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Hello Beautiful
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
227 posts | 169 read | 1 reading | 73 to read
From the New York Times bestselling author of Dear Edward comes an emotionally layered and engrossing family story that asks: Can love make a broken person whole? William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him--so he's relieved when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family; she is inseparable from her three younger sisters: Sylvie, the dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book and imagines a future different from the expected path of wife and mother; Cecelia, the family's artist; and Emeline, who patiently takes care of all of them. Happily, the Padavanos fold Julia's new boyfriend into their loving, chaotic household. But then darkness from William's past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia's carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters' unshakeable loyalty to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most? Vibrating with tenderness, Hello Beautiful is a gorgeous, profoundly moving portrait of what's possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it.
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Blueberry
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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BookmarkTavern Oh I love that cover! Thanks for sharing! 1w
46 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Allthebookclubs
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Another highly recommended, plotless book. It‘s just a story of their lives, with too much detail on the mundane and no depth into the main life events. The FMC is unlikable, and I felt nothing for her when negative things happen to her. This book was much too long and dragged on. The first half was boring, the second half picked up a little bit. Book #41 in 2025

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Kshakal
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

A friend described this book as the most beautiful boring book she had ever read and boy do I agree! A simple, yet poignant description of the ups and downs of life and all that comes with it!

Karisa 😅 I loved it too and totally agree with that. 2mo
maich I agree with you. I liked it. 2mo
40 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Amor4Libros
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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1. Very much so! I read mostly on Kindle now because I don‘t have any more space for books in my apartment (also, I read too fast and my budget can‘t handle it 🤣…Yay for libraries and ARCs! ❤️)

2. One of the sisters was always reading and became a librarian.

#Two4Tuesday

TheSpineView Love libraries! Thanks for playing! 2mo
32 likes1 comment
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CarolynM
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Bailedbailed

I could keep hate-listening, but, honestly, life's too short.

LeahBergen 😆 2mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag So true!! (A pretty cover doesn‘t guarantee an enjoyable read) (edited) 2mo
TheLudicReader Right? I just didn‘t get the love for this book at all. 2mo
See All 6 Comments
Cathythoughts I didn‘t get it either. Bailed ! 2mo
Ruthiella I‘m with you. I didn‘t care for this title. 2mo
Bookwomble Yep, you've got better things to do!👍🏻 2mo
59 likes1 stack add6 comments
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MommyWantsToReadHerBook
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Mehso-so

I have so many opinions. I don't really care for her writing and the way the timeline went back and forth in beginning I really disliked - all throughout the book actually it felt like she was writing about the same thing over and over again from different angles to get the most mileage out of it and it annoyed me. Other peeves included Alice the miracle baby who didn't need food or attention for 15 hours or something, the number of times ⬇️

MommyWantsToReadHerBook she mentions characters' curly hair, the one-dimensionality of the characters, everything about Julia, the depiction of depression and medication, the unrealistic, dramatic loss near the end just so it dovetails with Little Women. 3mo
MommyWantsToReadHerBook I liked William and the basketball injuries parts the best. I found it readable and somehow not unenjoyable despite all my issues. I guess that says something? 3mo
Cathythoughts I started this and bailed. Like you I wasn‘t a fan of her writing. #unpopularopinion 😬 3mo
See All 7 Comments
MommyWantsToReadHerBook @Cathythoughts I apparently persevered only so I could fully criticise it 😂 3mo
CarolynM I'm listening to this at the moment. You've said a lot if things I'm thinking. I'm wondering whether to bail. 2mo
CarolynM I absolutely loathe Julia 2mo
MommyWantsToReadHerBook @CarolynM she's horrible! I don't know what to tell you since I don't easily bail and I wanted to see what happened with William... But it was unfortunately soppy right until the very end. 2mo
38 likes7 comments
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Blueberry
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

5 ⭐
This may be my favorite book this year.

@NataliePatalie

melissajayne I‘ve heard really good things about this book 3mo
AmyG Yes! I loved this book…my favorite of 2023. 3mo
59 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Blueberry
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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51 likes2 stack adds
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Soubhiville
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

It took me a little while to get into this one, as I felt held at a distance from the characters. Once I got into it I really enjoyed it though. It‘s a little slow paced, but I felt like it was a great family story, with complications.

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3mo
Suet624 Yeah, I agree. 3mo
MemoirsForMe 😻😻😻 3mo
See All 7 Comments
ShelleyBooksie Look at that little noody bum ♡♡♡♡ 3mo
JenniferEgnor I had to do a double take when I saw this picture because it looks so much like my sphinx cat and her blanket! 3mo
Mimi28 What do you think about a #Litsypetclub? Like an actual place on here with an accompanying spreadsheet or something listing Littens and their pets? I know that‘s all I come on here for j/k (maybe, lol) maybe with health updates or just fun pics. We all have a soft spot for animals but I need honest feedback 😊Thanks 🫶🏽😉🩷😍😻😻😻😹😹🙀🙀lol 3mo
Soubhiville @Mimi28 I think if you‘re inspired to create it some folks would enjoy it. A lot of people already use #catsoflitsy #dogsoflitsy #littenskittens #petsoflitsy so you could take a look at those. 3mo
85 likes7 comments
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Cortg
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Mehso-so

I‘ve decided Ann Napolitano is not my cup of tea and that‘s ok. I feel like her writing is generic but her ideas are good. I read this one for book club and the member that chose this read loved it and the characters. It‘s a modern retelling of Little Women, which is fine I just feel like her writing is bland and basic. I read Dear Edward and I liked that story but her writing is not for me. I am looking forward to discussing it at book club.

Ruthiella This book didn‘t work for me either. Oh well. 5mo
Cortg @Ruthiella I would skip Dear Edward then. I really wanted to like them more 🥱 5mo
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Cortg
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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I love that Libby tells you exactly when your book will be returned! I have 3 hours 28 minutes left and it‘s due in 1 day BUT I know I have until 7:43 PM which makes a world difference! Essentially 2 days 😆

Susanita You got this! 5mo
Cortg @Susanita I do! Finished this evening. My daughter thought it was hilarious that I was sitting on the couch playing phone games while listening 😆 5mo
Susanita 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5mo
34 likes3 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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My favorite book of February 2024! Loved this one!

#12Booksof2024

TorieStorieS This was our book club‘s best read of last year! 5mo
Andrew65 My library hold for this comes in next month. 5mo
54 likes4 comments
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monalyisha
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Such a kind novel. More than halfway through, one of the side characters speaks, briefly, about “building infrastructures of kindness” and I would hazard a guess that this is exactly what Ann Napolitano might thrive on: building an infrastructure of kindness within her readers. The lessons in this book about how we grow together and apart; how we hurt and how we heal; and, most importantly, about how we love and how we forgive are “beautiful.”👇🏻

monalyisha 1/1: There were times when I was reading when I was shocked about how much of the book I still had left. It felt long but not inappropriately so. 5mo
75 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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monalyisha
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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How long until I‘m asleep like this lazy bones? 🐶

AnnCrystal 💕💤🐕🐾💝. 5mo
Cupcake12 I read that book earlier in the year, a great read. 🐈💕 5mo
monalyisha #joyousjett (hashtag compliments of @dabbe) 1mo
67 likes3 comments
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Kimberlone
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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I feel like the colors didn‘t come through great on the export of this month‘s #BookspinBingo card, but the red is a lot more vibrant in the original app.

I am looking forward to reading my December #Bookspin (tagged) and hitting my yearly goal of 100 total books by the end of the month.

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Looks fantastic!! 6mo
37 likes1 comment
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AshleyHoss820
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Mehso-so

This one wasn‘t for me, but I know it will work for so many others! It‘s a Little Women homage (which have not gone well for me) about 4 sisters and their messy, complex relationships and lives. I saw a lot of tell but very little show and that‘s just a personal pet peeve. If sweeping family sagas are your jam (as they *usually* are for me) I do think you‘ll like this. I‘m sorry I didn‘t. July‘s Double #BookSpin

TheBookHippie I bailed this book 😂😅😬. 6mo
AshleyHoss820 @TheBookHippie Oh my gosh, I‘m so glad to hear that! I was feeling so guilty, but I wasn‘t a big fan of Little Women to begin with, so any homage or Little Women-inspired books and I don‘t get along. 😰 6mo
TheBookHippie @AshleyHoss820 Actually I read Little Women with my grandma every winter and enjoyed it -although we did mock it a bit 😅. I don‘t typically get along with any homage books … 😂 I just thought this one was 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫. 6mo
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AshleyHoss820 @TheBookHippie I love that you have those memories! I have something similar with Little House on the Prairie, and I know those books can be hit or miss for people. 😄 I think you‘re right. Homage books just leave me making constant comparisons. This book, I felt, telegraphed everything. I was told how every character felt, but it didn‘t come through in their actions. I just couldn‘t get myself to like it, even though I tried! ☺️ 6mo
TheBookHippie @AshleyHoss820 Solidarity!! 6mo
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! I'm at the end that loves Little Women so much that most homage books just annoy me 😂 6mo
AshleyHoss820 @TheAromaofBooks Little Women holds a special place in my sister‘s heart as well, and she feels the same way. We read Geraldine Brooks‘ March together and we both struggled with it because of the LW connection (for different reasons). But I also feel that LW, while not one of my favorites, is such a classic that it‘s hard to see it messed with in any way. ☺️ 6mo
31 likes7 comments
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Erynecki
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

A story of family and the sometimes complex relationships that come from emotional drama and too much time together. There are multiple protagonists. The author does a beautiful job of intricately weaving together the saga. I kept double checking the year…mostly the early 80s…because dang if the characters don‘t seem straight out of the 1950s. I cried a bit at the end.

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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“When your love for a person is so profound that it‘s part of who you are, then the absence of the person becomes part of your DNA, your bones, and your skin.”

#FamilyStories
#DaysDevotedTo

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wallacereads
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Over the last few months I kept picking up and putting down this book. I am so glad I finally hit my stride. This is a heart-wrenching novel with flawed and relatable characters. It is a love letter to sisterhood. It is a must read.

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bekakins
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Book club read - I enjoyed this! Always like a small town American novel that really focus in on familial relationships. Behind on collating #hauntedshelf points as been laid up with some horrible cold/flu, but it has let me do a lot of reading, so every cloud!!

AnnCrystal 🙏📚💝. 8mo
12 likes1 comment
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JillR
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

A lovely book, I thoroughly enjoyed this. I do love a good family saga. This had a similar quiet quirkiness of an Ann Tyler novel (always a good thing). The Little Women analogy was generally lost on me and, I think, unnecessary and occasionally it tipped into being saccharine, but I‘m always hyper-critical of anything being too sweet, so that‘s on me. The final chapters nearly broke me.

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Prairiegirl_reading
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

I first heard about this book when Oprah chose it for her book club which always puts me off. Obama had it one of his lists last year so that made me think maybe i should try. Indigo chose it as their book of the year for 2023 so I figured I might as well try it. I finally got around to it this week and I LOVED it!! It‘s my favourite of the year so far. I wish I would have saved it for my book club.

Megabooks Yes! This was so good! 9mo
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NaomiO
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down! Highly recommend!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I loved it too 🧡💛💙💚 9mo
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NatalieR
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

I admit, I judge books by their covers. I assumed this book was about external beauty based on the title and the image of a beautiful woman. I was finally drawn to reading this book because it was constantly popping up in my book feeds. Many readers seem to love this book, so I read the description and decided it sounded like something I would find interesting.

Full review at https://abookandadog.com/blog/hello-beautiful

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Someone wanted to be in the pic 😽 🐈‍⬛

#ABigFamily
#AboutaBook

I loved this one so much ❤️

Bookwormjillk 😻😻😻 10mo
Bklover Such a good book! And a sweet kitty too! 🐈‍⬛ 10mo
See All 11 Comments
Leftcoastzen Photo bomb kitty 🐈‍⬛ 10mo
IndoorDame 😻😻😻 10mo
lil1inblue What a great photo bomb! 😻😻😻 10mo
AnnCrystal 😍💕😻💝. 10mo
Eggs Awww 🥰 🌺🐱 10mo
dabbe #toocuteforwords 🖤🐾🖤 10mo
ShelleyBooksie Those flowers ♡♡♡ 10mo
Pageturner1 Peek-A-Boo! So cute! 😊 10mo
66 likes11 comments
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Erinreadsthebooks
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Napolitano‘s writing is unmatched. She is such a craftsman when it comes to building meaning through language. It‘s never just the story for me, it‘s always her writing that sticks with me. Her characters and their surroundings are always so crisp. She‘s at the top of the game, and I‘ll buy every book she ever writes. Ten out of ten.

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Centique
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

A 5 star read for me. I do love a novel that follows a family over generations (i guess its a family saga but you spend most of the book w the middle generation). I have 3 sisters & a big family & while they‘re nothing like the Padvanos, i appreciated watching the dynamics over the years & patterns repeating. A warm hearted book with family drama, rifts and finding forgiveness along the way.

Suet624 i liked this one too. 11mo
CBee Absolute favorite of mine! 11mo
68 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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CindyMyLifeIsLit
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
This post contains spoilers
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Panpan

Okay, I‘m in the minority on this one. This one actually made me mad! For one thing, it was all telling, no showing. This is what made me mad: After Rose and Julia have turned their backs on their family for 25 years, after Julia lied to her daughter about her father her whole life, after Rose ignores her granddaughter her whole life, they go home and are welcomed back with open arms. Everyone just lets it go. No apologies, no anger. WTF??? Nope!!

Ruthiella I‘m with you! This one didn‘t work for me either! 11mo
JuniperWilde I didn‘t like this one either. I wanted my reading hours back. 11mo
CindyMyLifeIsLit @Ruthiella @JuniperWilde I‘m glad to know it wasn‘t just me! I was actually mad that it was billed as an homage to Little Women. This family did NOT resemble the March family!! 😡 11mo
10 likes3 comments
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CindyMyLifeIsLit
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Listening to this while I wait for Beryl to hit! ⛈️🌊💨☔️

Ruthiella Stay safe! ❤️ 11mo
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quietlycuriouskate
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

*contented sigh*
One of those books where it felt completely safe to put my shields down and hand myself over to the author for the duration. Yes, a major plot point is visible from space, and there were times when I wanted to shake Julia and Rose, but I loved the time I spent in the company of the Padavano family and this warm-hearted book.

squirrelbrain I loved this too! ❤️ 11mo
AmyG Same here…loved it. 11mo
TrishB Me three! 11mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I loved this one too 💚🩷💙 11mo
BarbaraBB Me four 😀 11mo
44 likes5 comments
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OutAndAbout
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
Pickpick

I am one of the few people I know who never made it through Little Women. But I couldn‘t stop reading this homage to it. Deeply woven characters with complicated choices and outcomes. Clear motives that lead to all the wrong places. Tremendous love, friendship, and heartbreak. Recommended to those with loving sisters or those who wish they had such relationships in their lives.

AmyG Great review. I loved this one, too. 11mo
OutAndAbout Thanks Amy. 11mo
28 likes2 comments
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GidgetsTreasures75
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

6-19-24: My 18th finished book of 2024! Meet the Padavano sisters-Julia, Sylvie, Cecelia and Emmie. They are an extremely close Italian American family living in Chicago. The story spans time from the 70s to 2008. The ins and outs of growing up, falling in love and finding yourself. Nothing is perfect for any sister, but that‘s life. And then there is William, the basketball player who tries his best to be apart of the Padavano family.

GidgetsTreasures75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣1️⃣8️⃣ 12mo
12 likes1 comment
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Soubhiville
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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@AmyG Thank you for this thoughtful birthday package Amy! Every one of these books had me ooo-ing and aaah-ing! I hope I will have time for the Cosby towards the end of the month for #AAM. The little chiming heart is so sweet, and the LEGO, did you build it? The little tiny hairbrushes as petals, so fun. Thank you dear friend! 🥰

Bookwormjillk Happy birthday! All The Sinners Bleed was really good. 12mo
marleed Happy Birthday! I‘ve read 3 out the 4 and they were each so good! 12mo
squirrelbrain Amazing package! 3 of the books made my favourites last year (and the other I haven‘t read!) 12mo
LeahBergen Happy Birthday!! ❤️❤️ 12mo
AmyG Happy Birthday, my sweet friend. Hope you had a wonderful day. Yes…the Lego plant is from a set my daughter and I put together. Glad you liked the books…3 were my favorites! 12mo
57 likes5 comments
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MMFinck
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Very good

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Larkken
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano

Urg must stop listening to this at work (it is bad form to cry on evidence). 🙈😂
Does anyone else feel like the blurbs for this were very bad? They should ALL have said something about the Little Women homage. I do NOT feel prepared lol.

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RaeLovesToRead
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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#readyourkindle

Here's my updated list @CBee 💕

CBee Looks great 😊😊 13mo
RaeLovesToRead 3, 7, 9, 20 13mo
44 likes2 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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“When your love for a person is so profound that it‘s part of who you are, then the absence of the person becomes part of your DNA, your bones, and your skin.”

#Favbkofmarch
#SpringSkies

💛💙❤️💚

Eggs 💔😢❤️ 13mo
64 likes1 comment
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Maggie4483
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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The year is still young, but it‘s going to take something reeeeeaaaaalllllllyyyyy special to unseat Hello Beautiful for my favorite of the year. I think it‘s the best book I‘ve read since A Little Life.
(I didn‘t finish a single book in all of February…hence the X).

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Loved this one 💛📚 13mo
16 likes1 comment
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squirrelbrain
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Hello, fellow #LitsyToB24 Littens! We‘re getting close to the end now…Today‘s semi-final result is a clear win for Hello Beautiful, with 75% of the vote.

I‘m sure this is what most of us expected, or are you surprised by this result? Tomorrow we‘ll find out the other semi-final result, along with which Zombie this one will go up against. Which Zombie are you hoping for to go up against HB, or should that be which do you hope HASN‘T been picked?!

AmyG I absolutely loved Hello Beautiful….so I am not surprised at all! 1y
See All 11 Comments
sarahbarnes Very happy with this outcome! 😀 1y
Megabooks Another HB fan here although I enjoyed both books! 1y
Ruthiella Definitely not surprised! I didn‘t like HB but am an outlier. Also, while I liked VC better, I found it to be a little unfocused plot wise. 1y
BarbaraBB I am very happy too, I didn‘t like VC much. I‘d love an unexpected outcome of the zombie match though! 1y
Jas16 This book will stay with me while Vintage Contemporaries I started forgetting as soon as I finished it. 1y
Bookwormjillk I liked both books, but thought HB was better. Not surprised! Looking forward to the zombies, although I don't want one of my favorites to go against HB. 1y
BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk That‘s how I feel too. Voting will be hard I think, in the zombie round. 1y
Hooked_on_books This was a hard choice for me, as I really liked both these books. I ultimately chose VC, as it has stayed with me more, so I‘m sorry to see it go but not sorry to see HB advance. 1y
65 likes11 comments
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BittersweetBooks
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Later that night, Sylvie sat in bed with a book open in her lap. She was too sleepy to read, but the proximity of the book was comforting 📖
👭👭
She wondered if dying was simply going to be an exercise in letting go of one thing after another 🥀

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Loved this one 💔 1y
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Texreader
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Thank you @Read4life and #litsylove for the book. Received today!!! I understand I need to be emotionally ready to read this one.

Amor4Libros It‘s so good! Enjoy…And yes, I was very emotional reading it! 1y
Read4life Yay! Enjoy. 🤓 1y
AmyG My favorite book from last year. Enjoy! 1y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks It‘s so good!! 😊 1y
63 likes4 comments
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LaurenMags
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Beautiful story about family, love, and loss. So many different emotions through the whole book. This one will stay with me for a bit.

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Megabooks
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Hello Beautiful was the overwhelming favorite here with only @Ruthiella @Larkken and @kwmg40 voting for Mobility. I liked both, but the heightened emotional response HB gave me made me like it a bit more. (Plus I love Little Women.) What do you think of the outcome? What swung the vote for you? I appreciate the unique approach Kiesling took to talking about the environment and the part we play in its destruction. Both were great books! #LitsyToB24

AmyG Hello Beautiful checked all the boxes for me…as I love a good damaged character and dysfunctional family. Add a bittersweet ending. This was my favorite book of 2023. 1y
See All 21 Comments
Chelsea.Poole On paper I should have loved Mobility…I‘m not sure if I was in the wrong headspace or maybe should have gone print with that one but I just couldn‘t connect at all. Hello Beautiful made me weepy and though I don‘t think it was a perfect book, it is a memorable story with well developed characters. Side note: Napolitano‘s debut is getting a reprint next month. It was originally published in 2004 and I may give it a try. 1y
Ruthiella Hello Beautiful really rubbed me the wrong way. I felt like the characters were written to follow the plot and to reach the desired bittersweet outcome- not realistic. Whereas Mobility was all too real and subtly so and the better for it. 1y
BarbaraBB I loved and appreciated both for different reasons. HB was engaging and warm from the start (and I didn‘t think of Little Women once to be honest) while Mobility felt raw and real-time. I voted for the one I loved the most (HB) while I now remember much more of Mobility 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1y
squirrelbrain I agree @BarbaraBB - in fact Hello Beautiful made my favourites list of 2023, but now I remember more of Mobility. 🤷‍♀️ 1y
Well-ReadNeck I didn‘t connect to Hello Beautiful initially. I tried it in print, but ultimately read on audio. I was a bit bored at first, but kept listening. Even when I was finished I wasn‘t a resounding fan. But, I kept thinking about it and all the feels it made me feel. When all was said and done, I think it was the book of 2023 that stuck with me the most. 1y
Megabooks @Well-ReadNeck that‘s a good point on it being hard to get into initially. There was quite a bit of set up. I agree with @Ruthiella that she was definitely trying to get to a certain place emotionally but it did feel false or contrived to me. 1y
Megabooks @Ruthiella I do agree that Mobility was subtler. That was a strength. 1y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain that‘s interesting. I think specific scenes stand out more for me in Mobility, but the vibe and characters I remember from HB trumps those scenes, although like B, I thought they were both good! (edited) 1y
Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole thanks for the heads up! I‘d like to try that, too. 1y
Megabooks @AmyG it was excellent as far as the portrait it painted of the damaged characters and family. All the feels for sure!! 1y
Suet624 I appreciated feeling emotional while reading HB. I connected with the characters. That's all I ask for. HB did it just right. :)
1y
Bookwormjillk I love a multi generational saga, so I had to vote for HB. However the end of Mobility was a punch in the gut I still think about today. 1y
Megabooks @Suet624 I think that‘s a common theme here: that most of us connected emotionally with HB. 👍🏻💜 1y
Megabooks @Bookwormjillk true! It was a good ending! 1y
Hooked_on_books I really liked HB. Like a few others, the details haven‘t stuck with my but the feelings have. Which was true for me with her previous book, Dear Edward, as well. Whereas I couldn‘t stand Mobility and bailed on it. I thought it was poorly done. So, I‘m happy with this result. 1y
kwmg40 I had read just over half of HB before I had to return it to the library and await my next turn, so I may have voted differently if I'd finished it in time. While I did like it, I found I wasn't totally engaged. I really liked Mobility for its satirical notes and because it made me think a lot about my own life choices. 1y
Megabooks @Hooked_on_books it‘s really interesting that her book is evoking such feelings in a lot of us. I felt the same about 1y
Megabooks @kwmg40 Mobility did make me think, too, especially the second half. 1y
62 likes21 comments
review
Hillea2
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

I couldn‘t decide between pick or so-so, it‘s well written and I love a story about a close family and especially sisters since I‘m one of 3 girls. But in no world would this ever be okay and for that reason I hated everyone in the book except the twins who were my favorite characters!

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squirrelbrain
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Today‘s #litsytob24 bracket has another runaway winner!

Hello Beautiful gained 16 votes, with only 3 (Ruth, Holly and Debra)voting for Lovesick Blossoms. Personally I liked both of these books, but we had to pick just one, didn‘t we?! How difficult a decision was it for you?

We put these two books together due to their portrayal of entangled relationships - how do you think each book dealt with this theme?

Megabooks It was no question for me that Hello Beautiful was a better book. I think Lovesick really missed some opportunities to develop excellent secondary characters. Plus, I was just more moved emotionally by HB. 1y
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Chelsea.Poole I also liked both of these but I had much more of an emotional reaction to Hello Beautiful so it got my vote. Lovesick Blossoms was also memorable for me. Well done to the hosts for pairing these two with “entangled relationships“. Hello Beautiful's entanglement was a bit more morally questionable for me, and the characters in Lovesick Blossoms had few choices due to the time and place they lived. 1y
AmyG I haven‘t read Lovesick Blossoms. Hello Beautiful was my favorite book of last year. Oh how I love a good, damaged character and a dysfunctional family….and HB had it all. 1y
fredthemoose I also enjoyed both of these, but also give Hello, Beautiful the edge. My reactions to LB were more about the restrictions based on the time and place the characters were in where for HB it was more about the choices they made and the family and interpersonal dynamics in play. 1y
Ruthiella I am an outlier. I didn‘t believe any character‘s motivation in HB, so I was never invested emotionally. Lovesick Blossoms was a simpler story, but it at least rang true for me. 1y
Deblovestoread I liked both books with Lovesick Blossoms getting the edge due to memorability. It stuck with me a bit longer than HB did. 1y
Bookwormjillk I didn‘t get to LB but I really loved HB so happy to see it moving on. 1y
BkClubCare @Bookwormjillk - Same 🙋‍♀️ I absolutely loved Hello Beautiful but didn‘t get to Lovesick Blosssoms - so many not available in time or not at all from the library. 😢 1y
Bookwormjillk @BkClubCare same! I‘m waiting to see what makes it to the next round before I buy anything. 1y
BarbaraBB I was underwhelmed by LS and loved HB so this was my easiest choice of all brackets! 1y
squirrelbrain That‘s a great way of looking at it @chelsea.poole - thank you! 1y
squirrelbrain It‘s interesting @Ruthiella @Deblovestoread - reading these comments I can actually recall LB more easily than HB, even though I voted for HB and it made my best of 2023. 🤷‍♀️ I wonder if it‘s because of the simpler storyline? 🤔 1y
squirrelbrain @AmyG @Bookwormjillk @BkClubCare - do you think you‘ll read Lovesick Blossoms in the future after seeing reviews on here? Or is it a case of #toomanybookstoolittletime?! 1y
squirrelbrain @fredthemoose - I agree - I loved all of the different interpersonal dynamics in Hello Beautiful, and also you never knew what was coming next, whereas LB was a bit more predictable, probably because of the social limits, as you point out. 1y
AmyG @squirrelbrain Honestly, probably not. I have so many other books to read. 1y
BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - I have it requested from the library so we will have to wait and see. If it comes as an ebook,yes, I will sample and see if I am hooked. If I see it FREE anywhere (like in a LFL or a friend offers, likely a YES) (edited) 1y
squirrelbrain Yes, I think it‘s a #borrownotbuy @BkClubCare and I don‘t blame you! @AmyG 1y
fredthemoose @squirrelbrain I‘m having the same experience! I read LB more recently, and it was a simpler and more predictable story, but it‘s definitely much clearer in my mind than HB. 1y
Hooked_on_books I really liked both these books, so this was a hard choice for me. I read HB back in the early fall and loved it, but it hasn‘t stuck with me much. I thought LB was such a sweet story and its simplicity made it really beautiful. I figured it would likely be the underdog and wanted to give it my support. 1y
squirrelbrain A great description for LB, @Hooked_on_books - sweet and simple! 1y
kwmg40 I'm about halfway through HB and enjoying it. I've not gotten around to reading LB yet. 1y
65 likes24 comments
review
Bookwormjillk
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Pickpick

Finished this one in the wee hours of the morning. I loved it except for a plot point that you could see coming mid-way through the book like a freight train. I wanted to scream at some of the characters but that was part of the charm. Like others I don‘t see this as a Little Women retelling. I loved the setting (Chicago) and the time period (1960-2008.) Four and a half stars. #LitsyTOB24

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I was also screaming at Sylvie 😱😫 1y
AmyG Agree-how many relatives do we want to scream at??? Seemed true. And I join in on the Little Women re-telling. Why? Because there are 4 sisters and no father?? 😳 (edited) 1y
Bookwormjillk @AmyG yes, I love a good multi-generational family saga. 1y
Bookwormjillk @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Oh me too, but also Julia. Because what was going to happen to him without Sylvie? Your husband had a breakdown and tried to kill himself and you can't even visit him in the hospital? And don't even get me started on Rose.

This was a great book for the LitsyLove group. I went back and read the discussion. So much to talk about here!
(edited) 1y
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Bookwormjillk
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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First time reading in the back yard this year. I have a lot to do but warm March days aren‘t guaranteed.

TheBookgeekFrau Your backyard looks like a little slice of heaven - I'd drop everything to sit out there too! 🤩 1y
AnnCrystal How lovely 🤩👍💝. 1y
Daisey I‘m spending my weekend with much the same reasoning. When the weather is this beautiful, you just enjoy it! 1y
Bookwormjillk @TheBookgeekFrau thank you. It‘s like having a whole other room when the weather is nice. 1y
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Read4life
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Congratulations, @Texreader 🎉
You‘re the winner of our very first #LitsyLove #FreebieFriday giveaway!

I‘ll send it out Monday or Tuesday. 💙💙

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Congratulations 🎈🎊🎉 1y
Texreader Yay!!!! Thank you!! 1y
Read4life @Texreader I‘m sorry. Your package is going out today. I had a medical issue so I couldn‘t get this to the post office. Sorry for the delay. 💙😞 1y
Texreader @Read4life No worries!! I hope you‘re doing ok!! 1y
51 likes4 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Happy Friday!
Here‘s a new hashtag for our #LitsyLove group.
#FreebieFriday is here.
Our 1st Friday giveaway is Hello Beautiful. This is a #LitsyLove pay it forward title. I received it as a gift from @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks & now it‘s time for another member to enjoy it.
To enter comment on this post with your answer to the following: Other than Little Women, what book (F or NF) about sisters do you recommend?

Cuilin Sense and sensibility by Jane Austen. Those Dashwoods have my heart. 1y
ShelleyBooksie Sweet Valley High - those books hold many great memories. 1y
Mimi28 The house on Mango Street- if I remember correctly lol 1y
Teresereading Jodi Picoult My Sister‘s Keeper 1y
33 likes4 comments