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AnnieMay

AnnieMay

Joined May 2016

Writer-of-all-trades // Reader-of-everything
review
AnnieMay
A Death in Sarajevo | Ausma Zehanat Khan
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This was my first time reading this series and although I enjoyed it I think I should have waited until the rest of the series became available in the UK so that I could start at the beginning! I'll definitely be diving here once the first book is released here.

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AnnieMay
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Read this in one sitting & it was a lot of fun. Even pretty scary in places although I saw the ending coming & was a little disappointed by it. This was also an interesting (& unintentional) readalike for The Crime Writer as both books have (unreliable?) crime writers for protagonists, involve love triangles, AND memory loss...

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AnnieMay
The Crime Writer | Jill Dawson
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This is a fictionalised account of Patricia Highsmith's time spent in England in the 1960s (around the time she was writing Deep Water) and Dawson has a lot of fun recreating and imagining what this might have been like for Highsmith. Can't help feeling like I should have read more of her before reading this but I'll definitely be doing so now...

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AnnieMay
Night Film: A Novel | Marisha Pessl
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This got me out of a pretty intense book slump and for that I will be forever grateful... I didn't love everything about this book (why exactly did every fourth word need to be italicised exactly??) but it was fast paced, thrilling & thought provoking and for the lost part very well written.

MyNamesParadise This is one of my all time favorite books!!! 7y
12 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
Between the World and Me | Ta-Nehisi Coates
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Posting this weeks (months??) after my last post but I actually read this right after The Argonauts & it was incredibly interesting reading them in such close proximity to one another; they're both concerned with parenthood, what it means to live inside a (marginalised) body and written largely in the second person. They're also both incredible, insightful, incisive and moving.

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AnnieMay
The Argonauts | Maggie Nelson
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Spell binding. It's only February but this will certainly go down as one of my best reads of the year.

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AnnieMay
March: Book One | Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell, John Lewis
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Marched on London yesterday and it felt great - needless to say London does not love trump (100k ppl!) ❤️💪🌈🙌🏾💃🏻

TrishTheBibliophile ❤🙌❤🙌 7y
Megabooks 👍🏻👍🏻💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 7y
20 likes2 comments
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AnnieMay
NW: A Novel | Zadie Smith
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SE rather than NW but there sure was a nice sunset in London this evening 🌅🌆🌅

TrishB I was leaving London on the train just as the sun was setting, it was pretty amazing 💗 7y
AnnieMay @TrishB the weather has been 👌 so far this week 7y
19 likes2 comments
review
AnnieMay
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I'm still processing how I feel about this book: the writing style felt incredibly opaque to me and even labyrinthine at times. But Modiano is writing about memory in all it's strange fallibility and never ending contortions so even though the experience of reading it could feel frustrating at times, that was obviously very much the point.

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AnnieMay
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I really enjoyed listening to this - Lakshmi has a lovely voice and as someone who also has endometriosis it meant a lot to listen to her speak so eloquently and honestly about her experience with it. The best bits were obviously the food tho 🥗🍔🌭🍕🍤🧀🥒🥕🌽🍆🌶🍯🍿🍩🍪🍭

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AnnieMay
Big Little Lies | Liane Moriarty
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Finished this on the flight back from Iceland and it was gripping and engrossing! My first moriarty but I'll definitely be reading more I think. This is a pic of my sister @Ruthiejuice in front of a glacier a couple of days ago! (Now lying in bed at home..far less exciting) ❄️🌨🗻🌌

18 likes2 comments
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AnnieMay
Nightblind: A Thriller | Ragnar Jonasson
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I read this while in Iceland cos I'm a dweeb who likes to theme my reading geographically! The prose was very simple in this although I never know if that's an in-translation thing, or the style of the writer. Doesn't matter though cos I still feel pretty good about this one and more importantly about Iceland in general which is amazing, incredible, awesome, awe inspiring all the superlatives everyone must go ❄️❄️❄️

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AnnieMay
Zone One: A Novel | Colson Whitehead
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This was the first book I finished in 2017, although I started it a while back in 2016. There was something about Whitehead's style in this that kept me at an emotional distance from the characters and the story, so although I loved the concept and thought his vision of a post apocalyptic world was terrifyingly spot on (corporate sponsorship! Inept leadership and management! Nostalgia for the little things!) I didn't feel invested until the end.

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AnnieMay
Why Not Me? | Mindy Kaling
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Listened to this on audio months ago now! Fun, fast with a few nice insights but nothing to blow you away (Kaling is a great narrator though of course)

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AnnieMay
Broken Harbour | Tana French
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Still catching up with some of the books I read towards the end of last year (last year! How did that happen!). I think this is my least favourite French so far but it's still a pick. I found the treatment of some mental illnesses/facets of mental illness really weird & frustrating in this book but the story was intriguing and Scorcher is another interesting character although he's got nothing on Cassie Maddox obviously 😎

Reviewsbylola It's my least favorite too. 7y
17 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
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This was adorable and lovely and light but also surprisingly dark at points with some serious stuff underlying it.

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AnnieMay
This Savage Song | V.E Schwab
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Read this one a while ago but it was the perfect read for a then-autumnal now-wintry night & although I didn't love it as much as Schwab's Shades of Magic series, I really did enjoy myself.

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AnnieMay
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Haven't made anything from this excellent Christmas present yet but so far there's been references to When Harry Met Sally, Heartburn, Gilmore girls, Blue is the Warmest Colour, One Direction and Mystic Pizza so you know it's gonna be 👌

15 likes2 stack adds
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AnnieMay
Carry On | Rainbow Rowell
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Got to see Leigh Bardugo and Rainbow Rowell for the #WorldsCollideTour last night. They are The Best 🔮✨🌈🦄🌙☠️🎃⚡️🌌💫

yayeahyeah This was one of my favourite events for AGES! 7y
AnnieMay @yayeahyeah the dramatic readings were 👌💯👻😻 7y
22 likes2 comments
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AnnieMay
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So JK Rowling liked my tweet today whatever I'm fine not freaking out at all 💯🔥⚡️✨☄️💫😱

LauraBeth WOW!!! 7y
18 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
The Castle of Otranto | Horace Walpole
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Visited the crazy mad cap home of Horace Walpole yesterday - Strawberry Hill House 🍓🗻🏰. It was amazing 10/10 would live there 👻☠️🎃

CoraHirashiki I‘ll be going to London in October. Is it well worth a visit? 6y
15 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
The Mothers: A Novel | Brit Bennett
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I was so relieved to find that the international edition of The Mothers has the same great cover 👌 (plus it's a paperback!)

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AnnieMay
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Never read this so obviously had to buy the 50th anniversary edition 💊💗✨💅💫💄💋

10 likes1 stack add
review
AnnieMay
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So this is my year of Tana French I guess? This is definitely a pick but I'm not sure anything's ever going to top my experience of reading The Likeness tbh

MyNamesParadise Faithful Place is my personal favorite of hers but I haven't read The Secret Place or The Trespasser yet. 7y
12 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
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I finished this a while ago but think I've only just come to terms with the fact that my time with the dregs is over. There will be rereads tho, many many rereads ❤️💔❤️#nomourners #nofunerals

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AnnieMay
Eileen: A Novel | Ottessa Moshfegh
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Unflinching, compelling, unexpected.

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AnnieMay
Crooked Kingdom | Leigh Bardugo
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Now the problem here is that I'm in the middle of reading Americanah, The Good Immigrant AND Eileen but my pre order of Crooked Kingdom arrived early so

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AnnieMay
The Good Immigrant | Nikesh Shukla
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More garden reading, this time it's an amazing new collection of essays about being an immigrant (or child of immigrants) in 21st century Britain 💯

13 likes2 stack adds
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AnnieMay
Sharp Objects: A Novel | Gillian Flynn
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This was just as good as I remembered & even though I knew exactly how it ended the prose and plot still felt fresh and compelling. Still Flynn's best imo (or at least my favourite).

britt_brooke This is my favorite of hers, too. 👍🏻 8y
12 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
Sharp Objects: A Novel | Gillian Flynn
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It's a surprisingly hot September day in London and I just met a deadline so I'm rereading Sharp Objects in the garden with a refreshing butterbeer (read: iced coffee)

15 likes2 stack adds
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AnnieMay
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Either publishers need to stop book comparisons or I need to start ignoring them; as with Fates & Furies I was completely led astray by declarations that this was the "next Gone Girl" & ended up being completely surprised by this. Luckily it was a good surprise - I thought this was a pretty incredible read. Also if they don't cast Ashley Benson as TifAni I will lose all the very little faith I have in Hollywood.

MyNamesParadise One of my friends on Goodreads said Olivia Wilde would be perfect and I agree! Omg they're not actually talking about casting Ashley Benson are they? 8y
18 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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AnnieMay
Pickpick

Either publishers need to stop book comparisons or I need to start ignoring them; as with Fates & Furies I was completely led astray by declarations that this was the "next Gone Girl" & ended up being completely surprised by this. Luckily it was a good surprise - I thought this was a pretty incredible read. Also if they don't cast Ashley Benson as TifAni I will lose all the very little faith I have in Hollywood.

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AnnieMay
Prep: A Novel | Curtis Sittenfeld
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Read this on ebook so here's a pic of some lovely summery hydrangeas. I loved this so so much; it always surprises me when a book with minimal plot is as compelling as this book is but I couldn't put Prep down & I couldn't stop thinking about it & I haven't stopped thinking about it since. This is the 3rd book of Sittenfeld's I've read & it's definitely my favourite thus far - I can't believe it was her debut.

LeahBergen I really liked it, too. 8y
11 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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AnnieMay
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This wasn't what I was expecting at all and I absolutely loved it.

15 likes3 stack adds
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AnnieMay
Ruby: A Novel | Cynthia Bond
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This was a tough read but completely worth it. There were times when I really had to push through because of the amount of trauma the characters are put through but I thought Bond's portrayal of each characters' hurt, pain and actions was expertly executed. (TW for rape and sexual abuse)

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AnnieMay
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
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The lovely people @Litsy featured my pic of the Essex serpent on their Instagram over the weekend! Thanks fellas ❤️

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AnnieMay
The Likeness: A Novel | Tana French
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This book barely felt like a detective/police procedural and that's meant as a massive compliment - French does something so much more interesting here & I left off feeling as though I'd just read something more akin to The Secret History (and just as good) than your average thriller. A++

wanderlustywriter This may be my most favorite book ever 8y
16 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
Noonday: A Novel | Pat Barker
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I've been reading Pat Barker since Regeneration was assigned at school and although the Life Class trilogy didn't leave quite the same mark as that one did, this was still a great read & a great ending to a thoughtful trilogy.

MrBook Nice pic! 8y
9 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
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Took me a while to get to this one & although I could see what was coming from pretty much the first page I thought Rachel was a great way into the story & I gobbled it up so even though I still don't quite understand how it became as big has it has does it's gotta a be a pick; it was exactly what I wanted when I wanted it.

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AnnieMay
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
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This was such a wonderful, surprising read; I wish I could do it all over again frankly. Compelling, vivid, interesting characters, an atmospheric yet entirely believable place and premise and a historical setting and commentary that feels all too relevant to today. 💯💯💯

Reviewsbylola Can't wait to get my hands on this one. 8y
9 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
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Obviously I had to buy a book at the airport 🛫🐍🍁🌾🍂

LitHousewife I love the cover of that one. Good choice! 8y
11 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
The Girls: A Novel | Emma Cline
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Okay so I finished this one a while ago but needless to say it's a definite pick. I found myself being slightly less absorbed towards the end as the story reached its climax & I have a feeling this might have something to do with the fact that because of knowing what happened w/r/t the Manson family I also knew what was going to happen in the story. Cline's prose was incredible though - such a clean yet luminously descriptive style 💯

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AnnieMay
The Girls: A Novel | Emma Cline
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Eating this up 🍴

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AnnieMay
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Loved this A LOT. Certainly didn't expect to be crying over the relationship btwn a human and a sentient AI but I guess that was kind of the point. At times the humans' commitment to pacifism felt like the LEAST likely scenario given the current state of the world. But again; that's the point...

MrBook Great review. Beautiful pic! 8y
AnnieMay @MrBook thanks! Was a nice spot to read about space n aliens n whatnot 8y
MrBook 😂👍🏻 8y
9 likes1 stack add3 comments
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AnnieMay
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Reading this at the beach makes for perfect escapism amid what has been a pretty crazy summer so far

MrBook One heck of a view! Nothing but blue! Perfect for you! A book and a cue, for very few, and this little song tooooo. 8y
MrBook Sorry, I was on a roll after the first rhyming couplet, couldn't help myself. A lot of Sinatra when I was a kid. 8y
9 likes2 comments
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AnnieMay
The Girls: A Novel | Emma Cline
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This is the UK cover of the girls - not as immediately iconic or arresting as the US cover I don't think but thanks to Instagram it manages to feel both on trend & suitably nostalgic...

Reviewsbylola I like both covers a lot. I can't decide which one I prefer but this version definitely gives off more of a Manson vibe. 8y
9 likes1 comment
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AnnieMay
The Muse: A Novel | Jessie Burton
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This was excellent. If you enjoyed The Miniaturist then you'll find something to enjoy here too; Burton continues to look at women trapped by society & it's expectations as well as art, autonomy, & our own expectations of romantic & familial love. ✨

AnnieMay Also as a dual perspective/ time slip novel I was surprised to find myself as drawn into both narratives/time periods as I was - usually I feel far more strongly for one & can't wait to get back to a favourite character or time period but that didn't happen here. 8y
LeahBergen I'm looking forward to this one as I really liked The Miniaturist 8y
11 likes1 stack add2 comments
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AnnieMay
Monkey Beach: A Novel | Eden Robinson
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Monkey Beach is one of my favourite ever books & probably the book I recommended to people most frequently; all of which to say that out of all the amazing Canadian writers out there Eden Robinson is probably my favourite. (This has been a Fun Friday photo post for @Liberty 🇨🇦)

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AnnieMay
Bellwether | Connie Willis
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Loved this. It reminded me of Scarlett Thomas' earlier work as well as Douglas Coupland which is definitely not a bad thing in my view. Also I'd never have come across this without @bookriot thanks guys!

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AnnieMay
Muse | Jessie Burton
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This might be my most anticipated book of the year - it's already one of the most beautiful in my library 🌹🌿🔫🐍🍋🎨🍊✨

Reviewsbylola I absolutely love this cover. 8y
9 likes1 stack add1 comment