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Terrible Typhoid Mary
Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America | Susan Campbell Bartoletti
24 posts | 25 read | 85 to read
In a riveting biography that reads like a crime novel, Sibert Medalist and Newbery-Honor winner Susan Campbell Bartoletti uncovers the true story of Mary Mallon, a.k.a. Typhoid Mary, one of the most notorious and misunderstood women in American history.
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Kpiper
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Pickpick

I‘ve been fascinated by her story ever since I listened to a podcast about her years ago. This is a quick, easy read and includes a few details I didn‘t know. I enjoyed it. Well, other than a few creepy phrases that struck a chord in bizarro 2020.

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BookishMarginalia
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Okay, I‘m hooked. Weird to be reading this in the midst of a pandemic, though. #PandemicReading

Cheshirecat913 Oh gosh...I am both interested and scared after that opening! 4y
Karkar Mary needed to wash her hands!!! Lol 4y
Literatigeek I started a medical history podcast and read about the surgeon who introduced sanitary surgery to the masses; learning about how bad medicine used to be made me feel better. Also, if you‘re interested in Typhoid Mary, Anthony Bourdain wrote a novella on her, focusing on Mary‘s career as a cook and how that might of influenced her- really interesting read. 4y
BookishMarginalia @Literatigeek Thanks for the rec! I‘ll check that out! 4y
114 likes8 stack adds5 comments
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BookishMarginalia
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#DavidCat is ignoring me. I guess I‘m not petting her enough! #CatsofLitsy #PandemicReading #QuarantineLife

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 4y
94 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Centique
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Presenting a stand alone #bookreport for His Elderliness @Cinfhen - he‘s been busy! He enjoyed all of these books but had a lot to say about Terrible Typhoid Mary so I think that was his favourite.

I got stranded at his house for an extra three hours when my car had to be towed (what a week it has been!) so I took the chance to take a photo of him as well.

Cinfhen He‘s so cute!!! What a handsome guy 🥰I‘m melting over here!!! We need your dad to join Litsy....he‘s a Litten for sure 5y
Centique @Cinfhen oh you‘re so lovely! I‘ll tell him that and he‘ll be thrilled. He doesn‘t really get what Litsy is, or any social media in fact, you‘re all just penpals as far as he‘s concerned. 😊 5y
squirrelbrain How lovely! ❤️ 5y
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Dolly Love a man who reads! 5y
ljuliel Isn‘t he cute ? We definitely need more men in the group. 5y
JennyM Love love this! 5y
LeeRHarry Great effort this week by your Dad 😊 Mine‘s reading Wilbur Smith at the moment, I‘ll check in with him tonight #loveafamilythatreads (edited) 5y
Crazeedi Hi to your Dad! 5y
Crazeedi I read typhoid mary, jungle of stone looks good 5y
Centique @LeeRHarry well done your Dad 👏👏 5y
Centique @JennyM 😘🥰 5y
batsy Hello, P's dad! 👋🏽This photo is so cute ❤️ 5y
Reggie He‘s so photogenic with that smile!! My dad reads horror and Sci-fi and I love to hear him talking about it. We‘re lucky, Paula. (edited) 5y
Centique @Reggie we are lucky! You know I never saw him with a book my whole childhood - we thought he was dyslexic (like my brother) and maybe struggled to read (because he struggles with spelling) - so the amount he reads now makes me so happy. 5y
Centique @batsy thank you Suba 😘 and hello back at ya! 5y
Cathythoughts Oh he looks gorgeous! ❤️ Hi 👋 Paula‘s lovely Dad 5y
Centique @Cathythoughts thank you lovely Cathy 🥰😘 5y
AlaMich Your dad looks amazing for 87!! 5y
64 likes20 comments
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SW-T
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Pickpick

A short but interesting read about the woman who came to known as Typhoid Mary. Fascinating to learn there were other known carriers, but they didn‘t get treated as Mary did. She was locked up, kept in quarantine, and subjected to forced medical treatment, even though an independent lab tested her and determined her specimens were clear of disease. Dr Sopher‘s journals indicated she wasn‘t demure, deferential, or feminine....according to him.

SW-T He went on to achieve fame and fortune at her expense. 5y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I read about her story for the first time in Typhoid Mary by Anthony Bourdain! He does an excellent job as a fellow cook talking about how ill she was treated. Great book! 5y
SW-T @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘ll have to look for that one! Thanks for the heads up 😊 5y
23 likes3 comments
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Abby2
Pickpick

Very carefully researched story of Typhoid Mary. Written for middle grades it is a complete biography and an interesting read.

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Mdargusch
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This is the nonfiction account of the woman that allegedly spread Typhoid Fever through New York City. She was a cook for upper class people and she was told to stop working once it was determined that she had the fever. But she was #busyearning a living and kept cooking, spreading the disease. Tragically, she ended up sequestered for most of her life. #aprella

MallenNC Thanks for posting this! After reading The Fever I'm interested in reading nonfiction about her. 7y
Mdargusch This was what I read immediately after I read Fever. It‘s astonishing how inept the board of health was then and how far they‘ve come since then. I think you will like this as a follow up @MallenNC 7y
Cathythoughts Lovely picture 💫 7y
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emilyhaldi Good thinking!! That was a hard time.. I imagine if she chose to stay home and not work she would have starved instead 😕 7y
Mdargusch Yes. That was the conundrum @emilyhaldi. She was annoyingly stubborn about quitting her job but it is easy to understand why. 7y
Reviewsbylola Ooh good choice!! 7y
OrangeMooseReads This one is on my shelf and I‘m looking forward to reading it 7y
114 likes7 stack adds8 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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This was difficult to narrow down #mostwantedtopfive
The Journals of Sylvia Plath
We Were Eight Years in Power
What Happened
Terrible Typhoid Mary
Dead Feminists
@Smangela

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Reviewsbylola
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Pickpick

This was a short and informative read on the infamous case of Typhoid Mary. I liked that it gave a brief but detailed history. It also seemed very objective to me. I could see both sides. Public health is undeniably important, however I can also understand why Mary as skeptical of the claims made against her, not to mention the fact that being part of the lower working class didn‘t leave her many options.

EchoLogical I never thought about Mary's POV. I guess seeing her at the heart of so many cases, it seemed pretty straightforward to me. It was a good book, though. I learned a lot from it. 7y
Reviewsbylola I felt bad for her. She didn‘t have many options in life, nor hardly any friends and no family. She must have been very lonely and confused. I was surprised she hated being held in quarantine though. Her cottage looked cute and I would think after years of working as a servant, the peace and solitude would have been welcome. @EchoLogical 7y
DogEaredBooks I read the one by Anthony Bourdain about her point of view and I had never heard or though about how hard it was for her to be put in that position where she could do what she loved and was in forced isolation. 7y
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Reviewsbylola I read that one too! Maybe that‘s why I went into this one understanding her perspective a bit. @DogEaredBooks 7y
emilyhaldi Would this be your first recommendation on Typhoid Mary or are there other books you prefer? I feel like you‘ve read several 🤔 7y
Reviewsbylola This is good if you want a straight forward, easily readable history about Mary Mallon, aka Typhoid Mary. I would say the same of Bourdain‘s book. Fever would probably be where I‘d start though just because it‘s excellent historical fiction. Then I would probably read this to get the full, more accurate picture. @emilyhaldi 7y
97 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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Reviewsbylola
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Genevieve is sick today, poor baby, so between nursing her and cleaning up puke, I‘m having an impromptu readathon. Of course my husband is at the OSU game, so I‘m stuck in this puke house of horrors without adult support. 😂😩 He did buy me bagels and chicken salad though, so hopefully I survive. Praying no one else gets it. 🙏🏻 Hopefully I can at least get some good books read.

Ashley_Nicoletto 🤢 you get a mom award today. Cleaning up puke is just not a thing I think I could handle. I hope she feels better soon and there's less puke. 7y
Reviewsbylola I am terrified of throw up. For some reason, it‘s different when it‘s your own kid, THANK GOD. Still not fun though. She‘s constantly got a bowl by her side so that helps. @Ashley_Nicoletto 7y
Tamra Oh, I hope you don‘t get it!! Hope she feels better soon. They are miserable with stomach aches. 7y
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Reviewsbylola She‘s always a cuddly girl, but extra so when she is sick, so I‘ve been enjoying the snuggles. @Tamra I‘m so paranoid that I‘m next though. 😂😂 7y
Tamra @Reviewsbylola 🤞🏾🤞🏾 Mine get clingy too, but also super whiny! Fortunately it‘s usually short-lived. 7y
aschermetz Godspeed, my friend. Of all the “mothering” things we have to do, puke is the legit worst! 🤢👎 7y
Reviewsbylola She‘s always whiny so no difference there. 😂😂😂 @tamra 7y
Reviewsbylola Agreed! The worst is when you‘re sick too, so hoping to avoid that this time. 🤞🏻 @aschermetz 7y
Tamra @Reviewsbylola 😂 Funny 7y
ErikasMindfulShelf Hope she feels better soon 7y
emilyhaldi Poor baby 😭 where‘s Flo?! 7y
AmandaL Hope she feels better soon, and no one else gets sick. 🤞 7y
Jas16 Oh no! Hope she gets well soon 7y
Reviewsbylola I was lucky and she spent over two hours in the playroom before coming upstairs to torment her sister. She even ate her lunch down there. They just watched iPads in bed together and now they are having popsicles. @emilyhaldi 7y
Lmstraubie Hope she feels better & you all stay germ free!! 7y
minkyb Sorry Mom, hope she feels better really soon. 7y
Reviewsbylola She is feeling much better, thank you. ❤️ @irre @amandal @Jas16 @Lmstraubie @minkyb 7y
batsy "puke house of horrors" ? Honestly, that must be one of the (many!) challenging things about being a parent. Glad to hear she's feeling better! 7y
moranadatter Just saw this. Glad she‘s feeling better! 7y
ValerieAndBooks Aww. I‘m glad she‘s feeling better; hope no one else gets sick also! 7y
101 likes20 comments
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Reviewsbylola
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PER DAY!!!?! That‘s a lot!! 🐎 💩🤢

Cinfhen Did you ever read 7y
litmuggle Are you enjoying this book I've been wanting to buy it. 7y
cariashley 😳💩 7y
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HKGirl 😲😲😲 7y
Reviewsbylola I did, although I don‘t remember it well. I know I liked it though! @Cinfhen 7y
Reviewsbylola It‘s great so far! @litmuggle 7y
emilyhaldi Still smells like horse poo on these streets 😝 7y
Reviewsbylola Ha! You think it‘s bad now, can you imagine back then?!? @emilyhaldi 7y
Cinfhen So true @emilyhaldi 🐴😖it stinks sooooo bad by the park 7y
Cinfhen It was such a great book @Reviewsbylola it was all about Mary 7y
Reviewsbylola I need to reread it. I can‘t remember if I still own it. I usually get rid of books once I read them. @Cinfhen 7y
Cinfhen Same, I find I don‘t really enjoy a book as much on a re-read 😣 7y
Reviewsbylola Totally agree! I rarely reread books anymore. @Cinfhen As a teenager, if I liked a book, I read it countless times. Funny how it changed! 7y
ElishaLovesBooks @Cinfhen @Reviewsbylola I was trying to remember the book I read about Typhoid Mary!!! I found it fascinating! (edited) 7y
Cinfhen It was such a great book @ElishaLovesBooks I love that time period as well...another good book set in late 1800‘s NYC is 7y
ElishaLovesBooks @Cinfhen I don‘t think I‘ve read that! Thanks for the rec!😊 7y
Reviewsbylola Thanks for the rec @Cinfhen , stacked! 7y
74 likes3 stack adds17 comments
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Books_Wine_Repeat
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Pickpick

A brief account of Mary Mallon. She was a healthy carrier of typhoid whom infected many people with her cooking. Her unlawful detention/imprisonment and her infamy was sensationalized in the media and she was branded with the moniker of Typhoid Mary. The book was interesting yet I felt sorry for the despicable way in which Mary was treated.

Yeah_I_Read I read a novel about this... I can't remember the name but I really liked it 7y
Books_Wine_Repeat @Yeah_I_Read Sounds interesting! Thanks, added to my list. 😁👍 7y
BkClubCare Anthony Bourdain wrote a book about Typhoid Mary. 7y
61 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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EchoLogical
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After infecting an estimated 20 odd people, cook Mary Mallon bka Typhoid Mary, was quarantined for over two decades
#GoodRiddance
#90sinJuly

@Robothugs
@Cinfhen

suvata Oooo! Gotta add this to my TBR. 7y
Robothugs 😧😧😧 7y
Cinfhen One of the best books I read about Typhoid Mary was 7y
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Cinfhen Definitely worth stacking!!!! 7y
EchoLogical @Bookworm54 @Bks4Wrms Just a heads up, this is a kids book. 7y
EchoLogical @Cinfhen I've just stacked Fever! 7y
Cinfhen Oh good 😊 I REALLY liked it ~ hope you will as well 7y
Bookworm54 @EchoLogical nothing wrong with that :) 7y
Eryn2513 Hahaha... I'll probably still read it! 7y
34 likes4 stack adds10 comments
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MrsAlexanderHamilton
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Pickpick

A very brief overview of Typhoid Mary. I was torn between having empathy and being angry with her. It was a quick and interesting read.

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hufflepuff_librarian
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Pickpick

This was an enlightening read. I didn't even know that people could be "healthy carriers" of horrible diseases! Poor Mary. She did not have a happy life once they figured out that she was a healthy carrier of Typhoid!

EvieBee I didn't either until a recent episode of Call the Midwife. 8y
8 likes1 comment
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Crystallinegirl
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Mehso-so

A very succinct history of a real-life woman who spawned a new expression of speech. (Minus the index, photo album, and reference notes, the text comes in at 155 pages.) The writing is good, though sparing in details about the woman herself. (Understandable, given the lack of surviving information.) Decent enough book for a light read.

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Crystallinegirl
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My library #bookhaul today. Finished the Cursed Child already, about to start on Typhoid Mary, mostly because it's the shortest of the lot! I've got a reading list written up about notable women in history - the Michelle Obama book is from that list, but the rest are random finds from the biography shelf. #booktober #unforgettablewomen @RealLifeReading

Victorialeanna Great picks 8y
12 likes1 comment
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queerbookreader
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Pickpick

I am officially in love with YA/middle grade nonfiction. 1) enough info on a subject so that you learn enough and can decide if you enjoy the subject or not 2) has to be engaging because of its target audience 3) so you aren't falling asleep bcz it's so dry and you aren't drowning in an information dump. It's great. Loved it. Watched a show on Typhoid Mary a long time ago and picked this up to learn a little more.

Johanna414 Lol the only nonfiction I read is from my middle high school 8y
StephBengtson This has been on my list for awhile! No shame! 8y
31 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Downtonabbeyroad394
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Dinner😜

MrBook Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiice!!!!! 😁🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 8y
12 likes1 comment
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queerbookreader
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BOOKSBOOKSBOOKSBOOKS

DebinHawaii Great stack! 📚👍❤️ 8y
Carol Faaaaaaiiiiiittttthhhh!!!! 8y
39 likes2 comments
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MrBook
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Pickpick

A quick and engrossing read into the life & times of house cook "Typhoid" Mary Mallon. Her life was a grave tragedy, shifting from thrift & hardship to confusing & unjust imprisonment. Women's identity, immigration, NYC at the turn of the 20th Century, & some history of the medical field, are covered at length. The person behind the notorious legend is powerfully revealed, & I'm so glad I read this. #PairWith: Kavanagh Irish Cream Liqueur, neat.

pppooraikul Added to my TBR tower! They even taught about her in Infectious Diseases class and I always wanted to read the book for real. (But my TBR is apparently too long...) 8y
KimM I learned about her from an episode of Drunk History 😂 8y
StephBengtson Ooh I've been wanting to read this! 8y
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MrBook @pppooraikul That's very cool they taught about her in class. Is that considered an honor? Lol. If you wanted to move this book up your queue, it only took around 3 or 4 hours for me to read, I think. @KimM 😂😂👍🏻! I like the sound of that podcast. @StephBengtson You'll be happy you did 😊👍🏻! 8y
tricours I think they referred to her in The Knick! (Awesome series) I regret not getting this book when it was an Audible Daily Deal 8y
MMenefee The first Anthony Bourdain book I read was about her. 8y
MrBook @MMenefee I didn't even know about that one. 😁👍🏻👌🏻 8y
MrBook @tricours I'll have to check that out! Hmm, I wonder how the audio sounds. 😊👍🏻 8y
tricours @MrBook you haven't seen the Knick? 8y
LeahBergen You better disinfect that counter now. 😃 And I second the Bourdain recommendation @MMenefee ! 8y
MrBook @tricours lol, no. The only show I watch regularly is TWD, but I only watched up until last season's mid-season finale, at which point my cable company dropped AMC 😡. @LeahBergen 😂😜👍🏻👏🏻 8y
tricours Oh! We don't have channels, just Netflix and HBO, so we watch lots of shows 😉 TWD has awful actors and writers, The Knick is seriously a masterpiece in comparison. It's awesome for anyone interested in early medicine and surgery! 8y
MrBook @tricours I'm making a note now 😁👍🏻!! 8y
drokka Personally, I think everything pairs well with Irish (or even Heather) cream. :D On a different note, this looks an interesting book. 8y
MrBook @drokka I highly recommend the book 😁. Oooh, Heather cream. I only ever had it once, it was delightful 😊👏🏻. 8y
Kluckleesie Intrigued. Adding it to my stack. 8y
MrBook @Kluckleesie 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻! I don't believe you'll be disappointed 😊. 8y
130 likes30 stack adds17 comments
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BookBabe
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Pickpick

It's #recommendsday ! Coale the black cat is clearly riveted by this "true story of the deadliest cook in America." Appropriate for middle grade kids to adults, it's a very quick, interesting read, and includes antique photos. Engaging and reads like fiction. What a story! No one was safe from Terrible Typhoid Mary. ?

Maike Coale is such a beauty 😍 8y
Sue I can see the concentration in his face 💕 8y
DebinHawaii Not sure my Max 🐱 would find it so interesting but I would. 😉 I downloaded Anthony Bourdain's short 'Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical' ages ago but have not gotten around to reading it yet. 8y
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CherylDeFranceschi 😻❤️ 8y
CherylDeFranceschi @DebinHawaii While I love Bourdain's memoirs, I found his book about Typhoid Mary informative but very dry. 8y
BookBabe @CherylDeFranceschi @DebinHawaii this book isn't dry at all! 👍🏻 8y
DebinHawaii @CherylDeFranceschi Good to know. That may be the reason I didn't get around to more than a few pages & have not made my way back to it yet. 😉 8y
BookBabe @Maike oh, thank you. I'll tell him you said so. His daddy @MrBook and I agree. 😸 8y
BookBabe @Sue 😸 8y
CherylDeFranceschi @BookBabe As I said, I really do love Bourdain. And how can you make the story of Typhoid Mary dry? I will try your pick now! 8y
LauraBeth What a beautiful cat 😻😻 8y
britt_brooke @CherylDeFranceschi I love Bourdain's books, too, but I agree, his Typhoid Mary was almost painful to get through. I'm adding this one! @BookBabe 8y
MrBook 😻 8y
BookBabe @britt_brooke 😊👍🏻 8y
BookBabe @LauraBeth Thank you! 😊 8y
LitHousewife I've never read about her. I am going to look for this one. 8y
Weebumpydragon Nice cat and nice quilt 💓 8y
brendanmleonard Awesome sounding selection! Added! 8y
BookBabe @LitHousewife 😊👍🏻 8y
BookBabe @Weebumpydragon Thanks! He is a cutie, isn't he? 😸 The quilt was hand-made as a gift for us by @MrBook 's stepmom. 🙂 8y
TheWellReadOwl Such a literary kitty! 8y
BookBabe @TheWellReadOwl He sure is! He loves books as much as his mommy and daddy do. He even sniffs them like we do. 😉 8y
Hugoreads Ahhh....book sniffing is one of life's greatest pleasures. Beautiful kitty! 8y
BookBabe @Hugoreads it is indeed! And thank you! I tell him all the time how handsome he is. 😊 8y
wanderlustywriter Love him! I miss my black kitty so much! 8y
129 likes18 stack adds26 comments
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Kim3
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Pickpick

I had to read this book before putting it in my classroom library in the fall. I predict that it won't stay on the shelf for long!

MrBook This was a great read. I concur 😊👍🏻! 8y
2 likes1 comment