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Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell | Susanna Clarke
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review
RaeLovesToRead
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Pickpick

This hefty and magical work of literary fantasy is a masterpiece.

Full of atmospheric moments, superior world building, gorgeous prose, and wry Georgian character, Norrell and Strange exudes quality from every pore.

Unarguably a slow burn, this book will linger in the mind long after reading.

I hit a massive reading slump around page 700, but it picked up again by the end, and I will never forget Norrell or Strange in all their eccentricity!

dabbe You've inspired me to maybe wield it off my shelf. 🤩 3w
Karisimo @dabbe maybe this could be a buddy read in 2025! It‘s been on my list forever too! 3w
willaful I'm slumping too. :-( 3w
See All 8 Comments
dabbe @Karisimo Ooh, that's a thought! Let's ponder! 🤔 3w
RaeLovesToRead @dabbe @Karisimo You won't regret it. It's a wonderful book. Slow paced, but delicious. 2w
RaeLovesToRead @willaful I hope you get out of the slump soon. I'm fighting mine with mysteries this winter, I've decided! 2w
dabbe @RaeLovesToRead A “delicious“ book. Now, THAT is too inviting for words! 🤩 2w
willaful @dabbe A good word for a book in which a book is literally eaten. 😂 (edited) 2w
63 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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willaful

How is a magician to exist without books? Let someone explain *that* to me. It is like asking a politician to achieve high office without the benefit of bribes or patronage.

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willaful

Finding this an odd read. I'm not exactly bored, but there's such a remove from all the characters that I have no one to be interested in. It's like reading a moderately entertaining history book.

#DoubleSpin

PuddleJumper That's exactly why I loved it 🤣 I loved all the citations and footnotes 4w
willaful @PuddleJumper They're the most interesting part! And unfortunately rather hard to access on my Kobo. 😒 4w
PuddleJumper @willaful Ah hadn't thought how it would translate digitally. I had a paperback though it was chonky 4w
24 likes3 comments
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willaful

Did not occur to me that there might be long waits for this 20 year old book, so I'm pretty late starting. #DoubleSpin

Ruthiella That also still surprises me, when an older book still has a wait list at the library, though I find generally it‘s ebooks and audio mainly, not hard covers. 4w
willaful @Ruthiella Apparently they've done a show of it, so everyone's interested again. I have access to a ton of Overdrive libraries (lawfully!) and they're all booked solid. And my local library throws out print books with reckless abandon. 🤬

I finally got it from Cloud Library, which is fine, but my Kobo is not handling the footnotes well. 🤨
4w
24 likes1 stack add2 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
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Rae meets Susanna Clarke.

Photos weren't allowed, but the talk was fascinating. She was in convo with Rev. Richard Coles.

Found out that she once lived in Southwell. REPRESENT!!!!!!!! 🥰🥰🥰

I'm still only halfway through this wonderful and expansive book, but it's spellbinding and I love it.

Ruthiella I loved this book also! 2mo
Bookwomble It is a wonderfully dense, discursive and magical book. Enjoy 💖 2mo
willaful On my #10BeforeTheEnd“ list. 2mo
RaeLovesToRead @Ruthiella @Bookwomble The talk was fantastic 💕 2mo
RaeLovesToRead @willaful Mine too haha... I've got another 300 or so pages to go! It's a book to savour though 2mo
60 likes5 comments
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IndoorDame
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 👍🏻📚 3mo
Eggs Dramatic image 👏🏻👏🏻 3mo
41 likes2 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
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I am loving this so far! And they've just mentioned my little town 🥰🥰🥰

Yuki_Onna Wow - that is awesome! 🧡 3mo
Aims42 This is one of those books I wish I could read for the first time again 🥰 I loved it! 3mo
Caroline2 Cute bag!! 🥰 3mo
BekaReid This book is so good! I love Susanna Clarke\'s writing and worldbuilding especially the magic system and atmosphere that she created. 3mo
73 likes4 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
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New acquisitions!

LibrarianRyan like that edition of 3 Body problem
3mo
61 likes1 stack add1 comment
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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#two4tuesday

🍎

I‘m making very slow progress through the tagged book - sometimes on my phone, sometimes on my kindle.

TheSpineView 🍎🍎❤️📖 Thanks for playing 4mo
32 likes1 comment
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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😝 I am enjoying the undercurrent of humour in this book - keeps me going!

But also, if you break into a house via the pantry window… you might as well help yourself to pie and cheese!

40 likes1 stack add
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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Got through a couple of chapters while waiting for The Last Dinner Party to start… I‘m not a huge fan of general admission (especially when the venue gets changed - general admission at the Forum is fine but I really couldn‘t see much at Festival Hall) but despite seemingly being surrounded by the tallest people in Melbourne- it was a brilliant show! (I‘m concerned about international acts enthusiasm for the shoey tho… just say NO!)

35 likes1 stack add
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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14 hours and 55 minutes left in book 😮

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Ruthiella
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Thanks for the tag @The_Penniless_Author 🙏

1. I think young me would have liked to be a flying horse.

2. The tagged book has fairies, which I don‘t want to be because they‘re kinda mean. 🧚

#Two4Tuesday

TheSpineView Great answers! Thanks for playing 9mo
43 likes1 comment
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Elizabeth2
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#freebiefriday #litsylove

Favorite chunkster….I love a good chunkster! Favorites include the Outlander series, Paradise…probably my most recent favorite chunkster read was Johnathan Strange & Mr. Norrel. It was about 1,000 pages, a book club pick, and I didn‘t expect to like it. I ended up loving it! ❤️📚

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life @TieDyeDude

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I am so intimidated by chunksters!! 10mo
Read4life I‘ve read the first 4 in the Outlander series and enjoyed them. 💙 10mo
30 likes2 comments
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mjtwo
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Panpan

12-28 Feb 24 (audiobook)
Not for me. I battled my way through this for over two weeks and really not sure why I persisted. It seemed to go forever, made worse by the fact that I kept tuning out or falling asleep and having to rewind.
Whilst it was probably well-written, I have now concluded that Clarke‘s books are not for me.

dabbe I panned this, too! #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 10mo
mjtwo @dabbe I really should have bailed! 10mo
18 likes2 comments
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Fr3NcHtOaSt
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Fourth time attempting to read this and this time is the charm. I am finally engrossed in it at 100 pages in on kindle(not sure what this equates to in paper pages). Probably enjoying this more because I‘ve been reading a bunch of McCammon‘s Matthew Corbett series this year and I like the historical part of it, but this blends that with magic.

#JonathanStrangeandMrNorrell #SusannaClarke #ebook #kindle

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jenniferw88
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I tried to do a #bookerdozen @vivastory , but out of the ones I've read (18 + 2 bails), these 3 are the only ones that stood out. There's plenty more of them on the list that I want to read eventually, though 😂😂😂!

vivastory I was just looking at my copy of Jonathan Strange the other week thinking I should give it another shot after bailing on it a few years ago lol. 11mo
67 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book. It‘s written as if it were a biography of two magicians who restored English magic; it even has footnotes. I‘m tempted to say it‘s too long, but I was never bored, so it‘s probably just right. Neither Strange nor Norell are particularly nice people, but I don‘t need everyone to be likeable. I‘m really glad I finally read this book. #audiowalk

IndoorDame I felt exactly the same way about this one when I read it in January! 12mo
KathyWheeler @IndoorDame I had been putting it off forever because the print in my hardback copy is so tiny! It finally occurred to me to listen to it. 12mo
Ruthiella I think this book justifies its length. I loved it and loved getting lost in it. 😃 12mo
KathyWheeler @Ruthiella I agree. I was surprised that I was never ever bored — usually a book that long drags in a few places. This one doesn‘t. 12mo
33 likes4 comments
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KathyWheeler
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I‘ve got less than 2 hours left in this book, so I should be finished tomorrow. At 32 hours, it‘s the longest book I‘ve listened to or read in a while. The audiobook of Stephen King‘s Fairy Tale (which is the longest book I‘ve read this year) is 24 hours and 6 minutes. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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Finally got our Christmas tree today. Tomorrow we will decorate it. Christmas is in a week. Yikes! #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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I only have 8 hours and 50 minutes left in this 32 hr and 29 min audiobook! Yay! It‘s due back to the library in 6 days — I shouldn‘t have to renew it. Mr. Norell is an egotistical snake! #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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That Mr. Norell is a piece of work! I‘m feeling better after being sick from the vaccines, so I got in some walks today. #audiowalk

Texreader Glad you‘re feeling better! 12mo
KathyWheeler @Texreader Thanks! Me too. 12mo
16 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
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Busy day today — doctor‘s appointment, 4 vaccines, some shopping, and the museum of art‘s reception downtown which featured 3 of my daughter‘s pieces. I‘m surprised I was able to fit in a walk. I‘m so tired now & don‘t know if it‘s from the busy day, the vaccines, or both. This is a long book but it looks like I‘m about halfway through. #audiowalk

Texreader Great reminder. I‘m due for a vaccine. Hope you recover soon!! 12mo
KathyWheeler @Texreader Thanks. Normally I don‘t react to vaccines, but maybe 4 at once was bit much. 😊 12mo
34 likes2 comments
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KathyWheeler
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I‘m really liking the writing and the world building in this book. I do wish there was a little more explanation of how the magic works; I seem to remember it being more specific in the show. That‘s a minor issue though. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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Finally, Jonathan Strange shows up somewhere besides the footnotes! Almost 8 hours in. That live oak at the bottom is Duffie Oak in Mobile; it‘s supposed to be one of the oldest trees in the US. It was almost cut down years ago for an apartment complex, but neighbors protested and it was saved. #audiowalk

Reggie Yayyyy for the saved tree! 12mo
Bookwormjillk Thank goodness they saved that beautiful tree! 12mo
KathyWheeler @Bookwormjillk @Reggie Yes! I was surprised anyone was even considering cutting it down. 12mo
29 likes3 comments
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KathyWheeler
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This feels like what a fantasy novel written by Dickens would be like. I really like it so far. I‘m glad I finally chose to listen to it. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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I‘ve always wanted to read this, but the print in my hardback copy is so tiny that I was intimidated. Audio seems the way to go. So far, I really like it, but I expected to because I loved the tv series. #audiowalk

review
AllDebooks
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Pickpick

A reread comfort read that I adored even more than the first time. It's such an engaging story with a wonderful, eccentric cast of characters. Equal parts are gothic, creepy and hilarious. Mr Norrell is one of my all-time favourite characters. 5⭐️

#20in4 #RushReadathon @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏, I keep meaning to read this - not got there yet. 13mo
AllDebooks @Andrew65 it is a commitment at over 1000 pages 😅 13mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 13mo
See All 8 Comments
KathyWheeler I loved the tv show, but I haven‘t read the book. The print on my copy is so tiny! 13mo
Andrew65 @AllDebooks Next year I‘m hoping will be the year of big books, got so many to get to! 13mo
AllDebooks @KathyWheeler the tv show is so good too 13mo
AllDebooks @Andrew65 I like big books and I cannot lie... 13mo
Andrew65 @AllDebooks Always great to get lost in one. 13mo
51 likes1 stack add8 comments
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AllDebooks
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#NovelNovember readathon roundup.

📖 Bailed on Pym. I love her writing but didn't take to the characters.
📖 Kept up with #NaturaLitsy reading of The Secret Garden.
📖 750 pages of J S & Mr Norrell. Hope to finish this today as I can not stop reading it.
📖 Starting The glass blowers and Our darkest night after Norrell.
📖 I got distracted by Bret Easton Ellis's collection of essays White and History Hit's series on Napolean.
@Andrew65

Andrew65 Excellent, thanks for playing along 👏👏👏🍾🥂🎉🎊 13mo
AllDebooks Listen to 1. Napoleon: The Early Years by Dan Snow's History Hit on Audible. https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B0CNP4M9X3?source_code=ASSOR150021221000K 13mo
AllDebooks @Andrew65 😊 Thanks for hosting x 13mo
47 likes3 comments
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AllDebooks
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This guy and his books. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Bluebird 🤣😂😲 13mo
46 likes1 comment
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AllDebooks
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I'm thoroughly enjoying revisiting this old favourite. I had forgotten how funny it is.

Mr Norrell has to be one of the best characters in English literature imo. Eddie Marsan did a magnificent job bringing him to life in the BBC adaptation.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jonathan-Strange-Mr-Norrell/dp/B00Y1PPAHIhickleberrypun...

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AllDebooks
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Oh, hello, old friend 😍
I have a stinking cold and feeling sorry for myself. So, a day of comfort, it is.
Favourite book ✔️
Cat ✔️
Herbal tea ✔️
Blankets✔️

Have a great Saturday x

LeeRHarry Feel better soon! Looks like you have all the ingredients there to do so 😊 13mo
quietlycuriouskate Hope you enjoy a cosy day despite your cold. I'm thinking I'll follow your lead. I've got "the Novembers" today: nothing really wrong, just low mood and no energy. 13mo
AllDebooks @LeeRHarry hopefully 😊 13mo
See All 23 Comments
AllDebooks @quietlycuriouskate oh no, not the "Novs". Do it, a day of self care doing what you enjoy most will perk you up x 13mo
Bookwomble I hope you're feeling better soon 💖📖🍵🐈‍⬛ 13mo
Bookwormjillk Hope you feel better soon 13mo
Librarybelle Hope you feel better soon! 13mo
julieclair Feel better soon! I love your cozy comfort plan for the day. 13mo
TheLudicReader Hope you feel better soon. 13mo
jlhammar Glad you are taking a day of comfort. Hope you're feeling better soon. 13mo
AllDebooks @Bookwomble thank you 😊 13mo
AllDebooks @Bookwormjillk thank you 😊 13mo
AllDebooks @Librarybelle thank you 😊 13mo
AllDebooks @julieclair thank you 😊 13mo
AllDebooks @TheLudicReader thank you 😊 13mo
AllDebooks @jlhammar it's much needed. Thank you x 13mo
dabbe Feel better! 🧡🖤💜 13mo
AnnCrystal May your day of rest and favorites help you feel better soon. 13mo
Bluebird Hope you are feeling better! 13mo
AllDebooks @dabbe 😊 13mo
AllDebooks Thank you all, I do feel so much better after a day resting x 13mo
50 likes23 comments
review
Cazxxx
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Pickpick

‘I have been many things since last we met. I have been trees and rivers and hills and stones. I have spoken to stars and earth and wind. One cannot be the conduit through which all English magic flows and still be oneself.‘

5 ⭐️

AllDebooks This book 😍 maybe time for a revisit 1y
Cazxxx @AllDebooks It was so good! 1y
gossamerchild This was one of those books that I despised the first read through and then adored it on my second read through. Might have to read it again :-D 1y
See All 6 Comments
Cazxxx @gossamerchild I think you should 😄 1y
perfectsinner Wow, that's great. I got about 60% through it and bailed. Nothing ever seemed to happen and I was way too bored. 1y
Cazxxx @perfectsinner I can totally understand that it wouldn‘t be for everyone 1y
49 likes4 stack adds6 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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Panpan

While there are aspects of this novel that make it an impressive accomplishment, it's not for me. I remain grateful to any work that helps me fine tune my reading tastes. Not only do I have it further confirmed that books which are either set in a historical time period or written in a style of a novel from an earlier time are rarely hits for me, I've got fresh evidence that I don't really enjoy books focused on the learning & practice of magic.

Robotswithpersonality There are tropes of historical novels which I can pluck out as exhausting to me: focus on etiquette/manners, tragedy striking love affairs, a war going on in the background, the women (and other minorities!) more often victims and plot devices than characters of import - though the way this book ended, a case could be made that basically everybody was being used! 1y
Robotswithpersonality Not necessarily only historical book issue, this book also had more not-favoured features of long books: the slow unwinding of dastardly calculations from obviously despicable characters, and likewise those who might have been allies slowly making a mess of things, the folly of arrogance, the slow seeping poison of selfish insecurity... finding out it was 'all the part of the plan' really doesn't make up for getting us invested and then frustrated by characters for hundreds of pages. Fae are terrible, magic is dangerous, and after all that, even if it ended happily (up for debate), the reader's left with a lesson that in no way relates to their life. To me that can't help but be dissatisfying. Now I know! 🤷🏼‍♂️ 1y
Robotswithpersonality ⚠️Outdated/offensive language for black person, period typical racism, antisemitism 1y
16 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Robotswithpersonality
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Cats: judging you for your own good.😆😾🐈‍⬛

Bklover A bit of truth to that! 1y
12 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
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Self burn? ?
"... novelists were quite another..." ??

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Robotswithpersonality
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Painful authenticity added by mentioning the version where it's a group of persecuted women who leave the traditional domestic sphere is the less popular version of the story. 😑

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Robotswithpersonality
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Getting some real Gollum/Bilbo with the One Ring vibes here...my precious...📚

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Robotswithpersonality
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Don't mess with a French figurehead! 😄

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IndoorDame
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Keeping with my theme from last week‘s #weirdwordwednesday I love this one too! though it might be a tad too pretentious sounding to actually use, even in writing, (kinda a thing with this book if I remember 😆) #weirdwords @CBee

dabbe 💙🖤🩵 1y
DaveGreen7777 As an aside, I do love the band Lacuna Coil! 😁🤘🎶 1y
48 likes2 comments
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perfectsinner

Abandoned halfway through.

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perfectsinner
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I was going to check this out from my library because I had it tagged in Libby as a potential read but when I saw it was almost 900 pages, I went with the kindle version instead to save my hands
I'm no stranger to big books and I love them, but my arthritic hands do not any more.. so kindle version won out this time.

14 likes1 stack add
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Ladygodiva7
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I was told by a online stranger that this is a REALLY good book, so here we are.

#bigbook #npr100sff

Bookwomble It is really good! Another Online Stranger recommendation! 😄 2y
70 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
IndoorDame
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Pickpick

I‘m left with mixed feelings. I‘ve tried & failed to read both the print & audio versions before, but the combo worked. All the complaints I usually hear about this are completely true, but they‘re also integral to the tone and atmosphere the author is trying to convey. Anything singular always pleases me, so this is a pick, but I couldn‘t decide if I wanted it to meander along forever or hurry up & get to the point. #Booked2023 #GaslampFantasy

BkClubCare Agreed; I ended up giving it a so-so, but I am very glad that I read it. 2y
Cinfhen Excellent review 🖤🤍 2y
Knitmaths This is next on my list to read having had it highly recommended by the husband! 2y
See All 6 Comments
IndoorDame @Knitmaths I hope you enjoy it! 2y
Ruthiella I loved this, but agree it is singular. I also read it quite a few years ago when I was better able to luxuriate with just one book at a time. 2y
IndoorDame @Ruthiella I miss having the focus to read one book at a time 2y
66 likes1 stack add6 comments
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IndoorDame
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So not the book I thought I‘d learn useful facts from! I remember hearing this term for the first time when I was around 8 years old and desperately wondering what it had to do with 🦍. But I wasn‘t the type of child who asked my parents stuff and this was before the internet, so until I got to this footnote today it never occurred to me to look it up 😂

review
thepostman96
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Panpan

This was not worth the 1000 pages and 2 months it took me to read this. I wanted so desperately to like this book, but neither the plot nor the characters were at all appealing enough to keep me. Clarke mimicked 19th century style writing (which she did well) and it‘s a very “tell not show” style with flat characters. It can work for a shorter book, but it‘s a slog for 1000 pages. I would have DNFed this, but, of course, book club 😕

mcctrish 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 well done ( and thx cuz I‘m taking it off my TBR 🤣) 2y
IndoorDame I‘ve tried the audio version twice and never gotten very far, but I may give it another go next year cause it fits one of my challenge prompts and I‘m trying to read more of the books I own, plus I have so many friends who love it 2y
emz711 Aw such a slow burn, but for you to put down if you're not into it. You can try the miniseries on bbc! 2y
See All 8 Comments
emz711 I would also suggest her much shorter story. It's incredible! 2y
thepostman96 @emz711 I read Piranesi about a year ago and enjoyed it. That‘s one of the reasons why I was expecting to like this one. I think they‘re quite different, stylistically. 2y
thepostman96 @IndoorDame It picked up a little the last 100 pages, but in my opinion, 100 pages isn‘t worth the 900 it takes to get there. But a lot of people really like this book and I can see why. I needed either some more dynamic and developed characters or a quicker plot. 2y
thepostman96 @mcctrish happy to help 😆 2y
IndoorDame @reclusivepigeon good to know. Thanks! 2y
9 likes8 comments
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Magpiegem
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Well I‘m feeling rather pleased with myself. I am planning to read mainly from shelf/kindle next year. This is my #booked2023 physical TBR - I had so many that fit the brief! And I also have a couple on my kindle. I‘m just filling out my StoryGraph prompts so I don‘t forget what‘s what! Very excited to get going but first I need to finish up #booked2022 😂

Cinfhen Yay!!!!! That‘s awesome!!! Isn‘t it great when you already have a stack to choose from??!!? 😁 2y
39 likes1 comment