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The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic
The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic: A Novel | Emily Croy Barker
An imaginative story of a woman caught in an alternate worldwhere she will need to learn the skills of magic to survive Nora Fischers dissertation is stalled and her boyfriend is about to marry another woman. During a miserable weekend at a friends wedding, Nora wanders off and walks through a portal into a different world where shes transformed from a drab grad student into a stunning beauty. Before long, she has a set of glamorous new friends and her romance with gorgeous, masterful Raclin is heating up. Its almost too good to be true. Then the elegant veneer shatters. Noras new fantasy world turns darker, a fairy tale gone incredibly wrong. Making it here will take skills Nora never learned in graduate school. Her only real allyand a reluctant one at thatis the magician Aruendiel, a grim, reclusive figure with a biting tongue and a shrouded past. And it will take her becoming Aruendiels studentand learning magic herselfto survive. When a passage home finally opens, Nora must weigh her real life against the dangerous power of love and magic. For lovers of Lev Grossman's The Magicians series (The Magicians and The Magician King) and Deborah Harkness's All Souls Trilogy (A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night).
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review
Laughterhp
Bailedbailed

Only read 35 pages of this book but I was already pretty bored. I then looked up on goodreads to remind myself what the book was about and then saw @wanderinglynn ‘s review and decided to bail.

I‘m not sure how this book got on my radar, but I‘m glad I just borrowed it from the library.

It‘s too bad because I really like the title and cover.

Blh87 I bailed on this one, too. It was ludicrous and boring. 2y
wanderinglynn Glad my review saved you some pain. 😉 2y
44 likes2 comments
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Lucy_Anywhere
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#TBRPile 📚 Nora‘s life is not going quite as planned. Getting away for the weekend for a friend‘s wedding seems like a great idea, especially when she meets the glamorous Ilissa, who is determined to take Nora under her wing. Drawn into a world of decadence and wealth, Nora revels in her newfound popularity and confidence, but Ilissa is not what she seems and it may be too late for Nora to escape her clutches...

MsMelissa I enjoyed this one. I figured there would be a sequel, but apparently I was wrong. 3y
18 likes1 comment
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Grrlbrarian
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#BookSpin - achievement unlocked! ⭐️ On to #doublespin and #bookbingo!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
27 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Grrlbrarian
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Jack and I are glad that it‘s finally #Spooktober 🎃👻💀

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Blh87
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Bailedbailed

I had to bail on the tagged book...I haven‘t had time to read much, but this one was such a struggle to get through in the free moments I had. That, and I couldn‘t stop thinking about my Hunger Games prequel just waiting to be read🤗.

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Blh87
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Has anyone read this? I‘m about 120 pages in, and I‘m just not hooked, by any means. Can someone tell me it gets better, please? I‘m close to bailing, and I almost NEVER bail. Heeeeeeelp😩

nichollinlove I don't have any advice but I hate that feeling! I really try to stick it out, even when I'm not happy with it. It's tough to give up on something you've invested in! 4y
Blh87 @nichollinlove I know, it‘s the worst! The worst part is that I still have like 450 pages to get through... 4y
nichollinlove @Blh87 😳 That's A LOT of not liking what you're reading. I looked it up on Goodreads and it somehow has almost 4 stars even though most of the reviews they featured were people that gave 1 and 2 stars and did not like the book. What a shame, seems like an interesting story and has a beautiful cover! At that size, I would bail! Don't feel too bad if you do! 4y
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Blh87 @nichollinlove I‘m thinking I may have to stop for awhile...maybe I can circle back to it after a few books🤷🏻‍♀️...I appreciate the input! 4y
Sace This is probably too late, but I had similar feelings at the beginning of the audiobook and I'm quite glad I stuck with it. I am really enjoying it now. Granted, I haven't finished it yet so maybe I will end up not liking it. Right now I'm quite hooked on it. 4y
Blh87 @Sace I have the book on the back burner to come back to...it gives me hope to hear that someone is enjoying it! 4y
10 likes6 comments
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Blh87
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Up next!

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underthebelljar
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#7days7covers #covercrush Day 2
7 days, 7 covers you love, no explanation. Try to tag someone new each day.

Anyone who hasn‘t been tagged yet you‘re invited to join in! ✌🏼

39 likes1 stack add
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wanderinglynn
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Panpan

I think the blurb on the cover neglected the first phrase, which should be “Not at all . . . “

I kept reading because I kept expecting something to happen. But a lot of nothing happening for most of the book. Then in the last 1/8 of the book, a little action. The title is completely misleading & the ending is utterly stupid. I‘m just glad to be done with it. My advice, it‘s not worth reading.

Nessavamusic Yeah, I DNF‘d this for all the same reasons 5y
wanderinglynn @Nessavamusic I wish I had DNF‘d it. But I kept thinking that something was going to happen. I was wrong. 🤦🏼‍♀️ 5y
ravenlee That always makes me want to send the author a bill: “my time is worth $12.50/hour and you wasted six hours of my life, therefore you owe me $75 plus a refund of the purchase price.” 5y
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Patchshank Thank you for your review. I almost got this book awhile ago. Glad to know I'm not missing anything. 5y
wanderinglynn @ravenlee Right?! Yes! At the minimum, refund the purchase price. 5y
wanderinglynn @Patchshank My pleasure. I‘m happy to save others from wasting their time. 😉 5y
mcipher I remember really liking this one! It did drag a bit in parts but ultimately I found it enchanting (pun intended...) and have been looking for the sequel periodically. Time to check again... 😆 5y
randomlibrarians I agree! Big miss for me 👎🏼 5y
EricJames1 Gotta hate false advertising 5y
EricJames1 How long should you read before you give up on a book 5y
wanderinglynn @EricJames I don‘t know if I have a good answer for that. Normally I stop when I realize I‘m having to force myself to pick up the book. But in this case, I read too far! 😂 5y
rsteve388 I didnt like this book either. 5y
95 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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wanderinglynn
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Mini vacay at Pacific Beach, WA & getting in some reading.

alisiakae Enjoy!! 5y
AmyG Looks lovely. 5y
Rissa1 This looks like heaven. 5y
109 likes1 stack add3 comments
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jen_the_scribe

For lovers of fantasy. Nora is miserable in grad school and with an ex boyfriend about to marry someone else. She wanders off at a friend's wedding and ends up going through a portal to another version of this world. Here she must learn magic to survive and find a way back home. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and can't wait for the long awaited sequel.

SW-T Loved this one! Been a long wait on the sequel.... 5y
jen_the_scribe @SW-T Very long wait lol 5y
2 likes1 stack add2 comments
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monalyisha
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#hellothursday
1. I used to read #buffy fanfic as an adolescent. 🙈 I loved unconventional relationship pairings (Willow/Angel). I also frequented a role-playing chatroom where I went by Queen C (because it was fun to play someone so unlike me)!
2. Tagged (I‘ve only been waiting for about 6 years. Nbd.)
3. We get the local paper at work. I read the occasional article.
4. Poetry in the morning if I‘m in a hurry! 😅
5. They‘re cute! But not really.

wanderinglynn Thanks for playing! 👋🏻 5y
44 likes1 comment
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Loreen
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Mehso-so

So many books that came out in the early years of this decade tried to capture magic and delve into magical worlds like Harry Potter‘s. But in my experience most just didn‘t get there. Every one that I read I wanted it to be as good as or better than Harry Potter. And it‘s the same for this one. I love the basic idea of this story, but it doesn‘t quite meet the potential I think this story has.

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SW-T
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Reviewing and cleaning up my TBR list. I enjoyed the tagged book when it came out (2013) but wondering if I still care about the sequel. Which is apparently still a work in progress. It makes you appreciate authors who have a book a year.

#sequel #waiting #waitinggame

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vlwelser
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Pickpick

I really liked this. The ending, though.... 💖📚

21 likes1 stack add
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GinEyre22
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March's TBR and Read planner bookshelves

TaciturnWhenReading I love your planner! 😍😍 5y
19 likes1 comment
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GinEyre22
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February's TBR and Read planner bookshelves

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kymmiesreads
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The Thinking Woman‘s Guide to Real Magic is incredible so far! I‘m about 45% into it and loving every minute. It is a very in depth novel so it‘s not for everyone. My teacup book sleeve is by Fabric Bound and the store can be found on Etsy!

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DragonAuthors
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Me: My first Litsy quote!!!

Litsy, soon: By God, what have we done???

That highlighted sentence made me laugh out loud. Second time in the first two pages of the sample!!! I'm totally getting it.

(Huge sale, btw. Only $1.99, instead of $14.99. Might make it tomorrow's deal pick!) https://amzn.to/2LgeBI4

#fantasy #magic #humor

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monalyisha
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“The Thinking Woman‘s Guide to Real Magic” came out in 2013, which means I‘ve been waiting for the sequel for about 5 years. I‘m starting to forget why, even. 😅 This little snippet released by the author today reminded me.

The MC is an English grad student, & there‘s serious Elizabeth Bennet/Mr. Darcy vibes between her & Arundiel. Also, magic! And righteous female indignation!

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6583169.Emily_Croy_Barker/blog

57 likes2 stack adds
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Karionie
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Pickpick

I‘m giving this a “pick” because I did find it enjoyable, but I had a few problems with it. First of all Nora is supposed to be the “thinking woman” to which the title alludes, yes? So why does she so often come across as a bit thick? And I didn‘t buy the burgeoning love between her and Aruendiel at all. Barker never succeeded in making him a remotely sympathetic character, or even presenting a credible reason why Nora did. Still enjoyable, but..

monalyisha Ha! I forgot how irritating it was that she didn‘t see certain things when they were SO obvious to the reader! I need a reread of this before the sequel is released (whenever that may be)! 6y
Karionie Yes, she can‘t end it the way she did and not write a sequel! 6y
4 likes2 comments
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LeenReads
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Now reading...

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ReviewsMayVary
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“She'd been an easy mark, so greedy for love that she had given the best of her own heart without stopping to consider what she received in exchange.”
― Emily Croy Barker, The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic

3 likes1 stack add
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PurpleyPumpkin
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Received my last book order of 2017 today. Since I bought them on December 31st, I‘m counting them as candidates for the #MountTBRchallenge. 👍🏽 #MountTBR2018 #MountTBR

vivastory I found a copy of Footnotes From the World's Greatest Bookstores at Half Price Books signed by the illustrator. I love it! 6y
Melissa_J I really enjoyed the Croy Barker book. Have been waiting for a sequel, but I‘m not sure that one is forthcoming. 6y
PurpleyPumpkin @vivastory Oh wow, that‘s amazing! I love signed books! I‘ve been eyeing this book for a while and finally got around to buying it. Seems like the perfect book for all Littens. 👍🏽 6y
See All 6 Comments
PurpleyPumpkin @Melissa_J Glad to hear you enjoyed it! It‘s been on my wish list for a while. I‘m sure I‘ll enjoy it too. Seems like the author intends to write a sequel, but nothing announced yet. It seems that some authors really have trouble with sequels. I don‘t blame them! It must be a daunting task. 😳 (edited) 6y
DivaDiane Perfectly legit! 6y
PurpleyPumpkin @DivaDiane 🙌🏽😉 6y
104 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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JoeStalksBeck
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BookishTrish Sweet photo 6y
rubyslippersreads 😍😍😍 6y
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DrJAdMerricksson Lovely pic! Nice setup. 6y
RealLifeReading So pretty! 6y
139 likes1 stack add6 comments
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kymmiesreads
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Can‘t wait to get this tattoo!

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Leah
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One bookstore down, a million to go! #seattle #vacation #theelliottbaybookcompany

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Elsje
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"She went inside for a sweatshirt. Out of habit, she stopped by the bookshelf in the living room to see if there was a paperback that she could stuff into her pocket for emergencies - you never knew when you might need a book to entertain and comfort and distract you in the day's empty places."

1 like1 stack add
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bookandbedandtea
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Mehso-so

This is a very interesting world with some unique magic but this book felt too long. I would have appreciated it more if there had been a little less of it. Despite that I am interested to know what happens next for our main characters, especially since Nora has returned to our world. Will she be able to get back to Aruendiel? Where are Illisa and Raclin? Will Nora ever be able to remove that darned ring?

monalyisha I don‘t even remember the ring! 😅 Ugh. A reread is in order. Whenever the pub date for the sequel is announced! 6y
3 likes1 comment
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lyssamez
Mehso-so

Ehh. This books was fun once you get past the beginning (and I did not like the beginning), but I never found it great.

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lyssamez
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Hmmmm. About 100 pages in and finally starting to get into this book. It's a book club pick and I generally like books about magic, so I'm going to keep going.

Crystallinegirl Read this one a few years ago and really enjoyed it! 7y
lyssamez @Crystallinegirl I'm starting to get into the story now. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! 7y
12 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Jas16
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I hate starting a series and then waiting for for the next book to come out. Sometimes it takes forever. Sometimes it never gets finished or ends up having to completed by someone else. Sometimes I have to go back and reread all the previous books because I know I need to be reminded of important details. These days I try to wait until a series is completed before I start but I am weak. #youdrivemecrazy #90sinjuly

Cinfhen I agree, the waiting can be soooooo frustrating 😫 7y
mcipher I loved this book!! And I've been waiting so patiently for a sequel, so I feel you!! 7y
monalyisha @mcipher so, SO patiently! 7y
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mcipher @monalyisha her website says she's got a 2nd draft finished but no publication date yet. 😣 7y
Jas16 @mcipher @monalyisha She wrote in Goodreads in April that revisions would take "some months." So it could be ages still. I hope it lives up to the wait. 7y
monalyisha @Jas16 @mcipher You better believe I'm staying updated. 🤞🏻 7y
monalyisha Also still waiting for Erin Morgenstern to write something new. 7y
Smangela So I have this book and have been meaning to pick it up... now I know to push it further down the TBR until the sequel comes out haha! 7y
mcipher @monalyisha I know! She's been writing her second novel forever!! @Jas16 grrrr.... I'm ready now! 😂 7y
59 likes3 stack adds9 comments
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mdbstar12
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Mehso-so

I read this fairly quickly and I guess I was pretty entertained, but the engaging intro fades into a fairly forgettable middle and rather disappointing ending. I just found out there's a sequel in the works, so that redeems it a bit because on its own it's really not quite worth the 500+ page effort

JoRead Great review! I think I'm going to wait for the sequel before starting this one 😉 7y
mdbstar12 @JoRead Good call! 7y
26 likes2 comments
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Dragon
Pickpick

Stayed up to the wee hours of the morning finishing this one . A young Grad student wanders into another world and into the clutches of a fae queen. Stuff happens, there's magic and a character very reminiscent of Dragon from Uprooted appears.

Nuwanda I have this one--may have to bump it up the summer TBR! 7y
Dragon Thanks @Nuwanda this book had mixed reviews but I really enjoyed it. Actually spent most of my free time reading it 👍 7y
KarmonR It is on my ponder list. Great title but I wondered if it would deliver. 7y
See All 10 Comments
Dragon Thanks @KarmonR I enjoyed it but I wouldn't reread it. 7y
elkeOriginal 'Stuffs happens' yada yada. 🤣🤣🤣 7y
Laalaleighh Oh you said the magic word! 7y
Dragon Thanks @elkeo 👍😂 7y
Dragon Thanks @Laalaleighh which word? 😀🐉 7y
Laalaleighh Fae ✨ 7y
Dragon @Laalaleighh of course! This book is an adult fairy tale 👍😀🐉 7y
50 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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Dragon
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#evilwoman #rockinmay. It just so happens that my current read has an evil Queen 👸 of the fairies. She's a bad one !

Cinfhen ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
Dragon Thanks @Cinfhen 🐉 7y
61 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Dragon
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Just finished a trilogy of long books about witches so now I'm going to start a long book about witches? The blurb Deborah Harkness wrote has convinced me to at least give it a try "...a perfect escape from humdrum reality "

elkeOriginal At least - I think - this is a standalone? 7y
Dragon Thanks @elkeo I hope so. I need a break from series/trilogies 😀 7y
Jas16 Sadly it is not a standalone and last I checked the release date for the sequel was still unknown. I haven't checked in awhile though 7y
See All 13 Comments
Dragon Thanks @Jas16 Oh , that's too bad 😞 maybe I'll rethink this.📚 7y
elkeOriginal @Dragon @Jas16 Ah, shit. I will wait then. It's been on my shelf for years already! 7y
Laalaleighh I really want to read this. 7y
BethFishReads Oh I really liked this. But not a standalone 7y
Dragon Thanks @Jas16 @elkeo @Laalaleighh @BethFishReads so I decided to start reading and haven't done anything but go to work and read this book. There's a character who really reminds me of Dragon in Uprooted. In fact it does have a similar vibe. Just started chapter 34. 7y
elkeOriginal I look forward to hearing if it ends well enough that I should dive in - even without a sequel on the horizon! 7y
Dragon Fingers crossed 🤞 that it's not too cliffhangery @elkeo 7y
Dragon @elkeo I've finished and I found the ending alright but it's definitely strongly hinting at future storylines. I enjoyed the time spent in this book. 📚 7y
elkeOriginal @Dragon Fantastic! Good to know it's not a throw-at-the-wall ending! 7y
72 likes3 stack adds13 comments
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aubergine123
Pickpick

Loved this one. A favorite from the past few years.

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Melmar
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MABMEDIA
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Pickpick

I adore this book and have re-read it at least six times. Can someone plz convince the author to hurry up with the sequel?

monalyisha I‘m with you! ✊🏻 6y
7 likes1 comment
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silentrequiem
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Happy New Year!
I'm not expecting 2017 to be any less of a dumpster fire than 2016 but maybe I will read some great books.

Marchpane Happy New Year! 🎉🎉🎉 It's going to be a great year for books! 7y
Reviewsbylola 🎉🎉🎉 7y
22 likes2 comments
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Sumi
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Pickpick

I came across this book at my local public library - thought it looked interesting and wound up devouring it over the weekend. It's just so much fun.

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Romanticskeptic
Pickpick

Slow start but a super engrossing setting and I can't wait for a sequel.

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niki.inwonderland
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#novemberbookchallenge #9: Worst Book I've Read
#thethinkingwomansguidetorealmagic
This book infuriated me. The main character is not a "thinking woman", she is a complete moron, putting thinking women everywhere to shame. There is no world building, no characterization. The whole book is a rambling mess. Don't waste your time.
#angiebookishnovember

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silentrequiem
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Same book, different mode of transportation home
Megabus PHL --> DC. Amtrak was over $70 coming back. Megabus was $17.

annamatopoetry The problem is that train is preferable in every other way :( 7y
silentrequiem @annamatopoetry Agreed. Except when it breaks down. 7y
6 likes2 comments
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silentrequiem
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Amtrak DC --> Philadelphia