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Clare-Dragonfly
Never Say You Can't Survive | Charlie Jane Anders
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This book is very good, but has a super irritating design choice—these skinny, multi-page sidebars. I don‘t like sidebars much at the best of times (I am a “read it all in order” person and sidebars mess with an explicit reading order), but these are the worst I‘ve seen. It‘s ridiculous to have to keep turning the pages back and forth!

ravenlee Down with sidebars! (Except in medical books when they‘re truly needed to explain tangential-but-important concepts) 1d
LiteraryinLawrence Yuck, I don‘t like that layout at all! 1d
23 likes2 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Mehso-so

This is my least favorite Bujold so far. I usually love her romances—but that‘s because the character interactions largely serve the plot, whereas in this book it‘s the other way round. I was fascinated by the worldbuilding and the magic of the knives, but the second half of the book dragged with all the focus being on the couple. The ending is abrupt, but it was originally conceived as a single book—I may read the second to get more of the world!

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Clare-Dragonfly
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So does that mean that Fangorn is older than Tom Bombadil? Or is Tom not a living thing walking upon the earth? 🤔 #FellowshipofTolkien #LotRChapteraDay

JazzFeathers I wondered the same thing. Or is Treebeard 'thinking' he is the oldest? In the drafts, Tom calls himself not 'the oldest' but the 'Aborigene', which is a fascinating idea. And would make him older than Treebeard 😏 22h
Daisey There‘s some kind of note about this in my annotations. I‘ll try to remember to look it up when I get home. I think it‘s one of those things where Tolkien spike in superlatives and it ends up a bit contradictory. 19h
Clare-Dragonfly @JazzFeathers @Daisey I actually asked my husband about this and got an explanation! Basically, knowing that Tom Bombadil is older than everything else would involve meta-knowledge, and though Gandalf is extremely wise, he exists within the world of Middle-Earth and doesn‘t know what is outside it. Tom Bombadil, on the other hand, existed before Middle-Earth quite literally—Tolkien told his stories first. 18h
Clare-Dragonfly I foolishly asked the question right before bedtime. The explanation lasted a lot longer than that. Yes, my husband is a huge Tolkien nerd 🥰 18h
Daisey @Clare-Dragonfly That‘s a good answer. I didn‘t find anything very helpful in my notes. 14h
24 likes5 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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OK, yeah, I definitely relate to the Entwives too 😆 #LotRChapterADay #FellowshipofTolkien

JazzFeathers 😂😂😂😂 1d
26 likes1 comment
review
Clare-Dragonfly
A Restless Truth | Freya Marske
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Pickpick

Just as much a delight as the first book, maybe more! Maud adventures across the ocean to retrieve another keeper of the artifact, only for the old woman to be killed on their first night of a six-night voyage. She has only Robin‘s visions and her own considerable charm and wit to rely on as she recruits assistance to solve the murder and retrieve the second piece of the contract. Also lots of hot f/f sex, oh my. 🥵☺️

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Clare-Dragonfly
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Fall vibes 🍂🍁🎃

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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

I like this author‘s attitude to canning—that you don‘t need massive amounts of sugar, basically. And she has a more efficient way of dealing with the jars and lids than I‘ve seen before. There are lots of interesting recipes in this book, both basic and more unusual, plus recipes for ways to use those preserved foods, which I appreciate even though almost none of those recipes are relevant to me.

Tamra Yes, the amount of sugar is off putting in so many traditional canning recipes! I especially don‘t like sugar in anything pickled or relishes/salsas. 3w
SamAnne I love this book! Love the less sugar recipes. Im not a bread and butter pickle fan usually, but love the recipe in this book. 2w
23 likes2 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Poor Legolas is just “Thranduil‘s kid” and doesn‘t get called by his own name like everyone else 😂 It‘s funny, because I forget he‘s theoretically a prince. Elven royalty does not seem to do much sitting around and getting fed grapes, even if Elrond, Celeborn, and Galadriel stay safe in their beautiful homes and have other people come to them. #FellowshipofTolkien

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Clare-Dragonfly
Norse Mythology | Neil Gaiman
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Pickpick

Why is Loki like this?! And all the other gods, especially Odín… like, maybe try judging people by their actions, and not making your own prophecies come true by treating them poorly? ?

It‘s kind of odd to review the story when it‘s literally the mythology (as much as is known today) of a particular religion. Gaiman tells it well. I still don‘t like audiobooks; I wished I could go back and check things, and I got bored more easily than usual.

Amiable I‘m not an audiobook person, either. I manage to get through one a year, if that. 1mo
Ruthiella What I thought interesting about this collection is how uninterested the gods were in humans, compared to the Greek gods who are always messing in human affairs. 1mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Ruthiella Good point! The Norse gods are busy worrying about each other and the giants, I guess. 1mo
33 likes3 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

I was expecting a cookbook, and this has recipes in it, but only a few. Mostly it tries to persuade the reader to store and preserve lots of food (and other emergency supplies) and explains ways of doing so. It is simultaneously very specific to 2009 and still topical today. (The few times she mentions the possible coming flu pandemic… well.) I am somewhat persuaded. I appreciate the focus on not just providing for oneself, but one‘s community.

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Clare-Dragonfly
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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Here‘s my #bookspin list for September. Yes, I might be a little bit ready for fall!!! 🍁🍂🎃🎃🎃 @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1mo
Q84 Me too! I've already started buying fall scents, picking out books, and watching cozy fall movies 1mo
20 likes2 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this thriller about the fight against racism and gentrification. Some aspects were far-fetched but really, I think it‘s just that Cole took multiple things at once simply one step above reality. It got more violent toward the end than I expected; it made sense with the story but I think the tone could have been foreshadowed better. My August #bookspin

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Clare-Dragonfly
Norse Mythology | Neil Gaiman
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Making my annual audiobook attempt! 😂 I may switch to the ebook if/when my hold comes in, but I do like the way Neil Gaiman reads.

rachelk I recently listened to this too. I love the way he reads and just the sound of his voice. 1mo
33 likes1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
The Past is Red | Catherynne M. Valente
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Pickpick

I greatly enjoyed this different spin on a post-apocalyptic book, set in a society that developed on the Great Pacific Garbage Gyre after the sea rose and flooded everything. Tetley is an odd but fun protagonist. The short book is split into two parts, each of which ends in a way that thoroughly recontextualizes the rest of that part—both times I could tell there was something big coming, but not what. Warning: absolute tons of swearing 😂

kwmg40 I really liked this one too! 1mo
23 likes1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
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“… usually they kept the laws of free will, because they were The Rules (as they said), ancient and just.”

I have at times identified with ents and especially entwives. But let‘s be real. At heart, I am a hobbit 😂

#LotRChapteraday #FellowshipofTolkien

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 2mo
JazzFeathers I feel that if you are a Tolkien fan, there's a part of you that is definitely hobbit 😜 1mo
35 likes2 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
Fragments | Dan Wells
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Pickpick

A very exciting continuation of the story—no second-book slump here! Kira ends up on a long, dangerous journey as she attempts to understand the world she lives in and where she belongs. The physical world of Partials is expanded with much more of the continental US, the pre-apocalyptic world is expanded with more about how things got the way they are, and the POV is also expanded to more characters. I‘m looking forward to how things will tie up.

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Clare-Dragonfly
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I took a food preservation class at my local library and got excited. Also, they are apparently having a contest among the county branches to have more books checked out. I was happy to help out 😁 #libraryhaul

Tamra How fun!! I recommend McClellan‘s books too - the tagged book and Preserving by the Pint. In both it‘s about small batch preserving. 😊 (edited) 2mo
SamAnne I really love Food in Jars as well. And Tart and Sweet! Has the best spicy bread and butter pickle recipe in it- a style of cuke pickle I don‘t normally enjoy. Happy canning! 2mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Tamra @SamAnne Thanks for the recommendations! My library has Food in Jars so I‘ve put it on hold! 😄 2mo
27 likes3 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
LibraryThing as a library service | Aina Manso Santolaria
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I was going to say “you folks are going to love this whenever images are back” but I can see Litsy images again! So, please enjoy this tweet that I found!

BarbaraJean I DO love this! And you might love this article about a couple who did this same thing with all the libraries in the LA County system. 😁 I was in a library book club with them when they started the project! https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2019/01/06/this-couple-is-taking-a-tour-of-la-... 2mo
IndoorDame @BarbaraJean fabulous article! How cool that you have that connection to them! 2mo
Clare-Dragonfly @BarbaraJean How delightful! Thanks for sharing that! 2mo
28 likes3 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Pickpick

This was a fun reread! I‘d forgotten a lot of it, especially from after the riddle chapter. Thorough gets to be kind of a jerk after they find the hoard! I really liked the message of the dragon‘s gold making people nasty and greedy—if all you‘re focused on is money, you‘re unpleasant to the people around you. Whereas Bilbo manages to give up his bit of the hoard and makes some progress toward peace… and still ends up with plenty of treasure.

RaeLovesToRead I read The Hobbit when I was about 6 and when I read the Graphic novel version as an adult, I was like whuuuuuuut because I didn't remember any of the stuff that happened after they got the treasure... 😅😅 2mo
33 likes1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

I picked up this book at the library because I had been reading Huda Fahmy‘s webcomic and wanted to see how she and her husband met. I was surprised to find that this is not a comic, but partially text narration and partially comics/illustrated. It works surprisingly well! This book is funny, charming, and touching. I really liked seeing how Fahmy‘s faith affects her life. And the love story is so sweet! It helps that they are both nerds like me!

Clare-Dragonfly I was initially looking for a page that referenced Pride & Prejudice for my review photo, but I loved this advice from “Dr. Love” so much that when I came across it again looking for that page, I picked it instead. 2mo
20 likes1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
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I haven‘t even started reading this book and I already think it‘s super cute from the thick pink cover 😆

AlaMich The title sounds ominous! 😳 2mo
Clare-Dragonfly @AlaMich It does! 😂 The thing that can be arranged is a marriage, though. It‘s very sweet and funny! 2mo
27 likes2 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
This Wicked Fate | Kalynn Bayron
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Pickpick

A very satisfactory conclusion to the duology. I really enjoyed all the gods popping up and the roles they took. Plus Roscoe! Bri continues to be a little slow on the uptake but it is YA. I don‘t want to say too much about the ending but it did turn out happier than I expected, but still satisfying.

There is a preview of Bayron‘s next book (unrelated) at the end of this one, which I didn‘t realize was already out, so I need to read that one!

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Clare-Dragonfly
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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Here‘s my #bookspin list for August. Pretty sure this is the same list as the last few months. I‘ve caught up as much as I desired with a few authors who have then come off the list… but I‘ve also added more as I remembered authors whose books I still want to read, so the full list has 25 authors on it still 😂

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Clare-Dragonfly
A Room with a View | E.M. Forster
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#Pemberlittens #hashtagbrigade – this recent episode of Grammar Girl may be of interest! She interviews someone who wrote a book on the exclamation point and other names for that punctuation mark come up. She mentions that the question mark was called a “note of interrogation”! And get this—the exclamation point was a “note of admiration”! 😄

IndoorDame Ha! One of my writing teachers in college was a staunch member of the ‘grammar police‘ that just hated it. A friend and I were speculating recently about whether internet norms had mellowed her views at all, or if she was still ranting about !!!s to all her students 😆 2mo
wanderinglynn I think the exclamation point has a purpose but should be used, like most things, in moderation. 😉 2mo
20 likes2 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
When Women Were Dragons | Kelly Barnhill
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Pickpick

This is a very interesting book. I didn‘t love it, but I liked it enough to be happy to race through it in time for my book club discussion—and I definitely think it will make a good discussion. What happens when women, apparently as part of a normal but unpredictable and far from universal biological process, turn into dragons? The book was slow paced and short on “why,” but that‘s OK. Wonderful characters.

Hope the pic with flowers loads 🤞🏻

Tamra Gorgeous blooms! 2mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Tamra Thank you! They‘re from the pick-your-own garden at my local CSA! 2mo
Cinfhen Love this photo and I agree there is plenty to discuss 2mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Cinfhen Thank you! It was indeed a good discussion. I will have to remember it when asked for book club recommendations in the future! 2mo
27 likes4 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
Pickpick

This was an enjoyable Sense and Sensibility retelling! The heroes might have been a little too perfect to be believed, but the fantasy was fun. I liked the ways the author changed the story to make sense in the present day. Bonus, sapphic Marianne character means hot butch Brandon character 😍

My kiddo decided to take this picture while I was still reading the book. He‘s getting good with a phone camera!

DivineDiana No picture! 2mo
Clare-Dragonfly @DivineDiana I tried multiple times and it wouldn‘t post! ☹️ I don‘t know what‘s going on. 2mo
DivineDiana Technology strikes again! 🤷🏼‍♀️ 2mo
21 likes3 comments
blurb
Clare-Dragonfly
The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien
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Here is my Gandalf with The Hobbit. He is showing off his ridiculously tolerant self. And also pushing the boundaries because he knows he isn‘t allowed on the table but I‘m tolerating him being on the pile of comics 😆

He is not a particularly wise cat, but he is a gray and white escape artist. #LotRChapterADay #FellowshipofTolkien

Roary47 Love it! Hi Gandalf! 😻 2mo
dabbe Hello there, Gorgeous Gandalf! 🖤🐾🖤 2mo
Daisey Our group has quite the collection of cats named Gandalf. I didn‘t realize it was such a popular choice. 2mo
See All 8 Comments
Leftcoastzen 😻👏 2mo
RaeLovesToRead Adorable! 💕 2mo
Clare-Dragonfly @Daisey Right?! 😂 Where are our Bilbo cats, our Fili & Kili bonded pairs? 2mo
JazzFeathers I've counted three Galdalf kitties at least 😂 l wanted to call my cat Samwise, but my sister (who is a co-fur-mama) didn't want to hear of it. He's now Gino 😂 2mo
Clare-Dragonfly @JazzFeathers Oh no! These cat co-parents and their bad taste! 😂 I wanted to call my tortie Winifred Sanderson, but my husband didn‘t like it so she‘s Magrat instead. 2mo
52 likes8 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

Really fun genderfluid fantasy novel about a girl who would be her father‘s heir if she were only a boy… who can transform things with her magic. I really enjoyed the many forms magic takes in this world, as well as all the complex characters. Cielo is the kind of trickster love interest who is always fun to read about, though Azzurra really stole the show. I wish the worldbuilding had been clearer; I found the political entities confusing.

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Clare-Dragonfly
This Poison Heart | Kalynn Bayron
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Pickpick

I loved this book! Twisty and vicious with amazing takes on Greek mythology, bloodthirsty plants, and hidden gardens. All the characters felt very real, with the possible exception of one… is he a full human being, I wonder? I‘m really looking forward to book 2, which seems like it will have a completely different kind of plot. One small negative is that Briseis seemed really slow on the uptake at times.

31 likes1 stack add
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Clare-Dragonfly
This Poison Heart | Kalynn Bayron

Why would anyone name their child Briseis? It‘s like you‘re asking for bad stuff to happen to them.

Cuilin Wasn‘t that the name of Achilles slave? Some bad vibes perhaps 🤔 but I think she was freed so 🤷‍♀️ 3mo
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
The Painted Boy | Charles de Lint
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Mehso-so

It‘s been a while since I‘ve read a Charles de Lint book and while this had all the magic I remember, I just didn‘t like it that much. It felt a bit shallow and slow, and there were POV issues. The defeat of the main bad guy didn‘t make any sense to me—I kept waiting for it to be explained but it wasn‘t.

Finished this after a morning of berry picking!

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Clare-Dragonfly
A Room with a View | E.M. Forster
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“Chapter IV: Fourth Chapter.” I guess Forster is already sick of the descriptive chapter titles 😂 #hashtagbrigade

Ruthiella 😂 Another kick at Victorian habits! (edited) 3mo
29 likes1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

Definitely a good sick day read! This is a fun fantasy adventure, the Napoleonic Wars with dragons and a big helping of comedy of manners. Actually, something I notice in a lot of Novik‘s books is one or more characters totally missing the social rules and the main character seemingly helpless to explain them—it annoyed me in Laurence more than in El. But I certainly loved Temeraire and I‘m looking forward to the rest of the series!

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Clare-Dragonfly
A Room with a View | E.M. Forster
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@BarkingMadRead As usual, I have a free ebook edition, so I put my mug in the picture to make it a little more interesting 😂

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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

She may not eat my eyeballs, but she won‘t pose for a picture, either 😹

This book was a delight, just as I expected! I‘ve been a Caitlin Doughty fan for a long time and this was pretty similar to the older, short videos on her Ask a Mortician channel, with the added twist of her writing directly to children, who ask very creative questions. I learned a lot. Apparently in my state it‘s legal to be buried with your pet!

SamAnne I love Caitlin Doughty. Have only read Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and heard interviews with her. 3mo
dabbe Hello, sweet kitty that won't pose! 🖤🐾🖤 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly @SamAnne I highly recommend her other books and her YouTube channel! @dabbe Her name is Magrat 😻 3mo
dabbe @Clare-Dragonfly Hello, Magnificent Magrat! 💙💚💙 3mo
29 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
BookSpinBingo | Untitled

FYI @TheAromaofBooks my #bookspin list is the same as last month! When I‘m trying to read author backlists, the list doesn‘t seem to shorten much 😂

RaeLovesToRead I feel you. I shuffle my TBR a bit each month so it looks like I've read more than half a book in the last month 😉🤫 3mo
TheAromaofBooks Good luck!!! 😂 3mo
16 likes3 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

Finished on a rainy vacation day. An enjoyable YA dystopia. I would have read this really differently a few years ago before COVID; as it is, I was skeptical at first of how the virus/immunity worked, but it eventually became clear that it‘s not a normal virus, maybe not really a virus at all. The main character is relatable and it‘s very exciting with lots of fights and twists.

This was my #doublespin sometime recently, maybe April?

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Clare-Dragonfly
Victories Greater Than Death | Charlie Jane Anders
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Mehso-so

The plot of this book is really fun—the clone of an alien heroine has been hidden on Earth and, once retrieved by her space army, tries to figure out how to live up to the legacy of her predecessor, while fighting a genocidal enemy. Unfortunately it felt really dumbed-down and the dialogue was too on the nose, especially the other Earth kids. The space battle near the end was great but I don‘t actually understand how they defeated the Big Bad.

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Clare-Dragonfly
All the Windwracked Stars | Elizabeth Bear
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Bailedbailed

I don‘t know, I tried. I just couldn‘t bring myself to care. This was my #bookspin for June, I think.

The vacation on a lakeshore is nice though!

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Clare-Dragonfly
A House With Good Bones | T. Kingfisher
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Pickpick

I wish I could have gotten a picture with one of the vultures hanging around our vacation house!

I greatly enjoyed this book. Kingfisher keeps the tone light and funny despite it being unmistakably a horror novel. Sam, the archaeoentemologist main character, is a constant delight, and all of the other characters are great—even the nosy old man across the street. I loved the inclusion of actual horrible occultists as connections to her family!

31 likes1 stack add
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Clare-Dragonfly
The Okay Witch | Emma Steinkellner
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Mehso-so

Finished this book on the way to the shore for a mini-vacation! It‘s a cute graphic novel about a girl who wants to be a witch and then discovers that she is one. I wanted to like it more than I did but I found it a bit too shallow and trite. I‘m not the best audience for this as I am usually not a fan of MG books.

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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

Reading this book, I‘ve come to the conclusion that I‘m not actually ready to declutter (other than the baby stuff I‘ve already identified that really needs to be given away). I kept mentally protesting, “but I DO have room for more bookshelves!” My house doesn‘t have enough organizational stuff to take advantage of the space we have, and we don‘t use what we have well. I‘d prefer to make progress there before deciding my container is full.

Clare-Dragonfly But I really like her rules (and I think they‘re even better for when you‘re thinking of buying something) and her system. I may read this book again when I do want to declutter. And her writing style is fantastic and relatable, so I will be reading her other books. It looks like she did one on organizing so I‘ll go for that next! 4mo
RaeLovesToRead I'm trying to get myself in the decluttering mindset. I really dislike living under an enormous pile of stuff, but getting rid of stuff is so against my nature that it makes me anxious. Really though, why am I keeping clothes I haven't worn in several years? 4mo
Clare-Dragonfly @RaeLovesToRead If you haven‘t read this book, it might help! But borrow it from the library 😆 4mo
RaeLovesToRead All I heard you say was, "buy a new book" just then ? 4mo
28 likes5 comments
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Clare-Dragonfly
The Okay Witch | Emma Steinkellner
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Relatable! 😂

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Clare-Dragonfly
They Called Us Enemy | George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott
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Also, I wondered why I‘d never seen the episode of The Twilight Zone that Takei is in. I guess this is why—it was barred from syndication!

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Clare-Dragonfly
They Called Us Enemy | George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott
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Pickpick

This is a beautifully told story of a horrible time in American history—and more importantly, the trauma that George Takei and his family experience in the internment camps, and how George uses that experience in his adult life. The ending made me cry, as I miss my dad too. I did think the framing devices with George giving talks were awkward, especially since there were two and they weren‘t used in a symmetrical way.

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Clare-Dragonfly
They Called Us Enemy | George Takei, Justin Eisinger, Steven Scott
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My mom‘s name is Nancy 😄

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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

At one (of many) points when I laughed at this book, my husband said “uh-oh, you‘ve just read something either really funny or really relatable.” I read him the panel where Lucy runs out of a restaurant crying, having learned that they are not serving lunch. He proceeded to tell the story of the time we failed to get vegan donuts while I was pregnant, and I cried the whole way home. Needless to say, I found this book very relatable and well done!

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Clare-Dragonfly
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My kid was having fun in the play area, so I took some time to wander the graphic novel section. I picked up a couple of books that I‘d been wanting to read and one I‘d never heard of. #libraryhaul

Kenyazero Great pics! Your kiddo thought they were getting the better deal getting to stay while you browsed, but here you are. The winner. 4mo
22 likes1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
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Pickpick

I discovered Mhara Starling during my brief foray into TikTok. She‘s a delightful resource on Wales and witchcraft, especially since I‘ve always been interested in the mythology and folklore of Wales. This book is more of the same—more detail in some places than in her social media. I especially liked the deeper explanations of Welsh folklore. However, it badly—desperately—needed an editor. I am extremely disappointed in the publisher, Llewellyn.

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Clare-Dragonfly
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May was a great reading month and I finally did get a #bookspinbingo!

TheSpineView Great job! 4mo
19 likes1 comment