Teresa's most-loved reads from 2025Like this list

12 items

• Creation Lake

  Kushner, Rachel

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  It took a little while to get into this novel, but once I did I loved it. 34-year-old spy agent Sadie is employed by a mysterious and powerful entity to infiltrate a commune of Eco-activists in rural France, and take down their charismatic leader…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• All Out

  Wagner, Neil, 1986-

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  I love a good sports biography, and Neil Wagner's does not disappoint. Refreshingly honest, both about his personal struggles (including mental health) and his experiences playing cricket in South Africa and New Zealand. I'll always remember him…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• John Marsden

  Pung, Alice

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  One of my favourite Australian writers talking about one of my favourite Australian writers, what's not to love? I absolutely devoured YA author John Marsden's books growing up (most known for the 'Tomorrow, when the war began' series), and have…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ash

  Wallace, Louise, 1983-

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  Another quick but powerful read. It follows Thea, a small-town vet and mother of two, who is trying to juggle work, young children, and generally keep the household running. There is an explosion that causes more grief and issues, and then she faces…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Understanding Margaret Atwood

  Bickford, Donna M.

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  A book about books (again!). A slim but fascinating read that analyses Atwood's last novels, including 'The Handmaid's Tale', 'The Testaments', the 'Maddadam trilogy', and 'The Heart Goes Last'.

• Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance

  a Novel

  Espach, Alison, 1984-

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  Favourite read of the year (and I knew it would be within the first few pages). A wry and heart-wrenching story that follows Sally, her family, and Billy, and how they remain entwined over the years after an awful tragedy. It had me chuckling on one…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Kataraina

  Manawatu, Becky

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  A powerful, raw, and moving read. Although still difficult to read at times (like Auē), it was important to see Kataraina's mana, her fight and her vulnerability, as she looks back at moments in her life in an attempt to come to terms with it all.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• See How They Fall

  Perfect Family, Perfect Weekend, Perfect Crime...

  Paris, Rachel

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  An excellent debut from a new kiwi talent! This mystery had good pacing with plenty of twists and was well-written. Ideal for someone who is not a big mystery reader (read: me). Some dark parts (which were borderline for me), but overall a rocking…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Madwoman

  Bieker, Chelsea, 1987-

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  Dark, harrowing, and completely absorbing, 'Madwoman' reads like a thriller; fast-paced, unsettling, and with the odd twist thrown in. We meet Clove as an adult with two children, who has built her immaculate life with her husband on lies, one that…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Gliff

  Smith, Ali, 1962-

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  Another quick read, which seems to be this year's theme! Gliff follows Bri in a dystopian near future society with a totalitarian government that imprisons, punishes, and ostracises "undesirables". As ever, Smith draws on real world issues in her…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Ghosts on Every Corner

  Woods, Reuben

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  A beautiful coffee table-type book showcasing Ghostcat's minuture model exhibition of iconic Christchurch buildings pre-earthquake, in a collaboration with Dr Reuben Woods. Interwoven with local stories, this book is a nostalgia tour of what…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Strange Case of Jane O.

  a Novel

  Walker, Karen Thompson

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  Jane, a woman with a perfect memory and a young baby, goes missing and cannot remember what happened for those hours. Along with her psychologist, she tries to work out what is happening to her. A quietly twisty novel that switches between the two…Read moreRead more of this annotation