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Amanda61

Amanda61

Joined December 2017

LibraryThing member Amanda61

I love all things books! HP (Ravenclaw), classics, historical fiction, fantasy and a little of everything else. Instagram:_lostinbooksandpages_
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An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
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Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
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The Broken Girls by Simone St James
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Amanda61
The Scent Keeper | Erica Bauermeister
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Pickpick

This book caught me so off guard in the most unexpected way! Its beautiful in a way so rarely explored. While there are definitely a few fantastical portions, the story also felt incredibly real in all the ways that matter.

Can't recommend this book enough!! ♥️📚

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Amanda61
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Mehso-so

I desperately want to love this book. But I don't.

The Night Circus is one of my absolute favorite books. I preordered this book months in advance. It just all fell so flat. It seems like Erin Morgenstern knows what she does best (using adjectives in a way that you'd swear you were right there next to the character) however she didn't put enough into everything else. The characters were shallow, the plot felt empty and the ending was forced.

Vanessa I totally agree. I‘ll still read anything else she writes, but this one had me bummed. 4y
25 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
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Pickpick

Spur of the moment trip to B&N and came away with several new books (my shelves are full, so I compromised and only got 4 new books) and this was one of them. It was an easy, quick read, not at all what I thought it would be about (very little to do with a bookstore) and there were some very heavy moments, but I still really enjoyed this one.

Smrloomis That‘s how I felt too! Unexpected and I liked it. 👍🏽 4y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Amanda61
Untitled | Unknown
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1. Undecided. Just finished a book an hour ago and haven't decided on my next read. Any suggestions?
2. A trip to the DIA. A really great art museum.
3. Banana Split. Hard to beat a classic!
4. No. I've tried several but have absolutely no rythem.

#friyayintro
@howjessreads

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Amanda61
The Whisper Man | Alex North
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Pickpick

An excellent story! The Whisper Man wasn't anything we haven't seen before, but what it is, it does very well. The story moved quickly, held my attention (even when I tried to shift my focus elsewhere) and created a sensation of sliding from page to page.

In the end, the story came to an oddly satisfying ending with moments that were both incredibly moving and veritably suspenseful. A #botm I'd highly recommend!

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Amanda61
This Tender Land: A Novel | William Kent Krueger
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Just picked my #botm . Really excited for this one! The advance reviews are all absolutely glowing and the story sounds enthralling. Can't wait for this one to arrive!

Alfoster It‘s really good!👏👏👏 5y
TheLibrarian I picked this one too! 5y
heidisreads I picked this, too. I‘m reading an ARC of it now. 5y
29 likes3 comments
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Amanda61
Villette | Charlotte Bront
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I didn't have a chance to post yesterday but got my #staycationintimeswap package from @MaGoose . Thank you so much! I absolutely love it. All of those books have been on my TBR list forever. Excited to start reading!

Chrissyreadit Awesome! 5y
26 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Amanda61
Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover
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Pickpick

Loved this story! So gripping, I couldn't stop listening!! It was moving, inspiring and just so much more than I had been expecting.

Chrissyreadit Checking in about your Staycation In Time Swap package- did you send yours? Receive yours? 5y
Amanda61 @Chrissyreadit Sent mine 😁 Haven't received anything though. 5y
39 likes2 comments
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Amanda61
Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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My Saturday on the deck, reading my excellent #botm . Only a third of the way through but seriously can't put it down! 📚🌳☀️♥️

Back to reading!!

32 likes1 stack add
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Amanda61
Milkman | Anna Burns
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Pickpick

Started reading this one and very nearly bailed!! Switched to audio and enjoyed it much better!!! I can completely understand why it won the 2018 Man Booker Prize. It tackles a rarely discussed facet of harassment and abuse in a unique and strangely captivating language (a language that's hard to read, but wonderful to listen to). Would definitely recommend!

4.5/⭐'s

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Amanda61
Milkman | Anna Burns
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I want to like this book so much, but am seriously struggling with the writing style. The whole book feels like one verbose, run on sentence. I can't seem to keep my mind in the pages at all. I very rarely bail half way through a read but this one may end up being the exception. 😏

BookHermit Try the audio. It makes it so much easier to follow. 5y
Amanda61 @BookHermit Just finished the audio. Thanks for the suggestion! Was definitely much, much easier to follow. Enjoyed the audio much more! 5y
BookHermit @Amanda61 Glad to hear it! 5y
22 likes3 comments
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Amanda61
Lost and Wanted: A Novel | Nell Freudenberger
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Pickpick

Finished my April #botm. It wasn't quite what I had anticipated, but it kept me engaged. It did leave me wishing for more, wanting the story to be wrapped up in a pretty bow, and this is absolutely not that. Regardless, I really enjoyed it, loved learning so much about physics and felt connected to the main character.

26 likes1 stack add
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Amanda61
The Book of M: A Novel | Peng Shepherd
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Pickpick

Feeling a bit torn on if this one is a pick or so-so. The premise sounds wonderful, but wasn't executed in a wonderful way. Going with "pick" based on a few really strong moments in the plot along with some of the thought provoking concepts discussed in it.

Also, I've been on a bit of reading hiatus (life's been crazy!) and could really use a phenomenonal, "pick me up after a crappy winter" book right now. Any suggestions??

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Amanda61
City of Spies | Sorayya Khan
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Mehso-so

While this was a very quick read, it was really only so-so. It felt more like the author was a side character to someone else's story and neither did a good job telling their story or told her own. I appreciated some of the factual history of Pakistan but the truly interesting and important moments of their history, she neither experienced or spoke more than a paragraph on.

Kayla.Adriena I liked this book and thought it could have been so much more too! It was a quick read! 5y
22 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
City of Spies | Sorayya Khan
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High winds and snow took power out at work today, so now I'm home (alone!

21 likes1 stack add
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Amanda61
Untitled | Unknown
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On its way out to @DGRachel and @isy_the_owl for #lmpbc and #genreswappbc.

Hope you enjoy!

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Amanda61
Wigrum: A Novel | Daniel Canty
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Spending my weekend with this pick for #GenreSwapPBC. Only a little in as it‘s taking me a bit to adjust to the writing style but very interesting so far.

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Amanda61
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Mehso-so

Running behind on my bookclub reads with the holidays but finally wrapped this one up #LMPBC #GroupL. Really wanted to like it but it just didn't resonate at all with me. It honestly just made me feel bad for her.

Aiming to have it in the mail to @DGRachel tomorrow.

DGRachel I will keep watch for it. Essays/memoirs usually don‘t work for me either, so it will be interesting to see where I fall on the yay or nay line. 😊 5y
Amanda61 On its way to you @DGRachel . Scheduled to arrive on Wednesday. 5y
24 likes2 comments
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Amanda61
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Have been so busy with the holidays, I haven't had much time to read. But got my new #ArcherandOlive bullet journal and had to spend the day getting my reading challenges set up!! ??

Update: fixed the year issue with a little red tag. Like "Hey! I just can't say no to a good deal!"

Amanda61 Also, I do realize I messed up the year! 😣 Felt ridiculous afterwards but I'm just rolling with it at this point. 5y
29 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
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Pickpick

Running a bit behind on my #LMPBC pick but I should have it in the mail, on its way to @DGRachel tomorrow.

Really, really enjoyed this one! Hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did.

23 likes1 stack add
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Amanda61
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My favorite quote from this book so far!! (Really good read by the way).

I'm not sure if this is hysterical or terrifying? Either way, best watch out men. Never know what the unpredictability of female biology might make us do!! 😂

Lreads Just wow. I rolled my eyes so hard they just fell out of my head! 😒 5y
15 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
CyberStorm | Matthew Mather
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Listening to this book is stirring my inner crazy. Really good, fast paced and strangely informative story. Now I just need to go build a emergency bunker and stock a full grocery store into my pantry and I‘ll be all set! 😳

13 likes1 stack add
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Amanda61
Artemis | Andy Weir
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Mehso-so

While I loved The Martian, I didn‘t love this one. I love how strong and independent Jazz is but the story just didn't feel as refined as The Martian. It still had the amazing science though and I learned a ton about the moon! 3/5 ⭐️'s

sprainedbrain I felt the same way! 6y
23 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Amanda61
Sea Prayer | Khaled Hosseini
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Pickpick

"All I can do is pray."

This was a beautiful story. Khaled Hosseini said so much, with so little. The beautiful illustrations were so stirring, so emotionally invoking, I had to read it several times over to feel like I really absorbed all it had to offer.

19 likes1 stack add
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Amanda61
Dreamland | Robert L Anderson
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Mehso-so

Dreamland had a really excellent premise, with some concepts I would really love to see expounded on, but in the end, it just didn't strike the right note with me (though for fans of the YA genre, I can completely see where the love would come from).

#GenreSwapPBC

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Amanda61
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@shellleigh33 @Kayla.Adriena @malyndamjackson
These are my #LMPBC #Round4 #GroupL choices. Thoughts??

See All 7 Comments
shellleigh33 I haven‘t read any but “I Remember You” sounds very good 6y
Kayla.Adriena Ooooo I vote for American Fire I've heard of that one ! Haven't read any of these either 6y
Amanda61 @malyndamjackson @Kayla.Adriena @shellleigh33 Going with "American Fire" for my pick ? 6y
21 likes7 comments
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Amanda61
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Just signed up for #LMPBC #Round4 #GroupL

Absolutely love all the postal book clubs and reading things I wouldn't have otherwise read. Really excited for this next round.

@suvata Thanks so much for organizing these!

BeansPage @jb72 here you go girl. If you're interested 😁 6y
20 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
The Mothers: A Novel | Brit Bennett
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Posting this late but got my #LMPBC, #GenreSwapPBC and #JustaBookSwap packages sent out. Fell a bit behind on everything but catching things up now.

Seem to be on a streak of great books. Loved both The Mothers and Commonwealth.

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Amanda61
The Mothers: A Novel | Brit Bennett
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Pickpick

Finished The Mothers for #GenreSwapPBC and really enjoyed it. Brit Bennett did an excellent job writing about such a sensitive, emotional topic in way that felt real and honest in a often raw way. Really enjoyed this one.

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Amanda61
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Got my #JustABookSwap book from @debthmpsn . Loved the first one and really looking forward to starting this one. Thanks so much @debthmpsn 😃

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Amanda61
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Pickpick

Read this for Reeses bookclub pick this month and absolutely loved it!! It was such an emotional, strong and inspiring story. 4.5 ⭐️ and would absolutely recommend!! 📚💕

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Amanda61
Untitled | Unknown
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Really enjoyed this article! It doesn't touch on every reason I love books (that would be a much longer article), but it does an excellent job with the reasons relevant to the article (mainly why I spend so much money on physical books and time in bookstores)

https://www.vox.com/platform/amp/the-goods/2018/9/11/17838546/shopping-charcoal-...

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Amanda61
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Pickpick

Just finished @BridgetteM pick for #LMPBC #Round3 and really enjoyed it. I didn't love it as much as I was hoping (especially after reading Song of Achilles) but still definitely a solid pick.

I should have it in the mail on its way to @VanChocStrawberry this weekend.

How's everyone else's second book going?

@leslieseidel @BridgetteM @VanChocStrawberry

leslieseidel Finishing mine today and will be mailing it tomorrow. I have really enjoyed it. Great selection! 6y
VanChocStrawberry I‘ve not about 30 pages left and I‘ll also have it in the mail ASAP! 6y
29 likes2 comments
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Amanda61
Post Office | Julie Murray
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Mail Time!! (I won't subject you guys to it, but be rest assured I sang the blues clues mail song in my head)

Sent out packages for #LMPBC, #GenreSwapPBC and #HelloFrom so busy morning at the post office.

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Amanda61
The Chalk Man | C. J. Tudor
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Pickpick

Fell a bit behind on #GenreSwapPBC but just finished The Chalk Man and aiming to have it in the mail tomorrow on its way to @isy_the_owl

Really loved this book! Wasn't too surprised by who-dun-it but the other twists in the story really threw me (in a good way). The mystery / thriller genre isn't a genre I've read from much but this one definitely piqued my interest!

@the-flashley @collegecatlady

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Amanda61
Little Infamies (Revised) | Panos Karnezis
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Pickpick

Just finished my tour of Greece for #BackPackEurope. I spent nearly the entire time in a small Greek farming village catching glimpses of the lives and stories tied to that small village. The stories were funny and rather on the dark side but honestly came together in an oddly beautiful fashion.

@JenP @BookwormM

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Amanda61
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Just had a chance to open the package that arrived a few days ago from @BridgetteM with her #LMPBC #Round3 pick. Very excited to start this one. Loved The Song of Achilles so I'm hoping this one will be just as amazing!

Also, the bookmarks are absurdly adorable!!!

(Sorry for the delay in posting this! Was celebrating my babies first birthday this weekend so been crazy bust)

BridgetteM Happy first birthday to your little one! 6y
27 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
A Room With A View | E.M. Forster
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Mehso-so

Got a bit stalled in my tour of Italy for #BackPackEurope with the tagged book, but Florence was beautiful! Art abound, the history rich and people so lively in this story of finding yourself, finding love and finding happiness. The story was a bit cliché (though perhaps this was written before the cliché) but the metaphors and philosophy was wonderful!

@JenP @BookwormM

kathleenaflynn I liked this book. All the time I had the sense of EMF not saying the thing he was thinking. There was something powerful in that silence. 6y
27 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
Harry Potter: fun book | J.K. Rowling
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Finally had an opportunity to open my #HarryPotterSwap box from @FeastOfFiction and it's so perfect!! The Scratch & Sniff Honeydukes book is absolutely amazing!! (My kids loved the scratch and sniff vomit). Thank you so much @FeastOfFiction for the amazing box and @BookaholicNatty for hosting this awesome swap!!

BookaholicNatty @Amanda61 lol scratch and sniff vomit!!!!! Lovely!!!!! 😂😂🤪Loving the shirt and the book The Power!!! I have heard soooo many good things about that!!! Great job @FeastOfFiction 6y
FeastOfFiction I‘m glad you enjoyed everything! I had a lot of fun shopping for this. 6y
36 likes2 comments
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Amanda61
The Island of Books | Dominique Fortier
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Mehso-so

Finished my tour of France for #BackPackEurope with The Island of Books. While I didn't love this read, I did the love the rich history and legends surrounding Mont St. Michel the book described. The respect and reverence for books the monks in this story held was also incredibly beautiful. The way the author described the beautiful architecture built over thousands of years by thousands of hands adds visiting to my bucket list.

@JenP @BookwormM

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Amanda61
The Island of Books | Dominique Fortier
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Exploring Mont St. Michel in France for #BackPackEurope. The island has served as a source of fortification (where it was never conquered during the Hundred Years War), a prison under King Louis XI and an Abbey. The island draws in over 3 million tourists a year now.

KellyHunsakerReads How is this book? 6y
Amanda61 @Hunsakermountain It's honestly not what I was expecting. It tends to jump around alot and has very little to do with books, but the history and myths surrounding the island are very fascinating!! (edited) 6y
25 likes2 comments
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Amanda61
The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas
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Pickpick

Finished #LMPBC #Round2 with The Hate U Give and really loved it! Really an excellent book with a message we all need to hear. And after watching the trailer, can't wait for the movie this fall.

Also, absolutely loved the card and bookmark from @whatsthEStorey. I especially love that the bookmark is from a NJ library 💕

I'll the book on its way home to you @VanChocStrawberry this week.

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Amanda61
The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas
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The Hate U Give for #LMPBC #Round2 and The Chalk Man from @the-flashley for #GenreSwapPBC arrived today. Between these two and #BackPackEurope, my TBR list is getting a bit crazy 😁

laundry_piles Mine too 😂 mine just grew by 11 books 🤣 6y
Amanda61 @laundry_piles oh wow! That'd make for an impressive TBR list! And at least it's a fun problem to have. 6y
laundry_piles @Amanda61 so much fun! :) 6y
the-flashley I‘m glad you got it! 😁 6y
32 likes4 comments
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Amanda61
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Busy mail day! Just sent out my #GenreSwapPBC pick to isy_the_owl, #LMPBC #Round3 pick to Vanchocstrawberry and my #HarryPotterLitsySwap package.

(Litsy is acting up and not letting me tag people. Sorry.)

19 likes1 stack add
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Amanda61
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Pickpick

Just finished my tour of Belgium for #BackPackEurope. Spent most of my time at the Three Country Border, where Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands meet, following Dr. Hoppe.

His story is a new, modern twist on Frankenstein with a few really unexpected, but awesome twists. Both the writing and the story were excellent and made for an excellent stop in Belgium.

@JenP @BookwormM

BookwormM Sounds great 👍 6y
28 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
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Pickpick

4.5⭐️ Just finished this one for #Round3 of #LMPBC and absolutely loved it. Such a strong, amazing story with a really creative twist(?). Really hope everyone else in my group loves this one as much as I did!

leslieseidel Looking forward to reading it! 6y
VanChocStrawberry I am almost done with this one. Such a great pick! Devastating, but so well written! 6y
28 likes2 comments
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Amanda61
Girl in the Blue Coat | Monica Hesse
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Pickpick

Finished this one for #BackPackEurope and the #GenreSwapPBC and absolutely loved it. It was such a beautiful story touching on the entire spectrum of emotions, showing the human side of the Holocaust in ways I hadn't previously considered.

The above pictured Hollandsche Schouwburg theatre (now a museum) was a heavily featured location in the book, one I'd be honored to visit one day in person.

AAdamson I‘ll have to check this one out. We‘re actually going to Amsterdam next July. 6y
35 likes1 comment
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Amanda61
Girl in the Blue Coat | Monica Hesse
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Joining in on the #BackPackEurope literary travel adventure with the tagged book set in Amsterdam.

Off to explore 1940's Amsterdam!

@JenP @BookwormM

BookwormM Enjoy I was physically there for work 2 weeks ago got to spend a whole hour in the city rest of the time was at office or airport 🤣🤣 6y
35 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Amanda61
Finn Fancy Necromancy | Randy Henderson
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Pickpick

I really love the #LMPBC! I just finished reading this, a book I never would have picked for myself and absolutely loved reading something so much out of my wheel house. I went into this book really not enjoying it, thinking I'm just going to push through and move on to the next one. About half way through though, something clicked and I stopped focusing on what it isn't and started focusing on what it is and was able to really enjoy it from there

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Amanda61
Finn Fancy Necromancy | Randy Henderson
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Joining in on the #8intwo mini-readathon. Starting out with Finn Fancy Necromancy for #LMPBC group.