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Working Stiff
Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner | Judy Melinek, MD, T.J. Mitchell
Funand full of smart science. Fans of CSIthe real kindwill want to read it (The Washington Post): A young forensic pathologists rookie season as a NYC medical examiner, and the hair-raising cases that shaped her as a physician and human being.Just two months before the September 11 terrorist attacks, Dr. Judy Melinek began her training as a New York City forensic pathologist. While her husband and their toddler held down the home front, Judy threw herself into the fascinating world of death investigationperforming autopsies, investigating death scenes, counseling grieving relatives. Working Stiff chronicles Judys two years of training, taking readers behind the police tape of some of the most harrowing deaths in the Big Apple, including a firsthand account of the events of September 11, the subsequent anthrax bio-terrorism attack, and the disastrous crash of American Airlines Flight 587. An unvarnished portrait of the daily life of medical examinerscomplete with grisly anecdotes, chilling crime scenes, and a welcome dose of gallows humorWorking Stiff offers a glimpse into the daily life of one of Americas most arduous professions, and the unexpected challenges of shuttling between the domains of the living and the dead. The body never liesand through the murders, accidents, and suicides that land on her table, Dr. Melinek lays bare the truth behind the glamorized depictions of autopsy work on television to reveal the secret story of the real morgue. Haunting and illuminating...the stories from her average workdaystransfix the reader with their demonstration that medical science can diagnose and console long after the heartbeat stops (The New York Times).
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Marmie7
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Still no bingo🙁 Good reading month still. Maybe April, I'll finally get a bingo😏 ##bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fabulous month!!! 7mo
29 likes1 comment
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Nicki_K
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Pickpick

An interesting and informative read.Dr. Melinek begins her journey of training to be a medical examiner in New York City,2001.As a new trainee,she relates this horrific experience with humbleness and gratitude for the first responders during 9/11.It was a sobering,deeply moving read for me also. The 9/11 section is basically one chapter of this terrific book.Told with such raw honesty and respect for the bodies she has worked on.A must read⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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esurient
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Peer support ftw!

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esurient
This post contains spoilers
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Not gonna lie, I kind of want some pov writing from her husband.

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esurient
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Oooo yes I would subscribe for body facts.

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she.hearts.horror
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Tomorrow.. you‘ll still be dead. ☠️

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Jody3
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Mehso-so

Interesting stuff in this book, especially the information about how bodies and remains were dealt with after the 9/11 terrorist attack.

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annkuch13
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Since I'm still having a hard time focusing on reading, I'm giving nonfiction a go. I'm really intrigued in getting into the details of the subtitle which I accidentally covered in the picture: "two years, 262 bodies, and the making of a medical examiner."

rabbitprincess I really liked this! 5y
Hooked_on_books I thought this was good 5y
32 likes1 stack add3 comments
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kaysworld1
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My 2019 book wrap up I have read a lot of books last year.
#readingthelibrary #readingmyownbooks #reading

Dan_1988 Hi what app or website are you using to arrange all your books like that? Thanks 5y
kaysworld1 @Dan_1988 hey thanks for asking the app is called Layout it's brilliant. 5y
kaysworld1 @Dan_1988 or Goodreads where I track everything x 5y
See All 9 Comments
Dan_1988 Ahh thanks. I‘ll give it that a look and make myself one. Cheers 👍 5y
Dan_1988 I‘ve got good reads but it doesn‘t seem to track them properly for me. 5y
kaysworld1 @Dan_1988 make sure you put a start and a finish dates I learnt that the hard way 😆🤦 5y
Dan_1988 Yeah I think I‘ve found that ha. Thank you 5y
kaysworld1 @Dan_1988 o think I understand your question better now don't use the app open Goodreads on a desktop. If you use the app it only shows you 3 at a time. X 5y
Dan_1988 Ahh right. Thanks I‘ll give that a look. Thank you x 5y
36 likes9 comments
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Readswithcoffee
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Pickpick

Very interesting book about a doctor during her training to become a medical examiner. You probably should skip this one if you have a weak stomach regarding medical descriptions. However, if you can handle the “yuck factor,” it is a great read.

17 likes1 stack add
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Readswithcoffee
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This is a GREAT (and TRUE) quote! “Minor surgery is surgery someone else has.”

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Readswithcoffee
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Very interesting so far, but definitely not for the faint of heart.

13 likes3 stack adds
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Clwojick
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Pickpick

Started this book during #BFCR1, and finished it during #BFCR2 🙌🏻 I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptive style, and found myself laughing at some stories & crying during others. Any true crime lover will love it! ♥️

Macnjen I almost stacked this until I saw that I'd already given it a thumbs up! Go figure.
5y
AutumnRLS On my shelf just waiting to be read. My TBR is truly out of control. 5y
67 likes7 stack adds2 comments
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Clwojick
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Pickpick

Here‘s my lovely stack of audiobooks that I‘ve managed to finish while studying last night and this evening 😅 I‘m surprised my ears aren‘t sore from having my headphones in for so long,but I‘m not complaining because it‘s making the studying bearable. Favourite book is tagged, second up is Obsession. I‘ll give proper reviews and thoughts on each one later in the week hopefully. 🙌🏻 #FitWizards #BFCR2 #BFC #bookfitnesschallenge @wanderinglynn

wanderinglynn I don‘t know how you study while listening to audiobooks on super speed. It hurts my brain just thinking about it. 5y
Clwojick @wanderinglynn 😂😂😂 I don‘t know either. My husband always jokes and asks if I‘m listen to Alvin and the Chipmunks again. Haha. I did listen to Working Stiff at 2.25x though, not the full 3x 5y
Megabooks I agree with Lynn! I usually do 1.5 or 1.75! 5y
TheEllieMo How can you take in what you‘re studying and a book at the same time?? 5y
SaunteringVaguelyDownwards Wow! I can't listen to anything with words/lyrics when I study or write--I start writing what I'm hearing! Hence the huge number of film soundtracks I amassed in undergrad. 😉 5y
66 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Clwojick
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Listening to some more of this one before I fall asleep. I only have 5 days before I have to return it, so hopefully I can finish it in time. I‘m enjoying it so far, but find that it‘s not one I want to rush through. 💙
Audiobook 40 for #BookFitnessChallenge @wanderinglynn

rockpools 40?! Wow! 5y
Kaye Wow 😮IDo you play them at a faster speed ? 5y
alisiakae 40, that's incredible! 5y
Clwojick @Kaye yeah, 3x the speed. 😂 5y
girlwiththeglasses Wow!! This looks interesting😍 5y
83 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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kaysworld1
Pickpick

This is a fantastic book.
My favourite part was her descriptive style she didn't hold back.
The bit about 911 was eye opening but was expected.
My type of book. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#librarybook #readingbankholiday #reading #femaleauthor

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kaysworld1
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" staying alive is mainly common sense"
Reading this great book. I just love it.
Blood, guts and gore with a touch of humour.

#librarybook #readingbankholiday #reading #femaleauthor

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bmscott95
Pickpick

This book was excellent. Her description of working 9/11 actually had me in tears.

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Gryffleclaw95
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🚨WARNING: IS EXTREMELY GRAPHIC🚨

This book is not for the faint of heart. Melinek creates a vivid picture of her 2-year experience as a medical examiner in New York City, and does not hold back the details. As an Emergency Department RN, I found this book fascinating. Parts of this book are heart-wrenching, including Melinek‘s experience with 9/11 and Flight 587. Overall, I‘m glad I stepped out of typical boundaries to read this!

Gryffleclaw95 @bookishbitch Thank you for the recommendation! I will definitely add it to my TBR pile! 6y
5 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TheWordJar
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And this is why I‘m trying not to buy any books this year! 🤦‍♀️ This is my haul from the Book Outlet holiday sale. My first order ever from Book Outlet and a total #blameitonLitsy moment!! Their books are sooo cheap! Now I‘m trying to use my own mountain of books for reading challenge prompts this year. (So far, so good!)

Any reads you‘ve enjoyed in the stack?

Hestapleton I adored THE FACT OF A BODY and I‘m currently really enjoying Jeff Guinn‘s Jonestown book! 6y
Kristy_K I loved The Good Nurse! 6y
TheSpineView Looks like you scored! 6y
See All 12 Comments
Leftcoastzen So much temptation at Book Outlet! 6y
MStew 😍 6y
CouronneDhiver You‘ve got an almost-perfect red and black theme going there 👍🏽 6y
TheWordJar @Hestapleton @Kristy_K Good to know! Can‘t wait to start them! 6y
TheWordJar @TheSpineView I did! I‘d seen people post about Book Outlet, but I‘d never ordered. But definitely time to catch up with reading the books and take a break from buying! 6y
TheWordJar @CouronneDhiver I hadn‘t noticed that! I just went on a true crime spree and threw in two books from one of my favorite mystery/thriller authors. 6y
TheWordJar @Leftcoastzen You aren‘t kidding! That‘s a dangerous site to know about now!! 😂 6y
MicheleinPhilly I read The Good Nurse and Fact of a Body and am reading the Jonestown book now. 6y
Crazeedi Wow! Great stack of books! 6y
74 likes12 comments
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Jellybeanbon
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ A quick and easy read of the memoir of a medical examiner. It might not be a pick for the faint hearted.

Soubhiville Great quote! 6y
14 likes1 comment
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Maria514626
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Pickpick

Fascinating look at the real life of a M.E. Not quite like the ones on TV. 😄

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Lizpixie
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#BookMail Pt2 I‘m pretty sure this book is a recommendation from Simon Savidge from @SavidgeReads Written by Dr Judy Melinek, it recounts her first experience as a Medical Examiner/Pathologist What makes it interesting is she had only a month or so in her job with the New York ME before the towers fell in 2001. The next two years were her own version of ‘trial by fire‘. It looks very interesting, plus Simon is rarely wrong with his book choices.👍

Reviewsbylola I loved this book. 6y
49 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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liz.e.beth
Pickpick

A very interesting and entertaining (and reasonably quick) read about the life of a medical examiner in NYC. If you like Kathy Reichs or Patricia Cornwell this is a great background on their profession (I know they're forensic anthropologists, but it is close).

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Mama_Spears
Pickpick

Loved every second of it. I loved the journey into Judy‘s career and the stories behind the bodies she worked with.

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hike.read.repeat
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Pickpick

PCT miles hiked: 2652
Books completed on trail: 18

This book was right up my alley. If you‘re a fan of Mary Roach books, you‘d love it. Gallows humor, science-y/medical, while not being crass or disrespectful of the subject matter.

britt_brooke Wow, you are amazing!! Love this update. (edited) 6y
18 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Hestapleton
Mehso-so

The book club as interesting, but problematic. Melinek‘s description of the body after death and her work as a medical examiner was deeply fascination. Her discussion of suicide was problematic and could be triggering. But, if the medical field and true crime interest you, then I suggest giving this book a try. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

16 likes1 stack add
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charl08
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Curious strangers at parties....

Reviewsbylola I would totally be one of those curious strangers! 🙋🏼‍♀️ 6y
41 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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charl08
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I didn't start off wanting to be a forensic pathologist...

44 likes1 stack add
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DaynaDos
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Huge true crime fan over here. I like all the aspects of solving a crime, including forensic pathology. Very interesting read so far!

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I.readalot
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Pickpick

This is a fascinating memoir of two years in the life of a rookie New York City medical examiner. Hers "is a gruesome job, but for a scientist with a love for the mechanics of the human body, a great one". She moves from one interesting case to another in very gruesome detail.
As a lifetime lover of thriller fiction and movies, I found this book so captivating but even I had to take breaks when it got too detailed or difficult to read.

2 likes1 stack add
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Jadams89
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Pickpick

I wasn‘t sure I‘d ever find anything I loved as much as “Stiff” by Mary Roach, but here it is. The author recounts her journey to becoming a medical examiner after she decides she doesn‘t want to be a surgeon. She was working in New York on 9/11 and gives grisly details about the bodies that came across her table in her years there.

35 likes2 stack adds
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SkeletonKey
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Okay, I‘m not doing so hot 😂. Only 17 hours and 10 minutes to go! HAHA. I did finish Working Stiff at least.

#24in48 @24in48 #readingchallenge

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SkeletonKey
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TMI personal post, top surgery went great yesterday and I‘m just going to have a very lazy week reading while I recover now.

On the plane to Florida I started listening to this and for some reason medical descriptions are pretty calming to me. I just like knowing how things work! I‘m going to keep listening and chilling out until my post op appointment.

Feeling so happy and thankful though.

#nonfiction #medical #lgbtq #trans #topsurgery

Soubhiville Yay! Take good care and enjoy your reading time! 7y
tpixie So glad you are doing well!! Relax, Rest & Read! 7y
SkeletonKey @Soubhiville @tpixie - Thanks so much! 7y
See All 8 Comments
kalinichta Excellent news! Smooth recovery wishes for you. 7y
alisiakae Wishes for a smooth recovery ( and lots of reading time!) 7y
PirateJenny So glad things went well. Hope recovery is equally easy. 💖 7y
cobwebmoth Thank you for letting us know. I was hoping everything went well. *gentle hugs* 7y
SkeletonKey @kalinichta @4thhouseontheleft @PirateJenny @cobwebmoth - Thanks so much, guys! This was a long journey, hah. *hugs* 7y
28 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Meganbub
Pickpick

Wow, this was really good and endlessly fascinating. The DM01 chapter was harrowing (Sept 11th). Some of the story timelines were confusing but that didn‘t really detract much.

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Meganbub
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4 weeks later and I‘m still barely into this. But so far I LOVE it! So fascinating! I‘ve been in a reading funk but have new focus to finish this one up. I need to get through 3 more after this so I don‘t drop below my books per year minimum! (40 is my “worst” this is #37)

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Meganbub
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I have a fascination with medical examiners! Switching over to some non-fiction.

Shemac77 Me too! This is on my tbr list as well. 7y
Shemac77 Let me know what you think! Please :) 7y
Meganbub @Shemac77 will do! I haven‘t had much time to read lately, so I‘m still only a little ways in. I like it so far though! 7y
6 likes1 stack add3 comments
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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Mehso-so

I really struggled to get past the author's comments about suicide (having been suicidal myself, I assure you that commenting that suicide is selfish is dangerous and unhelpful to people in that state). As for the rest of the book, I found some parts a little boring and redundant. I felt that the author added too many personal anecdotes. The chapters about 9/11 and anthrax were interesting.

Kristy_K Good review! I've owned this book for years but have yet to read it. I'm more hesitant now. 7y
31 likes1 comment
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kendrastephaniekaryn

Why is the author making so many reckless and dangerous comments about about suicide? I've enjoyed this book up until this chapter. I'm trying to remember that she is speaking from a place of hurt about her father's death, but as someone who has been suicidal I'm having issues.

14 likes1 comment
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kendrastephaniekaryn
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#fallintobooks #occupationinthetitle

Not for the faint of heart, my current audiobook read works well for this prompt!

DebinHawaii This is a really good book! 👍📚 7y
37 likes1 comment
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JPeterson
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July Reading Stats
Total reads: 15
Favorites: The Essex Serpent, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Working Stiff

#julystats #julyreads #bulletjournal #bujo

Churchlady Loooove! Bullet journal FTW! 7y
JenP So cute. I need to get back to my journal. I love this! 7y
See All 6 Comments
Wife So So So Cool 😎! 7y
Gezemice I love it! I need to do this, too. 7y
JPeterson @Wife @Gezemice Thanks! 😊 7y
95 likes1 stack add6 comments
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FairyHighRoad
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I heard an interview with Dr. Melinek and her husband on a podcast recently and this book sounds very interesting. I can't wait to read it! #death 💀 #junebookbugs

16 likes1 stack add
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Kristy_K
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Two books about what happens to your body after #death.

#junebookbugs

mcipher Stiff was so good - I'm not a non fiction person but I loved it! I need to pick up more of hers. 7y
Kristy_K @mcipher I loved Stiff too! I also read Roach's Gulp, but didn't find it quite as engrossing. 7y
69 likes2 comments
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rabbitprincess
Pickpick

An interesting and vivid look at life in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of New York. The section about 9/11 is fascinating and upsetting at the same time. Worth reading if you want to know what being a medical examiner is really like.

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rabbitprincess
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#bookanddinner, St. Patrick's Day edition 🍀 My BF's classic pasta and chickpea dish and a Harp lager. Slainte! 🍻

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rabbitprincess
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Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for The Accessory Spleens! 🙌👏🤘🏼

Sace 😂😂😂 8y
Laura317 I wonder if they can be bedazzled? I like a little bling bling in my accessory spleens. 8y
rabbitprincess @Sace It is a great phrase! 😄 @Laura317 Haha! Sparkle Spleen: the med student pony on My Little Pony 😄 8y
Sace Best quote and thread ever. 8y
22 likes4 comments
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rabbitprincess
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I am highly pleased by all these books by women on my TBR pile. Especially looking forward to Working Stiff and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, which are about women in professions that might be considered more traditionally male.
#marchintoreading day 15: she persisted

ReadingOver50 Working Stiff sounds fascinating 😃 8y
rabbitprincess @ReadingOver50 Might start it tonight! 😄 8y
DebinHawaii I really liked Working Stiff--interesting and moving too. 👍 8y
18 likes4 comments
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teebe
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I only read 4 books this month (these and Confess) and I loved all three of these. #bestofjanuary #readjanuary

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teebe
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It pays to count to two 😂 Dr. Melinek on writing detailed reports and carefully cataloging organs in an autopsy. #page24 #readjanuary