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One Summer
One Summer: America, 1927 | Bill Bryson
A Chicago Tribune Noteworthy BookA GoodReads Reader's ChoiceIn One Summer Bill Bryson, one of our greatest and most beloved nonfiction writers, transports readers on a journey back to one amazing season in American life.The summer of 1927 began with one of the signature events of the twentieth century: on May 21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh became the first man to cross the Atlantic by plane nonstop, and when he landed in Le Bourget airfield near Paris, he ignited an explosion of worldwide rapture and instantly became the most famous person on the planet. Meanwhile, the titanically talented Babe Ruth was beginning his assault on the home run record, which would culminate on September 30 with his sixtieth blast, one of the most resonant and durable records in sports history. In between those dates a Queens housewife named Ruth Snyder and her corset-salesman lover garroted her husband, leading to a murder trial that became a huge tabloid sensation. Alvin Shipwreck Kelly sat atop a flagpole in Newark, New Jersey, for twelve daysa new record. The American South was clobbered by unprecedented rain and by flooding of the Mississippi basin, a great human disaster, the relief efforts for which were guided by the uncannily able and insufferably pompous Herbert Hoover. Calvin Coolidge interrupted an already leisurely presidency for an even more relaxing three-month vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The gangster Al Capone tightened his grip on the illegal booze business through a gaudy and murderous reign of terror and municipal corruption. The first true talking picture, Al Jolsons The Jazz Singer, was filmed and forever changed the motion picture industry. The four most powerful central bankers on earth met in secret session on a Long Island estate and made a fateful decision that virtually guaranteed a future crash and depression. All this and much, much more transpired in that epochal summer of 1927, and Bill Bryson captures its outsized personalities, exciting events, and occasional just plain weirdness with his trademark vividness, eye for telling detail, and delicious humor. In that year America stepped out onto the world stage as the main event, and One Summer transforms it all into narrative nonfiction of the highest order.From the Hardcover edition.
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KathyWheeler
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Pickpick

This book was really interesting. I had no idea that so many momentous events happened in one year. I got a little bored when Bryson would rattle off baseball stats, but they were necessary. Bryson narrates the audiobook and does a decent job. I guess, maybe because of the subject, we don‘t get Bryson‘s usual smugness, and that‘s nice. #audiowalk

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KathyWheeler
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It‘s really interesting the things that either began in, happened during, or ended in the summer of 1927. Sacco and Vanzetti, Henry Ford, Robert Elliott (executioner for the NY state area) and more aviation stories are discussed in this section. #audiowalk. Top left is a picture of the eclipse in this area — I did not look at the sun when I took this pic. It just got a little dim in our town.

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KathyWheeler
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This book is about all of the interesting things that happened in the US in 1927. I had no idea! Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jack Dempsey, Calvin Coolidge, Warren G. Harding, and Herbert Hoover have all made appearances so far. I renewed my membership to the botanical gardens, so I finally got to go walk there today. Some new things have been added; there are 3 little free libraries that I saw. #audiowalk

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LeslieO
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Al Capone, Charles Lindbergh, Bath Ruth, the trial of the century, all in one summer. Great snapshot of American history. ❤️💙. #LetterO #AlphabetGame

Graywacke Great book! Maybe my favorite Bryson. 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 📚 2y
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IamIamIam
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Bailedbailed

I want to make it clear that this is a PICK but I only have a few more days on my library loan and I'm totally not getting through 10 hours of this so I'm going to revisit it in print. It is chock full of information on one of America's most influential years in the early part of the century, including Lindberg, Babe Ruth, the birth of aviation on Long Island & Prohibition... and that's only the beginning!

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IamIamIam
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I started listening to this yesterday on my coworker's recommendation. Lots of great info about Long Island but... Bill Bryson is a bit hard for me to listen to 😖

Graywacke He has an odd voice, but I find he has a pace and intonation that is perfect for his writing - I mean, just my own impression. I really enjoyed this on audio and wish you well. i‘ll try to send a few positive vibes. 2y
IamIamIam @Graywacke I can see what you mean. His accent is so unique, it seems old timey enough to make the stories really pop! Lol 2y
33 likes2 comments
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crhealey
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Mehso-so

Was really enjoying this book, admiring how easy it was to read, yet how detailed the research was when midway through the book I realized it was only about white dudes. Now I may only be a second year history teacher, but it would seem to me that women and people of color were doing a lot in the 1920s too....🤦🏻‍♀️🙄

Andrea313 Thank you for this review. I''d been on the fence about this book, and now I can just let it go and move on the other hundreds on my TBR! 4y
4 likes1 comment
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crhealey
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And so ends a wonderfully long winter break for this #teacherofLitsy. Instead of books with gin fizzes, it‘s back to books and leftover soup for dinner. #sigh

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crhealey
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A strawberry gin fizz to go with my ‘20s themed book! #historynerd #roaring20s #booksnbooze

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crhealey
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Let‘s 🤞🏻that the 2020s are just as successful! #makeamericareadagain

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OrangeMooseReads
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Been listening to this most of the evening while trying to stay calm while out and about. So many people 😳
Less than an hour to go.

Scurvygirl Ugh! Went out last night and we got to the shops early enough, but when we were leaving, it was monstrous! Good luck, I finished during my lunch break today. It's so hard at Christmas 🙄! 5y
OrangeMooseReads @Scurvygirl I still have to get groceries 😬 and stop at the dollar tree. I have issues with normal day people but people at Christmas time oh boy 5y
Scurvygirl @OrangeMooseReads yup! I did groceries on Wednesday at lunch (it was cold out), but the rest I do through Etsy, Amazon and one giant trip to Target. I am not a peopoly(?) person. Even Litsy can be hard for me sometimes...😕 5y
OrangeMooseReads @Scurvygirl I try to do as much online as possible. But there are always last minute things we need for something and somehow I‘m the one to get the stuff 5y
Scurvygirl @OrangeMooseReads 😑I hear that! 💜 5y
54 likes5 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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Listening to this while doing some Christmas shopping and I was surprised by the fact that the Bath School Bombing happened at the same time Charles Lindbergh was making his famous flight. Being from Michigan the Bath School Bombing is something that I‘ve heard about many, many times. #connectinghistory #historynerd

Jennick2004 I‘ve never heard of it, but now I‘ll have to look it up! 5y
OrangeMooseReads @Jennick2004 deadliest school massacre in US history. The details make it incredibly horrific especially for its time. 5y
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OrangeMooseReads
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Started this while #audioshopping this morning. I love the dirty/annoyed looks I get when I‘m in the grocery store with headphones on 🤷🏼‍♀️

Lcsmcat With Bryson you‘re liable to get strange looks for laughing out loud! 5y
OrangeMooseReads @Lcsmcat that‘s true 😆 5y
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bell7
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Pickpick

Bill Bryson brings his signature style and sense of awe (and sometimes the ridiculous) to this story of one summer - May to September 1927 - in the USA. Fascinating if a bit long, this was an entertaining and enlightening read.

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bell7
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Saturday plans

mabell This is a Bryson I haven't read yet! 5y
bell7 @mabell it's a fun one, you can tell he's just fascinated with a bunch of things he relates 5y
15 likes2 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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Audible has a 3 books for 2 credits sale happening right now. I picked up these with my credits I hadn‘t used yet.

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MommyWantsToReadHerBook
Pickpick

I loved this! I love Bryson's sense of humour and the way he has of making history interesting, connected and understandable. Towards the end I felt a bit that everything really interesting had happened already, but all in all a great read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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MommyWantsToReadHerBook
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I'm never in a good spot for a picture when reading this book, but I'm enjoying it immensely! It's been a rough week or so with my little one that takes forever to get better - no nap one day, out like a light shortly after 10 am today..

RadicalReader @MommyWantsToReadHerBook absolutely astoundingly awesome kindle so easy to carry around digital books that have a massive amount of pages compared to the Herculean task of hundreds of hardcover 6y
MommyWantsToReadHerBook @RadicalReader yup I have no idea how thick the print book is but I'm guessing pretty thick! 6y
RadicalReader @MommyWantsToReadHerBook assuming the page count on here is for the physical book which shows 526 pages definitely nice to double as a table in my book lol 6y
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MommyWantsToReadHerBook
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My littlest just suddenly started with a cold last night, annoying runny nose that is interfering with her sleep. Desperately trying to get her to sleep a bit now... Still busy with Sapiens but my sister bought One Summer and my Kindle is linked to her account, so this is calling to me now!

SledgeReader Here‘s hoping the little one improves quickly. And CHEERS to your unexpected book from your sister!!! 6y
Miss_Shush Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did, and the kiddo feels better soon! 6y
MommyWantsToReadHerBook Thanks @SledgeReader and @Miss_Shush , she's pretty miserable so it's been a slow day... 6y
36 likes3 comments
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SuziQoregon
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this one. Need to get The Hubster to read it.

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SuziQoregon
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Started this yesterday. My second Bryson after recently reading and enjoying A Walk in the Woods.

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kristinshafel
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Pickpick

I learned so much from this fascinating, engaging book! I was especially captivated by the baseball (had a mild obsession with Babe Ruth as a kid), organized crime & Al Capone, & the achievements of early aviation. Bryson does a wonderful job placing everything in context so you understand exactly how monumentally historic & important this time was, setting up what led to the events of summer 1927 & then laying out their lasting effects.

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Augustdana
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We have a snow day here in Niagara, but I‘m thinking about summer time. #readingresolutions

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Victoria_Clyne
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Pickpick

I recently finished listening to this book. I love books that are read by the author. The number of major events and the number of people influencing history in the summer of 1927 is absolutely fasinating. Well worth the read.

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Suzze
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I bought this ages ago, and it languishes on the TBR. I love Bill Bryson, so convince me to pick this up! #nuyear #America

brennahawleycraig I adored this book! It‘s such a fascinating look at a relatively short period of American history that we still talk about today! 6y
quietjenn It's quite good. Like much Bryson, it manages to be both informative and entertaining. 6y
Cinfhen I read it! It‘s really good ~ full of interesting stories. You can read it in short spurts 6y
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Cinfhen Great choice 💙❤️💙 6y
TrishB I‘ve read others and I‘m sure this is equally entertaining!! 6y
Cortg So many interesting things that happened that summer. I thought it was a pretty cool way to learn some history! 6y
Suzze @Cortg And that is why I love historical novels, only I get a story with it. Sold. I‘m gonna put it on top of the pile. 6y
Cortg @Suzze Yay! 6y
78 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Aims42
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When you're stuck in the Portillo's drive thru lane by yourself, reading happens 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Aims42
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Saturday morning at home ❤️📙☕️

CathyJ That is perfect! 6y
Tamra Love that color! 6y
Aims42 @CathyJ the calm before the holidays hit, haha! 6y
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Aims42 @Tamra thank you!! ☺️ 6y
BookMaven407 What a great reading chair! 6y
Aims42 @BookMaven407 it really is, I love it 😄 6y
20 likes6 comments
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Aims42
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I am so pumped to read this!!

BookBabe Nice pic! 6y
Kaye Love the cover. Mine was just plane white with a bit of red and blue on it. 6y
Aims42 @BookBabe Thanks!! ☺️ 6y
Aims42 @Kaye Me too!! i always look at Goodreads for the different covers before I buy books online, haha #CoverSnob 6y
16 likes1 stack add4 comments
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RealBooks4ever
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A very diverse #BestOfAugust -the best books I read this month. #AndItsAugust

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RealBooks4ever
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Pickpick

Love love love this book!! 💜💜💜 SO MUCH information! A lot of fun reading about the summer of 1927! #ILoveHistory 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

ValerieAndBooks I loved this one too! My maternal grandparents were married in 1927, and I wish they were still alive today so I could ask them what else they remembered from that year! 7y
Cinfhen Look @emilyhaldi ‼️ 7y
RealBooks4ever @ValerieAndBooks I know what you mean! So many questions left, never to be answered! 🤔 My maternal grandparents were my rock! 7y
26 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Cinfhen
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It's the lovely @GypsyKat birthday week and she's running a fun photo challenge to celebrate her big day🎂Day 3 #SeasonOfYourBirth 👙I'm a summer baby, too! I've highlighted a nonfiction & fiction book Ive read & one from my TBR. Also included a summer fragrance I used to enjoy 😊 #GypsyKatsBirthdayWeek

GypsyKat Ohh I love this! And thanks for playing! 😊💗💗💗 7y
Zelma Oh man, memories! I used to wear CK One all the time. 😆 7y
emilyhaldi I've been curious about One Summer for a while.. did you read that one? Thoughts? 7y
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Cinfhen I did read One Summer, over the course of two summers!!! It's a slowwwwww read, but interesting and the type of book you can read leisurely chapter by chapter without losing your train of thought. @emilyhaldi I enjoyed all the history 🤓 7y
ValerieAndBooks @Cinfhen @emilyhaldi I loved One Summer and couldn't put it down! For me, it was a quick read 🤷‍♀️ 7y
emilyhaldi Awesome, great to know! @Cinfhen @ValerieAndBooks 😄 7y
83 likes6 comments
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RealBooks4ever
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Just started this and really enjoying it! I love reading about history! 💜 This read is a big #BlameItOnLitsy and a bigger #BlameItOnMrBook ! @MrBook 😆👍🏼

MrBook 😆👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻 7y
JazzFeathers I have it on my TBR. It sounds like a good one? 7y
24 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this gray and muggy evening: mushroom pizza, mild wings with ranch, caesar salad, and Cherry Coke. MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Aloisi_tribe Mushroom pizza is my favorite of all pizzas! Even though I made a trip to the store today, I think I'm going to have to go back tomorrow and get ingredients to make my own. #blameMrBook 7y
90 likes1 stack add1 comment
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MrBook
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Reading history! And #BOTM! 😁👏🏻 #TheMoreYouKnow

RealBooks4ever Just put on hold at my library! 😻 7y
GAustin Just my kinda read. Adding to my Bryson pile. 7y
77 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this wet and cool evening: angel hair pasta with mussels in a garlic white clam sauce, and sparkling mineral water. MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Eryn2513 WOWWWW. That looks amazing. 7y
savvy24 You always have the best looking food on here! 7y
106 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this wet and cool night: London broil on bread, steakhouse green beans, and Coke. MMMMmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Tigerbook Yumm!🥓🍳 7y
Magpiegem As a Londoner I'm so confused about why this is called a London Broil 😄 7y
elkeOriginal @Magpiegem The cut of meat is called London Broil here. But I have absolutely no clue why it is on bread. Never seen that before 😕 7y
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MrBook @Magpiegem Nobody knows, not even my friend, The Meatman. Now THAT's perplexing! 7y
MrBook @elkeo It's a NY/NJ/PA thing (and maybe other states, but I can only speak to those with confidence). The style is called "beefsteak". Which is redundant. But then again, so are so many other things, like "literary fiction" ?. It's cooked in melted butter, then slapped on triangle-cut light, fluffy slices of bread. The bread sucks up the butter. Many people wind up not eating the bread in order to save room for more meat, but I eat it. ☺️ (edited) 7y
JillR @magpiegem I'm a Northerner rather than a Londoner but thought the very same thing! Thank you for the explanation @mrbook! 😋 7y
MrBook @JillR 😎🙌🏻 7y
Magpiegem If The Meatman doesn't know there is no hope! 😄 sounds yummy though! 7y
97 likes8 comments
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emilyesears
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This is my first Bill Bryson read, and I'm really enjoying it. I expect to be finished with it tomorrow. I love seeing how all of the events in this summer interrelate and how many of this events affected things like the Great Depression and WWII. I've learned a lot so far about a great many topics. The baseball and aviation history are only mildly interesting to me, but the rest of the topics are fascinating!

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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment on this wet and cool evening was: baked ziti with meat sauce, wings (not wigs 😆👏🏻🙌🏻), peasant bread, and Cherry (not Vanilla 😂👏🏻) Coke. MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

EmilyM How are you liking the book? 7y
MrBook @EmilyM It's great!! I've been a Bryson fan for awhile now 😊. @BookBabe 's really liked it too. 😎👍🏻 7y
ValerieAndBooks I liked this so much that I loaned it (something I never do) to a friend without her asking...and still am waiting for her to return it two years later 😝 7y
EmilyM I have a copy of it in my TBR pile....guess I will have to move it up! 7y
112 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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charminggoats
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Apparently a lot of exciting events happened in the summer of 1927. I'm in a nonfiction kind of mood, so I picked this one up to read next!

8 likes1 stack add
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this humidity-laden, muggy night: baked ziti with meat sauce, wings, cheesy garlic bread, and sparkling mineral water. MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Lynnsoprano Wigs? Edible wigs?😄😄 7y
robinb Caught that too @Lynnsoprano ! 😂😂 7y
Dragon What are wigs? A snack food? 7y
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LeslieO I'm from Buffalo so I know a Buffalo wig when I see one. 7y
MrBook @Lynnsoprano @robinb @Dragon @LeslieO AAAHHH!!! 😂😂😂😂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🍻 Darn it, I have to stop letting autocorrect get away with this stuff. Lol!!! 7y
Peterfox123 Wot? No tater tots? 7y
94 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this warm and humid evening: Italian-roasted rotisserie chicks, garlic-parm town rice, steakhouse green beans, and sparkling mineral water. MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

LeslieO I loved this book! 7y
CherylC I thought you only ate TaterTots! That dinner looks delicious. 😀 7y
Gina Oh Bill Bryson how you made me belly laugh with... thank you sir I needed that. 7y
106 likes3 comments
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BookBabe
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#BookNDinner! Capellini in a white garlic clam sauce with steamed tuna and broccoli florets, and sparkling mineral water. This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats!

IamIamIam Yum!!!! 7y
tpixie Yummy! So fancy for a Monday! We ate a bierock Casserole- yummy but doesn't photo well!! 7y
minkyb Brings back childhood memories. Yum. 7y
88 likes3 comments
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this warm and cloudy night: angel hair pasta in a white garlic clam sauce with steamed mussels and broccoli, and a Cherry Coke. MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Jennick2004 Psst that looks like cherry coke 🍒🤣 7y
MrBook @Jennick2004 😳😆😂😂😂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻. Thank you! I'm so used to my Vanilla. 🙌🏻 7y
Linear I love muscles 7y
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Linear I love mussles as well lol. I use text to talk a lot especially on my phone because typing on a touchscreen drives me crazy. But it's funny when the phone has a hard time understanding what I'm saying. 7y
SpeculativeFemale That looks delicious, but I have gone for a glass of Riesling, LOL. 7y
GlassAsDiamonds Ooohhh.... I have the far less cool paperback of this! Must get to it (currently in the middle of a Down Under re-read which i think is his best but I'm a horribly biased Australian!!! 😂😂😂). 7y
102 likes1 stack add6 comments
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BookBabe
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Enjoying some quality reading and cuddle time with #Coale! 😻❤️ #catsofLitsy

DrJAdMerricksson What a most adorable book table you have there. 😍 7y
120 likes1 stack add1 comment
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this cool, clear evening: angel hair pasta in a white garlic clam sauce wth broccoli and steamed mussels in their own garlic-butter sauce, warmed peasant bread, and sparkling mineral water. MMMmmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Rachel.Rencher Ohh man that looks yummy! 7y
MrBook @Rachel.Rencher It was 🤤! 7y
112 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Lcsmcat
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#sweetsummerstack
Thanks for your generosity! @Liberty

Joanne1 I loved this audio. So many things I knew nothing about. 7y
ValerieAndBooks I really liked this one! So fascinating. 7y
35 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BookBabe
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#BookNDinner! On this rainy evening, the Fourth revisited: hot dog 🌭, black angus cheeseburger 🍔 , extra crispy tater tots, German potato salad, and Coke. Yum! 😋 This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads and happy eats!

83 likes2 stack adds
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MrBook
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#BookNDinner! Accompaniment this cool and humid night: angel hair pasta in a Sicilian gravy, with warm peasant bread and seasoned olive oil, and Cherry Coke. MMMmm 😋! This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen. Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

writerlibrarian Looks good and yummy. 7y
108 likes1 stack add1 comment
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BookBabe
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#BookNBrunch! Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans! 🇺🇸Today's brunch was over easy eggs, extra-crispy roast beef hash and tater tots, peasant bread cheese toast, and a banana smoothie! Yum! 😋This has been another presentation of: #MrBookBookBabeKitchen! Happy reads & happy eats!

Reecaspieces Well glad you had a wonderful brunch....I had a banana at CVS!!! Happy fourth dear!! 7y
BookBabe @Reecaspieces You're always welcome here, though I know it's a bit of a drive, lol. 7y
BookBabe And a very happy 4th to you! ❤️ 7y
Reecaspieces @BookBabe ha...you just never know about me...I may show up one day!! Hehehe! I hope y'all have had a fantabulous day!! 7y
77 likes4 comments
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Beckys_Books
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LizzyM I also own three of these books hahaha 7y
Beckys_Books @LizzyM I'm not surprised! 7y
49 likes3 comments