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#NewZealand
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BarbaraBB
The Axeman's Carnival | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

Tama is a magpie, adopted by a couple who turn him into a social media hype. Because Tama can talk, which means repeating things he‘s heard and remembers. The things he says are so funny (you recognize them from earlier conversations and they come up at the most awkward moments) and in combination with the sadness of the couple‘s daily life, it makes a book unlike any other. Brilliant.

#ReadTheWorls2025 book 21 #NewZealand

CarolynM Meow😆 5d
BarbaraBB @CarolynM 😂😂😂 5d
Soubhiville This sounds fun! 5d
See All 9 Comments
Tamra Sounds like I should get to this sooner rather than later! 5d
squirrelbrain I think I might get this on audio…. I‘m struggling to find something to hold my attention and this should work! 5d
GatheringBooks Oooh! Awesome. I love Europa editions. Will be on the lookout for this one. 🥰 5d
BarbaraBB @Soubhiville @Tamra @squirrelbrain @GatheringBooks I honestly think you will all like it just as much as I did! 5d
Centique Did i tell you that when my brother goes camping each summer with his kids, the man who camps in the next spot is Catherine Chidgey‘s husband! And he said to my brother - I bring the kids here so my wife can get some writing done! 3d
BarbaraBB @Centique No way! That is so cool. I am very grateful now to her husband and maybe your brother to entertain him during those summers 😀 3d
76 likes7 stack adds9 comments
review
CarolynM
The Axeman's Carnival | Catherine Chidgey
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Pickpick

The talking magpie narrator explaining the ways of birds and people is an appealing hook that frequently had me laughing out loud and is also an effective counterpoint to the harshness of conditions of the human characters. What could have been very bleak became much more palatable, but no less powerful. I loved it. A definite contender for my book of the year so far. #NZfiction
Have you read this one @Centique ?

LeeRHarry I need to read some Catherine Chidgey. 😊 1w
BarbaraBB This will be my next read, such a coincidence! 1w
squirrelbrain Great review! This is one of hers that I haven‘t read…. 1w
See All 7 Comments
Cathythoughts I‘m going to start this one too. X 1w
Bookbuyingaddict Ohhh this is on my TBR thanks 🙏 il move it up the pile 😀😍😘 1w
Tamra Glad to know you enjoyed it because it‘s sitting on my shelves. 😄 1w
Centique You know that tag never showed up in my notifications! Sorry about that. I havent read this yet but I am on hold for it at the library! Sounds so good 😍 7h
65 likes5 stack adds7 comments
review
Read-n-Bloom
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Pickpick

The Last Secret Agent: My Life As A Spy Behind Nazi Lines by Pippa Latour and Jude Dobson
Genre: Non-fiction
POV: Author Pippa Latour
Location: Early years: South Africa and years in World War II: France
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! Pippa Latour was the last secret agent in WWII. Yes she was a woman. Yes there were women secret agents behind enemy lines in France and were in many dangerous situations. This is an absolute Must Read.

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Nicki_K
Bookshop Dogs | Ruth Shaw
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This book felt like a hug around my heart.It was such a delightful read.I loved getting to know all of the dogs and their human's through the eyes of the bookstore owner.As with the best of heartfelt reads there were happy, joy filled moments also balanced by some of the more poignant and sadder moments that come from loving dogs and bonding so closely with them when they have such infinitely short life spans in comparison to yours.🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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Octoberwoman
Adair of Starlight Peaks | Essie Summers
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I‘m posting one book a day from my massive collection. No description, no reason for why I want to read it.

#ABookADay2025

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Graywacke
The Luminaries | Eleanor Catton
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Pickpick

The 2013 Booker Prize winner. Catton is the youngest winner, and The Luminaries is the longest winner.

A murder mystery during the New Zealand gold rush, woven into astrology.

Long, but fun stuff. Easy going. Then in the end it becomes a different, more nuanced evocative, memorable, curious. Crazy complex, but doesn‘t get lost in the details. It‘s all used to aesthetic purpose. That was cool.

TheKidUpstairs I loved this book, and Catton's ability to pack different genres and ideas into one reading experience. 1mo
Graywacke @TheKidUpstairs she was doing a lot here. I think the last 50 pages both changed the feel of the book, and made me like it 100 times better. I already enjoyed it before that. But the change kind of won me over (edited) 1mo
BarbaraBB Glad you enjoyed it. Might be my favorite Booker winner. 1mo
Graywacke @BarbaraBB i was a skeptic for a long time. Thinking- It‘s fun, but… But i like it a lot more after reading the ending. My favorite Booker is Possession. 🙂 1mo
BarbaraBB I liked that one very much too 1mo
49 likes2 stack adds5 comments
review
TamTracy
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Pickpick

One of the best thrillers I‘ve read in a while.

AmyG Agreed. I so enjoyed this one. 1mo
55 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Read-n-Bloom
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Sorry I‘ve been MIA but I‘ve been really busy and tired from trying to organize my house and take care of my mother at the same time. But The Last Secret Agent is a new book I‘ve started reading this past week. I am only into it a chapter or two, maybe three, but so far it‘s very interesting. Can‘t wait to read more. #LitsyReads #2025Reads #SundayReading #NetGalley #nonfiction #memoir

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MommyWantsToReadHerBook
Sarah Thornhill | Kate Grenville
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Pickpick

I learned of Kate Grenville through Litsy and have become such a huge fan. At first I wasn't that crazy about this one, but after a small break, I loved it and I was sad to see it end. She is so good at writing about this period of Australian history. 4.5 🌟

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Graywacke
The Luminaries | Eleanor Catton
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My current book… for a while

I finished Midnight‘s Children, after 32 somewhat difficult hours of reading. And then started this 800 page monster. But, it‘s easy reading after Rushdie.

TheBookHippie But did you like it? 2mo
LapReader There is a tv series too. 2mo
BarbaraBB This is another all time favorite of mine! 2mo
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Graywacke @TheBookHippie Midnight‘s Children? It‘s fun to think about, was unfun to read. 🙂 2mo
Graywacke @LapReader ooh. Did not know this! 2mo
Graywacke @BarbaraBB whoa. Now I‘m afraid not to like it. Honestly, i‘ll sense i‘ll enjoy it. But so far it‘s logic extreme. I need more sea and fiery embers. Maybe they‘ll come later. 2mo
TheBookHippie @Graywacke 🙃 Yes, his writing is hit or miss for me but it always makes me think. 2mo
52 likes1 stack add7 comments