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Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking
Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking | T Kingfisher
39 posts | 39 read | 30 to read
Fourteen-year-old Mona isn't like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can't control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt's bakery making gingerbread men dance.But Mona's life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona's city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona's worries...
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random_michelle
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Pickpick

Audiobook narrated by Patricia Santomasso

Because I haven't been able to bear to listen to the news since last spring, I've been listening to a lot of audiobooks (ie books I've already read) this was fun, and although I wondered a bit at some of the accents, the narration was enjoyable, and I was reminded just how good these stories are.

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Sharpeipup
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Enjoying this one and tempted to bake some cookies now. 🍪

33 likes1 stack add
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wanderinglynn
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#motivationalmonday

1. Work, interview, read, finish the puzzle I started this weekend
2. My building‘s courtyard & some of Connecticut Ave
3. Washington D.C. – warm with a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon

Cupcake12 Great answers. Thanks for joining in. Have a great week x 7mo
38 likes1 comment
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Blh87
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Mehso-so

Much like the last book of her‘s that I read, it took a long time to get into. Unlike the last one, it never really hooked me. This one was just ok.

6 likes1 stack add
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willaful
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#12Booksof2023 Such a fun read, and an introduction to a great new author. Very happy that #BookSpin finally got me to read this.

Andrew65 Love the title! 11mo
23 likes1 stack add1 comment
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BookLove4Ever
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Mehso-so

It was cute and creative. I have to hand it to the author for creativity. 😁⭐️⭐️⭐️

CaramelLunacy I love the title of this so much 14mo
BookLove4Ever @CaramelLunacy It was reminding me of Gingy from Shrek 😂 14mo
CaramelLunacy @BookLove4Ever NOT THE GUMDROP BUTTONS 13mo
BookLove4Ever @CaramelLunacy 😂😂😂 13mo
6 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Bookfan1414
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Pickpick

I won‘t lie, this book was a roller coaster ride. It went places I really wasn‘t expecting, but not in a bad kind of way. I definitely enjoyed it and I am a little hungry now. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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BookBelle84
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Pickpick

Loved this! An army of gingerbread men, a homicidal sourdough starter, so much fun! It's definitely my favourite Kingfisher.

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Kenyazero
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The baker in this book just threw flour on a fire to put it out 😨 you‘re a baker, you should absolutely know better!

coffees *flashbacks to black butler* i know what happens 😎😆 🤔 2y
Kenyazero @coffees 😂😂😂 2y
22 likes2 comments
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ShaunaS
Pickpick

So good.

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Liatrek
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Pickpick

Absolutely loved this book!!! Mona and Spindle such great characters. I can‘t wait to read mor from this author. As someone who loves to bake I wish had Mona‘s powers 🍪🍞🥖

eol I‘m a fan of this author as well. My favorite works of hers are this one, Nine Goblins, Nettle & Bone, and What Moves the Dead, but I like pretty much all her books. 2y
Liatrek @eol Awesome! Adding to my TBR. Glad to hear❤️ I did buy Sword heart also. 2y
wanderinglynn Sounds like a fun read. Stacked! 2y
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GondorGirl This book was unexpected. And unique. And FREAKING FANATIC. I think it might be my favorite of her books (which is saying a lot). 2y
Liatrek @wanderinglynn 🙂 hope you like it too! 2y
Liatrek @GondorGirl Yes! So unique I can‘t wait to read more from this author 🙂 2y
Fr3NcHtOaSt Read this a while ago. I loved. It. So good. 2y
89 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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Liatrek
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Love this passage calling out that children shouldn‘t be the hero‘s. That it‘s clearly a failure of grown-ups that children had to step up and do something.

Vansa But a kid isn't going to read about adults being heroes! It's not a trope that needs to be called out, it exists for a reason. 2y
bthegood @Liatrek agreed! thx for sharing - 2y
Liatrek @Vansa agree to disagree 🙂 2y
64 likes4 comments
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SayersLover
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Pickpick

Hilarious and fun! Normally I share details about what I‘m reading with family, but I kept this one quiet. It will make an excellent Christmas present for someone in my family. (Yes, I‘m that person 😅thinking about gifts already). We always make gingerbread cookies at our house at Christmas time so this will be perfect.

21 likes1 stack add
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Twainy
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Pickpick

🎧 What did I just read LOL I love this author … 14 year old Mona has a familiar, it‘s a homicidal sourdough starter. You read that right. She‘s going to save the City with her army of 12‘ tall gingerbread gollums.

I enjoyed this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Jari-chan One of my highlights this year 🙌 2y
Twainy @Jari-chan I agree. It was a surprise. I ran across it in a July readathon. 😁 2y
29 likes2 comments
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sebrittainclark
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You expect heroes to survive terrible things. If you give them a medal, then you don't ever have to ask why the terrible thing happened in the first place. Or try to fix it.

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sarahgreatlove
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Pickpick

New. Favorite. Book. Oh my. I finished this in 2 sittings then went and ordered a copy for my daughter who is about to turn 14 (same age as the protagonist in the book). I adored Ursula Vernon‘s hamster princess books and was so glad to finally commit to this one (same author, different name). It‘s funny and exciting and just the right amount of scary. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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therubberduckninja
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Pickpick

This was an absolutely delightful book. There was an extremely colourful cast of characters, utterly absurd situations, and lots and lots of baking. I found myself chuckling through a lot of it the book (Angry Bob literally made me snort out loud). I do wish it had been longer, I wasn‘t nearly ready for the story to end.

4 likes1 stack add
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HeyT
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#BookReport
Pretty good reading week for me. Absolutely adored the tagged but the other two were pretty good as well.

#WeeklyForecast
My goal this week is to finish Smoky and make good progress into Daughter of the Forest. If that goes well I‘ll start in on my BookSpin pick.

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HeyT
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It‘s a snuggle up with a reading buddy before it‘s time to leave for work kind of day. #CatsOfLitsy

GondorGirl I absolutely adored this book! I can't wait to hear what you think of it! 3y
18 likes2 comments
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Lauredhel
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I feel like this is diet of a pointed commentary on children's books in general.

Phelangies Oh my feelers! Kids sometimes grow up so fast. 3y
shanaqui Oh, interesting. I really want to read this book! Ursula Vernon/T. Kingfisher is always like that, somehow, hitting the nail on the head. 3y
Lauredhel @shanaqui it is SO GOOD!! Love it 3y
51 likes3 comments
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AbigailJaneBlog
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Pickpick

Read my first #NewYearWhoDis book for 2022 and I loved it - funny and brilliant and poignant. Massive thanks to @majkia for this recommendation!

@monalyisha

monalyisha Looked adorable! 3y
AbigailJaneBlog @monalyisha it was great! Very Pratchett-esque! 3y
37 likes2 comments
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Larkken
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Pickpick

Two days and a weekend off work is juuussstt enough for me to lose all motivation. Currently looking for said motivation in a pack of M&Ms. I dislike how the packaging shamed me into thinking this bag is too big for me, too. Gr
Remembering this weekend binge fondly, though. A dark YA fantasy that tackles how ridiculous it is that kids have to step up and be heroes sometimes. Also features a mutant sourdough starter. I loved it.

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swynn
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Pickpick

That was fun.

31 likes2 stack adds
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julesG
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Bailedbailed

It's me!!! Truly! I had somehow not seen it's #middle-grade and I just wasn't up for mg right now.

#RightBookWrongTime

GingerAntics I didn‘t know this was MG either. I almost got this thinking it was an adult book. Thanks for the heads up. 3y
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iread2much
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Pickpick

This is an ADORABLE book, but also super dark and with some serious meditation on what it means to be a hero and the cost that some people pay for power and for the games of power others play. Great writing, great story, really unique world. 5/5 stars. I want a sequel! Mona is a Wizard with bread and baking magic, but when someone is killing off all magic users, she might be all that stands in the way of her city‘s destruction.

rubyslippersreads I read the book title as “Defensive Barking,” I guess because of your reading buddy. 😊🐶 4y
MemoirsForMe Kiyo looks so content! 😍 4y
iread2much @rubyslippersreads 😂😂😂、that‘s awesome! 4y
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iread2much @UwannaPublishme she‘s always happy when we are both home 😄 4y
Ellies_Books06 I love that all your book's pictures are with your dog, that's so sweet. (My dog eats books, she just does it) 4y
Ellies_Books06 Oh and she eats kindles too, or cellphones, or anything actually. Lol 4y
iread2much @LoydaElionora thank you! My younger dog, the one with a black face, he likes to nibble on books, but he doesn‘t eat them 4y
iread2much @LoydaElionora sounds like you have quite a chewer! 4y
29 likes3 stack adds8 comments
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Flingogal
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"The dead girl‘s legs were splayed across the floor. She was wearing grimy boots with mismatched socks. That seemed very sad. I mean, it was sad that she was dead anyway—probably, unless she‘d been a horrible person—but dying with mismatched socks seemed especially sad somehow."

If you wear socks are you team Match or mismatch? I love mismatching my socks, I guess that makes me especially sad ?

20 likes2 comments
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ctboeheim
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Pickpick

I haven't had this much fun with a book since the last Terry Pratchett novel I read.

Mona is a wizard who works in a bakery. Her one skill is to get bread dough to do what she wants. But when the city comes under attack and almost all the other wizards are assassinated, Mona rises to the challenge.

With smart, slightly dark writing, witty characters, and a homicidal sourdough starter, this is a joy from start to finish.

wanderinglynn Sounds like fun! 4y
Texreader Well that one is a must-stack! 4y
9 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Lreads
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I saw this in one of my emails from amazon. I love the title! Has anyone else seen this? I think I might take the plunge. 🤔☺️🍞
#ebook #fantasy #amazon #ReadingForEscape

29 likes1 stack add
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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6 books for July! They were all very excellent 🥳

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AbbaZabba02
Pickpick

Book 72

I impulse bought this book last week 100% because the title made me chuckle and the Kindle version was $5. I had zero expectations that it would be any good.

Guys, gals, and anyone in between. This is genuinely the most delightful book I've read in years. It's a "just one more chapter" book. Every time I turned a page I was a bit more sad because that meant I was closer to the end, and I didn't want it to stop.

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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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Pickpick

I‘ve always loved gingerbread - so it wasn‘t a hard sell that I needed to read a book about a girl baker who could make gingerbread men dance... that it started with the discovery of a dead body on the bakery floor... and deals in themes of heroism, greed, misuse of power, failure to act... ahh - it‘s just *chefs kiss* all rather great!

55 likes1 stack add
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AbbaZabba02
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AkashaVampie Unless u are allergic. 4y
3 likes1 comment
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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You haven‘t lived until you‘ve seen a cookie look smug.

Cinfhen 😂😂🤣 4y
51 likes1 comment
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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Aunt Tabitha whipped a frying pan around and connected with a cookie that had a whisk in each hand and a homicidal expression on its icing face.

Cathythoughts How adorable 💕I don‘t like the sound of that icing face though 🤣 (edited) 4y
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @Cathythoughts, it was my birthday cake last year... I‘m lucky to be blessed with friends that love to bake 😋 4y
45 likes2 comments
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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If you‘ve never tried to make conversation with a monarch, over the hog-tied body of an evil wizard, with a dead man in the next room, it is not easy. Talking about the weather didn‘t seem appropriate, and “so, do you think this will work, or are we all going to die?” didn‘t strike me as very good either.

BethM This sounds so fun! 4y
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @BethM, I love it so much 4y
46 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Scorbet
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Pickpick

This is another brilliant book by Ursula Vernon in her guise as T. Kingfisher. It‘s basically a MG book, but is quite dark. (It‘s also suitable for adults though!) It features Mona, a 14 year-old baker‘s apprentice and minor wizard, who gets pulled into a difficult situation after she finds a body in the bakery one morning. Unlike most books about adventures though, there is more of a sense of how it feels to be dragged into saving the day.

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esurient
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Pickpick

Oh! Astonishingly topical, for all it wasn't intended to be, and Knackering Molly, *my heart.*

Perhaps not quite as dark as Minor Mage, but heavy all the same.

Pick.

esurient There were several quotes I snapped screenshots of, but they're so spoilery I hate to post them. Legit wept at the final fight.. 4y
15 likes1 stack add1 comment
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esurient
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YES! New Kingfisher! #releasedayyay

(From the author's Afterward.)

esurient O-ho, this one looks ideal for any fan of 4y
14 likes1 stack add1 comment