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The Witching Hour
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
From the author of the extraordinary Vampire Chronicles comes a huge, hypnotic novel of witchcraft and the occult through four centuries. Demonstrating, once again, her gift for spellbinding storytelling and the creation of legend, Anne Rice makes real for us a great dynasty of witches--a family given to poetry and to incest, to murder and to philosophy; a family that, over the ages, is itself haunted by a powerful, dangerous, and seductive being.On the veranda of a great New Orleans house, now faded, a mute and fragile woman sits rocking . . . and The Witching Hour begins.It begins in our time with a rescue at sea.Rowan Mayfair, a beautiful woman, a brilliant practitioner of neurosurgery--aware that she has special powers but unaware that she comes from an ancient line of witches--finds the drowned body of a man off the coast of California and brings him to life.He is Michael Curry, who was born in New Orleans and orphaned in childhood by fire on Christmas Eve, who pulled himself up from poverty, and who now, in his brief interval of death, has acquired a sensory power that mystifies and frightens him.As these two, fiercely drawn to each other, fall in love and--in passionate alliance--set out to solve the mystery of her past and his unwelcome gift, the novel moves backward and forward in time from today's New Orleans and San Francisco to long-ago Amsterdam and a chteau in the France of Louis XIV.An intricate tale of evil unfolds--an evil unleashed in seventeenth-century Scotland, where the first "witch," Suzanne of the Mayfair, conjures up the spirit she names Lasher . . . a creation that spells her own destruction and torments each of her descendants in turn.From the coffee plantations of Port au Prince, where the great Mayfair fortune is made and the legacy of their dark power is almost destroyed, to Civil War New Orleans, as Julien--the clan's only male to be endowed with occult powers--provides for the dynasty its foothold in America, the dark, luminous story encompasses dramas of seduction and death, episodes of tenderness and healing.And always--through peril and escape, tension and release--there swirl around us the echoes of eternal war: innocence versus the corruption of the spirit, sanity against madness, life against death.With a dreamlike power, the novel draws us, through circuitous, twilight paths, to the present and Rowan's increasingly inspired and risky moves in the merciless game that binds her to her heritage. And in New Orleans, on Christmas Eve, this strangest of family sagas is brought to its startling climax.From the Hardcover edition.
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JudeCC
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Eggs Awesome 🧙 1mo
41 likes2 comments
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TheSpineView
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Eggs 🖤❤️🖤 1mo
50 likes2 comments
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BookwormOfTheDamned
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Pickpick

In this video, not only do we review “The Witching Hour,“ but we visit the house Anne Rice lived in!

https://youtu.be/VjmzWX8UYHI

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Shemac77
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Mehso-so

When I first read this book in my early 20‘s I absolutely loved it. I re-read it a few years ago and was decidedly underwhelmed. But then I gave the audible a chance. Which was….fine. But now I feel like I have to listen to the whole series.

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Shemac77
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Next audible

Cathythoughts Beautiful picture ❤️ 4mo
Shemac77 Thank you @Cathythoughts I took while zipping by in the ambulance. 4mo
Cathythoughts ❤️ 4mo
22 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Jjaxn95
Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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I‘ve not read Anne Rice before but my Aunt gave these to me so apparently I‘m going to become a fan! Excited to discover something “new” !! 🤩

5feet.of.fury Some day I will read those Witching Hour books. I‘ve started the 1st book a few times but keep putting it off 6mo
18 likes1 comment
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deliasson
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Mehso-so

This book contains a lot of incest and some very intimate scenes. The sentences are very long and Dialogue can be difficult to follow due to a lack of pronouns. Overall, the book is rather redundant and large chunks could be eliminated without affecting the overall story.

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Traci1
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Bailedbailed

I loved this book first time I read it when I was a teenager, nearly 30 years ago. I decided to give it another shot to see if it held up. It did not. I'm not sure what young me was thinking, honestly. It's. Just. So. Boring. After 18 hours, I'm at the 65% mark, and I am throwing in the towel. Ugh.

LiseWorks Thank you, I thought it was just me 13mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 13mo
See All 8 Comments
Read4life 🍁👻🎃 13mo
Catsandbooks 👻👻 13mo
Andrew65 Oh no 😝 13mo
TheAromaofBooks Some books just have to stay on the nostalgia shelf undisturbed 😂 13mo
Traci1 @TheAromaofBooks yeah, I sort of regret trying it again. Now it's forever tainted my memory. ☹️ 13mo
53 likes8 comments
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BookwormAHN
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So pretty 🖤 13mo
Eggs Beautiful 🖤🤍🖤 13mo
39 likes2 comments
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Traci1
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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I know most people loved her vampire books, but my favorite was always this one.

#scarathlon #photochallenge day 11: witch
+6 team #spookyghostclub @Clwojick

itsjustme40something This was always my favorite too 💜 13mo
Traci1 @itsjustme40something I keep meaning to start it up again. I think it's been about two decades since I last read it. 13mo
41 likes2 comments
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bekakins
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Pickpick

Well bloody hell. This was a reread so I knew it was epic but had forgotten how bloody epic. Enjoyable #doublespin for July, my favourite section of the book is definitely the history of the Mayfair witches 🧙‍♀️

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
6 likes1 comment
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TalesandTexts
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Pickpick

The section about the Mayfair Witches‘ history was the best part.

The author has resorted to common tropes and prejudices held against women dubbed as “witches”. The author has also culturally appropriated certain African magical practices as part of the narrative. This book is a work of its time and would perhaps be cancelled if written today.

The book contains references to rape, incest and necrophilia.

The narrator has done a fine job.

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Coleen
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Mehso-so

This was a re-read for me, since I heard they were making a TV series. I remember loving this book when I read it probably 20 years ago. I think it must‘ve been an abridged edition back then, because my reading experience was totally different this time around. Anne Rice is good at researching & creating history, but gosh, this was long and often repetitive. As for the TV series…DON‘T DO IT! Truly awful.

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JessClark78
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Pickpick

Book One of Lives of Mayfair Witches

This was my first time reading this. I started this in January to read along with the new AMC series so I could be more familiar with the story. The book is very in depth and well written. Took a little while to read but I‘m glad I did. It‘s so much better than the TV adaptation.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#SeriesLove2023

TheSpineView This is on my TBR list. Fantastic! 2y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I need to start this soon. It's the longest book (that's easily accessible) on my shelves. 2y
59 likes2 comments
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BookishBelle
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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I‘m off work today and decided to take myself out for breakfast. They had my favorite multigrain sourdough available today so I bought a loaf for breakfasts for awhile. #Winning Just starting this #chunkster. It‘s a little weird so far but what else should I expect from Anne Rice? Lol

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Violetsunrise84
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice

I am 12 pages into this novel. I expect that I will be reading this for a while given that it‘s over 1000 pages long. Yes, I am also watching the TV series. #TheWitchingHour #AnneRice.

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KristiAhlers
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Panpan

Holy 1k + #chunkster. And half of it not needed. Y'all this was a slog and half. I normally like to read a book before watching the show based off the book. This was nearly a DNF. Just pure stubborn determination had me finishing this. Not worth it to be honest. And what's the deal with that ending? Yikes. This did NOT make the keepershelf.

Enchanted_Bibliophile Read the other 2 books and then this one will make sense, even the parts you now think are unnecessary. They are much shorter than this one. 😉 2y
KristiAhlers @Enchanted_Bibliophile oh OK. Thanks for the heads up. I'll do that. 2y
59 likes1 stack add2 comments
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LiseWorks
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Mehso-so

This was one hunker of a book. My copy was 1736 pages long. I feel so disappointed in the outcome of this book. First it was way too long with pages and pages of details that should not have been included. I read it because I want to watch the series coming in Jan. Maybe it was the order in which it was written and I'm sure hoping the series starts at the beginning and not jump back and forth. I didn't like Rowan at all.I feel so sad for Michael.

TalesandTexts Agreed, Rowan was so unlikeable. And I do feel for Michael. 1y
11 likes1 comment
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Roary47
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Bailedbailed

DNF- I tried and I really liked it in the beginning, but I could not get into it after the first main story.

emz711 It's a slog but somehow kept me hooked through all of them 2y
14 likes1 comment
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Ladygodiva7
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Started this book, it‘s starting out sloow….

5feet.of.fury I‘m hoping to get back to it, but it is very rambling and slow to start, I put it down at only a few chapters in. 2y
persephone1408 I am 80% thru it...but I stop and read other things. And then go back. It is a tough one. 2y
61 likes2 comments
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Traci1
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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My main goal for October's #20in4 readathon is to finish my reread of The Witching Hour. Kindle says I have 22+ hours remaining, so we shall see.

@Andrew65

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Traci1
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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I got an itch to reread an old favorite. I've had this copy nearly 30 years (yikes! I am old). It's obviously seen better days. The pages are a bit loose. Now I'm wondering if I should just buy an e-copy to read or try to gently read this 1,000+ pager.

Deifio Hm, if you're afraid it will fall apart, get an ebook. ☺️ 2y
Traci1 @Deifio I ended up doing that. 😁 2y
61 likes2 comments
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Victoriahoperose
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Pickpick

Finally finished this book! It was extremely descriptive and well written and I really enjoyed the story. Anne Rice really told an epic tale about the Mayfair witches and it was creepy and interesting. I feel like it was super repetitive in parts and I found my mind wandering as I read because it just was so dense. I am looking forward to finishing the series and seeing how it comes together through to the end!

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Roary47
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Catching up on #ScarathonDaily prompts “witch” I‘m trying to get this one read before the end of the month. #Scarathon #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

NovelGirl82 The Mayfair Witches is my absolute favorite of Anne Rice‘s books! (The Mayfair Emerald is part of my back tattoo) 2y
16 likes1 comment
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Cazxxx
Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Roary47
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Doing some audio coloring while listening to the tagged for #OminousOctober prompt “Witch” @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks #Scarathon #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

Eggs Pretty💚💙❤️🧡 2y
Clwojick Pretty! 2y
16 likes3 comments
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MoonWitch94
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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✨😱🕯🖤✨

Coming January 2023: Anne Rice‘s Mayfair Witches to AMC+

https://ew.com/tv/mayfair-witches-harry-hamlin-new-york-comic-con-2022/?utm_sour...

#AnneRice #MayfairWitches

jillannjohn I loved those books! 2y
MoonWitch94 @jillannjohn I have had them on my tbr for over a decade. I think it‘s time for me to get to them lol 😂 2y
Chrissyreadit ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🙌🙌🙌🙌🎉🎉🎉🎉 2y
Read-y_Picker Wait what?!?!?! 😱😱😱😱😱😱😱 2y
43 likes4 comments
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Traci1
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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While most people associate her with vampires, my favorite Anne Rice novel involves #witches. In fact, I think it may be time for a reread. I'm not particularly interested in the show, though.

#myfictionalmusings

49 likes1 stack add
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persephone1408
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl
I actually remembered today lol
Its my mammies birthday today

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5feet.of.fury
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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I kinda just feel like I should read for another hour.. but I‘m watching WWE RAW, my brain can‘t really take in anymore Anne Rice and I don‘t want to start another ebook.

I got closer than I thought I would to #20in4 and timed out pretty well what I thought I could do. Thanks for hosting @Andrew65

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Did you watch Summer Slam? Brock Lesner certainly put on a show! 🤣 2y
TheBookWitchON I love The Witching Hour back when it first came out. Do you plan to read Lasher and Taltos too? 2y
5feet.of.fury @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick yes indeed! When he came out on the tractor 😂 2y
5feet.of.fury @TheBookWitchON I probably will read the whole series, I will see how this one goes. 2y
Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏🙌🥳🍾🥂😍 2y
21 likes5 comments
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5feet.of.fury
Le lien malfique | Anne Rice
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Any tips for tackling a chunkster? I‘m on page 46/1023 🙄

Zamyah I read it in high school and would read another book in between each "Part" 2y
5feet.of.fury @lirahlu I‘m thinking that‘s what I will do too. …I just read for 40 mins and didn‘t even get to a chapter break… I‘ve only read a few of hers and I haven‘t decided if this is for me, but the reviews are solid that this is a strong series so I want to give it a chance 2y
Cazxxx I always get the audiobook for really long books or I wouldn‘t manage them otherwise 2y
Tera66 I'm reading one now. I got some magnetic bookmarks and marked off my reading goal for each day. I had four and would put them marking 35 pages at a time, even if I get to read more it helps to have a goal to hit. Tonight I'm gonna try and get to 70 (35 ×2) 2y
26 likes4 comments
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Dragon
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Thanks 🙏 for the tag @Eggs #WondrousWednesday 1. I was a huge Anne Rice fan back in the day so a friend and I went to New Orleans to see her house in the Garden District 2. Just picked up a copy of Dune to reread after watching the movie 3. Synopsis- I like to know what I‘m getting into Tagging @EadieB if you would like to play. And tagging all Littens who want to play

Eggs Thanks for joining in 🤩📚👏🏻 2y
27 likes1 comment
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Bookzombie
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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I spent some time browsing Half Price Books today. I came home with this #chunkster (965 pages) that has been on my TBR for a while. My goal is to read it before the end of the year. 😁

ShyBookOwl Good luck!! It's a bucket list book for me 3y
5feet.of.fury I bought the same in a library sale….. I‘m hoping for October? 3y
Bookzombie @ShyBookOwl Thanks! @5feet.of.fury I‘m leaning toward that too. 🎃 3y
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Dragon I remember really enjoying this book ( I read the series years ago) Enjoy the Mayfair witches 😄🐉 3y
Bookzombie @Dragon Thank you! 🙂 3y
Dragon 💚🐉 3y
Chrissyreadit I loved this book- and it‘s one I would like to reread and see if I still do. 3y
Bookzombie @Chrissyreadit Yay! I‘m glad to know you loved it. 🙂 3y
LeslieO Oh I loved this one! 3y
batsy Happy birthday! 🎂💐📚 3y
Bookzombie @batsy Thank you! 💗💗 3y
53 likes1 stack add11 comments
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catsuit_mango
Le lien malfique | Anne Rice
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I am pretty sure I read this as a teenager. I wanted to read some Anne Rice as an adult to see how I felt about her style but did not want to ruin my vision of Lestat as the crazy rock star he was and Gabrielle as the best vampire , so that serie seems safer

9 likes1 stack add
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Enchanted_Bibliophile
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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1. The Witching Hour @ 1207 pages
2. In the past, yes but in the last 2 years I've grown found of High Fantasy ... And their only size is BIG.

#Two4Tuesday
@TheSpineView

Want to play?
@Mavey @hannah-leeloo @Arvena @NatalieR

TheSpineView Thanks for playing and happy Tuesday! 🤩 3y
NatalieR Thanks for the tag! 😊 3y
mavey Thanks for the tag! 3y
27 likes3 comments
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Interview with a Vampire was the gateway drug that led me to the world of supernatural, gothic, fantasy novels. Some of the years since then, *every* book I read had vampires or other supes.

I judge every fantasy author who creates a vampire mythos with Rice‘s books as my yardstick. I truly hate the question, “what‘s your favorite book?” my best answer is Rice‘s The Witching Hour. I‘m due for a reread of that one.

Requiescat in pace, ma‘am.

Leftcoastzen 😢 3y
Chrissyreadit I feel the same way. The Witching Hour gave me a major book hangover. It is one of a few books I also plan to reread someday. 3y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Chrissyreadit I‘m not a rereader either. Diana Gabaldon and Anne Rice are my limits … 3y
Gissy 😢💔 3y
83 likes1 stack add4 comments
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sprainedbrain
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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This one stings… I‘ve spent many happy hours with Anne Rice‘s words over the last 25 years. While not all of her books did it for me, the ones that did were memorable, magical reading experiences.

RIP, Anne Rice 💔

Crazeedi Oh no, very sad 💔 3y
Chrissyreadit I did not expect to see this. I agree about it hurting - her books were significant and among my favorites in the 80‘s and 90‘s. 3y
johncadams Can't believe she's gone. 3y
67 likes3 comments
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Enchanted_Bibliophile
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Read-y_Picker Really need to re-read this asap ❤ 3y
Enchanted_Bibliophile @Read-y_Picker I'm only 60 pages in, but I'm really enjoying it. The "Lasher" mystery have me hooked. 3y
27 likes2 comments
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monalyisha
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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@mklong I‘m goin‘ in!

My familiar is largely uninterested in modeling this morning. Naps are far more pressing. 😅

#BWS #BasicWitchSwap

mklong Eek! I hope you love it! The baked goods are still en route. USPS decided to take their time with those 🤦🏻‍♀️ 3y
rabbitprincess Moxie looks like she‘s eyeing up the box as a possible snack 😂😻 3y
monalyisha @rabbitprincess Much like her Mom, she‘s ALWAYS looking for a possible snack. 😆 3y
sharread What a cute bunny 🐰 I have 2. 3y
62 likes4 comments
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LeslieO
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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🧙‍♀️Aside from Harry, I think I prefer witches.
🧙🏻The tagged book is one of my favs.

Anyone want to play?

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DarkMina
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Eggs Perfect 👌🏼🎃🖤 3y
17 likes1 comment
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Ast_Arslan
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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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. Some will be old, some will be new - don't judge me, I have a lot of books.

Day 39th

Join the fun if you want!

#tbrpile

persephone1408 This one is also on my to read list 3y
Ast_Arslan @persephone1408 😂🤟🏻 similar tastes 3y
20 likes2 comments
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Quill_Cadence
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice

A reread.

I love Anne Rice no matter how descriptive her form of writing is.

Wanting to finish her Mayfair witches trilogy.

10 likes1 stack add
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STORYBOOK-CAFE
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Pickpick

[A] huge and sprawling tale of horror." (The New York Times Book Review)

Demonstrating once again her gift for spellbinding storytelling, Anne Rice makes real for us a great dynasty of four centuries of witches - a family given to poetry, murder and philosophy, a family that over the ages is itself haunted by a powerful, dangerous, and seductive being called Lasher who haunts the Mayfair women.

KathyWheeler I like this book but I still remember how mad I was when I finished it. There was no mention that it would be a series when it first came out, so I thought I was reading a stand-alone. As I was approaching the end, it was clear that it couldn‘t be. I was not in the mood for a series back then. 4y
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TheBookStacker
The Witching Hour | Anne Rice
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Here my tentative TBR for #Scarathlon2020 I have other physical books but these have been sitting on my kindle for quite some time so I figured now is good as any! #TeamHarkness

Points: 26/26

Addison_Reads Great choices. I really enjoyed The Hunger. I look forward to seeing what you think. 4y
amywithbooks The Hunger is so good- perfect Halloween read! 4y
NikkiM5 Nice. I just looked up White Out, adding to my TBR. 4y
Palimpsest I really want to finish reading The Witching Hour, but I was creeped out. Still really want to know what happens. 🙈 4y
StayCurious Great plan! +26 (add +1 for each participation post) 4y
49 likes1 stack add5 comments