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lauraisntwilder

lauraisntwilder

Joined October 2016

Favorite authors: Per Petterson, Lorrie Moore, Hiromi Kawakami. Favorite genres: Literary fiction, mysteries.
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lauraisntwilder

For everyone doing the #NancyDrewBR, I just discovered there's a video game based on this one.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/572740/Nancy_Drew_The_Secret_of_Shadow_Ranch/

There's a whole series of these video games, apparently. This one is at least 20 years old and doesn't look like it has aged well. The trailer was entertaining to watch though!

PurpleyPumpkin Wow, I had no idea there were ND video games! Very interesting. 🕵️ 2w
Librarybelle Thanks for posting this!! 2w
16 likes2 comments
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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

It's been a while since I read the second Sidney Chambers book, and it was nice to slip back into Sidney's world again. There are four mysteries in this installment, in addition to the overarching storylines of Sidney and Geordie's private lives. I can't help but compare the books to the TV show and, at this point, they have very little in common.

This was my ##doublespin for March. @TheAromaofBooks

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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

I liked that Nancy left River Heights and found a mystery somewhere else. Even in this updated edition, the language was a bit dated in some parts (but definitely could've been worse). The overlapping mysteries were simpler than in previous books, but I enjoyed the descriptions of the scenery and all the rides on mountain trails. And I got to "meet" George and Bess! #NancyDrewBR

Librarybelle The scenery description was terrific! 2w
23 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
The Postcard | Anne Berest
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Pickpick

Oh my goodness, that ending! The whole book was fantastic -- poignant, compulsively readable, wonderful characters -- but the ending was so beautiful. I've told my mom and sister they need to read it, too. I think the most powerful part, for me, was when she addresses the idea of “only being Jewish when it suits her.“ The ever-present fear she described was so palpable. #EuropaCollective

jlhammar Yes, loved the ending! Great review. Sure to be one of my favorite reads this year. 2w
squirrelbrain I loved the ending too - sad, but kind of not, in some way. 2w
BarbaraBB Yes that was such a powerful part, when that woman accused her of being Jewish only when it suited her. And that ending, so beautiful 2w
tpixie Great review. So many feelings! This will surely be one of my favorites of the year! 2w
31 likes4 comments
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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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Here's my ##bookspinbingo board for March. I'm feeling hopeful that I'll get more reading time this month. My #bookspin is Family Meal and my #doublespin is the third in the Sidney Chambers series. Thank you, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Looks fabulous!! 4w
20 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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I was so busy in February. My parents came for a visit and we spent a different weekend out of town for a robotics competition for my son's school team. That was two whole weekends with zero reading. I read my #bookspin, but I'm still working on my #doublespin. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Still a great month!!! 4w
19 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
The Sentence Is Death | Anthony Horowitz
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Pickpick

Another Anthony Horowitz audiobook! I liked this better than the first one in the series. The mystery wasn't necessarily better (although it was good), but I think I'm getting used to the self-insertion of the author. I got the first three books on sale from Libro.fm, so I'll be starting the third one soon.

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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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My #bookspin list for March is very similar to my list for February. 🤷‍♀️ Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4w
16 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
Fair Play | Tove Jansson
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Pickpick

This short novel was my #bookspin for February. I'm not sure I quite know what it is about Tove Jansson's books that appeals to me so much. These characters made me want to revisit the Moomin books. I assume that Jonna, like Too-Ticky in the Moomin stories, was based on Tuulikki Pietilä. If you like The Summer Book, I think you'd like this, too.

JuniperWilde I loved the Summer Book and agree that there is something unusually compelling about her writing. 1mo
26 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

I finished this audiobook during our evening walk. I liked it, but there is something odd about the author being a main character in their own novel. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but there were moments that took me out of the story and made me think about what really happened, specifically where film productions were concerned. Overall, I enjoyed the mystery, even if the Watson-Holmes archetype was slightly too obvious.

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lauraisntwilder
The Mystery at Lilac Inn | Carolyn Keene
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Mehso-so

This one was a little too over the top. Boat wrecks, an impersonator, diving, a time bomb, stolen diamonds, AND a fake ghost? And someone throws a rock at Nancy's car? I enjoyed the first half, but it spun out of control until the end felt almost like a Scooby-Doo episode.

Librarybelle There was a lot taking place in this one! 1mo
22 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
The Trees: A Novel | Percival Everett
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Pickpick

I went to hear Percival Everett speak last month at the University of South Alabama. After that, I was anxious to read one of his books. This one was a stunner. The subject matter was hard, but there were still bits of humor throughout and really solid characterization.

BarbaraBB How cool! I loved all the books I read by him 1mo
SamAnne Jealous! Loved this one. Starting Erasure this week. Absolutely loved Telephone. 1mo
lauraisntwilder @BarbaraBB @SamAnne I definitely need to read more by him. 1mo
27 likes3 comments
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lauraisntwilder
Flights of Angels: Stories | Ellen Gilchrist
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Noooo!!!! I knew she was old, but I secretly hoped I'd get to meet her one day. 😢

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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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Here we go, February! I'm keeping my ambitions low since this is a short month, and I'm already a day late. My #bookspin is Fair Play by Tove Jansson. My #doublespin is Manazuru by Hiromi Kawakami, which is the last of her books that have been translated into English (so far) that I haven't read. Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
24 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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My #bookspinbingo card for January. I bailed on my #bookspin, A Novel Bookstore, and will be donating it. I didn't finish my #doublespin (Flights of Angels) until today, but it was fantastic. I work in royalties and accounting for a literary agency and prepared about 700 1099's in January, so it's sort of a miracle I read anything at all!

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fabulous month!! 2mo
20 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
Flights of Angels: Stories | Ellen Gilchrist
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Pickpick

What in the late-90's-dELiA*s-catalog-nonsense is this cover?! Can you tell I have a used copy of the 1998 hardcover? 😂 Regardless, the stories were great and I will continue to read everything by Ellen Gilchrist I can find.

JamieArc 😂😂. One of my favorite IG accounts flips through old Delia‘s catalogs 😂😂 2mo
TheBookHippie OMG my daughter LOVED Delia‘s 😂 2mo
30 likes2 comments
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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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Here's my #bookspin list for February. 💝💖

Thanks, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
13 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
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Mehso-so

I understand how great Anne is, I do. I actually met Megan Follows once (I rang up her purchases at the bookstore where I was working) & was so starstruck that I couldn't tell her I was a fan. I get it. But, Anne of GG is about a whole town, not just Anne. I don't believe she would have had any more sway over LMM than any of her other characters. To make Anne a voice in LMM's head didn't work for me. I feel like this focused on the wrong things.

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lauraisntwilder
Sea Wife: A novel | Amity Gaige
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Pickpick

This was a thoughtful and thought-provoking novel. It was definitely a pick, but there were some things about it I'd have changed. The whole last section seemed disjointed and unnecessary. It was a small section, in a book that was good overall, but it left a bad taste since it came last.

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lauraisntwilder
The bungalow mystery | Carolyn Keene, Russell H. Tandy
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Pickpick

These all wrap up so neat and tidy! They're fun though, even though Nancy put herself in danger multiple times in this one.

Librarybelle Perfect bookmark! 2mo
Ruthiella Agree! Love the bookmark. 😍 2mo
22 likes3 comments
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lauraisntwilder
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I picked up another first edition Ellen Gilchrist today in New Orleans, this one from Faulkner House Books.

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lauraisntwilder
Net of Jewels | Ellen Gilchrist
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I'm in New Orleans for the weekend, celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary with my husband. We only live 2 hours away, so it's an easy trip. Every time we come, I get a first edition at one of the lovely bookstores here. Ellen Gilchrist is considered a local author, so there's usually something in stock. This one is from 1980. The jacket isn't in great shape, but honestly, I'm not the kind of collector who cares about that.

Ruthiella Happy Anniversary! 🥂🍾🥳 2mo
20 likes2 comments
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lauraisntwilder
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Yes, I finished it, but that was not a "throw confetti" kind of ending. ?

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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

We had bad storms all night (we're fine!), & maybe it's weird to say so, but this book paired well with the storms? It was just the right amount of intrigue, with relatively quick resolutions. I don't think the episodic nature of the book worked as well in this as the 1st in the series, which revolved around the church calendar. (Sidney is a vicar, after all.) But it worked. This one had the first *huge* difference between the books & the TV show.

lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler Did you make it through the storms okay? 3mo
KathyWheeler @lauraisntwilder I did, but it was scary there for awhile! I thought our electricity would go out but it never did. I‘m glad you‘re okay. 3mo
lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler Good to hear! That wind was SO loud! 3mo
20 likes4 comments
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lauraisntwilder
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
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Pickpick

I finished this over the weekend. I don't think it would appeal to everyone, since it was relatively light on plot. Or maybe there was too much plot and not enough of a structure? At any rate, I enjoyed it.

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lauraisntwilder
A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse
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70+ pages in, we're finally getting to the bookstore, and it's all wrong. Unless the French book industry is drastically different from the American one, bookstores aren't getting boxes of books automatically from publishers. What publishers are indifferent to sales? And what rare books are even still in print that the publisher is who you'd call? This was 2001, so he should've been looking online.

I'm going to bail if this doesn't get better.

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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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My #bookspinbingo board for January is looking especially inviting! My #bookspin is A Novel Bookstore (the #EuropaCollective book I didn't get to last month). My #doublespin is Flights of Angels by Ellen Gilchrist. Thank you, Sarah! @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fabulous!! 3mo
17 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
Hag | Kirsty Logan, Eimear Mcbride, Daisy Johnson, Naomi Booth, Mahsuda Snaith, Natasha Carthew, Emma Glass, Liv Little
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I just realized I never posted this picture. These are the books I got for Christmas and my birthday (Dec 29). I'm excited to dive in, especially the tagged book.

Ruthiella Great haul! 👍 3mo
21 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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Happy New Year! I have my first #bookspin list for 2024 ready. 😊 @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3mo
16 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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I didn't read my #doublespin or get a bingo, but oh well. December is always so busy that I'm surprised I read as much as I did. I'm planning to work on my January list tomorrow. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 3mo
16 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
Best American Short Stories 2022 | Heidi Pitlor, Andrew Sean Greer
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I didn't get Rashomon finished today, but I made up this challenge for myself and I'm calling it a success. 355 short stories is still a lot and I'll finish Rashomon in January. #storyaday2023

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lauraisntwilder
Once Upon a Wardrobe | Patti Callahan
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Mehso-so

Mediocre writing, mediocre (emotionally manipulative) plot. I enjoyed the parts that were about the life of CS Lewis, but I could've done without the entire story of Megs and her unwell baby brother.

This was my #bookspin for December. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3mo
18 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
Nine Stories | J D Salinger
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Pickpick

I finished what should have been my last #storyaday2023 book at my son's hockey practice this morning. It was one of the best collections (if not the absolute best) I read this year. Fingers crossed that I'll catch up and finish today, but I have 12 and a half Akutagawa stories to go...

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lauraisntwilder
Our Fathers | Rebecca Wait
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I have three books I'm trying to finish today (hahaha, dream on), but none of them are favorites. So, here is my 2023 bracket!

BarbaraBB My favorite book of the year too! 3mo
lauraisntwilder @BarbaraBB It was a stunner! 3mo
20 likes2 comments
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lauraisntwilder
My Dear Mr. M.: Letters to G.B. MacMillan from L.M. Montgomery | Lucy Maud Montgomery, Francis W. P. Bolger
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Pickpick

I finished this just in time for the #kindredspiritsbuddyread discussion tomorrow, so I won't say too much here. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these letters, and found it fascinating how the changes in Maud directly correlated to the changes in her letters.

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lauraisntwilder
Last Bus to Woodstock | Colin Dexter
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Pickpick

I listened to the audio with my husband on our drive back from TN on the 28th. Knowing it was first published in the 70s explains some of the weirder parts (like the discussion on rape by some irredeemable male side characters). Morse is likable and the mystery was satisfying.

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lauraisntwilder
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Today is my birthday. 😊 My husband and son gave me a stack of books and two T-shirts, including this one. #oxfordcommaforlife

Ruthiella Perfect! 👍 Happy Birthday! 🥳🥳🥳 (edited) 3mo
Librarybelle Happy Birthday! 3mo
CatLass007 I completely approve of the Oxford comma. Happy birthday. (edited) 3mo
See All 10 Comments
Jas16 Happy Birthday 🥳 3mo
quietjenn Happy birthday! 3mo
lauraisntwilder @Jas16 Thank you! 3mo
28 likes10 comments
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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

Over the last few years, Ellen Gilchrist has become one of my favorite writers. This book collects all her stories featuring recurring character Nora Jane. I'd read several of these before, in previous collections. Having them all in one place is nice, but not really necessary, as they're good alone, too. The new novella at the end was interesting, in a good way. #storyaday2023

23 likes1 stack add
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lauraisntwilder
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Pickpick

Catching up on posting... I finished this a couple of days ago. I've now read all of Lauren Groff's books. I think these short stories are where her writing really shines (Florida, her other story collection, is fine, but not as good). This is a wide and varied collection of excellently written stories. #storyaday2023

22 likes1 stack add
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lauraisntwilder
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I did some #audiobaking today, making cake balls for the first time. (Surely there's a better name for these things. Can we call then cake truffles instead?) These short stories have been excellent so far.

TheBookHippie We call them cake bites 🙃 3mo
Texreader Darling!! 3mo
20 likes3 comments
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lauraisntwilder
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Mehso-so

Honestly, I think this would have been a pick if I hadn't kept getting distracted by the consistent misspellings of "kidnapped" and "kidnapping." ? So far, my biggest enjoyment from reading these books has been coming across words that don't see much use anymore, like "presently."

Librarybelle I thought the misspellings were just issues with the ebook text I had! That was distracting for sure! 3mo
Clare-Dragonfly Was it with a single “p”? I‘ve seen that so often in old books that I think it‘s legitimate, but it messes with my head! 3mo
lauraisntwilder @Clare-Dragonfly Yes, one P. I read it wrong in my head every single time. 😂 3mo
22 likes3 comments
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lauraisntwilder
The Namesake | Jhumpa Lahiri
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Pickpick

After all the years I've owned it and sold it, I never had a good idea what this was about. I'm glad I finally read it. Ironically, I'd been partially waiting because I have a Gogol short story collection that was a gift from a mentor that I still haven't read that I thought I should read first. Gogol is still waiting for the right time, but this was perfect.

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lauraisntwilder

My Android phone updated, and I got a warning that @litsy is an older app and might not work right. Litsy isn't in the Google App store anymore, and hasn't been for a while. Does anybody know what's up?

Librarybelle I‘m not an Android user, but I‘ve seen other Android users talk about finding roundabout ways of keeping Litsy on new Android devices. Awhile ago, there was a statement from LibraryThing that they are trying to update the app to get it back on Google Play, but I‘m not sure of an update on that. 4mo
TieDyeDude I've checked with the Litsy Facebook group a couple times on if they are still working on an app update, but no response. Last I saw, since LibraryThing obtained Litsy and didn't write the original code, they have to get creative when trying to make updates. I have a couple older apps that give the same message, but their functionality has not changed. It is just a blanket warning after the Android update. 4mo
RamsFan1963 The Litsy app is available at Amazon's app store. I had to use it earlier this year when my phone crashed and I lost Litsy on my android phone. 4mo
See All 6 Comments
Ruthiella @julesG has a fix. I‘ll tag you on the post where she gives the tips in the comments. 4mo
lauraisntwilder @TieDyeDude @RamsFan1963 @Ruthiella Thank you so much! I think it's working for now, but I'm glad to know I have options. 4mo
lauraisntwilder @Librarybelle I think @ruthiella hooked me up with a work around, if it becomes necessary. Thank you! 4mo
12 likes6 comments
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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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The last #bookspinbingo board of the year! My #bookspin, Once Upon a Wardrobe, is nicely appropriate for this month. My #doublespin is Kehua! by Fay Weldon. Thanks so much, Sarah, for doing this for all of us. @TheAromaofBooks Happy reading, everyone!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Looks fabulous!! 4mo
20 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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Here's my finished #bookspinbingo board for November. I read some good stuff this month! I enjoyed my #bookspin (The Grave's a Fine and Private Place) and #doublespin (4:50 from Paddington). @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!!! 4mo
15 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
The Vaster Wilds | Lauren Groff
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Pickpick

I LOVED Groff's novel Arcadia, then couldn't get into Fates & Furies (I did finally finish it). Matrix wasn't my thing. Monsters of Templeton is okay. This one was really good! I found it compulsively readable. It's not my favorite book ever, but it was solid & Groff's writing is superb (even in the books I wasn't into). At the time, I thought Arcadia was a fantastic post-9/11 book. In the same way, this feels like a response to Covid isolation.

BarbaraBB I felt the same about her other books so am now looking forward to this one. 4mo
18 likes1 stack add1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
The Collected Stories of Amy Hempel | Rick Moody, Amy Hempel
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Pickpick

I've had this on my shelf for ages, as in, maybe 15+ years. I don't know why I hadn't read it yet, since I knew it would be amazing (and it was). She's had more work come out since this collected edition, so now I need to get my hands on those. #storyaday2023

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lauraisntwilder
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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I still have one more book I hope to finish in November, but here's my #bookspinbingo list for December. @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! I'm trying to squeeze in my last November read as well! 😂 4mo
16 likes1 comment
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lauraisntwilder
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | Robert Louis Stevenson
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Pickpick

I finished reading this with my son this evening. He needed to read it for school, so we read it together. Stevenson's writing is truly fantastic. Even my 8th grader said, "oh, I like that phrasing" at least once. I don't think I'd ever actually read this before, and I'm glad we did.

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lauraisntwilder
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Panpan

This had so much promise, but it didn't deliver. Craker's writing drove me crazy. It felt like she was trying to meet a word count. She would say something relatively meaningful, then tack on another sentence that restated her point in a more "humorous" way (except I didn't think she was funny). I'm sure Anne is very meaningful to her, but this should have been an essay, not a book. It was repetitive & boring. #kindredspiritsbuddyread

BarbaraJean Oh my gosh YES. I‘m just about to post my own rant-y review. ☹️ 4mo
26 likes1 comment