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Sisters of the Winter Wood
Sisters of the Winter Wood | Rena Rossner
Captivating and boldly imaginative, with a tale of sisterhood at its heart, Rena Rossner's debut fantasy invites you to enter a world filled with magic, folklore, and the dangers of the woods.In a remote village surrounded by vast forests on the border of Moldova and Ukraine, sisters Liba and Laya have been raised on the honeyed scent of their Mami's babka and the low rumble of their Tati's prayers. But when a troupe of mysterious men arrives, Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother's warning to be wary of strangers. And this is not the only danger lurking in the woods. As dark forces close in on their village, Liba and Laya discover a family secret passed down through generations. Faced with a magical heritage they never knew existed, the sisters realize the old fairy tales are true...and could save them all. "Mixes fairy tale, poetry, history, and heart to create an enchanting and mesmerizing tale of sisterly love. I adored this book!" --- Sarah Beth Durst, award-winning author of The Queens of Renthia series
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KristiAhlers
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Pickpick

This is a book that was selected for one of my book clubs and I was uncertain if I‘d like it. I ended up inhaling this! The combination of folklore, romance, and history along with the storylines of two very different sisters made for a page turning read.

55 likes4 stack adds
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j9brown
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Pickpick

That classic fairytale feel 🤗
Enjoyed this a lot.
I like a slow moving fantasy so I wasn't as displeased with the pacing as some other readers, but it was very slow and repetitive - a little less crying and a little more action would have leveled this up.
Still, a pick!
And my #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
48 likes1 comment
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CampbellTaraL
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Pickpick

(Between a Pick and a So-So) A pretty good retelling of stories based on Jewish, Russian, and Ukrainian folklore. I struggled a bit with a lot of details I didn't think were necessary for the story, and frustration with some of the characters' behaviors. Overall though, a decent read with YA age group set in early 1900s.

37 likes1 stack add
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Lucy_Anywhere
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#TBRPile “If you want to know the history of a town, read the gravestones in its cemetery.”

16 likes2 stack adds
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Story_Wanderer
Mehso-so

While I enjoyed this beautiful story there was this desire for more that just never totally felt fulfilled. The characters are rich and have a lot of depth, I wish perhaps it was a little less PG and a bit more 18+ of you know what I mean. The romances tease the senses and leave many questions. That‘s said it‘s a lovely story and if there is a sequel I will read it for sure.

2 likes1 stack add
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jenniferw88
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lazydaizee Nice cover design. 3y
Eggs Lovely 🧡📙🌟🧡 3y
67 likes2 comments
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AllisonM89
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Pickpick

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
Square 23

What a lovely story. And it just keeps getting better.

TheAromaofBooks What a gorgeous cover!! 3y
12 likes1 comment
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AllisonM89
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Such a beautiful cover!!

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cleoh
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Spending the rainy morning reading in newly furnished reading chair 💀🦅

AkashaVampie Love ur pillow 4y
cleoh @AkashaVampie Thank you!! I got it from Michael‘s! 4y
AkashaVampie @cleoh awesome!!! Ur welcome hun 4y
See All 7 Comments
Clare-Dragonfly Fabulous! 4y
LeahBergen Love it! 4y
73 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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cleoh
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“If you want to know the history of a town, read the gravestones in its cemetery.”

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

cdcnmac Sold 🤓 4y
cleoh @cdcnmac I loved it 🤩 4y
59 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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tegulizards
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Mehso-so

i really wanted to like this book but it had too many YA tropes and devices for my tastes—not that YA is bad or anything, i am just not fond of the genre (and this was shelved under general fantasy in the bookstore). if YA is your thing, you will probably like it much more than i did! the use of poetry is unique, and the goblin market allusions are good too.

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tegulizards
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i‘m swamped in academic papers for the foreseeable future, but sometimes i get to read things for fun still

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cleoh
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Book maiiiiilllllll 😻 my friend and I did an impromptu book swap and this is what she sent me! It‘s so pretty and I‘m so excited to start it

AshleyHoss820 If that book is anything like it‘s cover, you‘re in for a treat! 😍 4y
cleoh @AshleyHoss820 that‘s what I‘m hoping!!! 4y
68 likes2 comments
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BookmarkTavern
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Mehso-so

Two sisters, as dissimilar as possible, are left alone in their home in the woods while their parents travel. But there are creatures in the woods and secrets long buried. And the sisters will need to protect each other.

A lush retelling of a fairy tale with a true historical background, but this was really slow going for me, and I really didn‘t get invested until 3/4 through. And then the ending felt rushed.

Good for fans of Novik. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

TheAromaofBooks And a beautiful cover!!! 4y
Erica_W I felt the same way about it. 4y
67 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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BookmarkTavern
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This is going to be so much fun! 2 ebooks and 1 audiobook.

#BookSpin #DoubleSpin #TripleSpin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
Joanne1 Ive read your doublespin and enjoyed it a lot. Bonus for it being quite short!! 4y
58 likes2 comments
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Aswenson
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Mehso-so

Not my favorite. I felt the writing was inconsistent in a lot of ways. Characters seemed to go from one extreme to another without much explanation, the language seemed to switch to modern day phrases randomly... BUT, I find myself missing the story even though I was rushing to get it over with?! 🤨🤷🏻‍♀️

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stuck.in.the.stacks
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It's time for another TTT and today we're sharing our book cover wheelhouses!

Check out our favorite kinds of book covers and tell us about yours in the comments.

https://stuckinthestacks.com/2020/01/28/top-ten-tuesday-our-book-cover-wheelhous...

#toptentuesday #readinglife #prettybookcovers #bookbloggerhub #bookblog #bookblogs #bookbloggerhub #bookstagran

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cjk
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Pickpick

Entertaining read- elements of the story brought to mind Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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judith_reads
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I shake my head, “I don't think there are bears ... I mean ... I've never seen anything like that out by where we live.“ I don't know what else to say. The only bear in the woods is me?

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judith_reads
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New year new read. Sticking with the winter theme. At least I think I am. Only about 50 pages in. So far really enjoying the switching between the sisters' perspectives. And they are so easy to tell apart as one of them is told through verse.

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LatrelWhite
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Ok...this one is out of my genre but enjoying the audiobook.

6 likes1 stack add
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brilliantglow
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Started and finished this today while I did some baking. Made 2 batches of nanaimo bars, pecan caramel logs, pretzel toffee bark and some potato bacon soup for dinner.
Really loved this story though based on actual events mixed with fairy tale.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

47 likes3 stack adds
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JacqMac
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Day 6.
#7Days7Covers #CoverCrush

Tag, you‘re it!

Cinfhen 🖤 5y
59 likes2 comments
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SassenachTheBookWizard
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Pickpick

I would have read this SO MUCH sooner if I had known it was about pogroms and antisemitism pre-World War II! I honestly really think more books like this are needed. People seriously do not comprehend how longstanding antisemitism is. The infusion of the bear and swan were really interesting and did help break up a pretty difficult topic but it also fit in with the tone and geography of the book. I also liked the text formatting as if it was verse

87 likes6 stack adds
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SassenachTheBookWizard
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I have been wanting to get to this for probably a year now? Finally picking it up

77 likes2 stack adds
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anjedah
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Well I actually don't like this book much it's okay okay

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lauriedslack
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Pickpick

A lovely #Jewish fairy tale - and it tested my Yiddish. A good find off the new acquisition shelf of the #library.

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Jess_Franzino
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Pickpick

I DEVOURED this book as if it were the delicious fruit described within ♥️ A poetic and intoxicating blend of Jewish folklore, fairytale, & world myths focusing on the love between sisters, sexual awakening in a time/place where such was forbidden to even be discussed regarding females, & the the strength of embracing the powers of womanhood. I got so lost in this book, that I had a hard time coming up for air.

25 likes2 stack adds
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Hufflepuffle
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Pickpick

I am so glad I read this. A tale of two sisters trying to find themselves and each other while learning new things about their ancestry and dealing with growing tension in their community. The writing style is so different, swapping between prose and poetry. I thought the inclusion of Yiddish words and phrases was really clever and immersive. I loved that it was inspired by chassidic stories that the author grew up with (continued in comments)

Hufflepuffle ... and also Ukrainian, Moldovan, Russian and Romanian folktales but I was heartbroken to find out that much of the prejudice, attacks and murders within the book were based on true events. That feeling will not leave me for a long time. Definitely a 5 star read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (edited) 5y
24 likes1 comment
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Riis_Books
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Riis_Books

This book has too many foreign words that I couldn't find a translator for... 😣 All foreign languages (non English) included do not use latin letters. 😔
But the quotes.... OMG some of them are amazing.

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Riis_Books
Mehso-so

This book looked promising but it had a very slow pace for me. On contrary, the ending was rushed and unsatisfactory. The foreign words made the story extremely confusing and half of the time I ended up guessing. Moreover, as intriguing as it may sounds, I didn't like the verse POV. It interrupted my reading flow and lacked of rhythm and poetry. This book had a potential to be more magical, surprising and captivating. Unfortunately, it was not.

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Riis_Books
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Sometimes you know when you don‘t belong, but you don‘t know how to leave

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Riis_Books
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I brought winter and wood to the beach.

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Riis_Books
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If you want to know the history of a town, read the gravestones in its cemetery.

jenreads7 I love reading gravestones! Welcome to Litsy! 🎉📚 5y
Riis_Books Thank you 🥰 5y
13 likes2 comments
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Riis_Books
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GivenLemons
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Pickpick

This book was fantastic! I read it in a day and couldn‘t put it down. It was beautifully written and has such wonderful characters. It‘s written in half prose and half poetry, split by narrator!

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Expandingbookshelf
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Mehso-so

In the woods two sisters are left alone while their parents are away. One tells her part of the story in prose, the other in verse; both are recipients of a secret family gift. I won‘t lie...the poetry is BAD. If half of your story is going to be in verse, you should be an amazing poet, and she...wasn‘t. This wasn‘t a bad way to spend a lazy afternoon, but I can‘t recommend this book much further than that.

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booksandsympathy
Pickpick

I snatched this book up when it was only $2.99 on Kindle. I've been reading it slowly, but each time I started reading it, I was engrossed with this book. At first I wasn't certain about the two viewpoints, especially since one was in prose, but I came to enjoy the differences between them, as they felt tied to the sisters' personalities. It was a wonderfully dark blend of historical fiction and Eastern European fairy tale.

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ApplesandSpindles
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed the Christina Rosetti influence combined with Jewish history from Eastern Europe. It felt like its own fairy tale.

4 likes1 stack add
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Well-ReadNeck
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Mehso-so

A fast read and entertaining, but didn‘t quite live up to the premise. The chapters alternate between two sisters‘ POV, with one in verse and that didn‘t quite work for me.

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shaynarae
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Pickpick

I thought this was a wonderful fairy tale remix of different stories and historical fiction. It was written in the way of traditional fairy tales in that the simple plot is the core that moves the story, not so much the characters. Often I find that modern “fairy tales” rely too much on characters as drivers. I had a friend warn me that the characters make some infuriatingly bad decisions, which may have helped me keep my distance.

RadicalReader @shaynarae gorgeous book cover 5y
20 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Literatigeek
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Pickpick

I absolutely adored this book. I felt like I devoured it each time I dove in to read it. The characters were refreshingly earnest. The plot felt like a fairytale from the brothers grimm. The family relations was nice to read and the different romantic arcs were interesting (as well as delightfully realistic). Highly recommend!

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Craftylikefox
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@Eyelit thank you so much! I look forward to jumping into this one! ☺️ #kindlitsy

47 likes2 stack adds
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silentrequiem
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On sale and bought! Is this any good? #dealalert

valeriegeary Tempted...... It's on my tbr 5y
ErikasMindfulShelf I have an ARC but didn‘t get to it yet. 5y
20 likes2 comments
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MrsBibliophile
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Mehso-so

This was an interesting read, though I couldn't connect with the characters as well as I would have wanted. The idea behind this book is fascinating, however I just didn't feel very drawn in by it. I had to force myself to keep reading. The good part. One of the characters point of view is written through poetry, and I somewhat enjoyed it. All in all, this wasn't a terrible read, and still not fantastic.

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IndyHannaJones
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Pickpick

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The heart of it and the description of the Jewish faith and community were just lovely. I feel like there were some story details that were left unattended to and that some of the narrative clarity was sacrificed for the sentiments...which is ok, it was still a sweet book, but it left me wanting some plot filled in. She could write a really nice sequel to answer those points (I hope she does!) Dog for attention.

howlinglibraries I agree so much with everything you said here! (And what a cute puppers 💖) 5y
17 likes1 comment
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ElishaLovesBooks
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Pickpick

Interesting book. Full of Jewish mysticism and fairy tales, this story is told from 2 sisters POV. Laya tells her story in free verse while Liba‘s perspective is written in prose. I actually liked that the author chose to do that, but I felt the plot had some holes. I also questioned some of the character decisions which detracted from the story. But overall it kept my interest!

Cinfhen Hi!!!!! I‘ve been thinking of you!!!! What‘s the Chanukah plans???? This book sounds interesting!!! 5y
ElishaLovesBooks @Cinfhen I‘ve been thinking about you too!! Not really any plans yet but already had some sufganiyot! 🍩🍩 This book was interesting- the author lives in Israel! Lots of Yiddish, too! 😂 Any fun Chanukah plans for you? 5y
Cinfhen No real plans 😩have some friends & family visiting all December ( but not my kiddies😢😭) I have NOT had any 🍩 but I‘m looking forward to latkes 5y
75 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Conservio
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This one was okay. Every since I read #deathless I‘ve been reading a lot of Russian folklore/ fairytales. While this one certainly had those elements (not just Russian folklore), it didn‘t live up to my expectations. It was far more about love and finding yourself than exploring the stories. One of the sisters had their viewpoint in verse.. Not sure why.

I think it is also more YA than adult. #fairytales #jew #judaism #bear #swan

IndyHannaJones I love Deathless 5y
IndyHannaJones You should read Egg and Spoon. I love Baba Yaga in it. I loooove Russian based fantasy stories. 5y
IndyHannaJones I liked that Laya's story was in verse. She's a swan, flighty and light. Her perspective would've been the same. 5y
Conservio @IndyHannaJones I loved Deathless! Have you read The Bear and the Nightingale? Is Egg and Spoon an anthology or a novel? 5y
IndyHannaJones @Conservio I have indeed read the Bear and the Nightingale. The third book comes out soon. Egg and Spoon is a novel. 5y
13 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Conservio
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Working my way through my #thanksgiving reading list.

#housetomyself