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Rich and Pretty
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
This irresistible debut, set in contemporary New York, provides a sharp, insightful look into how the relationship between two best friends changes when they are no longer coming of age but learning how to live adult lives.As close as sisters for twenty years, Sarah and Lauren have been together through high school and college, first jobs and first loves, the uncertainties of their twenties and the realities of their thirties.Sarah, the only child of a prominent intellectual and a socialite, works at a charity and is methodically planning her wedding. Laurenbeautiful, independent, and unpredictableis single and working in publishing, deflecting her parents worries and questions about her life and future by trying not to think about it herself. Each woman enviesand is horrified byparticular aspects of the others life, topics of conversation they avoid with masterful linguistic pirouettes.Once, Sarah and Lauren were inseparable; for a long a time now, theyve been apart. Can two women who rarely see one other, selectively share secrets, and lead different lives still call themselves best friends? Is it their abiding connectionor just force of habitthat keeps them together?With impeccable style, biting humor, and a keen sense of detail, Rumaan Alam deftly explores how the attachments we form in childhood shift as we adapt to our adult livesand how the bonds of friendship endure, even when our paths diverge.
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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PurpleyPumpkin Ooh lovely!😍🩵 4mo
Eggs Love the birds 🩵 🐦 🩵 4mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs thanks dear 🩵 4mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs thanks dear 🩵 4mo
50 likes5 comments
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TheDaysGoBy
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Bailedbailed

I got 87 pages in and I‘m just not feeling it so I‘m gonna bail. Normally it‘s not something I do, but I‘ve seen so many Littens take this route when they‘re not feeling a book because our TBRs are long and life is short - and they‘re so right! Story about two best friends but I‘m hardly convinced they actually are. Definitely more character driven which is fine if I like the characters but not the case here

dabbe #hailthebail! 🤩🤩🤩 5mo
29 likes1 comment
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Giveaway 🎉🎊📚💞 🌸

To enter answer the following question! What is your favorite book about best friends?! Do you have a best friend from high school?!

#LitsyLove
#LitsyLoveReads

US shipping only 😩

Read4life Let‘s see if I can get this rolling. I love Firefly Lane. Unfortunately, I lost touch with my high school friends. 9mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life I loved that one too! I also enjoyed 9mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life same here! Lost touch with high school friends… (edited) 9mo
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Elizabeth2 Firefly Lane was wonderful! The Book Thief is one of my all time favorites with a central theme of friendship. I am still BFFs with a high school bestie. We‘ve actually been besties since we were six years old. 💕 I so lucky to have her. 9mo
julieclair Winnie the Pooh. Also, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse. I am still in close contact with my high school BFF. We actually met in Kindergarten! And I‘m still in regular contact with another high school friend, and Christmas Card contact with three others. 💙 9mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Elizabeth2 awwww I love that 💞💞 9mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @julieclair that‘s awesome 🩷🩷 9mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheDaysGoBy congrats! You are the winner! Thank you for commenting on our facebook page! 🫶🏻❤️ 9mo
TheDaysGoBy @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you again! So sweet of you! 9mo
52 likes9 comments
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she.hearts.horror
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Panpan

😕

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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On my #TBR shelf with so many others!!

#Poor
#OppositeDay

TheKidUpstairs So many books, so little time! 4y
76 likes2 comments
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OriginalCyn620
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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These are the last #3Books I DNF‘ed. If around 100 pages or so, if the book isn‘t doing it for me, I bail.

Sace I think my daughter also ended up DNFing Rich and Pretty...and she NEVER DNFs anything. 4y
candority Maybe you just don‘t like books with women walking on the cover? 😂 4y
OriginalCyn620 That‘s totally possible @candority! 😂 4y
54 likes3 comments
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OriginalCyn620
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Bailedbailed

There are sections that are stream of consciousness and I can‘t deal! That is so not my thing and an instant turn-off. 😐
#bookspinbingo

TheAromaofBooks I'm totally with you on that one!! 4y
36 likes1 comment
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DrCHall
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam

A surprisingly insightful book that depicts the nuances of female friendship, both light reading but also highly reflective

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Julsmarshall
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
Pickpick

Fresh, complicated, a little uncomfortable at times, much like the life-long friendship the book chronicles. I thought the male author tapped into the female experience surprisingly well. This would be a so-so, but the writing is so tight and spot on, I‘m going with pick.

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Julsmarshall
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Off today, though I will work some from home. Taking advantage of the quiet cool morning by getting in a little reading . . . #MountTBR #botm

kspenmoll Pretty picture! 6y
64 likes1 comment
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Julsmarshall
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Up next! Max thinks it smells good 😄

Clwojick I have this, but have yet to read it! I hope it‘s good 📚 6y
62 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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janeycanuck
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Pickpick

Third book finished for #24in48. This book was so quietly compelling - I couldn‘t put it down.

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ElizabethAndino
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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So I‘m about 75 pages in and not loving this one. Neither of the main characters are likable to me, and quite frankly, I find them boring. However, I‘ve heard nothing but rave reviews. Is there a big payoff at some point, or should I just ditch it?

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BritanyA
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Panpan

⭐️: This was awful, still don‘t understand the point and if it‘s on your list, do yourself a favor and remove it.

maximoffs Oh no this is on my short list 6y
10 likes2 comments
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DLo_reads
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
Panpan

I can‘t believe I wasted my time having a male author poorly attempt to understand female relationships. It was like he was man-splaining the inner workings of how women interact and relate. I rarely hate a book. I can only think of 1 or 2 books besides this one that I actually hate.

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Purplerosiepage
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Panpan

I‘m sure there are men who have written books about interesting, successful women and their friendships. This is not one of them.

CoverToCoverGirl 😳🤣 7y
16 likes1 comment
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jenniferw88
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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@Laughterhp I can't wait to start reading these #tbr books! I've got The Essex Serpent & Everything I Never Told You already, & Never Let Me Go was already on my challenges for this year! I can get the majority out of my library too, so that is handy. The tagged book is the only one I may struggle to get to.

If you need more ideas feel free to ask or on GR I have a 'Best of 2017' shelf which consists of 5 ⭐ reads from last year. ⬇️

jenniferw88 I've read Water for Elephants & The Dry already - both 4 ⭐. 7y
Laughterhp I‘m just looking at your list now. I tried to read Game of Thrones, but it just wasn‘t for me! I‘m on the waiting list to listen to HP on audio! Hopefully my hold will come in! And I‘ve read the Mistletoe Murders. I really liked that one! 7y
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jenniferw88 It would help if I gave you my GR link, wouldn't it @Laughterhp ?! I also struggled to begin with on Game of Thrones - it was only towards the end of book 1 that I got into it, but totally understand that it's not everyone's cup of tea. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3226573-jenny 7y
Laughterhp Thanks! I also just accepted your friend request on GoodReads. 7y
emilyhaldi What a great list!! 7y
92 likes6 comments
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BookMaven407
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Mehso-so

I liked it but I did not love it. The book is about a friendship between two women that have known each other since they were 11 years old and follows their relationship through adulthood. It shares ups and downs in the friendship but nothing extraordinary happens and the ending was meh. I did enjoy reading some of the dialog that takes place between the two women and found it relatable to some of my longstanding friendships.

RebelReader Thanks for the review. I always look at this one and always leave it on the shelf. Maybe I'll continue to do so. ☃️ 7y
Amor4Libros I couldn't finish this one. 7y
100 likes2 comments
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BookMaven407
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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The turkey is now in the oven and I hope to finish this book today while cooking. These flowers have the best floral smell. 🌻

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So pretty!!! 7y
Zelma Very pretty flowers! 👍 7y
UrsulaMonarch Perfect! 😁 7y
116 likes3 comments
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BookMaven407
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Happy Friday! Back to reading 📖 I've only made it through the first 55 pages but I am looking forward to finding out where the story is leading.

StaceyKondla Ha! I didn't even see your post when I posted about being on page 55 of my latest read 😂 7y
BookMaven407 Ha! That's awesome. Cheers to being on page 55. 🍸 7y
88 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BookMaven407
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Taco Tuesday and my next read. This is a pick from July 2016 BOTM--can't believe it has been that long since I received it.

Ashley_Nicoletto This has also been sitting on my TBR since approx the same time. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ 7y
Ashley_Nicoletto PS those tacos! 😍 7y
87 likes2 comments
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tholmz
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Panpan

I liked it, but it never grabbed me like I thought it might. This is really the story of two best friends who have a completely unremarkable story — individually and as friends. It‘s just fine.

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Reviewsbylola
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Pickpick

I'm so on the fence about this one. On the one hand, I thought it was an honest portrayal of female friendship over the years. I could relate to the characters despite the fact that they weren't necessarily likeable. But the writing style bordered on stream of consciousness, which isn't my thing. So this borders on a so-so for me.

L_auren Same thoughts here!! Cute pic too 7y
emilyhaldi Not interested 7y
Reviewsbylola You wouldn't like it, I'm 98% sure. @emilyhaldi 7y
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Megabooks I bailed. Typical of our disparate likes and dislikes... 7y
Megabooks @L_auren I'm surprised you liked it, and I didn't! 7y
Cinfhen Great photo 💘the book is in my #maybeSomeday pile 7y
L_auren @Booksandcooks to be fair I wouldn't endorse or recommend. I didn't think it was notable-- liked reading it though 🤷🏻‍♀️ 7y
Reviewsbylola I'm pretty much in the same boat as @L_auren Most of it kept me entertained. But it's not a book I would count as memorable and I can't think of a situation where I would recommend it. @Booksandcooks 7y
Mdargusch Not a big fan of stream of consciousness. 7y
110 likes3 stack adds9 comments
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forrestlaur
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Happy Labor Day 🌞! If only every Monday could start like this! ☕️📚 #grateful #longweekend

10 likes1 stack add
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MMFinck
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
Pickpick

Really well done for what it is - a spot-on observation of female friendship evolution over time and life experience. I simply prefer a bit more plot. Know what you're getting into - I didn't. This is beautifully written character-driven literary. If that's your cup of tea, this book will have you wanting refills. After this, I ordered Diet Coke. :)

Reviewsbylola The reviews have made me nervous for this one but I bought it anyway so I'm glad it was a pick for you! 7y
8 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Valink
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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When my family gets together we bring our read books to trade. Yesterday I gave away Stranger in the Woods, Station Eleven, and All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. And two pairs of eclipse glasses. I acquired Rich and Pretty 😊

Twocougs What a great idea! 7y
Lyn-Mara I love this tradition! My mom and I brazenly raid each other's book shelves all the time. 😉 7y
9 likes2 comments
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Jess7
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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#AndItsAugust | Day 13 | #CoversInYrFavColor (Teal/mint)
#RichAndPretty | Once, Sarah and Lauren were inseparable, but they‘ve been apart awhile. Can two women who rarely see each other, selectively share secrets, and lead different lives still call themselves best friends? With biting humor #RumaanAlam deftly explores how the attachments formed in childhood shift in adulthood and how the bonds of friendship endure, even when paths diverge #TBR

101 likes2 stack adds
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mellisarock
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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You can be a #mermaid xoxo 😘 #coffee
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Day 8 of #booksacrossoceans is #mermaidrainbow & my favorite prompt of the whole challenge!
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#rainbow #bookishrainbow #rainbows #augustphotochallenge #photochallenge #prettybooks

Librariana That's gorgeous! 😍 7y
Librariana 💚💙💜💖 7y
mellisarock Thank you 😊 @Librariana 😘❤ 7y
See All 9 Comments
britt_brooke Pretty! 7y
Aninski Wow 😍 7y
Abailliekaras Beautiful! 7y
mellisarock @britt_brooke @Aninski @Abailliekaras Thank you guys! ❤️💛💚💙💜🖤 7y
PerksOfBeingABookworm Love the colors in this stack! 😍 7y
SilversReviews Very pretty. 7y
115 likes9 comments
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nicolani21
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed reading about Sarah and Lauren's lives. Even the mundane seemed somehow more interesting. I kept finding myself surprised that this book was written by a man (except when he talked about sex) he has the uncanny ability to understand what goes on in a woman's head! Perfect summer book!

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Fancypants
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Panpan

This book didn't really flow at all. It jumped around a lot from past to present then from character to character and it just didn't work for me. It also felt like stereotypical characters, the girl who had an abortion and now can't find love cause it ruined her etc etc.

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annkuch13
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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I finally unpacked the last seven boxes of books from the move back in March. I don't have enough shelves so I'm stacking them up a la @Liberty !

PatriciaU 👏👍❤️❤️❤️💕💕💕 7y
Mdargusch Beautiful! 7y
Texreader Gorgeous 7y
See All 8 Comments
GypsyKat You have a lot of lovey books there! 7y
Nafiza 😍 7y
Reviewsbylola Your botm collection is 😍😍😍😍😍 7y
annkuch13 @Reviewsbylola Yes! I am weak and always add extra to my box! 7y
47 likes8 comments
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Julsmarshall
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Being out of town means coming home to lots of #bookmail ! I read for fun, education, and relaxation! So excited about the luggage tag! #bookofthemonth

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Gayan
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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I have found one of the characters in this book to be so unlikable I had to put it down and regroup. Now I'm drinking all the coffee and scrolling through Litsy.

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thereadingwomen
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Alam illuminates the friendship between Sarah & Lauren. They used to read eachother‘s minds, but now they can't seem to connect on the most basic levels. Are they fighting for a friendship meant to be left in the past? Or maybe they still need each other despite the ways they have changed from childhood. I will think of both women when I, yet again, ask the question "who is my best friend'? - Review by Jessiejane Jennings

87 likes13 stack adds
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Gayan
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Starting this one tonight. It's the last book on my April TBR list so next week on vacation I can read all the backup books. 😂

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heyitsMacall
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Panpan

Ughhhh I was overdue to read a book I didn't like and here it is

Megabooks I bailed on this one. 8y
heyitsMacall @Booksandcooks I was so close to bailing too 8y
44 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Lauren_reading
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Mehso-so

I liked this book, I just didn't really like it. I kept comparing it to a Seinfeld episode, stuff happened, but nothing really ever happened. I did somewhat relate to the women's friendship and how it changed over the years - especially Lauren (and she has my name).

MicheleinPhilly I really disliked this one. Was baffled by all of the praise. 8y
Reviewsbylola For some reasoj, I feel like I would enjoy this one. But the reviews have scared me off. 8y
Skeebies05 He is so dry and funny on social media. But I could not get down with this book. I had this vague feeling of guilt for not liking his book. 8y
tholmz Super accurate review and I agree. 7y
80 likes1 stack add4 comments
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LDuffN
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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What I'm readin' now!! #whatchareadin📚📖📰📜

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Tanner
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Bailedbailed

I just couldn't keep going with this one - I reached the 28% mark and realized that I just didn't care about any of the characters (and I kept getting the two main characters mixed up). So I'm returning it to the library early and hope that someone else will enjoy it more than I did.

Megabooks I bailed too! 8y
Tanner @Ebooksandcooks Oh good, it's not just me! I'd hear such great things about it, but all I could feel about it was "meh" 8y
29 likes2 comments
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BookBabe
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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#BookNDinner! Shrimp cocktail, yummm. 😋 This has been another production of #MrBookBookBabeKitchen.
Happy reads & happy eats!

TrishTheBibliophile Your posts always make me hungry. For food... and books! 8y
CatLadyBibliophile I don't even like shrimp and this makes me want some 😂 8y
MrBook 😍😍😍 8y
MyNamesParadise I want those shrimp!! 8y
105 likes1 stack add4 comments
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rach_simone
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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#FeistyFeb I really enjoyed Rich and Pretty. The simmering bitchiness and accurate observations were so enjoyable. I am kinda surprised it has less than 3 stars on Goodreads! #BestDebutsOf2016

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murflegirl
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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#currentlyreading during a slow day at work. It's not love yet. But it's not hate either.

Reviewsbylola I've been scared of this one because of the mixed reviews. 8y
11 likes1 stack add1 comment
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jessdean
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Mehso-so

Meh. I just didn't really enjoy it. It was ok, but forgettable.

ErinC I bailed on this one. Glad I didn't continue if it never got better. 8y
jessdean @ErinC good move on your part:) 8y
28 likes1 stack add2 comments
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PlannerGirlBookClub
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Pickpick

An interesting look at friendship between women. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #ToBLongList

jessdean That's on my TBR, it was one of my BOTM choices. I'm behind on my BOTM books😬 8y
8little_paws ❤❤ loved this book, such a pleasant surprise 8y
CotziasReads I tried reading this book but interest. Found the other went into alot tedious description details. 8y
78 likes1 stack add3 comments
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paperplatesblog
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Pickpick

I put off reading "Rich and Pretty" because I figured it would be fluff. Don't make the same mistake I did.

Literary recipe: Black and white cookies inspired by "Rich and Pretty" http://www.paperplatesblog.com/blog/literary-recipe-black-white-cookies-inspired...

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LLindsey
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Panpan

I really wanted to like this. And I did, most of the way through. The two friends' attitudes and concerns towards their own lives and the life of the other was totally realistic. Until marriage and babies come along. At that point, I started skimming. The worst part was that the characters were reduced to cliches. The one with kids let herself go and the one without forgot the kid's party. I loved the look at how friendship changes, though.

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BookBabe
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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#BookNDinner! Healthy edition. @MrBook requested his typical fare, which I made for him...and so I went with grilled chicken and romaine sprinkled with a touch of Parmesan for myself, paired with a refreshing water. This has been another production of #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats!

MrBook 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻😍😍😍 8y
BookMusings Are you guys eating together and eating different meals?? That's amazing! 8y
BookBabe @BookMusings Yup, it's definitely more work...this is what happens when you have two people very particular about what they eat! I guess we should frequent restaurants more often, lol 😂 8y
See All 10 Comments
Valink Sounds like my house- two vegetarians (one who won't eat tomatoes) & two meat eaters (one won't eat cheese). We typically make 2 or 3 dinners a night since the boys don't think it's dinner unless it includes meat! 8y
howlinglibraries What app do you use for blurring? I used to do it in the Litsy editor but I haven't been able to find it since the update! Am I missing it? 😳 8y
Sandwavesandbooks Food and book looks so good! 8y
BookBabe @howling_libraries I used PhotoToaster here. (Although now that I'm looking at it, I could've done a better job. Oh well). Another great app, though more complex, is Pixelmator. And yes, that feature does seem to be absent from this release of @Litsy, along with the vignette tool which I use religiously...at least, I couldn't find it. 8y
BookBabe @Valink Holy mackerel! 🐟 That makes me feel better, lol. 😂 8y
howlinglibraries @BookBabe Thank you! Yes, I'm missing that one as well. I guess I'm glad I'm not just missing it, but I hope it comes back. 😕 8y
140 likes10 comments
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LLindsey
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Such a good point! Too often I wind up reciting the "catechism" as opposed to having an actual conversation. I should probably work on that...

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Audrey
Rich and Pretty | Rumaan Alam
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Pickpick

Unexpectedly, I loved this book. The two MCs were effortlessly and naturally unlikable. But, where this book really spoke to me was the complexity of female friendship. It made me nostalgic about some of my oldest and closest friends and how our friendships (like the protagonists) have evolved over the years. Friendships change and are work as you navigate marriages, divorces, births and deaths. And this book handled these issues beautifully.

8little_paws I thought so too!! A really pleasant surprise. 8y
Audrey @8little_paws don't you love when that happens? I was worried bc reviews here and on Goodreads were meh. At the very least, it would be a good book group discussion. (edited) 8y
Sydsavvy Interesting. I May need to bump this back up. 8y
24 likes3 comments