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Centique

Centique

Joined September 2016

Is it a book? I‘ll probably like it then. NZ 🇳🇿
review
Centique
The Marriage Plot: A Novel | Jeffrey Eugenides
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Look its Spring! Im not sure why the flowers have already dropped on the ground though 🤷🏻‍♀️ its a very rainy spring so far!
We‘re in the heads of Mitchell, Madeleine and Leonard. Three academic young people coming of age in the 80s, figuring out themselves and their relationships. Mitchell is fixated on religion and Madeline, Madeline is fixated on 18th century novels and Leonard, and Leonard has a whole other source of worries.⬇️

Centique The way these men view Madeline made me wince at times but i believe Eugenides is purposefully showing the male gaze, woman as ideal or angel or trophy or achievement. If youre not in the mood for the over thinking and angst of academics in love then this will feel insufferable. I was in the mood for it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2d
sarahbarnes Beautiful photo! 2d
LeahBergen Beautiful pic! The leaves are dropping here, too. 😆😆 2d
Reggie The same thing happened to a rose bush in front of the house we were renting, it got beat by some rain, and it looked beautiful with all the petals scattered underneath it. Beautiful pic. 17h
59 likes5 comments
review
Centique
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This is an important novel for New Zealand - culturally and historically - it seems wrong to give it a critical review. This is a debut novel - i think her second novel is more balanced. Incl an excerpt from the NZ Herald for background. The novel is told with 3 POVs - Mere, Lula and an ancestral spirit. Mere‘s story is beautifully told but it peters out -Lula and the spirit get most of the second half of the book. I can see that Makereti wants ⬇️

Centique to show a way to recognise and make a way forward from the historic trauma - but it does feel more forced snd over explained. Still a 5 star read in some parts, 3 stars towards the end. 1w
65 likes1 comment
blurb
Centique
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For #titlesandtunes October, I‘m going to forget I‘m still reading my August selection and i bailed on Septembers 😂. My book choice is All Boys Aren‘t Blue which I‘ve been meaning to read for a long time and my song choice is Blue Moon Revisited by Cowboy Junkies. This album is always one i listen to when i want to soak in my sadness - my teenage self and my adult self both highly recommend it. #blues

TrishB Not familiar with the song but will enjoy having a listen! 1w
rockpools 🩵🩵🩵 Morning Paula! This playlist is going to be fab (as always) - and it really isn‘t going where I expected it to! I second your Cowboy Junkies recommendation. 1w
Centique @rockpools i hoped there would be another Cowboy Junkies fan out there! 1w
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Cinfhen Book is SOOOO good!! Im pretty sure you‘re gonna love it 💙🩵I‘m super curious to hear your bluesy tune 1w
Bookwomble I was thinking of doing this song for the tag, too. I love the CJs: this and Whites Off Earth Now are great downbeat albums. 1w
Rissreads I can‘t wait to listen to the final playlist! 🩵💙 1w
Centique @TrishB its pretty sad! 1w
Centique @Cinfhen i think your recommendation got it on my TBR to begin with 😘 1w
Centique @Bookwomble great minds think alike! I dont think id ever heard of their previous album - i will go gave a listen! 1w
Centique @Rissreads me too! 😘 1w
merelybookish Great song pick! Love Margo Timmins's voice. 3d
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review
Centique
Honor | Thrity Umrigar
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I think this would be a great book club pick as there‘s a lot to think about in terms of feminism and religious/cultural divides. Umrigar handles the topics sensitively and brings out all the threads for examination. I didnt love the writing style in the beginning - setting up the journalist characters and drawing Smita, the protagonist, into the main plot, felt laboured - but once the plot gets underway it was fine. A solid 3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Cinfhen I loved this book! Audio narration was PERFECT 🤩 Hi friend x hope all‘s well 2w
Centique @Cinfhen i bet good audio would have given it so much emotion 😨 All good here! Hope your busy days of celebrations are going well. 💕 2w
63 likes2 comments
review
Centique
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars | Christopher Paolini
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A review from @Hooked_on_books put this on my radar. Thank you Holly! Turns out an 800 odd page space adventure was just what i needed 😂. Thoroughly enjoyed this, my first Paolini book. The Amazon listing suggests this is the start of a series but it works as a stand alone too. Really enjoyed the found family aspect and the interactions with aliens and alien tech. Lots of battles and adrenaline but also memorable characters.

Hooked_on_books You‘re welcome! I‘m so glad you liked it. The prequel is good, too, and is actually where I started. Also works completely as a stand alone. 3w
62 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Centique
The Little Stranger | Sarah Waters
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This had been sitting on my shelf for far too long. I thoroughly enjoyed getting caught up in this story of a crumbling manor house and its equally crumbling aristocratic family. A clever and spooky book, that is possibly a little long unless, like me, you enjoy hanging about in creepy old houses. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cuilin I loved this one too. 1mo
Ruthiella This was the first Sarah Waters title I read. I found it tense and creepy. 1mo
Centique @Ruthiella yes! It was tense, i had to stop reading it before bed at one point because my nerves were on edge 😳 1mo
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batsy I loved it! And yes, it definitely gets under one's skin. I tried to avoid reading it before bed as I got further into the book 😅 1mo
Tamra My first Waters too! 1mo
LeahBergen I enjoyed this, too! 4w
Cathythoughts It was my first one too. I loved it. 4w
67 likes3 stack adds7 comments
blurb
Centique
London Stories | Jerry White
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I went to Melbourne to visit family and to maybe pop in and see @CarolynM and do you know what happened? Books happened!
Thank you Carolyn for showing me some of the bookshops in your neighbourhood. As always i forgot to take any bookshop photos 😝 but you can see my bookshop haul.

Ruthiella Fantastic haul! 😀 1mo
TrishB Ah cool 😁 another Litsy meet up with books! Best thing ever. 1mo
Centique @Ruthiella im so pleased with them too 🥰 1mo
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Centique @TrishB isnt it just lovely? Littens are the best 💕 1mo
squirrelbrain A meet up - how lovely! ❤️ 1mo
LeeRHarry Glad you had a good time in good old Melbs! 😊 1mo
Suet624 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1mo
Centique @LeeRHarry i love Melbourne so much. Helps that one third of my family live there! 💕 1mo
Rissreads Awww how fantastic to catch up with Carolyn! ♥️ 3w
Reggie I‘m so glad ya‘ll got to hang out. 🖤🖤🖤 5d
64 likes10 comments
review
Centique
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I‘m sure this book was recommended to me by @LeahBergen 🙌 after i read a book about Nefertiti‘s life. This is the memoir of Mary Chubb who as a young woman in 1930 went to assist at the archeological dig at Tell el Amarna. It is a gentle, very English memoir and was a lovely read. There are a few sentences which make you flinch (re the assumption of authority/greater wisdom about another people‘s history) but thats worth consideration too. ⬇️

Centique So interested in reading archaeological memoirs after watching The Dig on Netflix! 1mo
Centique PS the background art is from a piece called Leaving the Trees by Michele Bryant - which is hanging in my stairwell 💕 1mo
batsy Sounds great! Is The Dig the one with Carey Mulligan? 1mo
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LeahBergen Oh, you read this! 👏 I haven‘t watched The Dig yet but I read the novel years ago and loved it. 1mo
Centique @batsy yes! I loved it 😍 1mo
Centique @LeahBergen you would love The Dig too im sure! 1mo
59 likes6 comments
blurb
Centique
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For September‘s #TitlesandTunes #dramaqueen My Drama Queens are Queen Bees. And therefore their song is Honey Honey by Abba 😂 Which may be a bit light for a drama filled play list!

Deblovestoread Great choices 1mo
Cinfhen FABULOUS 🥰❣️🎶📚 1mo
BarbaraBB Yes! Of course! Great pairing! 1mo
54 likes4 comments
review
Centique
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A very sweet little book. I didnt get that invested in the characters but i loved the setting. I think it would be a nice reread for me actually - it felt quite calming reading it.

ju.ca.no I felt the same way! 1mo
67 likes3 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Centique
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Not book related.

Had a night away on Waiheke Island with friends and i thought our breakfast spot looked picture perfect to show you. Now @andrew61 you had a more perfect shot because you got to read your book on your holiday - i had a biography of Nefertiti and i dont think i managed to open it 😂
Still officially winter for us but this view looks like Spring is coming!

andrew61 That is a beautiful view, Paula. Thank you for tagging me. What a beautiful planet we live on from the north to the south 😀 2mo
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 2mo
Velvetfur Such a gorgeous photo! I'm glad you had a good time too 😊 I'm intrigued about the biog of Nefertiti! What's it called and who's it by, please? 2mo
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BarbaraBB 😍😍 2mo
Centique @Velvetfur i have confused things by mixing my current book up with one i previously read. The bio is called Nefertiti: Unlocking the Mystery Surrounding Egypt‘s Most Famous and Beautiful Queen by Joyce Tyldesley. Its amazing! (edited) 2mo
Centique @Velvetfur my current book is Nefertiti Lived Here by Mary Chubb - and also seems great but its all about the archeologist i think 2mo
Velvetfur @Centique ooohhh thank you so much for the book recs! They both sound great 😊 2mo
Suet624 How beautiful. 1mo
61 likes8 comments
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Centique
Revelator: A novel | Daryl Gregory
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I picked this up because i loved Daryl Gregory‘s Spoonbenders. This is so much darker - but i loved it. I think it counts as Horror but compared to what @Reggie reads, its probably Rainbow Magic Fairies level 😂😂. But for anyone else - this is a dark twisty tale of Stella, an Appalachian moonshiner in 1948 who is drawn back to her childhood home for a funeral. Her family practiced their own secret religion out in the woods… ⬇️

Centique Gregory‘s writing is marvellous, it keeps you totally spell bound with fascinating characters and a spooling out of two timelines where youre racing to find out what happened in the past as well as whats happening in the present. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 2mo
Reggie I really liked this book. It‘s another in the cannon of men who just cannot play second fiddle to really special women. Lol “We men have to interpret the revelator.” Whatever. Bunch of sad ass man struggling to control a narrative but knowing they can‘t. Which also sounds like a news headline right now. Also, loved the writing. I could eat that writing with a spoon all day. How‘s it going Paula? Our landlord who is 84 decided to sell the house👇🏼 2mo
Reggie we‘ve been renting for 13 yrs. He gave us 3 months which is super nice. So I‘ve been looking for places to live. Pretty sure I‘ve picked the one where im going but it would be nice if I could hear back from one that is 2 minutes away from work. Wish me luck. 2mo
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Centique @Reggie im so glad you liked this book too! Wow, moving after 13 years is a big change. I hope you get a great new place. And landlord of the close to work house - Ring Reggie Back Already!!! 2mo
rwmg Having just gone through the throes of an unexpected move myself after 7 years, you have my sympathies, @Reggie. 2mo
Reggie @rwmg I‘m really just being a baby. In 20 years this is my 3rd time. But moving suuuuucks. So thanks! Lol 2mo
batsy @Reggie Moving does suck! All the best and hope you hear back from that place close to work 🤞🏾 2mo
Suet624 @reggie, 13 years is a long time and the act of moving sucks. I hope you find a quirky place to live that suits you to a T. 1mo
54 likes1 stack add8 comments
review
Centique
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I put this on hold at the library as the WPrize longlist was announced & only just got it! But it was perfect timing for me to lose myself in Geeta‘s life and to RAIL against her awful husband. You could say some of the twists in this book are foreseeable but Shroff does such a great job of character, its so rich in personality and foibles, that who really cares! Oh i just wanted to blow some people up and this was cathartic for me! Loved it 💕

batsy Great review! I really enjoyed it too and yes, cathartic on some level. 2mo
BarbaraBB Fab review 💕 2mo
squirrelbrain Glad you loved it! ❤️ 2mo
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Ruthiella “I just wanted to blow some people up.” 😂😂😂 Great review and awesome background with the book in the picture. Works perfectly. 2mo
CarolynM Hope you‘re feeling calmer now you‘ve had some vicarious revenge😆 Great review💕 2mo
Rissreads 💣💥🤣♥️ 2mo
Suet624 Really unique in how much info she got into the telling of the story. 1mo
65 likes8 comments
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Centique
Restoration | Rose Tremain
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This book has been on my TBR for YEARS. And i loved it. I think if you enjoyed Wolf Hall or Crimson Petal and the White, you might like this too. Robert Merivel is a London medical student in the seventeenth century. A lucky chance sees him smiled upon by the king, fated to experience both the highs and lows of this inequitable age. Merivel is a bon vivant - which is often enjoyable - but Tremain has something to say about complacency too.

rwmg I remember hearing about that when it first came out but then I forgot about it. Wishlisted 2mo
Cathythoughts I did love Crimson Petal ❤️ 2mo
Centique @Cathythoughts it really does take you to another time and place 😍 2mo
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CarolynM It‘s been on my TBR for years too. One day… I‘ve also got this one of hers that I still haven‘t read 2mo
Centique @CarolynM i loved that one! Only other one of hers ive read. 2mo
MrsMalaprop I love Rose Tremain and actually met her once while we were sheltering from the rain at a Perth Writers Fest outdoor dinner party/book reading! Haven‘t read this one. 2mo
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review
Centique
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Well it turns out i loved this. After bailing on a few books recently it was a treat to be reading sentences that grabbed me and shook me and had me absorbed in completely different lives. I think it helps to read this as interconnected short stories and not to try to hold in your head who is sleeping with who etc because thats a difficult task. I loved that each person, when seen from the lens of their lover or friend‘s perspective ⬇️

Centique is somewhat two dimensional, easily pigeon holed. And then you get into their head and see their complexity, sit with their trauma, their inequities & feel completely differently about them. Taylor shows privilege, class, gender and race divides as well as interpersonal conflicts but then reaches inside to show what feelings and experiences could be shared - but usually are not shared. A messy structure but such arresting character portrayals. ⬇️ (edited) 2mo
Centique PS there is a lot of explicit language and sex in here so if that is difficult for you, now you know in advance. (edited) 2mo
Suet624 Great review! You make it sound super interesting. 2mo
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sarahbarnes Great review! You make me want to read this. 2mo
ClairesReads Great review- I‘m so looking forward to this one 2mo
Centique @Suet624 thank you Sue 😘 2mo
Centique @sarahbarnes i hope you enjoy it - i am in the minority on this one so far! 2mo
Centique @ClairesReads i hope you find some things to like in it too - look forward to hearing what you think 💕 2mo
BarbaraBB You are in the minority indeed, that‘s why I didn‘t read it yet even though I loved Real Life, but your review and @Abailliekaras ‘s one really make me want to read it now! 2mo
SamAnne Excellent review. Stacked. 2mo
Centique @BarbaraBB oh wow! I think if you expect it to be a little messy/convoluted, it might help. Real Life was so sharp and singular - it set very high expectations i think. 2mo
Centique @SamAnne thank you 😘 2mo
CarolynM Glad you enjoyed. I‘m looking forward to it. 2mo
62 likes4 stack adds13 comments
blurb
Centique
Color Matching | Wang Shaoqiang
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Always co-ordinate your wardrobe with your cats.

Meanwhile Jasper is getting steadily more furious about the photo taking 😂😂

Reggie Those 👀! 2mo
julesG Could be #ShadowCat's twin. 2mo
thegreensofa Best wardrobe tip ever! 😻👏🏼❤️ 2mo
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RaeLovesToRead Jasper!! 🥰🥰 so handsome. 2mo
CarolynM 😻😾 2mo
AmyG Handsome guy! 😍 2mo
dabbe Hello, Joyous Jasper! You are GORGEOUS! 🖤🐾🖤 2mo
Centique @julesG oh my goodness so he could! Hello Shadowcat from Jasper and from Echo. (Theyre brother black cats so i guess Shadowcat is a triplet!) 2mo
Centique @Reggie watching me constantly those eyes! 2mo
Centique @RaeLovesToRead @AmyG @dabbe Jasper thanks you very much 😘 2mo
Cathythoughts 🖤 🖤🖤 2mo
61 likes11 comments
review
Centique
The Nineties: A Book | Chuck Klosterman
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Klosterman dies a great job of analysing the cultural, technological and political shifts of the 1990s. For me, some parts were outstanding and others just so-so. Thats on me though - Im not versed enough on topics like baseball and Garth Brooks to get much out of those analyses!
Also having a slow time of reading as my dad is back in hospital and its 50/50 as to whether he will make it back out again. Just very old and frail ⬇️

Centique and not responding well to medical intervention. 😔 Its been very painful and distressing for him and making his dementia extremely bad. You really wouldnt wish his last couple of weeks on anyone. But he is a tough old guy so you never know 💕 2mo
Prairiegirl_reading I‘m so sorry to hear about your dad. It‘s such a difficult thing to happen and to watch happen. Take care. 💜 2mo
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Megabooks Paula, I am so very sorry you are going through this! I will pray for you to have strength and him to heal. My heart is with you. 💕🫶🏻 2mo
Jas16 Keeping you and your father in my thoughts and sending you so much ❤️ 2mo
Deblovestoread Sending prayers! 2mo
Cinfhen Oh no. #HisElderliness has had some rough times before, I pray he is able to find his way back to you🙏🏼♥️ and I‘m sending you loads of hugs and wishes for strength and comfort 🤗 😘 2mo
Hooked_on_books I‘m so sorry to hear about your dad. That‘s so hard to go through for you and your family. Sending support your way. 2mo
squirrelbrain Sorry to hear about your Dad, Paula. Sending love and strength to all of you. 2mo
Reggie Paula, I‘m so sorry. Sending you and your Dad all my positive thoughts. My Tia Estella, the one that passed earlier this year. She had been suffering from dementia for the past 4,5 years. She stopped recognizing her daughters, they would find her down the street wandering. I can‘t even imagine what ya‘ll go through. I‘m sorry. 2mo
Velvetfur The book sounds really good! I'm sorry to hear of your Pops though,I send you and your family love and strength xxx 2mo
CarolynM Sending love to you all💕 2mo
Centique @Cinfhen i appreciate that SO much Cindy. 💕 i can feel the love 🥰 2mo
TrishB Sorry to hear Paula ❤️ sending love and virtual hugs. 2mo
Centique @Reggie tonight he recognised me and was sweet and said “bye darling, drive carefully” 💔You just dont know what youre going to find when you walk in the room. Thank you for your kindness Reggie. 2mo
Centique @CarolynM thank you and so much love and best wishes to you too. Such a hard road this stuff 💕 2mo
Centique @TrishB thank you Trish youre so kind 💕 2mo
batsy I'm sorry for how difficult this must be, Paula. My heart aches after getting to know His Elderliness through your loving and vivid posts in the past. Much love and strength to you and him, my friend ❤️ 2mo
Bookwormjillk My thoughts are with you and His Elderliness. ❤️ 2mo
Centique @batsy oh thank you Suba. Im so glad i had the opportunity to share his book reviews here - it turned out to be a treasure for me and he loved that my friends were listening to his opinions. 💕 2mo
merelybookish Oh Paula, nothing to add that hasn't already been said but thinking of you and your dad at this time. 💕 My parents are in their 80s and are pretty good but I dread the day when they aren't! I still depend on them for so much. 2mo
rabbitprincess Thinking of you and your dad ❤️❤️ 2mo
MaureenMc Sorry to hear about your dad. 💗🙏💗 2mo
rohit-sawant Paula I‘m so sorry to hear. Reading this was heart-wrenching. Keeping you and your father in my thoughts. Take care 💕 2mo
Rissreads Oh Paula, I feel your pain. I loved hearing His Elderliness‘s reviews. I‘m thinking of you in this hard time and sending love ❤️ 2mo
Centique @merelybookish @rohit-sawant @Rissreads thank you so much guys. Your kind thoughts mean so much. He has made it out of hospital into the “hospital care” ward in his rest home but is sleeping fairly constantly at the moment. We have no idea what will happen really - his heart just keeps on keeping on and beating the odds. 💕 2mo
Megabooks I‘ve prayed for you and him every day. I‘m glad he‘s out of the hospital. 💕💕 I‘ll continue praying. I hope you are doing okay. Sometimes caregivers need extra care themselves. 💜💜 2mo
Centique @Megabooks thank you so much Meg. It is just so impossible to have any certainty about him. My sister flew in this week as we thought we‘d better say what we need to say while he still has conscious periods and then he suddenly rallied and was able to sit in a chair yesterday 🙏 So thank you very much for your prayers! Such a rollercoaster of emotions it has been and continues to be. I really appreciate your love and support 💕 2mo
ClairesReads This is such a fun read. Glad you enjoyed 2mo
Suet624 Oh no. I‘m happy he‘s out of the hospital but I‘m so sorry for what‘s happening. It‘s such a long and sad journey. Much love to you. 2mo
69 likes31 comments
blurb
Centique
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#titlesandtunes #theworldismyoyster
My book choice is a little bit more “the world is my oyster mushroom!” I liked the idea of using this prompt to explore the world a little - albeit from my armchair. And as this book is about the wonders of the natural world i thought Cat Stevens “Wild World” would be a nice fit.

BarbaraBB Good thinking!! 2mo
Cinfhen I too was thinking Cat Stevens‘ song! But I love your book choice!!! FABULOUS 🙌🏻 (edited) 2mo
Centique @Cinfhen great minds think alike 😘 2mo
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Deblovestoread Tea for Tillerman is a favorite! 2mo
merelybookish I love Cat Stevens so much it's almost hard for me to listen to him (if that makes any sense. 🤣). 2mo
Suet624 @merelybookish same. ❤️ 2mo
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review
Centique
Wishful Drinking | Carrie Fisher
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#titlesandtunes #sexdrugsandrocknroll
This was my selection for July‘s Titles and Tunes. A quick and humorous read - bittersweet knowing Carrie isnt with us anymore. Her personality shines here - what a vibrant, sharp and funny woman - and wow, her incarnation as Leia really did follow her for every day of her life. Loved the shade she threw about that!

Cinfhen Excellent choice! RIP 👑 3mo
Jeg Watched Her life in 10 pictures . Very interesting. 2mo
69 likes2 comments
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Centique
Life among the Savages | Shirley Jackson
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Been in a book slump and this provided a delightful change of pace. Shirley Jackson writes anecdotes from her befuddled and slightly chaotic family life, with precocious children and tired parents. Its published in 1953 and while there‘s traditional gender roles etc this family is on their own trajectory and not entirely buying into anything thats expected of them. Laughed out loud at least four times 😂😂

BarbaraBB I hope this helped to get rid of that slump! (edited) 3mo
Centique @BarbaraBB yes i hope so too! 3mo
Cathythoughts Sounds great. I hate those slumps 🙄😡. Hopefully you‘re on the way out. Stacking 👍🏻❤️ 3mo
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Centique @Cathythoughts thanks Cathy! I think you will get a few laughs from this ☺️ 3mo
squirrelbrain Sounds great - stacking! 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly Shirley Jackson is great for defeating a reading slump! 3mo
Rissreads It‘s hard to find books that make you laugh out loud. 2mo
72 likes7 stack adds7 comments
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Centique
What I Read | Potter Style
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Awwww look at this lovely gift in the mail from @CarolynM I gasped audibly when i drew out Yellowface which i have been coveting from all the posts ive seen. And then Barbara Pym who i adore and what a beautiful cover. The micro cloth and the gin and tonic soap are so pretty and the chocolate will be a winner melted in some hot milk as you suggest! What an amazing gift. I especially love the card - I Read - Thats What I Do. Perfect! 😂😂

Centique Thank you so much @CarolynM 💕 3mo
Cinfhen WOW!!! That‘s beyond lovely!!! Enjoy 😊 3mo
Cathythoughts Lovely 🥰 3mo
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squirrelbrain Beautiful gifts! ❤️ 3mo
LeeRHarry How lovely! 🥰 3mo
LeahBergen Lovely! 🥰 3mo
Megabooks So nice!! 3mo
CarolynM Glad to see it has reached you. Enjoy😘 3mo
69 likes8 comments
review
Centique
A Woman in the Polar Night | Christiane Ritter
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Christiane Ritter went to the arctic circle in 1933/34 to spend the winter with her hunter husband in the hut above (On Svalbard, a big island above Norway). She describes this adventure very matter of factly, what it takes to get through each day and the changing environment as the sun disappears. I found it fascinating and have become mildly obsessed with the idea of going to Norway but not quite this far North!

Texreader My husband‘s niece lives and works in Svalbard! We‘ve been to Norway many times to see his family (he‘s from Bergen) and I highly recommend a trip there. We may go as far north as Tromso next time we visit but he said not Svalbard. It‘s really really extreme north. His niece seems to love it though (edited) 3mo
Cinfhen Ha!!! I can see you doing that 😘 3mo
Centique @Texreader how amazing! What does she do there? (Im imagining its still pretty unpopulated but i may be wrong!) Yes the book mentions Tromso as the city they leave from. What a beautiful place to visit. 3mo
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Centique @Cinfhen with some warm warm clothes and boots! 😘 3mo
Reggie They got voted the happiest nation, yes? 3mo
Centique @Reggie i just googled it and for 2023 it was Finland - but all the nordic countries are high up! 3mo
Texreader @Centique She‘s a contractor for SpaceX monitoring spacecraft 3mo
Centique @Texreader omg thats a million times cooler than anything i could have guessed! 🙌 3mo
73 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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Centique
Chasing Sunsets: A Novel | Karen Kingsbury
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Have to give you a sunset shot before i go back to my rainy home in a couple of days. Have read nearly 3 books this week which is good for me! Children are looking forward to seeing their friends again and apparently even “miss the rain” 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

TrishB Beautiful ♥️ we‘re travelling home today too! 3mo
batsy That is stunning ❤️ 3mo
CarolynM Wow! Gorgeous! I've filed your Musket Cove recommendation for future reference🙂 3mo
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squirrelbrain Gorgeous! ❤️ 3mo
Cinfhen Beautiful! Looks like paradise 3mo
LeahBergen Gorgeous photo! 3mo
Cathythoughts Beautiful ♥️ 3mo
Reggie Omg this is gorgeous! 3mo
Centique @Reggie just got home and missing it already! Hey Reggie did some books turn up from Amazon from me? If not i will chase them up 👍 3mo
Reggie I did. I‘m sorry, I was gone again for a week. Thank you so much. And it was my birthday week so the timing was perfect. I wasn‘t going to post about them until I read one if that‘s ok. 3mo
Centique @Reggie no worries you dont need to make a post! Just glad they got there 👍 3mo
Centique @Reggie and Happy Birthday!! 3mo
Reggie @Centique ❤️thank you. I met a guy that might not turn into anything but already has turned into a haiku that tore itself out of me. Lol crazy times. 3mo
Centique @Reggie oh wow, that is such a time of feelings and nerves. Haiku worthy is a good start anyhow! Much much love and wishes for good things to happen 💕 3mo
70 likes14 comments
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Centique
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Book plus latte plus a spot out of the sun when youre finished swimming - Fiji ☀️🏝️☀️

tpixie Lovely 😊 3mo
AlaMich Fiji is on my bucket list! 3mo
Ruthiella Perfect! 😃 3mo
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LeahBergen I can‘t! 😫 3mo
TrishB Oh how lovely 😁 3mo
CarolynM That looks delightful, but the important question is, is the coffee any good?😆 3mo
Centique @AlaMich if you go, and want a quieter resort experience, i recommend coming here to Musket Cove. This is our 4th visit and we‘re too in love with it to try any other resort 😂 3mo
Centique @CarolynM the coffee is not great! But i can live with it 😂😂 The only thing i miss about home are my cats and my local barista 💕 3mo
AlaMich @Centique @Centique Thanks for the recommendation! I see from the map that NZ is pretty close to Fiji, you lucky duck!! 3mo
Cathythoughts Enjoy Paula ! Fiji, I can only imagine in my dreams ♥️ 3mo
Centique @AlaMich @Cathythoughts i am lucky 💕but meantime i dream of visiting europe which is about 24 hours of flying 😬😬 Have to pick some closer destinations! 3mo
Rissreads I missed all this! How wonderful, Fiji! 💛 2mo
Suet624 I‘m just going to keep dreaming… 2mo
Centique @Suet624 🤞😘 2mo
88 likes14 comments
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Centique
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Gratuitous holiday photo. Bula vinaka from Fiji! This is our favourite Fijian resort and we really missed visiting them during Covid. I asked a staff member how they coped and she said there was no work but she returned to the family farm and worked there, feeding the extended family - “back to basics and good family time” she said. The Fijian people are amazing - blow me away every time with their kindness and openness to us tourists.

Centique Also this warm sun is such a blessing after So Much Rain in NZ. And floods. And slips. We had 45% of our yearly rainfall in Auckland in one month! 😳 3mo
julesG Enjoy your holiday! 3mo
Leftcoastzen Looks amazing 3mo
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BarbaraBB That looks wonderful. Enjoy! 3mo
batsy Gorgeous 😍 3mo
CarolynM Looks gorgeous! Have a wonderful holiday 😘 3mo
Itchyfeetreader This looks amazing - enjoy! 3mo
Reggie Omg, this looks beautiful. And holy wow, 45%! 3mo
Tamra Such blue! 💙 3mo
Cathythoughts Very nice 💙 3mo
LeahBergen Lucky you!! 🥰🥰 3mo
Suet624 So beautiful. 2mo
56 likes12 comments
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Centique
Wishful Drinking | Carrie Fisher
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So here is my choice for #TitlesandTunes ive been meaning to read this for ages! While Carrie wasnt a rock star herself she was married to Paul Simon so i think there‘ll be enough #sexdrugsandrockandroll. Also she was fascinating and smart and outrageous enough on her own account!
The song to go with is “Cheers (Drink to That)” by Rihanna. I think Carrie would approve 💕

Cinfhen Fun and clever!!! Love seeing a Rihanna song on this playlist 🙌🏻♥️ 3mo
Jari-chan Great book choice RIP Carrie 3mo
CarolynM What a great combination! 3mo
58 likes3 comments
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Centique
Hidden Depths | Ann Cleeves
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Number 3 in the Vera Stanhope books - I am so loving this series!
Spent the weekend at a friend‘s holiday house in Mangawhai which is about 90 minutes north of Auckland. This is the sun shining on the estuary as we took a morning walk. Didn‘t get much reading in but lots of walking, buying artisan products at the market and too much wine and cheese! ☀️❤️ #winterweekend

andrew61 You can never have too much wine and cheese Paula. Lovely photo. 3mo
TrishB Lovely ❤️ and I‘ve just read number 10 in this series! 3mo
Megabooks What a wonderful winter day!! 💜💜 3mo
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MicheleinPhilly Gorgeous! 3mo
TNbookworm Beautiful! 3mo
Centique @andrew61 I think you‘re right!🍷🧀 3mo
Centique @TrishB it‘s such a good series, I‘m glad I have more to look forward to 😍 3mo
Cathythoughts Stunning picture Paula 👍🏻❤️ Too much wine and cheese sounds good to me 😁 3mo
batsy Beautiful. You are living the life ❤️🍷🧀 3mo
Rissreads It sounds perfect! ♥️ 3mo
Suet624 I meant to tell you my son lives in NZ 4 months out of the year leading tours for Backroads. He‘s been doing that for the last 10 years. 2mo
Centique @Suet624 wow! Thats incredible - he must have seen a lot more of NZ than i have! And be very fit and adventurous 🙌 2mo
Suet624 @Centique haha. Yes, he‘s quite fit. And always moving about. 😊 2mo
67 likes13 comments
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Centique
A Town Called Solace | Mary Lawson
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Synchronicity! Look @BarbaraBB you and I were reading this book at the same time! I absolutely loved it.

We have 3 POVs - Clara an 8yo in turmoil because her teen sister has run away, Liam, a newcomer to the small town, and Elizabeth, an elderly widow in hospital. I love when a child‘s POV is done well and this is spot on IMO. ⬇️

Centique There is a mystery here in understanding events from the past but it is so much more than that - about the characters perception of themselves and how they relate to others. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 3mo
BarbaraBB Wow, terrific review! And such a coincidence we were both reading it! It was my first Lawson and i have immediately purchased another: 3mo
Rissreads This sounds intriguing, great review! STACKED! 3mo
Centique @Rissreads i think you would really like this one too! 💕 3mo
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Centique
Time of Green Magic | Hilary McKay
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I needed a change of pace after 2 very serious books and this MG title leapt out at me. (I think it was your post @BarbaraJean - thanks!) A perfect spooky MG novel with a ragtag family, step sister & step brothers thrown together by a parents‘ marriage, very cool slightly perplexed parents & an eerie house where books might be more than just books? It‘s more about the family relationships than anything else. A quick joyful read 💕

BarbaraJean Ha! I just read this last weekend and have yet to review it! I loved it—Hilary McKay is always a good idea. 4mo
Centique @BarbaraJean sorry if I pipped you to the post! 😂 My first Hilary McKay and it was so good. 🙌 Have you tried Emma Carroll? I really enjoyed 4mo
BarbaraJean Haha—you‘ve just reminded me to catch up on reviews 😁 I haven‘t heard of Emma Carroll, so thank you for the recommendation! This sounds so good; I‘ll have to check it out! And I‘m so glad you enjoyed McKay—my favorite is her Casson family series, which starts with Saffy‘s Angel. They‘re hilarious and delightful and have a lot of depth as well. 4mo
Centique @BarbaraJean I will try this series for sure! I love to have some good MG books on my TBR 😍 4mo
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Centique
The Mountains Sing | Nguyen Phan Que Mai
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A heart breaking book that brings to life Vietnams tumultuous past through the experiences of one family. We meet Huong and her grandmother recovering from a bomb strike in 1972 and hoping for the return of parents who have been caught up in the war. We also get Grandma‘s childhood and life through the Land Reform and WW2. This family has been through a lot of trauma and it was a valuable education to have my eyes opened to it ⬇️

Centique While I was totally caught up in this story, the blurb on the back compares this to Pachinko. I don‘t think that‘s a fair comparison as Pachinko is a much longer, more complex book that goes deeper into the characters psyche. This is still a great book and highly recommended. 🙌 4mo
Centique PS image is of a “bottle brush” an Australian tree that is also popular here in NZ. 4mo
ncsufoxes I just picked this up the other day. I loved (edited) 4mo
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tpixie Great review. Beautiful photo!! 4mo
Rissreads The birds love my bottle brushes in my garden. 3mo
Megabooks Definitely resembles a bottle brush but prettier! 3mo
68 likes6 comments
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Centique
Oliver Twist | Dickens
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Audiowalking with Oliver Twist over the weekend. This neighbourhood is a lot older than mine so I was enjoying the different architecture and trees.
This is about my 8th Dickens novel I think, up to chapter 7 and my god there‘s not a glimmer of hope to be found for poor Oliver Twist. I knew it would be sad, but 😫😫😫 Suits the chilly weather though!

Cathythoughts Lovely pics ♥️ 4mo
sarahbarnes Love the photos! 4mo
Tamra Terrific door! I love bright inviting doorways. 4mo
Centique @Cathythoughts @sarahbarnes @Tamra thank you lovely Littens 😘😘😘 4mo
vivastory I recently read OT & yes a very grim book. There are so many memorable characters in the book 3mo
81 likes5 comments
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Centique
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Thank you for putting this book on my radar @Cinfhen I read it in one day and it was so astoundingly perfect.
I have a friend going through this, it‘s the last days now and I‘ve had my final visit with her (didn‘t know it was the final visit at the time😢) Time for the family to gather around her. I really needed to think about it and have a cry and so on and I‘d just had this book turn up at the library. It was messy and real and perfect. ⬇️

Centique This gets my wholehearted recc for anyone to read even if this strikes you as being very sad. There‘s a lot of joy and humour in this book as well. A lot of light. Definite 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4mo
Crazeedi Definitely adding, it sounds beautiful 4mo
Cinfhen I‘m so sorry to hear about your friend💔I can totally see how this book would both break and heal your heart. It‘s perfect xxxx sending love 💕 4mo
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SamAnne I keep picking this up and putting it down. But it sounds like a great book. I have a friend who is terminal, and I‘m in remission. Might be too close to home, but also perhaps the perfect read. 4mo
willaful I'm so sorry. I went through my best friend's cancer 30 years ago, and it's still hard to read about, though we were tremendously lucky and she survived. (Never truly recovered though. 😢) 4mo
sarahbarnes I agree, this was so good. I‘m so sorry about your friend. 💙 4mo
Centique @Crazeedi I hope you love it too 4mo
Centique @SamAnne I had cancer back in my 30s, so I empathise. For a long time I couldn‘t pick up a book like this. I think it helps that this one starts at moving into hospice - so there‘s no diagnosis scene etc. Still so sad but sometimes it‘s good to feel seen, that somebody has captured this experience (from the viewpoint of being the friend alongside) Much love and best wishes to you and your friend 💕 4mo
Centique @willaful best friends are so precious 💕 Wonderful that she survived but I‘m sorry to hear that she didn‘t recover fully 😢 Best wishes to you both 4mo
Centique @sarahbarnes thank you Sarah. I never got her onto Litsy unfortunately but she is a retired librarian and an amazing crafter so this place would have been a wonderful fit for her 💕 4mo
Bookzombie I‘m so sorry to hear about your friend. Sending love. 💕 4mo
Reggie Oh, Paula, I‘m so sorry. 4mo
Centique @Reggie thank you lovely. She passed yesterday. Hard to believe. I don‘t think it‘ll seem real until I visit her house and she‘s not there. We weren‘t super close but she was kind of my role model - the kind of person i want to emulate - just a lovely bookish lady whose home has been this peaceful recuperative space for all her neighbours and her English language and dyslexic students. 💕 4mo
tpixie @Centique I‘m sorry for your loss. Your friend sounds lovely and that she made a great impact on those who knew her! Great review of this book. It sounds heavy, but beautiful 🤩 4mo
Centique @tpixie thank you so much Teri Ann 💕 4mo
tpixie @Centique 💗💗💗 4mo
Rissreads I‘m sad for you Paula. Although you too are a lovely bookish lady who gives us Littens so much joy. X 3mo
Suet624 Oh gosh, how sad. I‘m so sorry for your loss. 2mo
Centique @Suet624 thank you Sue - it has been a bit of a year of watching/supporting friends and family grapple with hospitals and end of life. This is a good book for such a time though 💕 2mo
77 likes8 stack adds20 comments
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Centique
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@Reggie thank you so much my friend! 💕 Got a lovely surprise when this arrived in the mail. I have had this on my TBR since @merelybookish posted about how good it was. And it‘s a thing if beauty too! Thank you so much!

AmyG What a nice surprise! 4mo
merelybookish Nice! I hope you enjoy it too! 💙 4mo
Reggie When I heard book depository was closing I thought oh no! I wanted to do one last book through them and still missed the deadline so I tried these people out. Mental note: 6 weeks. I hope you like the book, Paula! 4mo
Centique @Reggie you are a star 😘⭐️🌟⭐️ 4mo
68 likes4 comments
review
Centique
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Pickpick

Read this on a whim - found it in a “most anticipated” list It‘s structured like Cloud Atlas, in that we have multiple timelines, Shai, Evelyn, Johann and Linnaeus, and we get half of each of the first 3 protagonist‘s stories, a bit from Linnaeus & then the second half of each of the 3 stories. They‘re tied together by a love of botany, a desire to escape and explore. Lariat writes beautifully & is influenced by Robin Wall Kimmerer ⬇️

Centique But I found the structure really clumsy and it jolted me out of the story. There is a beautiful concept of how to view the natural world in a reciprocating way here so if you like nature writing and historical fiction I‘d recommend it. Only a soft pick for me - strange that it had such an impact, but I would have preferred to read each protagonists story seperately. I‘m really interested in whatever else Pariat writes - amazing writing about place (edited) 4mo
67 likes1 comment
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Centique
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So - bear with me while I explain. I‘m going to reread Murderbot because rereading is my #guiltypleasure (I don‘t really feel guilty but I know it‘s not reducing my TBR!)
Also Murderbot is a character with a guilty pleasure. Yes he‘s hacked his mind control but does he use his freedom to overpower his human masters? - no he uses it to watch 35000 hours of movies and soap operas. I get you Murderbot. And for my song, well you probably don‘t know⬇️

Centique Computer Games by Mi-Sex, it‘s a 1979 NZ hit, a heavy synth pop song about living in a world run by computers. A little bit prophetic for 1979! 😝 #titlesandtunes (edited) 4mo
LeahBergen Who cares about your TBR when you‘re reading something you enjoy? Go, you! 4mo
Centique You can see the music video here https://youtu.be/gsHYSs_qgmU it‘s kind of a vibe as my daughter would say 😂 (edited) 4mo
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Centique @LeahBergen yeah! Rereading is fun 🙌 4mo
CarolynM I like that rationale for the book an PERFECT song choice 😆 I think you‘ll like mine too😉 4mo
BarbaraBB Such a cool explanation and I love the video! 4mo
rwmg I think I might have to re-read at least “All Systems Red“ to check Murderbot's pronouns. In my head Murderbot is a she but I've seen quite a few people use he. 4mo
Ruthiella @rwmg I also think of Murderbot as “she”. I‘m not sure why, but that‘s why I skipped the audio, because the narrator was male and it didn‘t line up in my head! 4mo
willaful @rwmg @ruthiella I believe Murderbot is canonically “it“ but I also always think of it as she! (edited) 4mo
rockpools Just brilliant. And I noticed last week that work had finally bought the Murderbot series - so I reserved the first one last night. Enjoy! 4mo
julesG I have the same/similar guilty pleasure for the same reason. 😂😂😂😂 4mo
julesG @rwmg @Ruthiella @willaful - yep, it's canonically "it". My son refuses to listen to the audiobooks, because they are read by a man. My son would be fine with a female narrator, he says to him Murderbot feels more feminine. I tend to say "he" when talking about Murderbot in German, but only because the German word for 'robot' is masculine and grammar is an inbuilt system that's very hard to overcome. 4mo
julesG @rockpools Enjoy! 4mo
batsy Yes to rereading faves! I love this ❤️ Not familiar with the song so looking forward to listening to this and the rest of the playlist 🎶 4mo
Clare-Dragonfly @rwmg My book club read “All Systems Red” and we talked for several minutes about Murderbot‘s pronouns and gender! Some of us thought it felt more male, some more female. I thought I had its “it” pronouns firmly in my head but I still found myself saying “she” occasionally. Some book club members used “they.” (edited) 4mo
Centique @rockpools I hope you enjoy it! 4mo
Centique @Ruthiella yes I just started listening to it on an audio book with a male voice so I think I reverted to “he” without thinking. I could easily see Murderbot as any gender or no gender. 4mo
Centique @CarolynM I‘m glad someone knows the song! Looking forward to yours! 4mo
Centique @julesG @batsy yay to re-reading faves! 4mo
Cinfhen I love your #GuiltyPleasure - i think the focus for all of us is on the pleasure 🥰 (edited) 4mo
Bookzombie I love this! 💗 4mo
Reggie There was a story today about how they programmed a drone to attack an enemy but there was a human operator to disable it if it went off track. Well when the human operator tried to correct it the drone attacked them because it viewed them as an obstacle to their mission. It‘s good to know there are bots like Murderbot in the future. Nice choices, Paula. 4mo
Centique @Reggie thank you Reggie. Yes AI is freaking scary in real life. We are at the mercy of our own hubris when we think our design and programming can make decisions for us. 😫 (My theory is that Murderbot is an enhanced human, a zombie soldier you could say, I think it‘s their human brain that gives them a conscience) 4mo
Rissreads I chose the same theme for guilty pleasure! And I loved this song! It brings back some great memories! I must get to this book! (edited) 4mo
54 likes25 comments
review
Centique
The Essex Serpent | Sarah Perry
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Really enjoyed this series (on Apple TV here in NZ). The setting of London and Essex in Victorian era was beautifully portrayed and Claire Danes was fantastic. (Also quite happy to look at Tom for hours 😂) It‘s been a few years since I read the book but the plot was as I remembered. The stand out for me was Frank Dillane as Luke Garrett - god he made every scene he was in so interesting! Must look out for him in future.

Rissreads It sounds really interesting! 4mo
Readergrrl I forgot that this was made into a series. I loved this book! I want to watch right now! 4mo
Centique @Readergrrl I loved the book too! Hope you enjoy it 🙂 4mo
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Centique @Rissreads really good! How are you Nerissa? Hope all is well 💕 4mo
Rissreads I‘m loving my new job! How are you? X 4mo
Cathythoughts I really enjoyed the series too. Yes Tom looks good 😊 4mo
Cathythoughts Claire Danes is brilliant 👍🏻❤️ 4mo
Centique @Rissreads all good! Doing a few little trips this year, still working part time in the family business and running around after the kids like an unpaid Uber driver 😂😂 4mo
Rissreads @Centique I remember those days well! It‘s a shock when it stops, you don‘t know what to do with yourself. 4mo
Centique @Rissreads I have to remind myself of that when I start getting fed up! It‘s another passing stage so enjoy it while it‘s here 💕 4mo
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Centique
The Nancys | Robert McDonald
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Home with a cold and I just flew through this book. Tippy is still getting over the loss of her dad when her mum goes away & her uncle & his boyfriend move in to babysit bringing their big personalities to a small town near Dunedin. (Ie near a place I have lived - I had no idea it was set here!) it‘s a murder mystery with lots of swears and sequins. And there‘s a spooky old abandoned hospital which I think might be modelled on the one above! ⬇️

Centique Loved it! A little too gruesome to be a “cosy” but heaps of fun, great characters and some sass and push back against racism and homophobia. 4mo
Reggie I loved this. Hope you feel better. And there was a truly scary moment in that hospital where I was like,”Get out of there!!!” 4mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 4mo
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LeahBergen This sounds so good! 4mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag Loved this one! 4mo
CarolynM It‘s s much fun 🙂 Glad you enjoyed. Picturing that gothic horror would have made the hospital extra scary! Hope you‘re over the cold soon.💐 4mo
Centique @Reggie I was the same! 4mo
Centique @LeahBergen I think you‘d like this Leah! 4mo
Centique @TrishB 😘 4mo
Centique @CarolynM I think I picked this up because of you 👍 So good! 4mo
Megabooks Feel better soon! 4mo
paper.reveries Ohhhh this sounds great! 4mo
Centique @paper.reveries it really is! 4mo
70 likes6 stack adds13 comments
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Centique
Heart That Works | Rob Delaney
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Pickpick

This is Rob Delaney‘s memoir of his one year old son‘s cancer diagnosis, the year of surgery, chemo and hospitalisation and his death at two years old. It is shattering and I am glad I read it - to know a little of his beautiful boy Henry.
Back in 2007 my friend lost her 8yo daughter to cancer. I‘m glad this book exists and I think my friend would be too. It‘s angry and sad and messy and real.

rockpools Just devastating 💔 4mo
LeahBergen Oh my! 💔 4mo
CarolynM 💔 4mo
Reggie Oof. 4mo
Suet624 I can‘t even imagine. 4mo
70 likes5 comments
blurb
Centique
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Birthday pancakes and birthday books - I‘ve had a very blessed day. 💕 Thank you for all of your kind birthday wishes.
The biggest and best thing was that today was a follow up appointment for my sister and we found out her cancer is operable and hasn‘t spread. Thank you God 🙏

BarbaraBB That must be such a relief and the best present you could get on your birthday! The books in your photo are my two favorites of the year so far! I hope you‘ll enjoy them too ❤️ 4mo
Centique @BarbaraBB a huge relief! Thank you Barbara, and I am sure your book reviews influenced my birthday book choice 😘 4mo
MaureenMc Good news! 💗 4mo
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AmyG Wow. Glad your sister will be ok. 4mo
batsy That must be such a relief for you and your family. Best wishes to your sister. The books and pancakes look amazing 💜 I enjoyed Birnam Wood; look forward to your thoughts! 4mo
Tamra Good news like that is the best bday present ever! 4mo
Dragon Thank goodness 🙏 - all the best to your sister 💚🐉 4mo
TrishB Great news. Have a fabulous birthday ♥️🎉 4mo
squirrelbrain Wonderful news! ❤️ 4mo
MicheleinPhilly SPECTACULAR NEWS! Happy Birthday!!! ❤️ 4mo
LeahBergen That‘s fantastic news! And a big Happy Birthday to you!! 😘😘 4mo
Ruthiella Great news and Happy Birthday ! 🥳🥳🥳 4mo
willaful What wonderful news! I went through this with my mom last year, so I know the feeling. I hope everything goes great for your sister. 4mo
youneverarrived Great news! And Happy Birthday ❤️ 4mo
Centique @batsy thank you S. 💕 I am looking forward to Birnam Wood too. Sounds so good 😊 4mo
Centique @Tamra the very best! 4mo
Centique @Dragon thank you! Very happy dragons today! 🐉💚💜 4mo
Centique @MicheleinPhilly @LeahBergen @Ruthiella it made more reasons to celebrate! 🍸🍹🥂😘 4mo
Dragon 🙏💚🐉 4mo
Centique @willaful oh gosh yes, I hope your mum is doing ok now? We lost our step sister to cancer in 2019. Need the rest of my sisters (another3!) to get to grow old together. 💕 4mo
Reggie I‘m so glad for your sister. And Hapoy Birthday, Paula! 4mo
Rissreads Great news about your sister! Happy birthday, eat cake! 😘 4mo
Clare-Dragonfly That‘s a wonderful gift! ❤️ 4mo
Bookzombie So great to hear! Happy Birthday, Paula!! 🧁🥳 4mo
Megabooks Happy birthday Paula! 🎉🎉💜💜 4mo
Megabooks Thank God about her health!! 💕💕🙏🏻 4mo
CarolynM That‘s wonderful news💕 4mo
Hooked_on_books Great news about your sister! And your breakfast looks scrumptious! So glad it‘s a happy day! 4mo
Centique Thank you guys for all your kind wishes 😘 @Reggie @Rissreads @Clare-Dragonfly @Bookzombie @Megabooks @CarolynM @Hooked_on_books (edited) 4mo
willaful @Centique Yes, thanks, her surgery went very well. Sending good thoughts for your sister's! 4mo
DivineDiana Belated birthday greetings and what a wonderful birthday present! 🥳🎂🙏🏻 4mo
Tonton Very belated birthday wishes! Great birthday books❣️ 4mo
Centique @Tonton thank you! 😘 4mo
75 likes34 comments
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Centique
Romantic Poets | John Keats
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When I ordered this book I had no idea it was a kind of leather feel cover with the images and text cut into it. So pretty and the endpapers are gorgeous #teampurple #alsoteamByron #madbadanddangerous

KathyWheeler What a lovely book! 5mo
LeahBergen That‘s gorgeous! 5mo
Ruthiella Very pretty 😍! 5mo
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andrew61 Beautiful book , very jealous. 5mo
Cathythoughts That‘s lovely Paula 💜 5mo
CarolynM Oh, that‘s gorgeous 😍 5mo
Centique Thank you everyone, I‘m really impressed with this Word Cloud series 😍 @KathyWheeler @LeahBergen @Ruthiella @andrew61 @Cathythoughts @CarolynM 5mo
batsy Happy birthday, friend! I hope you have fantastic day 🧁💐📚 4mo
Centique @batsy thank you so much Suba! There was pancakes and book shopping so it was a good day! 4mo
61 likes9 comments
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Centique
Romantic Poets | John Keats
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Finally got my last book delivered from my #buybuybookdepository order @Cinfhen
All classics and just a bit inspired by the #furrowedmiddlebrowclub to try Susan Scarlet. I have to do a seperate post on how pretty this poetry book is 😍

LeahBergen I hope you enjoy Clothes-Pegs. It‘s a frothy and lighthearted romp. 😆 5mo
Centique @LeahBergen frothy and lighthearted sounds perfect! 5mo
Cinfhen Ohhhh, those are all gorgeous 🤩well done ♥️ 5mo
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Cathythoughts I loved Clothes Pegs 👍🏻💕 5mo
CarolynM Clothes Pegs is a real feel good read. Enjoy! 5mo
erzascarletbookgasm Great haul 👍 5mo
69 likes6 comments
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Centique
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Pickpick

In this heart breaking audiobook Amy Bloom recounts her husband‘s diagnosis of alzheimers and his decision to research and pursue an assisted end to life. Ultimately this is a celebration of their love but also an insight into early stage alzheimers and the difficulty and grief of being a partner becoming a caregiver, and where and how they found support. Really good as an audiobook and narrated by the author.

TrishB Lovely review ❤️ 5mo
Centique @TrishB thank you Trish! 😘 5mo
Velvetfur That sounds like a lovely book. My cousin is going through similar - her husband is only 60 and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, it's very sad because we've always loved Sean, he's great ☹️ 5mo
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Centique @Velvetfur oh that is so hard 😢 best wishes to you and your family. 5mo
Velvetfur @Centique Thank you xxx 5mo
SamAnne I recently listened to this one as well. Very powerful. I support people's wish to go out on their own terms. She also did a 20 minute piece on This American Life awhile back that was really great--excerpts from her book. She is a great narrator. @Velvetfur wishing your family strength. So hard. 5mo
Velvetfur @SamAnne Thank you xx 5mo
CarolynM Lovely review❤️ I have a copy e cause I love Amy Bloom, but I haven‘t been able to bring myself to read it. Too sad💔 5mo
CarolynM @Velvetfur I‘m so sorry to hear this. Such a difficult time for your family 💔 5mo
Velvetfur @CarolynM Thank you xx Everyone's always so kind on here, it's so lovely 💜 5mo
Suet624 My therapist had the same diagnosis and despite the fact that our state allows for assisted suicide, they would not allow her to do so because she did not have a “six month to live” diagnosis. She lived for five years in a terrible state. I still am so mad about what she had to go through. 4mo
Centique @Suet624 our new national law is similar in the “months to live” aspect, which really seems harsh. So many people in pain who won‘t fit into that definition. 😢 I am so sorry to hear your therapist went through that 💔 4mo
69 likes12 comments
review
Centique
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Pickpick

I can‘t remember how this book came to my attention but I have been enthralled by it all week. Min is a young Korean American man who has moved to Seoul to try and find some kind of connection. He is nearly friendless with just a “low key” relationship with girlfriend Yu Jin. Then he is told that Yu Jin has committed suicide. In total shock he begins to investigate Yu Jin‘s life to find the truth. We also hear from Yu Jin in alternating chapters⬇️

Centique I loved the character of Yu Jin so much and learning a little about South Korea and some of the pressures that can exist for young women. This is a debut novel and while the first 80% of it was excellent, I did find the author spent too much time explaining the character‘s inner thoughts and resolutions at the end, rather than letting the reader do some thinking. Still it‘s an excellent debut. 5mo
Reggie Omg, we‘re book twins. I just picked this up at my local indie bookstore like a week ago. 5mo
Centique @Reggie synchronicity! I‘m glad we‘re book twinning again! 👯‍♀️Nobody better to have as a partner. 💕 Hope you really like it. 5mo
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BarbaraBB This sounds so good. I need a copy! 5mo
youneverarrived Great review! Stacking 5mo
CarolynM Lovely review. Stacked🙂 5mo
Centique @BarbaraBB @youneverarrived @CarolynM I hope you like it too! 😘 5mo
Megabooks Stacked! 4mo
58 likes6 stack adds8 comments
review
Centique
Wide Sargasso Sea | Jean Rhys
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Pickpick

#Islandvibes Image of my hotel room on Waiheke Island last week.

Oh man this book. I loved Antoinette (the child who grows up to be Bertha in Jane Eyre). Rhys‘ writing is beautiful and although there is violence and tension around Antoinette, I revelled in her survival. And then we spend some time in Rochester‘s head and he made me So Angry. I loved this reading experience and at the same time I want to wring some necks!

Centique @batsy I see what you mean by prickly! I loved this and wasn‘t Christophine amazing 🙌. I will read this again sometime and get even more from it I think - there‘s a lot under the surface. 5mo
Cinfhen Stunning photo!!! Wow, that hotel looks amazing 🤩 so glad the book didn‘t disappoint 🫶🏼 5mo
TrishB Great review and view! 5mo
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LoveToReadLiveToRead That looks beautiful! 5mo
LeahBergen Isn‘t it a great read? And what a view! 5mo
BarbaraBB What a view! And I am glad you loved the book that much! 5mo
mjtwo I loved both Antoinette and this book as a uni student. I need to prioritise reading both it and Jane Eyre again to see if I feel the same way 30 years later. (edited) 5mo
batsy So glad you loved it! And yes, it's a prickly read that kind of gets under one's skin, doesn't it? 🙂 That's a fantastic view, btw 😍 5mo
Centique @Cinfhen thank you. I had the job of organising a night away for a work conference so it was a nice escape - lots of rain again though ☔️☔️☔️ 5mo
Centique @mjtwo I read Jane Eyre again in my 40s and for me, it still was a cracking good read although I wasn‘t so enamoured of Rochester second time around. I want to read it again soon with a different view of Bertha in mind too. 5mo
Centique @batsy I will be thinking about it for a while 🤔 and thank you 😘 5mo
jlhammar Wow, that looks gorgeous! Great book. So glad you enjoyed! 5mo
Cinfhen Too bad about the rain 5mo
mjtwo @Centique I felt that way about Heathcliff! As a teenager, I thought he was so romantic; as an adult, I think he was abusive. 5mo
Centique @mjtwo yes!! I reread Wuthering Heights too and it was a completely different experience the second time. As a teen I was 100% team Heathcliff 😂😂 5mo
Reggie Lololol I thought those were rough waves and was about to say I hope you‘re ok but they‘re just clouds. 5mo
Centique @Reggie they do look like waves! 🤣😂 5mo
Centique I reckon you would like this book @Reggie this young wild girl in an almost haunted island (wild in the best kind of way) 5mo
Reggie I have it stacked but do I need to have read Jane Eyre before reading this one? 5mo
Centique @Reggie nah! I mean there are probably two facts from JE that are reflected in the book that make it more interesting just thematically. I‘ll put them below 5mo
Centique 1 - that Rochesters house gets burnt down at the end of JE. 2 - at some point in JE Rochester loses his sight 5mo
Centique @Reggie also Rhys is wildly different as a writer and what she is trying to do. She‘s basically taking a two dimensional character from a famous novel and giving her a complete back story - it‘s a rebellious act I think, and fascinating. 5mo
Reggie Love the passion, Paula. I will definitely check it out. 5mo
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review
Centique
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Pickpick

I love Garth Nix. This series is so much fun and I hope there‘s more to come (this is book 2 in the Left Handed Booksellers series). If you like Ben Aaronovitch‘s Rivers of London series you might enjoy this - although it doesn‘t have the police side - there is a similar link to historic and mythical magic through England, and here you have a sleuthing force of booksellers with special powers. Huge fun and just what I needed.

monalyisha I haven‘t read YA in awhile but you‘ve convinced me to order the first in the series! This description makes my former bookseller, forever Buffy fan heart flutter! 5mo
Centique @monalyisha oh I hope you like it! It‘s really fun. His other series Abhorsen is also fantastic. It starts with 5mo
54 likes2 comments
blurb
Centique
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(Not book related)
Ohhh we‘re so cute. No way did we eat mummy‘s referral letter for an X-ray. Nope. Not us. Also haven‘t been stealing dish cloths out of the sink. Nah uh. That lizard? The one without a tail? He just came inside for a rest I think. We were sleeping so we wouldn‘t know.

IndoorDame 🐈‍⬛🖤🐈‍⬛ 5mo
squirrelbrain 🤣🤣🤣 5mo
RaeLovesToRead Aww innocent kitties for sure+ 5mo
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Cathythoughts Butter wouldn‘t melt 🥰 5mo
Chelsea.Poole Adorable 🥰 5mo
batsy Oh no... Not the referral letter! 😬😅 5mo
Follow.my.read Oh I love back cats! We have 2! 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛ 5mo
DivineDiana Double trouble! 😻 5mo
Soubhiville My cats think lizards are the best thing ever! But I‘m sure these two are angels. 5mo
Leftcoastzen 👏😄😻😻 5mo
Julsmarshall Sweethearts! 5mo
youneverarrived 😂😂🙈 5mo
TheSpineView ❤️🐾🤣 5mo
Tamra 😻 5mo
TheBookHippie 😂😂😂😂 5mo
AmyG Ha!!!! Troublemakers. 5mo
Ruthiella 😻😻😻 5mo
dabbe 🙉🙊🙈 Da cutest kitties hear, speak, and see nothin' except 💤. 🤣💙🐾🐾💚 5mo
LeahBergen Nooo! The little rotters! 😆😆 5mo
CarolynM The joys of having cats😉 Then they get old and spend all their waking hours meowing at you to come and sit on the couch with them… 5mo
Reggie Traviesos! 5mo
AlaMich Picture of innocence! 5mo
Rissreads @CarolynM mine do that too! 🤦🏼‍♀️ 5mo
Megabooks Not them! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️ 4mo
Megabooks They‘re awfully cute though! 4mo
78 likes25 comments
review
Centique
Lady Sings the Blues | Billie Holiday
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Pickpick

On the one hand this book is a treasure - Billie Holiday telling her life story in her own words. There feels like very little interference from the “ghostwriter” William Dufty. On the other hand, there is no addition of context from Dufty either - Billie talks about people and places that you‘ll probably need to Google and skips over many incidents with little detail. ⬇️

Centique You won‘t find the full story of her life but you‘ll hear who she is and what she thought about it. I‘ll read a good bio about her soon, and fill in a few gaps but definitely recommend if you love listening to Billie. 5mo
tonymp The movie starring Diana Ross was also very good. It's pretty old but if you can find a copy it's worth watching. 5mo
Centique @tonymp I will look for that 😊 5mo
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blurb
Centique
Wide Sargasso Sea | Jean Rhys
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My pick for #TitlesandTunes #Islandvibes is Wide Sargasso Sea which I‘ve been meaning to read for ages (I‘m on a Jean Rhys kick at the moment). It‘s set in Jamaica and so I chose a song that was written by a Jamaican to go with it. Cherry Oh Baby was written by Eric Donaldson but I grew up listening to the UB40 version. I‘m sure the song and the book have VERY different vibes!

Cinfhen Love EVERYTHING about this post 😍🏝️🍒🌸 5mo
Centique @Cinfhen right back at ya! 😘💕 5mo
batsy I love this book (though it's a prickly kind of book, if that makes sense). I hope you like it! 5mo
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youneverarrived Great choice of book. I went through a Jean Rhys phase too, she‘s brilliant! 5mo
BarbaraBB Perfect book choice! And you can‘t go wrong with UB40 in an #IslandVibe playlist 🩷 5mo
Centique @batsy Prickly sounds wonderful to me! I really enjoyed her book Quartet. 5mo
Centique @youneverarrived thank you, I think so too! 5mo
Centique @BarbaraBB yes! They‘re such an island vibe aren‘t they? 🏝️💕 5mo
julieclair This one has been on my TBR for ages too. 5mo
Reggie Awww UB40 red red wine and I can‘t help falling in love with you❤️❤️❤️ 5mo
Centique @Reggie I can‘t help falling in love with you by UB40 is “our song” for me and hub. 🙌 Feels dated now but it was from when we first dated 1993 🥳😂 We‘re so old now! 5mo
52 likes11 comments
review
Centique
Comfort Me With Apples | Catherynne M. Valente
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Thank you so much for this book @Reggie I absolutely loved it! It‘s such a beautiful object too, I will always treasure it. 😍 A slim 102 pages, I read it in one sitting. A creepy fairytale vibe with a mystery at its heart to figure out. I thought this was very clever and I loved trying to figure out the little clues along the way. 🙌 It‘s a national holiday here today so this was a lovely way to spend my morning.

CarolynM What, you didn‘t go to the dawn service? 😉 I‘ve been very unpatrioticly watching hockey instead of football 😆 5mo
Centique @CarolynM nope! Had some friends round for dinner last night and a few too many wines 🍷🍷 slept in this morning! 5mo
Reggie A few too many wines and sleeping in sounds heavenly. Glad you liked the book, Paula! 5mo
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review
Centique
The Bingo Palace | Louise Erdrich
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I finally finished the Love Medicine tetralogy (apparently that‘s what a 4 book series is called). While still excellent this one has the fewest stars from me - possibly because my favourite older characters aren‘t in the foreground and something in the plot that didn‘t get resolved disturbed me. I think I understand why it ends that way but if anyone else reads this I‘d love to discuss it!
Also here‘s my library in autumn - not spring here 😊🍁🍂

Reggie That pic is such a vibe. I would lay down in the leaves. Lol 5mo
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