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Redhead by the Side of the Road
Redhead by the Side of the Road | Anne Tyler
53 posts | 60 read | 28 to read
"From the beloved and best-selling Anne Tyler, a sparkling new novel about misperception, second chances, and the sometimes elusive power of human connection. Micah Mortimer is a creature of habit. A self-employed tech expert, superintendent of his Baltimore apartment building, cautious to a fault behind the steering wheel, he seems content leading a steady, circumscribed life. But one day his routines are blown apart when his woman friend (he refuses to call anyone in her late thirties a "girlfriend") tells him she's facing eviction, and a teenager shows up at Micah's door claiming to be his son. These surprises, and the ways they throw Micah's meticulously organized life off-kilter, risk changing him forever. An intimate look into the heart and mind of a man who finds those around him just out of reach, and a funny, joyful, deeply compassionate story about seeing the world through new eyes, Redhead by the Side of the Road is a triumph, filled with Anne Tyler's signature wit and gimlet-eyed observation"--
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TheBookgeekFrau
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MemoirsForMe Yay! Love Anne Tyler! 🙌🏻 3w
Eggs Excellent 👌🏼 3w
42 likes2 comments
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MrsMalaprop
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Pickpick

I love Anne Tyler‘s books so very much. Thanks @Jeg for passing this one on for me to read. 🙏❤️

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marleed
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Pickpick

Sometimes it‘s nice to read about a delightfully ordinary character, and Micah Mortimer is that guy. He‘s fortyish, educated, self-employed, pays his bills, likes his family, has a girlfriend but never considered marriage. …Then one slightly unexpected thing happens in his week - and it makes for a story worth telling! @TheAromaofBooks May 2024 #DoubleSpin Category: Pub 2020-21

5feet.of.fury I like your little people Winifred! 6mo
marleed @5feet.of.fury Haha! Winnifred was the only redhead 🧑‍🦰 in the house! 6mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 6mo
88 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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SqueakyChu
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I just started this book, but I‘m not sure if I like it very much. The beginning is kind of slow. I‘ve read books by Anne Tyler before, and I like that her books are set in #Baltimore, the city in which I grew up. I‘ll keep reading and see if it the action picks up.

vivastory This is the only Anne Tyler I have read. I really liked it, but I wasn't a fan of the abrupt ending. 2y
SqueakyChu @vivastory I decided to bail. It‘s not bad, but I‘m just not interested in finishing this story. It doesn‘t really interest me that much, and I have another friend who is eager to read it. (edited) 2y
8 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Nikki_E
Mehso-so

An audio listen. It felt too rushed, almost like it was an outline rather then a full novel which is a shame because it could have been so much more.

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Singout

It feels great to have listened to 46 books this year and read one: this space and creative group challenges are part of what keep me going! Thank you!

Nonfiction: 30
Fiction: 16
Women authors: 30
Queer authors: 9+
BIPOC authors: 22
Focus outside Turtle Island: 14
Canadian: 15

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Singout
Pickpick

A “just for fun“ book by an author who I've often heard of but never read. I found this a sweet little book, about a somewhat geeky and goofy single man eking out a living as a freelance tech worker with a series of diverse clients and some extended family issues (no spoilers here!) A heartwarming way to end the year.

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Singout

My #bookspin pulls for December: Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler, whose work I‘ve never read before, and Everything Inside, short stories by Edwige Danticat, who I *love*.

Suet624 Everything Inside is wonderful. 3y
Singout @Suet624 Thank you! That‘s good to know! 3y
Williambill @Singout Hello how are you I liked the way you pictured yourself in your profile if you don‘t mind can we talk 💕 3y
11 likes3 comments
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Gaylagal2
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Happy Sunday! I'm deeply sorry Kim - @BarkingMadRun - for forgetting to post this!! Forgive me please?❤️ These coffees smell so amazing and I can't wait to brew a pot and read this book that's been on my list for a long time.
Thank you so, so much for your gift and thoughtfulness 🥰

#MerryUnbirthdaySwap
@aperfectmjk

BarkingMadRead Glad everything arrived!! 3y
22 likes1 comment
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Graywacke
Pickpick

This was fine. Short, harmless, pretty thin. Tyler creates a character who is really nice and like-able but has trouble seeing what he‘s missing. There is one chapter here, where we meet his family, that was chaotic in a really terrific way. The rest was ok. I didn‘t mind it.

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Graywacke
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Started this in ebook form (trying Apple Books). It‘s the only Booker 2020 longlist book available from the publisher that I haven‘t read yet. (Love and Other Thought Experiments will be released in the US on Sep 28). This is my first time reading Anne Tyler. So far…it‘s kind of harmlessly dull.

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Lauram
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Thirty minutes of reading and caffeine before my day starts has become the best part of my self care routine. Have a good day, Littens. ☺️📚

Suet624 I agree. It‘s a great plan. 3y
56 likes1 comment
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

This is incredibly well written and short, which is one of my criteria for #audiobooks. It's definitely enjoyable.

#BookSpinBingo free space
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
35 likes1 comment
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rachaich
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Super excited about this coming through on my library app 🤗🤗🤗 and started it immediately.
I love her writing so much. 😍😍😍

14 likes2 stack adds
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ClairesReads
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Pickpick

In my reading, this was a quiet, sometimes pedestrian novel about connecting and not connecting. Tyler's writing was thoughtful but not moving and in the end I felt I had seen inside a disconnected life, but that I hadn't really understood its significance. I didn't dislike it, but I wanted more.

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BookNAround
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I‘m working on my shelves and I got distracted by this book. It wasn‘t in my weekly forecast, it doesn‘t fit my theme of mysteries for this month, and it wasn‘t in the mushrooming stacks of “want to read next” books. But I‘m setting others aside and diving into it anyway. LOL!

kspenmoll Sounds about right! 4y
75 likes1 comment
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AnneCecilie
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Pickpick

My first Anne Tyler and don‘t be surprised if you see me reading more by her in the future.

In this book we meet Micah, a man in is early 40s, living by himself but he has a friend who is a girl, and set in his routines and living right.

Then one day a guy in his teens knock on his door and says that he believes Micah is his father. Is this true? And what happens with his routines after this? And his life?

AnneCecilie This book is a library book and will be used in square for book no 4 in #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks 4y
MallenNC I‘ve read Anne Tyler before, but it had been years before I picked this one. I really liked it too. 4y
AnneCecilie @MallenNC Anything by her you want to recommend? 4y
MallenNC @AnneCecilie I remember reading The Accidental Tourist and Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant. I liked them then! 4y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
76 likes1 stack add5 comments
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JamieArc
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Pickpick

For me, Tyler makes life‘s mundane moments interesting. As I was reading this, I was thinking that I had no idea why it made the #bookernominee Longlist, but the last chapter hit it home for me. I saw Micah and his life as a sketch about the fact that for many, life goes on in the midst of terrible things happening in the world. Booker nominees often speak to a snapshot of our current world, and for me, this book did that perfectly.

JamieArc I‘ve especially been thinking about this in the context of Covid - all the ways our lives changed over the past 8 months, yet all of the ways that our lives went on in the midst of a pandemic. 4y
50 likes1 comment
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MallenNC
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Pickpick

I haven‘t read Anne Tyler in years and I used to really enjoy her work. I‘m glad to have been reintroduced to her. This one has a simple plot, but I liked spending a little time in Micah Mortimer‘s world. His whole life is very regimented, until one day a boy shows up claiming to be his son, and things start to unravel. From the Modern Mrs Darcy summer reading list.

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janeycanuck
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Pickpick

A quiet little snippet of Micah‘s life, the kind of book to sit with, sipping a cup of tea and just enjoy.

Prairiegirl_reading I was happily surprised by this one. 😊 4y
36 likes1 comment
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CindiB
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Pickpick

Loved this. At first I expected a redhead by the side of the road, but quickly saw it was a metaphor for how he did not clearly see people. Focused on perfection, his life is sterile and this novel reveals this expectation that he never understood. Really good. 4/5 @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
Graywacke I‘m looking forward to this one sometime ahead. Welcome to Litsy! 4y
CindiB Thank you @Graywacke 4y
35 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Prairiegirl_reading
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Pickpick

If you like a book that is big on plot just keep moving, nothing to see here. The main character, Micah, was somewhere in between Don Tillman from the Rosie Project and Ove. A man stuck in his routines but not quite as curmudgeonly as Ove. This was my first Tyler and won‘t be my last. 4 ⭐️

Crazeedi I have this one on my kindle! 4y
Prairiegirl_reading @Crazeedi it‘s super short! Maybe even too short. I enjoyed it though. 4y
33 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this short feel good novel. I bought it on a whim after seeing it in the Modern Mrs. Darcy summer reading guide, and it was definitely credit worthy! Strangely this is my first book by Anne Tyler, and I‘m excited that I have a whole long backlist to catch up on.

Prairiegirl_reading My Libby hold came in on this one, it will be my first Anne Tyler too! I‘m looking forward to it! 4y
58 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Well_Read_Redhead
Pickpick

This was such a fun book! It was reminiscent of A Man Called Ove regarding how ordinary it was, but it thankfully didn't have the sadness of Ove. It was a quick read and made me feel good. I haven't had much luck with concentrating on reading this year, nor have I had much luck with the books I have read being 5 star content, so this was definitely a treat.

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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I do love Anne Tyler‘s books and this one was no exception. I like that the big life events are treated in the same way as the daily minutiae of life. This one felt a little different to others that I have read, as it was about one man rather than a whole family.

However, much as I liked it, I fail to see why it made the #bookerlonglist2020 - it‘s not a departure from her usual fare and it‘s not groundbreaking in any way.

Cathythoughts I liked some of her books ... before I had so many Litsy recommendations... I would never have been mad about her 🤔 4y
JennyM Totally agree with you. It was good, but the Booker??? 4y
squirrelbrain I know @JennyM ! Mind you, I think the same about this one - not a ‘Booker book‘ IMO.... 4y
JennyM @squirrelbrain I enjoyed that one too, but agree it‘s not IMO Booker worthy. Although I‘ve come to the conclusion I‘m on a very different wavelength to the Booker peeps😜 4y
squirrelbrain Exactly @JennyM - I‘m not really sure why I‘m putting myself through reading them all again but.... 🤷‍♀️ 4y
79 likes5 comments
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ReadingEnvy
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Mehso-so

I read this Booker longlisted title last night because my public library had it available in the Libby app. I feel my preconceived notions of the author hold up, although I do feel the shorter length and shorter character list make this a tighter work in ways I appreciate.
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Micah is in his 40s and lives by his routines and doesn't seem to understand how this disconnects him from the people around him. ⤵️

ReadingEnvy It's a character study and it's fine, Anne Tyler could write one about every person living in Baltimore and I would read them but still never think they were award-worthy. I'm at a loss to understand what award panels see in her work that I don't see. It's.. fine. 4y
Cathythoughts I read some of her books years ago. Yes I think... fine .. enjoyable at times .. 🤔 4y
37 likes2 comments
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Bookboss
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Pickpick

Anne Tyler is a master of the quiet novel. This story is about Micah, a 44 year old man who is fastidious and independent. Tyler is excellent at characterization. She describes all of the quirky details, experiences, and family relationships that contribute to the shape of a personality. Not much happens in this book, but it was a pleasant few hours spent with Micah. The narrator of this audiobook did excellent work.

43 likes1 stack add
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Lindy
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Lindy
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Pickpick

A short, restful novel with a straightforward plot, rich characterization, and a hopeful resolution: sometimes that is exactly what is needed. There are no extra words here and it all comes together sweetly. #Audiobook read by MacLeod Andrews.

45 likes2 stack adds
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Lindy
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Leftcoastzen Beautiful! 4y
Lindy @Leftcoastzen thanks ☺️ 4y
39 likes1 stack add2 comments
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suvata
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Pickpick

• ModernMrsDarcy.com 2020 Summer Reading Guide

Micah Mortimer is a 44-year-old “tech geek” Who lives a very ordered and semi-solitary life in Baltimore. He runs a computer repair business and managers a small apartment complex. Then there is a knock on his door. Enter Brink, an adolescent boy who thinks that Micah might be his biological father. Anne Tyler has a way of turning a typical, everyday story into a unique and memorable event.

56 likes2 stack adds
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Curiouser_and_curiouser
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Kitchen and laundry duties done.
Now lunch with this book.
Im only 45 mins in and the meaning behind the title is already revealed.
I love Anne Tyler. If I can't find a book of hers in an op shop, I'll hunt for it on audio! This one's on audio but I found Vinegar Girl and The Beginners Goodbye in an opshop a few weeks ago! Woo hoo! That makes 7 of hers in my collection 😊

MemoirsForMe Yay! Nice to see another big Anne Tyler fan! ❤️🙌🏻 I‘m working my way through all of Anne‘s books (and even the movies!) starting from the beginning. Next up is Earthly Possessions. I‘d be happy to share if you‘re missing any. 4y
Curiouser_and_curiouser @UwannaPublishme Yay! I love knowing others who love her work. I've only seen The Accidental Tourist very many years ago but not read it yet, it's on my 2020 TBR though, along with Breathing Lessons. Is Earthly Possessions a new book of hers, or old? Well that is very generous of you to share your books, but may I ask how would one do that? I'm lucky as I've only read 2 out of the 7 I own. So far I've read 5 of her books in total. 4y
MemoirsForMe Ditto! I was hooked after I picking up Ladder of Years and then read all of her books from then on. Last year, I decided to challenge myself and read all of her books I missed. I started from the first one she published in 1964 and I‘m reading them in order. I‘m happy to share, especially with a #LitsyLove pen pal. 💌 I‘ll send you my list and see if you want to read any. 4y
Curiouser_and_curiouser @UwannaPublishme oh you are so sweet. I've always wondered how the Pen Pal thing worked. 4y
Curiouser_and_curiouser @UwannaPublishme that is a great idea to read them in order, I'm too helter skelter to try and organize that, but now that you mentioned it, I'll try it out. The first book i read of hers was Patchwork Planet, then Spool of Blue Thread, and I think so far they are both my favorites so far. 4y
53 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Floresj
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Mehso-so

Good, likeable, quirky characters. Well written with a focus on character development. The plot line was just ok for me.... I think I preferred Deacon King Kong, A Man Called Ove, Eleanor Oliphant, for a similar themed novel. Light and quick, it‘s still a good book, but not one of my faves this year.

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Pickpick

As my friend dropped her copy at my door last weekend, she said, “I can‘t even remember if I finished this. It‘s like all Tyler‘s other books.” Not ringing praise. But I enjoyed my venture into the power of the palate cleanser, which is how I‘d qualify this book. It‘s a small character study of a few days in a quirky man‘s life. Two sittings to finish—max. Some LOL.

Full review http://www.TheBibliophage.com
#IRLbookgroup #thebibliophage2020

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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1. The latest Anne Tyler was a perfect palate cleanser.

2. I‘d like to see Katniss Everdeen in just about any historical fiction novel: Gone with the Wind, War & Peace, maybe Outlander.

3. I love a multiple POV book, but my pet peeve is when there are so many POVs that I can‘t connect with any.

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

BookmarkTavern Oh that‘s a fun answer for 2! 4y
Susanita I'd read that HF novel. 4y
Eggs I agree on #3–too much brain work! Thanks for your thoughtful responses 👏🏻📚🤗 4y
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KVanRead Enjoyed the Ann Tyler so much❤️ So agree about too many pov‘s - you perfectly describe what happened for me with Pachinko. 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @KVanRead It‘s been years since I read a Tyler. This was a good reintroduction. I haven‘t read Pachinko yet, so maybe .... later. 4y
KVanRead @BarbaraTheBibliophage there‘s a lot that‘s good about Pachinko - well written, scope is incredible and I learned a ton, but I had trouble connecting as it kept moving on to new characters. 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @KVanRead Gotcha! Thanks! 4y
49 likes7 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

Love love love Anne Tyler. The mundanity of everyday life is often what I love reading about most -- especially from masters of the art like Tyler. Our main character, Micah, often misses the point and is misunderstood. But endearing. Just loved it like all of hers I've read. Still need to get to much of her backlist. 📖

MemoirsForMe Great review! 🙌🏻 Love Anne and this book. I‘m now on a quest to read her backlist. Next up is her 7th book: Earthly Possessions. 4y
89 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Night_Reader
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Mehso-so

2.8/5 🌟

I'm usually a fan of Anne Tyler but I felt blasé about this one - it was a very ordinary book with an unremarkable ending.

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Chavelafab
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Mehso-so

Hmmm not sure it was the right first novel of hers to read. I like the style, observations and minutiae of the interactions. But something was missing for me.

Rez I was going to order this. I haven‘t read her before. Glad you posted this x 5y
Chavelafab Je te le prête (it‘s Covid free promis) 5y
Rez Oui je veux bien. Xx 5y
2 likes3 comments
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MemoirsForMe
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Pickpick

What better time to get lost in a heartwarming Anne Tyler novel! In this latest gem, we hang out with meticulous Micah, a creature of habit who keeps every detail of his life so neatly in order that he often misses what‘s right in front of him. I adored Micah‘s sisters & their playful jibes along with the subtle nuggets of wisdom we can glean from each character Micah encounters. And you‘ll never guess who the illusive Redhead turns out to be. 🤔

Tanisha_A I love this review. Never read Anne Tyler, and I want to. Do you suggest any to start with? 5y
kspenmoll Wonderful review! 5y
MemoirsForMe @Tanisha_A Thank you! Oh, so many to suggest. I find something to love in each one of them. My favorites are: Ladder of Years, Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant, Clock Dance and this one. You may want to read the summaries and see which one speaks to you. Then keep me posted. 😊 5y
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MemoirsForMe @kspenmoll 🤗❤️🤗❤️ 5y
PurpleyPumpkin Sounds like a lovely read during trying times! Glad you enjoyed. 😉 5y
MemoirsForMe @PurpleyPumpkin Hey my friend! 🤗❤️ Hope all is safe and well over there and you‘re enjoying working from home. I had to treat myself to this book. I recognized many of my own quirks in Micah. 😁 5y
Chelsea.Poole Perfect review! Just finished this--loved it! 4y
MemoirsForMe @Chelsea.Poole Loved your review too! Anne is the best! I have her entire backlist. So if you need any, let me know. 4y
Chelsea.Poole @UwannaPublishme thank you so much! I work at a library, so I kind of have the hookup...just need time to get to them!! 4y
MemoirsForMe @Chelsea.Poole How cool! You have the best job ever. 🙌🏻 4y
61 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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Lauren.Archer
Pickpick

Everything Tyler writes is just about perfection. I love spending time in her world, even for a short while.

Chelsea.Poole I adore her! Can't wait to read this one ☺️ 5y
66 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BookishTrish
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Pickpick

It felt slight but I enjoyed it anyway. Somewhere between a pick and a so-so.

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Cathy_J
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book. We come to know a man called Micah Mortimer as some unexpected events cause him to reflect on his life and relationships. ⭐⭐⭐

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kellock
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You have to wonder what goes through the mind of a man like Micah Mortimer.

Intriguing, what is going through his mind?!?! 🤔