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#ToB25Longlist
review
ImperfectCJ
The Husbands | Holly Gramazio
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Pickpick

I meant to read this one next month, but I picked it up and it just pulled me in. There are two things I dislike about this one. First, there's a big in-world inconsistency that I can't get past, and then there's the somewhat saccharin message, although I like how it ends, plot-wise. Those things aside, though, I quite enjoyed reading this fun and creative novel. #tob25longlist

Graywacke (I swear your cat is reading the review out loud to me.) Sounds fun. 5d
ImperfectCJ @Graywacke She does have---and voice---a lot of opinions. 😺 5d
Graywacke @ImperfectCJ good kitty! I‘m sure she has a right fresh vocabulary too. 5d
Leftcoastzen 👏😻 5d
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 What a face! 4d
53 likes5 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
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Mehso-so

Immersive, as all of the Southern Reach books have been, and confusing, but perhaps less so than the third book, this fourth book of the trilogy doesn't really do it for me. Maybe I should have re-read the first three before reading this one. Or maybe a trilogy by definition doesn't need a fourth book. That said, Bronson Pinchot does a fantastic job on the narration, especially with the f-bomb-laden last section. #tob25longlist

Jari-chan I did reread the trilogy before reading this. Well, as you said: this trilogy didn't need a fourth book. 1w
39 likes1 comment
review
BarbaraBB
Model Home: A Novel | Rivers Solomon
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Pickpick

Thank you #ToB25Longlist and @Megabooks for bringing this book to my attention.
It‘s a dark, unsettling story of childhood trauma in a haunted house.
The siblings Ezri, Eve & Emannuelle have escaped their childhood home but return when their parents go missing. Finally they uncover the truth about their home and their youth.

I had no idea where the book was heading but I loved it despite the sadness and darkness.

Lesliereadsalot Sounds great! Already have on hold. 🩷 3mo
Hooked_on_books I‘m glad you liked it! I really liked this one, too. I found it really engaging and didn‘t want to stop listening. 3mo
BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books Me too, I was so surprised by the turns this book took and wanted to keep listening too@ 3mo
Cathythoughts Great review! Stacked. 3mo
75 likes2 stack adds4 comments
review
BarbaraBB
Help Wanted | Adelle Waldman
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Pickpick

Great subject, great setting. The people of Movement (the ones who offload and unpack boxes) in a big store will get a new manager. Anyone has a say before Corporate decides and we learn a lot about the team members before they have their interview.
It took a bit too long to pickup pace but once it did it was a good read. Thanks for the recommendation Helen! #ToB25longlist

squirrelbrain Glad you liked it! 📦 4mo
ImperfectCJ I just started this one today and came to Litsy to see what other people had to say. Right now, I feel like there are a lot of characters, and the omniscient viewpoint is a bit off-putting to me, but based on your review, I will persevere with confidence! 4mo
BarbaraBB @ImperfectCJ It‘s pretty straightforward once you know the characters. And it‘s an original story 4mo
73 likes3 stack adds3 comments
review
BarbaraBB
Poor Deer: A Novel | Claire Oshetsky
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Pickpick

Such a lovely read. After her best friend dies, little Margaret turns inwards and creates her own reality. She is a wonderful unreliable narrator, surrounded by people who have a big impact on who she becomes.

Years later she writes the story of het life, trying to stay close to the truth.
A worthy #ToB25Longlist read!

ImperfectCJ I liked this one, too. "Lovely" is a good word to describe it. It's one of those books where the writing itself is a vibe...I felt immersed in it. 5mo
LeahBergen Great review! 5mo
Hooked_on_books This one was a bit weird, but it worked for me. And there are things about it that suggest it shouldn‘t have. I love when that happens. 5mo
See All 14 Comments
Bookwormjillk I think I‘ll read this one next. I could use something lovely. 5mo
RowReads1 I just got this one. It‘s your fault 😉. 5mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I really enjoyed this too. Like @Hooked_on_books I kept thinking this shouldn't work for me, but it totally did. I am sad it isn't on the short list. 5mo
Suet624 If I hadn‘t stacked it already you‘d have convinced me. 5mo
sarahbarnes I‘m so glad you liked it! Like @ChaoticMissAdventures I‘m disappointed this one isn‘t on the short list. 5mo
Cathythoughts Yes such a worthy read. I loved this one. 5mo
squirrelbrain I‘m glad you loved it too! And, yes, it should have been on the shortlist. 5mo
Lesliereadsalot Ordering from my library right now. 5mo
BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot I was thinking the same of your most recent read. We seem to be liking the same kind of books! 5mo
Lesliereadsalot I have 9 library books sitting here, but I‘m still picking up Poor Deer tomorrow! (edited) 5mo
79 likes6 stack adds14 comments
review
BarbaraBB
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Mehso-so

The speculative tale of Yewon, a young woman adrift, and of the relationship between the Koreas. At first it is rather realistic, with Yewon wondering about her life while driving a North Korean woman to her long lost brother in prison and while worrying about her mom, who keeps and daily washes the bones of family members. Yewon doesn‘t eat and dreams of an invisible hotel. And are the Koreas heading for peace or war?Very weird. #ToB25Longlist

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks #ReadTheWorld2025 Book 6 #Korea 🇰🇷 (edited) 5mo
squirrelbrain I‘m not really drawn to this one 🤷‍♀️ 5mo
GatheringBooks Speculative fiction is a hit or miss for me too. 5mo
75 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
BarbaraBB
Weather Underwater | Kaisa Saarinen
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#WeeklyForecast 06/25

I am reading Oroppa, which is a Dutch book that has gained much praise and I had to find out what‘s it about. Next will be the tagged, gifted to me by @TrishB during #Gladstones24 which seems so long ago already! The Invisible Hotel is another #ToB25Longlist book that did appeal to me when I purchased it but @sarahbarnes review has made me temper my expectations!

squirrelbrain I got The Invisible Hotel on Audible but I really don‘t fancy it now. 🤷‍♀️ 5mo
sarahbarnes Oh I‘ll be interested to hear your thoughts on it. It‘s possible it was just the mood I was in when I read it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5mo
TrishB A long time indeed! 5mo
65 likes3 comments
review
BarbaraBB
Bury Your Gays | Chuck Tingle
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Pickpick

Horror meets Hollywood is this #ToB25Longlist book and it was fun reading it. Towards the end it spun a bit out of control and I lost track of what was happening but over all I am always happy to read this kind of books thanks to the #ToB! And I‘ll have nightmares of that worm 😱😱

See @squirrelbrain we‘re in sync again 💕

📷 The flu 🤒

Librarybelle Hope you feel better soon! 5mo
Bookwormjillk Oh no! Feel better soon! 5mo
squirrelbrain Oh no, not the flu - hope you feel better soon. 😞 Yes, we‘re in sync - I‘m glad! 🤪 I thought it got a bit drawn-out towards the end too. 5mo
See All 12 Comments
youneverarrived Hope you feel better soon 🩷 5mo
CarolynM Hope you‘re up and about again soon💐 5mo
Cathythoughts Lovely picture. Feel better soon. 5mo
LeahBergen Oh no, the flu! I hope you‘re on the mend soon. ❤️ 5mo
julesG Feel better soon! 5mo
BarbaraBB @Librarybelle @Bookwormjillk @squirrelbrain @youneverarrived @Carolynmary @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen @julesG There‘s no escaping it these days, everyone is floored! Where you live as well? 5mo
julesG It is going round. I read something about 5.000 new cases this week in North Rhine-Westphalia, not sure what the figures for my city are though. I'm wearing FFP2 masks on public transport and in public spaces inside. That's the positive thing Covid brought, I'm no longer stared at when wearing a mask. 5mo
BarbaraBB @julesG That‘s true. And smart to wear one. We should do as the Japanese do: wear one when you‘re ill or coughing to protect others. 5mo
kwmg40 Wishing you a speedy recovery! 5mo
82 likes12 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
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#WeeklyFavorites @Read4life

I have read some great books this week, but The History of Sound is the clear winner. Is it the best of the month? Quite possibly.

BarbaraBB Four of them #ToB25Longlist reads! 5mo
Read4life Fantastic!! 💙📚💙 5mo
ImperfectCJ @BarbaraBB Yes! I have been pretty pleased with the selections this year (although some that were on the longlist I think should have made the shortlist). I'm still conflicted about James being on the shortlist. It's an incredible book, but I feel like it's been lauded so much elsewhere, other books should have been given a chance on the shortlist without needing to be compared with James. 5mo
BarbaraBB I agree. So many longlisted books I‘d like to have made the shortlist and indeed, James has got so much praise already in 2024 5mo
42 likes4 comments
review
Readerann
Wandering Stars | Tommy Orange
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Pickpick

I agree with others that maybe this wasn‘t quite as good as There There, but I still loved it. As far as character development and just plain beautiful writing on a tough subject, few can rival Tommy Orange for me.
#ToB25longlist