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Witchmark (The Kingston Cycle, #1)
Witchmark (The Kingston Cycle, #1) | C.L. Polk
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review
CaitlinR
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

A very well crafted story about class differences in a world where magic ostensibly keeps an island nation safe. A war has been waged, a fragile peace crafted. Dr. Miles Singer is a psychiatrist who is treating shell-shocked veterans who are trying to escape internal horrors that may be real. He has fled his magical role in a ruling family. And why are all the witches in asylums? A thoroughly enjoyable read with believable romance subplot.

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LiseWorks
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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I got another spot on #NSR23 @Nessavamusic .

Nessavamusic Great job! 10mo
17 likes1 comment
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LiseWorks
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Pickpick

I like this book!Not too many characters to deal with. Lots of mystery magic stuff that is going on. And it's a Canadian author. I have 3 spots on #ISpyBingoMay @Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks. It's also the beginning of a series #SeriesLove23 @Andrew65

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encinarus
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
Mehso-so

This had an interesting premise, covers multi tier caste of mages, in a magical steam punk period. And I couldn't really get into it. I think the last 25% was the best part of it, but it didn't engage me enough to want book two.

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underground_bks
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

Magic, mystery, queer romance, and criticism of class privilege suffuse this atmospheric Edwardian-inspired fantasy! In a world at war, a doctor with a hidden past and secret magical abilities allies with an alluring gentleman to investigate the murder of a patient and a pattern of inexplicable killings by the very veterans he heals, only to discover true evil may not reside across enemy lines but in all of that which powers the empire at home.

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Soubhiville
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

This kept popping up on lists of books I should like, so I borrowed it on a whim from the library. I did like it!

Soldiers keep returning from WWI to this London-like city with strange psychic illnesses- they feel something inside their minds will force them to kill the people around them.

Miles has left his wealthy family to use his magical abilities to heal, becoming a surgeon and then a psychiatrist.

Queer fantasy, yep, my jam.

Soubhiville File also under Fantasy Thrillers, Political Intrigue, Family Drama. 😁📚 14mo
61 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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rabbitprincess
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
Pickpick

Probably a soft Pick because I‘ve requested the next book in the series. I was more meh about it than I would have liked, but that is probably at least partly my fault, because I put it down partway through and lost all my momentum.

shanaqui I had the same reaction the first time, and weirdly liked it more the second time?! I think because I knew better what to expect from it, whereas I went in expecting a bit more attention to the development of the romance. 2y
rabbitprincess @shanaqui That makes sense. Depending on how the other two books go, I might read this again and see how I feel about it. 2y
17 likes2 comments
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BookmarkTavern
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Download Tor.com‘s Bundle of Love for the next few days! Witchmark by CL Polk, All Systems Red by Martha Wells, and Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh are all available for download in mobi and ePub formats before 11:59 PM ET, February 18th, 2022.

https://ebookclub.tor.com #TorBookClub

Available in the US and Canada.

DrexEdit I love Tor.com giveaways! 💜 2y
67 likes1 comment
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xicanti
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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The Tor.com Ebook Club‘s got a fabulous freebie bundle on offer this month. WITCHMARK is one of my faves, SILVER IN THE WOOD still haunts me months after I read it, and ALL SYSTEMS RED is a great intro to everybody‘s favourite media-loving killer robot.

(Though, full disclosure, I loved ASR but I‘m an outlier who liked each subsequent Murderbot story less than the one before and has now abandoned the series.)

https://ebookclub.tor.com/

Johanna414 Thank you! I always forget to download these 2y
xicanti @Johanna414 I‘m always happy to point people at great books for free! 2y
Laughterhp Thanks for posting! I just signed up! 2y
xicanti @Laughterhp ❤️❤️❤️ 2y
32 likes4 comments
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Kenyazero
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

An absolutely fun read, especially if you enjoy fantasy reads. I loved watching Miles try to figure out what's wrong with his patients and solve the mystery of the murdered magic user all while quickly falling head over heals in love. The characters are really fun, and the pace of the story felt really well done. Definitely will be one of my favorites for 2022. #Magic #LGBTQ

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SilverShanica
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I am posting one book per day from my to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new - don‘t judge me I have a lot of books.
Join the fun if you want. This is day 320.
#bookstoread
#tbrpile
#bookstagram

8 likes2 stack adds
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BeeMagical
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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@StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Oh my GOODNESS!!❤️
I absolutely adore everything!! You totally nailed my pastel witch aesthetic!!💕
I can‘t wait to crack these books open! The Babysitters Coven has been on my list for so long! & Witchmark sounds like an amazing story!
The Baphomet card!😩❤️
THIS TAROT DECK!!!💕👌🏼 My first!! I am beyond excited to start using them!!!💕
Thank you SO SO much! You made my first-ever swap an amazing one!!🖤💕

Yuki_Onna Soo beautiful!!! 💜🖤💜 2y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego I'm so happy you like everything. You were a lot of fun to shop for. Welcome to the world of List swaps, they're so addictive. 💞 2y
See All 7 Comments
sprainedbrain What a great package! ❤️ 2y
mklong Oh how pretty! 2y
LoverOfLearning Everything looks awesome!! 2y
BeeMagical @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Everything is perfect!😍 I can‘t wait for the Christmas ones!!🎄 2y
31 likes7 comments
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Court7
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
Pickpick

Excellent!

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xicanti
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Next up in my month of rereads: C.L. Polk‘s Kingston Cycle! I started WITCHMARK last night and now all I wanna do is read, and I CAN‘T. Blah.

At least I got a couple more chapters in over lunch, which was curried tuna salad with kale slaw. Also, my dreams last night were a pretty cool mashup of Kingston and Oz.

Johanna414 Did you enjoy this series? I saw them at my library the other day and thought they looked interesting 3y
xicanti @Johanna414 I think they‘re amazing, but their Litsy ratings prove they aren‘t for everyone. 3y
Johanna414 @xicanti I think I'll give book 1 a try and keep an open mind! 3y
43 likes3 comments
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Carolyn11215
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Pickpick

#doublespin for March. Powerful mages bind secondary mages and use them as batteries to enable stormsinging, which controls the country‘s dangerous weather. One of the mages from a powerful family runs away from his fate as a secondary and becomes a doctor, who realizes that something is terribly wrong with soldiers returning from a war. He needs to solve a murder to piece everything together. Beautiful gay love story as well. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
Liatrek Great review! This sounds really interesting 🙂 adding to my TBR pile. 3y
Carolyn11215 @Liatrek hope you enjoy it! It‘s the first book in a trilogy and I‘m looking forward to reading the next book, which focuses on the sister (the storm singer in the family). 3y
12 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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HeyT
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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This month I've returned to a more average reading pace after the great start that was January. I managed to finish nine books this month and none were below three star reads.
1 eBook
8 Physical
I'm now at 2045 points in my #BuriedAliveChallenge with 97 points per qualifying book.
#FebruaryWrapUp

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HeyT
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this. It had an interesting world where magic and technology are both present but the magic is kind of hidden like a secret society. It also touches on the corruption of wealth and power. I felt like there was a resolution to the main story but there are still other threads hanging so I definitely want to read the next two and see where things are headed now that the resolution has changed things.

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HeyT
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Welp our internet was out which is why I was reading so much Servant of the Underworld and when it came back I just decided to finish. Sat down to put it on goodreads and oop internet is gone again so it looks like I‘m immediately starting Witchmark.
#CatsOfLitsy

Bette Lovely 🐱❤️ 3y
20 likes1 comment
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HeyT
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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I actually was able to go inside the library today. I picked up my monthly craft preorder from the maker space program as well as a mini #bookhaul. Even with limited service it was just so nice to be able to go to the library.

TheBookStacker I can‘t wait till I‘m allowed inside the library instead of curbside pickup by appointment 3y
20 likes1 comment
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BookmarkTavern
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

Miles is dealing with PTSD, working as a psychiatrist in a veterans hospital, and hiding his magic from a society that wants to enslave him. And then gets the added complications of a handsome man dropping a murder victim into his lap.

I waffled on pick and so-so. I loved the gaslamp fantasy, the queer rep, the intriguing magic system. But the romance was a bit too instalove, and the 2 big mysteries get solved at once in the last hour! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

85 likes1 stack add1 comment
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ssleif
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

I dug it. I was engaged pretty quickly, felt for the protagonist, and was fascinated by the world. It's technically a romance, but it's all fade-to-black, and the central issues and challenges are those of world-level plot and personal character arcs. I thought it worked (although it Nearly lost me, just before the end. XD) a nice, light, #queerfantasy #queerromance, with an interesting and unique world. (Oh, and more than a bit #steampunk)

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Hufflepuffle
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Thank you so much @jenniferw88 🧡🍁🧡🍁🧡

The book looks right up my street and I can‘t believe you found Hufflepuff themed tea!! It smells DIVINE and I can‘t wait to try it!

#LitsyLoveFallSwap

jenniferw88 Glad you like everything! Here's the etsy shop if you like the tea: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/741423727/wizarding-house-loose-leaf-teas-harry 3y
Bookgoil So very nice! I love those eyeball chocolates!!! 3y
Hufflepuffle Thank you for the link @jenniferw88 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🎉📚👏🏻 3y
44 likes4 comments
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Mehso-so

I'm not quite sure what didn't spark for me in this book. It's an Edwardian-esque historical fantasy with magic and queer (m/m) romance! Plus the author is Canadian and a woman of colour! But although the world was cool, I just never really fell into it or connected with the characters. Likely a case of it's not you, it's me. #QueerBooks #LGBTQBooks #LGBTQ

Clare-Dragonfly I felt the exact same way about it! 4y
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian @Clare-Dragonfly I'm glad I'm not the only one! I was wondering if it was just my bad mental state. 4y
29 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Okay so I broke my own rule today (I'm supposed to be reading the books I already own) and checked out a library book. But ... I have the ARC for the second book in this series, so I need to read the first one, right? #QueerBooks #Fantasy

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Laughterhp
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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#BookReport - Finished 4 books this week. All were really good and I‘m glad I read them.

In progress - The Death of Mrs Westaway, I‘m 240 pages into this and it‘s pretty intriguing

#WeeklyForecast - my hold for Magic Bleeds came in, so I have to get started on that audio. And I‘ll probably start my next gothic read, but we‘ll see.

Cinfhen Woohoo 🙌🏻 amazing ❤️ 4y
Cinfhen And lots of different genres too!!! 4y
49 likes1 stack add2 comments
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SassenachTheBookWizard
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

This was fun! The world is what really messed with me since it's got elements of Victorian England but some of the world is impacted by magic while other parts were not. The world felt just "kinda wrong." Loved the main character and the romance

72 likes3 stack adds
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SassenachTheBookWizard
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Time for a Canadian author!

JazzFeathers What an awesome cover. 4y
SassenachTheBookWizard @JazzFeathers the whole series has these soft but bright covers with a whimsical feel! 4y
64 likes8 stack adds2 comments
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Laughterhp
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

Finished the first book in this series today! I didn‘t really know what to expect, except the people at BookRiot liked it and recommended it a lot. It has mystery, romance, magic and betrayal. I really enjoyed this book and I can‘t wait to read the next one! I immediately put it on my TBR. This was the perfect book to get me started with fall reads.

#BookSpinBingo - 2nd box checked off for September

55 likes2 stack adds
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Laughterhp
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Here are #3Books I plan to read in September. I‘m slowly getting into the spooky fall mood.

I already started the tagged book!

OriginalCyn620 I‘m ready for the spooky fall mood! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I can‘t wait to read 4y
50 likes2 comments
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annamae
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Super happy to be back to this book loving community! My TBR stack is literally toppling over, so I‘m excited to tryout this #BookSpin.

TheAromaofBooks Wooho!!! 4y
8 likes1 comment
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jenniferw88
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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@Mitch it's arrived 😂! Thank you so much for everything - really looking forward to reading them all.

#whiterabbitswap @LibrarianRyan

Cathythoughts Nice post ❤️👍🏻how lovely to receive 4y
LibrarianRyan Nice. 4y
Mitch So glad it came! Easter eggs in May - the new normal!!🤣 4y
bookishdani How awesome! I love these books and that deck! 4y
74 likes4 comments
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akaGingerK
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed it by the end, but I had a hard time getting into this book. The world building is unique - I think early on I stumbled by trying to map this universe onto an actual historic period. I‘m going to start the second book while I‘ve got momentum!

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Mogoeg
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

A scrumptious Edwardian magic-punk fantasy that manages to combine a delightful setting and a lovely m/m romance, while at the same time examining issues such as class status, slavery, imperialism, exploitation and the (un)acceptable human cost of progress. It‘s also a quick read. I‘m excited to read the sequel.

69 likes3 stack adds
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Laughterhp
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Hey #GroupC for #LMPBC - here some of the books I‘m proposing for Round 8!

I‘ll tag the books in the comments. Page counts are in the picture above. All are women authors.

Let me know what you are all thinking of my choices.

Laughterhp This one is HF/mystery - she joins the Pinkerton Agency 4y
Laughterhp This is a dystopian reimagined London. 4y
Laughterhp This is fantasy/historical fiction 4y
See All 15 Comments
Laughterhp This is a nonfiction about the 5 women murdered by Jack the Ripper 4y
mrsmarch I vote The Five or Girl in Disguise. I just redid my collage with the page numbers on, damn you‘re clever. 😂 4y
Geenie I vote Witchmark or The Five @mrsmarch @Laughterhp @UnidragonFrag (edited) 4y
night_shift I'm not sure I'm super interested in reading The Five, but I think I got out voted lol .. I've already read A Closed and Common Orbit.. never heard of the other 3, but they sound interesting! 4y
mrsmarch @laughterhp Just got the mailing list....we could practically meet up to pass on books for LMPBC! 4y
Laughterhp @mrsmarch I know! 😂😂 I was just wondering how cheap it would be to send the books. 4y
mrsmarch @Laughterhp We could meet somewhere in between -- like Ikea! or the Crescent Ridge Dairy Bar in Sharon! 🍧 4y
Laughterhp @mrsmarch Oo Ice cream! I‘ve never been to the Dairy Bar, but Sharons not too far away! 4y
mrsmarch @Laughterhp We will definitely have to make a meetup date! Are we reading The Five? 4y
Laughterhp @mrsmarch That‘s the plan! It got the most votes. I haven‘t started it yet though. 4y
mrsmarch @Laughterhp I‘m just about to start The Children is Jocasta but I wanted to make a group collage first 👍🏻 4y
49 likes15 comments
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xicanti
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Pickpick

As I reread WITCHMARK, it struck me that Polk is beyond good at layering stressors to enhance characterization, deepen worldbuilding, and shove the plot forward. Miles deals with everything from medical conundrums to family members who want to magically enslave him, and Polk introduces each problem just when it‘s bound to have the biggest personal and professional impact on him—and on the reader, by proxy. It‘s so damned good.

5 stars

xicanti Revisiting this also gave me an excuse to think about about invasive magical bonds in literature. I read WITCHMARK in conversation with Monette‘s Doctine of Labyrinths because of the sibling angle and the stark imbalance between the parties, but I think both this and that build off parts of the Aes Sedai/Warder relationship that Robert Jordan rarely explored in the Wheel of Time. 4y
47 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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xicanti
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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#bookreport time!

I finished PUT ME BACK TOGETHER (really good), RADICALIZED (worth reading, but disappointing), and GREEN ARROW (sometimes great; sometimes not).

I‘ll finish WITCHMARK tonight. It‘s blowing my mind all over again.

I made decent progress with Colette (who‘s wearing a bit thin), the Sagas (ditto), BLACK WRITERS MATTER (great), and DESPAIR (really good).

I never managed to pick up THE BLUE CLERK.

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xicanti
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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I started my WITCHMARK reread over breakfast, which was a bit of a mistake. I‘m annoyed I can‘t just read allllllllll day.

BookmarkTavern This one is still on my TBR list! I should move it up a few places. 😁 4y
kristenm I need to get a reread going soon too. I also have to decide if I‘m treating myself to the sequel sooner than my birthday in April. 4y
xicanti @ozma.of.oz you definitely should! It‘s got a lower Litsy rating, but it was one of the best books I read last year and every single person I‘ve recced it to has come back to me to gush. 4y
xicanti @kristenm I feel like you deserve the sequel earlier. 4y
kristenm I probably do. 4y
48 likes5 comments
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Laughterhp
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Such a great package! Thanks so much @Avanders !!
I can‘t wait to read both of these books! I also love the mug and can‘t wait to drink some tea out of it! Everything is great!

#AllHallowsReadSwap

Avanders Yay I‘m glad you like everything!! I thought that mug was pretty great 😁😘♥️ 4y
MaleficentBookDragon That mug is fantastic @avanders. You always pick great mugs. 4y
58 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ChaoticMissAdventures
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Bailedbailed

I am so glad to be one of those people who can DNF a book. In the middle of two I am struggling with and this one is not worth the struggle.
I love the cover though 😍

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shaynarae
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Pickpick

A charming and delightful story of mystery, familial struggles & tension, LGBT romance, and magic. It went along at a good clip, and is clearly part of a longer series. I‘m not sure if I‘ll read the next book because I‘m not so driven by the intrigue, but I had a lot of fun with the characters and their world.

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majkia
Witchmark | C. L. Polk

So... I've set aside Witchmark. For whatever reason it just wasn't clicking for me.

3 likes1 stack add
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silentrequiem
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Aaronlisa
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Mehso-so

I read this between Sept 9 & 12th and gave it 3.5 ⭐️on Good Reads. I liked it well enough to want to read the next book but I didn‘t like the pacing at times. It felt like it took forever to learn more about Miles‘ world and 50 pages for everything to happen. I did like the characters, which is what made it very enjoyable to read.

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Aaronlisa
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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01. Currently my Good Reads is set for 125 books and I am at 108 books. If I get to about 115 before the end of this month, I may go back to my original goal of 150. (I ended up changing it to the lower # due to a bad reading slump.)

02. I work from home & have done so for a year now. I'd like to get my home office arranged so it's more user friendly. Right now it's not very friendly.

#two4Tuesday from @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Awesome goals! Thanks for playing! 😊 5y
8 likes1 comment
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Endowarrior21
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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1.) Yellow, Teal, Indigo, and dark purple
2.) The Moon and Ace of Cups
3.) Tigers Eye and Moonstone
4.) Little Women and Sky in the Deep
5.) Flower: Sunflower Herb: Lavender
6.) Gummy Bears/worms and Peanut M&Ms
7.) Lavender and Mint

#basicwitchswap @sprainedbrain @Meaw_catlady

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artdamnit_reads
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
Pickpick

Omg i loved this book. Miles and Tristan are adorable, the magic system is interesting and the bad guys are deplorable. Loved it.

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artdamnit_reads
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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Getting some rooftop reading done!!
#artdamnit_reads #CurrentlyReading #Witchmark

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artdamnit_reads
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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3 likes1 stack add
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xicanti
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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June spending log. I‘ve always dreamed of a reality where I read books as soon as I buy them, and last month I finally made it happen! Hurray!

I did acquire a LOT, though—5 purchased books, 5 freebies, 2 ARCs, and about a million library books—and as a result La TBR only saw a net loss of 4 titles. Blah. This month, I‘m gonna stay away from freebies and buy sparingly, and I‘ve suspended most of my library holds. Gotta do a TBR push.

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xicanti
Witchmark | C. L. Polk
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A couple months back the Tor.com Ebook Club offered WITCHMARK for free. I try really, really hard not to snap up freebies I can get from the library so I passed on the offer.

Then I borrowed it from the library and fell desperately in love with it. Damn.

Now it‘s on for $2.99 and I snatched it right up. You should, too, if you like Edwardian-inspired queer fantasy about siblings and magical bonds and suchlike.