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November Road
November Road: A Novel | Lou Berney
224 posts | 88 read | 1 reading | 77 to read
Set against the assassination of JFK, a poignant and evocative crime novel that centers on a desperate cat-and-mouse chase across 1960s Americaa story of unexpected connections, daring possibilities, and the hope of second chances from the Edgar Award-winning author of The Long and Faraway Gone. Frank Guidrys luck has finally run out. A loyal street lieutenant to New Orleans mob boss Carlos Marcello, Guidry has learned that everybody is expendable. But now its his turnhe knows too much about the crime of the century: the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Within hours of JFKs murder, everyone with ties to Marcello is turning up dead, and Guidry suspects hes next: he was in Dallas on an errand for the boss less than two weeks before the president was shot. With few good options, Guidry hits the road to Las Vegas, to see an old associatea dangerous man who hates Marcello enough to help Guidry vanish. Guidry knows that the first rule of running is "dont stop," but when he sees a beautiful housewife on the side of the road with a broken-down car, two little daughters and a dog in the back seat, he sees the perfect disguise to cover his tracks from the hit men on his tail. Posing as an insurance man, Guidry offers to help Charlotte reach her destination, California. If she accompanies him to Vegas, he can help her get a new car. For her, its more than a car its an escape. Shes on the run too, from a stifling existence in small-town Oklahoma and a kindly husband whos a hopeless drunk. Its an American story: two strangers meet to share the open road west, a dream, a hopeand find each other on the way. Charlotte sees that hes strong and kind; Guidry discovers that shes smart and funny. He learns thats she determined to give herself and her kids a new life; she cant know that hes desperate to leave his old one behind. Another rulefugitives shouldnt fall in love, especially with each other. A road isnt just a road, its a trail, and Guidrys ruthless and relentless hunters are closing in on him. But now Guidry doesnt want to just survive, he wants to really live, maybe for the first time. Everyones expendable, or they should be, but now Guidry just cant throw away the woman hes come to love. And it might get them both killed.
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Eggs
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Almost November? Yes in 6 days😮

🙏🏻*🦃*🧡*🍎*🤎*🥘*🌽*🧡*🥧*🏈*🤎*🪖*🙏🏻

Our challenge for November 2023:

#HumbleHarvest @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Just post a photo - book/title, collage, poem, play, song, etc. - that expresses the daily prompt!

Have fun and thanks for your participation ❤️ Feel free to share!

@LitsyEvents

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Jenken1998
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Pickpick

This is a new favorite. Set in the 1960's. Middle man mobster gets mixed up in the mob's involvement in the murder of JFK. He is on the run from the mob and runs into a woman and her children running from their own troubles. Everything fun about the 1960's and mobsters. 5 stars.

BookBelle84 I loved this one! 8mo
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Deblovestoread
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#TemptingTitles #WithaMonth

I gave this book to my dad a couple of years ago and he enjoyed it. I borrowed his copy and it still sits on my shelf.

Eggs My choice as well🥰 11mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great book! 11mo
52 likes2 comments
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Eggs
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Set against a historical event (the JFK assassination 1963), this evolves into a poignant and evocative crime novel that centers on a desperate cat-and-mouse chase across 1960s America.

#WithAMonth #TemptingTitles

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I enjoyed this one! 11mo
Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Me too ❤️❤️ 11mo
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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Good morning my Litsy lovelies!! We hope that you are having a wonderful weekend! We have a few more giveaways this morning!! If you are a member of #LitsyLove and you‘re interested in this book drop a comment below! We will have a drawing later today!! 🎉🎊💌📫📚

PageShifter Thriller 😍😍 1y
jessinikkip Oh wow the description on this one looks GOOD 1y
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LiteraryNib
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Pickpick

Lou Berney is an expert at using dynamic descriptions of characters to further relationships and creates revealing information and surprises throughout the story.

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LKK526
Pickpick

The assassination of JFK is the backdrop to this excellent novel. Frank Giudry works for the most powerful mob boss in New Orleans. Frank knows too much about the mob‘s involvement in the assassination and is running from his boss. Charlotte Roy, with her 2 children, decides on the spur of the moment to leave her dull life in Oklahoma for California. Their fates collide. This is not a conspiracy theory book just a nail biting story.

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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

Great historical fiction set around the time of the Kennedy Assassination. I loved the characters in this one. #20in4 book 4 of 4.

Andrew65 Fantastic 👏👏👏 2y
54 likes1 comment
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mcctrish
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Pickpick

Finished this on the way to Toronto to see Canada vs Panama FIFA qualifier. Great game and a great book ( mob business and Kennedy assassination, road trips)

LeahBergen How fun! 2y
mcctrish @LeahBergen it might be the most exciting soccer game I‘ve ever been to!!! The reffing was atrocious and Panama was a show in itself ( faking, drama, trying to start fights 3 different times) Canada is really getting their groove on as a team too 2y
41 likes2 comments
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mcctrish
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Long weekends are the best

GinaKButler Ohh...I loved this one! 2y
mcctrish @GinaKButler I ordered it from the library and when it came in I wondered where I‘d read about it ( happens so often 🤣🤣)? 2y
GinaKButler @mcctrish Someone in my book club chose it. We all really enjoyed it (and we don‘t agree on much!) 2y
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StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego I can't believe you're still out in the pool. We just got our first few flakes of snow. Nothing significant, but winter is coming... 2y
mcctrish @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego we are having a stellar Fall in southern Ontario ❤️❤️I‘m going to keep on reading and swimming for as long as possible 🙏🏻 2y
Cathythoughts We read this for Bookclub too .. we didn‘t all agree 😬.. I really enjoyed 2y
mcctrish @Cathythoughts I find I am flying through this book ( it is killing me to read a book called November Road in October 🤦🏻‍♀️) 2y
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Bookwormjillk
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1) Tagged
2) Raspberries
3) The next Louise Penny always
4) brown bananas turned into bread

Thanks for the tags @WJCintron @Eggs

Want to play @Bookworm83 @Whoa_is_me @JimmyMillar

kspenmoll Love Three Pines!🌲🌲🌲 3y
Eggs #3 - yesssss!!! 3y
34 likes2 comments
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OutAndAbout
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Pickpick

Interesting mix of two characters defining moments creating a solid road trip, both literally and figuratively. I enjoyed the character development and the nod to the Kennedy assassination, this was set well in a time when life was less complicated but just as complex for the people going through it.

Cathythoughts I enjoyed this one too ❤️👍🏻 3y
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rather_be_reading
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Bailedbailed

Was good at the beginning but lost my attention about half way thru

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rather_be_reading
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Book 98

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TrishB
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Pickpick

Don‘t mess with the baddies!
Good read about people trying to run from their lives. Liked the ending too.
A good read 👍🏻

kspenmoll It was a good one! 3y
Cathythoughts I‘m so glad you liked it ! It was a good read ! The rest of my Bookclub weren‘t as impressed as me or the one who chose it .... we are a tough group to get past 🙄😂 ( I‘m one of them 😳 3y
TrishB @Cathythoughts it kept me engaged 👍🏻 3y
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Eggs
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Pickpick

The setting is 1963 in the days following JFK‘s assassination in Dallas, most of the story happening on Route 66 through the southwest US. Several strangers‘ paths (each trying to escape their past) cross in a tightly told story

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

This book was a gift from the lovely @Soubhiville ❤️

Cathythoughts I read recently & really enjoyed 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
58 likes3 comments
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Eggs
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📝 a lot actually...all the errands I didn‘t get to last week bc: snowbound!
🐈🐄🐴🐶 I don‘t but my kids have enough for all of us
🌴 a blank journal to write in
#motivationalmonday @Cupcake12

Cupcake12 Your the first person to write that for number 3. Thanks for playing x 3y
SamAnne What a great answer for Number 3 3y
Eggs @Cupcake12 you‘re most welcome 🙏🏻 3y
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Eggs @SamAnne Thank you ☺️ 3y
Crazeedi Thank you, I was mia for a day!! 3y
Eggs @Crazeedi you‘re welcome (not all who wander are lost 🥰) 3y
Crazeedi @Eggs you just made me giggle🥰 3y
Eggs @Crazeedi Color me happy 😆 3y
LKK526 @Eggs 1. Dr appointment (boring). 2. Two cats one of whom can open doors. 3. The Lincoln Highway. Loved that book (edited) 2y
42 likes9 comments
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Cathythoughts
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Pickpick

Just finished for IRL Bookclub... set in 1963, historical fiction set around John Kennedy‘s assassination.... a criminal on the run meets with a fellow traveler, also on the run.
Genre busting .. it‘s a thriller, a crime , a love story.. it‘s cinema, full of images. I was a bit uncertain of the plot at first ... but I became completely addicted! Great writing & story. So good !

TrishB Stacked 👍🏻 great review. 3y
Cathythoughts @TrishB I was thinking of you Trish , you might like 👍🏻 3y
TrishB It does sound like my thing! 3y
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dearb00kshelves
Bailedbailed

I should have known from the first page that this wasn't for me 🙃 I made it 16 chapters in and found that I didn't care about anything going on.

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crhealey
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Pickpick

Great for the historical setting, the crime, the heist movie pacing but just meh on the romance. Also, didn‘t like the epilogue. Overall, a fun way to kick of #thanksgivingbreak.

#teachersofLitsy

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crhealey
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Always meant to get to this one this month, but it feels like a good omen that I am actually starting it on the anniversary of the day it takes place. #weekendreads

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Eggbeater
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#NovelNovember #Readathon Yay! It's the middle of the month and I need an excuse to read more!
My goal is to complete 6 books.
My tentative stack is as follows:

Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker
Dear Justyce by Nic Stone
Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry
Real Life by Brandon Taylor
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Great goals. Good luck 😊👍 3y
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crhealey
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Anticipated #tbr for Nov. Usually don‘t plan a book schedule but there are a few I need to read by a certain time.

The Trespasser-might finish in Oct, tbh.

American Dirt-have misgivings, but for book club

Things Fall Apart-for “Read a Book with Kara” on youtube

November Road-obviously, it‘s named after the month

Ask Again Yes-borrowed from my sis months ago & she‘s asking for it back. Must finish by Thanksgiving (if we can have it 😭)

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EatSleepRead
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Pickpick

I really wasn't sure was to expect from this book. It sat unread for over a year in my TBR pile as others jumped ahead due to buzz or whatnot.
What the heck was I waiting for?! This was a great read. Talented writer....just wow. The story was a great cat and mouse chase, but the character development was spot on. I would definitely recommend!

Nute I have passed this up for other books as well, but now due to your comments this might get read sooner rather than later! 4y
LKK526 @nute this is a great book 2y
11 likes2 comments
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EatSleepRead
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1) November Road by Lou Berney
2) The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes
3) Ready Player One

Have a GREAT week all!

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JenlovesJT47
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Pickpick

This was a fast-paced novel that sucked me in from the first page. It alternates among 3 different characters, all destined for a collision course at the climax of the book. It‘s set during the week of the JFK assassination, but it felt like I was sucked into a 1940s film noir (not a bad thing at all!). 4⭐️ Recommended!

#BOTM

amywithbooks Read this last year- loved it! 4y
MissAimz_55 Wonder if this would be a good read alongside 11/23/63 . 4y
JenlovesJT47 @MissAimz_55 I think it would! 11.22.63 is such a great book! I was thinking about those events along with the episode of Mad Men when JFK is killed while I was reading this. 4y
JenlovesJT47 @avgeyer awesome! I wish I had read it sooner! 🤗 4y
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Reviewsbylola
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Pickpick

I read two books simultaneously on JFK‘s assassination. NR is a fictional retelling that involves mobsters. It‘s fast paced and sucked me right in.

The book on the right is about a mistress of JFK‘s that was murdered shortly after the assassination. Was it a planned hit because she knew to much about something? The author did a shit job with this book, if I‘m honest. What should have been compelling was boring, and not the primary focus.

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Reviewsbylola
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#bookreport

I‘m 14 books away from meeting my GR goal of 2019. It‘s possible I‘ll make it but it‘s equally possible I won‘t. 😆

This week was a great reading week. Out of five books, two were five stars! P&P and Portrait of a Murderer blew me away, they‘re that good.

Cinfhen How was If You Tell?? 4y
Cinfhen And The wives??? I was debating adding it to my BOTM box (edited) 4y
Cinfhen What‘s your goal?? I set mine always on the lower more conservative side/ I don‘t really care about the quantity as much as the quality 4y
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LeahBergen I so enjoyed that Anne Perry bio. Oh, on a side note ... I was just reading about this book 👇🏻 and wondering if you‘ve read it? I may need it! 4y
Reviewsbylola Oooooh just by the cover, that one looks pretty well done. I will have to buy it. 😆 Thanks for the heads up! @LeahBergen 4y
Reviewsbylola If You Tell felt a bit repetitive. There was so much abuse, and the author laid out every detail in a matter of fact way. Idk, it got old after awhile. The Wives was compulsively readable and I really enjoyed it, however it‘s probably best to get it from the library. @Cinfhen 4y
Reviewsbylola My goal is 200. Which I came close to last year. But I don‘t let it pressure me so if I don‘t make it, I don‘t mind. @cinfhen 4y
Cinfhen I saw on my GR that last year I read the most books at 173. I think I‘m only going to get to around 160 this year 4y
Cinfhen But both years I set my goal around 120 🤪 4y
69 likes9 comments
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Aswenson
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Pickpick

So enjoyed this novel and this great month of reading. Several book club books for school, and other reads that took me by surprise! Can‘t even pick a favorite. #swensonreads #swensonreads19

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wellreadredhead
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Pickpick

This novel really surprised me. I don‘t typically like historical fiction, but this was truly rooted in reality and human experience. A bold housewife fleeing an unhappy domestic situation crosses paths with a mobster during the JFK assassination. I loved this crime story, love story, and just overall story of characters. I didn‘t think this would be my cup of tea, but wow. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#jojen #catsoflitsy

Leftcoastzen 😻 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD FINAL THOUGHTS???

Anything stay with you?
Anything you learned ?
Need to discuss ??

Do you look at the assassination differently now?

https://www.biography.com/news/did-the-mob-kill-john-f-kennedy

Mitch Really liked this pick - i probably wouldn't have read it if it wasn't for this group - and i enjoyed it - another #blameitonlitsy ! Love the characters and thought the historical setting was really pitch perfect! 4y
Librarybelle It turned into a good read for me! While it has the assassination as the backdrop, it hasn‘t really changed my thoughts or feelings on the assassination. Instead, I will take more of the “mobster feeling with a more human touch” away with me. I picked it up from #BOTM for the historical aspects, but honestly not one I would read on my own normally. Thanks ladies! 😁 4y
Sargar114 @Librarybelle me too! I enjoy things of the Kennedy era, and while that‘s the backdrop, it‘s not really the bulk of the story. Not one I would normally read, but a fantastic story that I really enjoyed. And of course the discussions 🥰 4y
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Mitch And of course a BIG thank you to the wonderful @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks and @thebookhippie for wonderful questions, conversation, images, history and dance moves! Its been a great months read - thanks guys 🤗 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thanks to everyone for participating!!! We have had great discussions!! Can‘t wait for next month!!! 💙💙💙 4y
TheBookHippie @Mitch this one turned out so much better than we thought!!!!! Thank you! We sure enjoy our reads! 4y
TheBookHippie @Librarybelle We love the discussions . Misty and I picked this for the same reason! I am glad we did. It turned out to be a great buddy read book! @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 4y
Mdargusch Thank you @TheBookHippie and @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks - such a fun buddy read, great questions, and a great book! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Mdargusch thank you Mariann!!! It was much better than I anticipated!! 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD
The Epilogue - THE GIRLS.

It was fun to have a wrap up. The girls called their mom a force of nature and didn‘t really remember this week with Frank. Did you like the ending?

AmyG I loved hearing that this decision worked out for Charlotte and the girls! 4y
TheBookHippie @AmyG Meee too!!! Phew!!!! Also your package arrived made me teary that was sooo sweet. 😭😭❤️ 4y
Jess861 I loved this ending - it was perfect. It was interesting to see how the girls turned out and how the week really had no impact on them. 4y
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TheBookHippie @Jess861 I think that‘s the way a lot we as parents think it‘ll affect the kids when usually they have zero recollection . The girls always felt safe. They got beautiful lives. A great testament to Charlotte. 4y
CoffeeNBooks I was very glad that they made it out alive and were able to move on with their lives! 4y
RachelAmphlett When I first finished it, I felt the ending was a bit abrupt but it stayed with me for days afterwards. Really enjoyed it. 4y
Mitch Great ending - i didn't see it turning out that way - but know I know - i can't see any other way it could have ended! 4y
Librarybelle I agree with everyone - good ending! 4y
Sargar114 I loved this perspective. I agree with @TheBookHippie as parents it‘s easy to fall into the “how will this impact them” and over worry when in the long run, it worked out and they‘re fine. I enjoyed the “what was mom thinking?” Line about hitching you with the “Good Samaritan”. It‘s nice to think that was in part Frank‘s legacy. I also enjoyed that the girls as adults still were true to character. 4y
AmyG @TheBookHippie I am so happy you got it...because I lost the tracking receipt. Now I don‘t have to worry. 4y
Mdargusch I loved that they couldn‘t remember that week. Loved the ending and the book! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @RachelAmphlett I agree!! I wanted more!!!! 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #10

Until he was no more were you holding out hope for Frank? For him and Charlotte ? Do you think it was just ? Are you glad the book didn‘t end there?

AmyG Yeah, I was sort of hoping for the happy ending. But so is life, right? 4y
Jess861 A happy ending is always nice but I think it fit the book to end how it did. Happy for some, not for others. 4y
TheBookHippie @AmyG I was hoping he‘d get to live, but I knew better. 4y
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CoffeeNBooks I was afraid that Charlotte and her daughters were going to end up dead because of their brief association with Frank, and I was nervous to read the last section because of that. So, I'm very glad it ended well for them. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yes!! Of course I wanted a happy ending!! I knew there wouldn‘t be, but I held out hope!! I wanted to throw the book!! 🤣🤣 4y
RachelAmphlett @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks me too! I wanted ALL the details about what happened to Frank! 4y
Mitch @CoffeeNBooks I was too! I would have hated a happy ending - the rest of the book was just too nuanced to go that way in the final chapter. I think it was good to see Charlotte survived and Frank give humanity hope by showing were capable of change! 4y
Librarybelle I just knew Frank‘s end would not be a happy ending. So glad Charlotte and the girls were safe at the end! 4y
Sargar114 I wanted the happy ending for Charlotte. I was pumped when she was packing up and leaving. @CoffeeNBooks I was also terrified the worst was going to happen. I would have loved to have seen more of her life with Margaret and her getting her feet on the ground. I had set hope for Frank, but was satisfied with how it ended and agree the only chance of the girls‘ survival was with Frank‘s death. 4y
AmyG @CoffeeNBooks I was also so afraid they would be killed. And Frank would live. The reverse of What happenned. 4y
Mdargusch I really thought he would make it out of the country. I‘m still surprised they didn‘t go after Charlotte. 4y
TheBookHippie @Mdargusch I thought that too everyone in direct contact died but maybe it was a missed option, they just forgot... So crazy in that time I think their focus was covering the immediate threats. (edited) 4y
Sargar114 I think you‘re right @TheBookHippie that the only people with ties to the mob who knew about Charlotte and the girls specifically were frank and the other weird teenagers, so essentially the danger to them died with Frank. 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #9

Franks childhood revealed a bit. His sisters death by his fathers hands. Is this what made him Frank a mobster? Did his guilt propel him to his current lifestyle? Was he in a fog until Charlotte and then it was too late? different childhood different outcome ?

AmyG I don‘t know if it made him a mobster but perhaps because he left home young he fell in with certain people in order to survive. But I think his final decision had to do with him not being able to save his sister...but he could save Charlotte and girls. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I do think that his childhood could have molded him into the person he became and that not being able to save his sister contributed to his decision to save Charlotte and her girls. 4y
Mitch Yeah - it think being alone and needing to survive outside the home as a teen meant he was super vulnerable to one form of vice or another - to survive. 4y
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Mitch @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I definitely feel his childhood might have helped him compartmentalise his emotions and detach himself from violence 4y
Sargar114 I agree again. I got the feeling since he left home so young (since he couldn‘t take his sister) he would have had to do what he needed to survive and that likely meant falling into the mob scene from early on. So I imagine he was already in it when she died. 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #8

Seraphine. What do you make of her what do you think her part was -don‘t you wish there was a book about her story ?? Was she trying to kill him or save him?

Jess861 Personally, I think she tried to save him (from the social queues Frank and Seraphine gave each other when he turned himself in). I would read a book on Seraphine - you could go so many places with her character. 4y
AmyG I felt there wasn‘t enough about her. I never really got a handle on who she was. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I wanted more about her! She was intriguing! I definitely think she was trying to help Frank with her comments. 4y
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Mitch Yeah- i'm not sure I was interested in her too much really - didn't have enough to have a handle on her. She was elusive and served as a good plot device....she was interesting in her role as a woman in the mob family though 4y
Sargar114 I would read a book about her and her backstory. I agree, she was giving him tipoffs for him to try and save himself. But like anyone in that world it seems, doing just enough to not implicate herself. 4y
Librarybelle I‘d love to know more about her! 4y
Mdargusch I think she really liked and admired Frank I love that the author added such a tough broad to the mob. 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #7
Charlotte winning against her attack by Barone. “At some point soon all this would overwhelm her whatever black magic that she was using to keep away the panic the fear, soon it would vanish with the thunder clap, afterwords she be lost,not be able to remember her name...soon but not yet.” Is this how adrenaline works? Strong until it‘s all over then collapse? Why do you think it‘s written for us? This explanation of aftermath?

Mitch I think that focus on getting out alive and protecting her children had the effect of making her truly super human 4y
Sargar114 I think this is exactly how it worked. I doubt she relaxed even a little until she was on that bus to LA. I go back to Evelyn Hugo and her reference to the “luxury of panic” 4y
Librarybelle Adrenaline worked well for Charlotte - fight or flight instincts kicked in, and she had one goal, to keep her kids safe. Bravo to Charlotte! 4y
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Mitch @Librarybelle Bravo xxx
4y
Mdargusch She definitely got super strength through adrenaline and fear, but if Barone was full strength... thank goodness for infections. 4y
TheBookHippie @Mdargusch RIGHT??? Thank goodness he was ill and his hand non functional !! 4y
Sargar114 @Mdargusch very much so! The fact that he was sloppy and not full strength definitely leveled the playing field. Made it more believable that that scene could happen the way it did as well. 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #6

Back at Ed‘s...him wanting one of the little girls and then joking ?! Sadistic? Leo all of the sudden with the gun?! Frank walking out alive?! Was that intense or what? Anyone see that coming ? YIKES.

AmyG I kept thinking, through all this, of Mo Greene and Vegas...from The Godfather. Nothig suprised me. It was the mob. All if it was crazy. 4y
TheBookHippie @AmyG ME TOO!!!! now I want to watch all the Godfathers . But crazy -yes. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I didn‘t see this coming with Leo.. maybe I should have with his comment about the future... can‘t believe Frank made it out of there!! 4y
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Mitch @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks It was weird - it was so tense and then Leo came on the scene and i couldn't help feeling - nooooo - dont tell me the butler did it. and i was momentarily mad for such a cliched ending! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Mitch yes!!!! Exactly!!! 4y
Sargar114 @Mitch while cliche, I still get like it worked and in that scene anyone can turn on a moments notice so I was shocked but not upset about it. Pretty sure I let out an audible, No with a gasp and then had to reread to make sure I read that right. 4y
Sargar114 Also, the whole thing with Ed was creepy, I think if Frank agreed to giving him a girl Ed would have accepted 😡🤮 4y
Librarybelle I did not see the scene with Leo coming...in hindsight, it seems to work and is logical. 4y
Mdargusch I did not see the butler killer coming. I just assumed another hit man would show up. 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #5

Barone. Although he and Frank are alike, do you feel Frank is a better man, do you like him more? And is Barone a monster? Is this because we “know” Frank and have seen a softer side of him? Do you think if you knew the lives and backgrounds of people you believe are monsters you would change your opinion of them? Is there always a backstory?

AmyG Of course I like Frank better as we see the other side of him. We don‘t see thatof Barone. Barone is who Frank was....now we see who Frank is. I always think there is a backstory to everyone. To me it‘s a person‘s past history which shapes who they are today. Backstories can be good or bad. 4y
Jess861 Barone is basically a serial killer employed by the mob. Barone clearly is missing any type of empathy or the like within his being. His backstory could definitely have a part in making him this way. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Barone is a monster. Of course Frank was no choir boy, but Barone killing Theodore showed that he had no heart whatsoever. 4y
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TheBookHippie @Jess861 I think so too! 4y
TheBookHippie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I think @Jess861 is correct he‘s most likely a serial killer. 4y
Mitch @AmyG said so well Amy! I think Barone - as a character - was there to remind us of who Frank really was... to show perhaps just how far we, as humans, are capable of change?? 4y
Sargar114 I think they‘re similar, but at different points in their lives. As we saw early on, Frank turned on Mick without a second thought (don‘t think twice 😂). I don‘t know if the story is much different if the roles were reversed and Frank is chasing Barone. 4y
Librarybelle Yes, @AmyG , our backstory of Frank helps us shape our thoughts of him as a person. He comes out of this novel as more human, whereas Barone is a monster. @Mitch ‘s comment takes that one step further - I like the idea that Barone served as a way to show who Frank really was, but also to show we‘re capable of change. 4y
AmyG I agree with all of you. Frank could be Barone or Charlotte. He chose Charlotte. 4y
Mdargusch Good point @Mitch. I agree with you. 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #4

Cindy spooked Charlotte enough to wake her up. She is still grateful for Frank and her time with him. But she needs to go...Do you think she realizes the truth or senses danger? Have you had a relatable moment ? Is it a mother thing? Intuition alone?

Jess861 I think Charlotte realizes there is more than Frank than she knows and also realizes that she doesn't want to be in the same type of situation that she has just left. Cindy was her wake up call that she had left behind her own life to do better for her and her daughters and she was falling back into old habits. 4y
CoffeeNBooks I think Charlotte realizes that there's more to Frank's story, that she really doesn't know too much about him, and that it's completely crazy that he invited them to go to Vietnam with him since they barely knows him. And I agree with @Jess861 that she left Dooley so she could have some independence, and making plans with Frank would be going in the opposite direction. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yes, her encounter with Cindy was a wake up call! A definite red flag 🚩!!! 4y
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TheBookHippie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks RIGHT?! That girl was FREAKY!!! Creeped me out!! 4y
TheBookHippie @CoffeeNBooks Fry pan into fire!!!!! Literally!!!!! 4y
Mitch Cindy was the one character i didn't like.. im not sure she played enough of a role to be useful... i think Charlotte was fine coming to her realisations on her own! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheBookHippie I felt like she was in a cult!!! 4y
Sargar114 I agree Cindy is likely the trigger that all isn‘t what it seems. It seemed like Charlotte was always suspicious, but the incident on the boat was the final straw. I was cheering out loud when Charlotte was packing her bags. 4y
Librarybelle I think Charlotte already knew she wouldn‘t know Frank‘s world completely and had suspicions about his story. Meeting Ed made her more suspicious, and Cindy and her behavior pushed her in the right direction. Charlotte is smart and connects the dots well. 4y
TheBookHippie @Sargar114 Run run run !!!! 4y
Mdargusch I think the whole boat situation was freaky to Charlotte and Cindy was the icing on the cake. I was so glad she came to her senses. 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #3

A man finds himself in a dark wood and then he finds himself in a different even darker wood he becomes exasperated with the hand of fate. With every decision we create a new future. We destroy other futures...Frank and Leo talking, is Frank for the first time desperate to live his life ?

AmyG I just wonder if Frank sees the future he could have against the backdrop of his past. I wonder if he was ever able to see such a future until now. 4y
Jess861 I think this is the first time Frank really feared for his life which is what caused him to reevaluate. He might have thought that he knew what kind of work he was in but until his life was truly threatened he didn't realize what he was really into. 4y
CoffeeNBooks I completely agree with @AmyG! 4y
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @AmyG I agree... I don‘t think he ever thought about it until now. He had found happiness on the other side and wanted to somehow keep that. 4y
Mitch @AmyG agreed - i think he seems to be a live in the moment kinda man - and if theres anything about the future its about just being grateful youve dodged it for another day. I got the sense he felt his future was heavy / almost a burden and now he could see a different - more positive way forward... 4y
Sargar114 I loved this quote and it‘s perfect for this book. I agree with everyone, Frank‘s survival in his former life always relied on him living in the moment, so no need to think about the future. Now that life is threatened and he was forced to look at how the other half lived in order to survive and realized maybe it wasn‘t so bad and could be what he in fact wanted or needed. 4y
Librarybelle You summed up my thoughts perfectly, @Sargar114 ! 4y
Sargar114 @Librarybelle 🙌🙌🙌 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #2

Frank with the girls learning Shimmy Shimmy Cocoa pop. A sweet enduring moment . When reading did you think there is more to this man than we thought?

Fun video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mLjZRAXRRA

AmyG The book showed us how important his sister was to Frank. I kept feeling there was something “there” on that issue. Something unresolved. 4y
Jess861 Even though Frank lived the life he lived, it seems as though he was great with kids. Like @AmyG said - probably stems from his childhood and sister. 4y
CoffeeNBooks I think his time with Charlotte and her daughters was a time when he could step away from who he'd become, to maybe the man he would have been if he hadn't gotten involved in the mob. 4y
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yes, definitely and we saw that in the end... 4y
Mitch @AmyG I agree with you...i think he saw himself and his sister in the two girls and was desperately replaying his childhood 4y
Sargar114 I think part of the reason he possibly fell so hard for Charlotte was his relationship with the girls. I keep going back to Leo‘s quote, “With every decision we create a new future. We destroy all other futures.” Early in the story, family man was never a future for Frank, but now that was a real (to him) possibility. 4y
Librarybelle Definitely! He has many layers, not just his “day job.” I like @AmyG ‘s theory. 4y
Mdargusch He really had a desire for a decent life but he was just in too deep. 4y
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TheBookHippie
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#BOTMBUDDYREAD #1

We‘re you shocked how hard Frank fell for Charlotte?
What does that say about him?
Do you think it was real?

AmyG I had a feeling it was coming. Only because the women we had seen him withh before seemed to irritate him. 4y
Jess861 I felt it was a bit unrealistic considering his track record. I'm not surprised that the author went that way with the story line, I just didn't find it to be too likely. 4y
TheBookHippie @Jess861 I think sometimes it arrives in the most unexpected unrealistic time. 4y
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CoffeeNBooks I wasn't too surprised that he fell for her- she was so different from Seraphine and probably most of the women he knew in his line of work. And he could be someone else around her- he could be Frank Wainwright rather than Frank Guidry. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @CoffeeNBooks I agree.. he wanted a different life and he thought he could have it with her... 4y
Mitch I think it was inevitable - in terms of plot... I did think at time Frank came across as a lot older than he actually was and in my head it made sense when i thought of him as older, but a little less so when i remembered his age.... but maybe a life lived like his ages you more 4y
Sargar114 I agree, it seemed inevitable but I‘m also with @Jess861 in that it felt like the most unrealistic part of the story. I kept forgetting it was only a week with how strong those feelings were. It worked for the story and it‘s possible that his entire focus being his survival that it opened himself up for that intense of a reaction towards her and the girls. 4y
Librarybelle It seemed inevitable that he would fall for her, but in a way very unrealistic...the such deep love in such a short time. But, I also agree with @CoffeeNBooks and @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks , in that she was different, and he could be someone else with her. 4y
Mdargusch It was definitely unrealistic but I still enjoyed the plot. 4y
JaclynW @AmyG @TheBookHippie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @CoffeeNBooks @jess861 @Mdargusch @Librarybelle @Sargar114 @mitch I liked the way this part of the story went and I thought it was actually fairly believable. Believable because he has been spooked that his life may be ending and/or just beginning anew (second chance at life) and I think that can very easily drastically change a person's direction in life. 4y
TheBookHippie @JaclynW I think it comes at unexpected times sometimes especially when you shift focus. I agree with you. 4y
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review
Mitch
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Pickpick

Centring on the assassination of JFK it‘s a surprisingly tender crime/thriller. With a cast of mobsters & vulnerable young women it would have been easy to have fallen into a plethora of cliches. But every character pops from the page - and has the ability to shock, surprise and show deep and complex emotions. The love story at the centre of the web of characters gives you hope that people can change however dark and violent the past.

Mdargusch Love your review! ❤️ 4y
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review
JenReadsAlot
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Pickpick

This started out pretty slow for me, but turned into a darn good read!

KLyn1 Still reading, lol 4y
JenReadsAlot @KLyn1 keep going! 4y
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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Final discussion tomorrow!!! Questions on @TheBookHippie page!! 1pm CST!!

#BotmBuddyRead

review
Librarybelle
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Pickpick

What started as a meh read for me turned into a book worth finishing well past my bedtime. The Kennedy assassination is the backdrop for this story about hitmen and women who take a stand against 1960s housewife mores. It‘s gritty in its narrative, yet the book didn‘t feel too overly like a mobster read. Not my usual type of read, but I‘m so glad I could join in on the #BOTMbuddyread this month for this book.

JennyM Great review, and very much where I‘m at with about 50 pages to go. Turned into a good read. 4y
JaclynW Great review! I enjoyed it too! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome review!!! Can‘t wait for discussion!! 4y
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TheBookHippie I can‘t wait for tomorrow to talk about it!!! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I wanted to throw it!!! 🤣🤣 4y
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review
Sargar114
Pickpick

I enjoyed this book much more than I anticipated. Not a genre I would normally pick up, and started out a bit slow for me but really picked up. It follows Guidry and Charlotte, both on the run who end up crossing paths and find something more than either expected. Quite a few twists and a beautifully developed story. I was incredibly satisfied while still wanting more. Highly recommended! Looking forward to the #botmbuddyread discussion.

review
TheBookHippie
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Pickpick

1. Chili
2. Tagged book ❤️📖
3. Coffee, Litten friends and morning texts with @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️

#thoughtfulthursday on Friday @MoonWitch94

Susanita Mmm chili 4y
MoonWitch94 All great stuff! ♥️👍🏼 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘m making chili!!! 4y
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review
TheBookHippie
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Pickpick

#BOTMBUDDYREAD
FINAL DISCUSSION SUNDAY
Everyone welcome ❤️
2 PM EST

Next up One Day in December

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