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Girls Burn Brighter
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
When Poornima first meets Savitha, she feels something she thought she lost for good when her mother died: hope. Poornima's father hires Savitha to work one of their sari looms, and the two girls are quickly drawn to one another. Savitha is even more impoverished than Poornima, but she is full of passion and energy. She shows Poornima how to find beauty in a bolt of indigo cloth, a bowl of yogurt rice and bananas, the warmth of friendship. Suddenly their Indian village doesn't feel quite so claustrophobic, and Poornima begins to imagine a life beyond the arranged marriage her father is desperate to lock down for her. But when a devastating act of cruelty drives Savitha away, Poornima leaves behind everything she has ever known to find her friend again. Her journey takes her into the darkest corners of India's underworld, on a harrowing cross-continental journey, and eventually to an apartment complex in Seattle. Alternating between the girls' perspectives as they face relentless obstacles, Girls Burn Brighter introduces two heroines who never lose the hope that burns within them. In breathtaking prose, Shobha Rao tackles the most urgent issues facing women today: domestic abuse, human trafficking, immigration, and feminism. At once a propulsive page-turner and a heart-wrenching meditation on friendship, Rao's debut novel is a literary tour de force.
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BarkingMadRead
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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This started slow for me and then I couldn‘t put it down!

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BarkingMadRead
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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I am definitely in for #LitsySummerCamp how fun! For the #ChooseYourOwnReadathon I plan to read my #bookspin and #doublebookspin looks forward to some fun with @ImperfectCJ

ImperfectCJ Glad to have you at camp! I hope it meets your expectations! 3y
35 likes1 stack add1 comment
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jenniferw88
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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#bookreport week 31/10/20 @Cinfhen

Finished these 2.

1191pts #scarathlon2020 #teamslaughter @Clwojick

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jenniferw88
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Mehso-so
jenniferw88 Rape and hot oil attack 4y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Great job! 4y
42 likes3 comments
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jenniferw88
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Clwojick Amazing! way to go! 4y
Cinfhen Wowza!!! You‘re killing it for #TeamSlaughter 4y
63 likes2 comments
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thewallflower0707
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao

I went on an ebook shopping spree today. The following books landed on my kindle, which will celebrate its first birthday on Christmas.

Girls burn brighter - Shobha Rao
The Twins of Auschwitz
Auschwitz Escape - The Klara Wizel Story
Lot - Bryan Washington
Uprooted - Naomi Noovik

#newbooks #ebooks #bookshopping

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jenniferw88
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Addison_Reads I love both of these books. I hope you will too. 4y
TheAromaofBooks I've been meaning to read The Bear & the Nightingale forever! Can't wait to hear your thoughts!! 4y
61 likes2 comments
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SamAnne
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

A hesitant pick. I appreciated the novel for shedding light on human trafficking and the strong Indian female characters. But such a hard read—so much sexual and other types of violence. The writing at times did not do it for me.

61 likes1 stack add
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SamAnne
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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A read for a book club this month. I‘m engaged in the story but it is depressing as hell.

67 likes1 stack add
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kelli7990
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Panpan

I just finished listening to this book. I read it with a book club on Instagram.

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Wannabe_Quijote
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

Book 55 of 2020! This is a heartbreaking story about two girls from India. The story touches on caste, misogyny, rape, human trafficking, friendship, resilience, and sex. Even though many aspects of the story were difficult to read, the book is so well written and the characters so likable, I definitely recommend it!

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Soytoosaucy
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
Pickpick

I was pretty much gritting my teeth the whole time rooting for Savitha&Poornima. There is such a harsh truth to this story. A story of poverty, rape, sex trafficking, domestic abuse, the selling of daughters,&the age old traditional ideals of women being inferior. But it is also a story of strong and resilient women who would do anything to protect their friendship&each other. The story was written great, but the ending gave no closure.💔

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Soytoosaucy
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Soytoosaucy
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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My favorite hobbies: eating & reading. 😋🍤🍜 📖 📚

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Soytoosaucy
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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My favorite thing about summer is 🍉 🍉 🍉! W/ some Tajin😋

Random thought: after I finish a book, I think of how great it could be as a movie (since when I read it‘s like a movie in my head) and I picture the line up and actors of who the characters should be. But usually when I see a book turn to a film it‘s greatly disappointing, because I want it exact😅

📚 whats one book you‘d turn into a film? 🎥

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Kelsyereadsbooks
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 this book was so painful to read. The abuse of these two women was more than I could handle at times. It was a powerful read and I commend the author on a well-written story.

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DGRachel
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Bailedbailed

Nope, nope, nope. I can‘t finish this one. I‘ve gotten past one rape scene and I‘m into the section where one girl is married to a horrid man with an even more horrible family, and she‘s been belittled, threatened, and beaten. I‘ve heard it gets worse and I just can‘t. I borrowed the audiobook from the library thinking I could get through it if I didn‘t have to pay close attention, but nope.

LiteraryinPA For me, audio books are harder if the content is disturbing. In print, you could skim over it, but if someone is describing it to you it‘s hard to tune out their voice. 5y
britt_brooke Definitely passing on this one. 5y
DGRachel @britt_brooke The person who recommended this recommended another book at the same time that I‘ve heard is also a very tough read with lots of trigger warnings. I think I‘m going to skip it completely and not even bother trying to read it. I need happier books right now. 😭😭 5y
britt_brooke @DGRachel Sometimes a happy/funny book is exactly what you need. And I swear they can be hard to find! 5y
74 likes4 comments
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TrishB
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

Aghhh, what a bloody heartbreaking book 💔💔
Couldn‘t put it down though and loved these two ‘girls‘
Have an issue with the ending though!!! 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
#booked2020 #setinindiasouthernasia
Thanks Emma 😘

Kalalalatja It is so good! What was your problem with the ending?? 5y
TrishB @Kalalalatja just seemed a bit too abrupt! And not clear. I shall probably read the ending again in the morning. But a great read. I felt so angry and sad all the way through. 5y
Kalalalatja Ah, now I remember! It definitely was abrupt, I‘ll give you that! And it is that kind of book that makes you sad of the state of the world... 5y
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MelissaSue81 I felt the exact same way! I listened to the entire audiobook in one day around this time last year. So heartbreaking but I loved it, if that makes sense? 5y
JennyM I have had this on my TBR for a while after seeing similar reviews. I might need to bump it up 5y
Cinfhen Should I try it again??? Maybe I‘ll try it on audio 5y
TrishB @MelissaSue81 I know exactly what you mean! 5y
TrishB @JennyM it‘s sad, but I loved the two main characters anyway ❤️ 5y
TrishB @Cinfhen only if you‘re in the mood I‘d say. Not sure if it would be worse on audio 🤷‍♀️ 5y
Centique On my TBR - I‘ll have to have tissues at the ready it seems! 😢 5y
Cathythoughts Sounds really good Trish ! Stacked 5y
TrishB @Centique and you‘ll get heart ache! 5y
TrishB @Cathythoughts tough but good 👍🏻 5y
Andrew65 You‘ve intrigued me enough to make me want to read it. 5y
TrishB @Andrew65 hope you like it 👍🏻 5y
eraderneely I loved the ending! So much of the book was about their journey to find each other, but ending it with their reunion would have been too wrapped up with a neat bow and there is no way the author could have written a reunion to meet my expectations, but now I can imagine it however I want. 5y
TrishB @eraderneely I think I‘ve come round to that today! Nothing would have met my expectations either! 5y
Caroline2 I hated the ending!! The last quarter felt like a completely different book then that ending....?! What a cop out. 🙄 5y
122 likes2 stack adds18 comments
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TrishB
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Finished Cry in the Night 👍🏻
The World that we Knew 👍🏻
The Wrath of Angels 👍🏻
Half way through Girls Burn Brighter, which is wonderful but literally breaking my heart 💔
#bookreport

Caroline2 Ill be interested to hear what you think of the ending of this one....! 🤔 5y
Lindy It‘s a heartbreaker for sure. 5y
Cinfhen I tried Girls but it was SO SAD, I put it into #Hibernation 🐻 5y
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TrishB @Caroline2 loved the book, hated the ending! 5y
TrishB @Lindy it definitely was! 5y
TrishB @Cinfhen it was....how do you read all that real sad and not the fiction sad!!? 😘 5y
Cinfhen I know, it‘s weird!! Maybe in fiction I don‘t want sad since I read real life sad 🤷🏼‍♀️ 5y
TrishB @Cinfhen yep, there‘s only room for an allocated amount of sad! 5y
Andrew65 A good week, I keep meaning to try Kerry Wilkinson. 5y
TrishB @Andrew65 I love this series 👍🏻 5y
Andrew65 @TrishB Great to hear. 5y
98 likes11 comments
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amyf0x
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

Poornima and Savitha are immediately drawn to each other as teenagers living in rural India, and the memory of their friendship sustains them as both women survive horrible, oppressive circumstances and try to find a way back to the other.

Read September 20-21
Book 50/55

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Brozen
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
Pickpick

Great read!

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LouBeth
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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1) This was a good book there are just a lot of bad things that happen to these girls.
2) right now it's The Good Place
3) Tea
4) CDT
5) Red Sorrows

#FriYayIntro @howjessreads

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Tamra
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Mehso-so

This novel has a lot going for it: good writing overall, well developed characters, interesting plot, and addressing the important issues of human trafficking, poverty, and misogyny. But it suffers from misery fatigue and the end is just ridiculous on the happenstance meter.

Triggers for violence and sexual assault.

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Tamra
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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😳 I won‘t ever be able to “unsee” that act. Anyone who has read this book knows what I‘m talking about. Oh good grief.

Lots of triggers all over the place in this one.

DGRachel This has been on my TBR for a while and every time I think I‘m ready for it, someone reviews it and I think...maybe not yet. 😱 5y
Tamra @DGRachel I‘m not a particularly sensitive reader, but that scene I‘ll remember. 5y
Caterina @DGRachel @Tamra I thought this book was a little more vividly violent than it needed to be... I read it the week it came out and all I remember clearly about it now is how violent it was. 😱 5y
IamIamIam This was a hard read. 5y
69 likes5 comments
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BookNightOwl
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

5️⃣⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book takes place in India. Poornima and savitha become the best of friends. Promises of always being there for each other. But when Certain circumstances lead SaVitha to runaway from all she has ever known Poornima will do Whatever It takes to find her friend. This Story will tug at your heart with the brutality these women have to face. But Cheering on their fight of never giving up!

69 likes4 stack adds
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Hoopiefoot
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Have spent most of the day on the porch reading this book and pretending that I don‘t have to go back to work tomorrow.

Tamra Sounds perfect! 5y
63 likes1 stack add1 comment
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LouBeth
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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39 likes1 stack add
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Chasing_Pages
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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I haven‘t finished any books during the readathon as I‘ve been reading this for book club. I‘m 2/3 of the way through and I‘m really enjoying it. It‘s about two girls from India who are determined to make it through many struggles without losing hope. Can‘t wait to see how it ends. #24in48 #hour42

Megabooks I want to join you‘re book club! I‘ve been meaning to read this! 5y
Chasing_Pages @Megabooks 😉 You definitely should, it‘s very good. 5y
Sweettartlaura I have to know... how did you like this ending? 5y
See All 7 Comments
Chasing_Pages @Sweettartlaura I liked it. I kinda saw it coming that it was going to just end abruptly. How about you? 5y
Sweettartlaura Hated it 😕. I kept thinking my ebook didn‘t completely download. At the very least, let them see each other, hear each other. I would have been satisfied if “the door opened as she reached for the handle.” Because after all their misery, without that little bit, I wouldn‘t be surprised if the one in the bathroom committed suicide. Heck, I‘m not convinced she didn‘t 😕 5y
Chasing_Pages @Sweettartlaura I know what you mean. I choose to believe they all lived happily ever after! 😉 5y
Sweettartlaura I want to! 😜. I so very much want to! I just don‘t think the author left us a single crumb of proof of that 😞 5y
38 likes7 comments
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Chasing_Pages
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Only 6 hours so far but not too bad considering we‘ve had a somewhat busy weekend preparing for our baby girl to arrive soon. I would have loved to have spent all weekend only eating sleeping and reading but with all my other readathons adulting gets in the way. Hoping to get a couple more hours in tonight after dinner at the in-laws. #Luna however has spent the day only eating and sleeping 😹
#24in48

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Chasing_Pages
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Starting off my readathon weekend with a wonderfully balanced breakfast. 😂 I‘ll be kicking things off with my book club book for Monday. Needing all the coffee this morning all ready. #24in48 #hour9 #checkin

Kappadeemom I have that same mug 🙋🏼‍♀️ 5y
Megabooks I want to read that book! 5y
Chasing_Pages @Kappadeemom I love this mug! I need to get the last lines mug too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BMZLCOY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_94YmDbWTNQHR3. And there‘s a banned books one!! (edited) 5y
Karkar Love love Cinnamon Toast Crunch 😍 5y
Chasing_Pages @Karkar Breakfast of champions! 😉 5y
44 likes5 comments
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spanda84
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

amazing, breathtaking, heart-wrenching, an absolute must read!!!

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Sweettartlaura
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Panpan

Disappointing 😕
There is so much to slog through here - lots of violence & hopelessness - for the worst ending ever. I truly thought I was missing a page.
I‘m tired of doing the work for an author. I‘m not going to make up my own ending. I need SOMETHING to make sense of this. And if the author won‘t give it, I can only go with 2 ⭐️.

#marchmadness @JenP

Caroline2 I love that, “I‘m tired of doing the work of an author”! Yes!!! I‘ve read a few books lately without proper endings. It just feels so lazy. 🙄 6y
Sweettartlaura Thanks, @Caroline2 🙂. I‘m a little peeved at a particular show ending this coming Sunday 🐉, and that may have exacerbated my reaction to this. But my Buddy Reader @Jenn1 feels similarly about this ending, so I didn‘t go TOO far. I‘m all for a challenge. But give me SOMETHING - some solid direction, some nod to my suspicions. If I can just pull out whatever I want, I might as well write it myself 💁🏻‍♀️ 6y
ReneeBijou I am a bit late to comment but I felt cheated by the end. Ok I was completely ticked and the book may have sailed across the room. 🤷🏻‍♀️as I thought about it more I started to think that whatever the reader envisions as the reunion is what the end is. I may see them embrace, someone else may see crying. The end is all of these things. It made me love the book that much more. 5y
Sweettartlaura @ReneeBijou I just wanted something concrete to happen between them. The one in the bathroom seemed almost suicidal. I know she opened the door, but still, I want to know they saw each other, alive. I could live with that little. But without it, I‘m disappointed 😔 5y
ReneeBijou @Sweettartlaura I get that. It was upsetting to say the least. It certainly left me wanting more and as it was the climax it felt cut off. Besides what happened to Mohan? I really grew to love that guy even though he was seriously messed up. 5y
40 likes5 comments
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jenniferw88
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Many thanks for the book and goodies @Caroline2 - hopefully I'll get round to it this year!

squirrelbrain Lovely gifts! 6y
Caroline2 No worries 😉 and happy birthday!! 🥳 6y
76 likes2 comments
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ElectricKatyLand
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
Pickpick

As beautiful as a book about sexual assault, domestic violence, and trafficking can be. Two rural, impoverished Indian girls face daunting odds to seeking and finding freedom.

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Mitch
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

This is a devastating read. Its brutal ( trigger warnings for EVERYTHING) and painful, graphic and shameful. It's a hard read, but wonderfully written, paced beautifully and totally evocative of time and place. It will stay with me for a long time....

Oryx Completely agree with your review 6y
Soubhiville Me too. 🧡 6y
TheNerdyProfessor This was a great book. Horrifying to read and yet such an important story to tell. 6y
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MelissaSue81 I listened to the audiobook of this from start to finish in one day. I couldn‘t stop listening. 6y
Mitch @MelissaSue81 it too over my weekend ! 6y
Kalalalatja Agree to it all ☝️ 6y
106 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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Oryx
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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My #litsyreadingretreat blind date with a book (we did a blind book swap at the retreat).

Started this one today @eraderneely
And even though I thought I hadn't had heard of it, some how I had added to my Litsy TBR already.

Mitch I got sent this book this week from a Litsy Buddy. Starting it today too! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 6y
julesG And I've downloaded the ebook. 🙈🙈🙈 The reading retreat made me add so many books to my TBR. 🙈🙈🙈 6y
Oryx @Mitch @julesg I liked it a lot, but 💔 . I can't say I wasn't warned though. 6y
83 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Mitch
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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What a wonderful way to end the week... thank you sweetie for the wonderful package... you‘re on a book buying ban, and you have the willpower to go to the store for a present - you have my full admiration! I‘ve wanted to read this for ages... thank you a million, trillion times 😘

Soubhiville You‘re welcome! I hope you‘ll love it! It‘s not an easy read, but I thought it was still beautiful. 💜 6y
cathysaid How sweet! 👏 @Soubhiville 6y
80 likes2 comments
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Caroline2
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

I thoroughly enjoyed this! About two young girls growing up in rural India; it was heartbreaking to read at times. I definitely preferred the first half but still a cracking read! Thank you @eraderneely #jbuk 😘

eraderneely Glad you enjoyed it! 6y
87 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Kalalalatja
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

A book filled with friendship, hardships, feminism, sexism, abuse, caring and so many sensory details, it almost feels like you can smell the tumeric and the sweat, feel the cotton and the heat.

It isn‘t an easy book, but it is a great book.

#MarchMadnessChallenge #Readathon #deweyapril

julesG Oh, @oryx just got this in the #readingretreat blind book date swap. 😁 6y
readordierachel Great review! Sounds fantastic. 6y
Kalalalatja @julesG exciting! I hope you‘ll like it @Oryx 🤞 @readordierachel I would definitely recommend it, but with some TW for abuse and sexual violence. 6y
BarbaraBB I was never much interested in this book but your review changes everything. Stacked! 6y
109 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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Kalalalatja
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Never go down on #snacks when readathoning 😋

#RATbooksnack #deweyapril #readathonhourlyphoto

MicheleinPhilly ? I‘m missing små godis! 6y
batsy That plate of snacks is a work of art! 💜❤️ 6y
Kalalalatja @MicheleinPhilly @batsy I have to keep it away from where I‘m reading because I will end up eating it all way too fast. 😅 6y
See All 6 Comments
Avanders Your little bowl of goodies looks perfect 🥳☺️ 6y
ferskner That's it, I'm breaking into my reserve Stjerne Mix. 6y
Kalalalatja @ferskner mmmhmm Stjerne Mix 👌 6y
87 likes6 comments
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Kalalalatja
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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I got my #stack and some audiobooks ready, my snacks ready and a cup of coffee at my side. Let‘s kick this #readathon‘s behind and read all the books! ✊

Or, more realistically, just read as much as possible!

#deweyapril #readathonhourlyphoto

Soubhiville Girls Burn Brighter is a beautiful book! A difficult read, but I really liked it. Have fun! 6y
JamieArc Szymborska ❤️ 6y
93 likes2 comments
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Lexicon1982
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

Intense and Powerful

14 likes2 stack adds
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TorieStorieS
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

Wow- completely engaging and totally engrossing, this is a heartbreaking, melancholically beautiful book! The #BookClub that I accidentally started at work is going to be discussing this one next week and I can‘t wait! I had a hard time setting this one down! And while I felt a bit robbed by the ending, I still was absolutely riveted!!

MelissaSue81 I listened to this on audio from start to finish in one day. I couldn‘t stop listening. 6y
TorieStorieS @MelissaSue81 I know a few of my co-workers have the audio version- I can definitely imagine lurking in parking lots to keep listening!! 🤣🤣🤣 6y
k.reads.5 Great review, have heard so much buzz about this one! 6y
TorieStorieS Thanks, @pl.2886!! 😊😊😊 6y
63 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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derr.liz
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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"Sometimes leaving was also a direction, the only one remaining." ?

#kindle #travelread

Pricel101 Looking forward to your review! 📖🔥 6y
11 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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akfreeborn
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

This book has tragedy ramped up to the level of A Little Life. Bad gets worse and you know that more horrific pain and evil is yet to come. Each horror is an important tale but all together it felt like too much. International Women‘s Day seems to be an appropriate day to finish this book. It is beautifully written but so tragic—really really sad!

25 likes1 stack add
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PNWBookseller85
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Stayed late at work Monday night putting out the new Tuesday release titles. So many good books!

TNbookworm I love Frances Mayes! 6y
82 likes1 comment
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Sarz
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Mehso-so

3 ⭐
This one wasn't for me. I struggled to get through it and found myself being easily distracted. I considered bailing and ultimately pushed through, but I'm not sure it was worth it.
The writing is described as beautiful. Maybe it is. But it wasn't for me.
I also thought that the parts that were meant to be horrific weren't entirely unbelievable. What was more challenging was accepting that their paths kept crossing.

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LoverofLit
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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Pickpick

This was almost a So-So for me. The story was an important one and the premise was interesting but the writing was disjointed at times and meandered off into stories that detracted from these two women's journeys. This book was also SO heavy, full of so much sadness with no reprieve, even at the end that it left me just relieved it was over.
#ReadingWomenChallenge Written by a South Asian author

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Amandajoy
Girls Burn Brighter | Shobha Rao
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I‘ve heard some intense things about this one, but I have my tea & I‘m going in.

50 likes1 stack add