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The Lottery
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
A seemingly ordinary village participates in a yearly lottery to determine a sacrificial victim.
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review
Melkyl
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

I just finished this classic short story with my students. They enjoyed it and found it shocking that it caused outrage when it was first released. As always, I enjoyed reading it and sharing it with my students.

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dabbe
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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#TLT
#shortstories
#novellas

1. “The Lottery“ by Shirley Jackson. I first read this in high school, and it has been my favorite short story ever since.
2. OF MICE AND MEN by John Steinbeck. George and Lennie ... 'nuff said.
3. A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens because “God bless us, everyone!“

All are welcome to share; I'd love to read what your choices are! Tagging a few below.

Eggs 🩵💙🩵 4w
lil1inblue I need to re-read “The Lottery.“ We read it in 8th grade (or maybe 7th? I had the same English teacher both years), but I don't remember it at all. Thanks for the tag! 4w
CBee O Caledonia is a recent novella I read and it‘s an all time favorite for sure 👏🏻 4w
See All 35 Comments
dabbe @Eggs 💚💙💚 4w
dabbe @lil1inblue No ending has ever shocked me more. 🤩 4w
dabbe @CBee More for my TBR! 💚💙💚 4w
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I admit, I've never read the story, but I did catch a made for TV movie with Keri Russell & Dan Cortese in the 1990s, and it disturbed me. In a good way! 😁 Thanks for the tag! I'm not having the best month, and I've been berserkedly busy, so I thank you for reminding me to check in & think about books for a few minutes. 4w
Read4life 💙💙 4w
dabbe @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Hope the end of the month goes better for you and that you can slow down and relax a bit. 💚💙💚 4w
dabbe @Read4life 💚💙💚 4w
DebinHawaii I love The Lottery too! If you‘ve not read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by her as well, I recommend it! 4w
EadieB @dabbe I don‘t really read any short stories but I have read The Lottery in 7th grade. 4w
EadieB @DebinHawaii I‘ve read that one too! 4w
tpixie @dabbe I loved the lottery in high school and it continues to haunt me. I agree with @DebinHawaii re we have always lived in the castle. Haunting on Hill Street is also interesting with the ??? Netflix movie as a companion piece- which is not just a remake of the book, but an interesting interpretation/ story adjacent movie 4w
tpixie @dabbe thanks for the tag. I really typically don‘t read short stories or Novella‘s but I did just read my first Flannery O‘Connor. That was weird. 4w
DebinHawaii @EadieB @tpixie @dabbe Yes! The Haunting of Hill House is good too. Jackson writes great creepy stories/novellas. (I need to watch the Netflix mini series still!) 4w
dabbe @DebinHawaii I read that a couple of years ago and loved it. Now that I think about it, I should have chosen THE HAUNTING as a favorite novella, too! It's my fave Halloween-ey story! 🖤🤩🖤 4w
dabbe @EadieB It still haunts me 40+ years later! 🤩 4w
dabbe @tpixie Her stories are kind of weird, aren't they? Thanks for sharing. 💚💙💚 4w
AnnCrystal Thanks for the tag 😉👍! I'm going to weigh this one for a bit. Love short stories. (edited) 4w
dabbe @AnnCrystal 🤩🤗😃 4w
tpixie @DebinHawaii @dabbe the movie was scary for me but I thought it was great and loved the interpretation. It‘s an ‘ inspired by‘ movie and not a remaking. If you don‘t remember the characters names and who they are in the book, you might review that because that‘s kind of fun. ( I thought) 4w
dabbe @tpixie I'll definitely have to look into it. Thanks for sharing! 💚💙💚 4w
tpixie @dabbe 🥰 4w
Bklover Thanks for the tag, my friend!💙 4w
rwmg My mind always goes blank with these things, but:

1) The Lottery, which was in a collection of short stories we read at school. It had quite an impact as it's the only one I remember
2) Nightfall by Isaac Asimov
3) The Dowry of Angyar (aka Semley's Necklace) by Ursula K. Le Guin.
4w
dabbe @Bklover 😘 4w
dabbe @rwmg You've added more to my TBR! Thanks for sharing. 💚💙💚 4w
Lynnsoprano Thanks for the tag ❤️😘 4w
Crazeedi I normally don't read short stories or novellas! I want a book with 300 plus pages mostly! 3w
dabbe @Crazeedi No problem. You like to be completely invested in the books you read! 🤩😍😃 3w
Crazeedi @dabbe I sometimes think I should expand my reading , then I look at the multitudes of books stacked around my house... 3w
dabbe @Crazeedi ... same here. 🤩 3w
55 likes35 comments
review
i.z.booknook
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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A collection of Shirley Jackson short stories! She continues to amaze and entice me. She tells so much with so few words, I am always immediately enraptured in the story. Whilst the stories themselves have overlapping themes of the nature of womanhood, being a wife, living in the home, place in society, paranoia and suspicion, etc, the stories are still so distinct and each address different aspects. (Cont. in comments 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻)

i.z.booknook (2) Additionally, whilst her stories aren‘t overtly feminist by any means, I feel immense appreciation just by their substance being stories about women and exploring their experiences. Obviously The Lottery was my favourite, I felt quite shaky reading it, again an impressive feat over a short story. 2mo
i.z.booknook (3) Her mind so imaginative and creative and detailed. Several of the stories felt very Black Mirror-esque, but obviously, writing in the 1948, Jackson did it first, and so really I can conclude that Black Mirror feels very Shirley Jackson-esque. I think I shall have to read more, as I don‘t yet feel I‘ve had my fill of Jackson! 2mo
monkeygirlsmama Such a pretty cover! And, I'm honestly not certain I've ever read her, but have seen her books before and thought they looked good. Guess I need to add her to my TBR. 2mo
monalyisha Shirley Jackson is the best! Excellent review & commentary. 🖤 2mo
i.z.booknook @monalyisha Thank you so much! 🥰 2mo
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ChaoticMissAdventures
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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The Lottery is 75 years old today.

There are only a handful of short stories that have stuck with me throughout the years. A small fraction of which gave me a visceral reaction while reading and left me feeling haunted and remembering them.

I first encountered this short story in the 6th grade, and still 30+ years later vividly remember sitting in class and the words at the end dawning on me.

It is still 1 of the best stories I have read.

Ruthiella 👍👍👍 10mo
dabbe My all-time favorite short story. The first line states the date as June 27th, which is tomorrow, too! 🤗 10mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @dabbe yes! I reread it today once I heard it was the anniversary and noticed the date, an interesting choice by her published in the paper the day before and have people keep thinking about it the next day due to the date. 10mo
39 likes3 comments
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bela_deters
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
Mehso-so

Disturbing 💕

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IamIamIam
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Jackson was so intuitive about life and how sometimes things go sideways and people just don't know what to do. Colloquy, an extremely short story in The Lottery, starts off vaguely with a woman asking a doctor how you know if you're going crazy. This is so perfect for these strange days we live in.

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IamIamIam
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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I love how well Shirley Jackson weaves the mundane sense of daily life into her stories. This is literally my every morning!!

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yoavshai
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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#BookCoverChallenge
Day 279.
Here I will note 365 books (or as many as I will have before I get tired) that have shaped my taste in literature. No explanations, no reviews. Just the cover of the book.
I do not challenge anyone. You are all welcome to take part.

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Pms
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
This post contains spoilers
show me
Mehso-so

The villagers cheeriness misled me and had me hoping for a more happy outcome (despite the author being Shirley Jackson). I wish she had included more of a backstory, ie what is the purpose of the lottery?

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CogsOfEncouragement
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
This post contains spoilers
show me
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Pickpick

Unfortunately the description of this short story ruined it for me. I was surprised that the description would plainly tell the ending. In a time when so many dystopias are popular, especially Hunger Games, this story was not that shocking even if it had not been completely spoiled for me. I see how it would have been received differently by readers in 1948.

LeahBergen And that cover is pretty spoilerish, too! 😆 2y
CogsOfEncouragement @LeahBergen Yeah! You are right! Between the audible cover and the Litsy description does anyone have a chance to be surprised? So not okay. 2y
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breng_pbs
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
Pickpick

Favorite short story of straight up all time

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SerenaCrawford
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
Pickpick

Not what I expected —I thought the lottery would be for something positive.

Lcsmcat This was the first Jackson I ever read. I was maybe 10. It is not one you ever forget! 2y
Soubhiville @Lcsmcat so true! I read this in maybe jr high and it really stays with you! Jackson creeps into the brain and really digs those claws in! 2y
37 likes2 comments
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Reviewsbylola
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Anyone else participating in #RIPXVI? I haven‘t participated in recent years, but it was a favorite challenge of mine when I had an active book blog. I first joined in for RIPIV in 2009! The five titles I read for the challenge that year were The House of the Seven Gables, Twilight, Her Fearful Symmetry, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, and One Foot Wrong. This year I‘ve accumulated quite a stack to choose from.

Ruthiella I‘m going to try and participate this year in the blogosphere. But the books will all come from the library, so I‘m not sure what I‘ll be able to access just yet. 3y
Beachesnbooks definitely participating! i love this challenge 3y
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Anna40
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

Shirley Jackson is brilliant. She lulls you in with her descriptions of small town idyll and then smacks you over the head with her brutal reality. Imagery, metaphors, dialogues - everything is brilliant. Highly recommend

BeckyWithTheGoodBooks Reading Shirley Jackson for the first time in high school was a pivotal moment for me. “The Lottery” changed me forever. 3y
Cathythoughts She really is a genius 👍🏻❤️ 3y
Anna40 @BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @Cathythoughts I found her by chance browsing in the library, had never heard of her before. Flower Garden is perhaps my favorite in that collection, better than The Lottery. 3y
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CuriousG
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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I'm posting one book per day from the ever growing unread stacks in my personal library. No description or explanation, just books I own and plan to read. #tbr

Day 35

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HappilyEverKrafter
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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I‘m hosting a discussion on Shirley Jackson‘s “The Lottery” today at www.theannakraft.com! Love to have you join us!

#themidnightsociety

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HappilyEverKrafter
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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We‘re reading and discussing spooky stories during the month of October at www.theannakraft.com! This week‘s story is “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson!

#TheMidnightSociety

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rather_be_reading
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Anyone else seen this yet? Whatd you think?

kyraleseberg For me, it was good but not great. It left out much of what I loved about the book. 4y
rather_be_reading @kyraleseberg I didnt read the book, but I agree the show was not great. 4y
54 likes2 comments
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KimM
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

Wow. Really good. #hulu

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living.dead.ghoul.writes
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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“Am I walking toward something I should be running away from?“
Shirley Jackson (1916-1965)
Her fiction marries the ordinary with the supernatural and often speaks to inhumanities people endure. Her most famous story on the subject, “The Lottery“, was written after rural Vermont residents painted a swastika on her house (her husband was Jewish).

#womenshistorymonth #womeninliterature #thelottery #shirleyjackson #family

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RiaWritten
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Here are the books I got at the library today. You may notice there are more than the 11 I referenced earlier. That's because three holds came in today as well. Yikes.

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alisiakae
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

I really wish I hadn‘t seen a spoiler ahead of reading this short story! So I won‘t say much, other than it is a deeply unsettling tale about human nature, and blindly following along.

A definite pick! I love Shirley Jackson.

#screamathon
#pop19 : see someone reading on TV or in a movie (The Haunting of Hill House Netflix show)

KatieDid927 I first read this story as part of an English exam in 10th grade which is ... not the best context to first read this story. Having to read it and assess it in a tight time frame when I was 15 years old was somewhat traumatic. 4y
alisiakae @KatieDid927 Wow! Definitely not the right context for that story! Btw, tracking shows your #basicwitchswap package is out for delivery, so you should receive it tonight! 4y
KatieDid927 @4thhouseontheleft Yay, thanks! And agreed. The story should definitely be taught but ... not in that context. 4y
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TsundokuAleax
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Didn't take a picture but @Nevermore88 your box is on the way! This is a picture of the box we used for our production of this show. We were surprised at how many people did not know at least one or both plays (The Monkey's Paw). #basicwitchswap @Meaw_catlady @sprainedbrain

Nevermore88 Thank you ! 4y
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Brithomas17
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Thought I would do some reading of Shirley Jackson‘s works since we are reading her book “The Haunting of Hill House”.

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Nlugo155312
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Really enjoy shirley Jackson's work and the lottery really blew my mind. She really had me fooled that the lottery was something good.

Crazeedi Welcome to litsy!!🎉🎉 5y
3 likes1 comment
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HeathHof
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Having a lot of fun already with #authoramonth. I don't think I would have ever revisited Shirley Jackson otherwise! I got this little shorty in the mail and vaguely remember reading it in school but re-reading it has left me with so many questions. Who ARE these people and what kind of world do they live in that needs the lottery? Looking forward to reading more of her works in the near future.

Soubhiville I‘m assuming you meant to post this as a review? I logged it 💚 5y
HeathHof Hi @Soubhiville I didn't post it under review because it's such a little shorty like 20 pages. So I wasn't counting it. 5y
Soubhiville Ah, ok, so it‘s not the short story collection. Cool. 5y
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Samplergal
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

Shirley Jackson and I share a birthday. Two more prompts to go. #MayMadness #24B4Monday. Finish #5. Of course this wasn‘t planned! 😂😂😂

Andrew65 Well Done. 👏👏👏 5y
IamIamIam I had to return this before getting to the last few stories but I loved the ones I did read!!! Super dark & creepy!!! 5y
BeansPage You're almost there with the scavenger hunt girl!!!! 😍 5y
Clwojick Woohoo! You‘re so close! 🙌🏻🥳 5y
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EmilieGR
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
Pickpick

The creepiest short shortest

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shadowspeak17
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Since it‘s so short, I feel like anything I say about it will be a spoiler, and I think it‘s probably best to read this knowing as little as possible going in, so I‘ll just say that it‘s great, and if you haven‘t read it before, you totally should. 👍🏽

#catsoflitsy #Ember

EleniKara I love this short story so much! Read it a couple of times through my education and just, incredible and shocking 💕💕 5y
MaGoose I read it a few times during my education. Will have to read it again soon as I've forgotten it. 5y
TobeyTheScavengerMonk If you are at all a Gilmore Girls fan you MUST read The Lottery in Stars Hollow! https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/the-lottery-in-stars-hollow (edited) 5y
Tamra You are right, can‘t say anything except read it! 5y
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Jerdencon
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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1. I will be trick or treating with my son
2. Black cats
3. Read - I can't watch anything scary!
4. Everyone is tagged
#tuesdaytidbits @JenlovesJT47

JenlovesJT47 🖤🧡🖤 5y
33 likes1 comment
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Krisjericho
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

Disturbing and well-crafted and really, pretty twisted. Well done, Shirley Jackson. I can‘t believe this was written in 1948. And anyone who tries to tell me that Suzanne Collins didn‘t take a bit of inspiration from this when she wrote The Hunger Games can shut their damn mouth ‘cause I ain‘t listening.

kgriffith In that vein, have you read 5y
Krisjericho @kgriffith I haven‘t! It‘s a movie, too, right?! I‘ll have to try it. 5y
kgriffith @Krisjericho It is, though I‘ve not seen it. I read The Hunger Games not long after Battle Royale and it made me not really care for THG, but I appreciated it on its own much more on a second read later. 5y
Jinjer Battle Royale is soooooo goooood. Movie was good too but book was better. 5y
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KristinaRay
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

#bannedbooks

Just finished this short story. I see why it has left such an impact.

KristinaRay I definitely wonder if this inspired The Hunger Games. 6y
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elizabethlk
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

If you read the Lottery, be sure to let us know what you thought. You can read our full review of this classic short story in the link. #BannedBooksWeek #litereads https://thefeministbibliothecary.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/lite-reads-review-the-...

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elizabethlk
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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This story has been banned and challenged many times over the years, and even caused the author and publisher to receive hate mail when it was first released. It is also widely loved and studied as a classic. Why do you think it inspires two such drastically different reaction so often (and for so long)? #litereads #BannedBooksWeek

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elizabethlk
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Do you think about the characters in this story differently than you would in other stories? Does the tense mood or macabre ending impact the way you feel about the characters throughout? #litereads #BannedBooksWeek

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rachelk
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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I decided to read something for banned book week so I googled a list and saw that I‘m already reading three! Anyone else reading a banned book?

* ‘Things Fall Apart‘ was banned in Malaysia and Nigeria, challenged in the U.S.

#BannedBooksWeek #bannedbooks

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elizabethlk
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Shirley Jackson sets the mood amazingly well in this short story. What do you think of the way she used that mood to build from the subtle opening to the wild ending? #litereads #BannedBooksWeek

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elizabethlk
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Check out our brand new #LiteReads selection for #BannedBooksWeek with links to read (visual or audio) on our blog.
https://thefeministbibliothecary.wordpress.com/2018/09/23/lite-reads-selection-t...

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huntersmom1977
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Oh how exciting!! @Mommamanzi I will be updating my TBR ASAP 🤗😊

@JoScho for the tag 😊

Mommamanzi Ahhh what a great tbr list, unfortunately I have nothing off of it for you. 😩 I‘m sorry. 6y
9 likes1 comment
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ToriE18
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Just finished reading this for the first time in my College English class.

It was great odd short story!

#weird #shortstory #dark

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BookFreakOut
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

I have read this a few times, but I was excited to see it on my #FreakyFriday list from @FantasyChick! Lovers of creepy stories, unite! Read this over my lunch break so I could get a tally mark on the imaginary board. 😬

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Melkyl
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

I just finished another reread this evening. I haven‘t read this one since high school. My students will be doing it, so I need to be ready to discuss. This one is so good. I know they will love it.

Rachbb3 This one always creeped me out! 6y
JaclynW My friend who teaches high school English in Brooklyn was just recommending this to me! He reads it with his students too. Obviously I need to get on this! I've never read it. 😲 6y
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JessicaThunstromNelson
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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First up...

TheAnitaAlvarez Shirley Jackson is so good, hope you enjoy her short stories 6y
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BeezleMcfly
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

I delight in what I fear. #horror #shirleyjackson #fear

RadicalReader @BeezleMcfly makes Hunger Games seem like a walk in the park lol 6y
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MidnightBookGirl
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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This awesome pillow case came in my #NocturnalBox yesterday and the Hubs bought me a pillow to put inside. Loving it! He owed me though, because he totally took the Night's Watch beanie from the box and claimed it as his own.

parasolofdoom I was so excited to get this, she's one of my favorite authors! 6y
Clare-Dragonfly Oh wow! I want this pillowcase! 6y
68 likes2 comments
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purebugbeauty72
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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maximoffs This short story is my all time favorite 6y
7 likes1 comment
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Velvetsun
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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One book down. Hopefully the rest of my #24hourreadathon selections are more enjoyable. Next up, this short story!
#deweysreadathon #readathon
@DeweysReadathon

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McFarchie
The Lottery | Shirley Jackson
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Pickpick

This a wonderfully written short story 🤘🏽

kspenmoll Yes! 6y
JacqMac This one gave me nightmares. Not that that‘s a bad thing. lol 6y
Readerann This stayed with me more than anything else I read in high school! 6y
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