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Ruthiella

Ruthiella

Joined February 2018

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Ruthiella
Sourcery | Terry Pratchett
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This is my #Roll100 stack for March. All library books which is thwarting my efforts to read what I already own in 2025. 😬

However, the Pratchett works for #SeriesLove2025 and will be an easy read anyway. I think Mr. Lover man will also be achievable if Girl, Woman, Other was any indication. Let‘s see about the other two. 🤞

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 5h
TreenaReads Mr.Loverman is such a great read! Enjoy! 5h
See All 9 Comments
Ruthiella @TreenaReads I‘m sure it will be. I loved, loved, loved 5h
AlaMich Mr. Loverman was amazing on audio! (edited) 4h
BkClubCare Ooo Laaa Laa Mr Loverman! 💕 title + author = 🔥 3h
BkClubCare @AlaMich - Ty, will go audio, then. Fabulous 3h
AlaMich @BkClubCare I hope you enjoy it! ☺️ 3h
Ruthiella @BkClubCare @AlaMich I will see if one of my libraries have it available on audio also. 👍 3h
41 likes9 comments
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Ruthiella
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Reading this month‘s #EBBR book, I wondered:

1. Why anyone would trust Bugs Meany or make a bet with him! 😂

2. Why does he wear a “Jughead hat “? Were those real?

So I looked up the hat. From Wikipedia: A whoopee cap is a style of headwear popular among youths in the mid-20th cent. in the US…made from a felt fedora hat with the brim trimmed with a scalloped cut and turned up…often decorated with buttons, badges, or bottle caps.

Who knew? 🤔

Jess861 I had no idea the Jughead hat was real - I always thought it was a crown in the comics, lol. 7h
Ruthiella @Jess861 It does look like a crown! 👑 6h
Read4life I didn‘t know that‘s how they were made. Thanks for the fun facts!! 5h
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Ruthiella @Read4life You are welcome! 🙏 5h
AnnCrystal Thanks 🆒👑☺️👍🏼. 3h
TheAromaofBooks That is so interesting! Isn't it funny how there is always some random thing in style?! 😂 3h
LeahBergen Fascinating! 3h
Ruthiella @LeahBergen @AnnCrystal @TheAromaofBooks Humankind‘s ever-changing ways of and ideas about how we adorn our bodies is endlessly interesting and often weird! 😆 (edited) 3h
35 likes8 comments
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Ruthiella
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#weekendreads

📕Still reading the tagged for the poetry prompt for #OffMyShelf

📗Encyclopedia Brown is this month‘s #EBBR

📘Not at Home is for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

📙Das Achte Leben I pulled down on a whim. It‘s gonna take me a few months to finish but it‘ll work for #ChunksterChallenge2025 and #AllergictoChunksters

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Ruthiella
The woman in white | Wilkie COLLINS
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Th it s is my pretty edition of this month‘s #HashtagBrigade book. Though I‘m probably going to do as much as possible on audio with a Hoopla download from my library.

Looking forward to it. It‘s a re-read for me but a real favorite. I love getting lost in a chunky Victorian novel.

AllDebooks I adore Wilkie Collins. Looking forward to reading this one too. 😀 1d
AnnCrystal Pretty 🤩📚💝. 1d
Ruthiella @AllDebooks He‘s a favorite author of mine too. 😀 1d
Ruthiella @AnnCrystal It is a very attractive edition! 🤩 1d
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 1d
59 likes5 comments
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Ruthiella
Not at Home | Doris Langley Moore
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Hello #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub reading friends! Our 2nd group read of 2025 kicks off in March. This‘ll be the 3rd title from Moore that we‘ve read together. IMO her books aren‘t particularly cosy - they definitely have a few sharp edges. Let‘s see how this one turns out. 🤔

Read at your own pace and be sure to tag the group when you post.

Any one is welcome to join us. Please let me know if you‘d like to be added or removed from the tag list.

willaful Sadly I can't find this at any of my libraries, so probably will have to miss out. :-( Even interlibrary loan can't get it. 3d
Ruthiella @willaful Well that‘s disappointing! ☹️ 3d
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CarolynM Looking forward to this one even more than usual😃 Doris Langley Moore is becoming a favourite with me. 3d
bookandbedandtea This author is new to me. Looking forward to it. 😀 2d
Tamra Thank you! 😁 2d
Ruthiella @CarolynM I know. The two we‘ve read so far have been witty and with a bite. 👍 2d
Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea I hope you enjoy it. 😃We‘ve previously read in the group from the same author All Done by Kindness and (edited) 2d
Ruthiella @Tamra You are welcome! 🙏 2d
LeahBergen Yay!! I‘m looking forward to this as I so enjoyed the previous two! 2d
LeahBergen @willaful I see that there‘s a Kindle version on Amazon for $3.99 (if you read e-books) 2d
quietjenn Thanks for the reminder. I hope we like this one as much as the other. I'm more than ok with a little bite in my reading right now. 😏 2d
Ruthiella @LeahBergen I‘m super curious about it! 2d
Ruthiella @quietjenn I‘m looking for to finding out what this one is about. 2d
Kimzey Thanks! Looking forward to it. 1d
Ruthiella @Kimzey Me too! 1d
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Ruthiella
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Pickpick

#OffMyShelf “Published in last 2 years”

I generally don‘t care for short stories, but I love Atkinson - her writing style, her sense of humor and her pessimism about human nature. These stories are mainly interconnected and it was fun to find the links. They are also often slightly speculative and fantastical in nature.

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Ruthiella
The Zero Stone | Andre Norton
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A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick.

If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

🐈‍⬛ Eet had more personality than the humans (“just so”) in the book. What did you think of Eet as a character and his relationship with Murdoc?

CatLass007 I have gone as far as buying a paperback copy of the book. This is the cover. But since I find it very difficult to focus on print books and reading print causes eye strain, I haven‘t even started it yet. I must say the cat on the cover is a winner. 4d
Ruthiella @CatLass007 Yes, the cat on the cover is adorable. 😻 Does your library have access to Hoopla? That‘s how I listened to it. Also, Eet as described isn‘t as cute physically as a cat, but it definitely has a cat like personality…arrogance! 😹 (edited) 4d
CatLass007 My library offers both LIBBY and HOOPLA. But just as every library has different content inside the building, every library offers different content through the apps. I‘ve never considered my cat to be arrogant. They‘re just my little love bugs. They do have some issues with one another, but arrogance isn‘t one of them, it‘s all about who‘s the top cat. A hierarchy is very cat like. 4d
swynn I like Eet. Norton loves her cats and her cat-creatures, and I think that affection shines through. 2d
Ruthiella @swynn I didn‘t know but I suspected the author was a cat lover based on Eet‘s portrayal. 😸 I liked also how Murdoc begrudgingly trusted Eet and recognized Eet‘s superior instincts. (edited) 2d
52 likes5 comments
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Ruthiella
The Zero Stone | Andre Norton
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A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick.

If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

🐈‍⬛ This was full-on adventure SciFi with little to no underlying meaning or hidden agenda. I could totally see it published in a pulp serial of the past. Did you enjoy the plot?

The_Literary_Jedi This story lost me and I was really thinking I‘d love it. For me, it wasn‘t engaging enough and that is from my own need to be fully immersed. Norton had some good description but the pacing felt off for me. I ended up DNFing the book after 25% 4d
Ruthiella @The_Literary_Jedi I listened to part of it on audio which I think helped me tackle it. I agree about the pacing. It‘s actually only half the story. We don‘t get any resolution about where the stone comes from and how it can be used. Presumably this is all in the second book, which I might read just to find out. 4d
kwmg40 Sorry, couldn't fit this one into my month's reading! 3d
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Ruthiella @kwmg40 No worries! Life happens! 😉 3d
swynn I did like it, and I'll read the next book, “Uncharted Stars“, in March. One thing that struck me this time is how much deception there is among the characters. Almost everyone is something other than what they seem, or has motivations other than their overt ones. It felt more paranoid than on previous readings, which I found interesting. 2d
Ruthiella @swynn Interesting about the paranoia. I see what you mean. It‘s hard to know who to trust, if anyone. I‘ll probably also read the second book since it‘s readily available at my library. 2d
45 likes6 comments
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Ruthiella
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Pickpick

#OffMyShelf “Banned book”

In 2022 A Tennessee school district banned this Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic memoir about the Holocaust due to “inappropriate language” and an illustration of a nude woman.

Spiegelman‘s parents were both survivors of Auschwitz. This memoir is his father‘s story and also coming to terms with their relationship; a child of survivors. I‘m not a fan of graphic novels, I find them hard to parse. But this was powerful.

Leftcoastzen I love this book. 5d
Ruthiella @Leftcoastzen I was surprised by it because I normally have trouble with graphic stories. I often have a struggle whether to look at the pictures or the text first. But not here. 5d
Leftcoastzen It‘s a harsh masterpiece. 5d
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Bookwomble There was one US school district that banned it because of drawings of male genitalia - on cartoon mice - depicted as concentration camp victims 🤦🏻‍♂️ 5d
dabbe @Leftcoastzen 🎯🎯🎯 4d
wanderinglynn Excellent progress! 🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4d
67 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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Ruthiella
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#WhereAreYouMonday

I‘m still in 1920s New York City, but now in the world of dark corners, crumbs on the floor, spiders and rats and the perspective of a poet reincarnated as a cockroach. It‘s oddly adorable.

Leftcoastzen I‘ve wondered about this ! 😁I think he was a pretty big deal as a humor writer back in those days . 6d
Ruthiella Yes! My aunt (who turns 90 this month) told me how she used to read this with her dad in the newspaper as a child, which is why I bought it. 😃 6d
Bookwomble I read this last year and really enjoyed it 🪳🐈‍⬛ 4d
Ruthiella @Bookwomble I remember! Your posts encouraged me to finally pick it up. I‘ve owned it for a few years now. 4d
60 likes4 comments
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Ruthiella
Jazz | Toni Morrison
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Pickpick

Bingo! #OffMyShelf “By a BIPOC author”

Possibly next to “Tar Baby”, the least trauma inducing novel from Morrison so far. Yes, bad things happen, but I also found this book to be a celebration. It‘s about a love triangle gone wrong and a murder, the historical wounds of those involved, but also about hope and love; a love note to New York City and the flowering of Black American culture in the mid 20th century.

wanderinglynn Yay! 🎉You are rocking it! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1w
Ruthiella @wanderinglynn It‘s so satisfying see the board fill up! 😃 1w
TreenaReads 🙌🏽 1w
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Ruthiella
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Mehso-so

#OffMyShelf “By a celebrity”

I‘d heard this wasn‘t that good but curiosity got the best of me. He is arrogant, but not undeservedly. Kilmer is an incredible actor. But this memoir doesn‘t go very deep. He comes across as very smart but kind of a kook. I was surprised (why?) to find out what a devoted Christian Scientist he is.

Butterfinger I didn't know about Kilmer being a Christian Scientist. Does he discuss treatment? 1w
Ruthiella @Butterfinger Only a tiny bit.He was raised in the faith and writes often how important it has been in his life. He talks a bit about Mary Baker Eddy and quotes her from time to time. He mentions his own talent for faith healing, but tells only of one instance where he uses it successfully. Finally, he notes that he did agree to chemotherapy for his cancer, but mostly to reassure his children that he was NOT relying 100% on faith. 1w
AnishaInkspill I like the title and recognise it from Tombstone 1w
Ruthiella @AnishaInkspill I‘ve not seen all his films but of those I have watched, Tombstone is his best performance. 1w
wanderinglynn Yay! 🎉 Another book off your shelf 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1w
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Ruthiella
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#EBBR

Hello reading friends! This is a gentle reminder to get your hands on a copy of the tagged second Encyclopedia Brown book for March.

This buddy read is open to all. If anyone wants to be tagged, please let me know! 😃

@LitsyEvents

Sace Got it! Looking forward to it! 1w
bookandbedandtea I've got it! ❤️ 1w
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DGRachel My library has it available via Libby. YAY!! 1w
Ruthiella @DGRachel Yahoo! 😃 1w
Read4life I‘ve got mine!! 🤓 5d
Ruthiella @Read4life Fantastic! 5d
57 likes7 comments
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Ruthiella
Jazz | Toni Morrison
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#WhereAreYouMonday

Today I find myself in 1920s New York City. Optimism is in the air. The war to end all wars is over and Black Americans have more opportunity than ever in the North.

TheBookHippie One of my favorite Morrisons! 2w
Ruthiella @TheBookHippie I‘m on a mission to read all her novels! 2w
TheBookHippie @Ruthiella oh I can‘t wait to see what your favorites are!! I‘ve read them all. 2w
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Ruthiella @TheBookHippie I don‘t know if any will top Beloved, the only one I‘ve read twice (so far). After this one I have four more to go. 2w
Ruthiella @TheBookHippie Do you have a favorite? Or top three? 🤔 2w
TheBookHippie @Ruthiella The Bluest Eye, Jazz & Song of Solomon. 2w
Billypar I really liked this one, though Beloved is at the top of my list too. Paradise is my 2nd favorite. The Bluest Eye is on my shelf so will finally read it this year. 2w
Ruthiella @Billypar Paradise will come after Jazz because I also own a copy. That‘s encouraging to hear it is a favorite of yours. I read The Bluest Eye in the ‘90s, so I really need to revisit it. 2w
Reggie I love Beloved sooooo much. But there are a couple of passages about a mom and then another about a sofa from The Bluest Eye that come back to me over and over again. 1w
Ruthiella @Reggie Beloved gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. I definitely need to re-read every thing up to then, however, because it‘s been 30 years since I first read them and I have very little memory of plot or scenes. 1w
68 likes10 comments
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Ruthiella
The Zero Stone | Andre Norton
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#weekendreads

I‘m enjoying juggling only two books this Valentine‘s weekend.

“The Bell Jar” for #HashtagBrigade

“The Zero Stone” for #LitsySFBC

rachelsbrittain Love the Valentines take on #WeekendReads ! 2w
59 likes2 comments
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Ruthiella
Angelmaker | Nick Harkaway
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Mehso-so

#OffMyShelf “Over 400 pages”

I think I‘d‘ve enjoyed this more 10 years ago (when I bought it likely)!

This is a fantastical story of a man who lives in the shadow of his criminal father and genius grandparents and who is pulled against his will into a clockwork conspiracy and a villain who hopes to obtain god-like powers that threaten the fabric of the entire world.

Clever, intricate but honestly I could‘ve done without much of the detail.

bookandbedandtea I, too, have a habit of buying books that fit my interests but waiting so long to read them that they're no longer my cup of tea. 🤪 2w
Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea The perils of the TBR pile! I am a little (but only just a little) better at this now that my library access is expanded and I am more aware of my bookish physical limitations . 😅 So much easier to DNF a library book. 2w
wanderinglynn Yay! Another one off your shelf! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎉 2w
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sarahbarnes The number of times I‘ve felt that way after reading a book off my self that I bought over a decade ago! 😆 2w
Ruthiella @sarahbarnes I know I‘m in good company! 😆 2w
Ruthiella @wanderinglynn I am hoping to clear the board! 🤞 2w
54 likes6 comments
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Ruthiella
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Hey #EBBR reading friends! I hope you all had fun solving cases with Leroy “Encyclopedia” Brown. I freely admit, one stumped me (The Civil War Sword) and one I got only b/c I remembered the solution (The Happy Nephew). As an adult, I do think some of Encyclopedia‘s deductions would not hold up in court 😂

1. Did any particular case stand out to you over another?

2. Are you interested in continuing reading the next books with me on Litsy?

Read4life I really enjoyed revisiting these stories. I‘m in to continue reading them. 🤓 2w
TheAromaofBooks I was relieved to find that I was somewhat better at solving these as an adult 😂 But there were definitely a couple of times that the solution didn't feel like it was 100% the only possibility. Still, these were super fun and I'm definitely planning to keep reading!! 2w
bthegood I'm in for more, like others have said, I'm glad they don't stump me as much as an adult. I was was thrown by Encyclopedia saving his pulled tooth for his friend that collects teeth, don't remember what I thought of that when I originally read them🤪 (edited) 2w
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DGRachel @bthegood the tooth collection freaked me out! I have a vague memory of trying to read one of these as a kid and bailing because I couldn‘t get any of the solutions so I was very pleased to figure some of them out this time! I‘m absolutely game for more of these. I really enjoyed the format and agree wholeheartedly that the solves might not hold up. 🤣🤣 2w
bthegood @DGRachel glad I wasn't the only one😆 2w
Sace Oh I would love to continue reading these books! 2w
bookandbedandtea I'm reading this with my grandson- which is a delight!- but we're only halfway through so we haven't come to the teeth yet 😬 So far my favorite mystery has been the bank robber. 2w
Ruthiella @Read4life Awesome! I‘m totally enjoying this walk down memory lane also. 2w
Ruthiella @TheAromaofBooks I was seriously worried I would be as flummoxed as I was at 10! 😂 With age does come wisdom, thankfully! 2w
Ruthiella @bthegood I wonder if the tooth collection doesn‘t have some basis in fact? 🤔 I collected pennies and matchbooks as a kid (all spent now). Kids do sometimes have weird ideas! 😂 (edited) 2w
Ruthiella @Sace Great! I‘m totally having fun and they take no time at all to read. 2w
Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea Oh, what a great way to read these. The Bank Robbery one was one where I particularly thought that were it not for the actual evidence of the cash under the mattress, the clues could have been explained away by a good lawyer! But in kids mysteries, the criminal always confesses when confronted it seems! 😂 2w
bookandbedandtea @Ruthiella Oh I totally agree with you that a competent lawyer could have torn holes in that case, were it not for the money! I think I liked that he needed to investigate a bit rather than solve the case while eating dinner. And it's a good point that criminals seem to blab everything when confronted with a child detective! 😂 2w
Sace @Ruthiella soon it will be the crazy busy school season and I will need books that don‘t require lots of time and bandwidth. These will be perfect for that. 2w
bthegood @Ruthiella could have some basis in fact....🥴 2w
DebinHawaii I definitely was better solving these as an adult, but I did vaguely remember a few of them or similar stories/problems to solve with the solutions. 😆 It was fun & they are quick & easy reads, so I‘m in for reading more! 2w
Ruthiella @DebinHawaii Fantastic! Let‘s see how we fare with the next collection! 2w
44 likes17 comments
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Ruthiella
At Freddie's | Penelope Fitzgerald
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Pickpick

#OffMyShelf “Cover Buy”

A little stretch to make this fit the category. I bought it knowing nothing about it because of the EDITION rather than the cover. It matches my other books by Fitzgerald …

Fitzgerald‘s novels are short but challenging/perplexing. I enjoy the work but it takes a while to finish. This is about a run down theater school for children in London. It‘s sad in a shabby, melancholy way. The end was open, but rather chilling.

Janell ❤️ 3w
wanderinglynn Yay! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎉 3w
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Ruthiella
At Freddie's | Penelope Fitzgerald
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#WhereAteYouMonday

Today I‘m in 1960s London in the theater world and The Temple Stage School run by the larger than life Ms. Freddie Wentworth. The school feeds the local theaters‘ need for child actors while nominally educating and training them and remaining barely solvent. This is Penelope Fitzgerald, so there‘s a lot required of the reader to catch nuance.

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@bookandbedandtea I was willing to let Nancy slide visiting someone‘s home at 9:00 PM in The Haunted Bridge. And I recall in The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, she interrupted someone‘s dinner at a restaurant. BUT calling on the phone after 11:00 PM? 😱 No No No No! I think we found the one thing that Nancy is NOT perfect at! 😂

#NancyDrewBR

Librarybelle OMG! 😂 3w
Suet624 Haha. Bad manners! 3w
bookandbedandtea I know! I'm am little flabbergasted by these situations since Nancy's manners are usually impeccable. And, in fact, one of the indicators of villainy in these books is poor manners. What were these authors thinking with the late night visits and phone calls?? 🤔 3w
Reggie Lolol 3w
55 likes4 comments
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Ruthiella
The Bell Jar | Sylvia Plath
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#Hashtagbrigade

This is the edition I will be reading. Looking forward to this re-read to see if it still holds up for me. I first read it when I was in my twenties, not much older than the protagonist.

BarkingMadRead Love it! 3w
Librarybelle That‘s my edition too! 3w
Ruthiella @BarkingMadRead @Librarybelle It‘s got some nice extras! 3w
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Ruthiella
Angelmaker | Nick Harkaway
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#weekendreads Currently reading these four books:

📕 Angelmaker and At Freddie‘s are two from my #Roll100 picks for February.

📗The Clue of the Tapping Heels is for #NancyDrewBR .

📘I Kissed Shara Wheeler is my #TBRTarot choice for the month.

AlaMich I loved Angelmaker! It was pretty bonkers, though. I keep meaning to pick up another of his books but haven‘t gotten around to it yet. (edited) 3w
Ruthiella @AlaMich I‘m finding it slow going- so much description. But the plot is pretty bonkers, indeed! I will definitely read more from him in future. 3w
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Ruthiella
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Pickpick

Thank you @BarkingMadRead for leading the #Hashtagbrigade in this group read. Unlike some of the group‘s co-readers, I very much enjoyed this gentle, disjointed and plotless look at rural life in late 19th century England, which was based on the author‘s own experience. For me, the slow pace of the book really suited the chapter a day approach. 😃

This is also my first completed book for
#ChunksterChallenge2025
#AllergictoChunksters 👍👍

Amiable Yay, chunksters! Especially ones that you enjoy. 🎉 3w
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 3w
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#SeriesLove2025 #WhereareyouMonday

I‘m pleased to be back on board and in the early 19th century with Captain Jack Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin as they sail to what was then known as New Holland (Australia) and the Spice Islands (Indonesia). This is book five in the 20 book Aubrey-Maturin series.

LeahBergen I need to get back to this series! 4w
Ruthiella I pretty much only manage one book from it a year. 😅 4w
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Ruthiella
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Pickpick

I sneakily read my February #Roll100 book already. 🤭 At just 152 pages, it‘s fits the “Shortest on TBR” #OffMyShelf prompt.

I prefer the Wayfarer books but Martha Wells is correct with her blurb here, “An optimistic vision of a lush, beautiful world.” Not a lot of plot or tension. Sibling Dex and Mosscap visit the settlements on Panga before they approach The City. Such a positive view of what humanity is capable of.

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 1mo
wanderinglynn Yay! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 🎉 1mo
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Ruthiella
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Pickpick

#OffMyShelf “Anthology/Essays”

I picked this up at a library sale a few years ago. I‘ve only read three novels by Oates, but am always curious about her work, due to her prodigious output. This was fine. A soft pick - short stories aren‘t really my thing. I need more. They were all suitably disturbing and unsettling. My favorites were “The Model” and “The Premonition”.

wanderinglynn Yay! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1mo
DrSabrinaMoldenReads She‘s really an interesting person. 4w
Ruthiella @DrSabrinaMoldenReads She certainly is! 4w
DrSabrinaMoldenReads I recommend her memoir regarding her grief after her husband‘s death. There are surprises. After reading that, I was so surprised that it had seemed that she was already remarried when it was published. Was some her memoir fictionalized regarding her great love of him, I wondered. (edited) 4w
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Ruthiella
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#WhereAreYouMonday

I‘ve started one of my February #Roll100 books early and find myself in 1930s Alexandria, Egypt among the various residents, religions, and expatriates all coexisting together. Durrell‘s writing is difficult to wade through at times, but I‘m doing better since can anticipate it.

rubyslippersreads I only know Lawrence from the PBS TV show about his family (although I can‘t help thinking of the actor portraying him as Prince Charles from The Crown. 😄) 1mo
Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads I have yet to read the books written by his younger brother, Gerald Durrell, about their family life on Corfu that inspired the TV show. They are much more charming, as I understand. Less dissolute behavior, I imagine ! 1mo
Bookwomble My Family and Other Animals is a wonderful book. I read it at school and was entranced by the island life a world away from rainy Lancashire! 1mo
Ruthiella @Bookwomble It‘s on my list! 1mo
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Ruthiella
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Pickpick

🎶Another one bites the dust 🎵 #OffMyShelf “About Books”

A soft pick. It was for me quite superficial. Kakutani didn‘t necessarily convince me to read anything I wasn‘t already interested in except maybe moving Delillo‘s Underworld up a bit higher on my list. She also makes a lot of anti-Trump commentary, which I don‘t disagree with, but it will date the book in the long run. It was overall entertaining but I‘d prefer fewer books & more depth.

wanderinglynn Yay! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1mo
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Ruthiella
The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury
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Welcome to 2025 and our first book of the year.

A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

🚀In many of the stories, Bradbury addresses a real-world issue such as colonialism, racism, or censorship. How successful were these stories for you? Do you have any favorites?

Bookwomble Given that he was writing these stories in the late 40s & early 50s, as a Midwestern white man, I think he was well within the current of the Civil Rights movement. Of course, reading his expression of those ideas from a modern perspective can be cringy at times, but his liberation message is nonetheless clear. And he was getting these ideas across to a broad readership in an accessible form. I depart from him in some of his later statements, ⬇️ 1mo
Bookwomble ... but if we see further... shoulders of giants. 1mo
Ruthiella @Bookwomble think the anti-colonial themes particularly hold up. My favorite was probably “And The Moon Be Still As Bright”. 1mo
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The_Literary_Jedi “Usher 2” and censorship. Directly connected to Fahrenheit 451 and presently to social media addiction (the irony for some on that point! Students eat it up!) Bradbury clearly believes banning books leads to the downfall of lit & society which is appropriate for 2025; when we read it in class, we try to do it during Banned Books Week annually to broaden the discussion 1mo
Ruthiella @The_Literary_Jedi That story is definitely connected to Fahrenheit 451! I appreciated that little Easter Egg. I can see how parallels to social media can be extrapolated. Your students are lucky to have you. 1mo
AnishaInkspill for me all of them worked, just had something about them, and each one said something but did it with a light hand so you didn't even notice, or the way I read books I wouldn't have all I would have seen is the comedy. 1mo
kwmg40 @Ruthiella I too liked “And The Moon Be Still As Bright“ best. While Spender's methods were questionable, the struggle against those who pollute, exploit and destroy territories they enter, whether unwittingly or not, seem to be very relevant today. What would humans do to Mars or another planet if they were to occupy it, given they we've not had a great track record on Earth itself? 1mo
Ruthiella @AnishaInkspill That‘s great! You really mesh with Bradbury as a reader! 1mo
Ruthiella @kwmg40 My favorite SciFi novels or stories are those that make me think about humanity‘s current condition, for sure. Those are the ones that tend to stick with me. 1mo
swynn The messages mostly hold up well. “And the Moon Be Still As Bright“ seems to address our moment even more than it did the author's, and “There Will Come Soft Rains“ still packs a punch. One surprise for me was “The Fire Balloons,“ which I don't even remember from previous readings, but speaks to experiences I've had since my last reading. 1mo
Ruthiella @swynn The themes addressed in this collection are still timely, for sure. I think one or two might stick with me. I read Bradbury‘s “All Summer in a Day” as a child and never forgot it. 1mo
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The Martian Chronicles | Ray Bradbury
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Welcome to 2025 and our first book of the year.

A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

🚀It‘s an interesting discussion point to debate if Bradbury is even a “science fiction” writer. Certainly, his writing style is special - quite poetic at times. Would you classify him as SciFi or literary fiction or something else?

Bookwomble Literary Sci-Fi? He deliberately transgressed genre boundaries, lifting science fiction, at least somewhat, out of the pulp gutter that "serious" critics had pushed it into. Most fiction, regardless of genre, is disposable, but they condemned all sci-fi as trash, which it wasn't, and isn't, and in doing so ghettoised a generation of writers. TMC is so clearly not about Martians, little green men and bug-eyed monsters ? 1mo
Ruthiella @Bookwomble I‘m trying to think of other “SciFi” writers who also don‘t exactly fall under that umbrella…Vonnegut comes to mind. 1mo
Bookwomble @Ruthiella Aldous Huxley and J. G. Ballard come to mind, too, as having used the SF form while not being totally identified with it. Philip K. Dick didn't fare as well: his non-genre fiction didn't find a publisher in his lifetime but they're some of his best work, imo. 1mo
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RamsFan1963 Bradbury is not a writer who can be easily pidgeon holed into one genre. He's written sci-fi, fantasy, crime noir, mysteries and even horror (I'm thinking of Something Wicked This Way Comes which could be either dark fantasy or horror of a gentle variety). Its easier for publishers to label a writer, to sell their product to a particular market. 1mo
Ruthiella @RamsFan1963 I think a few of the stories in The Martian Chronicles would fit well under the horror label, personally. The most powerful for me was maybe “There Will Come Soft Rains”. (edited) 1mo
The_Literary_Jedi We teach “Soft Rains” often in our 9th grade lit course as literary horror & put it up next to Dagon, Frankenstein, & Dracula. I love “Usher 2” myself and it falls in that line of a horror but set in a sci-fi atmosphere. I generally say if it‘s an extraterrestrial setting or character, its main genre is Sci-Fi & then it can be sub-catted elsewhere 1mo
Ruthiella @The_Literary_Jedi Absolutely. Categories are both useful and limiting. I agree that “Usher 2” could also fall under the horror category. 1mo
AnishaInkspill He just fit anywhere, but I think that‘s why this is so easy to enjoy. 1mo
kwmg40 I don't think books need to be put into one slot or the other. Bradbury's stories could be both sci-fi and literary. HIs work is definitely not hard science fiction, but hard sci-fi is, these days, a small category of everything that could go under the sci-fi umbrella. 1mo
Ruthiella @AnishaInkspill I agree, that is why he appeals to so many readers. 👍 1mo
Ruthiella @kwmg40 I think to market books, many feel they must be presented under some kind of label. And you are absolutely right in that even under SciFi there are many subgroups. 1mo
swynn I'm a curmudgeon who thinks all literature is literary, and “literary fiction“ as a separate genre is a hoax. Interestingly, my copy of TMC has an introduction by Bradbury where he says only one story, “There Will Come Soft Rains,“ is actually science fiction. But genre boundaries are fuzzy, and depending on context I think of these stories as either SF, or fantasy, or both. 1mo
Ruthiella @swynn I agree that lit fic is a mirage. But genre distinctions can be helpful for a reader. And I would argue that part of Bradbury‘s appeal is his writing style. He has a rhythm and cadence all his own. I personally find him difficult to read as a result, but for others, that‘s the draw. 1mo
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Pickpick

#OffMyShelf Nonfiction

Why I bought this book 18 years ago? 😂 I think I must have read a review, probably in EW? Glad this challenge finally made me pick it up. I too rarely read nonfiction - this was about Mary Shelly‘s half-sister‘s short life. Quite sad but I found it interesting. How Fanny‘s might have been different had her mother lived. Since little is known about Fanny Wollstonecraft, a lot of the book is more about her famous family.

wanderinglynn Yay for getting it off your shelf! 🎉👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1mo
Cathythoughts I love the 18 years. ❤️ 1mo
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#EBBR
Encyclopedia Brown Buddy Read

Tagging those who expressed interest in revisiting or discovering this children‘s detective classic by reading the first book in the series in February. I‘ll check in with you all around mid month to see how we fared matching wits with the boy detective!

All are welcome. 😊 If you are interested and would like to be added to the tag list, let me know.

TiredLibrarian I used to love these! 1mo
Ruthiella @TiredLibrarian Me too! I‘m pretty sure I will be stumped even now by them. 😂 1mo
DGRachel I almost forgot about this!! Thank you for the reminder. 1mo
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DebinHawaii Great! My e-book hold says about 2 weeks so the timing is good! 🤗 1mo
Ruthiella @DGRachel You‘re welcome! ☺️ 1mo
Ruthiella @DebinHawaii Perfect timing! It‘s barely 100 pages long, so it won‘t take long to read it. 👍 1mo
Sace Woo hoo! 🥳 1mo
Read4life Please add me. I‘d love to revisit these. Thank you. 1mo
Ruthiella @Sace Put your thinking cap on! 😅 1mo
Ruthiella @Read4life You‘re in the list! 👍 (edited) 1mo
Ruthiella @Liz_M Thanks! 😊 1mo
DGRachel Hard copy is in transit to my library branch, but I may splurge on a ebook. 1mo
Ruthiella @DGRachel If you have access to Hoopla through your library, the audio books are available! 1mo
bthegood my library has these, I've put the first book on my Feb. reading list - I used to love this series - so count me in please! Thanks for doing this buddy read - 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Oh please add me!! I own several of these, so I'll definitely jump in for the ones that I already have on my shelves. I haven't read them in yeeeeears! 1mo
bookandbedandtea I'll play! I read everything I could get my hands on as a child yet I don't recall ever reading this series. 🤔 I'm curious! 1mo
Ruthiella @TheAromaofBooks Awesome! Great to have you on board! 😃 1mo
Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea Fantastic! You are tagged! 😊 1mo
Ruthiella @bthegood You are welcome. We‘ll both have a blast from the past! 😄 1mo
Sace @TheAromaofBooks Same! I‘ve got at least half a dozen already on my shelf. 1mo
TheAromaofBooks @Sace - Ironically, I don't have the first book 😂 But it's coming from the library!! 1mo
InkedBookworm13 Please add me 😀 1mo
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Ruthiella
Angelmaker | Nick Harkaway
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Three #Roll100 picks for February are quite short which bodes well for me completing all four, though Durrell is a struggle for me at any length.

📙6 Angelmaker by Nick Harkaway

📘60 At Freddie‘s by Penelope Fitzgerald

📗42 A Prayer for the Crown Shy by Becky Chambers

📕 82 Balthazar by Lawrence Durrell

LeahBergen I‘ve been wanting to read At Freddie‘s. 1mo
Ruthiella This will be the fourth Fitzgerald title I‘ve read. I have high hopes! 🤞 1mo
PuddleJumper 🙌🙌 1mo
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#WhereAreYouMonday

This Monday finds me on the Planet Mars. It‘s only the second time I‘ve visited here in books, I think, having only previously read Andy Weir.

AnnCrystal 🆒🛸😎. 1mo
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Ruthiella
Sugar Street | Jonathan Dee
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Pickpick

Super short, provocative book about a man‘s attempt to erase himself and his entitlement as a white, middle class American man. What‘s he running from? What is his agenda? Definitely a book that made me think. It also made me a little paranoid. Thanks for the recommendation @Lesliereadsalot

Lesliereadsalot Glad you liked it! After “Leaving‘ I wasn‘t sure you‘d trust me! 🩷 1mo
Ruthiella @Lesliereadsalot I‘d say there‘s a Venn diagram of overlap in what we appreciate. 😃 1mo
CarolynM Good to know you enjoyed it. I‘ve got a copy of it but, like so many others, I haven‘t got to it yet. I‘ve read and enjoyed a few of his. 1mo
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Cathythoughts Sounds good 😁 stacked 👍🏻 1mo
Ruthiella @CarolynM l‘d never ever heard of him and I now see he‘s written quite a bit and been nominated for prizes. So I‘m also glad for the introduction. 1mo
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts It‘s a bit of a head-scratcher. Hope you like it if you end up picking it up. 🤞 1mo
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I had to look up the etiquette of calling cards. So complicated!

#HashtagBrigade

Reggie This is a lot. 1mo
Ruthiella @Reggie I‘m glad it isn‘t something I have to worry about! It‘s so intricate. 1mo
AnnCrystal woW, that's complicated. It always seems simple and elegant in the movies 😂👍💝. 1mo
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Ruthiella @AnnCrystal I know, right? 😅 1mo
Megabooks Wow! Things were hard before texting. 😉 😂 1mo
Ruthiella @Megabooks You could even ghost people by not returning a card! 😅 1mo
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#weekendreads

📕Continuing with Indian Horse for #OhCanada .

📗Started Sugar Street based on @Lesliereadsalot ‘s intriguing review.

📘The Best of All Possible Worlds is my last #Roll100 for January and I don‘t like it at all.

📙Continuing on with Lark Rise a chapter a day for #HashtagBrigade

ChaoticMissAdventures I read Indian Horse last year and really enjoyed it. He is such a talented storyteller. I also didn't like Possible Worlds, which is such a bummer I really like Karen Lord in interviews, and the premise sounds interesting but I just couldn't get thorough it, and I tried 3 or 4 different times. 1mo
Cathythoughts Oh no , to the tagged book! I‘m stacking to see what I think. 🤔 (edited) 1mo
Ruthiella @ChaoticMissAdventures The writing in Indian Horse keeps the pages turning, despite the heavy subject matter, which I appreciate. Yeah, Karen Lord is so beloved, but alas her style is for me. 1mo
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Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Our dearly departed mutual friend Jenny @ReadingEnvy gave it 5⭐️ on Goodreads, so I had high hopes. But it‘s just not my cuppa. More romance than SciFi IMO with no real plot. 1mo
Cathythoughts Ok. Good information 👍🏻 It‘s lovely to remember Jenny ♥️💔 1mo
Suet624 WHY can I never remember to read a Richard Wagamese story? Grrr…. 1mo
Ruthiella @Suet624 So many books, so little time! 1mo
Lesliereadsalot Looking forward to your thoughts! 1mo
BiblioLitten @Ruthiella The book is devastating and hopeful at the same time. 1mo
Ruthiella @BiblioLitten A tricky balance! But I think he managed it. 1mo
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Ruthiella
The Golden One | Elizabeth Peters
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Pickpick

Another #OffMyShelf book. “book with a map” Also #SeriesLove2025

This was excellent. The family relationships were lovely and it was often quite funny. Peters made a good call when she decided to “resurrect” the Master Criminal.

Due to the dangers of travel during WWI, the Emerson‘s opt to remain in Luxor indefinitely. Ramses becomes embroiled with the secret service again and the whole family travels incognito to Turkish occupied Palestine.

TheSpineView Excellent!🤩📖 2mo
Andrew65 Brilliant 📚🥳👏 2mo
wanderinglynn Yay! 🥳👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 1mo
BiblioLitten Do they have to be read in order? The Peters books? 1mo
Ruthiella @BiblioLitten I think they are best read in order, though the earlier books are a little more silly than the later ones. But you could try one out of order just to see if it fits your taste. Also, if you like and have access to audio, the narration by Barbara Rosenblatt is fantastic and the books read by Susan O‘Malley are good too. 1mo
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The Seeker: The Seeker 1 | S. G. MacLean
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#49bdaygiveaway

Thank you Lynn for this generous opportunity. 😊 I hope your day was fantastic! 🥳 I wish you many happy returns. 🎂 The tagged book is the first in mystery series I‘ve been eyeing for a while.

wanderinglynn Thanks for entering! 🥳 2mo
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Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese
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#WhereAreYouMonday

I find myself in Canada today. I‘ve just started the inaugural #OhCanada read. New author for me and the first couple chapters are promising, though I know it‘s also going to make me sad.

Prairiegirl_reading Richard Wagamese is one of my favourite authors! I have not read this one but I‘ve read a number of his others and I think I‘ve rated them all 5 stars. I hope you enjoy it. And yes have the tissues ready. 2mo
Ruthiella @Prairiegirl_reading Thanks for the heads up on the tissues! I will try to prepare myself. 2mo
BiblioLitten I‘m starting this too! I was in Kamchatka Peninsula and am just about to start Wagamese! 2mo
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BiblioLitten @Prairiegirl_reading I‘m starting Indian Horse too, but I really loved Keeper n Me by the same author. 2mo
Tamra Sooooo good! I have a special fondness for indigenous writers & writing. 2mo
Ruthiella @Tamra Good to hear! 2mo
Prairiegirl_reading @BiblioLitten I loved keeper ‘n me too! Ragged company, Dream Wheels, Medicine Walk all excellent. Richard Wagamese is just great with character and place. 2mo
CarolynM I‘m looking forward to getting started on this one 2mo
Ruthiella @CarolynM I have a very good feeling about it based on the first few chapters. 2mo
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Mehso-so

#OffMyShelf “hardback”

This book disappointed me. It‘s not quite memoir nor is it a proper history of jigsaw puzzles or of children‘s games. It‘s a hodgepodge and, IMO, it didn‘t always hang together. Some will find the hodgepodge charming, no doubt. Still, Drabble is a good writer, so it wasn‘t always a slog and I did learn the occasional fact, which hopefully I will remember. Like the Temple of Mithras in London.

CaramelLunacy What does it say about the Temple of Mithras? 2mo
Ruthiella @CaramelLunacy Not much. Just that it exists in London as part of the “jigsaw” composition of that venerable city. But I googled it and fell down an internet rabbit hole as a result. 2mo
wanderinglynn 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 another one off your shelf! 2mo
CaramelLunacy @Ruthiella the best kind of rabbit hole 2mo
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Untitled | Unknown
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#weekendreads

As is often the case, I have too much on the go. The Golden One for #SeriesLove2025 and is on audio. The #NancyDrewBR will go fast. I‘m enjoying the slow pace of my #HashtagBrigade book Lark Rise to Candleforth. Girl, Interrupted is a whim read and I‘m almost done. Quite different from the movie. Haunted is for #Roll100 and not my cup of tea-short stories. The Pattern in the Carpet is just ok but will work for #OffMyShelf.

BarbaraBB So many different books! 2mo
Ruthiella @BarbaraBB I like to keep it varied! 2mo
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Untitled | Unknown
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#ThreeListThursday #TLT

This list was a little Moomim Troll heavy? And of the 27 I‘ve read, 12 I only read as an adult.

In any case, these are three of my childhood favorites.

rwmg I couldn't remember which Moomin Troll books I'd read so I just marked some of them at random. 2mo
Ruthiella @rwmg I‘ve never read any. I think they were more a European thing…like Enid Blyton ( who wasn‘t even on that list!) (edited) 2mo
willaful They really are wonderful, but I agree, over-represented. 2mo
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Ruthiella @willaful I think it‘s better when these kinds of lists don‘t list the same author multiple times. 2mo
dabbe I hadn't even HEARD of a MOOMIN book! 😱 Where the heck have I been? Thanks for playing and sharing. 🩶🖤🩶 2mo
Ruthiella @dabbe I only found out about the Moonmin fairly recently myself! 😆 2mo
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Ruthiella
The Last Kingdom | Bernard Cornwell
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Pickpick

#OffMyShelf (Published over 10 years ago)
#Roll100

I didn‘t realize this was the start of a 16 book series! 😬 First published in 2006.

This is the story of Uhtred, the Saxon son of a Northumbrian Eorlemann who is taken at the age of 10 and raised by the invading Danes. The Last Kingdom refers to Wessex, which is the last Anglo-Saxon holdout against the Danes. This is excellent historical fiction. Violent but likely historically accurate.

willaful 16 books! Ack! I know exactly what you mean. 2mo
Ruthiella @willaful I know! 😂 I thought it was as a trilogy max! (edited) 2mo
LeahBergen My husband has read them all but I think I stopped after book 5 or 6. I tend to do that with big series! 😆 2mo
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Ruthiella @LeahBergen It‘s a big commitment! 😆 2mo
wanderinglynn Yay! Off to a great start! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2mo
Ruthiella @wanderinglynn Hope to keep up the momentum! 🤞 2mo
eeclayton I'm glad you liked it. I read all 16 books, over several years, with lots of breaks of various length between installments. It actually felt really nice when there were further books left, like opportunities to return to this world. Not every book is equally strong, but I found something to enjoy in each. 2mo
Ruthiella @eeclayton Good to know. I will likely continue on but like you did, as the books come to me and I have an urge to read historical fiction. 👍 2mo
AnishaInkspill I have this on my tbr ( 😂been there for a few years), seriously, 16 books, maybe it will stay there for a few more 😂 2mo
Ruthiella @AnishaInkspill I hear you! 😂 if it‘s any consolation, I think one can also read this as a standalone. 2mo
PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 1mo
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Pickpick

In 1912, young Pamela inherits her romance novelist Aunt Addie‘s unpublished first novel. 20 years later she discovers the truth behind the manuscript and Victorian melodrama and the real reason Addie never married.

A soft pick for this month‘s #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub selection. It was humorous, though “The Bastard of Pinsk” went a little too long for my patience. But mostly I found it sad, and I don‘t know if that was the author‘s intention?

CarolynM Great review. Still waiting impatiently for my copy to arrive... 2mo
LeahBergen I haven‘t quite got to the “Bastard” novel section yet. I‘ll come back when I‘m done! 2mo
Ruthiella @CarolynM Hopefully it will arrive soon. 🤞 2mo
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Ruthiella @LeahBergen Some of young Adelaide‘s malapropisms and misunderstandings in it are a hoot! 😅 2mo
willaful @LeahBergen I've just gotten to it but confess to very little interest. I'd like to get back to the main story. 2mo
LeahBergen @willaful oh oh! 😬 2mo
Tamra Hahaha! I‘m 3/4 in and I was saying the same thing to myself about Adelaide‘s first novel. Definitely hit the mark as a 16 year old writer of the era. 😜 2mo
Ruthiella @willaful Her “novel” has a bearing on the rest of the book , so stay with it. 2mo
Ruthiella @Tamra It‘s hard to think a girl could be that sheltered, but of course it happens. 2mo
Tamra @Ruthiella yes it does! My grandmother said she still believed storks brought babies when she got married! 😳 2mo
willaful I found it sad too, and am also unsure about whether it was intentional or not. I think it's left somewhat open to interpretation. 1mo
Ruthiella @willaful My initial reaction was one of sadness, for sure. 1mo
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#WhereAreYouMonday

I‘m mainly in Long Bennington in Lincolnshire off the Great North Road where Margaret Drabble‘s maternal grandparents had a tea house and lodging during her childhood. This is a gentle, introspective memoir, focusing mainly on one favorite aunt, but also quite meandering.

LeahBergen Well, this sounds fascinating! 2mo
Ruthiella @LeahBergen It‘s a bit of a hodgepodge so far, but if you like Drabble as an author, I‘d recommend it. 2mo
readingjedi ...with jigsaws?!? I'm stacking! 🧩🧩🧩 2mo
Ruthiella @readingjedi Jigsaws do come up because they were a shared activity between Drabble and her aunt. But it‘s not the focus of the book, alas. I also love jigsaw puzzles 🧩! 2mo
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Ruthiella
Blue Ruin: A novel | Hari Kunzru
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#12Booksof2024

I read a lot in December due to time off work. Most of my favorites I‘ve already posted about for challenges. I want to highlight this title because I love Kunzru as an author. It didn‘t delve into the fantastical like others from him but it‘s still a crazy story. I appreciated Kunzru‘s intelligence and questioning of reality-why we value what we value. In large part, it‘s about art; what isn‘t art; how society commodifies art.

Cathythoughts Sounds like one to stack 👍🏻 2mo
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts My favorite by Kunzru is 2mo
Andrew65 Looks good.

Thanks for playing along, it‘s been great seeing everyone‘s books. Hope to see you on the First day of Christmas later this year for #12Booksof2025. 👏👏👏😊🎉🥳
2mo
Ruthiella @Andrew65 Thanks so much for organizing! Looking forward to a great year of reading! 😊 2mo
Andrew65 @Ruthiella Amen to that. I love hosting this. 2mo
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Untitled | Unknown
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#weekendreads

My weekend plans are to get stuck in to these three books. It‘s been blissful two weeks with only having to check my work emails occasionally. Next week it‘s back to the grindstone 😭 with far less puttering and reading time available.

Cathythoughts Enjoy ❤️ 2mo
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Thank you! 😊 2mo
TrishB I just checked my work emails for the first time since I finished on the 18th December….. 2mo
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Ruthiella @TrishB I hope they weren‘t too bad! That‘s in part why I check during my vacation…to alleviate the landslide on my first day back. 2mo
merelybookish I didn't realize Eleanor Farjeon has written for adults. I have read some of her children's literature. Enjoy your weekend! 2mo
Tamra I feel you. 😞 2mo
Ruthiella @merelybookish I didn‘t know she was a children‘s author until I read the introduction. Interestingly, this murder mystery I read a couple of weeks ago was written by her brother! 2mo
Ruthiella @Tamra Eight more years to retirement, if I am lucky. 🤞 2mo
Tamra @Ruthiella I‘m in roughly in the same range! 🤞🏾 I am dreading (procrastinating) prepping next week because it means the break is all but over. The “on” button will be lit up until May. (edited) 2mo
Ruthiella @Tamra Me too. Unless I take a dedicated vacation day, my next holiday is Memorial Day. 😬 (edited) 2mo
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#12Booksof2024

I really loved being back with Jackson Brodie in this latest novel, which I read in November. I love Atkinson overall and I particularly love her Jackson Brodie books. They are both melancholy and hopeful and can also make me laugh.

CarolynM 🙌 2mo
Andrew65 This is one I need to get to. 2mo
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Untitled | Unknown
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Actually, I am drawn to chunky novels - I love ‘em! 😂

I realized that I had a number of planned books for 2025 (FOUR are for #HashtagBrigade !) that would fit the #AllergictoChunksters and #ChunksterChallenge2025 , so I‘m hopping on board. More may be forthcoming but for now I have:

Lark Rise to Candleford - 556 pages
The Mill on the Floss - 579 pages
The Woman in White - 626 pages
Wives and Daughters - 679 pages
The Quincunx - 781 pages

BarbaraBB I absolutely loved both The Woman in White and The Quincunx! 2mo
BarbaraBB And The Mill on the Floss! 2mo
AllDebooks I love a good chunkster, more bang for your buck, as it were. 😅 The Quincunx is a favourite of mine. 2mo
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Ruthiella @BarbaraBB The Woman in White will be a re-read for me but The Mill on the Floss and The Quincunx will both be for the first time. I am glad to have your endorsement! 😃 (edited) 2mo
Ruthiella @AllDebooks Agreed! I love getting lost in a long book. Glad also to get a second thumbs up for The Quincunx! 😊 2mo
dabbe My thoughts on Lark Rise so far ... 😴💤🥱 2mo
Amiable @AllDebooks Agreed! Why pay the same price for a book with 300 pages when you can get one with 700, is my thought. 🤷🏻‍♀️😀 2mo
Ruthiella @dabbe It certainly isn‘t very plot driven! 😂 2mo
Ruthiella @Amiable Absolutely! 👍 2mo
julieclair Glad you‘re joining us! 😃 It hadn‘t really dawned on me that we have 4 chunksters for #HashtagBrigade . Since my personal goal is 3 for the year, if I just keep up my reading for that challenge, I‘ll exceed my goal for #AllergicToChunksters ! Woo hoo! 2mo
Ruthiella @julieclair The beauty of the #HashtagBrigade is it holds me accountable (to myself). Reading The Quincunx will be more challenging for me personally. 🤞 2mo
julieclair I agree about the #HashtagBrigade . I don‘t want to miss out on all the fun, so I keep reading. 2mo
56 likes12 comments