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Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption | Bryan Stevenson
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING MICHAEL B. JORDAN AND JAMIE FOXX - A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice--from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. "[Bryan Stevenson's] dedication to fighting for justice and equality has inspired me and many others and made a lasting impact on our country."--John Legend NAMED ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE BY CNN - Named One of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times - The Washington Post - The Boston Globe - The Seattle Times - Esquire - Time Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. One of his first cases was that of Walter McMillian, a young man who was sentenced to die for a notorious murder he insisted he didn't commit. The case drew Bryan into a tangle of conspiracy, political machination, and legal brinksmanship--and transformed his understanding of mercy and justice forever. Just Mercy is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic, gifted young lawyer's coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice. Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction - Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction - Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award - Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize - Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize - An American Library Association Notable Book "Every bit as moving as To Kill a Mockingbird, and in some ways more so . . . a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields."--David Cole, The New York Review of Books "Searing, moving . . . Bryan Stevenson may, indeed, be America's Mandela."--Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times "You don't have to read too long to start cheering for this man. . . . The message of this book . . . is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful."--Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review "Inspiring . . . a work of style, substance and clarity . . . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he's also a gifted writer and storyteller."--The Washington Post "As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty."--The Financial Times "Brilliant."--The Philadelphia Inquirer
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Bethanyroe
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Pickpick

What a fantastic book. So incredibly endearing and infuriating all at the same time!

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JenniferEgnor
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Pickpick

The author came into this work knowing what he wanted to do, but he didn‘t realize how hard it would be, or that it would change his life even more than those he served. This book isn‘t just about the work of Equal Justice Initiative; it‘s about how we treat others, and the vision of systems of compassion, instead of systems of oppression. The story of Walter McMillian is featured heavily in this book, but there are also stories of other ⬇️

JenniferEgnor criminalized persons. The author was able to help some of them. Not only did he have to go up against a system of injustice, he had to go up against old hatreds; doing this work in the Deep South was dangerous. America has a problem with mass incarceration, and criminality. This book takes a deep look at the flaws in the system, showing the threads of racism that still hold it together, and asks us to look for another way; asks us to look at⬇️ 4mo
JenniferEgnor and within, the individuals that we are so quick to lock away and kill. This way of doing things is not loving, not sustainable, not just. Another way is possible; we must work to achieve it. Highly recommended read. 4mo
JenniferEgnor Link to the website here: https://eji.org/ 4mo
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JenniferEgnor
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There is a strength, a power even, in understanding brokenness, because embracing our brokenness creates a need and desire for mercy, and perhaps a corresponding need to show mercy. When you experience mercy, you learn things that are hard to learn otherwise. You see things you can‘t otherwise see; you hear things you can‘t otherwise hear. You begin to recognize the humanity that resides in each of us. What would happen if we just⬇️

JenniferEgnor acknowledged our brokenness, if we owned up to our weaknesses, our deficits, our biases, our fears. Maybe if we did, we wouldn‘t want to kill the broken among us who have killed others. Maybe we would look harder for solutions to caring for the disabled, the abused, the neglected, and the traumatized. If we acknowledged our brokenness, we could no longer take pride in mass incarceration, in executing people, in our deliberate indifference to⬇️ 4mo
JenniferEgnor the most vulnerable. 4mo
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JenniferEgnor
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America‘s prisons have become warehouses for the mentally ill. Mass incarceration has been largely fueled by misguided drug policy and excessive sentencing, but the internment of hundreds of thousands of poor and mentally ill people has been driving force in achieving our record levels of imprisonment. It‘s created unprecedented problems.

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JenniferEgnor
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Capital punishment means them without the capital get the punishment.

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JenniferEgnor
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In debates around the death penalty, I had started arguing that we would never think it was humane to pay someone to rape people convicted of rape or assault and abuse someone guilty of assault or abuse. Yet we were comfortable killing people who kill, in part because we think we can do it in a manner that doesn‘t implicate our own humanity, the way that raping or abusing someone would. I couldn‘t stop thinking that we don‘t spend much time⬇️

JenniferEgnor contemplating the details of what killing someone actually involves. 4mo
Sincerely.Sarah Wow this is so compelling. 4mo
21 likes2 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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#F&nfwithsametopic
#Ittakesallkinds

📚 💙 📚

Eggs Perfect 👍🏼 8mo
51 likes1 comment
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CRR
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Pickpick

I had seen the movie and was a little familiar with the authors story. It was good to read this and get more of the story and more details. The Equal Justice Initiative does amazing and much needed work. Thankful for the work they are doing.

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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
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This was my favorite from January. It's not something I'd have picked up on my own, but this is why I enjoy trying my hand at the different reading challenges.

#12BooksOf2023 @Andrew65

Andrew65 Agree the challenges do get you to new book experiences. 10mo
Librarybelle This is such a good book! 10mo
Pageturner1 its on my TBR may give it a try 2024 10mo
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
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#VolumesAndVocals #FolsomPrisonBlues

I haven't read many books about prison, so this one I read earlier this year was the first thing to come to mind. I figured I'd add a picture of my guy at the Johnny Cash Museum in Nashville to the lineup. No worries...I sprung him loose right after this photo was taken. 😉

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

mcipher Love that pic! That and the Patsy Cline museum were both so fun!! 1y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love it!! 🖤🚓 1y
Eggs Wow both museums sound like fun🙌🏻🙌🏻 1y
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Itchyfeetreader
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Pickpick

I picked this for #booked23 and found it unoutdownable. The stories of both clear miscarriages of justice that could have ended in death were horrific but I was even more shaken by how many ways there seems to be for justice to go wrong and how hard the author and his team had to fight to put it right. A ton to reflect on and a really powerful read

TrishB I‘m going to read this for probably the same prompt! 2y
Itchyfeetreader @TrishB get ready to be very angry in places. Was a great read though 2y
LeeRHarry Such an excellent read and definitely anger inducing! 2y
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TrishB I‘ll save for another weekend then! My anger is already simmering away at this one, not sure I can pile on anymore social injustice! 2y
Soubhiville One of the best books I‘ve read so far this year! 2y
LoverOfLearning Incredible book and movie!! And Michael B Jordan is just drool-worthy haha 🥰😍 2y
DivineDiana A fantastic book! I need to watch the movie. 1y
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Susanita
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dabbe Another stack! Thanks! 😊💙🤗 2y
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Soubhiville
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So far this year it‘s been harder choosing my top NF than my top Fiction each month. For March it was Just Mercy. Bryan Stevenson is an excellent author and truly makes the world a better place.

Amiable Agreed—I‘ve had better luck with my nonfiction reads this year. Finding some really excellent ones! 2y
Hooked_on_books Just Mercy is such an incredible book. What an amazing guy he is! 2y
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

Bryan Stevenson has done so much work to fix our broken justice system and help it‘s victims. It‘s horrifying how many innocent people are sentenced to death, and how many children and disabled people are given unfair and unjust sentences.

If you haven‘t read this yet I can‘t recommend it highly enough. You‘ll learn so much. It‘ll make you angry, but also grateful to people like Bryan who are doing their best to help those who need it.

Sleepswithbooks Such a great book!!!! 2y
AmyG Agreed! This man is an angel. 2y
TheBookHippie I read this the day it came out cover to cover. I still think about it all these years later. 2y
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LiseWorks
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Mehso-so

This book was depressing for me. I can not believe how corrupt the penal system is in the U.S. I read it for the #NSR23 @Nessavamusic
I got two more bingos for #MarchMadnessReadingChallenge @DieAReader @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES

Nessavamusic Sorry it was a tough read. 😞 2y
Andrew65 Sounds an interesting, but as you say depressive read. Well done on finishing it. 👏👏👏 2y
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 2y
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ashleyn
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Capital punishment means, 'them without the capital get the punishment.'

1/2023

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BookmarkTavern
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Books have the power to change how we view the world and ourselves.

This book started me on the path of becoming a prison abolitionist. I have a whole new list of books to get to after reading this one.

#SundayFunday Hope you all have a safe and happy Sunday, and don‘t forget to tag me in your posts so I can see your answers!

Vivlio_Gnosi @ozma.of.oz The Righteous Mind 2y
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Cinfhen
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#ManicMonday @CBee
📕Just Mercy
✍🏻 Marlon James
🍿Juno
🎤 Joe Jackson
🎵Jack & Diane

Cinfhen @Allylu I missed a few - but im hoping to get back on track 😎 2y
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behudd
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Just Mercy is simultaneously easy to read & impossible to get through. Stevenson writes in a compelling way, but what he is telling us should make readers pause.
I am grateful for the work Stevenson does with the Equal Justice Initiative and that he took the time to write about it.
I have always been against the death penalty, for all reasons, in all cases. If you think differently, I challenge you to read this book.
Striking work.

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behudd
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“I wasn‘t prepared to meet a condemned man.”

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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Minervasbutler
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Pickpick

Harrowing and uplifting tales from the frontline of the American "justice" system which incarcerates children for life and where the law is basically just a continuation of a centuries-old system of oppression.

kspenmoll Such a necessary read! 2y
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kspenmoll
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A book I read each year with students. It never grows old, & stimulates questions, research, reflection, & connects to our neighborhoods,country,world today. We watch the movie after finishing the book. #alphabetgame #LetterJ

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 2y
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Deblovestoread
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This book awakened a desire to add more nonfiction to my reading life.

#AlphabetGame

JenReadsAlot My pick as well! 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 2y
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JenReadsAlot
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erzascarletbookgasm Great read! 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 2y
29 likes2 comments
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AmyK1
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I have apparently only read one book that starts with the #letterJ (that I can remember) but it was an excellent one. Everyone should read this.

#alphabetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Tagging @wideeyedreader and @Crazeedi

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 2y
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bthegood
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Thx for the tag @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#ThinkPositiveBePositive

Tagging @LKK526 @Kdgordon88 @Bekkers to share a positive quote👍

Make a great day everyone 🌞

LKK526 @bthegood @kdgorgon88@bekkers Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results. -Willie Nelson 2y
bthegood @LKK526 good reminder for staying positive, thanks for playing😊 2y
LKK526 @bthegood 👍😄 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks So true ❤️❤️ 2y
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bthegood
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#Two4Tuesday Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView

1. The tagged book - just finished a re-read of this - had my senior seminar class read it - I loved book and movie of To Kill A Mockingbird - but this book - this real life story - has made me see things differently.
2. I used to when I was in college(green beer day was a big event) -seems to be a drinking day in US (not sure how the Irish celebrate it in Ireland) -

Make a great day everyone 🍀

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 💚🍀🍺 3y
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BookmarkTavern
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Tagged by the marvelous @TheSpineView ! 💕

1. Tagged! And Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y Davis. These books are what started me on seriously researching the prison abolition movement.
2. Kind of? I decorate a little, but March 17th is the birthday of one of my uncles. So we mostly celebrate that.

#Two4Tuesday

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀🍀🍀 3y
53 likes1 comment
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kplovesbooks
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Well I haven't read the book, but I did just watch the movie...which was excellent and should be a must see. #blackhistorymonth

BkClubCare Oh. The book is amazing. 3y
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kera_11
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(true story) Bryan and his team are attorneys working to get wrongfully incarcerated people off of death row, whether innocent or mentally ill, etc. knowing how much work there is to be done to right these wrongs and correct the system is a lot to take in but so important. you‘re captivated by how busy these people are and how many cases they‘re constantly working on, such a good read. audiobook read by the author. (this is a movie now too)

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triplem80
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Pickpick

I'm not sure why it took me so long to read this, but...wow! It was a rare five-star read for me. Such a powerful story, and so engaging. I highly recommend this one!! #mustread #blackhistorymonth

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freeatlast1137
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Pickpick

A harrowing read about the injustices of the justice system and the battle to release the wrongly accused from prison.

This is a hard book to take, but definitely an important one.

27 likes1 stack add
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Kassie_k

“Just mercy” in detonation is sparing someone. In connotation it‘s about a Acclaimed lawyer and social justice advocate Bryan Stevenson offers a glimpse into lives of the wrongfully imprisoned and his efforts to fight for their freedom.

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Cvfrailing
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

There have been many books, documentaries and podcasts about wrongful convictions. It seems they are much more common than any of us would like to believe. This explores the injustices that Stevenson has been working to right in the south, especially Alabama where children and those with severe mental disabilities had been sentenced to the death penalty. Shocking how difficult it is to overturn a judgement against a very obviously innocent person.

LoverOfLearning Excellent book and excellent movie adaption!! Glad you enjoyed it. 3y
Chelsea.Poole @LoverOfLearning oh yes, I want to see the movie! 3y
KathyWheeler Every time some posts about this book, I like to add that if you ever get a chance to hear Stevenson speak, take it. This book was my university‘s common read a few years ago and he came to campus and spoke. He‘s amazing and inspiring. 3y
Chelsea.Poole @KathyWheeler thanks for the tip! I would love to see him speak! 3y
bthegood The book made me re-evaluate To Kill A Mockingbird due to Stevensons comments about it throughout the book - I'm having my senior (University) seminar class read Just Mercy now - we are having very good discussions - 3y
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Susanita
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Great idea from @Andrew65 to post a favorite book for each month of 2021.

Tagged book was my favorite read in #January

#12booksof2021

Andrew65 Sounds great, thanks for playing along. 3y
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LibraryCin
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Pickpick

I found this really interesting, And sad. He (and others) is (are) slowly, so slowly, trying to change things to make them better, but what an uphill battle. I listened to the audio and it was well-done; it held my attention pretty much the entire way through. Initially, I hadn‘t realized until looking as I write this review, but the author read it himself.

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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This is so true!! I‘ve got this book and haven‘t gotten to it yet!

#ThinkPositiveBePositive

Share a positive post 💗 tag me 💗 tag friends

readwithcori ❤️❤️❤️ 3y
TheSpineView Important thing to remember. Thanks for thinking of me! 🥰 3y
Just_reading Beautiful quote! 3y
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LauraBrook Thank you for posting this. I‘ve been dealing with something that is not my fault, yet the other people think it is. It‘s been so hard to concentrate, sleep, etc, for weeks. Seeing this has made me feel a bit better. ❤️ 3y
mavey How very important this quote is!💖 3y
Desha What a beautiful quote! I‘ve been thinking lately about God‘s mercy and how good he is to love us so much more than the “worst” things we‘ve ever done! 💗🙏🏻 3y
Enchanted_Bibliophile Such an important thing to remember! 🌼 3y
jessjess Definitely something to remember, I often struggle with feeling like my mistakes = I am the WORST person ever. Thanks for tagging me 🌸🌿🌼🍁 3y
wanderinglynn Thanks for the tag! 😘 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @LauraBrook I‘m sorry you are having to deal with that 😔 stay strong! Sending love and hugs 🤗 ❤️ 3y
Eggs ❤️🧡❤️ 3y
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bibliobliss
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bibliobliss
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"You can't understand most of the important things from a distance, Bryan. You have to get close."

#currentlyreading #bookblurbs

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RenePenn
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Started reading this one last night on recommendation. I‘m not a huge nonfiction reader but try to read at least 2-3 a year. Looking forward to digging into this one.

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AuthorEliseManion
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cajunsyd
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I‘m already shocked by the revelations and I am only 70 pages into this one. Feeling angry, sad, disappointed, etc. A must read for sure.

Tamra It‘s a very good & necessary read! 3y
TiredLibrarian This is such a gut-punch of a book. 3y
cajunsyd @Tamra 👍🏻👍🏻 3y
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cajunsyd @TiredLibrarian that‘s for sure! 3y
Bookpearl The movie was a pill to swallow so I‘m sure the book will have me the same way. 3y
cajunsyd @Bookpearl I recently learned that there is a film version. I don‘t think that I can watch it, the book just did me in. 3y
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Zuhkeeyah
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July has been a great reading month. I didn‘t achieve bingo but loved the challenge. Already looking forward to next month @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Fabulous month!!! 3y
9 likes1 comment
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Zuhkeeyah
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Pickpick

Stevenson walks you through the inherent racial biases present in the US legal system. Though the story of Walter McMillan opens the book, it is not the only story that Stevenson brings to the forefront to as an example of what injustice looks like when there is no longer mercy.

This completes my #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks :)

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
12 likes1 comment
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Zuhkeeyah
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Ready for #bookspin! Thanks for letting me join the fun @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! I am getting ready to tag everyone with the winning numbers very soon!! 3y
9 likes1 comment
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BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
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2Q2021 results are in! #favoritebooksoftheyear

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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

This was heartbreaking, infuriating, and very informative. I grew up (as a sheltered white kid) believing the system worked, innocent people didn‘t get sent to jail, and wrongful convictions were few & far between. Through this and other reading, I‘m realizing how uninformed I‘ve been & how broken the system is. I appreciated the breadth of this book—focusing on one case, but also bringing in relevant issues throughout the criminal justice system.

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BeckyWithTheGoodBooks
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Pickpick

I thought I was just getting a story of a wrongfully convicted man and his fight for justice, but it touches on many more stories of cruelty in our criminal justice system. I am unsettled knowing that CHILDREN as young as 13 have been sentenced to death or life without parole as recently as within the decade. And embarrassed that I didn‘t know this was happening. The Equal Justice Initiative does incredibly important and inspirational work. 5 ⭐️

BeckyWithTheGoodBooks @TheAromaofBooks This was my #doublespin book for May and I‘m so glad I finally read it. Life changing! 3y
Tamra It‘s really moving! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
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mollyrotondo
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was an excellent book that not only put a spotlight on the injustice of our justice system but also explained how cruel and inhuman the prison system is in the U.S. Stevenson‘s work is admirable and should inspire us all to vote, serve on juries, stop casting stones, and support nonprofit organizations that try to fight for more just sentences for people convicted of crime. This was my #bookspinbingo No. 22 pick.

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 4y
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