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candc320

candc320

Joined April 2016

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The Tenant by Freida McFadden
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Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes
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Game of Thrones by George R R Martin
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candc320
You Killed Me First | John Marrs
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Pickpick

Ahhh this was SO GOOD!! I wasn‘t exactly sure at first what I was listening to but, once it sunk in, I really thought I had it figured out. But nope 🙂‍↔️ 🤣! This was CRAZY, in the best possible way! Twist after twist after twist. This is only the second book by this author I‘ve read but, now, I want to DEVOUR the rest! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
One in Four: A Thriller | Lucinda Berry
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Mehso-so

So, the synopsis of this story makes it sound like a locked room mystery where we‘re going to explore a murder of a celebrity on a reality tv rehab show. Well…we hardly even step into the rehab show and don‘t even meet all of the celebrities! It starts with a murder and instantly moves on to other people in a totally different direction than I thought it was going. Just not very satisfying for me overall, although not a badly written story. 🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
A Map to Paradise | Susan Meissner
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Pickpick

Susan Meissner had long been a favorite author of mine and, while this book wasn‘t a favorite, it still was pretty good. I haven‘t read a lot set during the Red Scare after WWII and it was interesting to see our three women navigate this strange new world in the already strange land of Hollywood. It has a somewhat satisfying ending but there were a few storylines I wish had wrapped up a little differently. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would given the mixed reviews I‘ve read. The main character is definitely unique - being a skilled thief who is blamed for a man‘s murder and hides out from the world at a nursing school while trying to solve it - and I think there‘s a little bit for everyone to enjoy. I thought the romance was a little unnecessary and the resolution only partly satisfying, but overall it was worth the listen! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
A Very Bad Thing | J T Ellison
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Pickpick

I think this was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it! It‘s twisty and suspenseful and, while I could guess some of the twists, the final one I definitely didn‘t see coming! I went back and forth between the ebook and audiobook and I highly recommend the audiobook. All in all a solid mystery. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
The Book of Accidents | Chuck Wendig
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Pickpick

I finally finished it!! And…I loved it!! This took me months to get through but it wasn‘t because I wasn‘t enjoying myself, it‘s just a pretty dense, heavy story. It reminded me a lot of a Stephen King novel, which is a compliment as I love King. So much more than a horror story! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Untitled | Untitled
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Pickpick

Overall this series of Amazon Original short stories, called The Shivers, were pretty good! Night and Day in Misery was by far my favorite and might be one of my favorite short stories of all time! So much heart and development is so few pages! Definitely 5 🌟! The rest are close to even with Jackknife and The Indigo Room being my least favorite (which was a shock as I LOVE Joe Hill!). A great way to spend a few hours!

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candc320
The Mystery Guest | Nita Prose
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Pickpick

This is a really cute series! The main character is absolutely adorable and is so genuine and smart that I love reading everything from her POV. I‘ve already read the short story that comes after this book ?it was ok 🤷🏼‍♀️) so I‘m really looking forward to the newest installment. What will Molly get into next? 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Mickey7: A Novel | Edward Ashton
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Pickpick

This was a lot of fun! I don‘t picture this actor as Mickey Barnes but I always make up my own movies in my head 😆. I‘ve been trying to read more science fiction/fantasy and this was light and easy to digest for someone who isn‘t too techy or science-minded. Mickey is a great character and I‘m excited for the next book! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

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candc320
You Deserve to Know | Aggie Blum Thompson
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Pickpick

I love a good domestic drama! Juicy neighborhood gossip, secrets and scandal and maybe a little murder…I eat it up! This was a good one with plenty of twists to keep you guessing and a satisfying ending, which isn‘t always the case with these sorts of stories. I‘ll definitely be looking for more from this author in the future! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

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candc320
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter | Stephen Graham Jones
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Mehso-so

I‘m starting to think I‘m not smart enough - or have a long enough attention span - to really enjoy this author‘s novels. I‘ve liked a few but this and The Only Good Indians are both so beautifully written but so hard to digest that I start losing interest. This is literally a story within a story within a story and it was hard to follow at times. The language used was beautiful but again hard to follow and it felt longer than it needed. 🌟🌟🌟

JacqMac I always think I should love him, too, but I have the exact same problem. I find them so hard to get through. 4w
18 likes1 comment
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candc320
Adventures in Reading | May Lamberton Becker
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My May TBR is ready to go!! Bring on the reading! #bookspinbingo

Chrissyreadit i love your planner! 4w
candc320 Thank you, @Chrissyreadit !! It‘s from a company called Novelly Yours. It‘s my second year buying them and I love it! 4w
Chrissyreadit thank you!!! they are a fun company and i‘m pretty sure i will order in the future from them 💛 4w
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4w
22 likes4 comments
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candc320
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Pickpick

This was amazing! Gone with the Wind was a favorite movie of mine when I was younger and I always thought Hattie McDaniel was excellent in it. Learning about her real life and all of the turmoil and backlash she suffered due to the roles she played was so sad. She was hardworking and dynamic and witty and smart and it really is horrific that she just wanted to do the thing she loved the most - act - and find a love that was true and lasting and ⬇️

candc320 Cont‘d: and suffered for it again and again. I loved learning about this brilliant actress! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 4w
21 likes1 comment
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candc320
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Mehso-so

This was sort of the definition of “meh” 🤷‍♀️. There were some stories that were kind of creepy but most of them were too short to develop enough for me to find them much of anything. They did help me get out of a bit of a reading slump as they were all short and easy to digest. I do like this author, I just think I might prefer her novels to short stories. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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candc320
A Killing Cold: A Novel | Kate Alice Marshall
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Pickpick

This was a solid domestic mystery/thriller. Most of it was pretty easy to figure out but there were still some surprises to be had. Theo was a great main character, being somewhat of an unreliable narrator but also warm and funny. I really wanted her to figure out her past! Will definitely read more by this author! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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candc320
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
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Is it just me or are these dystopian science fiction stories starting to seem a little too real?! It‘s not much of a leap to see our government detaining those that they believe might commit a crime based on data points they establish and using them for labor or experiments or anything else. Holding them for whatever extraneous reasons they want. It‘s truly terrifying! But you know what also comes of this? Resistance! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Bookwormjillk It‘s not just you. I had to take a break from them for a while. 1mo
candc320 @Bookwormjillk it‘s honestly exhausting and terrifying. 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures Last week the US ICE said they are going to stop "thoughts" from crossing the border. Utterly horrific. I am glad I read this in March, I agree it is too much now. 1mo
21 likes3 comments
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candc320
Cross My Heart | Megan Collins
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Pickpick

There was A LOT going on here: is our main character a little too obsessed with the husband of the person whose heart she now has? Did that husband have anything to do with his wife‘s death? Is there something else entirely different going on? This book will give you whiplash, but if you just go with it it‘s quite entertaining. Worth a listen! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Sea Sick | Iain Rob Wright
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Bailedbailed

This SEEMS like it should be a story right up my alley - zombies, a groundhog‘s day scenario, and a mystery at its heart - but I just couldn‘t get through it! It‘s supposed to be short but I‘ve been trying to read it for weeks now and I‘m only at 35% 😭. It just doesn‘t seem to go anywhere. I‘ve read and enjoyed this author before, so I‘m just going to chalk it up to wrong book at the wrong time.

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candc320
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Loved the movies and wanted to see how the books compare. Great first book! Really solidifies the characters and sets us up for a great storyline. It was a little darker than I was expecting - the cutting out people‘s tongues, yikes! - but that just really drives home the fact that this world is brutal! So excited for the rest of the series! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Dressmakers of London | Julia Kelly
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I love WWII historical fiction, especially if it highlights an area I haven‘t read about before. This novel focuses on both the women of the WAAF, especially those manning barrage balloons, and the bespoke fashion industry of London. The characters are great, although Izzy did get on my nerves a little bit (that girl can hold a grudge!). I also love that the novel doesn‘t concentrate on romance but has it as a little extra thrown in. 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

kspenmoll I just finished listening to this & enjoyed it! 1mo
20 likes1 stack add1 comment
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candc320
Close Knit: A Novel | Jenny Colgan
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Pickpick

I swear, reading a Jenny Colgan novel is a balm to my very soul! I love how her novels, filled with lovely, funny characters and so much heart it could burst, draw me in and make me want to stay in that world forever. I‘m so sad when they‘re over! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

mcctrish I love Jenny Colgan so much 1mo
25 likes1 comment
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candc320
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This was bonkers in the best possible way! I love having a nasty character to hate and you‘ll get that in this book. There are ghosts and revenge and all sorts of goodies here. Not overly spooky and more funny scary, I‘d definitely recommend! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
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My April #bookspinbingo #tbr is ready to go! I have high hopes for next month 🤞🙏📚📖

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
15 likes1 comment
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candc320
The Farm | Matt Shaw
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Panpan

I really wanted to like this short novel as I‘ve not had the best time with physical reading lately (killing the audiobooks though!). Unfortunately this just didn‘t do it for me. The writing was a little sloppy and there honestly wasn‘t much character development to be had. The ending was also just sort of 🤷🏼‍♀️. Good premise without much follow through. 🌟🌟

ReadingOver50 That cover is amazing 2mo
candc320 Right @ReadingOver50 ! It‘s the first thing that drew me to it. 2mo
24 likes2 comments
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candc320
Cursed Cruise: A Horror Hotel Novel | Victoria Fulton, Faith McClaren
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Pickpick

I loved this! I mean give me all the ghosts in an isolated place (like a ship) and I‘m a happy camper 😆. The first book in the series was really good too and I loved finding out what the characters have been up to. There‘s nothing overly serious here or necessarily spooky but it was a fun listen and I‘ll definitely read anything else that comes out in this series. 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

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candc320
Nightbitch | RACHEL. YODER
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book…and I can‘t even tell you why 🤣! It‘s really weird and raw and full of grit but somehow also wholly relatable. Any mom has had that moment when you are so tired you can‘t think straight and begin questioning everything about your life. Just most of us don‘t grow hair in weird places and start thinking we become a dog at night 😳. I can‘t even properly describe this book…just read it if you want something different. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
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This was super twisty! I didn‘t realize this was part of a series, and wish I had read the previous books first, but the author does a pretty good job of filling the new reader in on what came before. I love a solid murder mystery and this one definitely fits the bill. Excited to go back and read more in this series! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
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Mehso-so

While this was an ok mystery, there were just too many varying characters and storylines to keep up with as an audiobook. I kept getting pulled out of the story by trying to figure out what was really going on. I did read all the way to the end, however, so the overall story did hold my general attention. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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candc320
The Madness: A Novel | Dawn Kurtagich
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Pickpick

Another great listen! A modern take on vampire lore, it drew me in and kept my attention rapt. There isn‘t a lot of mystery or shock value here - it‘s easy to connect all the pieces and figure out what‘s happening - but it was dark and emotional and very different than I was expecting. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

TheLudicReader I have read a couple books by this author and really enjoyed them. I am looking forward to this one. 2mo
25 likes1 stack add1 comment
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candc320
Victorian Psycho | Virginia Feito
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I loved this! It‘s funny and vicious and violent and so tongue in cheek that I couldn‘t stop listening to the audiobook. The author names all the characters the funniest names - Ms. Manners, Mr. Pounds, etc - and it just felt very Dickensian. It‘s also really short and definitely could be read/listened to in a day. Highly recommend! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Dearest | Jacquie Walters
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This was nothing like I was expecting! I thought it was going to be a motherhood gone wrong sort of story - which it was in a way - but it was so much more! There are ongoing mother/daughter issues, generational trauma, and the supernatural! Just a really twisty tale that I couldn‘t stop listening to. 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Dogs | Steve Harpster
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I‘ve not been getting very much reading done this last week as this little love muffin has joined our family! Meet Poppy! She‘s the sweetest little chihuahua and just wants to play and snuggle all day 🥰. I can‘t wait for her to be my little reading buddy!!!

KadaGul Poppy, you are so adorable. Welcome to the Litsy Family. #Petslife 3mo
intothehallofbooks What a cutie!!!! 🐾 3mo
dabbe Welcome to your next lovely family, #preciouspoppy! 🖤🐾🖤 3mo
See All 10 Comments
ChaoticMissAdventures OMG Poppy!! What a cute name for an adorable pup! Congrats! 3mo
BookmarkTavern Hello baby! ❤️❤️❤️ 3mo
Tamra 😘😘 3mo
candc320 Awww thanks so much @intothehallofbooks @KadaGul @dabbe @ChaoticMissAdventures @BookmarkTavern @Tamra ! She‘s just such a sweet baby!!! (edited) 3mo
Read4life She‘s so adorable!!! 🐶🥰🐶 3mo
JessClark78 ❤️❤️ 3mo
DogMomIrene She looks almost like a stuffed animal! So adorable! 2mo
27 likes10 comments
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candc320
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Mehso-so

I‘ve loved Greer Macallister‘s previous novels so I had high hopes for this one. It wasn‘t bad but it definitely wasn‘t my favorite. The story is set up as our main character recounting her life with her many husbands and lovers and the many ways she transformed over the years. Told by a psychic that her 13th husband would be the death of her she recounts how she got to 13 and a “shocking” revelation about the 13th. Just ok. 🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
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Bailedbailed

Giving up on this one at 13%. It‘s not horrible, it‘s just meh. This is another that I might try again as an audiobook if my library gets a copy. I just need a little more to keep my attention at the moment.

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candc320
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Pickpick

I finished this last week and have been so busy I forgot to post 🤦🏼. I love this as a spinoff of the Tradd Street series (which is great) and am looking forward to more in the series! Moving to New Orleans, the perfect places for spirits and those sensitive to them, we see a young woman grappling with making her own way in the world while coming to terms with the gifts of those close to her. Definitely recommend! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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candc320
March | Geraldine Brooks
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My March #bookspinbingo is ready to go! Bring on the reading!!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3mo
nelsonmatt890 I like to connect with you and read, lol. 3mo
21 likes2 comments
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candc320
Mark | Lee Mountford
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Pickpick

This book isn‘t in the system so I‘m reviewing it here. This is the 2nd book in the Haunted series and in it we go back to when the parents of our two sisters from book 1 first went to the house and nearly lost their lives there. We learn a pretty big revelation about one of the sisters and see some truly sinister stuff happen to those staying at the hotel the parents are helping start at the house. So excited to continue this series! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Stay on the Line: A Novelette | Clay McLeod Chapman
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Mehso-so

Not bad for a short story but didn‘t really develop the characters enough to make me care what happened. A bunch of people in this small seaside town died during a hurricane and the survivors begin to be able to speak to them through a phone booth that hasn‘t worked in years. But are they speaking to those that are lost? Or is it something more sinister? Quick read but kind of forgettable. 🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Sleep Tight: A Novel | J. H. Markert
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Pickpick

Captivating, if complex, story with more twists than I can count! There are serial killers, multiple personalities, cults, murder, kidnapping, and more! It can be kind of hard to keep track of all of the characters but other than that it‘s thrilling and kept my listening. Creepy in the best possible way! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

21 likes1 stack add
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candc320
Wake Up and Open Your Eyes | Clay McLeod Chapman
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Bailedbailed

I tried…I REALLY tried with this one but I just couldn‘t get through it. It started out great and then became a slow slog through the indoctrination/brainwashing of a family and I just couldn‘t make it through to the other side. I might try this again as audiobook but, as a physical book, it just isn‘t keeping my attention. And I‘m trying to get better at DNF‘ing books that I‘m not really enjoying.

Chelsea.Poole I agree with your review. It was super engaging at the beginning for me and it lost that, I finished listening to the audio (but wouldn‘t have bothered reading it). I ended up giving it a pick for the ideas but not necessarily the execution. 3mo
candc320 Thanks @Chelsea.Poole !! Yeah, I‘m thinking I might like it better as an audiobook…I am intrigued on where it goes! 3mo
18 likes2 comments
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candc320
My Pinterest | Michael Miller
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Ya know what…I feel seen 🤣!!

Type “Literally my character” into your Pinterest search bar and see what you get!

#literallymycharacter @TheBookHippie

TheBookHippie HAHAHAHA!!! I LOVE IT!! Elle WOODS!!! 3mo
17 likes1 comment
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candc320
The Queen: A Novel | Nick Cutter
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Are you looking for an intriguing mix of sci-fi, horror, and coming-of-age teen drama? Well look no further! I was so impressed with how the author both touched my heart and disgusted me at the same time. Taking place over 24 hours, we get to see a girl on the cusp of adulthood search for her missing best friend and find something she never could have expected. So good! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
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Pickpick

I thought this was a great debut! Seeing one women‘s life through the eyes of those who influenced her, those she influenced, and her own, we are drawn along on a heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, story of love, loss, and expression. There is also a story within the story and I‘ve got to tell you, I wish I could read that book because it sounds amazing! Definitely recommend! 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

28 likes1 stack add
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candc320
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Preordered this one! I could have sworn the sprayed edges were supposed to be colorful and it looks a little lackluster in person, but I‘m excited to see what the story is like inside. I love Pam Jenoff‘s writing!

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candc320
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Pickpick

This was such a good audiobook! The narrator was amazing and really brought home the horror and the heart at the center of this story. This is more than just a story about young witches, it‘s a look at the terrible way society has treated young women, pregnancy out of wedlock, and motherhood in general throughout the years. The depictions of childbirth were raw and real and just so gross! It‘s amazing a man wrote this story! Loved it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

24 likes1 stack add
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candc320
Hush, My Darling | Leigh Kenny
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Pickpick

This isn‘t in the database but it‘s a novella about a sister, brother and two of the brother‘s friends on a trip to visit the siblings‘ other sister. On the way they decide to stop at this abandoned “test town” where nuclear tests were run and the buildings and mannequin residents have been left to rot for decades. Needless to say terror ensues! It‘s quick and creepy and I definitely won‘t look at mannequins the same way again 😐. 🌟🌟🌟💫

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candc320
The Crash | Freida McFadden
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Mehso-so

I‘m starting to think Freida McFadden might not be for me. Her stories aren‘t bad, there‘s just ok. I really enjoyed The Boyfriend but the rest have been predictable. This is no different. I kept waiting for the big shocks, and there was one toward the end, but by that point I didn‘t care. I found the main characters annoying and kind of dumb and was kind of disappointed when it was over. Will that keep me from reading more? Probably not 🤣 🌟🌟🌟

BookKenz I also thought this one was so-so, but immediately thought, "Well, maybe I'll try reading The Boyfriend next and see if it's any better." Once you start Freida, you can't stop. ? 4mo
candc320 Lol @BookKenz it‘s so true 🤣 4mo
35 likes1 stack add2 comments
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candc320
The Book of Witching | C. J. Cooke
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Pickpick

One thing I know when reading a C.J. Cooke novel is that it‘s going to be unique and it‘s going to be mysterious. This is no exception, weaving together two timelines of motherly love and devotion, magic and witchcraft, and finding your place in a world that doesn‘t always make room for you. Definitely recommend!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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candc320
Kindred | Octavia Butler
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Pickpick

If I had to describe this book in 3 words it would be: devastating, horrifying, and important. Using time travel to show slavery through the eyes of a modern (for the time at least - I believe this was written in the 70‘s) black woman really drove home just how strong the characters had to be to simply survive in the past and kept me hanging on to see if Dana would be able to do it and somehow settle back into her life in the present. I can‘t ⬇️

candc320 Cont‘d: say I “enjoyed” it as it‘s truly devastating but I am glad I read it and would definitely recommend it. Everyone should read it! 🌟🌟🌟🌟 (edited) 4mo
ShyBookOwl I always say this is the book EVERYONE should read. So powerful. 4mo
candc320 @ShyBookOwl YES! Should be required reading. 4mo
28 likes3 comments
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candc320
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Pickpick

When I think of middle of the road mystery/thrillers Freida McFadden books come to mind. Why, then, can I not stop reading them?! Molly, the protagonist of the Housemaid stories, is somehow both resourceful and incredibly trusting and flighty (to her downfall). The twists are EPIC and really bonkers and while not very realistic they are oh so juicy and exciting! Just fun popcorn thrillers! Nothing revolutionary here but entertaining! 🌟🌟🌟