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Hooked_on_books
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Literally on page 2. In case anyone was unclear about Trump being an autocrat, here you go. I have the feeling I‘ll be able to quote the hell out of this book (we‘ll see if I end up doing that or not).

JenniferEgnor I just finished this one today. Scary stuff. 2h
Leftcoastzen 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 2h
18 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
Liquid Snakes: A Novel | Stephen Kearse
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Mehso-so

The description of this book makes it sound amazing, but the way it‘s structured makes it rather confusing and quite hard to follow. I loved the idea of it and there were aspects I liked, but unfortunately it was a bit of a struggle. #Roll100 (February)

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 4h
35 likes1 comment
review
Hooked_on_books
Nightbitch | RACHEL. YODER
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Pickpick

I had skipped this one originally but decided to give it a go after hearing someone rave about it on a podcast. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I did find it a little repetitive in places and feel like the ending was a bit weak. This is the type of book that should slap you across the face at the end and it just didn‘t do that. A low pick for me.

BarbaraBB Yes I remember feeling that way too 16h
5feet.of.fury I liked this too, and the adaptation 9h
50 likes2 comments
blurb
Hooked_on_books
Bookshelves and Books | Alfred H. Wall
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I‘m making progress getting my new library put together! Along the top of the shelves are my #Roll100 books. Plus I have a decent sized built in around the corner. I‘m liking how it‘s looking!

TheBookHippie It‘s all so cozy. 18h
Ruthiella Looks fantastic! 🤩 18h
GingerAntics It looks wonderful! 17h
See All 10 Comments
squirrelbrain Amazing! ❤️ 16h
BarbaraBB Wow 🤩 16h
Leftcoastzen Looks great 15h
tpixie Beautiful!!! 📚📚📚📚 14h
TrishB Looks great! 11h
AmyG Awesome!!, 11h
Librarybelle Lovely! 11h
49 likes10 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

The subtitle and even the description of this one are misleading. I was expecting an exploration of the genders from someone who has experienced living outwardly as both, but this is really more of a straightforward memoir. It‘s lovely for what it is and Boylan comes across as sweet and charming. It‘s good to have trans stories out there, now more than ever.

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1d
52 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
Hooked_on_books
Gliff: A Novel | Ali Smith
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Bailedbailed

This might be a wonderful book, but the audio is crap. The reader uses a monotone which doesn‘t even vary for characters speaking. I made it just over halfway through before I‘d had enough.

blurb
Hooked_on_books
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Hopefully I‘ll start being able to add my books into my new library on Sunday, but in the meantime, here‘s my fabulous new reading chair! It‘s so cozy, I may never leave!

Librarybelle That looks awesome! 2d
mcipher It‘s like a BED! I love it, so jealous! 🤩 2d
Deblovestoread 😍😍😍 2d
See All 20 Comments
TheBookHippie I wouldn‘t leave. ♥️ 2d
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 2d
Bookzombie I would just hibernate with all my favorite things in that chair. 🙂 (edited) 2d
GingerAntics I genuinely do not see any reason to ever leave that chair! 2d
mom2bugnbee I thought it was a bed! So lovely! 2d
thecheckoutstack Very very cozy 😍 2d
BookmarkTavern Oh nice! 🤩🤩🤩 2d
Jess861 Jealous - although I'd probably never leave this spot if I had one like it. 2d
Ruthiella Amazing 🤩 2d
squirrelbrain Lovely! And room for Bindi too…. 😊 2d
BarbaraBB That‘s a reading bed instead of a chair 😍 looks incredible cozy. Will your books be here too? 2d
LeahBergen Wow! 👏 2d
TrishB Gorgeous ❤️ 2d
Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB Technically it‘s a chaise lounge. My books should be unloaded from our shipping container today, then I have the task of shelving them all! 1d
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain And perhaps another dog? After the dust settles, we‘ll be looking for a companion pup for her (and us!). 1d
squirrelbrain Oh, how exciting! ❤️ 1d
BarbaraBB That‘s the best of tasks 😍 24h
50 likes20 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This was one of the books from the #WPNF25 list I was most excited for and it did not disappoint. It‘s a banger of a book, detailing the life of Polish resistance fighter Elzbieta Zawacka in WWII and beyond. She was a remarkable woman. If you love historical fiction but are wary of NF, give this one a try.

squirrelbrain Great review! This is one I still need to get to…. 3d
44 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
Hooked_on_books
Mask of the Deer Woman | Laurie L. Dove
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Pickpick

This book explores the too common phenomenon of indigenous women going missing from their communities. And it has at its core a struggling, alcoholic indigenous marshal trying to find one of them. There were moments I zoned out a little and I was bothered how reckless the main character was, but I fundamentally liked this. A low pick for me.

47 likes3 stack adds
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This book looks at the incarceration of Japanese-Americans during WWII from the focus of a group of boys/young men who played football in one of the camps. It does a great job of showing the situation Japanese-American citizens were in but the football parts are a bit dull (and I like the game), so I‘m glad there was actually less of that than I was expecting.

blurb
Hooked_on_books
Beach Books Inc. | Seaside, Oregon (Bookstore)
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I am back in Oregon and after getting groceries, I snuck over to my old haunt, Beach Books! (Don‘t tell my husband. 😉) It just so happens they had the recently #WPF25 longlisted book The Persians, and in their ARCs for those who bought books, was another from the longlist, Nesting! I‘ve already read 3 from the list, so I‘m off to a good start!

Prairiegirl_reading I‘m so curious about Crush! 5d
Soubhiville Yay! Welcome home! How did Bindi do on the trip? 5d
Leftcoastzen Nice ! 5d
See All 12 Comments
Deblovestoread Welcome back to the PNW. I just started Nesting today on audio. Great so far. 5d
AmyG 🙌🏻 5d
mcipher I love that bookstore! I‘m in Astoria 👋 5d
Hooked_on_books @Soubhiville She was a champion! She was overwhelmed, of course, but has done so well. I even learned she‘s a good elevator rider (Greta and Gunther were not). I‘m so proud of her. Hopefully she‘ll get used to the new digs quickly. 5d
Hooked_on_books @mcipher Hello from Cannon Beach! After the dust settles for me, and if you‘re interested, we could do a little north coast book club! 5d
kspenmoll Sounds like a wonderful time! 5d
mcipher @Hooked_on_books That would be so fun! 5d
squirrelbrain Congratulations on the move! And yay for books! I‘m glad Bindi did so well. ❤️ 5d
sarahbarnes Wow what good finds! 4d
60 likes12 comments
blurb
Hooked_on_books
March | Geraldine Brooks
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Here are my picks for March #ReadYourEbooks. Hopefully I do better this month than I had been. I have a goal to read one Percival Everett book each month this year, so I‘m happy to see Telephone pop up to fulfill that goal. @CBee

CBee I really liked Telephone! 6d
40 likes1 comment
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I am happy to report I really liked this! It is written as though a memoir by mega-successful author Cate Kay, who has previously remained a mysterious figure known to almost no one. It focuses on the relationships she has with the women in her life, whether friendship or loves. I really like how it all came together at the end.

49 likes1 stack add
blurb
Hooked_on_books
Roll the Dice | Wayne Avrashow
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Here are my March #Roll100 picks! Everything is packed up for my move, so after I get to the other end and my boxes meet me, I‘ll dig through and find these. I only managed to read one for February (and it was a bail), but I still have the others pulled aside. I got distracted by the #WPNF25 list. 🤭

PuddleJumper ❤️❤️ 1w
36 likes1 comment
review
Hooked_on_books
The Hotel Tito: A Novel | Ivana Bodrozic
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Bailedbailed

I think the point of this book is to reveal the realities of war through the eyes of a child while showing the mundane aspects of life marching on regardless. But it has a child narrator, which is not my jam, and it‘s choppy. I‘m finding that I‘m bored and don‘t care. #Roll100

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 1w
44 likes1 comment
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I‘ve read Scales before and liked her, so I was happy to see this in the #WPNF25 list. It shows the havoc we have and continue to wreak upon the oceans, but also gives a little hope for some of the things we‘re doing that‘s helping to slow and fix the damage. Excellent read.

squirrelbrain I‘m finding this really interesting! 1w
47 likes1 comment
blurb
Hooked_on_books
March | Geraldine Brooks
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I‘ve been focusing a lot on my physical books lately and neglecting my ebooks a bit, so I‘m glad I managed to read one of my #ReadYourEbooks in March. I don‘t see myself sneaking another in before the numbers are drawn, so here‘s my list!

43 likes1 stack add
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Hooked_on_books
Good Dirt | Charmaine Wilkerson
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Pickpick

It took me a little bit to settle into this, which very much could have been me and not the book, but once I did, I really liked it. Then main focus is on Ebony in 2019, but we get to know her family and a very special family heirloom. So many black American families don‘t know their history, and I felt like this helped seize history back. And the reader is very good, but I‘m perplexed by the choice to have a white woman read this.

squirrelbrain I preferred this one to Black Cake. 1w
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain That‘s always a good sign for a writer‘s trajectory. I read BC, but don‘t remember enough about it to compare them. 1w
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Ronson looks at the phenomenon of internet shaming both in those who did some public misdeed as well as others who made dumb, insensitive jokes, and how that shaming has reverberated in the lives of the shamees. It‘s an interesting read and makes me glad I don‘t use social media outside Litsy. (It looks at events in 2012 and remains very relevant.) #ReadYourEbooks

Bookwormjillk I loved this book 1w
Anna40 Social media is scary 1w
49 likes4 stack adds2 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

As you can imagine, this one is a tough read. But it‘s well done and vital. In particular, Bates discusses how not only are the attitudes of men‘s rights activists and increls not going away, they‘re spreading and creeping into other lines of discourse in the absence of counter programming, so ignoring them is not the answer.

JenniferEgnor I just read Elle Reeve‘s ‘Blackpilled‘…hard to stomach, it discusses the origins of the incel movement. 3h
Hooked_on_books @JenniferEgnor Yes, that one is really well done. I worried when I read it that Reeve allowed for too much empathy for those involved and, while we should empathize with their emotional struggle, we should not empathize with their hate. 3h
JenniferEgnor @Hooked_on_books 💯. Hate is a choice and they know what they‘re doing. No empathy for fascists. 3h
49 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This story collection slaps you across the face and doesn‘t apologize for it. It deeply explores what it is to be a woman and contains all the content warnings. I thought it was very good.

53 likes3 stack adds
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I was a few books into this series before I realized there was a prequel, so now that I‘ve finished what‘s been published, I circled back to it. This is good entry point to meeting all the characters, and nice to see Molly and Emma meeting Pat for the first time. These are fun mysteries that get living in Hawaii right.

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 2w
55 likes1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Everett infuses this book with his signature humor and habit of working on many levels while exploring the life of young Not Sidney Poitier. I see in this book glimmers of Erasure, The Trees, and James and, as usual with him, I really enjoyed it.

BarbaraBB Another favorite? 2w
Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB Not sure I would call it a favorite, but I liked it a lot. 2w
Amiable I literally have this one sitting on my stairs waiting for me! (edited) 2w
BarbaraBB It‘s one I still need to read and that meant his breakthrough if I remember correctly. Glad you enjoyed it. 2w
52 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Hooked_on_books
Stone Yard Devotional | CHARLOTTE. WOOD
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Pickpick

This meditative book turned out to be the perfect fiction companion for the NF Raising Hare. Both are quiet and contemplative with a focus on life‘s true priorities and nature. I enjoyed this.

BarbaraBB Loved this one. 2w
squirrelbrain Loved this book, so I‘m looking forward to Raising Hare even more now! 2w
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain I thought of you when posting this, remembering how much you loved this book. I think you‘re really going to love RH. 2w
49 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

In this wholly absorbing book, astrobiologist Cabrol looks at the possibility of life in the universe outside of earth and in fact that near probability of it. It is so fascinating and mind-boggling that I immediately started it over and listened again when I finished. I‘m sure I could read it several times and pick up new stuff. It‘s definitely science heavy and packed with info. Not for everyone but brilliant for me.

kspenmoll I t would probably boggle my brain but i am glad there are people like you who can absorb this scientific info & share! Just knowing the knowledge is out there makes me feel good. (edited) 2w
Suet624 Stacked! 2w
55 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Bailedbailed

From my perspective, Neneh Cherry is a one-hit wonder and I wasn‘t terribly interested in her story. But I tried since this book is part of #WPNF25, and I‘m afraid this just isn‘t for me. I made it about halfway through and it‘s just not holding my interest. I don‘t know why it was included on the longlist.

squirrelbrain Oh no! I loved this - I thought she‘d had such a fascinating, unusual life. 2w
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain I think part of the issue is she spent a ton of time on her childhood and I‘m just not interested in childhood memoir. There are so many universals to the childhood experience that I‘m just bored by the recounting of it. So that made me tune out and I couldn‘t get back into it. 2w
fredthemoose I‘m struggling a bit with this now. It‘s fine, but I have no problem turning it off and picking up something else. It is heavy on the childhood background… 1w
Hooked_on_books @fredthemoose Glad it‘s not just me! 1w
49 likes4 comments
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Hooked_on_books
Raising Hare: A Memoir | Chloe Dalton
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Pickpick

This is the most marvelous book! Dalton details the relationship she developed with a tiny baby hare (leveret) during COVID lockdown and how things moved forward from there. If you have even a speck of tenderness for animals, I‘m pretty sure you‘ll love this as much as I did. #WPNF25

Leftcoastzen Sounds interesting. 2w
Soubhiville I‘m sure I‘d love it. 😊 2w
Hooked_on_books @Soubhiville I think you will! I can‘t wait to share it with my mom. 2w
squirrelbrain Looking forward to this! I should get to it before the shortlist as it‘s due to me on 16th March. 🤞 2w
AnneCecilie I loved this one too 2w
64 likes6 stack adds5 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I had heard good things about this writing craft book so nabbed this when it popped up on skip the line loans. Turns out it was abridged, but I listened anyway and it is quite good. I‘d like to read the whole thing someday.

Suet624 It‘s a fabulous book. 2w
57 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
Short War | Lily Meyer
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Bailedbailed

Other Littens are loving this #TOBlonglist book, but it just isn‘t working for me. I don‘t like the writing. And even after setting it aside for a week and picking it back up, still no go.

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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Having spent 20 years in medicine, this isn‘t something I would usually read, but it‘s beautifully done. It‘s the story of 2 kids, one in desperate need of a heart transplant to survive and the other in a horrible car wreck. It‘s handled with gentleness, care, and grace, showing every step of the transplant process through their stories and enriched by some historical narrative. Superb. #WPNF25

Leniverse I'm a bit scared to read this one, I have to say. 2w
TheKidUpstairs Great review! 2w
ShelleyBooksie Doggo ♡♡♡ 2w
squirrelbrain I‘ve read extracts of this when it was serialised in a UK newspaper and it seems SO good. 2w
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain It‘s so well crafted. It‘s really a beautiful book. 2w
60 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I just happened to be reading this when the #WPNF25 longlist came out and there it was! I can see why. The book delves into the lives of 4 women in modern China, giving a peek into the realities of life in China. I found it fascinating.

TheBookHippie Oh I wondered about this! Guess I‘ll pick it up! 2w
Hooked_on_books @TheBookHippie You won‘t be sorry! 2w
TheKidUpstairs I've got this out from the library, too. It'll probably be next after Story of a Heart 2w
squirrelbrain I just started this one…. 2w
youneverarrived Looking forward to this! (edited) 2w
56 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Early reviews of this book were not great and I was NOT going to read it. Then #TOB25 had to go and put it in the tournament so I begrudgingly put it on hold, figuring I might still skip it. I took a little bit to settle into it (not sure I would have made it through in print with my bad attitude) and…I really liked it. Sure showed me!

Soubhiville Haha, sometimes we‘re pushed to do things that end up being for our own good. Lol. I‘m glad you ended up liking it. 2w
Ruthiella That‘s the beauty of following the ToB! The unexpected surprises. 😅 2w
squirrelbrain Hooray! Glad you liked it in the end! 2w
BarbaraBB That is so cool! I still haven‘t had the courage to pick it up! 2w
63 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

This book tells the story of how white Americans drove the buffalo to the brink of extinction then a few individuals helped save enough animals to allow the species to survive. It‘s well done with interviews from many sources, including Native voices. It has many illustrations, which I appreciated. Apparently there‘s an associated documentary if you want to check that out.

Soubhiville I saw this author speak at Texas Book Fest a couple years ago and I was touched. He got very emotional about his topic. I haven‘t read this yet but definitely would like to at some point. 3w
Hooked_on_books @Soubhiville That emotion and passion comes through in the book, so I‘m not surprised. I think that makes for the very best kinds of narratives. It adds a layer beyond just facts. And the people quoted in the book have a lot of passion, too, which I love. 3w
65 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Ethan and Sutton don‘t have the perfect marriage. They‘ve each kept secrets, then a tragedy drives a deeper wedge. Then one morning Ethan awakes and Sutton is gone. Thus starts the twisty novel where we eventually get multiple perspectives. I really enjoyed this.

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3w
57 likes1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Nagle looks at a modern day jurisdictional debate as well as the history of US government behavior regarding native peoples in this book. While I liked all the parts of it, it didn‘t entirely work for me as a whole. The current story is regarding the Muskogee reservation but much of the past history was about her own Cherokee family. I found that split a little confusing and would have liked to see one or the other as the focus. #WPNF25

squirrelbrain Great review! I‘ve just started this on audio. 3w
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain I‘m so curious to hear what you think of it. There were big chunks of things I already knew, and I wonder if maybe that helped fuel my reaction. 3w
squirrelbrain I‘m not sure if it‘s going to hold my attention on audio, particularly when I‘m driving. I think I‘ll stick with Neneh Cherry on tomorrow‘s commute ‘cos I‘m loving that. 3w
61 likes3 comments
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Hooked_on_books
Housekeeping: A Novel | Marilynne Robinson
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Bailedbailed

There are people who love Marilynne Robinson. I am not one of them. This is my third attempt to read her (the other 2 were NF) and she just is not for me. I don‘t care for her writing and after 26 pages have no interest in continuing.

Ruthiella I finished it, but I‘m with you. I just don‘t jive with her style. 3w
Graywacke I‘ve meant to read this for years. Bummer. But I‘ll still try it. 3w
BarbaraBB I hated this one. But I did like Home and 3w
See All 9 Comments
Deblovestoread I, too, hated this one. Loved Home. Haven't tried her NF. 3w
Eva_B This was one of my favourite books when I read it years ago. It really resonated with me back then when I was much younger. It encouraged me to live life a little differently. Not follow the crowd and to be my own person. Life is far more interesting that way 😊 3w
youneverarrived I bailed too. Not for me either. 3w
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3w
Hooked_on_books @Eva_B That‘s wonderful! I love it when a book does that. I know her books have meant a lot to many people, which is great. 3w
Eva_B @Hooked_on_books I love hearing other people‘s thoughts on books. We‘re all different and that too makes life interesting and fun 😊 3w
60 likes1 stack add9 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Poor Nate and wealthy Natalie, together since middle school, are nearing college graduation. They go to Hawaii for Christmas break with friends and we are some spectacularly bad behavior. Nate‘s passive but a decent guy, but a couple of the characters are so toxic. I liked the idea and bits are funny, but I wished the author had pushed a little more. Low pick.

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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Kerry‘s made a mess of things, so when a caretaker position at in inn in the mountains crops up, she jumps at the chance to go there and finish her overdue book. A storm hits soon after she arrives and in the isolation, cold, and lack of power, she stumbles on a body. This was an entertaining thriller though Kerry didn‘t always quite ring true.

54 likes1 stack add
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I‘ve always admired Merkel and now I do even more. We don‘t see eye to eye on some policy, but her level-headed approach, respect for those with other views, and willingness to change when the circumstances show she should are ideal in a leader. Plus, she‘s had a very interesting life. This is long but well worth it (and only a little dry in some spots about generating policy, which is inevitable).

ChaoticMissAdventures I got this from the library and was surprised at how long it is. Going to start it this weekend! 3w
53 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
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Mehso-so

One day, without warning, multiple teen girls at a well-regarded school in Kuala Lumpur start to scream. This mass hysteria event allows us to get to know 2 girls at the school. I liked the idea and think this deals gently with themes of trauma, but overall it was just ok. And the ending, which had some good aspects, is a bit of a dud.

squirrelbrain Bindi‘s not keen either…. Big sigh! ❤️ 3w
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain Yes, and she‘s had a rough couple of weeks. We are moving back to the mainland in a couple weeks and have been packing up our stuff and loading our shipping container. It‘s been really stressful for her, poor baby. 3w
squirrelbrain Oh, poor Bindi! I saw you mention on another WP post that you‘d been really busy and wondered if you‘d been packing up. Hopefully it‘s exciting as well as hard work / stressful! 3w
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain You know, I‘ve moved SO many times in my life that usually moving isn‘t a big deal to me. But there‘s so much more riding on this move that it‘s the most stressful one I‘ve ever done. So, while I‘m happy about it, I won‘t truly be able to feel the excitement until it‘s all complete and everything is signed and done. Then my stress will calm down. 3w
squirrelbrain If you get two minutes, drop me a quick email with all your news - I‘m excited to find out what‘s happening! 😘 3w
47 likes5 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Mehso-so

The upside/downside of an organization like the NYT highlighting the best books of the year is that it brings those books to wider attention, but seriously increases expectations. I thought this memoir of transitioning late in life would blow my socks off and it just didn‘t. I‘m so glad it exists and hope to see more trans stories being told, but it just didn‘t meet my expectations.

54 likes1 stack add
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Diane Boyd has been researching wolves since the 1970s and shares some of her experiences here. It‘s largely stories, many of which are quite funny, of her time working with wolves rather than a more traditional memoir. I loved it!

54 likes2 stack adds
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I love Mary Roach, and this book is no exception. Ostensibly about space, it‘s really about human physiology and how it is impacted by being in zero gravity, all packaged with her signature wit. I loved it!

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Can't go wrong with a Mary Roach book. 4w
dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 4w
Leftcoastzen 👏🐶 4w
59 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Hooked_on_books
How We Named the Stars | Andrs N. Ordorica
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Mehso-so

I‘m afraid this #TOBlonglist book just didn‘t work for me. It should be so affecting, dealing with queer coming of age, first love, and grief. But it fell flat for me with a very sappy ending. I have to agree with @BarbaraBB that it felt very YA, not in a good way. Plus, I hate the cover, which reminds me of bad wallpaper.

BarbaraBB Yes and it has nothing to do with the story. 4w
54 likes1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Madness looks at the disparities of mental health care for black vs white people, focusing particularly on a Maryland asylum. It relies on individual accounts, fleshed out with stories gleaned from other sources. I have some quibbles, but overall it‘s a really powerful book highlighting a devastating inequality.

LoverOfLearning A power read! Finished it a week ago! 3w
57 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
The Lost House: A Novel | Melissa Larsen
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Pickpick

Agnes travels to Iceland to participate in a podcast about a famous historical murder there, of her grandmother and aunt. Her grandfather is believed by many to be the killer, but for her that doesn‘t fit the man she knows. This is definitely a slower burning thriller, more of the psychological variety. I enjoyed it but I think it‘s ultimately forgettable.

57 likes1 stack add
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Hooked_on_books
Homeseeking | Karissa Chen
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Pickpick

Haiwen and Suchi meet as children in Shanghai and we see their lives going forward, though Haiwen‘s story is told in reverse. Their lives allow us to see the backdrop of life during Japanese occupation as well as the politics of Hong Kong and Taiwan. I enjoyed this.

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Hooked_on_books
Blood Test: A Comedy | Charles Baxter
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Panpan

When the #TOBlonglist came out, this one looked right up my alley. A man gets a new blood test that tells him he has a tendency for criminality and will kill someone, but it‘s funny. Problem is, it‘s not so funny (but thinks it is), then takes a wild turn away from the premise halfway through and doesn‘t hold together. I wish I had bailed.

ChaoticMissAdventures That is a bummer. Many of the books on the list this year seem to be wild misses for a lot of people. 1mo
squirrelbrain Glad I didn‘t get this one then! 1mo
56 likes2 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

In his latest, Hendrix travels back to 1970 to a place where pregnant teen girls are stashed to have their babies (and have them taken away) so their families can pretend it isn‘t happening. I loved this book. Some of the body horror had me cringing away from the page. And this book is so female in the best way that I kept forgetting it was written by a man (other male authors should take note).

WildAlaskaBibliophile I'm looking forward to this one! 1mo
AmyG Loved this, too. 1mo
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Hooked_on_books
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I thought I posted this yesterday, but apparently not! 🤪 Once again in January, I didn‘t read any of the picked books. But later this month, I do expect to get to one or more of these as my physical book library is packed away.