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All's Well
All's Well | Mona Awad
From the critically acclaimed author of Bunny, a darkly funny novel about a theater professor suffering chronic pain, who in the process of staging a troubled production of Shakespeares most maligned play, suddenly and miraculously recovers. Miranda Fitchs life is a waking nightmare. The accident that ended her burgeoning acting career left her with excruciating, chronic back pain, a failed marriage, and a deepening dependence on painkillers. And now shes on the verge of losing her job as a college theater director. Determined to put on Shakespeares Alls Well That Ends Well, the play that promised, and cost, her everything, she faces a mutinous cast hellbent on staging Macbeth instead. Miranda sees her chance at redemption slip through her fingers. Thats when she meets three strange benefactors who have an eerie knowledge of Mirandas past and a tantalizing promise for her future: one where the show goes on, her rebellious students get whats coming to them, and the invisible, doubted pain thats kept her from the spotlight is made known. With prose Margaret Atwood has described as no punches pulled, no hilarities dodged...genius, Mona Awad has concocted her most potent, subversive novel yet. Alls Well is the story of a woman at her breaking point and a formidable, piercingly funny indictment of our collective refusal to witness and believe female pain.
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review
Decalino
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

Miranda, an actor turned college theater professor, lives a life consumed by pain. A bad fall has left her with a body she can no longer count on for anything but torment, while those around her question whether it might just be all in her head. Things take a turn when Miranda meets three strangers at a local pub. They offer her a chance to direct the Shakespeare play of her dreams and let the doubters know how real her pain is, but at what cost?

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Kimberlone
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Mehso-so

I‘ve felt ambivalent about the 3 Awad books I‘ve read. I appreciate her commitment to truly bonkers plots and skewering of niche subcultures (MFA programs in Bunny, skincare/wellness industry in Rouge, theatre kids & chronic pain in All‘s Well), but the magical realism elements didn‘t work as well in this one. Absolutely love the cover/title, reflecting both the college Shakespeare production & FMC‘s debilitating invisible pain.

LiteraryinPA I agree- this one was so weird to me. 4mo
Kimberlone @LiteraryinLawrence I was expecting the weirdness due to her other books, but the weirdness just didn‘t work as well in this one 4mo
39 likes2 comments
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guidosophia
All's Well | Mona Awad
Mehso-so

I was inspired to read this book bc my friend had just read Bunny, but I picked this one instead bc it‘s Shakespeare related and I‘m pretentious. The first 100 pages of this book I wasn‘t sure if I was even going to finish it bc it does not start off strong. Honestly it‘s hard to read about someone struggling so hard. The rest of the book was more interesting and it had some cool points but mostly not amazing

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dabbe
All's Well | Mona Awad
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@Catiewithac

Catie, I just opened your lovely gift. Thank you so much! This book has been on my TBR for a long time, and now I get to read it in 2024! #woohoo! I'm so grateful to have found you through #LitsyLove and look forward to our continue friendship through our letters. Wishing you and Abbey the happiest of holidays in your new home! 💙❄️💙

catiewithac Happy holidays! 11mo
dabbe @catiewithac 🎄❤️🎄 11mo
53 likes2 comments
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Emilymdxn
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

I didn‘t think I could possibly love another Mona Awad book as much as Bunny but I really did! So much more complex and fascinating than other ‘doing a production of Shakespeare and everything gets weird‘ books - looking at you If We Were Villains. I loved the problem play vibe, the surrealism, the horror, the murkiness and horrible MC. So perfect.

#wintergames #snowangels

kwmg40 I really liked this one too! 12mo
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Emilymdxn
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Winter games is finally here! I‘m excited for me and all the #snowangels to get a lot of reading in and be cosy and festive! Today I‘m finishing off a couple of non-festive reads then I‘ll be starting on some very Christmassy rom coms.

#wintergames

37 likes1 comment
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Emilymdxn
All's Well | Mona Awad
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I am so excited for the first readathon of #wintergames this year! Thank you @Andrew65 for hosting the #20in4 readathon ❄️

My goal is pretty much to read as much as I can and see what I get through. It‘s gonna be a mix of commuting audiobooks, education reports at work and reading for my grad school essay at the weekend - keeping it nice and varied! Tagging team #snowangels down below in case you want to get involved

32 likes1 comment
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RaeLovesToRead
All's Well | Mona Awad
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When #ownitalreadyoctober goes bad, and #nobuynovember goes worse, it's gotta be #dontdoitdecember

😅

BEHOLD MAI TREASURES!!!!!

Supporting Independent book stores! 🥰🥰

Amiable @Clare-Dragonfly 😄😄 12mo
RaeLovesToRead @Clare-Dragonfly Hahaha, yes!!!! And then #absolutelydestituteapril 😅😇 12mo
56 likes3 comments
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Billypar
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

Nothing like a good book and a glass of the golden remedy to ease your mind, am I right? If you've read this, you'll know this last phrase is repeated over and over. After a while, I was repeating it to my cats ('That's some yummy food, am I right?'). It's one of many careless phrases uttered by the happy that serve to irritate the miserable in Awad's theater of the absurd. A perfect dark comic meditation on the gulf between sickness and wellness.

Ruthiella I loved this one too. I‘m very excited for her newest and have it on hold at the library 1y
Billypar @Ruthiella Yeah, the new one sounds great. Mona Awad is actually doing a reading at my local bookstore along with Laura Sims this Friday, so I'm really looking forward to that! 1y
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BarbaraBB How cool to meet her Friday. I liked this one too. Your review is fantastic! 1y
Billypar @BarbaraBB Thanks! Yeah, I don't always pay close attention to my local bookstore events, but I'm glad I noticed this one. 1y
batsy I'm looking forward to reading this, too! Great picture... That's the ideal combo 😆 1y
Cinfhen I just read two books by Laura Simms and they were SO GOOD!!! Friday‘s event should be AMAZING!!!! I enjoyed this book but Awad‘s newest is my favorite 14mo
sarahbarnes What a cool book event! Loved this one and am currently reading Rouge and agree with @Cinfhen so far it‘s my favorite of hers. I love her writing. 14mo
Cinfhen Yay @sarahbarnes !!!! Rouge was “almost” sane 😁😉 (edited) 14mo
Billypar @batsy The picture was one of those situations that was accidentally book-relevant, so no staging required 😄 14mo
Billypar @Cinfhen I'll be forever grateful to you and @BarbaraBB for introducing me to Awad via the Bunny readalong. And I can't believe Rouge is even better given the strength of her last two! But I will trust you and @sarahbarnes and maybe skip my usual year-plus delay on reading new releases. And now it also sounds like I'll have to make time for Laura Sims at some point! 📚📚📚 14mo
BarbaraBB If you make that exception on new releases you can probably get a signed copy of Rouge! That‘d be great! 14mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Yeah, I'll definitely be getting a copy, hopefully signed. But it faces stiff competition on my TBR bookshelf once it arrives there 🙂 14mo
BarbaraBB I know what you mean 😀 14mo
51 likes3 stack adds14 comments
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Billypar
All's Well | Mona Awad
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#DramaQueen #Titlesandtunes
What a great opportunity for me to read my most anticipated selection from my shelf (I'm weirdly proud I lasted a year for it to 'wait its turn', even though that makes no sense 🤷🏻). After Bunny, I can only assume this story of a director staging All's Well That Ends Well will have some bizarre complications. I think it's 'the drama I've been craving', as Sleater Kinney sing on one of my all-time favorite albums.

Cinfhen Fabulous choice!!! Happy you waited for the right time to read the book!!! 1y
Cinfhen Perfect pairing 🎶✅❣️ 1y
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Billypar @Cinfhen I'm excited already! 🎭 1y
batsy Nice! I want to read this, too. Great pick for the prompt. And now I've gotta crank up some Sleater Kinney 🙌🏾 1y
BarbaraBB Great choice for the book, it had drama queen all over it! 1y
43 likes1 stack add6 comments
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britt_brooke
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Editing this sucker down might‘ve saved it for me. Idk. Probably not! Giving it three stars because Awad‘s writing is quite good. Too bad this story is excruciatingly boring. I‘m in no great rush to try her again.

HeatherBookNerd Felt the same 2y
britt_brooke @HeatherBookNerd Always makes me feel better when a friend agrees! 🤍 2y
79 likes2 comments
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BookishPiper
All's Well | Mona Awad
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I mailed out my #lmpbc to @MaleficentBookDragon yesterday. I enjoyed it I hope you do too! @BookwormAHN @LiteraryinLawrence This group is a lot of fun!

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BookwormAHN
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

This was a fun, insane book. Miranda suffers from chronic pain that keeps getting worse while trying to put on a performance of Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well.
I hope everyone in my #LMPBC group enjoys it 😺
#LMPBC @MaleficentBookDragon @LiteraryinLawrence and @BookishPiper
#BookSpin Mona Awad

LiteraryinPA So exciting! I‘m still reading but will have my book in the mail by Monday. Sorry! @BookishPiper do you know how the next part works? We each mail the book to the person after us on the list sent by Suellen, so I send it to you, you always send to Chelle, etc. 2y
BookishPiper One thing I'm not clear on is Are we marking up the books we receive each month also? Or just our own? 2y
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BookwormAHN @BookishPiper We mark up the ones we receive too. 2y
LiteraryinPA I received the book in the mail today! Thanks! 2y
BookwormAHN @LiteraryinLawrence Great, thanks for letting me know 😺 2y
71 likes1 stack add7 comments
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BookwormAHN
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Here are my choices for #GroupX
All's Well - the author is Gen X
Dave Grohl - because why not
White Noise - 80s nostalgia
@MaleficentBookDragon @LiteraryinLawrence @BookishPiper #LMPBC

BookishPiper White Noise 2y
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LiteraryinPA I am most interested in All‘s Well, then The Storyteller and then White Noise. Cool choices! 2y
BookwormAHN @MaleficentBookDragon retagging you in case you missed it. 2y
MaleficentBookDragon Sorry I did miss it. I vote for All‘s Well. I think Storyteller would be great in audio. 2y
40 likes7 comments
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anniebannanie
All's Well | Mona Awad
Pickpick

Sooooooooo good. We love the theatre!

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MsLeah8417
All's Well | Mona Awad
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Blueberry
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Panpan

OMG, what did I just read and why did I finish it??
2 ⭐ for the Shakespeare parts.

@NataliePatalie

Suet624 Yup. 2y
ChaoticMissAdventures LoL I really liked it but knew it was going to be for only very certain types of readers. 2y
Twainy Is this the same author who wrote that stupid Bunny book? 2y
64 likes1 stack add4 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

I thought “Bunny” was darkly weird, but this is more so! Exhausting, intense, darkly funny, and I read it with horror, too. All‘s Well has a clever connection with a couple of Shakespeare‘s plays. It‘s a poke at the perception of chronic pain, and of the health care industry. There‘s a good dose of the supernatural (or is it painkillers?) at play, that left me confused in parts. I think this makes a good book club read-lots to discuss. Quite ⬇️

erzascarletbookgasm …a ‘problem‘ book, like the Shakespeare play but it was a gripping read. 2y
Graywacke I‘m intrigued. Great post! 2y
batsy Nice review! I enjoyed Bunny a lot and will be attempting to read this at some point. Within the year, I hope. Lol 😆 2y
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erzascarletbookgasm @Graywacke @batsy Thanks! Given both your wider and in-depth knowledge of Shakespeare‘s works, I believe you‘ll have a better grasp of this, and appreciate more!😊 2y
CarolynM Great review. Like @batsy I liked Bunny and I am going to read this, but I really need to “brush up my Shakespeare” (especially All‘s Well) before I do. 2y
erzascarletbookgasm @CarolynM Thanks. Maybe just read the summary of All‘s Well and Macbeth to refresh your memory, so you‘ll get the subtle nuances. 2y
72 likes1 stack add6 comments
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CarolynM
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Recent acquisitions

TrishB Lovely acquisitions ♥️ 3y
LapReader I‘m very jealous xo 3y
Ruthiella I would love to know what you think of the Mona Awad book. I really liked it, but I know it really didn‘t work for other readers. 🤔 3y
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LeahBergen Ooo, nice! I must look up that Dean Street Press author. 3y
Cathythoughts Great looking stack ❤️👍 3y
CarolynM @Ruthiella I liked the weirdness of Bunny so I have high hopes, but I think I need to refresh my memory of All's Well That Ends Well before I start it. 3y
CarolynM @LeahBergen I'd not heard of him, but Abbey's (my favourite Sydney bookshop which is very good for crime) had a pile of his books, so I'm giving him a try🙂 3y
vivastory I just finished Alls' Well & I loved it. I haven't read the source material & didn't have any trouble with it. 👍 (edited) 3y
CarolynM @vivastory Good to know. Thanks 🙂 3y
62 likes10 comments
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MrsReads1
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Overall an okay reading month. Nothing I read this month blew me away except for All's Well which I highly recommend to everyone! I managed to finish my #bookspin and #doublespin, though, so I'm taking the win!

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fabulous month!! 3y
3 likes1 comment
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Beachesnbooks
All's Well | Mona Awad
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March wrap-up! I finished 10 books, but unfortunately several were disappointments. Still found some good ones, though!
🥇All's Well
🥈Assembly
🥉All of Us Villains

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BeeMagical
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

Book 48🎧 5⭐️
Another amazing book by Awad! Includes an ode to Bunny too🐰💕
This was so good! I love the “is/about” Shakespeare stories (10 things I hate about you/The taming of the shrew) and this was a fantastic version of Alls well that ends well!

With Awads classic dark humour and satirical writing, you really feel what it‘s like to live as someone with chronic pain, see how they are treated. I appreciated her showing this raw side of pain.

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Butterfinger
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Mehso-so

Creepy!!!! I realize that if I knew enough Shakespeare I would recognize all the references, but I think Stephen King also influenced the writing. I thought of Thinner as I listened. And if I hear, "Am I right?" I may just lose my head as Ms. Fitch seems to on opening night. How annoying.

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kwmg40
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

This #ToB22 book has elements of All's Well That Ends Well and Macbeth mixed into a wonderfully crazy story about a high-school drama teacher suffering from chronic pain. Miranda tells her students that Shakespeare's play is both a tragedy and a comedy, and one can say the same of this version of All's Well.

I wouldn't recommend this novel to everyone, but I really loved it myself.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
Suet624 I wasn‘t particularly taken with the book but I like your review a lot. 3y
Ruthiella I loved this one too! I also loved her previous book 3y
See All 6 Comments
BarbaraBB Very insightful review. We both finished it on the same day! 3y
kwmg40 @TheAromaofBooks @Suet624 @BarbaraBB Thank you for your comments! 3y
kwmg40 @Ruthiella I've not read Bunny yet. Will have to put it on my list. 3y
41 likes6 comments
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BarbaraBB
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

Just in time before this book is up against The Trees in the #Tob22 I finished it. And I like it a lot more than I thought I would. Miranda is a theater director who suffers chronic pains and lives on painkillers. When she meets three weird men in a bar, all‘s well. No, not really. The book becomes a mess after that but I liked it.
No match for The Trees though, if you‘d ask me!

#Tob22 #pop22 #MisleadingTitle

Megabooks Great review and 💯 agree! 3y
KarenUK @BarbaraBB Fab review, and agree! 💕 3y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego I like that cover. 3y
See All 12 Comments
BarbaraBB @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Me too! It fits the book, the only thing missing are the poppy‘s on her dress 😉 3y
Cinfhen Totally agree!!! No match for Trees which is a shame because this book was satisfyingly weird. 3y
squirrelbrain Great review…one of the #tob books I didn‘t get to. 3y
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I was pleasantly surprised after Bunny, which I do however appreciate more in hindsight! (edited) 3y
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I‘m glad I could fit it in in time but it‘s not a must read I think. You‘ve got enough on your plate (from the library) 😉🤣 3y
vivastory I had never seen this cover. Amazing!! 3y
kwmg40 I just finished this one and liked it a lot too. It's too bad it's up against the Trees, as I don't think it has much of a chance against it. 3y
Mindyrecycles I also thought very highly of it and hate that it‘s up against Trees. 3y
BarbaraBB @kwmg40 @Mindyrecycles A lot of my favorites this year are on the left side of the brackets and therefore up against eachother way too soon. The right side is less interesting for me! 3y
76 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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Beachesnbooks
All's Well | Mona Awad
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March TBR, Part 2! A few days into the month & I keep adding books to my monthly TBR. I'll have to see how realistic or unrealistic it is in my monthly wrap-up 📚

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Hooked_on_books
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Mehso-so

After hating Bunny, I had no intention of reading this book but did so for TOB completeness. I hated the first part with it‘s tedious, one-dimensional characters but pushed forward since I knew it would change. I actually found that I enjoyed parts of it and wanted to keep going, though the weirdest sections didn‘t work for me. On no planet should this ever best Percival Everett‘s masterful The Trees.

Librariana I wish I had a better grip on/understanding of Tournament of Books to where I could keep up with the contenders, but goodness knows I can barely keep up with the few things I choose to read. I'm a bit of a lost cause, Holly 😁 3y
Megabooks Yeah, this was a weird one. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y
Hooked_on_books @Megabooks I almost bailed SO many times. If she lands on another TOB list, I‘m skipping the book! 3y
52 likes3 comments
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BkClubCare
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

First third is scary good full of overwhelming physical pain and it was almost more than I could bear. And then it almost became deliciously fun in contrast, exploring the reverse. Yowza this is darkly comic and manic. The ending is supposed to be unsure and unresolved, so that fits. 🥴 I liked it getting there, so it gets a pick. 🌹🥀
#tob2022

sarahbarnes I liked it too! 3y
thebluestocking I liked this one too!! I think that first section on chronic pain is amazing. I do not have chronic pain but know many who do, and I was able to have more insight into what it is like. I love books for that reason. 3y
50 likes2 comments
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ImperfectCJ
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this exploration of chronic illness and how we deal with it, the callous tyranny of "mind over matter," the deals we attempt to make with ourselves and the world, and the ways that we support others (or not). There's some Shakespeare, too, but at the level that I appreciate it (I like the themes and I like the use of language/wordplay, but the plays don't usually engage me for the duration of a performance). #ToB2022

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ImperfectCJ
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Here's Silo wondering if he should be familiar with the Shakespeare play to fully appreciate the tagged book or if having elaborate whiskers and a regal profile is sufficient.

RaeLovesToRead Hello Silo 👋👋😊 3y
Pageturner1 😻🙀Hi Silo! So pretty kitty 3y
BkClubCare No deep Shakespeare knowledge required, imo (I was good with all the references - the narrative explains well enough.) 3y
67 likes3 comments
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BkClubCare
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Worked on my February #BookSpinBingo list. Giving two slots each to my remaining #TOB2022 titles. Finished Intimacies this morning, watched some 🏈 (Congrats to Cinci), and now starting All‘s Well. It‘s due at the library on 2/2 😬
I did manage both the January Spin and the Double! I did not hit any bingos. And yet, I read 12 books! 🤔🤷🏻‍♀️

Nutmegnc I had to return the Dutch house audio to the library because somebody was waiting. Now I‘m Waiting for it to come back up so I can finish it! 3y
49 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Mindyrecycles
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

My #tob22 picks in order thus far:

1. The Trees
2. Klara and the Sun
3. The Sentence
4. All‘s Well
5. The Book of Form and Emptiness
6. The Echo Wife
7. Intimacies
8. Beautiful World, Where are you
9. In Concrete
10. When We Cease to Understand the World.

Where am I wrong? I can take it. 😂

Matrix and Nervous System are in progress. If I finish everything including the remaining play-ins, I‘ll give No One is Talking another go. 🙂

Ruthiella I like your countdown! I‘d put Intimacies higher and the Echo Wife lower and I‘ve not finished The Sentence yet, but so far I like it quite a bit! 👍 3y
Megabooks No a fan of Klara and loved Intimacies. So glad we all have different opinions!! 3y
BarbaraBB Love this! I hope you‘ll get to Subdivision. It‘s one of my favorites this year. 3y
Mindyrecycles @BarbaraBB I‘m on track so far to get them all in. 🤞🏼 3y
60 likes4 comments
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cariashley
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

This is a tough one to rate, really wavering between so-so and pick so going with a low pick. Totally bizarre with lots of smart Shakespearean references and other devices that were mostly over my head. The portrayal of chronic pain was fascinating and terrifying, and gave me the humbling feeling that fiction isn‘t so far from reality for many. Book 7 down #TOB22

BarbaraBB I‘m not really tempted to read it but already ordered the paperback edition 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3y
cariashley @BarbaraBB yeah I‘m happy I got it from the library - I don‘t think it‘s out in paperback in the US yet. 3y
Ruthiella I really liked this one, especially how it got weirder and weirder. I understand some readers think Miranda hallucinated some/all of it due to all the meds. But I prefer to read it “straight” and accept the sorcery and magic of it. 3y
55 likes3 comments
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alisiakae
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Mehso-so

The surrealism in this #tobshortlist novel is what I would imagine coming down from a bad high feels like. Certain aspects are expertly done. Awad really captures the experience of being a chronic pain sufferer, the misogyny that still exists when trying to seek treatment, and the disbelief by friends and family faced by many with chronic pain. The first 100 pages was fantastic. Then the book became a bit unmoored, in a WTF did I read kinda way.

Prairiegirl_reading After bunny I expect “unmoored, in a wtf did I read” from Mona Awad. 🤣 3y
alisiakae Also fills #pop22 quote from favorite author on cover of Amazon page (Margaret Atwood) 3y
See All 21 Comments
alisiakae @Prairiegirl_reading I haven‘t read Bunny! 3y
Zuhkeeyah @Prairiegirl_reading I felt the same by the end of Bunny. It started off great…then just drifted aimlessly. 3y
vivastory Did you see that you can pre-order igned copies of Atwood's upcoming book on B&N 3y
vivastory *signed 3y
Cinfhen This one was VERY Bunny-ish @Prairiegirl_reading but I liked it more. It‘s DEFINITELY odd & quirky 3y
alisiakae @vivastory 😍😍 I didn‘t. Thank you!! 3y
alisiakae @Zuhkeeyah the ending of All‘s Well kind of redeemed itself, there was a very vivid sequence that I thought was done very well. The middle part though, really started to drag. 3y
alisiakae @Cinfhen the Miranda after the golden drink, and how awful she became, really bothered me. But it is a book that makes you think! She definitely ranks up there on the list of most unreliable narrators. 3y
Cinfhen The parts you highlight in your review are the reasons I really enjoyed this book / I‘m not familiar enough with Shakespeare to understand all the hidden messages/ identities. I LOVE the cover design ❤️not a favorite for the shortlist - surprised it advanced 3y
squirrelbrain I‘m not sure if I‘ll read this. I didn‘t like Bunny at all and I don‘t know much Shakespeare. It‘s also not published over here until Feb. 3y
Suet624 I gave this a so-so as well. She captures the chronic sufferer aspect perfectly but the rest was a mess. 3y
Megabooks This was a low pick for me. Eh. I agree with much of what you‘re saying. 3y
Ruthiella I loved the messy, magical part of this one. @squirrelbrain I think you won‘t like this one much if you didn‘t like Bunny. It‘s equally bizarre. 3y
thebluestocking I usually don‘t go for this kind of weirdness, but it worked for me. I agree that the first 100 pages were the best. 3y
BarbaraBB Still need to read this one but love how different we all react to it! 3y
sarahbarnes Great review. I did love the weirdness even though I got a little lost in it. 3y
BkClubCare Honestly, I do not look forward to this one. 3y
Mindyrecycles I really liked it even though I didn‘t understand it completely. Still mulling it over but I was into it from beginning to end. 3y
79 likes21 comments
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Addison_Reads
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

I had to sit with this for a bit to really decide how I felt.

The main character annoyed me and I had a hard time even caring about her pain. I do appreciate the author addressing chronic pain and how doctors often dismiss a person's complaints. Also, the clever connection to Shakespeare saved a lot of this story for me.

I'm giving this a pick for its creativity, and I enjoyed most of it, but I didn't love it like I had hoped. #ToB2022 #ToB22

Bookboss I just picked this up from the library. 3y
Addison_Reads @Bookboss my only suggestion would be to not try and make sense of things as you read otherwise the surrealism might become overwhelming. The story has a certain flow of madness if you just let yourself ride the waves. 3y
50 likes2 comments
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alisiakae
All's Well | Mona Awad
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This book is a bit bonkers. Usually I love the weird stories, but I am really struggling here. I‘m definitely getting deep into the surreal section, and I don‘t like it.

Can someone tell me if it just keeps going down a rabbit hole? Miranda has turned into a major asshole. I‘m going to finish, because it‘s a #tobshortlist book that also fills a lot of prompts. But I may start skimming.

ChaoticMissAdventures Oh no! I loved this, but it is for sure going to be a decisive read because it is so surreal. 3y
vivastory I was just thinking that I need to read this because my current read reminds me of Bunny, not because it has a similar story but bc it's also conceptually unusual 3y
alisiakae @ChaoticMissAdventures I think I just need to accept the surrealism and go with it ☺️. I keep trying to make sense if it 😜 3y
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cariashley So funny, I‘m at EXACTLY the same point in the book, chapter 18. I‘m liking it but you‘re right that it‘s bonkers. I‘m just going along for the ride, wouldn‘t say I‘m loving it, but am finding it entertaining even if I don‘t know where it‘s going. 3y
Addison_Reads I just finished this one and I usually really enjoy the weird and surreal, but I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I'm going to have to sit with it a little before I review it. 3y
ChaoticMissAdventures @4thhouseontheleft I think that is the best way! Just read through and don't think much about it until you are done, then sit with it for a bit. But of course not all strangling books are for everyone! 3y
80 likes6 comments
review
Sophronisba
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Panpan

Although All's Well is well-written and Miranda is certainly a vivid character, I mostly found the book an exercise in frustration. I found Miranda‘s complaints about her disappointments in life grating, and although I could sympathize with her chronic pain (and her truly terrible doctors), I found it hard to sympathize with her disdain for her students. And while the book is clearly intended to be humorous, I didn‘t think it was all that funny.

Suet624 I‘m remembering how frustrated I was with this book. 3y
15 likes1 comment
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alisiakae
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Well, I did not end up reading next to the cats earlier today, but now I am settled in to my favorite chair next to the fireplace, with my new cozy sweater and favorite socks!

About 100 pages into this one and still on the fence about how I feel. As someone who dealt with chronic pain from endometriosis for years, I hope this book does justice to the subject of the obstacles chronic pain sufferers face.

#tob #tobshortlist

alisiakae And I had to laugh that at the top of my Litsy feed is a lot of cozy blankets! @Soubhiville @Amiable 🤣 looks like a cold night for many today! 3y
Amiable @4thhouseontheleft It‘s January in New England. There aren‘t too many nights that don‘t call for my trusty fleece blanket! 😀 3y
alisiakae @Amiable I‘m in NC. It was almost 80 a week ago. Expecting snow this weekend. I‘m excited to finally be able to wear sweaters! 🤣 I do NOT miss the Northeast winters though. 3y
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Amiable @4thhouseontheleft I‘m a New England gal to the core. I can‘t stand the heat and humidity—I could never live in the south. If I could encase myself in fleece all the time I totally would! 😀 But that‘s why we have 50 states —there‘s one that‘s just right for everyone. 🙂 3y
alisiakae @Amiable I do very much miss New England culture! Southerners are still sometimes confusing to me 🤣 3y
Soubhiville Honestly it‘s not that bad here in TX. Low 70‘s today. I‘m just a wimp. Plus the hairless cats, they always want blankets, even in the summer. 🤣🤷‍♀️ 3y
Amiable @4thhouseontheleft Are you from these parts up here? Where? When did you move to NC? My oldest son is stationed at the Marine air station in Jacksonville. He lives not too far from Topsail, I think? He‘s not a huge fan of NC—or at least, the part where he is. (He did like visiting Asheville, though.) (edited) 3y
alisiakae @Amiable I grew up in PA, but I've also lived in MD, NY, and NJ! Moved to Charlotte from NJ in 2011 once my hubby finished residency. We do like it here but there are some things I really miss! If we ever move back, it would probably be to MA, it's one of my favorite states. Asheville is one of my favorite little cities! 3y
Amiable @4thhouseontheleft I love MA, too! That‘s where my husband and I met in college and lived for almost 14 years. I‘d go back there in a heartbeat, too. 3y
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review
AlizaApp
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

Another twisty novel from Awad. If you like weird, this one is for you. A former actress with a crippling chronic illness is trying to stage All‘s Well That Ends Well at the university where she works, but the mutinous students are dead-set on doing Macbeth instead. She makes a deal with a trio of strange men she meets in a local pub and it looks like things might be going her way for a change - or are they?

BarbaraBB Still need to pick this one up. A bit hesitant after Bunny! 3y
AlizaApp @BarbaraBB I didn‘t think this was quite as “out there” as Bunny, but I did like both 3y
32 likes2 comments
review
sarahbarnes
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

Although I‘m not quite sure what happened at the end (🤷🏻‍♀️), I really liked this dark and sinister tale of the female experience with pain and the value placed on youthful beauty. I didn‘t read Bunny, but now I‘m going to have to check it out. #ToB2022

Booksarelifeaddict I just started bunny 🐰 3y
sarahbarnes @Booksarelifeaddict I checked it out from the library today! 3y
Booksarelifeaddict I just started bunny yesterday so I‘m only a few chapters in so far it‘s going good! Hopefully we both love it 😉 @sarahbarnes 3y
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BarbaraBB Now I‘m actually looking forward to this one (I didn‘t like Bunny much) 3y
sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB I‘m going to give Bunny a try. I remember hearing mixed reviews. Will be interested to see what you think of this one. 3y
merelybookish I find her books tend to fall apart in the end but the first 2/3 is brilliant. 3y
41 likes6 comments
review
merelybookish
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

There is such daring to Awad's writing I cant help but admire it. Because this novel (like Bunny) is unapologetically nuts. Painridden drama professor Miranda, makes a proverbial deal with the devil, not unlike a certain doomed Scottish king. And then strange things begin to happen. Playing with fantasy lets Awad explore how crazy pain can make us and the lengths we would go to avoid it. Tying it all to Shakespeare is just plain clever. As 👇

merelybookish With Bunny, I found the first 2/3 much more engaging and then my interest lagged as the resolution seems to require a lot of action along with a suspension of disbelief. I end up unsure as to what exactly happened. 3y
vivastory Great review 👏👏 I really do need to read this, as I did really love Bunny 3y
Alfoster It was unusual but interesting!👍 3y
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merelybookish @vivastory Thanks! There is definitely a similar manic energy and a sense of things getting out of control. I probably preferred Bunny as that creative writing cohort was just too enjoyable. But Awad has fun skewering academia in this one too. 3y
vivastory I will adjust my expectations, but I think her writing about Shakespeare will be really interesting too. 3y
thebluestocking I really liked this one too. I haven‘t read any of her others, and I‘m thinking I need to read Bunny. 💙 3y
Ruthiella Unapologetically NUTS! This is what I have loved about the two Awad titles I‘ve read. And she can write. The first part was so hard to read because of all the pain. 3y
BarbaraBB I am looking forward to it- despite Bunny 😀 3y
merelybookish @vivastory I would say all the things that made Bunny are in this one too. 3y
merelybookish @Alfoster Haha.😁 Indeed! 3y
merelybookish @thebluestocking If you liked this one then yes, you should definitely read Bunny! 3y
merelybookish @Ruthiella Yes, she can write. Like she has a style that is all her own. And I caught myself like others in the book, just wishing Miranda would pull herself together. So she did a good job writing pain and how unsympathetic we can be to people in pain. 3y
merelybookish @BarbaraBB I am excited to see what you think! 3y
readordierachel Yay! I loved Bunny and am really looking forward to this one especially after this review. 3y
merelybookish @readordierachel I am excited to hear what you think! 3y
BiblioLitten ‘Unapologetically nuts‘ perfectly sums up Awad‘s writing. 3y
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review
thebluestocking
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

I wasn‘t sure what to expect with this book. It did get weird. No doubt. But I really enjoyed the writing and the twists and turns. The descriptions of chronic pain and useless treatments were particularly visceral. And it made me want to read Shakespeare. A win for me.

#tob #tob2022 #tob22

BarbaraBB I am looking forward to this one, reviews are so intriguing! 3y
merelybookish Great review! The pain was visceral! 3y
68 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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thebluestocking
All's Well | Mona Awad
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01. All‘s Well; Libertie
02. All‘s Well
03. New books coming from Hanya Yanagihara and Emily St. John Mandel

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

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merelybookish
All's Well | Mona Awad
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How I'm spending the evening. Happy New Year everyone! 🥂🎉🎊 Wishing us all lots of peace, joy, and good books in 2022!

RaeLovesToRead Happy New Year!!! 🎉🎉🎉 3y
Ruthiella Happy New Year!🥳🥂 3y
thebluestocking I‘m diving in to this one tomorrow! 💙 3y
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MaureenMc Happy New Year! 🎆 3y
vivastory Happy New Year 🎉🍾📚 3y
Reggie Happy New Year! 3y
CarolynM Happy New Year 3y
readordierachel Happy New Year! (I love this cover 😍 Hadn‘t seen this version before) 3y
Cathythoughts Happy New Year ❤️ 3y
batsy That's my kind of NYE! Happy New Year, Margot! ❤️ 3y
youneverarrived Happy New Year 🥂 3y
merelybookish @thebluestocking I'm 100 pages in and enjoying so far..waiting for things to get weird, as they tend to do in Awad's novels. 3y
Bookzombie Happy New Year!🎆 3y
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