The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,940
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jan 17, 2022 6:35:07 GMT
I did read two books. I’ll post later about them.
What did you read this week?
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The Great Carpezio
Pearl Clutcher
Something profound goes here.
Posts: 2,940
Jun 25, 2014 21:50:33 GMT
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Post by The Great Carpezio on Jan 17, 2022 16:02:02 GMT
Quiet this week. This week I read two books that I’d downloaded in the past that I hadn’t read. 🟢 Book 6: Circe 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Another reimagined mythological story by the same author as Song of Achilles. This time it follows the story of the Odyessy told through the eyes of the immortal goddess and witch, Circe. I love a good dynamic character, and Circe is definitely a character that changes and evolves. If you’re not familiar with the Odyssey, Circe is one of the obstacles that Odysseus must face on his way home to Ithaca. She turns his men into pigs, but we finally understand what motivates her and are painted a picture an imagined life after Odysseus enters it and leaves. I found myself sitting in her world long after finishing the story. It pulls in most of the rest of the Odyssey into the story as well. So good. 🟢 Book 7: Before We Were Yours 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I believe this was a Kindle deal I downloaded a while back sitting in my TBR “pile.” Although fiction, the story is based on the real life horror of over 5000 kidnapped children that were “adopted” (ahem, trafficked) through the Tennesse Children’s Home in the 20’s through 1950. It is told in the duel format of Rill, a trafficked child in the 1940’s, who was trying to hold on to her siblings and find her way back home from the orphanage, and the story of Avery, a modern woman of wealth and prestige that gets drawn into a historical mystery that involves her grandmother and a women tied to the orphanage. It’s interesting historically (and enraging). I liked both stories and how they interact. I did think the modern part definitely had a bit of a “Hallmark movie” made-for-the-screen feel at times. Honestly, it would make a good movie/series though. www.insider.com/georgia-tann-tennessee-children-home-society-survivors-speak-out-2019-12?amp
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Post by ~summer~ on Jan 17, 2022 16:06:21 GMT
I finished Crying in H Mart last night. This one is getting a lot of buzz and on a lot of lists. I’d give it 3.5 stars.
Now I’m going to keep reading Project Hail Mary. I also have Klara and the Sun lined up.
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Post by SockMonkey on Jan 17, 2022 16:09:36 GMT
I finally finished The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois by Honoré Fanonne Jeffers. It was excellent, but 800 pages! I didn't realize how long it was at first, because I mostly read on Kindle & didn't check the number of pages. It was so good, but it's a real committment.
Now I'm reading a fluff thing: London's Number One Dog Walking Agency by Kate MacDougall. I...kind of hate it. I love dogs! I love London! It's a memoir, so it's "true." But it's like Bridget Jones decides to take up dog walking with zero experience. Down to the annoying judgy mother. I'm going to finish it because I need to make sure the dogs are all okay by the end. I was hoping for something fun, but I'm finding myself very annoyed with the author, who starts a dog walking business with no experience, lies, fucks up, and fails up. It honestly isn't giving me a lot of faith in the dog walking industry! I guess I like the parts about the dogs enough to power through, and it's short and fast.
Now I need something else high-interest/lighter, because this one is stressing me out. LOL
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,695
Jun 25, 2014 19:33:19 GMT
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Post by Rhondito on Jan 17, 2022 16:11:10 GMT
I am taking on A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I've had it for a while and kept putting it off, but finally decided dive in. I'm two chapters in and hoping it gets better...
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Post by SockMonkey on Jan 17, 2022 16:19:01 GMT
I am taking on A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I've had it for a while and kept putting it off, but finally decided dive in. I'm two chapters in and hoping it gets better... 😬
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sueg
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,126
Location: Munich
Apr 12, 2016 12:51:01 GMT
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Post by sueg on Jan 17, 2022 16:19:11 GMT
I am reading Saint X by Alexis Shaitkin. I thought it would be a pretty straightforward murder mystery, but it is so much deeper. A young college student goes missing on the last night of a family vacation in the Caribbean, and her body is found a days later. The book the. Follows the family in the years after. Her younger sister - only 7 at the time of the crime - becomes totally obsessed with finding our who her sister really was, while the parents seem to devolve into people just going through the motions of life.
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Post by maryland on Jan 17, 2022 16:40:38 GMT
I am reading Hush Little Baby - Redfearn and it's good so far. Also have Brave Girl, Quiet Girl - Kathryn Ryan Hyde to read next.
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Post by thundergal on Jan 17, 2022 16:45:56 GMT
Hey guys! I've been a little MIA because I've been in a reading rut. So I check in and add all your suggestions to my list! But haven't posted.
I did dive in to one I'm loving this weekend. Any of you who enjoy mysteries, I think you'd love Allen Eskens. I read The Life We Bury a few years ago and liked it very much. He has since written a handful of spinoffs involving some recurring characters. The stories mostly center around a police detective and his active cases. I think the stories are all very engaging and I like his writing style. I've read The Life We Bury and The Guise of Another. Now I'm reading The Heavens May Fall. Excellent books.
It felt so good to have my nose back on a book this weekend.
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Judy26
Pearl Clutcher
MOTFY Bitchy Nursemaid
Posts: 2,852
Location: NW PA
Jun 25, 2014 23:50:38 GMT
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Post by Judy26 on Jan 17, 2022 16:53:29 GMT
I’m in the middle of several books and finished one. I gave The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave 3 stars. I found it to be long and implausible. I started Bill Summers by King and The Last Thing You Surrender by L. Pitts. Both are very good and I’m anxious to get back to both of them.
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hutchfan
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,191
Jul 6, 2016 16:42:12 GMT
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Post by hutchfan on Jan 17, 2022 17:09:31 GMT
I read The Second Life Of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore. I won this book in a giveaway at Goodreads. Mirielle was diagnosed with leprosy and sent to Carville hospital. She changed her name there to protect her husband and 2 daughters she had to leave behind. This story was sad but also uplifting to see the strength of those suffering. Mirielle frustrated me at times but oh the many wonderful characters in this book. I just fell in love with this book. Highly recommend.
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Rhondito
Pearl Clutcher
MississipPea
Posts: 4,695
Jun 25, 2014 19:33:19 GMT
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Post by Rhondito on Jan 17, 2022 17:31:03 GMT
I’m in the middle of several books and finished one. I gave The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave 3 stars. I found it to be long and implausible. I started Bill Summers by King and The Last Thing You Surrender by L. Pitts. Both are very good and I’m anxious to get back to both of them. Billy Summers was one of my favorites from last year!
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Post by Charlotte on Jan 17, 2022 17:54:15 GMT
I read The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain and With Friends Like These by Kimberly McCreight.
The first was mostly a historical novel about the civil rights movement. The second was a thriller about a group of friends with lots of secrets.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jan 17, 2022 17:55:35 GMT
I listened to News of the World. It was ok, but not spectacular. I also read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I liked it. I didn't really connect with Monique but I thought there were a lot of good parts of the story that resonated with me. I'm listening to The Vanishing Half now and not sure how I feel about it so far.
I have several books that have come in from the library all at once. I was on Amazon reading the descriptions and reviews to determine which I want to read next, and am finding that sometimes the reviews are discouraging and then I don't want to read the book, even though there is an overall good rating. I also think it is interesting how it seems that any book that mentions race or gender identify in any way will inevitably have several reviews who say it is liberal propaganda, not for "conservatives" and so on.
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Post by cadoodlebug on Jan 17, 2022 18:28:28 GMT
Any of you who enjoy mysteries, I think you'd love Allen Eskens. I read The Life We Bury a few years ago and liked it very much. He is one of our favorite authors. We've read everything he's written. Mirielle was diagnosed with leprosy and sent to Carville hospital. Interesting story: The father of one of my sorority sisters in the 60's, was chaplain at Carville. She had her wedding there which I attended. I did a lot of research about leprosy and found it fascinating. Last night I finished Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It was my first read from this author and I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the multi-generational back and forth. 4/5 stars Next up is Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano which was recommended by the Peas.
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Mystie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,299
Jun 25, 2014 19:53:37 GMT
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Post by Mystie on Jan 17, 2022 18:30:08 GMT
I finished Project Hail Mary. It was okay. Andy Weir is definitely a talented writer but I don't think I'm the proper audience. My engineer husband really enjoyed it, though.
I started Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. It'quite good so far, but may be a little more emotional than me and my anxiety disorder can handle this month. We shall see. Might need to find some fluffy mystery stories instead.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jan 17, 2022 18:39:23 GMT
One of the books that I have from the library (on audio) is The Push. I assume I got the recommendation here, but am wondering what people's thoughts of it are? When I was reading the reviews I was a little scared that it might be a little much.
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Post by mnmloveli on Jan 17, 2022 18:40:43 GMT
Mixed week; one very good read and one bomb.
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET by Diane Chamberlain : 4 Stars DESCRIPTION: When Kayla Carter’s husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their 4 year old daughter. When she is confronted by an old older woman telling her not to move-in, her nerves are now on edge. It’s clear this woman has some king of connection to the area and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla’s elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it’s clear she too has secrets that stretch back almost 50 years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? REVIEW: Ms. Chamberlain’s last book, Big Lies in a Small Town (‘20), I gave 4 stars. All her books that I’ve read received 4 stars with two 5-star reads (The Escape Artist and The Secret Lives of CeeCee Wilkes). Ms. Chamberlain always manages to discuss very real topics in her stories and this book is no exception. I liked the dual timeline (1965/2010) which kept me trying to figure out how the characters would connect. Ms. Chamberlain always makes it so easy to visually see the characters and their environment along with feeling all their emotions too. Her books are always an experience that leave me thinking.
JUST MY LUCK (‘20) by Adele Parks : 1 Star DESCRIPTION: For 15 years, Lexi and Jake have played the same six numbers with two other couples. Over drinks, dinner parties and summer barbecues, the 3 couples have discussed the important stuff - kids, marriages, career — and they’ve laughed-off their disappointment when they failed to win anything week after week. But then the unthinkable happens and there’s a rift in the group. Soon after their 6 numbers come-up and that changes everything forever. REVIEW: A Bookbub alert description grabbed me. I see this author’s name a lot but it’s my first red by her. At 35% I like her writing style. I like the lotto winnings plot but I’m hoping it gets back to Lexi’s job at the Citizens Advice Bureau. As the book went on (50%) the family who won the lotto are soooo ridiculous, I can’t read another word out of their mouths. When the daughter Emily is more worried about planning a “winnings” party than the fact that she just found out she’s pregnant with her ex-boyfriend, I was done.
Happy Reading !
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Post by mnmloveli on Jan 17, 2022 18:41:25 GMT
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,768
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
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Post by gottapeanow on Jan 17, 2022 18:42:41 GMT
I am taking on A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I've had it for a while and kept putting it off, but finally decided dive in. I'm two chapters in and hoping it gets better... I think A Little Life is a very slow burn. I finished Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh. I was disappointed in this one. I have loved everything I've read by him until this book. I just have such high expectations for his writing. It wasn't that bad but just not up to his usual. 3.5/5 stars I'm reading To Paradise by Hanya Yanagihara. It's divided into three sections with three timelines, each 100 years apart. I'm halfway through. More next week. (I preordered this, only the second time I have ever preordered a book.) Lisa
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gottapeanow
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,768
Jun 25, 2014 20:56:09 GMT
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Post by gottapeanow on Jan 17, 2022 18:48:52 GMT
One of the books that I have from the library (on audio) is The Push. I assume I got the recommendation here, but am wondering what people's thoughts of it are? When I was reading the reviews I was a little scared that it might be a little much. This book is . It's a bit like Defending Jacob and even The Good Neighborhood. Very intense. I've also heard it compared to Baby Teeth, which I have but haven't read yet, and We Need to Talk about Kevin (haven't read that either). Lisa
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SabrinaP
Pearl Clutcher
Busy Teacher Pea
Posts: 4,362
Location: Dallas Texas
Jun 26, 2014 12:16:22 GMT
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Post by SabrinaP on Jan 17, 2022 18:54:47 GMT
One of the books that I have from the library (on audio) is The Push. I assume I got the recommendation here, but am wondering what people's thoughts of it are? When I was reading the reviews I was a little scared that it might be a little much. Someone asked the same question on last week’s reading thread and a few people gave opinions. I really enjoyed the book, but I’m not really bothered by thrillers. I don’t think it’s over intense. This week I read Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. It is a thriller and was a quick read. I found it pretty engaging and enjoyed it.
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Post by mnmloveli on Jan 17, 2022 18:59:22 GMT
One of the books that I have from the library (on audio) is The Push. I assume I got the recommendation here, but am wondering what people's thoughts of it are? When I was reading the reviews I was a little scared that it might be a little much. I was a fan of The Push and gave it 4 stars. Here’s my review posted here and on Goodreads. TRIGGER ALERT - Child death and psychological issues/depression. gottapeanow gave this book 5 stars and will probably be a favorite book of 2021. The book starts-off bouncing around a lot for me. It did settle down quickly and moved along slowly. At 34% I gasped out loud! Great writing style. I love how Ms. Audrain's describes things, be it facial expressions or situations. Definitely an interesting writing style. I think it's a story that has been told before but the author's writing style pushed it from a 3 to a 4-star read for me. Questionable ending for me; don't know if it made me happy or sad.
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Post by fotos4u2 on Jan 17, 2022 19:50:31 GMT
Went on a reading bender last week finishing 4 books:
Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood. 4 stars. The premise of this one is a woman has a child with down syndrome in the late 60s. Her family convinces her to basically have the child committed to a mental hospital and 2 years later she realizes that this was a bad decision. I might've given it 3 stars, but I liked reading something a little different that was historical fiction but not your typical era.
The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable. 3 stars. This book was LONG. I might've enjoyed it more if it'd been shorter. This was a fictionalized account of a real person, Alicia Corning Clark a woman who's rumored to have JFK's love child. The book was not very kind to the Kennedy's (although JFK was given the best edit) and almost idealized Alicia (everything that went wrong was always someone else's fault).
The Return by Nicholas Sparks. 3 stars. Wasn't expecting much of this one, I had it on the bookshelf and was looking for light and fluffy. It was a bit of a let down as it was mostly boring and the main character was supposedly a doctor but seemed not too bright. It was basically about an injured Navy vet who comes home after his grandfather, and only living relative, dies. As per normal Nicholas Sparks he of course meets a woman and there's also a side plot about a teenage girl.
Love and Other Consolation Prizes by Jamie Ford. 3 stars. I had so much hope for this as Hotel on the Corner of Bitter & Sweet is one of my favorite books and the premise sounded interesting, but I struggled to keep reading it. The general idea is the main character is a Chinese man who when he was young was raffled off at the World's Fair. The winning ticket is a brothel owner. The book bounces back and forth between the early 1900s and the 1960s. The 1960s part especially was unsatisfying I just couldn't imagine someone's children acting the way his did and I would've much preferred to see how the family evolved to that point.
Currently I'm reading The Tattooist of Auschwitz. Only 50ish pages in and it's alright. So many people love this one that I assume it's going to get better.
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gina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,229
Jun 26, 2014 1:59:16 GMT
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Post by gina on Jan 17, 2022 19:57:14 GMT
I’m in the middle of several books and finished one. I gave The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave 3 stars. I found it to be long and implausible. I started Bill Summers by King and The Last Thing You Surrender by L. Pitts. Both are very good and I’m anxious to get back to both of them. Billy Summers was one of my favorites from last year!I finished this last week, posted on my FB book group and was surprised at the "ehh" comments I got. lol I thought it was good. Oh well. Please give your star rating with your review if possible. That's how I weed out what I will add to my TBR pile. I finished Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid since my last post. 4.5/5 stars My full review from Goodreads: Lived up to the hype for me! This story was told in such a way that you were in present day, and jumped back to the past, until the past caught up with the present (make sense?) Its one of my favorite type of storylines! The Riva family: Mick & June, children Nina, Jay, Hud & Kit are definitely dysfunctional, but you love them. The men in the story were mostly asses and while listening to my audiobook, there were quite a few times I groaned out loud. We see the courtship of Mick & June, them as newlyweds, raising their family and all of the turbulent missteps in between. While the past is taking place and characters are developing, we are going hour by hour on present day: the night of Nina Riva's big annual end-of-Summer party. There are blow-ups, confrontations, unexpected guests... and then the story ends. At first I was thinking 4 stars until I realized a very important piece to the end of the puzzle. (Posting in a spoiler below). Mick comes back to try to make right by his kids. After talking with them, he decides to leave & he flicks his lit cigarette on the ground which is in turn, what causes Nina's mansion to go up in flames. She wanted to quietly escape her life, and was on her way out, with the blessing of her siblings. So her father, who was a total shit to her in her life (mostly completely missing from her life that is), literally lit the fire that set her free. It was a perfect ending. It was a perfect ending for this story. p.s. Loving this author, btw. I read Daisy Jones and the Six in 2019 and it was one of my top-rated books for that year. I am currently about 30% into The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab.
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mimima
Drama Llama
Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,034
Jun 25, 2014 19:25:50 GMT
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Post by mimima on Jan 17, 2022 21:00:50 GMT
I finished Project Hail Mary. It was okay. Andy Weir is definitely a talented writer but I don't think I'm the proper audience. My engineer husband really enjoyed it, though. I found the same. I pictured Crow from MST3000, even though Dh tells me that is completely wrong!
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Post by birukitty on Jan 17, 2022 21:20:51 GMT
I'm continuing to read An Echo In The Bone by Diana Gabaldon and enjoying it very much. This is the second time I'm reading this book. I'm re reading it in order to get ready for the latest Outlander book. After I finish this one I will next read Written In My Own Heart's Blood and after that be finally ready for Go tell the Bees I Am Gone.
In the meantime I also like to read non-fiction books. I don't like to read two fiction books at the same time.
I don't remember where I heard about it (it might well have been here) but I'm really enjoying and learning a lot from How To Be A Tudor by Ruth Goodman. The author lived on a replicated Tudor farm and drew on her own hands on experience to write the book. It's been fascinating to me to really learn how people dressed, bathed, ate, worked and worshiped during these times. My favorite genre is historical fiction and I've always enjoyed reading about this period in history.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Jan 17, 2022 22:05:42 GMT
One of the books that I have from the library (on audio) is The Push. I assume I got the recommendation here, but am wondering what people's thoughts of it are? When I was reading the reviews I was a little scared that it might be a little much. Someone asked the same question on last week’s reading thread and a few people gave opinions. I really enjoyed the book, but I’m not really bothered by thrillers. I don’t think it’s over intense. This week I read Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins. It is a thriller and was a quick read. I found it pretty engaging and enjoyed it. I was the one that asked but didn't think there had been replies. Will go back and check that out!
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Post by maryland on Jan 17, 2022 22:45:01 GMT
One of the books that I have from the library (on audio) is The Push. I assume I got the recommendation here, but am wondering what people's thoughts of it are? When I was reading the reviews I was a little scared that it might be a little much. This book is . It's a bit like Defending Jacob and even The Good Neighborhood. Very intense. I've also heard it compared to Baby Teeth, which I have but haven't read yet, and We Need to Talk about Kevin (haven't read that either). Lisa I loved Baby Teeth and The Push and Defending Jacob. My favorite was Baby Teeth but The Push is similar. My 24 yr. old is reading The Push now and my 22 yr. old is reading Baby Teeth! Her college town is where Baby Teeth is supposed to take place and the author lives nearby! She gave a talk at the local library but that was before I read the book.
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edie3
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,506
Jun 26, 2014 1:03:18 GMT
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Post by edie3 on Jan 17, 2022 23:22:31 GMT
We Need to Talk about Kevin This was one of the most disturbing books I have read. Push is not near as bad.
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