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A Secret Sisterhood
A Secret Sisterhood: The Hidden Friendships of Austen, Bronte, Eliot and Woolf | Emma Claire Sweeney, Emily Midorikawa
A Secret Sisterhood looks at the friendships between Jane Austen and one of the family servants, playwright Anne Sharp; the daring feminist author Mary Taylor who shaped the work of Charlotte Bront?; the seemingly aloof George Eliot and the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe; and Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield, most often portrayed as bitter foes, but who in fact enjoyed a complex friendship fired by an underlying erotic charge Through letters and diaries which have never been published before, the book will resurrect these hitherto forgotten stories of female friendships that were sometimes illicit, scandalous and volati? sometimes supportive, radical or inspiring; but always, until now, tantalisingly consigned to the shadows. The book came out of the authors' own friendship; they began their own blog called Something Rhymed which charts female friendships and has been covered in the media and promoted by Margaret Atwood, Sheila Hancock and Kate Mosse.
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StaceGhost
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Pickpick

It‘s a great day for some Brontë research! I feel like I‘ve emerged from my chrysalis like a cicada— this past Spring Semester was the hardest so far.

I learned Yiddish, made two websites, did three digital humanities projects, read over a thousand pages, including three textbooks, and wrote over 50 pages.

It sounds weird but, after all that, focusing on just one paper feels almost luxurious.

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Andrea313
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Mehso-so

Not me spending the next three days frantically returning to the books I stalled out on in '22! Today I finished off this one which I started with the #PemberLittens. I side-eyed the Austen chapters, adored the ones about Charlotte Bronte, yawned my way through Eliot/Stowe, and perked up again with Woolf and Mansfield. All in all, uneven reading with some unsubstantiated claims, but I appreciate the perspective on these legendary female authors.

batsy That's basically how I felt reading this! 2y
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LiseWorks
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💛💛💛 2y
Eggs Perfect 🤩 2y
18 likes2 comments
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jenniferw88
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TheBookHippie ♥️ 2y
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nanuska_153
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Pickpick

I'll give this a soft pick. I rather enjoyed it, despite non-fiction not being my forte, probably because it's so novelized that it reads like four short stories. I'm left with doubts of how much guessing and how much facts are in this book, but happy to have learned of other female authors and welcoming any debunking of the myth that women can't be friends because we are always bitching (maybe Woolf's doesn't count as example) #Pemberlittens

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Blackink_WhitePaper
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed reading this along with #pemberlittens but I dragged a bit in the last chapter. Finally I am glad to finish. Good thing about this book is it added many other books to my never ending TBR. I am particularly intrigued by the second part ( about Brontë sisters) and the last one was least favourite. I couldn‘t understand what was the agenda of the authors. 3⭐️ I could finish dis cos of #buddyread thank u ? @BarkingMadRun @sprainedbrain

BarkingMadRead I added a few to me tbr as well! (edited) 2y
kspenmoll Agree with your assessment - also added books for me to look into! 2y
Blackink_WhitePaper @BarkingMadRun @kspenmoll yeah hopefully we can read few books together in coming days 💐 2y
35 likes3 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
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Bailedbailed

I didn‘t enjoy this as much as I‘ve hoped. It has an intriguing premise & what I‘ve read so far was interesting, as I‘ve not read any of the featured authors‘ individual biographies, but I didn‘t like the many aspects of conjecture. Especially in the first section, Austen, which has left a sour taste in my mouth. Also I didn‘t like the tone of the writing. And after the section of Bronte & Mary Taylor, I wasn‘t motivated to pick it up again.

BarkingMadRead I don‘t blame you, I feel like it didn‘t deliver what it promised 2y
batsy It's a bit of a letdown, isn't it? I found the first chapter on Austen pretty grating, as well. 2y
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DebinHawaii
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Mehso-so

Read with #PemberLittens This book while interesting, just didn‘t do it for me. There have been some very articulate reviews from others who read along & I don‘t feel like I can add much more to those other than my feelings. While I learned some things about authors that I didn‘t know & added Charlotte Bronte‘s Villette to my “must read” list, I felt let down by some of the negativity between these famous women & felt like a couple of the pairs⬇️

DebinHawaii … were more like “frenemies. It may have been true to life, but I didn‘t feel that all of the authors‘ conclusions were fully supported with the amount of missing/destroyed correspondence & other documentation. I did enjoy the afterward about some of the other, more modern day friendships between famous authors. Not horrible, but definitely not a favorite. (edited) 2y
Ruthiella I agree with you and my biggest takeaway was also to read Villette! 2y
BarkingMadRead Seems to be the common opinion! A bunch of us are reading Middlemarch starting in January as a #chunkster read 2y
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peanutnine
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Mehso-so

I finished this one with the #pemberlittens
It was interesting to see some of the female friendships these writers had and how they inspired or motivated each other. But this wasn't the best biography of these women that I've read. I might not have finished if it wasn't a buddy read

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Daisey
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Pickpick

I finished listening to the last chapter this morning, and although I think I liked it better than some of the other readers in our group, I also didn‘t love it. I felt some aspects were not fully supported and the authors sometimes speculated a bit too much to make what they had fit their views. Overall, it was a good introduction to some authors that I‘ve never delved deeply into learning about, but it‘s more a gateway than a definitive source.

batsy That's a fair review! I agree it works as an introduction. 2y
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suvata
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Pickpick

#PemberLittens #JaneandtheExcellentReadalong September 2022 @SprainedBrain

Through letters and diaries never published before, A Secret Sisterhood resurrects these forgotten stories of female friendships. Sometimes scandalous and volatile, sometimes supportive and inspiring, but always tantalizingly though consigned to the shadows. Two female writers and best friends bring to light the literary friendships of four iconic female authors.

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ravenlee
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Mehso-so

Some of this was interesting, and I learned a lot about several authors I didn‘t know very well (pretty much everyone but JA). But the authors drew conclusions that weren‘t supported. I know the goal of research and writing is to forge new paths, but a lot of this felt like arguing for argument‘s sake. Jane was catty about Anne, so she was mean and their relationship had soured. But Virginia and Katherine must have been closer than the 👇🏻

ravenlee stories say, because they weren‘t like that. It seems like in similar situations they drew different conclusions based on what they wanted to show - or didn‘t provide the evidence to support their positions. Overall, fair. #PemberLittens 2y
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batsy
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Mehso-so

I wanted to jot down some thoughts I had about the book, but I ended up venting a bit in a long review which you can read on Goodreads, if you're so inclined 😅
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4961153728 This had some good bits, but mainly let me down. It was neither here nor there & didn't fulfill the title's promise. A weird nonfiction book, as some others have pointed out. Thanks for leading the group read, @BarkingMadRun ! #pemberlittens

BarkingMadRead Yessssss well said! 2y
kspenmoll Your review was thought provoking. You write & explain your ideas beautifully. Thank you for your voice- it is illuminating for me. Like you I liked some bits but it felt like the authors were stretching/supposing to meet their preconceived theme/ideas. 2y
batsy @BarkingMadRun Thank you! 2y
batsy @kspenmoll Thank you for your kind word! Yes, that's pretty much my impression of the book, but I think for me the one good thing that came out of reading it is learning that I'll never tire of reading about those writers 🙂 2y
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 12 and epilogue…. I‘ve been thinking about this quote for the last 4 chapters, so I‘m just gonna leave it at this! #toxicfriendship #frenemies #jealousy #pettyreviews #betteroffapart #pemberlittens

AllDebooks Absolutely this. All that nastiness was hard to read. I did enjoy reading about the authors friendship in the epilogue too. 2y
TheBookHippie THIS. Quite a long while ago I gave a 'speech' at a PTA meeting that if nothing else you do NOT tear down that other mom simply because she is a WOMAN. You do not have to like other women or even what they do or say or how they act, HOWEVER try to remember that the PATRIARCHY DEPENDS on us staying divided. And just extend grace. 2y
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TheBookHippie Also weirdly I felt this book was a bit a anti female instead of the feminist book I think it wanted to be? I'm not sure. I have mixed feelings I am still sorting out. Many parts I did love the information, it seems how it was used may be problematic? I need to think on it more. I do thank you for leading! You do such a fantastic job! 2y
BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie I totally agree. I feel like the authors spent a little too much time on the negative parts and not enough time on the positive aspects. 2y
TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRun I guess that is it. It is quite unfortunate because they could have made it so great. 2y
DebinHawaii @BarkingMadRun @TheBookHippie @AllDebooks YES!! To all of this! I have been thinking throughout almost every chapter but especially the last several, that if this is what friendship between female authors is like, let me never be in this kind of friendship! 😱 So much tearing down! I have not read the epilogue yet. 2y
TheBookHippie @DebinHawaii I‘m so glad it wasn‘t just me. 😅 it is sad, because it just perpetuates this belief, of nasty women whom are intelligent, and I don‘t think it is actually reality. 2y
Daisey I didn‘t have time today for this last chapter, but I completely get this opinion. I appreciate the information, but felt it could have been expressed better. 2y
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IndoorDame
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Mehso-so

I love the premise here, and this was filled with some delicious tidbits about authors I adore. Also the conceit of a pair of women writer friends writing about pairs of women writer friends is cool. But something didn‘t completely draw me in. Maybe it‘s that it‘s really really difficult to co-write and the prose weren‘t compelling enough, maybe something seemed lacking in the research…I‘m honestly not sure what was missing for me. #pemberlittens

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quietjenn
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Mehso-so

I'm sort of ambivalent about this one. On one hand, I learned lots about some of these ladies and am encouraged to delve into their work a little more. On the other, I felt there was far too much conjecture and surmising and iffy scholarship, as if the writers made the facts fit the argument they set out to make, rather than concluding something accurate based on the evidence. Dot's not convinced either.

OutsmartYourShelf Dot looks distinctly unimpressed. 2y
DinoMom Dot‘s face says it all. 😹 2y
ShelleyBooksie Dot is adorable ♡♡♡ 2y
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Ruthiella Agree with both you and Dot! Not unhappy to have read it, but their theses about all four “collaborations?” don‘t really hold water. 2y
LeahBergen I found (and was irritated by) that same sort of conjectural scholarship in 2y
batsy Nice review and you put it so well. I completely agree. 2y
erzascarletbookgasm Well said. I‘ve only finished the first part (Austen & Sharp) and I feel the same way. 2y
quietjenn @OutsmartYourShelf @DinoMom I mean, kind of that's just her face (She definitely has resting catface), but also, Yep! 2y
quietjenn @ShelleyBooksie Thank you! I kind of adore her. 😻 2y
quietjenn @Ruthiella @Batsy @erzascarletboogasm I'm glad to hear it wasn't just mean and am not at all surprised to hear that y'all are simpatico. 2y
quietjenn @LeahBergen well, I trust you, so that's one that doesn't go on the proverbial tbr 😂 2y
68 likes11 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 11: Katherine is able to marry Murray, Ida is everyone‘s punching bag, and although Virginia did not like Bliss, she and Katherine suddenly get very….. close…. #murrywantstopublish #jealousyeverywhere #lovetriangle #lovepentagon #everybodyloveseverybody #pemberlittens

35 likes5 comments
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jenniferw88
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Mehso-so

Finished early because I have a hospital appointment in Middlesex when we would have finished it, and I didn't want to lug the hardback up there. #PemberLittens @BarkingMadRun @sprainedbrain

Low pick/High so-so

BarkingMadRead 😘😘 2y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I hope your appointment goes well! 2y
TheBookHippie Good luck with your appointment!
2y
57 likes3 comments
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ravenlee
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Today I went to the Centenary Book Bazaar, but it was in the last hour or so and most of my favorite sections were pretty sparse. I did find these promising ladies looking at me. Though I haven‘t started the section on Woolf and Mansfield I thought I‘d grab her stories. I‘m not familiar with her work. #PemberLittens

Branwen Katherine Mansfield was an AMAZING writer! My favorite stories of hers are Bliss and The Garden Party! 2y
TheBookHippie I put it on my list to buy as well! 2y
45 likes2 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 10: today we start the chapters about Virginia Woolf and Katherine Mansfield, who had a crazy #lovehate relationship. Lots of jealousy and backstabbing, while simultaneously working together! #chasteandunchaste #gossip #stolenideas #backstabbing #notstraighteningeachotherscrown #skipthepassive #totallyaggressive #pemberlittens

Daisey I caught up this morning and found the chapters about George Eliot & Harriet Beecher Stowe incredibly interesting. 2y
TheBookHippie Frenemies…. 👀 2y
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AllDebooks All caught up, this does seem to be quite an unstable, toxic relationship. Such rivalry 2y
BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie yesssss @Daisey me too, it was my first time reading about either of tnem! @AllDebooks so so toxic!! 2y
suvata Virginia Woolf kind of scares me. I‘m not sure I would want to be her friend. But I would read her books. 2y
batsy @TheBookHippie Yes, that's what I thought! This chapter feels counter to "secret sisterhood" lol. 2y
TheBookHippie @batsy Welllll, usually as women we have ONE friendship like that but usually in middle school. OY VEY. 2y
batsy @TheBookHippie Haha! No doubt literary friendships were rife with frenemies; fellow writers as sources of support but also as competition. Spicy! 2y
kspenmoll @batsy Perfect statement for this section: their relationship as counter to sisterhood. 2y
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 9: Harriet blows off Marian for a couple of years, and mostly wrote about more seances 👻 although she did describe Florida in such a way that made Marian feel like she was there 🍊 Marian completed Middlemarch, Harriet‘s son disappeared, Harriet talked a little smack about Marian with a mutual friend, Marian changes up her writing style, Lewes dies, Marian remarries, Marian dies…. So much crammed into one chapter! #pemberlittens

TheBookHippie I felt guilty as I‘ve tried to read Middlemarch and DNF at part 5! I may have to try once again! 😅😂 2y
BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie I‘ve not read it yet, I feel like i should add it to my list 2y
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ravenlee @TheBookHippie I got about halfway in college but ran out of time, and I‘ve always meant to go back. I mean, it was good, just dense. Someday… 2y
TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRun I‘m game to try it in small sections as @ravenlee says it is dense. Maybe 2023 winter plans 😂 2y
kspenmoll I did not read it until I was in my fifties - maybe I enjoyed it because of my age. I was never interested in reading it before then. 2y
Ruthiella I found Middlemarch completely accessible when I read it, despite its length. But I‘ve weirdly never felt compelled to read any of her other books. 😬 2y
Deblovestoread It is on my shelf….maybe as a chapter a day buddy read? 2y
TheBookHippie @Deblovestoread yes and I‘d start in January if anyone wants to lead it ..someone let me know 😂😂. 2y
BarkingMadRead @Deblovestoread @TheBookHippie let me know, I can lead it, if you want 2y
Deblovestoread @BarkingMadRun @TheBookHippie sounds like a plan 🙌🏼 2y
ravenlee @BarkingMadRun @Deblovestoread @TheBookHippie I‘d like to give it a try. Maybe by January I‘ll have finished my ongoing chunkster read (Don Quixote, very slowly but steadily…ish) and be ready for another. 2y
TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRun sounds good to me. 2y
TheBookHippie @Deblovestoread 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 2y
suvata Harriet and Marion sure had a love/hate relationship. And to think they never even met in person. 2y
BarkingMadRead @suvata seriously though! 2y
AllDebooks This was heartbreaking to read. Harriet does not come across well, always a hidden agenda. Bit of a fairweather friend. 2y
AllDebooks @BarkingMadRun oh I'd love a Middlemarch buddy read. 2y
kspenmoll I would definitely do a Middlemarch buddy read. 2y
kspenmoll @AllDebooks It‘s so difficult to keep up a correspondence an ocean apart. But I agree, Harriet seemed a bit disingenuous in her letters. I can see why Marian was hurt by her response to her “husband‘s” death. Harriet had her own unhealed losses- we can speak about grief so much better now. All the seances etc. seemed also to be Harriet‘s life there too. 2y
BarkingMadRead @kspenmoll @AllDebooks I‘ve added you to my tag list, we are going to start in January, and I‘ll remind everyone right after Christmas 2y
kspenmoll @BarkingMadRun Thank you for adding me to Middlemarch read! 2y
rubyslippersreads @ravenlee @BarkingMadRun @Deblovestoread @alldebooks @TheBookHippie @kspenmoll I‘d be interested in a chapter-a day buddy read. It‘s been on my TBR list for so long, I feel like I‘ll never get around to reading it without a plan. 😊 2y
BarkingMadRead @rubyslippersreads I‘ll add you to my list! 2y
TheBookHippie @rubyslippersreads I‘m getting excited ! We‘ve got a good group going! 2y
32 likes27 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 8: poor Thornie dies, and Marian and Harriet disagree over spiritual beliefs. But let‘s just talk about the underlined sentence. They are both committing social suicide, but he‘s the one invited out? She‘s not the one cheating on her spouse, it‘s so frustrating! #doublestandards #ouijaboards #poorselfimage #pemberlittens

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ravenlee
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So it‘s not just a recent product of social media…huh.
(That‘s Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose recent article about Lady Byron had unleashed something of a shitstorm of criticism)

#PemberLittens

batsy I had the same thought when I read that passage. (Marian would have probably deleted her twitter account by now and Harriet would definitely be getting into arguments.) 2y
ravenlee @batsy I feel like Harriet might get into conspiracy theories and respond to criticism with comments about “the TRUTH” and doing “research” - but admittedly, all I know about her came from these three chapters. Marian seems like she might have had social media briefly, but quickly got disgusted and deleted it all. 2y
26 likes2 comments
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Andrea313
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Finished the Charlotte Brontë section last night and LOVED it! I tend to fall into the trap of believing that the Brontës were totally secluded, isolated weirdoes, what with their strange goth stories and made-up fantasy worlds. But of course they had friends and acquaintances (well...maybe not Emily), and reading more about Charlotte's life outside of the parsonage was a welcome reminder. And who else thinks that Mary Taylor is a total BAMF??

Ruthiella Mary Taylor is another reminder for me to not look at history as if it were a monolith in which all people believed one thing and behaved in one way. 2y
batsy I loved reading about Mary. I immediately went to look up her novel Miss Miles but sadly it doesn't seem to be available/in print. 2y
Andrea313 @batsy It seems to be available used on Thrift Books! Take a look and let me know what you see; I also plan to buy it, and hope I'm looking at the right thing. Even these three chapters about her were enough to make me completely fascinated. 2y
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batsy @Andrea313 Oh yes, they do! Thank you for letting me know. I used to check out AbeBooks and Thrift Books in the past but post-pandemic the international shipping costs have become prohibitive. If you do end up getting it, I look forward to your thoughts! 2y
Jennaree3 I love this shirt! 2y
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kspenmoll
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I am reading this book but a chapter per day has been a challenge for me. Just started chapter 5. 😀#pemberlittens

BarkingMadRead They are long chapters!! 2y
Daisey Agreed! I‘m even using audio and usually a chapter a day is perfect for my drive to work, but I‘m not quite staying caught up with these. 2y
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 7: George Eliot and Harriet Beecher Stowe get to know each other, amidst drama and sick family members. The pic above is the Priory, where Marian (aka George) entertained writers who weren‘t afraid to be seen with her! #pemberlittens #livinginsin #incest #drama #ihadnoidea #ineedtoreadmorebiographies

TheBookHippie Oh I love it!!!!! I find every tidbit so fascinating!!! 2y
peanutnine I know absolutely nothing about George Elliot so this is all so interesting 2y
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suvata Marian Lewes (George Eliot) was quite the little rebel. I love that. In some ways, though, I learned more about Harriet Beecher Stowe‘s personality than Marian‘s. It‘s horrible how society, in general, ostracized George. (edited) 2y
suvata P.S. The Priory looks so cozy and inviting. 2y
BarkingMadRead @suvata I totally agree! 2y
batsy @suvata It really does! 2y
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kspenmoll
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Really excited about this book. I am behind, just finished 3rd chapter. #pemberlittens

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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 6 brings us to the end of Charlotte‘s life, which ended not long after she married Arthur. We see the trio break up just a little, and after Charlotte passes, Elizabeth writes her biography…. #pemberlittens #thebiographywastootame #tellthetruth #evenarthurhatedit #maryshouldhavedoneit #ellenrodecoattails

AllDebooks I'm so behind in this great book, will catch up over the weekend 2y
rubyslippersreads I‘ve had the Gaskell biography on my TBR forever, but when I do read it, I‘ll certainly take it with a grain of salt. 2y
BarkingMadRead @rubyslippersreads I‘ll be interested to hear how you liked it…. Or not 🤣 2y
suvata This was a great chapter. But I did spend a lot of time going back and forth trying to decide if I liked Mary or not. And, I had completely forgotten that the Brontë sisters published under the surname of Bell. 2y
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Daisey
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I had a busy weekend and was already behind on this #ChapterADay readalong, but I caught up today while working around the house and audio baking. I enjoyed the Jane Austen chapters and might be even more intrigued by the Charlotte Bronte chapters. I definitely need to move Villette up the TBR list.

#PemberLittens #audiobook #nonfiction

kspenmoll I am catching up as well. 2y
59 likes1 comment
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Andrea313
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Catching up today with the last chapter on Jane Austen and Anne Sharp. Today's installment takes us through the late years of Jane's life, with her books being published while Anne toils as a governess and a full-time companion to the sick sister of her employer. Much is made of Jane's gifting a presentation copy of Emma to Ms. Sharp. As this article shows, in 2010 that very copy sold for more than Jane probably could have dreamed. #PemberLittens

LeahBergen I want it. 🤣 2y
Andrea313 @LeahBergen IKR?? Wanna go halvsies? 😂 2y
LeahBergen Let‘s. 🤣 2y
kspenmoll OMG that is fabulous that it is still in existence. Too bad it may not be seen by the public… 2y
31 likes4 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 5: charlotte decides she must study abroad, and borrows money from her aunt and drags her sister along. She falls for this guy, who has a wife 😳 but her aunt dies and she has to go home for a bit. After she goes back, nothing is the same, and she‘s a bit lost….. #pemberlittens #chapteraday #learningmorethanfrench #brusselsisforlovers

TheBookHippie 😵‍💫 2y
Ruthiella Love the hashtag “learning more than French”!😂 I‘ve not read Villette but the description of “ugly and with something of a wild animal about him” could also have been a model for Rochester….?🤔 2y
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BarkingMadRead @ruthiella I thought the same. And now I obviously need to read Villette 2y
Daisey @Ruthiella This chapter had me thinking the same thing about Rochester and needing to read Villette. I‘m hoping it will be a PemberLittens choice at some point. 2y
TheBookHippie @Daisey me too! I‘d love a reread. 2y
DebinHawaii @Ruthiella @BarkingMadRun @Daisey @TheBookHippie I‘ve never read Villette & would love to read it with the #PemberLittens 🤗 2y
suvata This chapter was a little bit depressing. It left me thinking that Charlotte was not a very happy person. And, yes, I need to read Villette too. 2y
batsy I love Villette and heartily recommend it! It's sadder than Jane Eyre and less gothic, but it's Charlotte's best book imo. I enjoyed learning about Mary in this chapter; the little bits we got to know suggests an intriguing character. "She had also begun studying algebra, which she liked because 'it is odd in a woman to learn it, and I like to establish my right to be doing odd things.'" Love that! 2y
39 likes10 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 4: we move on to Charlotte Brontë, who I‘ve never really read about, so this is all new to me. She wants to be a writer, but a famous poet has told her that as a woman, she should give it up ? she is part of a friendship trio, with Mary and Ellen, who couldn‘t be more different! #pemberlittens #southeycansuckit #hesjustjealous #dontstopcharlotte #girlpower

Ruthiella I‘ve only read Jane Eyre and am also fairly unfamiliar with Charlotte Brontë‘s life. So the little bit I am gleaning here is interesting. 2y
suvata This thought particularly struck me: “By the mid-nineteenth century, romantic friendships between young women had become idealized, and effusively affectionate correspondence between female friends was commonplace.” When did this stop being a thing? 2y
batsy I love Charlotte, and I read the Gaskell bio so long ago that I've forgotten mostly everything but maybe vaguely retained bits and pieces. I remember the awful response from Robert Southey! Already this chapter is pretty interesting because we have a compelling triangle. 2y
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 4: we move on to Charlotte Brontë, who I‘ve never really read about, so this is all new to me. She wants to be a writer, but a famous poet has told her that as a woman, she should give it up ? she is part of a friendship trio, with Mary and Ellen, who couldn‘t be more different! #pemberlittens #southeycansuckit #hesjustjealous #dontstopcharlotte #girlpower

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kspenmoll
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Cinfhen Hope you have a wonderful new school year ♥️🍏 2y
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 3: I have so many thoughts! I will likely hashtag them all 🤣 Jane and Anne become mostly pen pals now, since they live so far apart, and Anne becomes her critic and confidante when Jane needs a truthful review of her books. Jane is “asked” to dedicate a book to the Prince Regent so she dedicated Emma to him. After Jane passes, we get another glimpse into how Cassandra really feels about Anne…. #pemberlittens #11kids #11 #holyheck

batsy Don't mean to be a spoilsport 😅 but found Jane's Mean Girl letter about Anne to Cassandra quite revealing! And made me wonder if maybe the friendship between Jane and Anne wasn't as close/devoted as the authors speculate? Since they had scant evidence to work with... 2y
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BarkingMadRead @batsy for sure! 2y
kspenmoll Please add me to posts. I am behind on all September reads but plan to catch up this weekend. School started for me this past week! 2y
Ruthiella @batsy The inspiration for Emma was possibly closer to home than some Janeites might like… 2y
BarkingMadRead @Ruthiella definitely! It‘s fine by me 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y
batsy @Ruthiella Indeed! I think I kind of understood Jane to have that in her based on the bio I've read and the excerpted letters. 2y
TheBookHippie @batsy I agree!!!! 2y
ravenlee @Ruthiella @batsy that‘s a very good point - although it also seems they‘re stretching Cassandra‘s dislike beyond what‘s clear. After all, C and Anne maintained contact the rest of their lives. Maybe Cassandra was more formal/reserved in her regard (dare I say, like Jane Bennet?). Either way, they‘re working awfully hard to draw conclusions on scant evidence. 2y
BarkingMadRead @ravenlee 🤣🤣🤣 2y
rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella @batsy Didn‘t Jane say something to the effect that she liked Emma, even if many readers didn‘t? 2y
rubyslippersreads Too bad she had to dedicate this to “Prinny” when she despised him. 😏 2y
Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads She did! She wrote, "I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like." Though I love Emma myself, warts and all. 2y
batsy @rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella Yes! I confess the complexity and nuance of Emma missed me when I was younger; I thought it was my least favourite. But I've grown to love it so much as an adult. 2y
batsy @ravenlee I feel the same re: Cassandra! My general sense is that Cassandra wasn't really all that much "against Anne" at the start precisely because it doesn't seem like Jane was as close to Anne as suggested. 2y
rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella @batsy. I love Emma too, and now I wonder if it‘s because there‘s more Jane in her than I realized? 2y
suvata I‘m wondering if there was some sibling vs. friend competition going on there. In Jane‘s books the sisters all seem to be pretty close- knit. Not so in real life. I feel pretty sorry for Anne but by the end of this chapter, she seems to be heading in the right direction. 2y
37 likes24 comments
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Andrea313
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Chapter 2 brings Jane back to Godmersham for the summer, ready for lots of home theatricals, "dinners at local manor houses (and) balls in nearby Canterbury." Meanwhile her BFF Anne is always either working or down for the count due to debilitating migraines. A doctor comes to perform an utter horror of a treatment, but Eddie Austen up and fires her anyway citing her "ill health". Quick, someone get up a labor movement and agitate for sick leave!

21 likes2 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Chapter 2: Jane acts the part of Emma to try and help Anne‘s situation, and snags her a place on their trip to the beach…. But when Anne comes back she starts to feel worse, and then the play she wrote for the children somehow gets her fired. #theyblamedherheadaches #mansfieldparkfeels #somanyparallels #pooranne #pemberlittens #chapteraday

suvata Chapter 2: “Anne‘s voice as a writer has been forever stifled. It appears that her plays were never staged outside the schoolroom, and her scripts, diaries, and letters have never been discovered.” It‘s sad to think how many times this has happened in history. 2y
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Andrea313
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Kicked off the #ChapterADay read with the #PemberLittens in (not-so) grand fashion- aboard the SS Badger on Lake Michigan. Chapter 1 has me intrigued and eager to keep reading. Some of what the authors are positing feels at times like mere speculation given the lack of letters between the two; but I'm looking forward to learning more and happy to be along for this ride!

36 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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BarkingMadRead
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Foreword and chapter 1: I skipped most of the intro because it seemed like there might be some spoilers. Here we meet Anne Sharpe, Jane‘s somewhat secret friend, who works for John and Fanny…. Also known as Jane‘s brother and SIL, Edward and Elizabeth….. #senseandsensibility #elizabethisfanny #nastyfamily #pemerlittens #chapteraday #jaaaaaames #couldntresist #imdonenow

Crinoline_Laphroaig This great because I just finished 2y
IndoorDame One of the two intro sections was about the friendship of the co-authors of this book and how they met, not about the subjects so no spoilers there, and it was really sweet. 2y
See All 16 Comments
BarkingMadRead @IndoorDame oh that‘s good, I read the part about how they met but it started to look like they were going to break down the chapters, so I stopped! 2y
TheBookHippie I never read them because too many times SPOILERS 😂 2y
Caroline2 I often skip intros too because I don‘t want any spoilers. 😆 2y
Ruthiella I hear you on SPOILERS! It doesn‘t matter that the book has been in print for 100 years…that doesn‘t mean I‘ve read it! 😣 2y
AllDebooks I avoid intros until I've read the book 2y
suvata I guess I‘m the odd one, because I read everything from cover to cover in the order it is presented to me. That includes intros, afterwords, and anything but an index. 2y
julieclair I‘m in ! Please add me to the tag list. And… I never read intros either. Have been burned by spoilers too many times. I go back and read them as an afterword instead. 2y
BarkingMadRead @julieclair I‘ll add you!! I‘m glad to see it‘s not just me that skips the intro! 2y
suvata Chapter 1 - why in the world would Cassandra and Fanny burn the letters they got from Jane? It is a good thing that Fannie left behind her journals so we can learn a bit about Jane and Anne‘s relationship 2y
BarkingMadRead @suvata it blows my mind! 2y
julieclair @suvata Goid question! I have always assumed it was because they were trying to keep their family life private, and and maybe also to hide any less-than-flattering parts of Jane‘s personality from the public. 2y
suvata @julieclair Personally, I think she may have been gay and they don‘t want to admit it. That was so forbidden at that time. (edited) 2y
julieclair @suvata I wondered about that, too. Could she have been in love with Ann Sharpe? That is definitely something the family would have wanted to keep hidden in those days. 2y
34 likes16 comments
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BarkingMadRead
A Secret Sisterhood | Emily Midorikawa
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My current stack is a little large 😂 I signed up for quite a few buddy reads….. two are books that is started in august but haven‘t finished yet, but the rest are all buddy reads, mostly a chapter a day! #pemberlittens #littensloveromance #losersclub

LeslieO Great chair! 2y
BarkingMadRead @LeslieO I love it, it‘s been too hot to sit out here for so long, I‘m glad our mornings are cooler now! 2y
BiblioLitten What @LeslieO said. I like those little cup holders. 🙂 2y
BarkingMadRead @BiblioLitten I fangirled over those cup holders 🤣 2y
32 likes4 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Ruthiella Woohoo! Thanks for the reminder! 😃 2y
TheBookHippie I got my book! 2y
DebinHawaii Yay! 🎉 Using a library ebook version, at least to start! 2y
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Deblovestoread Please add me to your tag list as I‘m going to read along…I changed my handle so you might have tried but failed to find me. I was kdgordon88. Thank you! 😊 2y
BarkingMadRead @Deblovestoread I‘ll add you!! 2y
Sparklemn That Funko doll is awesome!! 2y
BarkingMadRead @Sparklemn thank you!! 2y
Caroline2 Oh I just ordered this book! 😃 can I join in please?? 2y
erzascarletbookgasm Thanks for reminding! Yours is a lovely edition 💚 2y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! My copy came in from the library so I am all set!! 2y
BarkingMadRead @Caroline2 I‘ll add you!! 2y
Caroline2 @BarkingMadRun Thanks! 😁 👍 2y
nanuska_153 Got mine from the library yesterday 👏🏻Does the foreword count as a chapter or we read it with Chapter 1? 2y
BarkingMadRead @nanuska_153 let‘s read it with chapter 1, I didn‘t even notice it! Shame on me! 2y
nanuska_153 @BarkingMadRun cool! Tbh I just noticed cause I love the handmaid's tale so the name Margaret Atwood caught my attention immediately 😅 2y
46 likes1 stack add15 comments
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sprainedbrain
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#PemberLittens

Our September/October book about Jane will A Secret Sisterhood (also about Charlotte Brontë, who figures in to our reading next month, too).

@BarkingMadRun has volunteered to lead the buddyread, so look for more information about the schedule from her. ❤️

I‘ve tagged those who previously expressed interest, but just let Kim know if you want to be added to her tag list!

BarkingMadRead I‘m soooooooo excited!!! 2y
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AllDebooks Really looking forward to this one 😀 2y
jenniferw88 I have the audio but placed a library hold too in case I want to share quotes! 2y
TheBookHippie I am in my copy just arrived!!! 2y
IndoorDame Looking forward to this one! 2y
Daisey @BarkingMadRun I have access to audio for this one, so I think I can fit it in. Please add me to the list! 2y
suvata I‘m in too 2y
batsy Looking forward to this! 2y
ravenlee My copy arrived a few days ago, and I‘m ready! 2y
TheAromaofBooks I'm planning to read along with this one - need to put it on reserve at the library!! 2y
erzascarletbookgasm Yes! 👍 2y
peanutnine Looking forward to this one! 2y
Ruthiella @BarkingMadRun Please tag me for this! Thanks! 😃 2y
Andrea313 @BarkingMadRun So looking forward to this read! Please keep me tagged. :) 2y
Blackink_WhitePaper I am excited for this ! Please tag me @BarkingMadRun 2y
Crinoline_Laphroaig @BarkingMadRun Tag me please and thank you. 2y
nanuska_153 @BarkingMadRun Please tag me too! 2y
DebinHawaii @BarkingMadRun Yes, please keep me tagged. I got it as a library e-book. 2y
BarkingMadRead I have everybody above this comment written down! I‘ll be posting soon! 2y
LitStephanie I won't have time for this and Jane Eyre due to travel next month and chose Jane Eyre but hope it is good and looking forward to everyone's reviews. 2y
79 likes5 stack adds23 comments
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sprainedbrain
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Ok #PemberLittens, the consensus is that we will read A Secret Sisterhood for our September/October book about Jane.

This book has less than 30 chapters and is divided into different sections about each author. It would probably work for chapter a day, or any other kind of buddy read schedule.

Please let me know if you‘d like to host!

suvata I think a section for each author would be easiest. But I will go along with whatever everybody decides. (edited) 2y
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Librarybelle I won‘t be joining on this buddy read, but it‘s a good book! Jane Austen‘s section is very interesting! 2y
TheBookHippie I‘ll go with whatever. I forgot who said they‘d lead was is @BarkingMadRun ? 2y
LitStephanie I will see if I can get a copy and join. Sounds like an interesting book. 2y
sprainedbrain @TheBookHippie several people volunteered for Jane Eyre but I haven‘t seen anyone volunteering for this one yet. 2y
BarkingMadRead I‘ll lead whatever you need 🤷🏻‍♀️ (edited) 2y
sprainedbrain @BarkingMadRun you are AWESOME! 😘 2y
BarkingMadRead @sprainedbrain it‘s so much fun, I‘m always up for it! 2y
TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRun OH YES!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉♥️♥️♥️♥️ 2y
BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie 😘😘😘😘 2y
TheBookHippie @sprainedbrain ♥️♥️yes we have our leader 🎉🎉🎉 @BarkingMadRun 2y
TheBookHippie @BarkingMadRun ordered the book tonight I‘m so excited! 2y
BarkingMadRead @TheBookHippie me too!! So fun! 2y
erzascarletbookgasm Looking forward to read this 👌 2y
eeclayton Sounds great. I'll see if I can get a copy. 2y
batsy Yay! 🎉 2y
julieclair This will be fun! So glad @BarkingMadRun will be our fearless (and always entertaining) leader! #hashtagsherewecome ! 2y
Andrea313 I will definitely be joining; can't wait! I always love a chapter a day schedule but am excited to read regardless. 2y
peanutnine Looking forward to this one! 2y
Blackink_WhitePaper I Am in. It sounds very exciting ! 2y
MoonWitch94 Can‘t wait! I‘m in 2y
sb3626 This sounds interesting! 2y
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sarahljensen
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Pickpick

I just loved this book. I thought I already knew everything about Jane Austen, but I was wrong. Female friendships are at the center of this book, and that is something I truly enjoy, especially biographies.

#catsoflitsy #litsycats #litsycat

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AnneCecilie
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Pickpick

As the authors state in the introduction, male literary friendships have been celebrated while female authors has been seen as eccentric and isolated geniuses. And this book, is the authors attempt to show how wrong that view is in regard to female authors, they had friendships too.

This was my #BookSpin for January @TheAromaofBooks

Buechersuechtling Uuuuuuuh. Sounds. so. interesting.‼️😯💛 4y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
BookishMarginalia What a gorgeous cover! 4y
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AnneCecilie
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I never thought about this regarding P&P.

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Moray_Reads
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Mehso-so

Maybe it's the latent academic in me but this felt quite weak. The premise is that significant friendships between female authors don't get the attention they deserve. I don't doubt it. But there is fast too much speculation based on flimsy evidence to make these examples convincing. The last section on Woolf and Mansfield was by far the best but is also the one relationship that HAS been widely discussed #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 4y
30 likes1 comment
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AnneCecilie
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Moray_Reads A Secret Sisterhood is my bookspin for January too! 4y
AnneCecilie @Moray_Reads I haven‘t started it yet. Have you? 4y
Moray_Reads I'm on the third section (George Eliot/Harriet Beecher Stowe). I wasn't bowled over by the first section but it has improved in recent chapters 4y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 4y
AnneCecilie @Moray_Reads I‘m glad to hear that it improves but I was looking forward to reading about Austen. 4y
68 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Moray_Reads
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Just returned from an 8 mile walk in sun, rain and sleet (ah, Scotland, you spoil me!) So I'm settling down for an afternoon on the sofa with this one #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Sounds like the perfect weather for reading (as I say every day 😂) 4y
TheNeverendingTBR 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💫 4y
38 likes2 comments