Litsy

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

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Happy #Galentine Day!! 🥰❤️

#LitsyLove
#Ithadtobeyou

Eggs

Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️🌹🥰 12mo

Eggs ♥️ my Galentine 💌 12mo

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Untitled | Unknown

Happy #Galentine Day!! 🥰❤️

#LitsyLove
#Ithadtobeyou

Eggs

48 likes

Andrew65

Dead Mercy | Noelle Holten

The DC Maggie Holten series, as well as being excellent reads, there is an underlying #Galentine relationship that you want to see how it develops.

#ItHadToBeYou

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🙌🏻📚🥰 12mo

Eggs Nice 💞 12mo

55 likes2 comments

JuliaTheBookNerd

The Dirty Girls Social Club: A Novel | Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

“Six friends form the Dirty Girls Social Club, a mutual support and (mostly) admiration society that no matter what happens to each of them (and a lot does), meets regularly to dish, dine and compare notes on the bumpy course of life and love.”

#Galentine 👯‍♀️ #ItHadToBeYou 💖

#BookNerd 🤓💙📚

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Clever choice! 12mo

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SusanLee

Untitled | Untitled

#ithadtobeyou #galentine @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
Happy Galentine 😘

Eggs And to you as well🥰 12mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks You too!! 💗 12mo

11 likes2 comments

GatheringBooks

PhD Handbook (Doctor of Philosophy) | Melbourne School of Graduate Research Staff

#ItHadToBeYou Day 13: For #Galentine, I am sharing these 2 PhD students who created a magical evening (3 falcons, 2 camels, 1 majestic horse and a feast of food and tea) for their female professors coming from outside UAE. When we all thanked them profusely for this kind gesture and generosity of spirit, their response is “You deserve even more” which apparently is a usual response in Arabic for people they welcome with all their heart. 💕

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Beautiful connections 🙏🏻🤝💗 12mo

DivineDiana How wonderful! “You deserve even more”, I plan on using this. ❤️ 12mo

LeahBergen How lovely! 12mo

See All 6 Comments

Chrissyreadit That is a beautiful sentiment. ❤️ 12mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awwww ❤️❤️ 12mo

sprainedbrain Beautiful! 12mo

45 likes6 comments

erzascarletbookgasm

The Group: A Novel | Mary McCarthy

so-so

I‘m not sure if I should review this, as admittedly, I skimmed through some portion of the book. The writing style took a bit of getting used to & I can see how this book has a reputation when first published. It was interesting (but tedious) to read about these women during that period in time..& their struggles, & the old fashioned ideas on some topics. I appreciate the satire & themes McCarthy was dealing with.

erzascarletbookgasm Perhaps I will like it more if I was in the right frame of mind while reading it. Thanks for organising @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB
Sorry I didn‘t join in the discussion, I‘m sure there were lots to discuss about, will look up the comments. #galentine 2y

batsy Yes, it was somehow both interesting and tedious! 😆 2y

rubyslippersreads I found a lot of it tedious too, but I‘m sure it was considered quite shocking when first published. 🤭 2y

See All 7 Comments

rubyslippersreads @batsy Exactly. But I think what we find tedious now might have been the most shocking to readers then. 2y

BarbaraBB It was interesting to learn about that timeframe indeed but McCarthy needed so many words 😉 2y

emilyhaldi I too did quite a bit of skimming 😁 2y

Cinfhen Great review/ this book was unnecessarily wordy and the author made the group hard to differentiate amongst themselves. If she would have stuck to fewer girls, I think it would have flowed better 2y

61 likes7 comments

batsy

The Group: A Novel | Mary McCarthy

so-so

My February reading has slowed to a trickle, & I'm embarrassed to say that I've been reading The Group for slightly over two weeks. This book makes me understand how a novel's style is as distinctive as a personality; I didn't get on with McCarthy's style. It was like attending a party filled with acquaintances I didn't like & having that one garrulous, self-absorbed person corner me for a length of time to breathlessly gossip about the others.

batsy The reason why this isn't a pan is because I'd be lying if I said I wasn't on occasion interested in the gossip/novel. McCarthy is shrewd, with an eye for the satiric, & there are some truly entertaining lines & moments that reveal the glaring hypocrisies of this upper-crust milieu. There are also moments of brutal violence & everyday misogyny folded into the narratives of almost all the women; it's pervasive & the effect is dark & claustrophobic. 2y

batsy I'm sorry I didn't make it in time for the #galentine discussion @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB but I'm going to try to look back at the comments when I can. Thanks for organising, once again--it looks like it was a lively discussion. For all that this was a #struggleread I can say with certainty that I'm glad I got to read it as it's been on my list for a very long time! 2y

Cinfhen Lovely & insightful review ❤️ 2y

See All 34 Comments

Twainy This made me think of books I‘ve read recently that I didn‘t like but didn‘t pan either. I‘ve felt this way. 2y

Caroline2 Yes! I‘ve been thinking about that a lot lately, that I just don‘t get on with some writing styles. Some click with your brain and others just don‘t, do they. 🤷‍♀️ 2y

BarbaraBB I feel you and I felt the same 2y

batsy @Cinfhen Thank you 💜 2y

batsy @Twainy @Caroline2 @BarbaraBB Glad to hear we've experienced the same; sometimes it just doesn't click :) Or it's the wrong timing. 2y

cozypunk 😆 2y

Reggie Lol awesome review! 2y

batsy @dandy.punk 😁 2y

batsy @Reggie Thanks! 🙂 2y

Cathythoughts Yes ! Like @Reggie says Awesome review 👍🏻 2y

LeahBergen Oh, dear. You probably should have just bailed. But I‘m loving the collage. 😆😆 2y

cozypunk Based on reviews, I *won't* read this book, but standing-O for sassy posts about it! 2y

readordierachel Great review. I love your party analogy. The push and pull of "please let this be over" and juicy tidbits of gossip ?? 2y

CarolynM Yeah, I know what you mean. And you say it so well👏😘 2y

batsy @dandy.punk Haha! There's a movie adaptation that I might check out; maybe that'll be less of a hardship than the book :) 2y

batsy @Cathythoughts Thanks Cathy! 😘 I appreciated your insights and experience reading this one. 2y

batsy @LeahBergen Haha! In a way, I'm glad to have it chalked up as "read" ? 2y

batsy @readordierachel @CarolynM Thank you 💜 2y

erzascarletbookgasm Oh well said 👍. And I love the collage 😂 2y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Thank you 😘 2y

Suet624 I know it was so popular when it came out. I wonder what grabbed people at the time? 2y

batsy @Suet624 It must have tapped into the "personal is political" awakening of second-wave feminism at the time. On the level of the experiences of women it depicts, it would have been pretty revelatory at the time, I think. 2y

Suet624 Right. I haven‘t read it yet...but I was hoping to catch a glimpse of why my mother hid the book like it was forbidden, even as she was reading it while my dad was at work. I purchased it for the group read but it came very late to the house so it‘s further down now on my reading list. 😳 now I‘m in the middle of my own slog fest with

Independent People

batsy @Suet624 Ooh, I loved Independent People! 😂 But I can also understand why it's a slog. I'd love to know your thoughts on The Group when you get around to it. Will look out for your review 🙂 2y

Suet624 I think I‘m going to love Independent People when I‘m done with it and can see the whole picture. It‘s keeping me interested but it always puts me to sleep. 2y

batsy @Suet624 I hear you! I made it my morning book and tried to read it before the day started. It was almost impossible to have the concentration it required to read at other points of the day, for me. 2y

Suet624 Oh! That‘s a good idea! I‘m usually a one-book-at-a-time gal but that idea would definitely help. 2y

GatheringBooks I love the description you made! Reminds me of why i try to avoid parties (esp getting-to-know soirees) as much as humanly possible 😭😂🤪 2y

batsy @GatheringBooks I'm very much the same 😂 2y

Centique My reading has slowed to a trickle this month too! Wonderful review Suba. I enjoyed this but I can totally see why others didn‘t. 2y

batsy @Centique Thanks, Paula 😘 I'm not sure what it is about this month; hopefully our reading mojo is back in full force soon 😁💪🏽 2y

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BarbaraBB

The Group: A Novel | Mary McCarthy

Question 6 of 6
#Galentine #BestBuddyRead

Cinfhen

BarbaraBB @LapReader @CarolynM @bookandcat @jenniferw88 @merelybookish @vivastory @Billypar @vlwelser @REPollock @BookwormAHN @Cuilin @emilyhaldi @Vansa @Sharpeipup @Crazeedi @JaclynW @Centique @Oryx @Reviewsbylola @I.be.Stef @TheBookHippie @Simona (edited) 2y

BarbaraBB @rubyslippersreads @AmyG @AnneCecilie @Cupcake12 @Chab256 @kspenmoll @daena @JennyM @DebinHawaii @KVanRead @kgordon88 @Megabooks @TrishB @Soubhiville @Tanisha_A @britt_brooke @KarenUK @Librarybelle @batsy @Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm @LeahBergen @squirrelbrain @peaknit @Kalalalatja (edited) 2y

vlwelser I actually like the time period this takes place in. Because of the clothes. 2y

See All 52 Comments

TrishB I‘m rocking up in 1485 to save Richard III 😁 2y

DebinHawaii I was totally vibing on all of the food descriptions in the book—so many weird & wonderful cocktails & those “minced sea clams, the new canned kind, on toast” & salmon loaf with creamed pickle sauce. It may come as no surprise that most of my notes are food-related.🤷🏻‍♀️Anyway, I think New York in the 20s-50s would be fun for the cultural (& food) history. (edited) 2y

DebinHawaii BTW—in case you are worried, I am not saying most of the food sounded good but I love funky retro recipes & drinks! 😉 2y

BarbaraBB @DebinHawaii I was thinking of you while reading those recipes 👩‍🍳 2y

Cinfhen I noticed the food descriptions too @DebinHawaii @BarbaraBB and of course you are @TrishB I picture you as a Joan of Arc hellraiser 2y

Cinfhen I agree the 1920‘s 1930‘s NY scene is pretty cool @vlwelser I‘m thinking like Long Island and the Great Gatsby 2y

Cinfhen Although, I wouldn‘t mind hanging out with Cleopatra 2y

BarbaraBB I‘d like to hang out in Paris with Simone de Beauvoir and Jean Paul Sartre. 2y

TrishB Or I‘d also like to be a suffragette and be the first woman MP 😁 2y

TrishB @Cinfhen yes please 😁 2y

DebinHawaii And thank you for hosting another fun buddy read @Cinfhen & @BarbaraBB ! I didn‘t love the book (or read the whole thing quite yet!) but I enjoyed the festivities. 🤗🎉 Also, if anyone has Amazon Prime, I watched the movie last night as it‘s free on & I thought they did a pretty good job with it. (Great fashion @vlwelser !) (edited) 2y

Cinfhen Thanks for joining us @DebinHawaii always fun to catch-up with you xxx 2y

Cinfhen Ahhh, that is definitely your calling 💪🏼 @trishb 2y

TrishB @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB thanks again for an entertaining weekend 😘❤️ look forward to the next! 2y

CarolynM Hm, I'll have to think about that one! Thanks for hosting this weekend party Barbara and Cindy😘😘 @cinfhen (edited) 2y

Cinfhen Always a pleasure friends @TrishB @CarolynM 2y

Kalalalatja That‘s a tough question! In some ways, I wouldn‘t mind spending some time in London‘s high class society in the era of Jane Austen. Mostly because I want to go to all the balls 😂 but considering women had no rights, I would only stay for a short visit 2y

i.besteph Based on just my great uncle‘s stories from the past, I would‘ve loved to live in the 70s. I‘d go all out, complete with bell bottoms and a huge Afro to match 😂 Also because being a colored person myself, it‘d seem right to visit a time where I‘d be accepted 😅 (edited) 2y

Cinfhen Hahaha @I.be.Stef I wouldn‘t mind hitting Studio 54 💃🏽🕺🏼💃🏽🕺🏼💃🏽great answer 2y

i.besteph Thank you @Cinfhen and @BarbaraBB for hosting the #bestbuddyread! Even though personally the book wasn‘t my favorite (I‘m still reading it) I‘m glad to have read something from a completely different time. I‘ve never been more glad to be in 2021 now 😂 I‘d be down to join some of your other challenges if you host one later. 🙌🏽 (edited) 2y

i.besteph @Cinfhen oooh absolutely! 🙌🏽💯 2y

peaknit I think I‘m abandoning the book, the long chapters and my current attention span cannot make peace. I‘d head back Marty McFly style and meet my parents in highschool. 2y

TheBookHippie @Cinfhen Cleopatra is it for me. 2y

Kimberlone I was busy this weekend and didn‘t really get a chance to take part in the Galentine‘s festivities, and since I have read this book before (it was okay), I didn‘t really feel like re-reading. This is the one discussion question I feel like I can contribute to though...I would absolutely love to have experienced the music and culture of the 1960s/70s...to have heard the Beatles for the first time would have been a revelation! 2y

LeahBergen @DebinHawaii I was so into the food descriptions in this book, too! 😆 2y

LeahBergen Ancient Egypt? Regency England? The 1920s “Bright Young Things” era of Cecil Beaton? And of course I would need to be fabulously wealthy and not drop dead of the first illness I contract. 2y

KVanRead @vlwelser LOVE the clothes 😍😍😍 2y

KVanRead @DebinHawaii The food and cocktails really intrigued me too! I love looking at weird recipes in old cookbooks - but not actually making any of it! LOL I love that she includes all those kinds of details, more so than male writers of that era did, I think. 2y

KVanRead There are so many time periods I‘d love to visit for the clothes and the historical figures I would want to chat with, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Van Gogh, but since they all pretty much suck for women, like @Kalalalatja I wouldn‘t want to stick around. Maybe the future (a hopefully Covid free, feminist and inclusive future 🤞🏽) would be the place I‘d like to visit. Thanks so much @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB this has been so much fun!! (edited) 2y

KVanRead @LeahBergen Fabulously wealthy and healthy would be key!! 2y

rubyslippersreads @TrishB I‘ll go with you! 👑 2y

rubyslippersreads @DebinHawaii Are you going to make “salmon wiggle”? 😄 2y

TrishB @LeahBergen you can still have all the vaccinations 😁 2y

TrishB @rubyslippersreads cool 😎👍🏻 2y

rubyslippersreads @DebinHawaii I enjoyed the movie too. But some of the actresses looked enough alike that I still had trouble telling who was who. 2y

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen Is it cheating if you bring antibiotics? 😂 2y

rubyslippersreads I‘d like to be a first-class passenger on the Titanic (complete with trunks of fashionable frocks). I‘ll just be sure to leave right after afternoon tea on April 14. 😏 2y

rubyslippersreads Thanks so much for organizing this, @Cinfhen and @BarbaraBB 😊 This is a much nicer group than the Group in the book. 2y

DebinHawaii @rubyslippersreads I am considering it. The creamed pickle sauce sold me! 😋🤣 2y

DebinHawaii @rubyslippersreads Hah! Very good point! I was watching while reading & it was a bit of a challenge! 2y

DebinHawaii @LeahBergen @KVanRead Maybe we need a retro cookbook/weird recipes group! 😉 2y

CarolynM OMG!! @LeahBergen The food descriptions were disgusting!! 2y

KVanRead @DebinHawaii Love that idea! 2y

rubyslippersreads @DebinHawaii Nicky and Sadie think this recipe involves me serving them a live, wiggling salmon. 😹 2y

Cupcake12 I‘d love to be to have gone back in Tudor time with Queen Elizabeth reigning. The costumes, the societal extravagance but would take my toothbrush as they used coal! 2y

Centique @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB thanks for hosting guys! It was so fun 😊 Sorry I‘m super late with comments as always! 2y

Centique @DebinHawaii I am up for any retro food dishes/challenges you may think of @LeahBergen @KVanRead 🤪the historical food mentions were so fun in this. God they loved canned food didn‘t they?!! 2y

BarbaraBB @rubyslippersreads @Centique @KVanRead @I.be.Stef @CarolynM @TrishB @DebinHawaii Thank you for adding so much to the book and the weekend. Hope you‘ll join again for #HolidayEscape in June! 2y

Cinfhen Loving these time travel answers @peaknit @TheBookHippie @Kimberlone @LeahBergen @DebinHawaii @KVanRead @Kalalalatja @rubyslippersreads @Cupcake12 Thanks for joining us 🥳🥳🥳 2y

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BarbaraBB

The Group: A Novel | Mary McCarthy

Question 5 of 6
#Galentine #Bestbuddyread

Cinfhen

AmyG Good for Lakey. She lived the life she wanted. I do think there is a good chance Kay killed herself. The story around her death was just so very odd. Was I surprised? I wasn‘t. Things happen in life with any group of people. If anything, I felt saddenned. (edited) 2y

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vlwelser I wish she had spent more time on Lakey because I found her the most interesting. 2y

vlwelser Regarding Kay, ugh. I'm not sure I even cared about her by the end. It does sort of bookend the book nicely though. 2y

squirrelbrain I agree that Kay probably did kill herself, but I think we knew her least out of all of the girls by the end, so it didn‘t really impact much. 2y

DebinHawaii Yes, for all of the attention in the book to Kay, it was mostly looking externally at her & I felt like I knew very little about her character other than the surface. So I‘m not sure about suicide or not but certainly could see it. (And full disclosure, I skipped some middle chapters!) Lakey is the one I wanted to hear more about too @vlwelser 2y

BarbaraBB McCarthy made clear that Kay couldn‘t live up to her own expectations of life. All was disappointing and Kay hid behind appearances. The ending of her life was in line with her character, whether it was an accident or not. 2y

Cinfhen Agreed @vlwelser it was interesting to start with Kay‘s wedding and end with her funeral. I‘m not sure if she killed herself but that one mother ( I can‘t recall her name) was so adamant about protecting Kay‘s reputation, even in death. She wanted to make sure there would be no scandal around Kay and by extension the rest of the group. 2y

Cinfhen That mother was all about appearances 🙄 2y

Cinfhen Lackey was awesome but she hardly played any role in the story. It was interesting to see the girls reactions when they understood Lakey‘s countess was more than just a friend. 2y

CarolynM I thought it was interesting that Lakey was the one they all gravitated around but she was also the elusive one - she was literally not there during the years of the book, but I felt like she'd barely been there during the college years too. They didn't really know her. The revelation of her sexuality at the end illustrated that. Maybe also they were kind of envious of her. Her sexuality may have added to the envy - she could do without men. 2y

i.besteph I‘ll have to come back to this question cuz I‘m not there yet! 😅 Also....what?? Poor Kay 2y

Cinfhen Uh oh.... spoiler alert @I.be.Stef 🙊🙊🙊 2y

BarbaraBB @I.be.Stef it‘s an open ending, please let this not ruin the book for you 🙏 2y

rubyslippersreads Kay‘s death and funeral seemed like an excuse to bring the Group back together. I think Kay might have died accidentally, but also took chances (leaning way out the window while drinking) because she didn‘t care if she lived or died. 2y

i.besteph @BarbaraBB No worries! Actually it helps to be prepared for what is to come ☺️ 2y

rubyslippersreads @Cinfhen @vlwelser Also, if Kay‘s death had been ruled a suicide, she would not have been able to have the type of religious service and burial she had once expressed a preference for. 2y

Cinfhen That‘s true @rubyslippersreads about both her lack of concern for life and not having a catholic burial if it was suicide 2y

TheBookHippie @vlwelser I agree with everything you‘ve said. 2y

LeahBergen I really felt that it was a suicide and she herself was complicit in making it look at that way. She was so driven by appearances and the opinion of others. But, 🤷🏻‍♀️? 2y

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen @cinfhen Without spoiling the movie, I will say it makes it clear what happened. 2y

Cupcake12 Personally I wasn‘t surprised....as one of the more complicated characters to follow she was always battling herself. I still don‘t know whether to think accident or suicide. I would have liked to read and find out about Lakey‘s experience un daily life and how this was dealt with in 1930s America. 2y

Centique @CarolynM I really like that point you make that Lakey could do without men. She‘s like the comparison point brought in at the end - the one that escaped unscathed. But I do wonder if McCarthy failed to lift a curtain over Lakeys domestic life because of her sexuality? Was it easier for her to be out of sight? Also Harolds conversation with Lakey... do you feel she was playing him when she agreed she had “collected” the girls around her? 2y

CarolynM @Centique The comparison point, yes! And yes, it was certainly easier not to examine Lakey's experiences in any detail & maybe necessary from a publication viewpoint. I think Harald's litany of self justification at the end was covering up some serious feeling about Kay & L wanted to let H go on tormenting himself so she was going along with whatever he suggested. BTW I had to look up the "Daisy Chain" - a bit different from the one I'd heard of? 2y

Cinfhen Hmmmmm. I need to look up Daisy chain @CarolynMarie and check out the movie @rubyslippersreads 2y

Cinfhen Really insightful comments @Centique I‘d like to have a chat with this author/ 2y

Centique @CarolynM yes I thought she was just letting him run on and it probably wasn‘t the case. @Cinfhen yes wouldn‘t that be interesting? 2y

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