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The Women in the Castle
The Women in the Castle: A Novel | Jessica Shattuck
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review
Bec_lectic
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Mehso-so

This book broaches life in one of our darkest times in history from the perspective of multiple German women through WWII & beyond. I unfortunately did not love this story. None of the characters were likable, the story skipped around through different time lines & locations which was sometimes confusing , & it covered very sensitive subjects very briefly instead of capturing the reader and making them feel the characters pain. Just so so for me.

bookandbedandtea I felt exactly the same way about this book. 9mo
Bec_lectic @bookandbedandtea it got such high praise so I was surprised it wasn‘t more engaging 😕 9mo
57 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Valhalla
The Women in the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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Amid the ashes of Nazi Germany's defeat Marianne returns to the once Grand Castle of her husband's ancestors and imposing Stone fortress now fallen into ruins following years of war. Marianne plans to uphold the promise she made to her husband's brave conspirators to find and protect their wives her fellow resistance widows

Bklover I really enjoyed this one! 10mo
12 likes1 stack add1 comment
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TheSpineView
The Women in the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks On my tbr shelf!! 11mo
Eggs This book was intriguing 👏🏻👏🏻 11mo
56 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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TheSpineView
The Women in the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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Mehso-so

This is a difficult book to read. It tells the story of 3 German women who live through the aftermath of WWII. The subject is not one much discussed in books and is hard to read. Lots of triggers. The prose is good and it is well researched. This helps the story a lot. However, the plot is rather slow and I didn't care for any of the characters and I am not talking about their actions (given the circumstances I doubt I would have acted...

TheSpineView ... differently). I just didn't care for their personalities. Bonita was selfish, self-centered and immature. Marianne was self-righteous and prickly. Though I did appreciate her tenacity. Of the 3 Ania was my favorite. Yet even she got on my nerves. 3⭐️ Read this for #LLWNB 2y
Read4life I tried reading this a few months ago and couldn‘t get into it. It was slow and I couldn‘t get invested in the characters. I thought it was just not right for me at the time and I would try again. Reading this maybe I should just mark it DNF. 2y
vlwelser 💯 2y
TheSpineView @Read4life DNF probably is the best choice for you. 2y
67 likes5 comments
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TheSpineView
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#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

"The day of the countess's famous harvest party began with a driving rain that hammered down on all the ancient von Lingenfels castle's sore spots -- springing leaks, dampening floors, and turning its yellow facade a slack, beetle-like black."

ShyBookOwl I love how I can tell autumn is coming to the northern hemisphere because so many first lines with week have gothic undertones 🖤 2y
PageShifter I love this beginning! 2y
42 likes4 comments
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TheSpineView
The Women in the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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#LittensWantToKnow @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Reading:
📖 The Women in the Castle is a deep read and depressing. Despite this, it is well written and a subject you don't read much about. The aftermath of WWII in Germany and widows dealing with the horrors during and after the war.
📖 The Flatshare a rom-com and is funny and a feel story.
📖 The Stand-In is a romance not as light as The Flayshare but still good.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I have this first one on my shelf! I hope to get to it someday!! 2y
TheSpineView @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks IKR! Not enough time 2y
AnnR I've had The Women in the Castle sitting on my kindle for a few years. @TheSpineView, thanks for mentioning the story is depressing. I'll make sure I pick an appropriate time to read it, when I feel up for a story like that. 2y
TheSpineView @Ann_Reads Another FYI, there are a lot of triggers also. Not an easy book to read. At least the author doesn't go into graphic details. 2y
46 likes4 comments
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sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

I‘ve read a lot of WWII novels over the years, and this one was a new viewpoint for me: the lives of the wives of German woman/widows of German resistors before, during, and after the war. The book is well-written, but sad and difficult to read in parts. I loved these women, their children, and their stories, and I really loved the ending. The narration of the audiobook is fantastic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

102 likes1 stack add
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Booknerd222
The Women of the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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melzen What did you like about it? 2y
Booknerd222 I‘m still reading it 2y
26 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Itchyfeetreader
The Women of the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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Pickpick

This was the book I was just starting as I joined Litsy … then life got in the way, a job change, cancer and during one of the post treatment steroid cleaning frenzies I tidied it away! In a we might be moving cleaning gig this Christmas I found it and today I finally finished. Ultimately a story of regret this was an interesting take on post war Germany. I appreciated the reference to the Resistance but found it to be a bit too neat a tale

Itchyfeetreader Side note I totally recommend the museum of the German resistance in Berlin. An over looked museum I think and incredibly powerful place to visit (edited) 2y
Suet624 I remember liking this book because it specifically dealt with post war Germany and how people dealt with it. 2y
40 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TheSpineView
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Eggs Enjoyed this book! 3y
TheSpineView @Eggs I own but still on the TBR pile! 📚📚📚 3y
52 likes2 comments
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starlight97
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#QuotsyApr21 day 6 #imagine
@TK-421
📷 thebibliosage on Instagram

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SilversReviews
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Thanks to:

#LITSYSPRINGBREAK
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@TheKidUpstairs

Today‘s Prompt: CASTLE

Historical fiction fans and women's fiction fans will love THE WOMEN IN THE CASTLE.

Be prepared for a heart wrenching, but very thought-provoking read.

REVIEW: https://tinyurl.com/yzqevnpb

#jessicashattuck

TheKidUpstairs On my TBR shelf to read someday! ❤📚🏰 3y
SilversReviews @TheKidUpstairs Enjoy when you read it. 3y
36 likes2 comments
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TheSpineView
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TheKidUpstairs On my TBR shelf to read someday! ❤📚🏰 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Mine too!! We chose the same one!💗 3y
65 likes3 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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#Castle 🏰
#LitsySpringBreak

💔💔💔

TheKidUpstairs On my TBR shelf to read someday! ❤📚🏰 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheKidUpstairs the struggle is real!!! 3y
64 likes1 stack add2 comments
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starlight97
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Mehso-so

“It wasn‘t God who caused the war and all the horror. It was people.“
This book shows WWII from an interesting point of view: German resistance and German women's lives during and after the war. The character development was nice but overall there was not much action and it was kinda meh.
⭐⭐⭐☆☆
📷 thebibliosage on Instagram

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Texreader
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Another good historical fiction ebook on sale today on all platforms. Wow, it‘s a good list today! I enjoyed this read.

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JackieGreco
The Women of the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
Pickpick

I really enjoyed this WWII story of three women‘s lives. It was a different take on the war from a perspective that is often unheard.

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NatalieR
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Pickpick

Wish I would have liked this more than I did; however it‘s still a pick for me. The beginning dragged quite a bit as Marianne gathered the other 2 women and brought them to live in the castle after their husbands tried to assassinate Hitler. I enjoyed how the story followed the women and their children through time. A very sad read as well. #MountTBR

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vlwelser
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Mehso-so

This book was just ok, in my opinion. There is so much stuff out there about WWII that it's hard to compete. Not everyone is going to write the best book. This was fine and I'm sure that a lot of people liked it. It just didn't knock my socks off.

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Eggs
The Women of the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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All men are prepared to accomplish the incredible if their ideals are threatened. -Herman Hesse

The women in this novel must remain in a “preparedness” state in order to survive.
#prepared
#quotsysept19
@TK-421

65 likes1 stack add
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Eggs
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Pickpick

One of my favorite parts of HF are the author notes to discover the real-life sources from which the amalgam of characters/settings are derived. Unputdownable

💗💗 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💗💗

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️😘❤️ 5y
82 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BritanyA
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Panpan

⭐️⭐️: I love WWII historical fiction so this should‘ve been a slam dunk. I didn‘t like this one, it slogged along and created characters that I struggled to connect with.

13 likes1 stack add
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jen_the_scribe

Another one for lovers of historical fiction. This book focuses on a whole other side to WWII and the holocaust: the women left behind by the revolutionaries/rebels to the Nazi party. Well-researched with sympathetic characters and vivid descriptions.

6 likes1 stack add
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Eggs
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And I'm on my way, I still remember
This old country lanes
When we did not know the answers
And I miss the way you make me feel, it's real
We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill🎶

“Her dearest friends were like dreams she had woken from. How had she missed so much?”

#thecastleonthehill #wanderingJune @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

Cinfhen Great use of lyrics!! I couldn‘t get into this book. 5y
gradcat Love your quote choice from the book. ♥️ 5y
73 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Freespirit
Women in the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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Wow I am getting a history lesson from this audiobook. Told from the perspective of 3 women in post world war 2 Germany. Very well written. How lucky we are we didn‘t live through this time.
I listened to it as I walked to a far corner of our farm where a small creek usually runs. Previously when in drought it has always had waterholes but this drought has dried it out completely😟 #audiowalk #climatechange

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Insightsintobooks
Women in the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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Look what's on sale!! I've been waiting for it to go on sale!!

#kindledeals #kindledeal #ebooksale

Mdargusch Nice! 5y
58 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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behudd
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Pickpick

This takes place right at the end of WWII, and is about 3 widows & their children who end up living & surviving together. There are quite a few flashbacks to their lives before & during the war, and even a few dramatic turns I didn‘t see coming. Reading about the war from female perspectives is always interesting but from German female perspectives was fascinating, and all three of them had very different views & responses to what was happening.

Insightsintobooks I like your review, I've been meaning to get this one for awhile. 5y
behudd @Insightsintobooks thanks! It had been on my list for awhile, too! Glad I finally got around to it 5y
Crazeedi I liked it too 5y
8 likes1 stack add3 comments
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MrBook
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Stop 3 on today‘s home-library tour!

Do you own or have you read any of these books?!

(Current tune on the player from the ‘80s Hits list “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” 😆😎🕺)

#MrBooksBooks

TEArificbooks Read the women in the castle 5y
kalinichta Read Animators, Lillian, and Beasts. Loved Animators and Lillian. 5y
Leftcoastzen Read Lillian! 5y
Crystalblu Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance is one of my favorite books of the last few years! 5y
93 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Simona
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Yes @Cinfhen my TBR is quite accurate, and is almost needless to say - I really looking forward to read them all♥️ and that I always read with burning candle, taking notes. Thank you, thank you, thank you❣️ I was overwhelmed when I received your package, and now seeing all this bookish goodies, I‘m beyond overwhelmed. You are truly exceptional generous, warm and thoughtful Litten, and I really hope to meet you IRL someday. 🙏

BarbaraBB Wow 😍 5y
Simona @BarbaraBB Exactly❣️😍 5y
Cinfhen Yay!! Hope to meet you one day, too!!! I love this Litsy community for bringing us all together ❤️ 5y
See All 7 Comments
LeahBergen How lovely! ❤️❤️ 5y
Simona @Cinfhen Littens are the best‼️ 5y
Simona @LeahBergen Indeed, very lovely 😘 5y
Cinfhen It‘s true... and you‘re a perfect example 😘 5y
68 likes7 comments
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jessamyngrace

For so long Marianne and Albrecht and many of their friends had known Hitler was a lunatic, a leader whose lowbrow appeal to people's most selfish, self-pitying emotions and ignorance was an embarrassment for their country. They had watched him make a masterwork of scapegoating Jews for Germany's fall from power and persuade his followers that enlightenment, humanity, and tolerance were weaknesses -- "Jewish" ideas that led to defeat.

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Macnjen
Women in the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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Pickpick

Audiobook for book club and the #litsyAtoZ challenge.. Good narration of the tale of three WW2 German women whose lives converge. Lovely writing and interesting weaving of the characters. @BookishMarginalia

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TheBookKeepers
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Another epic round of #lmpbc !! @Johanna414 I‘m mailing yours back to you today! So hopefully you‘ll get it by midweek 💙. Love reading everyone‘s comments! Thanks for a fun round!! @kellyann28 @ConfessionofaBookaholic

Johanna414 Sounds good! I need to send Kara‘s back as well- meant to this week and forgot... @ConfessionofaBookaholic 5y
93 likes1 comment
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kellyann28
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Mehso-so

This was a so-so for me! I felt the story dragged in the beginning, started to pick up steam as they regrouped their lives and then lost some momentum at the end. This shows unique perspectives from the Nazi era that you dont often read about, which I enjoyed. Another great round of #LMPBC ! Thanks ladies for the good reads! @TheBookKeepers @johanna414 @ConfessionofaBookaholic

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kellyann28
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Just got home from our vacation and had this waiting on me :) #LMPBC @ConfessionofaBookaholic @johanna414 @TheBookKeepers

I'm going to try and read it this weekend and get it back to you, Amanda!

ConfessionofaBookaholic Yay! Glad you got it, I really enjoyed that one 😁 5y
Johanna414 This was really good! Hope you love it! 5y
TheBookKeepers No rush on my end love 💋 5y
24 likes3 comments
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ConfessionofaBookaholic
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this one as a #lmpbc @kellyann28 I‘ll be send it out to you tomorrow!

kellyann28 Awesome, thanks! 5y
46 likes1 stack add2 comments
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ConfessionofaBookaholic
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Beautiful night for working on my #LMPBC in my hammock. Of course my buddy couldn‘t let me relax all alone, gotta make sure to share the love 😍 📝

#puppylove #dogsoflitsy

kellyann28 Oh he/she is BEAUTIFUL! 5y
ConfessionofaBookaholic @kellyann28 Thank you! His name is Jaxson and he knows he‘s beautiful, lol 5y
See All 6 Comments
Johanna414 OMG he‘s so pretty! 😍😍😍 5y
SaraFair That pup is reading hard! Is it a picture book? Didn‘t know Britanies stopped that long- 5y
ConfessionofaBookaholic @SaraFair he stops when he feels ignored, gotta make sure he‘s getting attention 100% of the time 😂 5y
74 likes6 comments
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BekaReid
The Women of the Castle | Jessica Shattuck

"...music, and art in general, are basic requirements of the human soul. Not a luxury but a compulsion."

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Bourriquet76
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Seventh read of 2019

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hdhubbard
Pickpick

8/10 Interesting look at Germany during WWII from a womens perspective. Different shades of black white, and grey are how people survive.

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ConfessionofaBookaholic
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My #lmpbc book just showed up! Super excited to get started 🤓

@Johanna414
@TheBookKeepers
@kellyann28

Crazeedi I enjoyed this book 5y
Johanna414 I really liked this one! 5y
TheBookKeepers Yay! Hope you like it! 5y
See All 6 Comments
kellyann28 Hey Kara! How's this one coming along? I know you got it late but just checking in for our #LMPBC ! 5y
ConfessionofaBookaholic @kellyann28 it‘s going much slower that I‘d like, but I‘m hoping to wrap it up this weekend 👍 5y
63 likes1 stack add6 comments
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PageTurnersAndSweetTea
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tdrosebud
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The anthology is a gift from my mom, the rest are some books bought with some of my Christmas money. I've got 4 more on order from gift cards. #bookhaul

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tammysue
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Pickpick

4.5 ☆ A riveting story of 3 widowed German women who‘s resister husband‘s were killed for an assassination attempt on Hitler. Through their experiences we get to know them-their past, secrets + hopes for a better life as they struggle to survive war horrors w/their children after seeking refuge in Marianne‘s battered castle. It also shed light on how Ger. civilians fooled themselves as to what was really going on. Heartbreaking + warming both.

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Johanna414
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Pickpick

I was a little nervous going into this, and wasn‘t sure if I was going to like it. I ended up absolutely loving it, and found myself thinking about the characters even when I wasn‘t reading. It‘s a beautiful story. #lmpbc @TheBookKeepers @kellyann28 @ConfessionofaBookaholic
Kara, I‘ll put it in the mail to you sometime this week!

TheBookKeepers Yay I‘m so happy you loved it!! I was really hoping I didn‘t add to your book slump! 5y
tammysue I really enjoyed it too! 👍🏻 5y
Johanna414 @TheBookKeepers nope, you got me out of it! I think I needed something totally different from my usual go-to genres 5y
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JillR I enjoyed this recently too :) 5y
ConfessionofaBookaholic @Johanna414 Any news on this one? I haven‘t seen it in the mail yet... 5y
Johanna414 @ConfessionofaBookaholic yes, it is in the mail - Sorry I forgot to tell you! You should have it in the next day or two 5y
ConfessionofaBookaholic @Johanna414 ok good! I just wanted to make sure it didn‘t get lost or something 😊 5y
Johanna414 @ConfessionofaBookaholic No, I just was super late in sending it... I struggled finding time to get to the post office when I didn‘t have both kids in tow 5y
41 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Johanna414
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Doing some #audiocrochet and trying to finish up Christmas gifts while plugging away at my #25infive readathon. This is more than I‘ve read in weeks, so I think I‘m finally getting over the dreaded slump I‘ve been in.

TaciturnWhenReading Good for you! I‘m in a bit of a slump myself - I think it‘s the holiday obligations. 🎄🎁😳 5y
Andrew65 Always great to get out of a slump! Well done 🙌🙌🙌 5y
47 likes2 comments
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Johanna414
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Everyone in our house is sick this weekend, but I‘m stealing a few minutes to relax while the kids nap. I think Tony and Lane are going to get a Christmas tree this afternoon, but I‘d rather stay home and read... I actually downloaded the audiobook of this so I could got back and forth between the two. Really enjoying it so far!
#audiocrochet #lmpbc

JillR I really enjoyed this too :) 5y
Tamra The upside is hopefully everyone will have had and be over the bug by Xmas! 5y
Johanna414 @Tamra that‘s what I keep telling myself! 5y
TheBookKeepers Wow beautiful blanket!! Great idea to alternate with the audio!! Hope everyone gets better soon! 😘 5y
Johanna414 @TheBookKeepers thanks! It‘s to go with the new comforter we bought Lane for his 3rd birthday. He‘s totally obsessed with “comfy, cozy blankets” right now... 5y
49 likes5 comments
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Johanna414
Women in the Castle | Jessica Shattuck
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It‘s been kind of a crazy week with both kids sick, but Nina and I managed to venture out and mail both my #lmpbc book and #blinddatewithabookswap package this morning! Of course I forgot to take a picture, so here‘s Nina with my next read! @ConfessionofaBookaholic @TheBookKeepers @kellyann28 @TheReadingMermaid

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LisaJo
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Pickpick

I enjoyed reading this historical novel. I really found the characters fascinating. I liked the fashion in which the author slowly gave us details of these characters. By the way the bookmark shown in the picture is from the bookstore, called Novel, in Memphis where I purchased this book. I was on a road trip and had to visit a bookstore. It‘s a nice well organized bookstore not as quaint as some independent bookstore. But has a killer restaurant.