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arlenefinnigan

arlenefinnigan

Joined September 2016

There's more to life than books, you know, but not much more.
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arlenefinnigan
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16 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is a great book. SFF and YA paranormal romance isn't usually my thing, but this is beautifully well written and the protagonist, Karou, is a really engaging character.

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arlenefinnigan
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Next up. Haven't listened to audiobooks on Spotify before, looking forward to giving it a go and having another audiobook source.

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arlenefinnigan
The Golden Maze | Richard Fidler
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Pickpick

This is very enjoyable (and perfect pre-holiday reading). A really thorough and engaging exploration of Prague's fascinating and tumultuous history.

Ruthiella @ChaoticMissAdventures Would this book maybe interest you for your upcoming trip? 1w
19 likes2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
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Seems like appropriate further reading

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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is a fascinating insight into Pádraig O'Callaghan's extraordinary life. He paints a vivid picture of his childhood - which sounds incredibly tough to a 21st century reader, but which he reflects on with stoicism - and his role in the fight for Irish independence, and his tireless work to promote the Irish language. I wonder what he would have made of Kneecap? If you're interested in Irish history, this is a brilliant first-hand account.

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arlenefinnigan
The Golden Maze | Richard Fidler
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18 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is a lovely, very enjoyable book. Suzi Ruffell's reflections on her experiences of anxiety are very relatable, and helpful to anyone with similar experiences. Her description of struggling with coming out is eye-opening - I wrongly assumed that anyone my age or younger growing up in Britain wouldn't feel any need to stay in the closet, and it's a reminder that we haven't achieved equality and it does matter.

arlenefinnigan Definitely recommend the audiobook, not least for the bonus interviews, which are great fun (and the one with her mum is very sweet). Funny, moving and uplifting. 2mo
23 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Sunday afternoon reading #BooksAndBooze

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Bookwomble I love her. We caught her tour last year and she was very funny. 2mo
arlenefinnigan @Bookwomble the Like Minded Friends podcast she does with Tom Allen is great. 2mo
20 likes1 stack add2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

Ooer. This is pretty explosive. Facebook doesn't sound like a great place to work if you didn't go to Harvard, especially if you're a woman. Their operations in Myanmar and China sound particularly sinister, as does using their users' data to target advertising (eg targetting teenage girls with adverts for beauty products and weight loss pills when they delete selfies). A fascinating, eye-opening book.

arlenefinnigan It also shows up Lean In for the disingenuous elitist nonsense that it is. Don't bother reading it, instead read 2mo
19 likes1 comment
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is strange, bleak, but often - perhaps surprisingly for a novel about grief, depression, and an incredibly dysfunctional approach to dealing with these - darkly funny. Some of the characters - the artist Ping Xi, Dr Tuttle - are comically ridiculous.

arlenefinnigan The protagonist is almost admirably awful, but her reflections on the death of her parents and their emotional unavailability during her childhood give some explanation why. It's oddly moving in places, and weirdly gripping. 2mo
mcctrish When I first started reading this I couldn‘t figure out if it was fiction or nonfiction 2mo
arlenefinnigan @mcctrish I'd like to think that Dr Tuttle couldn't exist in real life, but I'm not sure.... 2mo
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mcctrish 😆 2mo
Reggie I felt so bad for the woman who thinks she‘s a friend and what happens to her in the end. 2mo
arlenefinnigan @Reggie oh God yeah, I mean she's clearly a bit of a mess, but the protagonist is just horrible to her. And the feeling of foreboding when she gets promoted at work....oof. 2mo
31 likes6 comments
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18 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
Wembley Library | London, United Kingdom (Library)
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Haven't done much reading at all the last few weeks. Done a lot of writing though. Wrote a piece for the Wembley programme for yesterday's National League play off final, in which Oldham Athletic came from behind twice to win 3-2 and win promotion back to the Football League. So that was two dreams come true in one day. 💙

Ruthiella Congratulations! 👏👏👏 3mo
Jas16 Congratulations 🎉 🙌🏽 3mo
arlenefinnigan @Ruthiella thank you! 3mo
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arlenefinnigan @Jas16 thank you! 3mo
squirrelbrain Hooray! 🎉🎉🎉 3mo
TrishB I thought of you when I saw the result 🎉🎉 3mo
CarolynM 🎉 🎉🎉 That‘s fantastic! I‘m so pleased for you. There‘s nothing like the joy of success for a team you‘ve supported all your life who have never achieved anything in that time. It‘s the only time I‘ve ever cried happy tears. 3mo
arlenefinnigan @TrishB hehehe. It's been a hell of a week. Yet another team with a bird in their badge winning a trophy 🦉 3mo
arlenefinnigan @CarolynM cheers! It's been a long time coming. 3mo
18 likes10 comments
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17 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
Metamorphosis | Franz Kafka
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Pickpick

What an odd, unsettling, sad, strangely moving story. What would you do if you woke up as a giant insect? What would you do if your brother/son suddenly changed physical form in such a way that he changed from being the breadwinner to being something of a burden?

DrSabrinaMoldenReads “Unsettling “ is a perfect description of this book! Wow! 3mo
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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arlenefinnigan
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Mehso-so

Hmmmm. This is an.....interesting account, written at a certain time from a certain perspective, but what Butterworth sees as a noble quest, a great adventure and unselfish service to humanity and the glory of God looks a lot, to woke eyes in 2025, like egotistical foolishness and colonial greed.

arlenefinnigan If you rock up somewhere and immediately demand that the natives "recognise a Christian King as their sovereign" and "if not, they must feel our lances", maybe you deserve to get hacked to death, I dunno. 4mo
TrishB Definite grounds for me. 4mo
18 likes3 comments
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Ah, I love it when all my library holds come in at once.

Reggie Oof this one is rough. Both books I‘ve read by her are rough. Good luck! 4mo
26 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
Metamorphosis | Franz Kafka
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BarbaraBB Cool! 4mo
19 likes1 stack add1 comment
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

Oof. What a devastating, brilliant book. If you found Adolescence gripping, you should definitely read this. It's so well written, the characters are so vividly well drawn. As Jamie's attempt to escape his reclusive life spirals out of control, you can feel the rising panic of both him and his maw. I usually prefer to read novels in print, but, with the dialect and alternating voices, this works really well on audiobook.

17 likes1 stack add
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21 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

Another brilliant collection of anecdotes, stories and reflections on life and the world in general. I've seen some people say that her 'TMI style' is off putting but I like how much she overshares. And pretty much all of the people she calls a c**t deserve it.

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Next up on audio

15 likes1 stack add
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Next up. Thanks to @julesG for the recommendation.

julesG Hope you enjoy it 5mo
Cheshirecat913 I loved this book. Hope you enjoy it! 5mo
16 likes1 stack add2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This was really interesting. It isn't just a self help book - there's a lot on the science of introversion, and how research suggests that it's hard-wired into people's brains, and telling introverts to 'just be more sociable' is unhelpful and damaging.

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Bailedbailed

Bit woo-woo, just wasn't holding my interest.

annahenke I loved this. But I‘m definitely pretty “woo” on the scale. Haha - I thought the writing was lovely! 5mo
arlenefinnigan @annahenke yeah, it's beautifully written, it just wasn't for me, I found myself drifting off. 5mo
22 likes2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
Strahov Monastery Library | Prague, Czech Republic (Library)
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We're looking at going to Prague this autumn, can anyone recommend books about/set im Prague? Obviously this place is top of my sightseeing list.

Leftcoastzen Wow 5mo
julesG In case you like YA. The first book in Laini Taylor's series is set in Prague 5mo
arlenefinnigan @julesG I'll check it out, thanks! 5mo
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julesG I think, whenever there's a Golem involved, there's at least part of a story set in Prague. Unfortunately, my mind keeps hurling YA books at me right now, but I'm certain I read some adult books too. Probably fantasy or time travel related though. I keep thinking about it. 5mo
arlenefinnigan @julesG nothing wrong with YA! I don't read a lot of it, or fantasy, but I usually enjoy it when I do. 5mo
julesG Well, there was mention of Prague in one of Stroud's Bartimaeus books, but I can't remember which one. It was about a Golem incident though. 5mo
julesG There are lists online. Who would have thought 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ https://www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/a-century-and-a-quarter-of-books-show-v... 5mo
julesG One list just reminded me of 5mo
arlenefinnigan @julesG plenty to go at. Cheers! 5mo
28 likes9 comments
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arlenefinnigan
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My great-great-grandad was from the Philippines, and in researching our family history, my brother found that there's a concentration of his surname (Ungui) in Mactan, so I like to say that my ancestors killed Magellan. So Andy got me this for my birthday. 🇵🇭

CarolynM Great story 👍 5mo
17 likes1 comment
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16 likes2 stack adds
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arlenefinnigan
This Much is True | Miriam Margolyes
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Pickpick

This was really good fun. You won't agree with Miriam Margolyes about everything, but you have to admire her forthright honesty, and she has a lifetime of brilliant stories to tell. And she is absolutely world class at swearing. I'm not sure anyone gives as good 'c**tface' as her.

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arlenefinnigan
Good Girl: A Novel | Aria Aber
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Pickpick

This is a hell of an intense book. The protagonist, Nila - as she likes to be known, not by her full first name, Nilab - is grieving her mother and uncomfortable with her Afghan identity in a city where racist attacks and neo-Nazis are on the rise, and she seeks solace/oblivion in the hedonism of the Berlin techno scene.

arlenefinnigan Both her self-destructive impulses and her artistic nature draw her to Marlowe, who is a piece of shit washed-up 'writer'. This book is brilliantly, vividly written, and I found myself rooting for Nila. 6mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 6mo
arlenefinnigan @TrishB it's a great book. Not an easy feelgood read though! 6mo
Reggie Oooof sounds tough. Stacked! 6mo
charl08 Just started this one. 6mo
30 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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arlenefinnigan
This Much is True | Miriam Margolyes
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18 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

I loved this book. It's a brilliant, vivid insight into the rigorous, exhausting training to be a doctor, and a revealing insight into the realities of the healthcare system in Nigeria - I can't imagine having to arrange for relatives to give blood before being able to have an operation, or having to pay before being seen in A&E.

arlenefinnigan I knew very little about the political situation in Nigeria in the 90s, and Dr Anya's account of how much more complicated the sociopolitical turbulence made an already tough journey is powerful. 7mo
CatLass007 This book looks so interesting. Did you know that it‘s only available in print or Kindle format in the US? I wonder why it‘s not available in audio format? I‘m going to have to think about whether I want to get the book. 7mo
arlenefinnigan @CatLass007 really? That's odd. It's an excellent book, you'll really enjoy it. 7mo
CatLass007 Thank you. It‘s on my list. 7mo
26 likes4 comments
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CarolynM A great one on audio🙂 7mo
arlenefinnigan @CarolynM I'm about to start listening to her first book on audio! 7mo
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
Henrik: Seven Magnificent Years | Tony Hamilton, Paul Cuddihy
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Pickpick

Ah, such happy memories. A great account of a phenomenal player's career. God, Celtic were so lucky to have him.

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arlenefinnigan
Good Girl: A Novel | Aria Aber
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Library reservation came in early

29 likes2 stack adds
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arlenefinnigan
Liverpool Through Time | Daniel K. Longman
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Pickpick

This is a fascinating collection of photographs of Liverpool landmarks that illustrate how much the city has changed over the last century. I'd have like a bit more specific information about the locations, as I struggled to place some of them, but the photographs are excellent quality and it's a great way to explore the city's history through a series of snapshots.

TrishB Looks interesting 👍🏻 8mo
arlenefinnigan @TrishB I think you'd really enjoy it, you'd probably do a lot better than me at recognising where they are! 8mo
30 likes2 comments
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18 likes1 stack add
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First new book of the year

19 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
Lockdown Diaries Of The Working Class | The Working Class Collective
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Pickpick

This was a great read, and a brilliant insight into the real lives and challenges during the terrifying and confusing period of lockdown, and how it affected ordinary people in different ways. I'd have liked to have heard more from people working in retail, delivery drivers and the NHS/care sector, but I guess most were too stressed and knackered to write diaries. I loved the illustrations.

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Pickpick

Ahhhhhhh this is lovely. A sweet, moving, funny and daft festive story. It's also perfect for kids (and big kids) dealing with grief.

23 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
Lockdown Diaries Of The Working Class | The Working Class Collective
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TrishB This looks good 👍🏻 8mo
16 likes1 comment
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arlenefinnigan
Blood, Sweat and Tweets: An Inspiring Account of an Entrepreneur's Success... | Jenna Williams, Lolo Stubbs, Ryan Thomas Williams
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Pickpick

This is a really enjoyable book and a great insight into Ryan and Jenna's journey as a couple and a family, and how - in both good and bad ways - their business success changed their lives. It's often moving - the heartbreak of losing Ryan's mum and nan, and the joy of becoming parents are both described beautifully - but it's also very funny.

arlenefinnigan I really enjoyed reading this, but I'm also bewildered as to how someone who checks whether oil is hot by sticking his finger in it has done so well for himself. 8mo
19 likes1 comment
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arlenefinnigan
Henrik: Seven Magnificent Years | Tony Hamilton, Paul Cuddihy
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Starting one of the books Andy got me while he makes the Christmas dinner. I'm very lucky. All the best everyone xxx

tpixie Merry Christmas 🎁📘🎄 8mo
arlenefinnigan @tpixie you too, all the best! 8mo
Ruthiella Happy Holidays! 🎄 8mo
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tpixie @arlenefinnigan 💙💙🎄🎄💙💙 8mo
CarolynM And to you💕 8mo
arlenefinnigan @Ruthiella you too, merry Christmas! 8mo
arlenefinnigan @CarolynM all the best! 8mo
20 likes1 stack add7 comments
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arlenefinnigan
Blood, Sweat and Tweets: An Inspiring Account of an Entrepreneur's Success... | Jenna Williams, Lolo Stubbs, Ryan Thomas Williams
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Next up. I suspect that Ryan's story about how he made a load of money from posting funny stuff on the Internet is just going to make me angry.

Bookwomble Rage reading! 😡📖🤬😄 8mo
arlenefinnigan @Bookwomble ? he's a lad we know from going to the football, and someone on Twitter keeps having a go at him and calling him a "two bob millionaire", which is such a hilariously nonsensical insult. 8mo
20 likes1 stack add2 comments
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

Ohhhh what a lovely, adorable, charming book this is. The Hundred and One Dalmatians is a great heartwarming festive read, and The Starlight Barking is just absolutely mad. Very enjoyable.

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18 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
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Pickpick

This is a lovely, sweet book. I found it slightly twee in places, but that's just me being a cold hearted cynic. It paints a great, vivid picture of how wartime evacuation felt for all involved, and it's a great festive ending.

CarolynM Have you seen the film Blitz? It‘s a bit of a different take on the evacuations. (And Paul Weller‘s in it 😜) 8mo
arlenefinnigan @CarolynM no, I'll have to check it out! 8mo
18 likes2 comments
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My reading game has been way off form this year, for Reasons (my target was 60 books). Goodreads have gone too early with this, though. There's 12 days left, I can read another 4 books in that time.

CarolynM Of course you can! 8mo
arlenefinnigan @CarolynM I hope so! 8mo
DogMomIrene Feel the same way. They‘re always early, but this year the images in the email actually look good. I wish they‘d send an updated version on January 1. 8mo
arlenefinnigan @DogMomIrene I know! I get loads of reading done over Christmas! 8mo
19 likes4 comments