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Jas16

Jas16

Joined April 2016

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A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle
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Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese
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Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid
review
Jas16
The Change: A Novel | Kirsten Miller
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Pickpick

Three menopausal women coming into powers that use to help solve crimes perpetrated against other women- this was the story of female anger I was looking for. Heavy handed at times but still just deliciously fun. Allso please meet Sergei. I am fostering him and his brother for a bit. Sergei is mostly ok with being a book model. His brother will have none of it.

Chelsea.Poole Good book and sweet model! 1w
AmyG What a sweet cat! I so enjoyed this book.it would make a wonderful movie. 1w
RaeLovesToRead Sergei the camera loves you 🥰 1w
See All 6 Comments
Jas16 @Chelsea.Poole @AmyG @RaeLovesToRead Sergei appreciates the kind words although he wishes I would read less and pet more 6d
Reggie What is the brother‘s name? 4d
Jas16 @Reggie Chopin. Their original owner was a big classical music fan. 3d
65 likes6 comments
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Jas16
When Women Were Dragons | Kelly Barnhill
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Mehso-so

This wasn‘t the book I wanted it to be. I wanted more about the anger that ignited women, driving them to become fire breathing creatures. What I got was a sad and confused young narrator and a story involving dragons that managed to be kind of boring and repetitive. I had really been looking forward to this one.
#14books14weeks. Book 7

Pruzy The title is fire though! 1w
49 likes1 comment
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Jas16
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When the local community center becomes in jeopardy of closing an eccentric cast of characters come together to help each other and to help save the place that is so vital to them and their neighborhood. Funny and light but this book still managed to rig on my heart strings. Clare Pooley is very adept at hitting that sweet spot.

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Jas16
Telephone | Percival Everett
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A father who loves his daughter more than anything and has to deal with his own helplessness in the face of that love looks towards the mystery of messages found in the pockets of items of clothing he recently purchased on line. Everett‘s books are all so different outside of all being well written and deeply smart. This book was all of that and also sharply moving with its main character who is lost and looking for something he can control.

ChaoticMissAdventures Which version do you have? I think everyone loves it no matter which one they got but I am always curious. 2w
Jas16 @ChaoticMissAdventures the ISBN ends in b on my edition. I still need to discover the other endings. 2w
See All 7 Comments
Amiable @Jas16 How did version B end? I read C and @BarbaraJean read A —you can fill in the missing gap! (With a spoiler tag, of course. 😀) 1w
BarbaraJean Yes, I'd love to hear what the ending was like in your version! 1w
Rissreadswithcats You have re peaked my interest in this. I‘d love to pick it for book club but only if I could make sure all the different endings were represented! Not an easy thing to do. I did think about trying to buy everyone a copy to make sure this was accomplished! 1w
Jas16 @BarbaraJean @Amiable My version ends with his attempting to halfheartedly mercy kill his daughter but being stopped by a nurse. He then goes back to rescue the women and is able to get them safely to Mexico. The last page is about him sitting with his daughter and still watching for a bear or a lion 1w
43 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Jas16
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I went into this book knowing very little about its plot. I am really happy about that because following where the pages took me and how they unfolded Vivek‘s story was such an emotional journey and I was better able to focus on each moment and revelation. Yes, this book was about Vivek‘s death but more importantly it was about the life and love surrounding that death. #14books14weeks book 5

lil1inblue I really liked this one! 😍 2w
Butterfinger I really liked this. The cousin's grief. I won't forget this one. 2w
ChaoticMissAdventures Loved this one. Their new in is on my list for this month, but nothing has beaten Vivik for me with their books. 2w
56 likes3 comments
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Jas16
Shiner | Amy Jo Burns
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15 year old Wren lives in the West Virginia mountains. She is cut off from the world by her snake handling preacher father. Her mother‘s true soul mate is her best friend who has pledged to always stay close and protect her. As a series of tragedies occur Wren starts to unravel all of the secrets of her family and emerge from her seclusion. I really liked this. Vivid characters and the story unwound in ways that surprised me. #14books14weeks book4

sarahbarnes 👏👏👏 2w
44 likes1 comment
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Jas16
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While I could‘ve done without the unrelenting pop culture references, this look at the current Supreme Court and their polarizing decisions made for a fascinating listen. I am not a regular listener of the Strict Scrutiny podcast but I will be now.

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Jas16
My Friends | Fredrik Backman
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Mehso-so

I wanted to love this as much as everyone else seems to but Backman is a bit hit or miss for me. While this contained lovely messages about friendship and art I could feel Backman pulling the strings trying to wrestle my emotions where he wanted them.

Deblovestoread This does not bode well for me. I‘ve only read one other Backman (Ove) and held the unpopular opinion. Put this in my BOTM box to take a second chance. I really detest feeling manipulated in my reading. 3w
Jas16 @Deblovestoread Ove was actually one that I liked so many our feelings about this one will differ too. Everyone else seems to love it so I hope you do too. 3w
40 likes2 comments
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Jas16
Artist and the Feast | Lucy Steeds
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Why didn‘t this book make the #wpf25 shortlist?!Joseph is a young journalist just starting out in the 1920s. He thinks that he has gotten the chance of a lifetime when his favorite, notoriously reclusive, artist invites him to stay. When Joseph arrives he learns the invitation actually came from his niece and she convinces her uncle to allow him to stay. All three are passionate about art but their time together will have lasting impact. So good!

squirrelbrain I loved this one! ❤️ 3w
45 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Jas16
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The story of two teens who find the friendship they desperately need in high school and how a dramatic occurrence and also the passing of time both changes that relationship and doesn‘t. Bunny and Michael were such well crafted characters that the plot seemed secondary to me. I just felt like I knew these kids and worried about them. #14books14weeks book 3

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Jas16
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Set in 1926 Australia, Tom and Isabel live on a remote island where he is the lighthouse keeper. Isabel has suffered multiple miscarriages when a boat arrives carrying a dead man and a living baby girl. When Tom goes to report the incident Isabel convinces him to say nothing so that they can raise the child as their own. I was so irritated with them both as I read this but couldn‘t deny that I was emotionally invested in seeing what was to come.

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Jas16
Can't Get Enough | Kennedy Ryan
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Hendrix is independent and driven. She is focused on her career and her mother whose Alzheimer‘s is progressing. Getting involved with Maverick could both impact her career and her independence but she might have finally found someone who is actually worth compromising for. As always I am thankful for Kennedy Ryan and the complex, amazing characters she creates and her stories that are full of emotion but still make me swoon.

jdiehr I'm excited for this one! 1mo
37 likes1 comment
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Jas16
Audition | Katie Kitamura
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Mehso-so

The first half really lulled me into thinking I would end up really liking this book and the second half had me mildly annoyed but still curious until the last 50 pages made me want to stomp my feet like a child I was so frustrated. Really looking forward to #camplitsy25 discussions,
Book 2 of #14books14weeks

AmyG Same. 1mo
ChaoticMissAdventures This is why I love these discussions. The first section had me bored, the second confused then the third fascinated 😂 1mo
squirrelbrain Hopefully the discussions will help all of us, Jas! 😝 @AmyG @ChaoticMissAdventures 1mo
See All 9 Comments
AmyG I look forward to THIS discussion. I have many opinions! 🤣 1mo
Suet624 I‘m starting this soon and I can‘t wait. I‘m so intrigued. 1mo
fredthemoose 💯 1mo
Reggie I did not care for Hana. Or see the purpose in her. I Tamas was gonna cheat I wanted it to be a stranger or a man. Just for shock value. His pandering to the kids kinda weirded me out. 1mo
Jas16 @Reggie I so agree with you. It would have been more interesting to me if it hadn‘t felt like it went so far off the rails with that but I also could be missing something. 1mo
Megabooks @Reggie honestly I felt like Hana in the second half and Anne in the first half were vehicles to introduce conflict between Xavier and the MC rather than fully developed characters. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤔 @Jas16 1mo
56 likes9 comments
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Jas16
A Man and His Cat 1 | Umi Sakurai
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I was across the country visiting family for a few days and when I returned I was exhausted but wanted to start on #14books14weeks so I picked this one off of my stack. I have never read manga before and heard such great things about this title. It was definitely cute but I won‘t be reading the rest of the series. Light pick.

Jas16 @bette My copy is a little battered but I would be happy to send it to you if you would like. 1mo
Bette You are so kind. Thank you for the offer but a friend gifted it to me. I completely agreed with your review: it was fine, but I won‘t be continuing the series. Thanks again. 😊 1mo
47 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Jas16
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I understand the disappointment some are expressing about this book. When you pick up a new Emily Henry you expect top tier romance and this is barely a romance at all. And the romance that is there- not even close to top tier. All the Taylor Jenkins Reid comparisons are justified too. However, I cannot deny that I enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

Suet624 I‘m glad you enjoyed it. I haven‘t read any of Henry‘s work and keep thinking I ought to try at least one of them. 1mo
ncsufoxes I just started this one. Abby Jimenez‘s new book was the same way. Still a good, sweet story but not as much romance or heat as her other stories. 1mo
Jas16 @Suet624 I like her but I also read a lot of romance which I don‘t believe is a genre you typically read. It would definitely give you a break between more depressing reads but I am not sure if you would be a fan. 1mo
See All 6 Comments
Jas16 @ncsufoxes Some other romance authors I like have started writing thrillers as well. I can understand wanting to try new things and looking for new audiences. I will be interested in what you think. 1mo
Suet624 I appreciate your thoughts. I do need some breaks in between some of the books I read. 1mo
ncsufoxes @Jas16 I‘m almost done & I totally get the comparison to Taylor Jenkins Reid. I also think the big difference is she usually does the perspective from the 2 main characters & this doesn‘t have it (Hayden vs Alice). 4w
53 likes6 comments
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Jas16
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Hai is floundering. At his lowest point he meets Grazina who is suffering from dementia and offers him a place to stay in exchange for caregiving and friendship. He gets a job at a food joint and finds coworkers who are all equally lost but see and support Hai with acceptance that he desperately needs. Found family and life on the fringes of the American dream combined with Vuong‘s poetic writing and characters who have earned a place in my heart.

42 likes2 stack adds
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Jas16
Small Boat | Vincent Delecroix
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A small, inflatable boat capsizes between France and England resulting in the deaths of 27 people. The French woman who took their distress calls is being interrogated after recordings of those conversations were found severely lacking. However she struggles with whether she is more to blame than anyone else for causing them to get in the boat in the first place., This is one of those books I will be thinking about for a really long time.

BarbaraBB Great review! 1mo
48 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Jas16
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I have gone back and forth about #14books14weeks both about participating and about what books to choose. I am trying to fit almost every mood, clear space on my shelves, get to books that have I have been wanting to read but just not picking up etc etc etc. Adding Camp Litsy titles both seemed smart but a little like cheating on those goals but this morning I decided to do it. I am posting this picture so that I cannot change my mind again.

squirrelbrain Definitely not cheating to include camp books…I did too! I loved Trespasses and Our Fathers. 1mo
BarbaraBB Our Fathers and Telephone were both so good! Great stack! 1mo
Ruthiella Not cheating! Great stack! 😃 1mo
See All 6 Comments
Lesliereadsalot You are so ready for camp! 1mo
Liz_M I definitely added challenge books to my stack. The Death of VO made me cry so hard. 1mo
Prairiegirl_reading Great stack! I love Richard Wagamese. I‘m really looking forward to camp! 🏕️ 1mo
51 likes6 comments
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Jas16
We Are the Brennans | Tracey Lange
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Pickpick

Sunday returns home after a car accident and has to face her family and the fiancé she left behind as well as all of the secrets they are keeping from each other. I love a messy family story and this one was easy to read during a hectic week. Did it change my life? No. In fact I doubt I will remember much about it in a few months but it was an enjoyable and quick read and just what I needed.

AmyG Same 1mo
Aims42 I call these reads “Potato Chip reads” lol They aren‘t meaty and ones that will stick with you, but they‘re good, satisfying and entertaining 😁🙌 1mo
Jas16 @Aims42 I love that! 1mo
51 likes3 comments
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Jas16
Night Swimmers | Roisin Maguire
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When COVID lockdown forces Evan to extend his coastal getaway it becomes the catalyst for him to stop drifting around mired in misery. He begins to relate to others, and starts to face the traumas that haunt him and look towards the future. His stay also impacts the town eccentric, Grace,who hates tourists but finds herself opening her life up to Evan. Grief, forgiveness, and hope run through this taut book. Touching without being sentimental.

charl08 I have this on the TBR, hope to pick up soon. 2mo
squirrelbrain Great review! I *nearly* bought this the other day - might have a look, see if I can get it on audio. 1mo
Jas16 @charl08 Looking forward to seeing what you think. 1mo
Jas16 @squirrelbrain I could write odes to all the books I nearly bought that linger in my mind. I think you would like this one though. 1mo
squirrelbrain 😜- I‘ll definitely look for this and give it a go! 1mo
42 likes5 comments
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Jas16
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Did I anticipate that in 2025 I would wait weeks for a hold on an audiobook about tuberculosis to come in from the library and, when it finally did, I would be so interested I would listen to it in record time? Not a chance but such is the power of John Green.

Chelsea.Poole I‘m listening to this now and I love it! John Green can do no wrong. Have you read his other NF? I always give out ratings in my mind for random objects thanks to it. 2mo
sarahbarnes Not something I would gravitate toward but your review has me intrigued! 2mo
Jas16 @Chelsea.Poole I have read and was surprised by how much I loved it although I probably shouldn‘t have been. It definitely convinced me to give whatever he writes a try. 2mo
Jas16 @sarahbarnes I can definitely understand why it wouldn‘t jump out to you as a must read based on title alone but it was the exact type of informative but engaging nonfiction that works for me. 2mo
sarahbarnes I put myself on a long hold list at the library for it! 😁 2mo
49 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Jas16
Good Girl: A Novel | Aria Aber
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Reviews had me prepared to dislike this #wpf25 title but instead I flirted with loving it. I couldn‘t fully commit because there was so much about her unhealthy relationship with Marlowe which didn‘t add much, just another story of an older male misusing a damaged girl. Nila‘s other relationships and what she hides from herself and others as she struggles with her identity are what made this book special. So many lines made me pause and reread.

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Jas16
Serena | Ron Rash
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Mehso-so

The 5th book I have read by Rash and my least favorite. A marriage of two horrible people intent on making great profit through logging and having no problem racking up a large body count in the process. When Serena realizes that she will never have a child she decides to have the one he fathered before meeting her killed. This could have been a more intense read but I felt removed from it all, never getting beneath the surface of the characters.

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Jas16
The Hounding: A Novel | Xenobe Purvis
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Five young, parentless girls living with their nearly blind grandfather make the townsfolk uneasy. They don‘t act the way girls should. Are they arrogant? Broken? In need of firmer parenting? Or are they touched by evil and capable of turning into dogs? Told through alternating perspectives of their neighbors, this book is weird and unsettling as every reader knows what happens when girls don‘t conform. Out 8/5

Reggie This sounds awesome! 2mo
44 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Jas16
Raising Hare: A Memoir | Chloe Dalton
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Pickpick

A nonfiction account of a woman who finds an injured leveret and manages to save it. She ensures it remains wild and does not become a pet but forges enough of a bond with it so that she is able to observe and examine it as it grows and also ruminate on its effect on her like. This book was a gift to read at a time when I seem unable to settle into most books.

37 likes1 stack add
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Jas16
Fundamentally: A Novel | Nussaibah Younis
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The humor didn‘t always work for me but as I reflected on it I had to admit that the darkly funny approach worked better than a more earnest one would have. My reaction to this book fluctuated throughout my reading of it but in the end it had a lot to say and did so in a pretty clever way. #wpf25

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Jas16
The Body in Question | Jill Ciment
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A slim novel that manages to pack a lot into its few pages. A woman is chosen to be part of jury that ends up sequestered due to the high profile of the case. The trial isn‘t the only drama unfolding. She is leaving her much older husband alone for the duration of the trial and ends up having an affair with one of the other jurors. A lot of ground is covered and while no easy resolutions are offered every aspect is given its due. Really well done

Ruthiella Stacking! Sounds interesting and I like short novels that pack a lot in like that. 2mo
46 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Jas16
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Twelve lesser known figures whose lives had great impact on American history, this was the perfect palate cleanser audiobook after some heavier listens. It held my attention, taught me things I didn‘t know, and reminded me that individual can make a difference, a timely reminder these days.

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Jas16
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When my father was dying a friar at work would check on me and tell me stories about when he was a hospital chaplain. I am not religious but those stories provided me much comfort. I thought of them as I read this. Clover is a death doula and ensures a positive end of life for her patients, whatever that looks like for them. Her own life could use help as she has cut herself off from the world. Reflective yet still light, this was a joy to read.

Jas16 Thank you again @AmyG 2mo
AmyG You are so welcome. 😘 2mo
Suet624 Sounds lovely. I‘ve spent time with dying friends and it‘s a sacred experience. 2mo
Lesliereadsalot Really liked this one! 2mo
48 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Jas16
The Persians | Sanam Mahloudji
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Panpan

This book was work for me. I wanted to bail but I also wanted to understand why it was chosen for the #wpf25 shortlist so I kept reading to see if its inclusion would suddenly make sense to me. It never did. My favorite thing about it was its cover. Just not for me.

HardcoverHearts I could agree more. I wouldn‘t have expected so much were it not on the list. But then again, I probably wouldn‘t have picked it up if it weren‘t on the list. A bit of a double edged sword. 2mo
Suet624 Thanks for saving me the effort. 2mo
47 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Jas16
Nesting | Roisn O'Donnell
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Mehso-so

Something I never say- I wish this had been a novella. I think it would have had a greater impact on me. In the beginning I felt as if I was suffocating on my anxiety for Ciara but then it carried on and on and felt more and more typical. I feel terrible saying it because it is an important topic but I felt like I have read many versions of this tale before and this didn‘t add anything new.

BarbaraBB Well put. I felt exactly the same! 3mo
55 likes1 comment
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Jas16
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After Greta‘s husband disappeared years ago, rumors in her Indian Village had her murdering him. Now she is being approached by other women to help them become widows but nothing she does goes as planned. Great characters, humor ( a little too silly at times), and women taking the justice denied to them- definitely enjoyed this one.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful flowers 💐 3mo
Jas16 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thanks Misty! Impulse buy while grocery shopping. 3mo
59 likes2 comments
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Jas16
Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy
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Work has been turning my brain to mush so it took me some time to get sucked into this book but when that switch flipped I was tearing through it because I had no idea where it was going and was so excited to find out. I think this is my favorite by the author so far.

Soubhiville Me too she gets better and better! 3mo
AmyG Oh wow. I am holding onto this one…waiting for the right time to read it. Maybe on my trip to Sweden this summer. 3mo
BarbaraBB I loved this one so much too. How great you‘re going to Sweden @AmyG ! 3mo
See All 12 Comments
Cathythoughts Great review! I‘m looking forward to it 👍🏻❤️ 3mo
Lesliereadsalot Got this one coming up. So glad you liked it! 3mo
AmyG @BarbaraBB Sweden, Denmark, Finland….a cruise in July. I would just sit on the boat all day, look at the water, and read if I could. 🤣🤣🤣 3mo
BarbaraBB That sounds amazing. Beautiful scenery and you reading on deck! @AmyG (edited) 3mo
Jas16 @AmyG Taking a cruise has never really interested me but you may have just sold me. So excited for you. I have been to Denmark but would love to visit Sweden and Finland as well. 3mo
Jas16 @Soubhiville She really does. Cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next. 3mo
Jas16 @Lesliereadsalot @Cathythoughts Excited to hear what you both think! 3mo
AmyG @Jas16 I am alot older than you. At my age, cruises are kind of nice. You unpack once and visit different cities. It‘s kind of mindless…yet wonderful. 3mo
Lesliereadsalot Your cruise sounds great! I once took a small boat cruise around the Netherlands at tulip time, and we did spend a lot of time sitting on the upper deck reading, watching the beautiful scenery go by. Maybe you can make some time to do that. @AmyG 3mo
57 likes12 comments
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Jas16
The Underground Library | Jennifer Ryan
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Three resilient young women are brought together by a London library and their shared love of reading. When the library is damaged by bombs they help set up a small library in an Underground station working for their neighbors as they deal with their own issues. It has its melodramatic moments but overall balances strife, pluckiness, friendship, and a dash of romance to tell a charming story about the power of books and community.

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Jas16
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Pickpick

Set in a future flooded San Francisco where those who have stayed adapt to lives lived on upper floors of buildings connected by bridges. Bo should have left long ago. Instead she accepts an assignment caring for her elderly neighbor and learning about her life. The book plods along with seemingly little actually happening but the story of Bo and Mei and the connection they made me reflect on relationships in my own life. A soft pick. Out 5/13

58 likes2 stack adds
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Jas16
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Pickpick

I don‘t write in books- ever. However as I listened to this audio. I kept longing for a physical copy that I could underline in. I thought this was incredible.

squirrelbrain Good to know - I have this on audio too but haven‘t had chance to listen to it due to Women‘s Prizes. 3mo
AmyG Just bought the ebook. 3mo
Jas16 @squirrelbrain @AmyG Really looking forward to what you both think. 3mo
56 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Jas16
Penitence: A Novel | Kristin Koval
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I love that this book went in a different direction than I expected after the first few pages. What I thought was going to be a legal drama ended up being about the lives surrounding the death of a teenager at the hands of his sister. Their parents and her lawyers have history and secrets that get brought to the forefront after years of avoidance. Guilt, blame, forgiveness and characters I would never befriend but a story I could look away from.

Jas16 Thanks again @amyg 3mo
AmyG You are welcome. 🤗 3mo
Leftcoastzen I have Bay Area ferry envy! 😂 3mo
51 likes3 comments
blurb
Jas16
Sausalito Books by the Bay | Sausalito, CA (Bookstore)
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Took the ferry to Sausalito for a couple of nights. I wanted to get away without real travel. Honestly cannot figure out why I haven‘t done this before. Went to this great little bookstore. Not a huge selection but what they had was wonderfully curated. I found so many things on my TBR that I haven‘t been able to find in other store. I only bought two books but could have gone crazy. Definitely will return

AmyG Enjoy! 3mo
BarbaraBB Have a great time! 3mo
BethM Have fun! Such restraint!! 3mo
Leftcoastzen 👏👏👏👏Sometimes the vacation in your own area is the best 3mo
Ruthiella Enjoy! ☺️ 3mo
48 likes5 comments
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Jas16
The Dream Hotel | Laila Lalami
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A woman detained because of future crimes she might commit according to her dreams and the system that keeps her there. Crisp writing and a clear depiction of the helplessness of having your rights stripped away and being at the mercy of the whims and moods of those with power over you. Yet I had a hard time picking this back up after putting it down. I think it was too much for me when I already spend my days in fear watching the news.

squirrelbrain Great review! I agree on the depiction of powerlessness - probably what made it so difficult to read. 😞 3mo
52 likes2 stack adds1 comment
blurb
Jas16
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Thank you so much @AmyG for the birthday gift. I just finished packing for a couple nights away and am tempted to switch out the books I am bringing because I have really been wanting to read this one. I am already bringing another book you gifted me that I part way through! I am so grateful and excited!

squirrelbrain It‘s such a good book - switch it! 🤪 3mo
AmyG You are so welcome. Have a wonderful birthday weekend!!! 3mo
Lesliereadsalot A really good book! I don‘t know you but I love birthdays so happiest birthday to you. 🎊🎂🎉 (edited) 3mo
Jas16 @Lesliereadsalot Thank you so much. I do love birthdays and this is one has been great. 3mo
42 likes4 comments
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Jas16
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Two beautiful children and the heart transplant that connects them . This accounting of the medical teams who give their all, families who face the unthinkable, and the history and science of transplants is such an emotional read. Informative and impactful but oh how I cried.

ChaoticMissAdventures So impressed with the people reading this, I just cannot make myself pick it up... 💔 3mo
squirrelbrain Such an emotional read. 😭 3mo
44 likes2 comments
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Jas16
Crooked Seeds: A Novel | Karen Jennings
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An entirely unlikable main character and a completely grim story- is it any surprise that I really did not enjoy listening to this audiobook? And yet there is something about it. I couldn‘t look away and I know it is not a book that will fade away until I can‘t really recall the details in a month or two. Is that enough to make it a pick? My answer today is I think so. Tomorrow I might think differently
#wpf25

Suet624 Love this review. I just got this from the library and I‘m even more interested in reading it after this review. 😊 3mo
squirrelbrain Perfect review! 3mo
55 likes2 comments
review
Jas16
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Anna is divorced and has absolutely no desire to date until she suddenly needs to write a dating column in order to keep her job. When a basic foray back into dating is not fresh enough for the new big boss she agrees to let her kids pick her next few dates and to have her column go head to head with her work nemesis‘s dating column. I had a lot of fun with this story as Anna starts to trust herself and the world again and loved the Bath setting.

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Jas16
Black Woods, Blue Sky | Eowyn Ivey, Ruth Hulbert (illustrator)
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Birdie is a single mother who wants change so she moves with her daughter to a remote cabin owned by Arthur, a quiet man he barely knows. The life they find there is reinvigorating but also filled with challenges as they realize there are things about Arthur they don‘t know. I am drawn to books set in Alaska and love Ivey‘s writing. I still didn‘t fully love this book. Perhaps because the end seemed too small for such a fantastical tale.

56 likes1 stack add
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Jas16
What I Know about You | ric Chacour
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Tarek follows the path laid out for him becoming a doctor, taking over his father‘s practice, and getting married. When Ali asks Tarek to examine his sick mother everything expected of Tarek loses importance. His life shifts as his decisions impact him and his relationships. Second person narration is not my favorite but I couldn‘t help but care about Tarek and those orbiting him.

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Jas16
A Witch in Time | Constance Sayers
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Pickpick

A woman finds out she has been cursed to keep being reincarnated and reliving the same doomed love affair. I was surprised by how absorbed I quickly became by the different lives and the search for answers but I had a hard time setting it aside to anything else like work or sleep. It was really nice to be so caught up in a fun yet satisfying story.

tpixie I enjoyed it also. I did a virtual author event she was in during COVID & then read this book. 📕 ⭐️ It was a fun premise! 4mo
49 likes1 comment
review
Jas16
Liars: A Novel | Sarah Manguso
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Pickpick

I read this in a constant state of fury. The story of a woman in a marriage who gives up her career and her sense of self to man who belittles her and refuses to acknowledge her contributions to their lives and his own neglect. My blood was boiling but I couldn‘t look away . I saw so many things in Jane‘s marriage that I have observed in relationships around me. Another book I wouldn‘t have picked up without the #tob25.

CarolynM I‘m reading it at the moment and I‘m beyond angry - it‘s making me feel kind of claustrophobic with frustration. I‘ve always appreciated my husband, but this is making me appreciate him even more! 4mo
Leftcoastzen Wow 4mo
BarbaraBB I love when a book has such an effect on me. I was so annoyed - by him mostly but by her too 4mo
54 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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Jas16
Signal Fires | Dani Shapiro
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Pickpick

Two families, each with their own struggles, become entangled with each other over the years. This book jumps back and forth through years and changes of perspective showing how people, events, and time are connected and bond us all together. Thank you for sharing this with me @CBee , I really enjoyed it.

CBee Great review, Jen! I‘m so glad you enjoyed it 😊♥️ 4mo
AmyG Thanks you so much for Sorrow and Bliss. You are so generous. 😘 4mo
Jas16 @AmyG it is a book you really want to share with someone you think will appreciate it so I was really thrilled to be able to send it to you 4mo
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AmyG Thanks again. I will remember to pass it on when I am done. 4mo
Jas16 @AmyG only if you want to! I didn‘t mean to imply that you should. 4mo
AmyG I usually pass on my read books….I don‘t have enough room for them all. 🤣 4mo
Jas16 @AmyG With the amount of books I have been stress buying and my very small apartment, I feel you! 4mo
56 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Jas16
A Forty Year Kiss | Nickolas Butler
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Bailedbailed

At the start of the weekend I realized I wasn‘t enjoying any of the books I was reading and bailed on them all which was so not like me. I made it through 50% of this audiobook before admitting that I just didn‘t care about any of it- the characters, the plot, the fact that nothing they did made sense to me. I thought about continuing because I have liked Butler in the past but I was honestly relieved when I gave myself permission to stop.

TheLudicReader I recently bailed on this one, too. I thought it was awful. 4mo
Jas16 @TheLudicReader I read your review and totally agree 4mo
47 likes2 comments
review
Jas16
These Silent Woods: A Novel | Kimi Cunningham Grant
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Pickpick

I needed something completely different from my last reads and this book about a father and daughter living off the grid due to events in his past jumped out at me. After 8 years in the woods strangers cross their paths and their precarious world is threatened. I found this so engrossing as you learn what drove Cooper to choose such an isolated life and see Finch become more curious about what she is missing. A good distraction and a solid story.

AmyG I watch this show on HGTV…House Hunters. But the people look for homes in the most remote areas. I am fascinated why people want to live that way. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 4mo
Jas16 @AmyG There are days where I would be pretty tempted… but I would last maybe a long weekend. 4mo
KadaGul @Jas16 I want to be within walking 👣 distance of everything but still be a remote area 🤣🤣. 4mo
Jas16 @KadaGul I can see that. I have to live somewhere walkable. 4mo
Tamra I really enjoyed this one - intense! 4mo
61 likes5 comments