday Popcorn Party

Bobbiegrace is reading Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling. She's read her other ones but not this one.

Kim recommends Misty Falls, and is reading The Jane Austen Book Club. It's very meh.

Lana is reading The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold, who wrote The Lovely Bones.

'Asinate is reading The Last Boyfriend by Nora Roberts- just starting, so no opinion yet.

Racheael, Cherub and Bobbigrace asking Lani Wednt Young to visit us!

Racheal is reading Telesa for the first time. She's never read it, she's nervous. According to Bobbigrace, even though is cover is a bit sexy it follows traditional Samoan values. I've ordered the series from bookdepository.com (Ms Metcalfe)

Cherub is reading When Water Burns, the second in the Telesa series.

Aki is getting The Selection Stories by Kiera Cass.

Ms Metcalfe issued The Realm of Possibility by David Levithan.

We had a discussion about how we find the time to read and study at the same time. No conclusive answers provided, but we did decide that reading is equally important.

Shortbread Wednesday

We had two staff come today- nice to see you Mr Sharma and Staff Cairns!

Staff Cairns- Usally reads a lot about property investing and consumer rights as well as autobiography- Richie McCaw, Willia Apaiata. The Bryce Courtney series- The Power of One, The Potato factory etc. He might look at getting some non-fiction.

Kim- is reading a Sailor Moon manga series- she missed one and is now confused. She recommends the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz.

Bobbigrace is no longer reading The Colour Purple.  She was finding the language a bit off putting, so will get Everlasting instead.

Lana is reading City of Glass.

Cherub is going to get Telesa out as well as reading The Lovely Bones for English (as is Lana)

Mr Sharma has some light reading-text books. He might read 1984 by Orwell as he likes some dystopian fiction.

Ms Metcalfe is hoping to read Not That Kind Of Girl by Lena Dunham, but needs to fight clear of her school work.

We had a discussion around the difference between fiction and literary fiction.

Lani Wendt Young

Lani Wendt Young is the author of the Telesa series of books, as well as a prolific blogger. Check out her blog here

The first in a new series called Scarlet Lies has just come out- here's the blurb:

"Lies are beautiful – when the truth hurts. 

Sixteen years ago, Scarlet’s family sent her away in disgrace. She’s been back once – with disastrous consequences. Now, her little sister is getting married and Scarlet's headed home once more. Will this be the reunion she's always longed for? Or will the lies of her childhood entangle her once more in their beautiful embrace? 
She has a nightmarish fear of flying and she’s escorting her sister’s wedding dress through three different time zones. He’s the tall, dark and handsome stranger that gets in her way… What happens when Scarlet has to go home to be bridesmaid to her least favorite little sister, (who loves to remind everyone she’s a former beauty Queen EVERY OTHER MINUTE?) Can she survive three weeks of tropical heat and mosquitos, droves of busybody relatives all wanting to tell her WHY she’s still single as she endures the wedding from hell? Six hundred guests, three wedding dresses, twenty-four cake tiers, fifteen bridesmaids, a mother on a mission to makeover her daughter who ‘lacks ambition,’ and ONE deliciously divine man who alternately renders her speechless then drives her to outrage - all add up to a recipe for disaster. Or does it? 
More than 'just a romance', this poignant story about the tangled connections between mothers, daughters and sisters - speaks with compelling insight and humor, of inherited trauma, desire and deception, and the power and stubbornness of love. 
Scarlet Lies is the first in a three book series. The second book, 'Scarlet Secrets' will release April 30th, followed by the thrilling conclusion to the saga, 'Scarlet Redemption', May 30th."

That all the books are coming out this year is very exciting.