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rachelm

rachelm

Joined May 2016

writer, reader. THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT (Alcove Press/ Penguin Dec 2020). https://linktr.ee/rachelmansmckenny
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The Butterfly Effect by Rachel Mans McKenny
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rachelm
Daisy Darker | Alice Feeney
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October wrap!

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rachelm
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Pickpick

I‘ve been reading through whatever books of this series are available on Libby and enjoying them. Amish world meets Englisher world in modern Ohio. Dog pic unrelated but fyi, Aldi currently has dog sweaters!

marleed I love dog sweaters! 13mo
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rachelm
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Pickpick

I‘ve been reading through whatever books of this series are available on Libby and enjoying them. Amish world meets Englisher world in modern Ohio. Dog pic unrelated but fyi, Aldi currently has dog sweaters!

TheSpineView Cuteness!💜🐾 13mo
24 likes1 comment
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rachelm
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Pickpick

I got a rescue dog! Her name is Luna and she‘s lovely (but she‘s confused about what I‘m asking her to do). So might take a while to settle into modeling for book reviews 😂
Loved this book about 1700s Venice, dark ambition, and two girls and their passion for music and more

SheReadsAndWrites Sweet baby! 🐶💖 1y
rachelm @SheReadsAndWrites she‘s so great! We‘re lucky 1y
Gissy Hi Luna!😘 🐕‍🦺So cute🐾🐾♥️♥️♥️ 1y
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Texreader What a beauty!! Congratulations!! 1y
Traci1 She's beautiful. ❤️ 1y
squirrelbrain She‘s gorgeous! ❤️ 1y
Soubhiville Aw, sweetie. Congratulations! 1y
Tamra Sweet! 💕💕 1y
Ruthiella Adorable! ❤️🐶❤️🐶❤️ 1y
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rachelm
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7 years!!! #litsyversary

Enchanted_Bibliophile Happy Litsyversary 🎉🥳🎈📚 1y
Ruthiella Happy Litsyversary! 🥳🥳🥳 1y
JessClark78 Happy Litsyversary! 🎊📚🎉 1y
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Jas16 Happy Litsyversary 🎉📚🥳📖 1y
fredamans Happy Litsyversary! 1y
Gissy 🎉🎉🎉🥳 1y
DivineDiana Fantastic! 👏🏻📚🥳 1y
40 likes7 comments
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rachelm
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Pickpick

Great April! Fav reads were the tagged book (husband wife body swap), The Faniky Chao, The Glow, Lone Women, and Everyone in my family has killed someone‘s

Gissy Amazing 📚📚📚📚👏👏👏👏👏 2y
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rachelm
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This is a faaaaantastic audiobook! Loving it so far. Very funny mystery with lots of meta elements. I love audiobooks when the narrator refers to you as listening to it. Small touch but well done

Hooked_on_books Yes, I loved this one, too! I told my mom she needs to listen to it. 2y
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rachelm
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Pickpick

An absolutely stunning third book in this series. I love it so 💕 the Paris and Agra settings, the science of perfume, the family stories… so great

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rachelm
Chlorine | Jade Song
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Pickpick

If you loved We Ride on Sticks (weirdness of high school sports with magic??) or Our Wives Under the Sea (body transformations and relationships and queerness), or want a mermaid story that‘s not quite a mermaid story, snag this one. A high school competitive swimmer and the challenges she faces (cw homophobia, racism, body horror, sexual assault). Out March 28!

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rachelm
I Want My Hat Back | Jon Klassen
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Got a new hat from my local indie and I love it!

Gissy Pretty! Nice photo❤️👌 2y
Soubhiville Want! Love it! 2y
marleed Love the hat and you wear it so well! 2y
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tpixie Love it! You look great in it! 2y
Hooked_on_books It‘s excellent! 🧢 2y
BkClubCare Sweeeeeet 1y
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rachelm
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Feb was a great reading month and I got through eleven arcs!

kspenmoll Wow! 11 arcs! 2y
rachelm @kspenmoll busy month! 😂 2y
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rachelm
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Besides reading a lot of thrillers, I read some weird classics: The Sea, The Sea and The Hearing Trumpet. I loved both! For more wonderful weirdness, might pick up Red-Headed Pilgrim, out last week from Two-Dollar Radio. It‘s hilarious on audio (think Diary of a Wimpy Kid but if it were for grown-ups). Vera Wong‘s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers is perfection. It‘s a great cozy, where Vera wants to fix all the suspects‘ lives in the process.

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rachelm
Cantoras: A Novel | Carolina De Robertis
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A stunner of a novel about five queer women in 1970/1980s Uruguay and the resistance, joy, and horrors they lived through.

MicheleinPhilly I absolutely adored this book. 2y
rachelm @MicheleinPhilly it was so beautiful 😭 2y
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rachelm
Crooked Hallelujah | Kelli Jo Ford
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Ten books I already own that I want to read this year. What should I start with?

Ruthiella The shortest, because you‘ll have a quick sense of accomplishment! 2y
jlhammar I read it several years ago, but remember really enjoying The Tiger‘s Wife. 2y
Sapphire The Sea, The Sea is on my list too. 2y
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rachelm
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I‘m loving this. I love nonfic that is deeply researched but also very narrative. This is about how South Dakota became a haven of divorce in late 19th century and early 20th century

Amiable Sounds interesting! 2y
TheBookHippie I read the ARC and really enjoyed it! 2y
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rachelm
Hester: A Novel | Laurie Lico Albanese
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My current conundrum

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rachelm
Romantic Comedy | Curtis Sittenfeld
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Pickpick

I‘m a big Sittenfeld fan, but I have to admit that I didn‘t know how her romance novel would read— and was so pleasantly surprised! Set partially in an SNL-like TV show and partially during lockdown 2020, this book is a tender and funny and authentic romance between two imperfect but lovable characters. Hope this isn‘t her last! If you like Emily Henry, stack this one. Out next year.

OriginalCyn620 Stacked! 2y
janeycanuck Ooh, sound so good! 2y
CoffeeAndABook Yesss, that sounds great 😊📚 2y
Megabooks So excited for this! 2y
Wesleypaker @rachelm Hello 👋 how are you doing today ? 2y
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rachelm
Untitled | Untitled
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Book wrap up and recommendations via meme! Check out my year in review here: https://rachelmansmckenny.substack.com/p/2022-in-books-recommendations-in

JamieArc That meme 😂😂😂 2y
rachelm @JamieArc I made it and was like “does this reveal too much about me or—“ 2y
JamieArc @rachelm I read it more as commentary on the fact that there are so many dysfunctional families in fiction (and non-fiction too probably). I suppose dysfunctional families make for better stories. 2y
LeahBergen 😆😆 2y
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rachelm
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5 ⭐️ Reads this month:
BABEL
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PANIC
BLACKWATER FALLS
THE VERIFIERS
THE OBSESSION
THE GUEST
OUR MISSING HEARTS

Year-end reading wrap to come soon. Subscribe to my newsletter (link in bio) if you want to make sure to get it.

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rachelm
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Happy early holidays to meeee. One of my favorite humor writers has this book just out and I‘m probably going to pass it around to all my girlfriends when I‘m done

Cinfhen This was hilarious!!! 2y
rachelm @Cinfhen cannot wait! 2y
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rachelm
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I got to record some book recommendations for Iowa Public radio! You can check out the full list of what I and some other readers recommended here: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/arts-life/2022-11-21/talk-of-iowa-2022-holiday-b...

wanderinglynn Fantastic! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome 👏🏻 📚❤️ 2y
BarbaraBB Cool! 2y
Aims42 This is so neat!! 2y
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rachelm
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Just joined Hive as a Twitter replacement and I‘m @ rmmckenny on there. Anyone else over there?

WorldsOkayestStepMom How easy is Hive to navigate/use? I've seen a lot of fellow Twitter users moving over and am considering it for myself. 2y
MallenNC I haven‘t joined yet but I‘ve been considering it since I started seeing people talk about it. What do you think of it so far? 2y
rachelm @WorldsOkayestStepMom @MallenNC I really like it! Cute font, easy to navigate. It‘s a little laggy right now (growing pains) but the potential is there and it feels like a good Twitter alternative. 2y
See All 6 Comments
Megabooks I joined but haven‘t really checked it out yet. I‘m Megabooks there too. (edited) 2y
rachelm @Megabooks followed! 2y
marleed Oh I hope it‘s a successful alternative. I never did get that round tuit to create a Twitter account and in Twitter‘s current state I‘m glad that particular tuit never happened for me :) 2y
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rachelm
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Pickpick

😇book review😈
This is a compact (under four hour audiobook, under 200 page physical book) newly out from Tor.com and I devoured it in two sittings. A magical detective who had made a deal with the devil a decade ago is coming up on the end of her contract— her time on earth is about to end, but there‘s one more job on the horizon.

(More 👇🏼)

rachelm What starts with a trend of gruesome crime scenes leads to a mystery involving the divine, the devilish, and her own girlfriend, Edith. Did I mention it was also set around the 1930s? Lots of fun fantasy and historical detailing mixed with a propulsive plot. Despite the title, I had no idea how this one would end. 2y
Dragon Love January LaVoy‘s voice - a great choice for narrator 💚🐉 2y
rachelm @Dragon agreed! 2y
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rachelm
The Measure | Nikki Erlick
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Pickpick

This was better than I expected. I‘d call it “dystopia light”. If you liked Midnight Library, you‘d enjoy it.

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rachelm
Blackwater Falls | Ausma Zehanat Khan
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Listening to an audio ARC of this detective novel, out Tuesday. Really enjoying the balance of themes and introduction of this new kind of detective, one sent from a community response unit sent to investigate a town with a police department under scrutiny. Really awesome plot interweaving a lot of current political and social pressures.

Jolynne I love her books. 2y
rachelm @Jolynne this was my first but now definitely won‘t be my last! 2y
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rachelm
The Likeness: A Novel | Tana French
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Pickpick

Did I read a lot of French in October? Yeah yeah I did. Lots of good reads this month honestly.

ErikasMindfulShelf How was the new Rebecca Makki book? 2y
rachelm @ErikasMindfulShelf I liked it! It‘s got a strange POV (addressing the reader as a specific character) but if you like justice issues and boarding school mysteries, you‘ll enjoy 2y
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rachelm
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🥳🥳🥳surpassed my biggest goal ever and am on a French reread kick

MonicaLoves2Read Wow! That's great! 2y
MyNamesParadise Oh I love Tana French!! 2y
rachelm @MyNamesParadise same! I‘m loving the reread experience since it‘s been years 2y
Ruthiella Well done! 👏👏👏 2y
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rachelm
Untitled | Untitled
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This was for sale at my library‘s book sale. Copyright 1999. Did I buy it to put in a white elephant gift for the holidays? Of course I did.

rachelm I think it‘s going to be a 90s themed gift. I‘m getting excited lol 2y
Aims42 I would love to get a 90s themed white elephant gift! How fun!!! 2y
ChaoticMissAdventures Seeing him on the cover of the AARP magazine was an awakening I didn't need 😂 2y
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rachelm
Well Traveled | Jen DeLuca
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Pickpick

Am I a sucker for Jen DeLuca‘s Willow Creek series? I am. Was I thrilled to get an ARC of the newest one? I was. This book follows Lulu, a lawyer who goes off the grid and quits her job, tagging along with kilt wearing musicians (if you‘ve read the series, they‘re from book 2). Enter Dex: a guitarist with a reputation. Sparks fly. I liked this one and felt like Lulu‘s journey was really relatable. Pick it up if you love RennFaires!

rachelm Picture is of me at our local RennFaire this year 😇 2y
BarbaraBB Wow 🥰 2y
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rachelm
Hysterical: A Memoir | Elissa Bassist
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Pickpick

🍁September Reading Wrap🍁
A good reading month.
Top recommendations:
- Hysterical (memoir)
-The Women Could Fly (fiction)
- The Change (fiction)
-Do You Take this Man (romance)
Books not out yet that should be on your radar:
- Mistakes We‘re Made (romance)
-Phaedra (historical fic)
And the only book I‘ve read in months that I actively cannot recommend: Lessons
I‘m rereading Mantel and into the third novel. So sad to lose such a literary giant.

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rachelm
Lessons: A Novel | Ian McEwan
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A Bildungsroman set partially at an Eton-like boarding school and partially after the main character‘s wife leaves him with their seven month old son. Per McEwan‘s style, close perspective and beautiful prose, with big themes that shake you.

BookwormM This is my next book to tackle 2y
rachelm Update: I actually ended up really disliking this one! 2y
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rachelm
I'm Glad My Mom Died | Jennette McCurdy
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The current hot book of the moment and I‘m enjoying it on LibroFM. If you wanted to read but wondered if not having ever watched iCarly would make it weird then don‘t worry. I‘ve never seen an episode and I‘m deep into this. Intense and startling and funny at points, but definitely prepare for descriptions of abuse

AmyG Thanks. I wondered how this was. 2y
EvieBee Same boat! All the holds made me curious about it so borrowed it from the library. 2y
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rachelm
Nettle & Bone | T. Kingfisher
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First one from this author and really enjoying! What should I read of theirs next?

dylanisreading The Hollow Places is really good. 2y
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rachelm
The Secret History | Donna Tartt
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My annual re-listen 🍂🍁🍄

themonaisa Just finished for the first time! Still debating whether it‘s a book to dive into every year or one I could never experience again! What a stellar masterpiece 💕 2y
rachelm @themonaisa on paper or audio?? So fun! On audio it‘s a whole new experience 2y
themonaisa Paper! But audio sounds like a great idea; did you like the narrator? Sometimes their voice just doesn‘t match with the story‘s vibe 🤔 (edited) 2y
rachelm @themonaisa yes! I usually hate books read by the author but Donna Tartt is an exception. Even though she‘s a woman, she reads Richard so amazingly 2y
themonaisa Ugh that sounds amazing!! Definitely going to look for it! I started rereading on paper right away (bc who was I kidding - can‘t stay away) and it‘s like you said: SUCH a different perspective on the characters. Richard being an unreliable narrator is so clear; such a new view of Bunny and Henry. Donna Tartt sets the scene perfectly and plants so many seeds I totally missed the first time! 2y
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rachelm
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New release and I‘ve been listening to it all day. Seriously. If you liked Godshot or like books with religious extremism (Christian cult kind), you will love this.

Megabooks Sold! 2y
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rachelm
The Lioness: A Novel | Chris Bohjalian
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Panpan

Listened to this while making pickles. I usually love his books but the mixed up timelines and so many characters were convoluted rather than thrilling. Oh well. Hopefully the pickles are good!

rachelm Might be better on paper! 2y
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rachelm
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YOU GUYS. I‘m obsessed with this book. It‘s Julia Whelan (audiobook narrator extraordinaire)‘s romance novel about audiobook narrators. It‘s so funny and smart and original and Julia‘s reading of her own work is maybe the best audio I‘ve heard all year? (I think I‘m on audiobook 75 or so, so that‘s not nothing!!) Stack this one now. Out in August. It (should be, better be, if there is justice) will be huge.

marleed I‘m wildly anticipating this one! 2y
rachelm @marleed it only gets better and better😭😭 2y
CarolynM Sounds good🙂 2y
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julesG I've been looking forward to this one. Only a few weeks to go. 😁 2y
rachelm @julesG can‘t wait to see what you think! I just finished it and yeah, holds up beginning to end! 2y
julesG You were right, this was good. I really liked the audiobook. Incidentally, I just read your "Spirit Falls" piece. ???? 2y
rachelm @julesG glad you liked it 😂😍 2y
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rachelm
Fight Night | Miriam Toews
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Pickpick

June Wrap!
5⭐️s: Counterfeit, The Cherry Robbers, Fight Night, An Olive Grove in Ends
4⭐️s: The Woman in the Library, The Unsinkable Greta James, Lessons in Chemistry, Acceptance, Flying Solo

#junewrap #junewrapup

JamieArc Looks like a great reading month! 2y
SilversReviews I only read COUNTERFEIT…it was a 3/5 for me. 😊 2y
marleed You had a great month of reading! I‘ve read 7 on your list and Remarkably Bright Creatures was my favorite‘ 2y
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rachelm @JamieArc it was! 2y
rachelm @SilversReviews I think it shone on audio and it was just what my jaded mom heart needed this month 2y
rachelm @marleed I loved the 🐙🙂 2y
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rachelm
Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt
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Mehso-so

This was fine but felt very (overly) slow, especially in the first half? The octopus was great. Loved the unique very PNW setting

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rachelm
Sirens and Muses: A Novel | Antonia Angress
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Currently reading this ARC about art and money and self set at the beginning of the Occupy Wall Street movement. Love all the art descriptions and personal dramas

sprainedbrain Beautiful cover! 2y
rachelm @sprainedbrain it so is! 2y
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rachelm
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Pickpick

I admit having been mislead by this cover, which reads as much lighter fare than it really is. What is actually here is a really moving, well wrought story about science, the search for love and family, and the patriarchy. Honestly one of my favorite listens of the summer so far— not over hyped!

Ruthiella The US cover is misleading! 2y
rachelm @Ruthiella I really don‘t like it!! 2y
Weisubei The pencil is iconic though 😳😳 2y
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Prairiegirl_reading @Weisubei I agree!! The cover is awful until you‘ve read it and then know what the pencil symbolizes. 2y
julesG Not sure why they decided on that bubbly romcom cover for the US edition. Look at the different editions https://litsy.com/p/NnhMVGZXNDZi 2y
rachelm @Prairiegirl_reading @Weisubei love the pencil symbolism but totally agree with @julesG that the other cover have a lot of symbolism too but are a little different—- I love the UK and German covers! 2y
Weisubei @rachelm I got my copy in UK edition, absolutely love it. The naked cover is gorgeous 🥰🥰 2y
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rachelm
Book Clubbed | Lorna Barrett
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Come join #groupR on #LMPBC if you want to rea books in translation! https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/5080444aead2ca0ff2-l...

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rachelm
The Cherry Robbers | Sarai Walker
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I‘m really loving this. At first, I was worried because I had adored Dietland so much and was hoping I wouldn‘t mentally compare the two books too much, but not a problem! This is such a completely different vibe (very Shirley Jackson) and I tearing through it. Can‘t wait to see how it ends.

Megabooks I didn‘t know she had a new book out! I loved Dietland. 2y
rachelm @Megabooks I bet you‘ll love it! Lmk what you think when you get to it 2y
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rachelm
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Mehso-so

This was a 3.5⭐️ audiobook for me but if I read it on paper it might have been lower 😕. The voice actor is fabulous and the LGBTQ rep is wonderful, but there are overly sentimental passages and lots of direct statement of feelings/hitting you over the head with how you‘re supposed to feel in a moment. Plus, I get bothered by the use of a sick person as a “lesson” or prop (midway thru book). Just not my favorite if you only see a character once.

rachelm I really wanted to love this more. I know many will! I have a feeling it will be very big. 2y
KristiAhlers I almost bought this one today. But something held me back. 2y
rachelm @KristiAhlers maybe request for your library? I‘m still glad I read it, but these things did bug me. 2y
KristiAhlers @rachelm I just put myself on the waitlist. 2y
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rachelm
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I caved and bought a Fanny pack and totally love it 😂

TheSpineView I remember those! 2y
rachelm @TheSpineView no regrets! 2y
ChaoticMissAdventures Yes!! And it is gorgeous 🤩 2y
rachelm @ChaoticMissAdventures thank you!! 🦋🦋 2y
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rachelm
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Pickpick


Things I adored about this book: the early 70s setting in a bustling gay community, the truly winding mystery through the California countryside, and of course, Vera‘s clear-eyed skepticism about everything, even about her own chances. This might be my favorite of Knecht‘s books yet. If a beautifully written noir sounds up your alley, pick it up today! 5s! (More ⬇️)

rachelm Vera Kelly fell into detective work 2 novels ago and fell in love last novel. The book can absolutely stand alone, however, so if you‘d like to start the series here, you can. 2y
kspenmoll Sounds great! Stacked. 2y
Maria514626 Sounds great! Added to my TBRs! 2y
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rachelm
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This is a really interesting urban fantasy. Parts of it are homage to The Phantom Tollbooth (an all time favorite), and it‘s set in New Orleans with a really interesting magic system based around music and spirits. Dual narrator: one kid (Perry Graves) and one adult (Casey, whose graffiti is magical). Enjoying it so far! Out tomorrow.

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rachelm
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Peaceful morning coffee and book time before the kids get up. I‘m enjoying this one, not quite as much as Ariadne, but enough. The betrayals are so awful in Greek lit and Saint has a way of putting them so clearly

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rachelm
The Secret History | Donna Tartt
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This went viral on Twitter lol one of my favorite books!
You can find me over there: Twitter.com/rmmckenny

Ruthiella 😂😂😂 2y
LeahBergen 🤣🤣 2y
batsy The true academic experience, tbh 😂😂 2y
rachelm @Ruthiella @LeahBergen @batsy Omg the replies of people on there who have no idea what I‘m talking about are—- so good 2y
jewright I love this book! 2y
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rachelm
Girl, 11 | Amy Suiter Clarke
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🌼 May Reads🌼
I read so much romance this month. Too much romance? Absolutely not—but yes I think I needed to be swept away. (I especially loved BOOK LOVERS like every other person on the planet and A LADY FOR A DUKE, which would be a great Pride read if you‘re on the look out!)
Other favorites of the month were the compulsively readable GIRL, 11, TRUE BIZ, and VERA KELLY: LOST AND FOUND (out in June!)
Hope you had a great May! Onto June!

marleed Sometimes it‘s just fun to drown in romance novels and stay there until your fingers get all pruney! 2y
rachelm @marleed totally true!! 2y
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