Private Rites

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The newest from Julia Armfield is a lot of things Iâ€˜m not inherently drawn toâ€” dystopian eco-horror and family dramaâ€”and yet I ate up every moment. With lyrical, and ominous, prose Armfield returns us to explorations of isolation and water symbolism, this time with King Lear thrown in. The character study here is exquisite. And the addition of the city as a character provides a contrast to the zoomed-in domestic drama. https://youtu.be/QU4IcOFYdgo

CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian Nice review! I'm looking forward to reading this one even though it's not my usual fav themes either. 5d

mdemanatee @CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian hopefully you‘ll enjoy it as well then! 5d

16 likes2 comments

nitalibrarian

Private Rites | Julia Armfield

I decided my reading goal for 2025 is to focus on reading my physical collection. I have so many books in my little apartment. This shelf alone is two deep.

Also, even though I read 100 books this year, I'm going to set my reading goal on goodreads and StoryGraph to 80 books. I'm hoping that will encourage me to read some of my thicker books that take more time.

ChaoticMissAdventures This is why I love the page length challenge. I met my book goal in like September/October but just met my page goal last week! 3w

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I love your shelves! I feel the same. I need to read down my physical books before I look elsewhere and there are some chunksters in there. 3w

25 likes2 comments

Megabooks

Private Rites | Julia Armfield

It‘s finally here! ðŸŽ‰ðŸŽ‰ðŸŽ‰ðŸŽ‰ #aardvark

Anyone know where I should start?

AardvarkBookClub

Soubhiville Great photo! 1mo

Megabooks @Soubhiville thank you! 1mo

AardvarkBookClub ðŸ¥³ðŸ¥³ðŸ¥³ðŸ¥³ðŸ¥³ðŸ¥³ðŸ¥³ 1mo

BarbaraBB Looking so good!! 1mo

62 likes4 comments

nitalibrarian

Private Rites | Julia Armfield

I had planned on just getting The Serpent and the Wolf in my December #aardvarkbookclub box, but then re-read the description of Private Rites and decided I want to read that one too.

Also again expressing my love for their creativity for the Aardvark logo on the cover. I noticed while looking at this picture that the circle of the logo on The Serpent and the Wolf matches the O in Wolf. It's the little things.

21 likes

AardvarkBookClub

Private Rites | Julia Armfield

The December books make their official appearance at last, including signed copies of UNDER LOCH AND KEYâœï¸âœ¨

#aardvarkbookclub #privaterites #alterego #theresurrectionist #underlochandkey #theserpentandthewolf #whatitslikeinwords

Megabooks Such a good selection! I wanted four! 2mo

Jess Such a great group of books! I chose The Resurrectionist. Can‘t wait to dig in to that one. (edited) 2mo

vlwelser I also struggled to pick from 4 of them. I went with The Resurrectionists also. That's the one I would want to read right now if that was an option. 2mo

42 likes3 comments

Megabooks

Private Rites | Julia Armfield

What did everyone get from @AardvarkBookClub this month?? I almost picked The Resurrectionists, but I‘m really excited about these!! I‘ve been wanting to try Armfield again. The other two weren‘t on my radar but sound up my alley. #aardvark

vlwelser I picked The Resurrectionists. I asked myself what I would pick to read right now and that won. But these 3 you picked are going on my library tbr 2mo

Megabooks @vlwelser I asked myself the same between the Resurrectionists and what it‘s like, and I felt I wanted dark literary more than dark historical. I don‘t use the library in December because of a severe poinsettia allergy. Even bringing a book home that‘s been in a room with one can make me sick. I stay inside a lot, so I‘m hoping to get a lot of reading done! 2mo

sarahbarnes I‘m excited for a new Armfield! 2mo

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Megabooks @sarahbarnes I did not love Our Wives Under the Sea when we read it for Camp Litsy, but I felt like I should've loved it, so I've always meant to read more (and reread Our Wives). So I'm hopeful! 2mo

vlwelser OMG. That's awful. Please stay safe. And maybe get a kindle so you can keep using the library. 2mo

Jess I got The Resurrectionist. Their selections are fantastic. Enjoy! 2mo

BarbaraBB I want to try Armfield again too. I am sorry to hear the poinsettia still is bothering you. I had hoped cold and snow would be helpful but that‘s probably wishful thinking ðŸ˜˜ 2mo

sarahbarnes I found it really unsettling but in a good way. I hope if you try her again you enjoy it! 2mo

Megabooks @vlwelser thanks! I am checking out audiobooks from the library, but I‘m also trying to pare down some of the TBR I own. ðŸ˜¬ðŸ˜¬ 2mo

Megabooks @Jess they really are! 2mo

Megabooks @BarbaraBB yeah, unfortunately they‘re inside everywhere here. The grocery, restaurants, stores, churches, people‘s homes, etc. And then it gets into other things like coats or books that can come into my home and make me sick. 2mo

vlwelser I should do a no library month and just read physical books already living in my house. My TBR shelf will soon be accepting no new applicants. I'm acquiring faster than I read them. 2mo

54 likes12 comments

Hooked_on_books

Private Rites | Julia Armfield

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This book explores 3 adult sisters as their father has just died, looking at their current, somewhat strained relationships and their childhood. All this in the setting of a cli-fi, climate change impacted world as well as maybe something odd going on. I wish the oddness had been explored a bit more, as I feel it would have helped build tension to the ending, but this was good.

TrishB Still on my pile! 2mo

squirrelbrain I preferred this to Our Wives Under the Sea - did you? 2mo

Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain No, I liked the other one better. She built suspense in it so well. Here I thought she did a great job with the characters and their relationships/self-exploration, but the â€œoddâ€ element wasn‘t well balanced. Really it was just people looking at Agnes and no suspense, so the ending felt to me like a hard turn that didn‘t fit. I wish she had either leaned into the odd more or left it out entirely. 2mo

squirrelbrain I see what you mean Holly about this not being weird enough, but I found Wives a bit *too* left-field for me. 2mo

47 likes3 stack adds4 comments

GerardtheBookworm

Private Rites | Julia Armfield

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A dystopian climate disaster forces three estranged sisters to deal with the end of the world, society's deterioration, family dynamics, capitalism, greed, self-interest, and their own queerness in this novel inspired by the Shakesperean play King Lear.

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