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DGRachel

DGRachel

Joined May 2016

LibraryThing member DGRachel

Howler. Passionate dog mom. Opinionated mood reader with eclectic tastes. I‘ll try any genre once. http://tailsfromthedogside.blog
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DGRachel
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…and now my official TBR. There‘s only 11, which is doable. I‘m pretty sure I‘ll hit 11 books read, so the only question is will it be this 11 or something else. 🤔

My money is on something else. 🤣🤣 #moodreader

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DGRachel
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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The Free Spaces were kind this month! I have high hopes for multiple bingos.

#bookspin
#doublespin
#bookspinbingo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fantastic!! 6d
34 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
Spin of Fate | A. A. Vora
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I‘m finally going to have to stop putting off Rednecks now that it is my #doublespin. The #bookspin book is an IG ad I fell for. 😂😂

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 6d
40 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
October, October | Katya Balen
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16 books finished for October and very few were spooky season reads. Oops. In my defense, though, there was a surprise new Smiley, and that overrides just about all other considerations.

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DGRachel
October, October | Katya Balen
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I‘ll do my official wrap up later, but I keep up with my #bookspin board all month. I bailed halfway through my bookspin, didn‘t get to the #doublespin, but still managed a #bookspinbingo by 7:30 last night.

SilversReviews Love the ghosts!! 7d
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 6d
26 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
Curses Are for Cads | Tamara Berry
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Pickpick

Delightful. It was a happy accident that brought me to this series and each installment has been great fun. I love murder mysteries where everyone is trapped on a remote island. Throw in a missing, cursed treasure, two fake (?) mediums, and precocious 8-year old twin boys, and you have a recipe for a fun cozy-ish mystery.

thegirlwiththelibrarybag Ooh - I quite enjoy fake psychics (I love the show Psych) this sound fun! 7d
DGRachel @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I am enjoying the series and am sorry there are only 4 books. I have one left. 😭 Definitely start with the first - 7d
thegirlwiththelibrarybag Thanks - I‘ll see if I can track it down 6d
40 likes3 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

After reading Karla‘s Choice, I had to go back to the original Smiley stories, starting with this first one. It‘s definitely more murder mystery than espionage story, but it introduces a character who will become significant in later Smiley books (and I‘d totally forgotten about that!). This is at least my 3rd time reading this one. It‘s safe to say I love it still.

Ruthiella Beautiful edition! 1w
Kimzey Great endorsement! Stacked! 1w
55 likes1 stack add2 comments
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DGRachel
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Not sure why this list felt so hard to put together, but it‘s done. I may start A Pirate‘s Life for Tea before the end of the month. If so, I‘ll swap it out for Curses are for Cads. I just can‘t decide which of them I want to read first. #bookspin
(EDITED TO MOVE REDNECKS TO THE PRB CHALLENGE CATEGORY AND REPLACE ITS SPACE WITH LORE OLYMPUS VOL 7)

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1w
38 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

Was I nervous about anyone, even Le Carre‘s son, taking on my favorite fictional spy? Yes. I needn‘t have been. Harkaway captures the heart of the original, while still keeping his own style and cadence. I loved being in his version of the Circus, revisiting old friends, and getting a new, deeper backstory to the cold war that exists specifically between Smiley and Karla.

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DGRachel
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I kind of love when ebook preorders drop a little early. I should go to sleep, but…Smiley and Karla?!? How am I supposed to resist that?

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DGRachel
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Panpan

I cannot fully express how much I detested this book. Everything about it was ridiculous, from the structure to the conclusion. The constant breaking of the fourth wall wasn‘t clever. It was annoying. The audiobook narrator‘s voices for various characters, and her inability to keep them consistent, didn‘t help. This is apparently going to be a series. I will not be reading more.

Hooked_on_books Oof. I really wonder how bad books get to be series. That shouldn‘t happen. Cute cover, though. 2w
DGRachel @Hooked_on_books It is a cute cover and the overall ratings aren‘t bad. It just didn‘t work for me (and I thought it was dreadful 🤷🏻‍♀️) 2w
47 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
This Is Why We Lied | Karin Slaughter
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Pickpick

As usual, I devoured this book. It‘s a heartbreaking read. Slaughter is a gifted thriller writer and this latest installment in the Will Trent series is just as compulsively readable, horrifying, and gut-wrenching as the others. Faith‘s description of the case is perfect, but potentially spoiler-y, so I‘ll put it in the comments under a spoiler tag.

DGRachel “Faith started grinning. ‘How did I get an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery with a VC Andrews twist?‘” 3w
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3w
48 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
The Pengrooms | Paul Castle
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I bought these exclusively for the artwork. The illustrations are gorgeous. There‘s a weird gap in the story that makes it feel like a bit of text is missing and I kind of wonder if I got a dud copy since the title is different (I ordered direct from the author). I‘m not sure if a small child would notice, though.

DGRachel Also, the second book, The Secret Ingredient, isn‘t in the Litsy database, and the story is almost a duplicate of The Pengrooms/Pringle & Finn, except the first book has wedding cakes and the second features birthday cakes. That bugs me a bit, but again I bought them for the illustrations which I LOVE. 3w
rwmg Have you seen the author/illustrator's social media presence with his sighted husband? 3w
DGRachel @rwmg Yes. I follow them in Instagram which is how I discovered the books. 😊 3w
43 likes3 comments
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DGRachel
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Panpan

Maybe it's my mood, or maybe it's the audiobook format on this one, but I just found the whole thing to be a tedious advertisement for Adam's TV show, Kindred Spirits. I didn't find anything to be particularly deep, transformative, or comforting. (October selection for The Morbidly Curious Bookclub)

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DGRachel
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I‘m giving this one a pick with serious reservations. The mystery itself, finding an unknown object in an unknown oak tree, was fun. The desecration of Native American burial grounds? Not so much. I‘m also pretty anti-angst in most of what I read, so the jealousy subplot was annoying and the damage to old oak trees was heartbreaking to read. I also think we should add at least a 1/2 count to #NNK thanks to the goat. 😂 #nancydrewbr

Librarybelle I think we should add 1/2 too! 4w
30 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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Not thrilled with the Native American plot line, but trying my best to remember the time period in which these were written. I like Clem already, though.

Librarybelle Yes…agreed! 4w
Ruthiella I noticed that too. 4w
34 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
The Night Raven | Johan Rundberg
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A soft pick - I think I got this translated middle grade historical mystery as a Kindle freebie. I don‘t know how popular the series is in Sweden, but I think something gets lost in translation. The pacing is off and the prose is choppy. The ending is so abrupt. However, I liked the main characters and the setting. The main mystery leads to the discovery of other secrets that I‘m sure will be explored in future books.

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DGRachel
Fall of Ruin and Wrath | Jennifer L. Armentrout
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Mehso-so

I found the fantasy mythology interesting, but the more I think about it, the flatter the characters seem to be. There‘s so much filler leading to the big reveal & cliffhanger, that you lose motivation for many of the characters‘ actions. It‘s clearly set up for at least a duology, I can‘t find any information about book two. It‘s a pleasant enough read, but I don‘t care enough about the story to continue on with the series, if it gets completed

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DGRachel
Pumpkinheads | Rainbow Rowell
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I have read this every October since 2019. It‘s sweet and fun and I just love Deja and Josie. It‘s a graphic novel that just feels like Autumn. You can practically smell the pumpkin patch and the fair foods. Mmm. Now I want s‘mores and kettle corn.

LiteraryinPA I feel the same way! 1mo
58 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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One of my core beliefs growing up was that the US was good. This book puts the final nail in the coffin of my decaying faith in this country. US foreign policy is a monstrous beast. The number of genocides we have encouraged, funded, and instigated, is mind-boggling. This book is thoroughly and thoughtfully researched and the audiobook narration is clear and well done. I knew I‘d be angry when I finished. I am also heartbroken and horrified.

42 likes1 stack add
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DGRachel
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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I‘m still working on my two bingo board graphics, but here are my official titles and unofficial/spooky season #bookspin and #doublespin titles. There‘s no way I‘ll finish my October TBR, let alone get to extra bookspin board numbers, but it‘s still shaping up to be a fun month of reading.

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 1mo
36 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
October, October | Katya Balen
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I am too impatient to wait for the #bookspin numbers to create my October TBR. This is mostly library books and buddy/bookclub reads, with space holders for #bookspin and #doublespin. I have my official list and I couldn‘t help myself - I created a second list of just spooky season reads and will have unofficial bookspin and doublespin books, too.
EDIT: updated with bookspin/doublespin selections

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DGRachel
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Thanks to super short reads for #bannedbooksweek, I finished 17 books this month. The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy was my favorite. I‘m saving my official October TBR for after the #bookspin numbers come out, because right now my list of books for October has 50 books on it. There‘s no way I can read them all. 😂😂

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DGRachel
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Random pick from Libby, which turned out to be interesting. Having grown up in Florida, I found the insights into alligator poaching, the people who participate in it, and how law enforcement tries to stop it. The narrator was good, too.

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DGRachel
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I can‘t believe it almost October already. That just feels insane to me. My #bookspin list is mostly library books I‘ve checked out and NetGalley titles. I have a second, seasonal TBR also going. I‘m not sure I have enough titles for their own book spin board, but I may make myself an unofficial second list. Why not? PRB seems to have stopped announcing the official challenge book, so I just listed the category and will pick my own book.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1mo
33 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
The Stonekeeper | Kazu Kibuishi
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I honestly have no idea how this book got on my radar. I don't love the illustrations, but they aren't bad. The story is a pretty fun fantasy - kind of Narnia-esque, I think, or maybe it's just a common fantasy trope. I enjoyed it and I imagine it would be lots of fun for the target audience. I probably won't go out of my way to read more of the series, but if it pops up on my Hoopla suggestions list and I have check outs left, I'll carry on.

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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This is clearly a meticulously researched novel. The history here is fascinating and I loved the insights into the minds of Kennedy and Khrushchev, and the behind the scenes diplomatic procedures. However, this was more like reading a textbook than a novel - dry and without emotion. As history, this is excellent. As a novel, I think it struggles. It lacked the sense of urgency I expected from a Cuban Missile Crisis narrative.

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DGRachel
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It‘s Banned Books Week! I nearly forgot about it and my reading schedule is packed right now with library books that have long hold lines so my checkout time can‘t be renewed, so I tossed together this TBR for the week of mostly short reads. All of these books are on the Top 100 Most Challenged books from 2010-2019 from ala.org.

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DGRachel
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Mehso-so

I continue reading this series for Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy. I want to see them together. I adore them. However, I like each book in the series less than the one before. There‘s too much angst in this one, the result of misunderstandings that could easily be cleared by open conversation, and too much repetition of suspicions. It‘s almost as over the top as old school Nancy Drew novels. So, I don‘t know if I‘ll continue the series.

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DGRachel
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Panpan

I loved the first book in the series and was disappointed by this second book. There‘s no sense of urgency, no heated banter, and goddess knows I hate anything that even hints of a love triangle. Hate. It. Plus, the general plot was completely ridiculous, even for a cozy-ish fantasy. I‘m not sure if I‘ll bother with the third book when it releases next year, although I‘d like to learn more of Rosie, so maybe.

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DGRachel
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I almost forgot about reading Nancy Drew this month! Lots of danger in this one, with several Noggin Knockouts, although this time it‘s not Nancy‘s noggin that takes a beating. 😂 The mysteries here were clever and I liked how they came together. This may be my favorite to date. Random thought: I don‘t remember the plots or titles of the ones I read as a kid, I remember this cover! #nancydrewbr

Librarybelle Hooray! This was a good one! 2mo
Ruthiella I also never remember the plots from the ones I read as a child but I do remember the covers! 2mo
48 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

The summary for this sounds terrible and cheesy. In reality, it‘s compelling and sweet. I didn‘t want to put it down. It‘s a little too high stakes to be cozy fantasy in my book, but it‘s also not high heat Romantasy. I think it has strong Practical Magic vibes.

BarkingMadRead Ohhhh I have this arc, I can‘t wait to read it! 2mo
45 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This is an interesting look at cannibalism throughout the natural world and different types of cannibalism. I appreciate that the author tried to stay away from sensationalism, particularly around human cannibalism and I now know way more about insect reproduction and reproductive organs than I ever wanted to know. The audiobook is well narrated, too. This is the September selection for the Morbidly Curious Bookclub and my #bookspin.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
52 likes1 stack add1 comment
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DGRachel
Book of the Month | Jennifer Probst
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Throughout this fake dating romance, Aspen notes that the novels that followed her breakout debut lacked emotional depth. They were more skilled, better written, but heartless. That‘s how this book feels - devoid of authentic emotion. From a technical standpoint, it meets the genre conventions, but there‘s some truly terrible dialog, whole paragraphs that made me cringe, and don‘t even get me started on the completely ridiculous character names.

44 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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ENEMIES TO LOVERS IS THE BEST ROMANCE TROPE. I will not accept arguments to the contrary. Megan Bannen does a wonderful job crafting the primary couple, their initial loathing of each other, and the intense chemistry leading to the inevitable conclusion. The secondary characters are absolutely delightful. The world building is haphazard and I felt lost for the first 50 pages and just finally decided to roll with the weird things.

DGRachel Also, this is my September #doublespin. @TheAromaofBooks 2mo
LeeRHarry I agree with that statement wholeheartedly ! 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
60 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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DGRachel
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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#bookspinbingo board all set for September! Cannibalism, the September selection for The Morbidly Curious Bookclub, is my #bookspin and The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is my #doublespin.

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Looks fantastic!!! 2mo
29 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

If you enjoy behind the scenes details on musical theater development, or if you enjoy Hadestown, this will probably be a good fit for you. I am obsessed with the musical, and listened to the original Broadway cast recording as I read. Listening to the finished version of a song and then reading details of how it changed from the original idea, through various workshops, collaborations, and venues was fascinating. 🖤

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DGRachel
August | Judith Rossner
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With literally a minute to spare before midnight, I finished While Idaho Slept, bringing my total books read to 14. The top row were my favorites, but I didn‘t hate anything I finished. Lots of new-to-me authors and new series, which is both good and bad. 😂 #augustwrapup #auguststats

DebinHawaii Nice job! Looks like a great reading month! 🎉 2mo
Texreader I did the same reading like crazy to get in that last book!! 2mo
38 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
Saltwater: A Novel | Katy Hays
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Out next year, I received a digital arc from the publisher via NetGalley. This is everything I dislike in a thriller - rich people behaving badly and not a single likable, sympathetic character (no one to root for). The worst part? I couldn‘t put it down. It‘s a well-written tabloid train wreck and I could not turn away from it. I needed answers and I had to see how the drama played out. Kudos to Hays for keeping me hooked!

DGRachel Also, this is my August #bookspin. I finally read one in the right month. 😂 @TheAromaofBooks 2mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! 2mo
ErikasMindfulShelf I have an arc of this as well. 2mo
48 likes4 comments
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DGRachel
Sweet September | Tricia Goyer
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The social media marketing boycott of St Martin‘s is officially over, which means I can finally read, review, and probably gush over books I‘ve been dying to read. So, I‘ve changed my September #bookspin list to accommodate a bunch of titles that have been sitting on my NetGalley shelf.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
37 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This is a post-apocalyptic, locked room mystery. Its clever and the plot is unlike anything I can remember reading. It‘s well written, with complex characters and seamless world building. The audiobook narrator has a pleasant voice and does a decent job of differentiating between the characters. All in all, this was a good mystery and a pleasant read.

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DGRachel
Sweet September | Tricia Goyer
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I can‘t believe August is almost over and we‘ve had our first Faux Fall. I am looking forward to real Fall. My list is mostly genres as opposed to specific titles since I have a new class starting up and work gets crazy with the holidays. I don‘t want to feel locked in to specific books. We‘ll see how it goes. 🤷🏻‍♀️#bookspin

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
36 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

I enjoyed being back with the mystery-solving duo of Juliet Tilney and Jonathan Darcy. They're adorable, and I'm rooting for them to become more than just friends. As for the mystery in this book, there are plenty of suspects and red herrings. Gray has done justice to Austen in her exploration of the feelings and motivations of all involved. However, there's also a lot of repetition. I think a sharper editing pen would not have been amiss.

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DGRachel
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I used to think I didn‘t like Romantasy. Apparently, I just hadn‘t found the right book/author/series. I loved this conclusion to Oraya and Raihn‘s story. I found the character, romance, and story arcs believable (as much as fantasy can be believable). Just gorgeous.

5feet.of.fury Nice! I have the 1st book but have yet to start it 😭 maybe I should nudge it closer to the top of the TBR 3mo
54 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This was an interesting look at tree collectors (I didn't even know that was a thing) and trees, in general. I liked that Amy Stewart interviewed a diverse population of collectors, not just those in a single country. My only quibble is that some sections don't translate well to audio. The print version has gorgeous illustrations and the sections with information about different varieties of trees make more sense when you see the page layout.

53 likes2 stack adds
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DGRachel
Bear: A Novel | Julia Phillips
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Pickpick

Bookly says it took me just under 4 hours to read this. I want those 4 hours back. I want the sadness and misery of this book to be wiped from my memory. I don‘t even know how to rate it. I would never recommend it to another living souls, but it‘s well written. It does all the things a book is supposed to do, so I can‘t pan it. I just wish it hadn‘t done any of those things. #camplitsy24

squirrelbrain Oh dear, I‘m sorry it had such an effect on you. 😞 3mo
dabbe Wowza. 🩵😔🩵 3mo
rubyslippersreads I had a feeling from the excerpt posted here by other Littens that this would not be for me, so I‘m glad to have this warning. 3mo
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DGRachel @rubyslippersreads I just found it so depressing. I haven‘t been able to pick up anything else since I finished it. 😮‍💨 3mo
ChaoticMissAdventures Oh no! I am about 60 pages in and it does deal with many heavy topics, sorry it was so hard for you, I hope you can get into something lighter soon! 3mo
BarbaraBB I am sorry it was so hard for you. I hope you‘ll find some comforting and soothing read soon 💚🍀 3mo
Megabooks Wow. I‘m sorry it was such a hard read for you. I am really glad we have your insights at camp, though. 3mo
63 likes7 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

I can‘t resist an enemies to lovers trope, even in a fantasy novel. It‘s my favorite. I LOVED this book. I‘ve read some great books this year, but I can‘t remember the last one that I could not put down. I read over half of it after work tonight. It is well-written, a little spicy, action-packed, and compulsively readable. I just hate that book 2 is in KU. I will not give Bezos my book $, so I have to wait for my local indie to open tomorrow. 😭

50 likes2 stack adds
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DGRachel
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I really wanted to read this month‘s #shesaid selection via audiobook, but I cannot. The narrator is the same woman who narrated Butter and I‘d rather shove ice picks in my ears than listen to her. 😭😭 #camplitsy24 has traumatized me 🤣🤣

BarbaraBB Lol I am glad I read Butter in print! 3mo
Bookwormjillk 🤣🤣🤣glad I got it on kindle! 3mo
Megabooks lol! Glad I read both books in print!! 👍🏻🤣 3mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa 😂 yea, some narrators do not work for some people 3mo
kspenmoll I just got mine from the library. Thinking it will take me into Sept to read as I go back to work this coming Monday. 3mo
44 likes5 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

I found a lot of this tedious. I expected more Colin Dickey‘s Ghostland, and less cemetery guidebook. The history told here is by turns heartbreaking and rage-inducing - from the anonymity of “enslaved persons” cemeteries, and racial and economic discrimination, to the disrespect shown to the deceased and their living families in the name of capitalism. Yeah - a lot of rage. (August 2024 selection for The Morbidly Curious Bookclub)

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DGRachel
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Pickpick

Homing pigeons!
Kidnappers!
Car chases!
Nancy saves a child!
Nancy Noggin Knockout!
It‘s all in a day‘s work for our plucky heroine!

(Is anyone else concerned that Nancy collects “mementos” like a serial killer? j/k I am, however, concerned about her having CTE by the time she turns 30!)

#nancydrewbr

Librarybelle I‘m currently reading this, and it‘s intense! (edited) 3mo
DGRachel @Librarybelle It‘s a wild ride, for sure! 3mo
Read4life I was reading earlier and yelled “Nancy‘s Noggin! Concussion protocol!!” 😂 My family looked over and went back to what they were doing. I guess nothing I say while reading surprises them anymore. 😂 3mo
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DGRachel @Read4life 🤣🤣🤣 3mo
dabbe Now THAT'S the hashtag for the #NancyDrewBR: #nancynogginknockout 😂😂😂 3mo
Bookwormjillk @Read4life 😂😂😂 3mo
DGRachel @dabbe All credit to @DebinHawaii for that one, if memory serves. #NNK 3mo
DebinHawaii Yep we are at 4/10 now on the #NNK counter for potential concussions! 🤕 I remain worried! And yes, I totally keep thinking of her crime “mementos” & that worries me too! 😱😂 (edited) 3mo
43 likes8 comments