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American Housewife
American Housewife: Stories | Helen Ellis
A sharp, funny, delightfully unhinged collection of stories set in the dark world of domesticity, American Housewife features murderous ladies who lunch, celebrity treasure hunters, and the best bra fitter south of the Mason Dixon line.Meet the women of American Housewife: they wear lipstick, pearls, and sunscreen, even when it's cloudy. They casserole. They pinwheel. They pump the salad spinner like it's a CPR dummy. And then they kill a party crasher, carefully stepping around the body to pull cookies out of the oven. These twelve irresistible stories take us from a haunted prewar Manhattan apartment building to the set of a rigged reality television show, from the unique initiation ritual of a book club to the getaway car of a pageant princess on the lam, from the gallery opening of a tinfoil artist to the fitting room of a legendary lingerie shop. Vicious, fresh, and nutty as a poisoned Goo Goo Cluster, American Housewife is an uproarious, pointed commentary on womanhood.
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HeatherBookNerd
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Pickpick

A fun, quirky little collection of stories. Amusing in a slightly off-kilter way that has a bit of a dark edge at times. An entertaining, quick read.

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Jadams89
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Pickpick

All of these stories were so delightfully twisted, it‘s hard to pick a favorite!

29 likes1 stack add
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Mariasimon
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Panpan

I was so excited to read this book because I enjoyed her other book, southern lady code. The first half of this book read similar to the southern lady code, but the second half was not as enjoyable for me. Short stories were introduced seemingly from her POV, but it made wasn‘t clear they weren‘t her stories. Murder stories, ghost stories, very judgmental stories played out from her POV. I was disappointed by this book.

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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I first read this upon pub (2016) and wasn‘t a big fan, but I‘ve since adored Ellis‘s personal essays, so I had to go back and try again. Hooray for second chances! These short stories are snarky, funny, and sometimes dark. An effective combination that I‘m absolutely drawn to; dark humor gives me life. I love that the story “Southern Lady Code” expanded to inspire her follow up essay collection. She has 100% become a must-read for me!

Cinfhen I read this collection to when it was first published and I loved it!! The cover 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 (edited) 3y
Cinfhen Maybe I should go back and do audio…. 3y
britt_brooke @Cinfhen I LOVE the cover! The audio is fun. It‘s super short, so could be done in a day easily. 3y
See All 6 Comments
AvidReader25 Isn‘t it funny how sometimes it‘s just the wrong time for the book? 3y
92 likes6 comments
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britt_brooke
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Another day, another morning pupper walk. Champ and I love starting our days this way! ☀️🐾

#audiowalk #reread #dogsoflitsy

ElizaMarie I love this baby! Have fun walking! 3y
mommyincolortv What a beauty! 3y
britt_brooke @ElizaMarie Thank you - he‘s such a goof! 3y
See All 15 Comments
HeatherBlue He‘s so handsome!!! 😍😍😍 3y
sisilia Too cute! 3y
Megabooks Champ!! 😍😍 This is a fun story collection!! 3y
mrp27 Such a handsome boy, I love seeing Champ in my feed! 3y
britt_brooke @sisilia Thanks! 💚🐾 3y
britt_brooke @Megabooks I wasn‘t a huge fan the first time around, but I enjoyed it very much this time! 3y
KarenUK Such a beauty! My Aussie just turned 15 this week! 💕 3y
britt_brooke @KarenUK Aw!! Happy birthday, pupper! 🎂 Love your profile pic. Nothing makes me smile like the goofball Aussie face. 💚 3y
123 likes1 stack add15 comments
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marleed
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Pickpick

This is my second book of short stories this month! These were humorous and quick to read. I‘ll happily add this to my short-story nightstand stack where I randomly reread a story during sleepless nights. ...The reference to riding a cotton pogo stick to describe a menstrual cycle - LOL.

78 likes6 stack adds
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WorldsOkayestStepMom
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Pickpick

A fun collection of short stories. I found this to be highly entertaining and an easy, light read!

kyraleseberg I adored this! Her collection Southern Lady Code is also fun. 4y
WorldsOkayestStepMom @kyraleseberg good to know! Thank you!! 4y
36 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Hilary427
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Pickpick

I wasn‘t sure what to expect when I started this, but it‘s so funny! Twelve short (some shorter than others) stories about what it means to be an American Housewife. Some are hilariously over the top. Quick, fun read!

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SiameseCatsRead
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Pickpick

This book is full of vignettes that show the lives of a true "American Housewife." One would think this would be duller than dull book, but the author makes these characters so over the top that you can't help but laugh. There are such funny situations that no one in their right mind could come up with. This book was a quick listen (so I'm assuming a quick read as well), and I didn't want it to end. I now want to read more Helen Ellis books.

17 likes1 stack add
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SiameseCatsRead
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#quotsyjul20
I actually 😂 at this! What is your gateway drug to reading? Mine is iced coffee. I've been making a really good one from Bones Coffee called Salty Mermaid. It's a wonderful accompaniment to my books!

#coffee #books #icedcoffee #hotchocolate

SamanthaMarie Awww I love this!! Mine would have to be tea or admittedly hot chocolate 🤣 4y
LynsLibrary I love Bones Coffee 4y
wanderinglynn Salty Mermaid sounds delicious. I‘ll have to try that one. 4y
SiameseCatsRead @BookishBear1 Right?!? I was turned on to the company by a sample in my Owl Crate. 4y
23 likes5 comments
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SiameseCatsRead
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This woman is either:
A) An enthusiastic scrapbooker
or
B) A crazy first time parent who doesn't know better than not to buy her kids glitter. Ever.

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JoyBlue
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Mehso-so

Some quite funny. Some not so much. All pretty darn strange. They're short—which is usually a problem for me—but, at least if you don't like one of them, you'll be done in a jiffy.

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katlyn447
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Panpan

⭐⭐
Eh. I just didn't like this one. The first two stories were cute, but then they just got kind of weird and dark. I was hoping for a light, funny, escape and this.... was not that.

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jdiehr
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Mehso-so

Chose this audiobook because it was rather short and would provide light hearted entertainment for me while walking on the treadmill. That's what it did and not much more.

DocBrown I agree. Thankfully I remember nothing about this book except for the fact that I read it. (edited) 5y
jdiehr @mdhughes72 Yep. Just a filler. 5y
20 likes2 comments
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UnabridgedPod
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Pickpick

Helen Ellis's short story collection American Housewife is narrated by Kathleen McInerney, Lisa Cordileone, Rebecca Lowman, Dorothy Dillingham Blue, and they are FABULOUS. I thoroughly enjoyed this hilarious, uncomfortably true (I listened on Scribd), insightful collection targeted at the modern Southern woman. ⬇️

UnabridgedPod Ellis covers everything from bra fitters to decorating a shared hallway, and in each story, she offers a new, slightly askew angle on a typical part of our modern lives. Loved this! 5y
22 likes1 comment
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Addison_Reads
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Pickpick

Helen Ellis never fails to make me laugh out loud with her writing. She writes about everyday mundane activities in a unique, whimsical way that makes them far more interesting and entertaining.

I did enjoy this collection of stories, but not as much as her other books. Southern Lady Code is definitely one worth adding to your list if you enjoyed this one.

Crazeedi Hilarious! Never heard of her but I'll investigate! 5y
38 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Hestapleton
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Pickpick

I‘ve had this on my TBR forever and I‘m so glad I finally got to it on audio! The stories are different and bizarre and dark and I adore them. They‘re nicely varied in subject and length, with a satirical commentary on womanhood connecting them all. It‘s a short audiobook and perfect for summer. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cinfhen This was hilarious!! And I LOVE the cover 💕😍 5y
68 likes1 comment
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StephanieGeiser
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Pickpick

A fast read of satirical short stories. I wasn‘t sure what to expect from this book but I absolutely loved it. So much so that I finished it on my commute to work this morning and immediately loaned it to a coworker!

BookNAround I loved this one too and I promptly followed the author on all social media. 5y
rather_be_reading stacked! 5y
27 likes1 stack add2 comments
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StephanieGeiser

(On choosing a brand of tampon) “... the only thing women are more loyal to than love is feminine hygiene.”

rather_be_reading 🤣🤣 5y
17 likes1 comment
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StephanieGeiser

“He chuckles what I‘m guessing is his marriage chuckle. All we marrieds have a marriage chuckle. A marriage chuckle is a fake laugh you bring out when your spouse does something dumb that you have to pretend is charming.”

tracey38 😂 5y
rather_be_reading omg 🤣🤣 5y
26 likes2 comments
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ElectricKatyLand
Pickpick

Hilarious and dark at times. Short stories about a certain circle of society, set in NYC, the rural south, and elsewhere. Witty observations and searing satire. Ellis‘ voice is delightful.

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khooliha
Pickpick

Weird enough to be a pick, even if the shade murderous old woman only showed up in 2 stories.

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khooliha
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Ooh, I hope that all these stories are unified by the shade of the murderous old dead lady!

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echalpan
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Mehso-so

•Quirky
•Funny
•Sad
•Far-fetched

This book was all of the above. I didn‘t like it as much as I hoped. But it was a super quick listen, so I don‘t feel like I wasted my time.

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Redwritinghood
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Panpan

This is meant to be a sarcastic look at the American wife, but I didn‘t find many of the characters or situations that funny or relatable. The humor was often pretty low-brow and the characters more caricature, giving this the feel of a bad sit-com. There was maybe one story that I liked. At least it was short.

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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is great fun. Quirky, dry, viciously funny.

35 likes1 stack add
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BekahB
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Pickpick

Book 3 of #24in48

This collection of short stories was fantastic! Quirky with a dark sense of humor. I can see this not being to everyone‘s taste, but I really enjoyed jumping in and out of these stories.

I‘m looking forward to picking up her collection of essays, Southern Lady Code, in April.

57 likes2 stack adds
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arlenefinnigan
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Next up

30 likes1 stack add
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Book_Fairy_Mary
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Mehso-so

Okay, so this wasn't the greatest book I've ever read, but some of the stories are absolutely hilarious and she sure does create some memorable quotes 😂

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Book_Fairy_Mary
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I love this!

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Sweettartlaura
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I read WAYYYYYY too many books to pick even a top 10 this year. So I‘m breaking it down into categories.
First up - short stories.
I read 12 short story collections this year. But these two rise to the top. American Housewife is THE funniest thing I read all year, from start to finish. And Trigger Warning doesn‘t have a bad one in the bunch. It‘s classic Gaiman, and classic tales of terror.
Read both of these!
#yearinreview #2018wrapup

BookBabe 👍🏻 6y
39 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Megabooks
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Mehso-so

While it has some funny points, this book isn‘t nearly as charming as I remember. 3⭐️ #MonthofRereads

L_auren Same 6y
Megabooks @L_auren Glad we‘re still in agreement 😘 6y
L_auren @Megabooks some things don‘t change!! 😁 6y
88 likes3 comments
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Megabooks
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🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 This is such a fun little book. #MonthofRereads

72 likes1 stack add
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OrangeMooseReads
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Went to Dollar Tree to get gift boxes ...

CouronneDhiver ... and books? Lol 💸💸💸 6y
OrangeMooseReads @CouronneDhiver I seem to end up buying at least 1 book every time I go there, at least they are only a $1 6y
Megabooks I want American Housewife at my dollar tree! Great haul!! (edited) 6y
OrangeMooseReads @Megabooks today was the first time I saw it at mine. Thanks 6y
bookish_wookish I got American Housewife at my DT too! 6y
40 likes5 comments
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balletbookworm
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Pickpick

A crackling, razor-sharp collection of twelve stories following women who will do anything - including murder - to keep their homes and lives in perfect order. Absurd with a touch of the surreal. I particularly enjoyed the stories Celebrity Dumpster Diving, The Fitter, and Welcome to Book Club! (does that one take a turn).

I did the audiobook. While admirably performed by two narrators, I think it lost a bit in the format for some of the stories.

Joanne1 Sounds fabulous. 6y
BookNAround I loved this one. 6y
45 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Skyrimir
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Enjoying this so far!

39 likes2 stack adds
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emilyhaldi
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#ivebeenwaitingforyou... to be over 😏
Unfortunately most of these short stories didn't work for me. Although the book did start off on a good note, the quirk soon wore off and things just got weird.
#ABBAinAugust

Cinfhen I thought this collection was fun and quirky and I liked it overall 🤷‍♀️ 6y
emilyhaldi There were definitely some delightful little bits in there @Cinfhen but some (like the bookclub story) had me scratching my head. Could be partially bc I listened ok audio and found myself losing concentration here and there. 6y
L_auren Didn‘t blow my mind either 6y
See All 8 Comments
Cathythoughts That is some hair situation she has going on 😳 6y
Mdargusch Good one! I had a hard time with this prompt. 🤔 6y
BookNAround I‘m sorry it didn‘t work for you. I really liked it when I read it several years ago. 6y
saresmoore Aaaand unstacked. 6y
Reviewsbylola Felt the same way. 👎🏻 6y
118 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Kappadeemom
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RebelReader I love that her Christmas tree was decorated entirely in insects! I wonder what her theme will be this year. I want to read her book! 6y
Kappadeemom @RebelReader I didn‘t love American Housewife (I liked it okay) but her new book, Southern Lady Code is coming out in April, and well, since I‘m a Southern Lady, I better buy it! 😂😂 6y
38 likes1 stack add2 comments
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CindyE09
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories gifted to me by @Zelma for the #shortstoryswap recently. I loved how weird and sometimes disturbing these stories were, revolving around housewives and their often macabre hobbies. This isn‘t a book I had heard of before, and I really enjoyed it. Thanks again Zelma!

emilyhaldi I'm listening to this one audio right now.... Its bizarre! 6y
Zelma I‘m so glad you liked it! 👍 6y
MaggieCarr The neighbor one had me rolling on the floor laughing 6y
CindyE09 @MaggieCarr Haha me too and then that woman was mentioned in a later story! 6y
123 likes8 stack adds4 comments
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mrozzz
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Pickpick

Such a weird one, but a short, fun read. If you liked Where‘d You Go Bernadette, you‘ll like these stories. Some are tongue-in-cheek lists (“How to be a grown-ass lady” and “Southern Lady Code”), an email exchange of annoyed neighbors fighting over how the common hallway should look, and the longest is follows a the filming of a Dumpster Diving with the Stars. There‘s also one on book club. It‘s a splendid accompaniment for a leisurely afternoon.

Well-ReadNeck If you like her tone, follow her on Twitter. She‘s a hoot! 6y
mrozzz Good idea! I will 😄 @Well-ReadNeck 6y
96 likes6 stack adds2 comments
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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

I can‘t even believe how hysterical this book is 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂. I‘m tempted to make it a second book for my book club on a month with a short book. I want to hang out with Helen Ellis. NOW. Like, stalk her, wind up where she is, strike up a friendship, have to go back through my social media to delete posts like this, & live happily ever after as her sidekick.

emilyhaldi Now I‘m dying to get into this one!! 👌🏻 #stacked 6y
Sweettartlaura @emilyhaldi Do it!!! You‘ll be glad you did - promise 🙂 6y
BookaholicNatty I have heard great great things about this one!!! 6y
Sweettartlaura @BookaholicNatty I‘m sure they‘re all true - this is so much fun! 6y
64 likes5 stack adds4 comments
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elisebarker
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Pickpick

I‘ve never done short stories on audio and I‘m not sure I will again. I really liked this book but it‘s hard for me to remember the stories now haha. I finished this maybe 2 weeks ago and all I remember is that I liked it 😂

DimeryRene This is way up high on my list! But I love short stories on audio! 6y
8 likes1 stack add1 comment
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biblio_ginger
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Today is my sister @LitDrivenGirl birthday but that crazy lovely girl got me presents! Please be the bestest human ever and wish her a happy birthday! If you haven't read this book you NEED to!!! My sister and I took turns reading the stories outloud to eachother and laughing our heads off! #birthday #birthdaygirl #giveherafollow

AmyG Happy Birthday! 🎂🎈🎁🎉 6y
LitDrivenGirl @AmyG Thank you! 😊 6y
LitDrivenGirl I'm crazy for you @biblio_ginger ❤😘! 6y
JoScho Happy Birthday @LitDrivenGirl I hope it is amazing!!! 💕 6y
LitDrivenGirl @JoScho Thank you 😁! 6y
23 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Sweettartlaura
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Perfect timing! Got my haul from @Powells sale last weekend today - #independentbookstoreday - whoo hoo!!!❤️📚

dylanisreading That is a good looking haul. 7y
55 likes1 comment
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Laru79
Pickpick

This was brilliant! A collection of short stories that were funny, dark and different to anything I have read in a long time! I picked a favourite ‘Hello! Welcome to book club‘ but then every story I read after that was either just as good or better. I hope Ellis writes more because I definitely want to read more!!

LauraBeth I enjoyed these short stories as well! 7y
Nking5025 Yeah these stories were amazing!! One of my favorites was Take it from cats, best advice ever!!! I am surprised I don't hear about people reading this more!! (edited) 7y
Laru79 It was such an unexpected treat - I loved how dark they were. I‘ll definitely be recommending the book all over! 7y
30 likes3 comments
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Laru79
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My companion for lunch today! This has already made me laugh out loud, so it should be a good one!!

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Coleen
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Mehso-so

This was really not at all what I was expecting. Which is not to say it was bad, but not necessarily my cup of tea. Lots of quirkiness, snarkiness, and with a dark undertone. I admit I found myself tuning out here and there while listening in the car.