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Karen_V

Karen_V

Joined November 2016

Librarian & crafty person.
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Karen_V
Lolita | Vladimir Nabokov
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Literary commentary at the local B&N.

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Karen_V
Olive Kitteridge | Elizabeth Strout
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Literary fiction isn't usually my jam, and this book reminds me why in some ways. But in others, its empathy and realism are almost painful, they're so true.

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Karen_V
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I'm 165 pages into #ACOWAR and it feels like no progress at all.

So I flipped to last page to see how long the book really is, carefully avoiding reading ahead.

Almost 700 pages. Welp, that explains it! Back to page 165 I go.

Karen_V @MarriedtoMrT I get it. I did not fully realize what I was committing to. 8y
25 likes2 comments
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Karen_V
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Hello, Feyre darling. I'm looking forward to my weekend reading.

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Karen_V
Lawrence Browne Affair | Cat Sebastian
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Pickpick

Sweet & funny, with believable issues on the part of both characters. I liked that not everything was worked out perfectly for them to be happy together. #romantsy

18 likes1 stack add
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Karen_V
Lawrence Browne Affair | Cat Sebastian
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I DNF'd Throne of Glass. On to the next book!

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Karen_V
Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas
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20% in and I can't decide if actually like this book or not. Opinions, Littens??

Books88 I too am trying to decide!! I downloaded this the other day and am like... ??? Perhaps I will push through since I like her other books I have read. 8y
Karen_V @AJBowers That's exactly the spot I'm in! I think I'm going to continue; like you, I enjoyed her other books. 8y
Karen_V @AJBowers Changed my mind! On to a romance novel instead. 8y
aecawthon Keep reading! If you like the "court" series, you will end up loving this one too! I was hooked by the end! 7y
11 likes4 comments
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Karen_V
Throne of Glass | Sarah J. Maas
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Starting #springcleaningreadathon book number three. I don't expect to finish today, but I'm looking forward to making a good start on it.

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Karen_V
The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas
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Pickpick

Beautiful and important. I wish everyone would read this book, and wrestle with the same complexities the characters do.

Every character, every scene, every minute we see is vital to the story; this book has a lot to say and doesn't waste words in doing it. I loved the characters, especially the family relationships and how the story dealt with the complicated world we live in.

Recommended reading for everyone in 2017. #springcleaningreadathon

JoeStalksBeck I'm next in line at the library!❤️ 8y
Karen_V @JoeStalksBeck Yay! Hope you get it soon. 8y
25 likes2 comments
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Karen_V
The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas
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I love the family relationships in this book. #springcleaningreadathon

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Karen_V
The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas
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Starting #springcleaningreadathon book number two!

BibliophileMomma 👍🏼 Join us #buddyread Littens near the end of May if you want in our discussion because this is our May read. 8y
Karen_V @Tiffness83 cool, thank you for letting me know! 😃 8y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great book!!! 8y
22 likes3 comments
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Karen_V
Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood
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Pickpick

A re-read I haven't touched in years so it was almost like reading for the first time again. First completed book of the #springcleaningreadathon

So good. So scary.

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Karen_V
Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood
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Decided last-minute to participate in #springcleaningreadathon through the weekend. First up: finishing The Handmaid's Tale.

BibliophileMomma Yay! 🙌🏼👍🏼 8y
Karen_V @Tiffness83 I'm really excited, thanks for organizing! 8y
19 likes2 comments
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Karen_V
Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood
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A timely re-read. This book is even more evocative and chilling than I remember. And Atwood's prose is so lovely.

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Gonna start trying to figure out the fitting part of garment sewing. So of course I went to the library 😃

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Karen_V
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Thank you, @bookriot 😊 This is a lovely thing and brightens my week. Now, how many of these does my local library have...?

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Karen_V
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Mehso-so

One word review: meh. This book never really grabbed my attention, and the characterization was inconsistent at times. It also bugs me when an author psychoanalyzes their characters (instead of letting the reader figure them out through their actions), which happens very literally in this book when Holmes meets Sigmund Freud. The action scenes at the end we're the best part. Probably my last Holmes pastiche for the foreseeable future.

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Karen_V
A Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J. Maas
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Pickpick

As a sequel, this is one of the most interesting I've read in how it upends nearly everything. It goes on a little too long in the middle, but doesn't fall into the trap of making the character's life unendingly miserable - she has a lot of agency. There's scenery chewing dramatics, fairly explicit sexytimes & an effective change of perspective. I like it so much in recognition of how hard my 15 year old self would've LOVED this book/series.

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Karen_V
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Pickpick

There's a lot of things about this book that I like automatically: fairy tales, myths & mixing the two will always, always intrigue me. This one, a mashup of the Tamlin myth & Beauty & the Beast, with a bit of Hades & Persephone thrown in, was a lot of fun. That said, it's a plot-driven terrific setup for book two, which takes all these stories and turns them upside down. Recommended for YA & fairy tale/myth fans, especially.

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Karen_V
A Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J. Maas
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My current read #bluedabade

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Karen_V
A Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J. Maas
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Fallen down the YA fairy-tale-myth-mashup rabbit hole, byeeeeee.

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Well said, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

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Karen_V
Seven Percent Solution | Nicholas Meyer
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I do so enjoy a snarky footnote 😆

13 likes1 stack add
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Karen_V
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Myth plus fairy tale? Yes, please!

howlinglibraries One of my favorites! Is this your first time reading it? 8y
Karen_V @howlinglibraries yes! For #bookclub this month. Are the sequels good, too? 8y
howlinglibraries @Karen_V Ooh, yay! I can't wait to hear your thoughts. I enjoyed the second book even more than the first, and the third book releases in two weeks! 😁 8y
Karen_V Awesome! Thanks for the rec 😃 8y
14 likes4 comments
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Karen_V
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ICE. COLD.

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Karen_V
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I haven't even started this book & already I feel, like I always do, that Molly Wizenberg understands everything.

Louise Ah, I love that quote! ❤ 8y
Lacythebookworm That's the exact quote I needed to see at the moment. 🙌 8y
14 likes2 comments
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Karen_V
Seven Percent Solution | Nicholas Meyer
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Bookartbookmarks Serial app has some Sherlock Holmes books for free. If you don't have them already. :) 8y
Karen_V @Babiesandbooks Good to know, thank you! 8y
17 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Karen_V
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When you finish a good book and aren't sure what to read next so you can avoid the heart-breaking disappointment of chasing a really good read with a mediocre one.

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Winter Solstice | Rosamunde Pilcher
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One of the things I like about this book is the imperfect families.

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Wait... is... is this about my wife? I kid. Sort of. 8y
Karen_V @TobyTheScavengerMonk yup, definitely realistic when it comes to difficult family dynamics! 8y
15 likes2 comments
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Karen_V
Say Hello! | Rachel Isadora
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Just wrapping up a library conference & re-emerging from the librarian bubble with lunch & reading.

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Pickpick

This is a review of THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM by Jon Ronson, which isn't in the Litsy database yet. It's a short but scary read, since it was written before the 2016 US election. Ronson illuminates the influences of Alex Jones/Infowars, Roger Stone, Paul Manafort & Steve Bannon on the Republican candidacy. I learned a lot, but it was a painful read because he's fairly confident that Trump would not be elected.

8little_paws Yes!! I also read this post election and it is even scarier that way 8y
16 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Karen_V
The Girl Next Door | Amy Jo Cousins
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Mehso-so

This was a solid three stars. The hero's dudebro tendencies got to me after a bit, though this book gets an A+ for how it handles LGBTQ issues and the emotional resolution felt genuine. New adult may not be my genre; as someone who's been out of school for a while, reminiscing about college isn't that interesting to read about.

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Karen_V
The Girl Next Door | Amy Jo Cousins
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After the intense and worthwhile experience of reading Homegoing and The Underground Railroad at the same time in February, I'm ready for a lighter read. Romance novel with a bi heroine & a slightly-clueless-but-trying-so-hard hero? Yes, please.

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Karen_V
Homegoing: A novel | Yaa Gyasi
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Pickpick

Fascinating historical fiction about 200+ years of a family's history through many generations, starting with two sisters in Africa in the 1700s. One of the things I liked best was how the author made me care about characters I was only with for ~20 pages and didn't see again. Highly recommended.

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Karen_V
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Pickpick

Devastating and clear-eyed look at American slavery in its various forms. Absolutely recommended reading, one of the best magical realism stories I've ever read.

lisakoby I still think about this book often. 8y
Karen_V @lisakoby I can see why. I think this is one that will stick with me. 8y
Spiderfelt Which aspects of the story would you consider magical realism? 8y
Karen_V @spiderfelt The Underground Railroad in the book being a literal railroad instead of a metaphor for safe passage, as it was historically. 8y
16 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Karen_V
Seven Percent Solution | Nicholas Meyer
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A yellowed paperback from 1974 that I borrowed from work. Hoping it's one of the good Sherlock homages.

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Haven't read it, but there's a movie adaptation of this book I've always wanted to track down. Check out the star-studded cast online. It sounds crazy. 8y
Karen_V Thanks for the rec! Looking it up for a movie night soon. 8y
CouronneDhiver That's a great vintage pick... love the cover! 8y
18 likes3 comments
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Karen_V
A Happy Day | Fran Manushkin
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Thanks, Littens 😃 This has been so much fun!

SuperPunkNinja Congratulations!!!🎉🎉🎉 8y
rubyslippersreads 🎉📚🎉📚🎉🎉🎉 😀 8y
See All 7 Comments
DebinHawaii Congratulations!! 🎉👍🎉😀 8y
Cinfhen Congrats 🎉🎉🎉 8y
StaceyKondla Congratulations on the milestone 😊🎉😊🎉😊🎉 8y
LazyOwl Congrats 🎉🙌💃🎉🎉 8y
22 likes7 comments
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Fire and Hemlock | Diana Wynne Jones
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Thank you for the two awesome books and Valentines goodies, @rubyslippersreads !!! I've never seen sparkly jelly beans before, and I am in ❤ with this magnet about literature. You also picked a Diana Wynne Jones book I've never read! #cupidgoespostal @BookishMarginalia

Karen_V Also, check out that pink camo tissue paper, y'all! 8y
rubyslippersreads So glad you liked everything! I had fun picking it out. 😊📚 8y
28 likes2 comments
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Karen_V
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Sometimes, working in a library means #freebooks, and I'm really excited to read this one.

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Karen_V
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Mehso-so

3.5 stars. It's an interesting story that doesn't quite hang together narratively and rushed a lot toward the end. It's worth the read to get a first-hand description of the US prison system, though the author, by her own admission, is shielded from the worst effects of imprisonment by her privilege as an educated, well-to-do white woman with a supportive family. Makes me want to read more about the justice system.

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Crafting books are my happy place. Any other sewers out there? I'm a newbie, but enjoying learning!

Eridau I'm a quilter but no clothes sewing for me. 😁. I love all the great fabrics that are available nowadays. 8y
emily_jkn I love sewing and books, but for some reason have never really gotten much out of sewing reference books. Maybe I am too stubborn lol? 8y
Karen_V @Eridau I want to try quilting! There are some amazing patterns out there. Gotta graduate from napkins & tote bags first 😉 8y
Karen_V @emily_jkn Your sewing is so pretty, you don't need them! I like looking at books for ideas & inspiration, since everything is still so new to me. I haven't looked at any reference books, but might check one out about fabric types, because I know nothing. 8y
Eridau @Karen_V if you can sew a tote bag, you can do a quilt. It just sewing small pieces into bigger pieces and then sewing those all together. Just start with a small mini quilt or baby size before moving on to the larger more complicated patterns. 😊 (edited) 8y
17 likes5 comments
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Karen_V
Jackaby | William Ritter
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Listening to this on audio - I'm about an hour in and not 100% on board yet. The first part feels very worldbuilding/exposition heavy, so once we're past that, I'm hopeful it'll really grab my attention.

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Pickpick

Lovely friendship developed through letters & a shared love of books. Helene Hanff is SO salty in an old fashioned (to my eyes) way & her letters and the replies from Frank Doel are a delight. Very quick read, too.

jesseastin I agree. I just read this. It was a wonderful relationship based on years of letters. A lovely read. 8y
Karen_V One of my surprise favorites so far this year. I saw various Littens talking about it, so this is a definite #blameitonlitsy title! 8y
23 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Karen_V
Wishful Drinking | Carrie Fisher
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Pickpick

I'm not sure I would've liked this as much if it hadn't been read by the author -- but it was, and the last couple of minutes had me bawling. I'll read her other works, but will definitely seek out the audiobooks.

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March: Book One | John Robert Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
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This month's #bookclub selections: powerful, disturbing, and a reminder of how far we have come & how far we have yet to go. Nate Powell's art is perfect.

Image is from book 2; I was lucky enough to get John Lewis & Andrew Aydin to sign 1 & 2, now to buy book 3 & get it signed, too!

Hobbinol I just purchased the trilogy... but mine aren't signed😞That's terrific! I hope to read them next month. 8y
Karen_V I bet you'll love them! And John Lewis does signing events; maybe there's one near you? 8y
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Karen_V
Wishful Drinking | Carrie Fisher
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Getting misty listening to Carrie talk about how she'd like us all, one day, to say she drowned in moonlight, strangled by her own bra. And we are.

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I don't have a lot of #signedbooks; just a few by treasured authors. I can't think why I didn't get him to sign a copy of The Last Unicorn, but I'm glad to have this one, too. #readjanuary

MrBook 😁👏🏻🙌🏻 8y
18 likes1 comment
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Karen_V
West with the Night | Beryl Markham
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#autobiography two of two for this month. This is Beryl Markham, describing the time a leopard snuck into her childhood bedroom & snatched her dog, Buller, while she was asleep 😳

This book was published in 1936 & parts of it are shockingly colonialist, but it's certainly full of stories from a unique childhood as the only child of a single father, growing up in Kenya around the turn of the century. #readjanuary

17 likes1 stack add
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Karen_V
Wishful Drinking | Carrie Fisher
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One of my two #autobiography reads this month. Carrie reads the book on audio & the sound of her voice is making me happy & sad by turns. #readjanuary