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The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two
The Girl Who Soared Over Fairyland and Cut the Moon in Two | Catherynne M. Valente
September misses Fairyland and her friends Ell, the Wyverary, and the boy Saturday. She longs to leave the routines of home, and embark on a new adventure. Little does she know that this time, she will be spirited away to the moon, reunited with her friends, and find herself faced with saving Fairyland from a moon-Yeti with great and mysterious powers.Here is another rich, beautifully told, wisely humorous and passionately layered book from New York Times bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente.Praise for the FAIRYLAND series:'One of the most extraordinary works of fantasy, for adults or children, published so far this century.' Time Magazine (A Time Best Book of 2012)'A glorious balancing act between modernism and the Victorian fairy-tale, done with heart and wisdom.' Neil Gaiman'A mad, toothsome romp of a fairy-tale - full of oddments, whimsy and joy.' Holly Black, author of Zombies vs. Unicorns and the Spiderwick Chronicles'September is a clever, fun, stronghearted addition to the ranks of bold, adventurous girls. Valente's subversive storytelling is sheer magic.' Tamora Pierce, author of The Immortals series'Valente is making new myths right now, before our eyes. Don't miss the show.' Lev Grossman'One of the strongest fantasy novels for young readers I've had the pleasure of getting lost in...There's as much Phantom Tollbooth here as there is Narnia...Shot through with menace and heroism, you never know what's coming next.' Cory Doctorow
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Chittavrtti
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Smarkies
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Mehso-so

I enjoyed the first 2 books more. 😞
Valente does have a flowery writing style which carries on to this book. As usual she draws from classic children books but the plot in this was a bit convoluted and September seemed to lack some agency in her choices.

smalldogs_bigbooks2419 What‘s the series called? 3y
Smarkies @smalldogs_bigbooks2419 it's called "Fairyland" on Goodreads 3y
26 likes2 comments
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AllisonM89
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Pickpick

Oh, how i loved this book. Valente writes beautifully.

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
Square 3

#marvellousmarch @Andrew65
Fininished book 1 of 3

TheAromaofBooks I am going to get to these books some day!!!! 4y
AllisonM89 @TheAromaofBooks you really have to. These are my new absolute favorites 4y
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 4y
14 likes3 comments
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AllisonM89
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Love is a Yeti

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AllisonM89
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Time is magic

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monalyisha
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#moonreflections
1. I start my first MLIS course on Monday, which I‘ve been fairly cavalier about. I‘ve excelled in academics my whole life & figured it‘d be a breeze. Upon looking at my syllabus, I was suddenly seized with fear about not being as capable anymore. I‘ve gotta work to let go of that insecurity & land somewhere healthy & balanced.
2. Tagged! I also love the classic Wilde quote. You know the one. 🌸🌚
3. @Jess_Franzino @Chrissyreadit

Meaw_catlady Love the quote!! Good luck with school! I believe in you and am sending you good vibes for a great start! 🖤 6y
Krisjericho Good luck with your MLIS! I finish mine in December. You‘re going to be great! What school are you going through? 6y
monalyisha @Krisjericho Thanks for the support! I‘ll be taking courses through URI. I live in Rhode Island so I get in-state tuition (+ partial tuition reimbursement from my job). 🙌🏻 6y
50 likes3 comments
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toofondofbooks
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mollsmichele

“September was stuck fast in Fairlyland, like a nail driven home.”

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mollsmichele
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This story used black and white detailed sketches throughout the story to enhance the feelings of magic and fantasy.

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mollsmichele
Pickpick

This modern fantasy story was published in 2013 by Feiwel and Friends. It is a story about a girl who is tired of her ordinary life and desires adventures. She finds herself spirited away to the mood, reunited with her friends, and faced with saving Fairyland.

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GatheringBooks
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Pickpick

#ANewChapter Day 14: For #SnowyCover, I am reminded of tagged book which kept me company on my way to Kazakhstan to deliver a keynote for an educational conference back in 2014. Since I had to contend with a lot of Visa issues, immigration policies and checkpoints, I felt a bit like September on the border of Fairyland, with her soul weighed and her papers shuffled and checked before I was stamped, sealed, and finally delivered in Astana. ⬇️

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks You‘re so cute 💗❄️ 6y
Jee_HookedOnBookz Look at the snow!!! ❤️😍😍How was Kazakhstan? 6y
GatheringBooks @Jee_HookedOnBookz Astana was beautiful. We did have a chance to visit the local museum for one day before I headed back home to Singapore. 💕🧚🏼‍♀️ 6y
87 likes4 comments
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Carolyn11215
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Carolyn11215
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So true!

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Carolyn11215
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The Fairyland books are so quotable. Love that this one starts out warning about how lies build upon each other.

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kristincatastrophic
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The chapter titles alone should be enough to convince anyone they need to read this series. I think chapter 3 may be my favorite from this one.

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kristincatastrophic
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kristincatastrophic
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"...but pleasant isn't enough for me! When you tuck into a Midnight Snack, it's because you're hungry in the dark."
This book is so quotable. This explains perfectly why I love my midnight snack time. ?

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kristincatastrophic
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My daughter and I have been trying to read this together for weeks but she keeps ditching me to read her own books. I'll admit though that I get caught up and do it to her too. But today I'm giving in and going to read it on my own. I should be cleaning but I hate having an unfinished book this long. That's an excuse for a messy house, right? I love having so many Book of the Month bookmarks around for times like this.

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Zelma
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I have cats, some dark chocolate, and Fairyland. My evening is looking really good! 😍

GrilledCheeseSamurai Yaaaaas. Love them! 6y
Zelma @GrilledCheeseSamurai I recommend these so often. The first one reminded me of The Phantom Tollbooth (a childhood favorite) and I have been hooked since. Catherynne Valente is just amazing, and I love everything of hers I read. 6y
Zelma @GrilledCheeseSamurai did you read The Refrigerator Monologues? ❤️ 6y
63 likes3 comments
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JessReads
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Another day, another Valente quote for my collection 😍

Clare-Dragonfly What a wonderful shelf! 6y
34 likes1 comment
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kristincatastrophic
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My daughter, @September ,and I are reading this together. This is my favorite quote so far.
"It's Latin, which is an excellent language for mischief making, which is why governments are so fond of it."

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GrilledCheeseSamurai
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#ReadingResolutions @Jess7

I'd give up everything in a heartbeat to go on a #Journey through Fairyland with September and her friends. 🤔

Crewgurl I read the first one and it was adorable. How are the rest? 7y
GrilledCheeseSamurai @Crewgurl If you enjoyed the first one you'll enjoy them all. It maintains its charm and wonder all the way through IMO. ❤️ 7y
Crewgurl Excellent, thanks!! 7y
TricksyTails I really need to read these. 7y
92 likes4 comments
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Leniverse
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#Transformation is a major theme in this book. "What others say you are you become." But that's only half the truth.

#150PnPCoverParty

@CrowCAH @LeahBergen

CrowCAH Very true. One has to believe what others say for it to become true. 7y
LeahBergen 👏🏻👏🏻 7y
65 likes2 comments
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Leniverse
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Candlestick the Buraq is a creature of strong #opinions who believes that if you have them you should voice them.
"Only the dead don't argue. And even then there are exceptions. Didn't anyone tell you? Respect your elders is just a secret weapon, and like most secret weapons, it's a cheap trick. It shuts everyone else up for free, without having to break a sweat. And she who shuts up first loses."

#150PnPCoverparty

@LeahBergen @CrowCAH

LeahBergen I have this book by this author on my TBR 7y
Leniverse @LeahBergen I haven't read that, but anything by this author goes on my TBR. Ok, maybe not the upcoming Mass Effect book. I've never played the game and I believe she is working within strict boundaries with that series. I just don't see that working out. 😂 7y
CrowCAH Some opinions are best left unsaid. 7y
47 likes3 comments
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Moray_Reads
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TK-421 ❤️ 7y
31 likes1 comment
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Moray_Reads
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Kalalalatja Valente is on 🔥🔥🔥🔥 7y
Moray_Reads @Kalalalatja the fairyland books are so perfect. Only 2 to go 😭 7y
Kalalalatja I had a feeling you would love them, and really appreciate the writing. I think I need to reread the whole series next year ❤️❤️ 7y
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Moray_Reads
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Pickpick

Another wonderful installment. September is growing up and so are her adventures. This one wrenched the heart a little more and is full of the bitter-sweetness of the best children's literature.

saresmoore Wow, that quote packs some lasting truth! 7y
Moray_Reads @saresmoore there are so many all through the series. I wish I'd been able to read them when I was younger, there's just so much important writing in there. And it's fun and funny and clever and September is strong and real. I LOVE them 7y
readordierachel What a great quote! I have the first of the series. Need to bump it up my tbr. 7y
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Libby1
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Lovely.

From the Moira Library Facebook page.

#LitsyLovesLibraries

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monalyisha
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Pickpick

Same irascible (except when they're not), bold (even when they're blushing) characters. Same beautiful language. Same wise, yet playful lessons. Different fantastical (moon-based) adventure (w/ a yeti).

My favorite detail is the Stationary Circus. All of the performers are made of paper, including Valentine ("love letters woven together to make a girl") & Pentameter (whose "body was covered in blocks of text, little birthmarks of 14 lines each").

monalyisha One (surprising) thing that I didn't remember from my first read-through is the CLIFFHANGER ending! 😱 7y
readinginthedark 👏🏻Yes! I love that circus! And the ending is crazy and totally different from the others in the series! I still need to read the last one. 🙈 7y
monalyisha @readinginthedark Me too! That's why I'm rereading them. That last one somehow snuck by without me picking it up! 7y
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readinginthedark Have you read the prequel? I think it's only available as an ebook, but it's about a young Mallow and it's really good. 7y
monalyisha @readinginthedark I haven't & wasn't planning to but I love that character! Crud! Haha. 😂 7y
readinginthedark You're welcome! 😉 7y
31 likes1 stack add6 comments
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monalyisha
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"She changes her face over the course of a month, well, who doesn‘t? Who is the same creature on the first of the month as on the thirty-first? Anything might happen, in such a space."

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monalyisha
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"Living is a paragraph constantly rewritten. It is Grown-Up Magic. Children are heartless; their parents hold them still, squirming and shouting, until a heart can get going in their little lawless wilderness. Teenagers crash their hearts into every hard & thrilling thing to see what will give & what will hold. And Grown-Ups, when they are very good, when they are very lucky, & very brave, & their wishes are sharp as scissors..." (cont. below??)

monalyisha * (cont'd): "... [grown-ups] when they are in the fullness of their strength, use their hearts to start their story over again." 7y
19 likes1 comment
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monalyisha
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"Marriage is a wrestling match where you hold on tight while your mate changes into a hundred different things. The trick is that you‘re changing into a hundred other things, but you can‘t let go. You can only try to match up and never turn into a wolf while he‘s a rabbit, or a mouse while he‘s still busy being an owl, a brawny black bull while he‘s a little blue crab scuttling for shelter. It‘s harder than it sounds."

(*See comment below!)

monalyisha *** When I first read this quote back in 2013, I thought, "Would it be weird if I used this as part of my wedding?" Never mind that my boyfriend & I weren't even engaged. Yet. Two years later, I used it... even though it was totally weird. ? (edited) 7y
8little_paws beautiful quote and beautiful picture 7y
Ashley_Nicoletto Great quote and perfect photo. I love his expression. (edited) 7y
monalyisha Thanks @8little_paws ! @Ashley_Nicoletto He's pretty cute. 😉 7y
BethwithBooks Fantastic quote! 7y
41 likes5 comments
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monalyisha
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"We wore our hearts on our sleeves!…That‘s what you wear to your wedding if you‘re a Lamia…To show that you mean it, to show you know that love means wearing your insides on your outsides."

As an aspiring wedding officiant, I immediately wanted to create a mini ritual out of this passage. As part of their ceremony, the couple would pin little handcrafted felt hearts to one another's formal wear. How cute would that be?! ??

mcipher That's adorable! 😍 7y
monalyisha Thanks @mcipher ! I really think I could knock the officiant thing out of the park. I just have to accept that part of it is speaking in front of hundreds of strangers, & not be too freaked out by the task of being responsible for one of the most important parts (probably THE most important part) of one of the most important days in a couple's life. No pressure! 🙈😂😱😵 7y
mcipher If you love it, do it!! If only it was that easy, right?!? Good luck and I hope you get it to work out for you. ❤️❤️ 7y
monalyisha @mcipher Totally. I've done one. I survived. I could survive again. 😉💪🏻 7y
35 likes4 comments
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monalyisha
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“September could do nearly anything while reading: walk, brush a horse, pull ragweed out of the herb-bed, scrub the teacups and gravy boats which by now had almost no paint on them at all."

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JessReads
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It is a beautiful, blue-skied day, and I'm very excited to be starting this book! Valente's Fairyland is a whimsical delight, and I can't wait to see what this one holds!

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Kalalalatja
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In this book, my girl September does a lot of stuff, including some #Walkingonthemoon 🌒

Also, can anyone tell me what is up with making the cover of a paperback a little narrower than it is supposed to be, and then having that coloured paper underneath? (The red line at the right). Why do publishers do that?

batsy I've never figured it out either! I dislike the feel of it when reading, if that makes sense, because the cover doesn't fully cover the book. It feels incomplete. Lol 8y
Kalalalatja @batsy I know! I only bought these edition because I found a signed edition of the second book. And I need the books of a series to be in the same format/style 😄 8y
Cinfhen I agree @batsy @Kalalalatja it's like those pants that your kid just outgrew, not quite right.... #awkward 👖👖👖 8y
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Kalalalatja @Cinfhen couldn't have described it better myself 😂 @batsy 8y
alanacristin The narrow cover drives me crazy! 8y
Kalalalatja @alanacristin it is so weird! 8y
80 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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JenP
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#girlinthetitle I know I'm not alone in this but I really dislike the whole trend of using "girl" in the title when referring to adult women. At this point I also think that it's simply laziness on the part of the author (or lack of creativity) so I'm less inclined to read books that when I see titles with "girl."

Anyway, here's an appropriate use of "girl" since the protagonist is actually a girl. I ❤️ these books! #readjanuary

BookInMyHands Yes! Would we see "boy" instead of "man?" Uh, no. 8y
JenP @BookInMyHands exactly! I'd love to see that as the next trend "the boy on the train" gone boy, the boy with the dragon tattoo, etc ?? 8y
27 likes2 comments
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JenP
Pickpick

I love these books and it was a much needed break to read something light and fun. This is book three in the Fairyland series. September returns to fairyland as a 14 year old girl who is struggling with a few things at home. She finds old friends and embarks on an adventure to track down a yeti. Like all the other books, its whimsical, magical,and beautifully written. Definitely not my favorite of the series but still very good.

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brilliantglow
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sooo far behind on #photoadaynov16 This is my day 2 post? #planestrainsandautomobiles we have The Hogwarts Express, September's 1925 Model A "Aroostook" and of course the space crafts/planes/hover vehicles that Scarlet (and of course Cresswell) pilot.

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brilliantglow
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The truth about lies? #booktober #day16 #greatfirstlines

18 likes1 stack add
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readinginthedark
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Pickpick

This series, you guys. Every book makes my heart expand and ache at the same time. It's all about growing up and staying young, taking responsibility or not, loving your friends and family but wanting your own life...it is everything. The best kind of fantasy and coming-of-age. "...That's the kind of story we're in. It's all jumbled up on the outside, but it all makes sense in your head. It all flows the right way in your heart."

pppooraikul Thanks for the review! It's reassuring since I plan to read this series soon. I have high hope for Valente. Her works are incredibly magical and powerful. 😍❤️ 8y
Laalaleighh I love these books! The Boy Who Lost Fairyland is probably my favorite! And her writing style just speaks to my soul. 💕 8y
Suzze I have eyed this series since it first came in when I was still a children's bookseller. I think you may have tipped the scales and I'm going to have to pick it up. 8y
See All 7 Comments
readinginthedark @Laalaleighh I know! And that's the next one I'll be reading--can't wait! 8y
monalyisha Great review! 7y
readinginthedark @monalyisha Thank you! 😊 7y
45 likes7 stack adds7 comments
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IndyHannaJones
Mehso-so

Valente's writing is always so beautiful. September's adventures continue as she learns about life and growing up. The narrator has a great insight and wisdom that I as a rather lost 26/year old appreciate. However, this one just felt really long and rambling in parts. There were great meaty chunks of dialogue that threw off the pacing. The ending was very interesting. So it's worth a read but not my favorite of Valente.

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IndyHannaJones

Confession time: if I'm at a book store and I see misfiled books I have to fix them. And straighten up the shelves. Some of this comes from when I worked at a bookstore; a lot of it come from the fact that I want all of the books to find good homes.
I assume other people do this as well...,

Varshitha My used bookstore is a mess.. They have so many books cramped in there it would take weeks to sort them all out.. But they do have good selections. 8y
SusanInTiburon When the see a misfiled book I take a very close look at it: did someone hide this because it's so good they want to be sure no one else buys it before they come back with their allowance? 8y
BookishMarginalia Yes, I do it too. 8y
AWahle You are not alone. I think it comes naturally to those of us who worked in bookstores. Probably librarians too. I miss selling books. 8y
IndyHannaJones Ok good. I was in charge of YA/teen in my store so I get very fluffed up when it's a mess. Plus...we had to price our books so I know how they do it at the store I worked at (it's a chain) and they were pricing brand new books super low (which is good for buyers) but it shows me that the book seller didn't research the book and just slapped a price on it which drives me nuts. We would've been in trouble if we did that. Ugh 8y
20 likes5 comments
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IndyHannaJones
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First day back at school! Forgot how much I loved those little babies...and how friggen exhausting they are.
Reading after dinner? Ah yes.

Twocougs Bless you, I'm not due back until the end of the month. The first six weeks is exhausting. 8y
IndyHannaJones We go back soooo early! And it's hot and not fun! 8y
Nebklvr May the force be with you 8y
MrBook I read before dinner and during dinner and after dinner and during dessert and after dessert and 8y
16 likes4 comments
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Windy
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What a wonderful ending!

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Windy
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What a wonderful ending!

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Windy
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What a wonderful ending!

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readinginthedark
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"' The whole point of growing is to get big enough to hold the world you want inside you. But, it takes a long time. And you really must eat your vegetables. And most often, you have to make the world you want out of yourself.' September's eyes tingled with tears. Of all the fairy strangeness she had known, this seemed suddenly both the strangest and least strange of all." So much love for this series!

Kristio I love these books! 8y
BethFishReads Love! 8y
22 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Jamiedemo
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These are my girls today; fruity & fun!

jessberk13 I didn't love Kung Fu Girl when I tried it! 8y
IndyHannaJones I had a dream last night that I was desperately searching for that book. I kept finding books that looked like it or had similar titles but it was never the right one and I was very upset. I guess I should just order it online, eh? 8y
Jamiedemo I love Kung Fu Girl; buy it all the time. It is especially delightful if you mix it with sparkling mineral water. 8y
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Jamiedemo Certainly order it! You need this magic in your life. 8y
IndyHannaJones I passionately love the first two to the point where I've considered getting a quote or artwork tattooed 8y
Jamiedemo That sounds like an excellent idea. 8y
JenniferJarrell Maybe my favorite Riesling...haven't read that book yet though! 8y
monalyisha Heck yes. 🙌🏻 7y
9 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Windy
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Oh September! Hearts, once you have them locked up in your chest, are a fantastic heap of tender and terrible wonders - but they must be trained.

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