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Sweettartlaura

Sweettartlaura

Joined May 2016

Follow me at Goodreads, too, because sometimes 451 characters just aren't enough ๐Ÿ˜Š. https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5010988-laura
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Sweettartlaura
Favorites | Garret Mathews
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My favorites from 2022 - with 273 reads, I can‘t pick just 12 ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
Notes on each in the comments belowโ€ฆ

Sweettartlaura All My Colors by David Quantick -
Wow - perhaps the biggest surprise of the year for me. Obsession, madness, hubris, eternal. If you want something different, check this out.
3mo
Sweettartlaura All the Lies They Did Not Tell by Pablo Trincia - Remember the Satanic Panic of the 1980s? It happened in Italy, too, except 10-20 years later. And this lays clear just how insane it was - for them and for us. It‘s worth reading these days as other insane ideas take root in our culture. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Ball Four by Jim Bouton - I listened to this for a reading challenge, and I‘m glad I did. It‘s like listening to your Grampa tell you about his glory days. 3mo
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Sweettartlaura The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St James - St James has become an auto-buy for me. This is her latest; you can dive into her catalog wherever you like. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar - a must-read for the true crime fans. Get it ~ read it ~ you might find yourself thinking, โ€œshe tricked me๐Ÿคจโ€, at one point. But then you‘ll realize the author tricks us all ๐Ÿ˜‰ 3mo
Sweettartlaura A Children‘s Bible by Lydia Millet - Millet is a bit of an acquired taste, but not enough people have tried her, I think. This one is an indictment of my and older generations, and offers a new understanding of the intersection of science & faith. And all of it is fair, and worth considering. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Cinder by Marissa Mayer - This is a space opera, but dammit, I loved it! Another read for a challenge (or else I wouldn‘t have read it), I was enthralled with this world. If, like me, you tend to avoid this genre but still want to expand your horizons, give this a try. 3mo
Sweettartlaura The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez - My favorite short story collection this year. Horror in foreign lands feels a little extra scary & insidious for its unfamiliarity. 3mo
Sweettartlaura An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir - another one I had avoided due to its genre, and another mistake on my part. The world Tahir creates here is brutal (it‘s modeled on the lower classes of Roman society). But I‘m looking forward to catching up on the sequels for a taste of adventure and daring. 3mo
Sweettartlaura The Hacienda by Isabel Canas - a darn good haunted house story ๐Ÿ‘ป 3mo
Sweettartlaura How Lucky by Will Leitch - a beautiful story about friendship, heroics, and the meaning of each life. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid - TJR is a reliable read at this point - she never disappoints. And this story of 4 siblings helping each other grow up after troubles and trauma doesn‘t have a single flaw. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss - if you tell me to read a book, I WILL read it - but maybe not in a timely manner. Tammy suggested this YEARS ago ~ it went on the list ~ and I finally got to it ๐Ÿ˜‰. And it was great! I learned a few tricks I‘ve already used and intend to use some more ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป 3mo
Sweettartlaura The North Water by Ian McGuire - This is a story about a whaling expedition to the Arctic in the 1800sโ€ฆ and it‘s fantastic! Don‘t believe me? There‘s a limited series of this out already, with Colin Farrell. It‘s dark, and scary, and uncomfortableโ€ฆ but really good ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป 3mo
Sweettartlaura Powerful Women of the Medieval World by Dorsey Armstrong - really illuminating. The whole thing is worth it just to learn the story of Princess Olga of Kyiv. 3mo
Sweettartlaura The Premonition by Michael Lewis - a recap of the COVID pandemic by an outstanding investigative journalist. Meet Dr. Charity Dean, the person we should all aspire to be in trying times. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Quiet Time by Derek Miller - A good look at our current culture, by inserting Americans who have never lived in America right into the midst of the 21st century. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel - Sci-fi ~ time travel ~ space travel ~ pandemics ~ and perfectly formed characters in less than 300 pages. Nothing to not love here โ™ฅ๏ธ 3mo
Sweettartlaura The Southern Book Club‘s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix - Genuinely scary. And a reminder of what mothers will do for their children. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Surrender by Bono - I‘m just finishing this as I write this - what a great way to end the year. Listen to it. And read/listen to it even if you think you‘re too cool for U2 ๐Ÿ™„. His is the story of a generation, and he‘s been our ambassador to many places and times in our shared time in this universe. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Tangled Up in Blue by Rosa Brooks - This 40-something law professor at Georgetown decided to become a police officer, and she took us all along for the ride. Insightful & helpful, especially in today‘s times. 3mo
Sweettartlaura The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin - As read by Meryl Streep, Toibin‘s meditation on being the mother of Christ is familiar at first, then thoughtful, challenging, and even harrowing. To see through her eyes what the world does with their ideas of this woman‘s childโ€ฆ it literally took my breath a couple times. (edited) 3mo
Sweettartlaura Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin - This book is topping many Best of lists this year, and it meets all the hype. Pick this one up for sure. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia - Like Millet, I don‘t think enough people have tried Racculia, but you definitely should. This is kooky, and fun, and sweet. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Unholy Night by Seth Grahame -Smith - A very irreverent look at the story of the Three Wise Men. A lot of fun. And a few moments of true beauty. 3mo
Sweettartlaura Unthinkable by Jamie Raskin - This is the story of dual disasters in Jamie Raskin‘s life. On Jan 6, 2021, Raskin was still grieving the loss of his son. Then he was running for his own life. And then he took up the fight for our democracy. Both an ode and an elegy to his son, this gave me great comfort, knowing there are decent people like Raskin doing their best for us all every day. 3mo
Sweettartlaura The Winners by Fredrik Backman - ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ๐Ÿ˜ญ

The end of the story of Beartown.

It‘s 670 pages, and I read every damn word. Backman is just that good a writer - and so is his translator ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป
3mo
Sweettartlaura Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe - Did you know there is a repository of recorded interviews, covering the events of The Troubles by the people who participated in them, at Boston College? Neither did I ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ. Neither did the authorities, until fairly recently. This is that story. It‘s an excellent read. 3mo
KateReadsYA I just added an ember in the ashes, thanks for posting your thoughts! ๐Ÿค— 3mo
Sweettartlaura @KateReadsYA yay!!! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did ๐Ÿ™‚ 3mo
Bookzombie I loved The North Water! Tuesday is on my TBR because I loved 3mo
Sweettartlaura @Bookzombie yay! Another Racculia fan! Isn‘t she great? ๐Ÿ˜ 3mo
29 likes32 comments
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Sweettartlaura
Statistic (Statistic, #1) | Dawn Robertson
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My stats for 2022!
All challenges completed โœ”๏ธ

vivastory Congrats ๐Ÿ‘๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ“š 3mo
Clwojick Amazing! Way to go! 3mo
Bookzombie Congratulations! 3mo
18 likes3 comments
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Sweettartlaura
Challenge Accepted | Carol Rose
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Is anyone else doing the #tenbeforetheend challenge?
Pick 10 books to finish by the end of the year.
Here are my picks ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

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Sweettartlaura
The Night Circus | Erin Morgenstern
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Do I need a tarot deck?
No.
Am I gonna start telling fortunes ๐Ÿ”ฎ?
No.
Do I want a tarot deck Erin Morgenstern developed while writing The Night Circus ๐ŸŽช?
Hell, yeah, I do!
This is a work of art โ™ฅ๏ธ
Check out the Phantomwise Tarot. It‘s gorgeous ๐Ÿคฉ

ladym30 It is gorgeous!โค๏ธ 4mo
StaceGhost Oh no! It‘s so pretty! And I love Erin Morgenstern! 4mo
36 likes2 comments
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Sweettartlaura
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Do I need a tarot deck?
No.
Am I gonna start telling fortunes ๐Ÿ”ฎ?
No.
Do I want a tarot deck Erin Morgenstern developed while writing The Night Circus ๐ŸŽช?
Hell, yeah, I do!
This is a work of art โ™ฅ๏ธ

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Sweettartlaura
Koko | Peter Straub
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It‘s #nationalreadabookday and I just heard the sad news that Peter Straub has passed away.
So I‘ll take today to recommend his Talisman books with Stephen King, and his Blue Rose Trilogy. Pick up any book by Straub if you‘ve never read him - he‘s a treasure - and let him live on through the works he‘s left behind.

DGRachel This makes me sad. Koko was one of the first adult horror novels I read. 6mo
Sweettartlaura @DGRachel me too ๐Ÿ˜ข. He wasn‘t as prolific as King (who is? ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ), but every book was a winner. 6mo
Sweettartlaura @DGRachel me, too ๐Ÿ˜ข 6mo
kelli7990 I‘ve never read any of his books. 6mo
DivineDiana I have not read any of his books yet. Thank you for the recommendations. I will try to read one to honor his passing. 6mo
27 likes5 comments
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Sweettartlaura
Wow, No Thank You | Samantha Irby
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Just got a friend request on Goodreads from some guy.
Checked out what he reads - I don‘t need to fill my feed with stuff i‘m not interested in.

And it‘s allllllllll stuff like this ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
Nope! ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜–

ravenlee ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿ˜ณ๐Ÿคจ๐Ÿคฃ 7mo
rubyslippersreads Yikes! ๐Ÿ˜ณ 7mo
Susanita Oh dear 7mo
27 likes3 comments
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Sweettartlaura
You | Caroline Kepnes
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It doesn‘t matter what it‘s called - it only matters that IT‘S HAPPENING ๐Ÿคฉ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป๐Ÿพโ™ฅ๏ธ

Chelsea.Poole Ohhh yes!! Thanks for posting. ๐Ÿ‘ 7mo
22 likes1 comment
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Sweettartlaura
A Kind of Freedom: A Novel | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Got #bookmail today
Brought this to my local bar to enjoy with an adult beverage
Opened it up and voila! I scored a signed copy!๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ†

DivineDiana Signed copy! 7mo
25 likes1 comment
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Sweettartlaura
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So my niece is heading off to college next week.
And her first Lit class isn‘t English Composition 101.
Or Early American Literature.
No.
It‘s โ€œAmerican Ghosts.โ€
What?!?!!
So, so jealous ๐Ÿ˜œ
Andโ€ฆ also so excited I can already recommend books to complement her reading and maybe use for a paper ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธโ™ฅ๏ธ

LeahBergen I‘m jealous, too. That sounds great! 7mo
28 likes1 comment
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Sweettartlaura
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That‘s a wrap for July!
Here are my faves for the month.
Try any ~ try them all ~ I enjoyed each of these ๐Ÿ˜Š
#julywrapup

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Sweettartlaura
Challenge Accepted | Amanda Abram
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Sweettartlaura
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Panpan

Reading this book was like watching athletes warm up, when you‘re really here for a good game. You see the potential, but it‘s just not happening.
I had high hopes for this. There is so much praise for it.
But I just couldn‘t attach to it.
And I have too many other books to read ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

Megabooks I bailed on this too. 9mo
23 likes1 comment
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Sweettartlaura
Sea of Tranquility: A Novel | Emily St. John Mandel
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Pickpick

4.5 โญ๏ธ

If you haven‘t read this book yet, you‘ve already waited too long - go read it NOW!
Time travel โœ”๏ธ
Space travel/colonization โœ”๏ธ
Life in a Matrix โœ”๏ธ
Humanity in the face of being a simulacrum โœ”๏ธ
Less than 300 pages โœ”๏ธ
And more pandemics than I could keep track of โœ”๏ธโœ”๏ธโœ”๏ธ
I loved it ๐Ÿ˜

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Sweettartlaura
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Anybody else doing the #kindlespringchallenge?
I have done ALL the tasks.
But it won‘t credit me for one - the 2021 Chart Topper.
I finished it (this book ๐Ÿคž๐Ÿป) weeks ago.
I have synced and refreshed my Kindle & my Kindle app on my phone countless times since then.
Everything else has synced and been counted.
Anyone know why it‘s not working?
Did I have to buy a NEW book out of the top 100 of 2021? That‘s the only thing I can think of ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ

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Sweettartlaura
Doolittle | Ben Sisario
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Pickpick

5 โญ๏ธ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป
This little book is the perfect length, and was written with enough time passed to see the impact Doolittle had on the Pixies‘ career and subsequent music. Kim Deal wouldn‘t sit for an interview. But everyone else, including the producer, made a contribution. It ends with a dive into each track.
Fun fact: this starts and end with songs about mutilated eyeballs ๐Ÿ‘€ I never realized that.
A good read for fans ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป

Bookwomble ๐Ÿ’– Pixies ๐Ÿ’– They have a new album out in September, which feels like a long wait! 9mo
Sweettartlaura @Bookwomble good to know - thanks ๐Ÿ˜Š 9mo
24 likes2 comments
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Sweettartlaura
A Children's Bible | Lydia Millet
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Pickpick

This book is โ€ฆ
How I feel about the generation before me.
How I feel about the people who gave up trying to stop COVID after the first couple weeks.
How I feel myself separating from our current status quo. I would love to ditch 99% of the world and start over with the few who get it.
It‘s a breakthrough in the relationship between science & faith.
It‘s disturbing, and unsettling, and hopeful all at once. Just like every great Millet novel.

31 likes1 stack add
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Sweettartlaura
Freedom: A Novel | Jonathan Franzen
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#indiebookstoreday purchases & swag ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

I got Sea of Tranquility & The Candy House.
And Freedom was the #blinddatebook that came with my tote & goodies.
So fun!!!

AmyG Nice! Great book choices. 11mo
mandarchy Nice to meet you. ๐Ÿ˜Š I'm from Tacoma! Stadium class of '88 11mo
Sweettartlaura @mandarchy wow ๐Ÿ˜ฎ I basically live next to Stadium ๐Ÿคฏ๐Ÿคฏ๐Ÿคฏ. Very cool! Nice to meet you, as well! 11mo
mandarchy @Sweettartlaura that's cool! 11mo
28 likes4 comments
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Sweettartlaura
What Comes After: A Novel | JoAnne Tompkins
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4.5 โญ๏ธ

This is an outstanding debut.
The characters are fully drawn - fully human - fully flawed. And spending time with all of them is a pleasure.
There is a desire to know what happened, and how it will turn out. But those don‘t overshadow the unraveling of each moment. There is no need to rush.
It‘s heavy subject matter. But the author carries the characters & readers through the story gracefully.
Don‘t miss this one.

JamieArc I loved this one (and even more because I‘m a Quaker). Glad to see it getting some love. 11mo
Sweettartlaura @JamieArc I loved the Quaker character - first time I‘ve encountered that to such depths! Made me want to go to a meeting. 11mo
30 likes2 comments
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Sweettartlaura
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It‘s #worldbookday !
What are you reading today?
I‘m working on
NF - Zero Fail by Carol Leonnig
SS - The Time Traveler‘s Almanac
A - The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St James
F - And then I‘m starting What Comes After by JoAnne Tompkins

Pick a book ~ buy a book ~ visit a Little Free Library ~ go to your public library ~ find a deal online ~ read a well-loved favorite with a child in your life ~ just read something today โ™ฅ๏ธ๐Ÿ“š

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Sweettartlaura
The White Company | Arthur Conan Doyle
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Months ago, I struck up a convo w/a neighbor. Soon we talked about my fave thing, which is also one of his:๐Ÿ“–.
He‘s new to town, so I shared some bookish resources. I learned a bit (there is an above-average number of rare book stores in NE, & maybe a ring of rare book thieves!). It was great. Next day, I woke up to this well-loved book outside my door. I‘ve been reading it since.
Just finished. Now to pick a book to share when I drop it off ๐Ÿค”

LeahBergen Oh, that‘s lovely! Keep us posted on your back and forth reading together. ๐Ÿ˜Š 11mo
Sweettartlaura @LeahBergen will do ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป 11mo
julesG Lovely! 11mo
AmyG What a lovely friendship. Actually, the best kind when it centers around books! (edited) 11mo
28 likes4 comments
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Sweettartlaura
Megan's Island | Willo Davis Roberts
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Just talked to my baby niece and she was excited to tell me about the new book she read.
I explained to her that this is an Edgar award winner, and what that means.
She told me she was writing a list of all the author‘s books she wants to read - I explained she was making her first TBR ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ˜ƒ
And then she found that Willo Davis Roberts has over 50 books! So she found her first back catalogue to dive into ๐Ÿฅฐ

And thisโ€ฆ is #whyweread ๐Ÿ’๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿ“š

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Sweettartlaura
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Nothing like reading a book about vampires ๐Ÿง› and hearing someone rap at your window at midnight ๐Ÿ•›๐Ÿคฏ๐Ÿ˜ฑ๐Ÿ˜ณ

sprainedbrain Omg WHY was someone rapping on your window?! 12mo
Sweettartlaura @sprainedbrain wrong window - she was looking for someone else ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ. But I was on the phone with 911 pronto! 12mo
40 likes2 comments
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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

It takes a while, but once this takes off, it‘s a great read. Not life-changing, earth-shattering, the type of book you shove in people‘s faces and yell, โ€œRead this!โ€ But a good, solid story, with interesting characters who have tales to tell.

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Sweettartlaura
Spin the Dawn | Elizabeth Lim
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Bailedbailed

My first #DNF of the year.
This is a 14-hour listen.
And after 2+ hours, I heard nothing interesting/compelling/original to hold my interest.
So I‘m walking away.

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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

Bouton stood next to the greats and held his own, yet was on the periphery even before he published his iconoclastic diary.
He was a ball player, entrepreneur, father, husband, stepfather, inventor, screenwriter, speaker, and a guy who built his own rock walls. He took to life with gusto.
Listening to him read is a treat. He cracks up at some of the old stories.
It‘s no wonder that this was named one of the best books of the 20th century.

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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

Full disclosure:
I know the author.
But that doesnโ€˜t detract from how good this book is.
The link to my full review is below.
If you have any interest in this topic, you should read this book - Deborah has a lifetime of wisdom for you to engage with.

Read this book ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ“šโ™ฅ๏ธ

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41746752

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Sweettartlaura
The Anomaly | Herv้ Le Tellier
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Pickpick

A plane goes through turbulence and lands safelyโ€ฆ only to come out of the same turbulence 106 days later.
What happened?
My one issue is that the author never convinces you of the theory that he goes with.
That said, the story really is about the people on the plane. In that time, some people die; marry; get pregnant; break up; achieve the success they‘ve worked for. What to do with the alternate version of themselves that knows none of this?

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Sweettartlaura
Untitled | Unknown
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Pickpick

Fantastic!
The author/narrator is a delight to listen to.
The stories of these women are intriguing and inspiring.
And everyone - EVERYONE - needs to know about Princess Olga of Kiev ๐Ÿ˜ฎ
(Also, Genghis Khan was not the brute we think he was ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ.)
Definitely worth your time.

GondorGirl Okay, so I just googled Princess Olga and she was ruthless! Whoa! 13mo
Sweettartlaura @GondorGirl right?!?! ๐Ÿ˜ณ. It reminded me of GOT ~ and when I read more on her I saw the name she took when she converted to Christianity was Olena ~ which made me think of Olenna Tyrell ~ which made me wonder if GRRM knows about her and used her as inspiration ๐Ÿค” 13mo
36 likes2 comments
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Sweettartlaura
I Have Lost My Way | Gayle Forman
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Pickpick

Oh, wow, I loved this!!!
Forman brings these 3 young strangers together one day in NYC, right when they all need each other most. She captures the braveness it takes to move out of childhood, while giving each of these characters a couple hands to hold on to as they do.
We should all be Freya, Nathaniel, & Harun, and be blessed with friends like them.
The audiobook is superb. And it features an original song at the end I‘ll be humming for days.

33 likes1 stack add
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Sweettartlaura
Untitled | Unknown
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Pickpick

I‘m not an avid Patterson fan.
I respect him, but I don‘t read all his work, nor await every release.
And I‘m ambivalent about these collaborations. On the one hand, he‘s elevating another author - cool. On the other, it comes off as a cash grab - not cool.
That said, I absolutely loved this story.
You get a play within the story. The characters come alive. And there are plenty of twists.
There was nothing about this that wasn‘t done perfectly.

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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

This was fascinating.
Bloom is very much the heroine of her tale. And that‘s ok by me.
She captures the straddling she did between awestruck small-town girl & ambitious entrepreneur perfectly, so the audience can experience it vicariously.
Really great listen.

Only complaint - my version didn‘t have an update on her legal troubles. That should be added for future readers/listeners.

32 likes1 stack add
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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

I have to sayโ€ฆ I really liked this.

Fantasy is NEVER my go-to genre. But I got this audiobook as a freebie years ago. I finally got around to listening to it.
And I was captivated. I already got the next installment ready to go.

Tahir does such a tremendous job of creating these characters that it doesn‘t matter what world she puts them in: you want to spend time with them and root for them.

So go do it. You‘ll be glad you did.

BookwormAHN I've read this whole series and it's fantastic ๐Ÿงก 14mo
Sweettartlaura @BookwormAHN great to hear ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป. I‘m definitely down for Book 2 - I‘ll see how far it takes me ๐Ÿ™‚ 14mo
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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

4.5 โญ๏ธ

Full review in link below โฌ‡๏ธ

In short, I wholeheartedly recommend this, especially as an audiobook.
Itโ€˜s his account of the loss of his son to suicide; the Insurrection; and his work as Lead Impeachment Manager - 3 events that happened in quick succession.

Raskin has restored a portion of my faith in humanity, and I need that so. He is an American treasure, and a blessing to us all.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58935131

Amiable I saw an interview with him on โ€œCBS Sunday Morningโ€ last week, I think it was. Raskin is a true inspiration. (edited) 1y
AmyG I agree with @Amiable. How he dealt with all of this and his son‘s suicide....I can‘t imagine. We are very lucky to have him on the Jan 6 committee and in Congress. 1y
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Sweettartlaura
Malibu Rising | Taylor Jenkins Reid
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Pickpick

5โญ๏ธ
This book was perfect ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป!
And so was the narration.
Once again, TJR tells a complex, nuanced story that envelops the reader in the world she creates.
My only complaint is that the Riva siblings seem a little too good, for people who went through all the trauma they did.
But I enjoyed this nonetheless.

39 likes2 stack adds
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Sweettartlaura
Tender Is the Flesh | Agustina Bazterrica
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Mehso-so

I have no idea how to rate this ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
It‘s โ€ฆ definitely well-written. I won‘t soon forget it. And the endingโ€ฆ what did THAT mean?
But it‘s A LOT. Like, too much. Really explicit ~ really detailed ~ But โ€ฆ did she have to go THAT far???
I can‘t really recommend it. If I told anyone to read this book, and they weren‘t down with it, they would never trust me again.
Soโ€ฆ read at your own risk โ€ฆ if you are okay with being deeply disturbed.

Reggie The end just meant he was no better than everything he thought he was. 1y
Sweettartlaura @Reggie that‘s what I was afraid of ๐Ÿ˜ž. He seems to have such self-loathing, though - a deep awareness of his contribution to this dysfunctional dystopia. Is he just so desperate for what Jasmine gives him? It was he always planning this? 1y
Reggie @Sweettartlaura I don‘t think he planned it but I think he‘s like most of us who talks big ideals but still takes the easy option when it comes to it. This is a total bummer I know. 1y
Sweettartlaura @Reggie fair enough โ€” and yes, depressing ๐Ÿ˜ž 1y
Sweettartlaura @Reggie I didn‘t think he loved her. But I thought he had connected enough with humanity again to โ€ฆ not end it like he did. 1y
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Sweettartlaura
Home Stretch | Graham Norton
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Pickpick

If you haven‘t listened to a Graham Norton novel yet, you are missing out, indeed!
Norton sets his books in his native Ireland, and narrates them all for the audiobooks. No matter the subject matter, it is a delight to hear him tell a story. You can pick any of them and have the same great experience. Treat yourself this year to this โ™ฅ๏ธ

Cathythoughts Nice review ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป I enjoyed this one too 1y
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Sweettartlaura
Tender Is the Flesh | Agustina Bazterrica
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I‘m going in โ€ฆ ๐Ÿ˜ณ

My last dabbling with thisโ€ฆ subject matter, let‘s say โ€ฆ was Earthlings, and I did not love it.

But I am giving this a try ๐Ÿคž๐Ÿป

Reggie Oof, good luck. I loved this book but it definitely had an effect on me. 1y
Cathythoughts Good book ๐Ÿ‘ 1y
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Sweettartlaura
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My #top21in21

This year seemed harder to make it happen than 2020 ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
And looking over my list, there are a LOT I don‘t recall at ALL - that‘s very unusual - I usually have at least an impression, if not total recall.

But these stood out for sure.

My top 3 would be
Plain Bad Heroines
The Midnight Library
Queen of Spades (read it!)

Happy Reading in 2022! ๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ“š

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Sweettartlaura
Challenge Accepted | Carol Rose
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Phew ๐Ÿ˜ฎโ€๐Ÿ’จ. Cerone Family Reading Challenge JUST crossing the finish line ๐ŸŽ†

LeahBergen Whoa!! ๐Ÿ˜ฎ 1y
Sweettartlaura @LeahBergen this is NOT just me ๐Ÿ˜œ. This includes siblings, in-laws, nieces & nephews, cousinsโ€ฆ there‘s about 10-12 of us who do it now. (But 267 are mine ๐Ÿ˜œ ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป) 1y
LeahBergen That‘s still mighty impressive! 1y
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Sweettartlaura @LeahBergen thanks ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿป 1y
La_Cori Yay!! Group effort, but still an impressive accomplishment ๐ŸŽ‰๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿ‘ 1y
Sweettartlaura @La_Cori thanks ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿปโ™ฅ๏ธ 1y
BookBabe ๐Ÿ˜ฎ Go fam! ๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป๐Ÿ˜ƒ 1y
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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

I feel like not enough people talk about Jess Walter.
That needs to change.
Everything of his, I end up giving 5 โญ๏ธ
I listened to the Audible version of this story - I think it‘s included with subscription.
The blurb here says it seems to be part of a collection of his due out next year.
However you do so, get this into your brain. Beautiful, classic storytelling with the right amounts of drama, melancholy, & humor. Chef‘s kiss of a book ๐Ÿ˜š

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Sweettartlaura
The Night Eternal | Guillermo Del Toro, Chuck Hogan
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Mehso-so

Series reviewโ€ฆ
Loved Book 1 - couldn‘t get enough
Book 2 gave me nightmares - can‘t tell you the last time that happened
Book 3โ€ฆ I had a hard time getting through it.
And I think it‘s COVID-related ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
By Book 3, the world has lost so much - even if they succeed in ridding the world of vampires, they have lost so much that it‘s hard to root for it.
And in Year 2 of a pandemic, I feel echoes of that in life ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
Wish I‘d read this sooner.

kplovesbooks Agree on book 1 - definitely the best of the series!! It sucked me in so quick and wouldn't let go! 2 just felt redundant, like they kept repeating the same scenes over and over. And 3 just...idk, it was good, but I wasn't expecting the series to take the turn it did I guess. But I agree on the devastation part totally. 1y
Sweettartlaura @kplovesbooks I wish I‘d read it sooner, so as to feel like I could judge Bk 3 impartially. It could be that it just wasn‘t as goodโ€ฆ or it could be almost 2 years of pandemic burnout driving my low opinion of it. 1y
kplovesbooks @Sweettartlaura It could definitely be the pandemic. I read it years ago, but I imagine it's a whole different thing reading it now. 1y
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Sweettartlaura
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Pickpick

My #spookyreadathon got a bit derailed in week 2 ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ. But I finally finished this tonight.

Without saying a word about the pandemic or the current political situation, it does a LOT toward explaining how weโ€˜re fighting about basic provable facts. I was not expecting that.

Link to full review below. In short, I recommend it ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3078870296

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Spooktacular! | Sienna Mercer
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#spookyreadathon got off to a sluggish start - I had some non-spooky reads to finish. But I have 5 done โœ”๏ธ and I‘m working on 3 more this weekend.
So far, I really like everything I‘ve read 3.5 โญ๏ธ and up ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป

Happy Reading ๐Ÿ“š ๐Ÿ‘ป ๐Ÿ•ฏ

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Sweettartlaura
Midnight Library | Matt Haig
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Pickpick

Loved this book. Just โ€ฆ loved it ๐Ÿฅฐ
Read it straight through in about 3 hours โ™ฅ๏ธ

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Sweettartlaura
From A to Z | Vincent X. Kirsch
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I usually do an A to Z.
This year I decided to spread it out over print books, audiobooks, ebooks.
I also wanted to focus on my First Reads picks I get from Amazon Prime and never seem to read ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
And I‘ve added in a Nonfiction category.
Two are done โœ”๏ธ
Now to see if I can finish up the other 3 in 5 months ๐Ÿคž๐Ÿป๐Ÿ“š๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿป

Bklover Wow!!๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿ‘ 2y
DivineDiana Now, that‘s some goals! Love the addition of First Reads! I think I have only read 1 of mine. ๐Ÿ˜ณ 2y
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Sweettartlaura
The Push | Ashley Audrain
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I read a lot of books last month.
These were my favorites.
#Julywrapup

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Sweettartlaura
Night Theater | Vikram Paralkar
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I‘m crying reading this. I could weep.
This is the difference between those who try and those who don‘t.
As one who always tries, I‘m exhausted these days by those who won‘t.
As God leaves Cain‘s question unanswered, so does Saheb leave the pharmacist to answer her query. Her answer will leave its mark on her life.

Will I ever be so wise?

#readthisbook

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Sweettartlaura
Lightseekers | Femi Kayode
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Pickpick

This book is so good!
It‘s a whydunit - we know who was killed, how, and since a mob was involved, a lot of whos.
But the father of one victim needs to know more: why.
So he hires a psychological detective to dig into it more.
And it just rolls from there, and I loved it. Easy to settle into; hard to put down once you get about halfway through.
5 โญ๏ธ

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Sweettartlaura
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Curious: if you don‘t finish a book for your book club, how often do you still go to the meeting?
I tried to read/listen to this. I wasn‘t expecting to love itโ€ฆ but I also wasn‘t expecting a 40-minute chapter on eels. At that point I bailed.
And I was still going to go to our meeting tonight.
But other things have arisen, and I can‘t work up the energy to go talk about a book I barely read, and didn‘t enjoy for a second๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ
What do you do?

katy4peas Bail on the meeting if other things have come up. Otherwise I would still go to the meeting. 2y
Laughterhp I‘d probably still go if I had the time and just talk about how much I hated the book. ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿปโ€โ™€๏ธ 2y
Sweettartlaura @katy4peas I am. But if you go when you didn‘t read, what do you do for an hour or so as people talk about it? Especially if you didn‘t read because you hated it? I don‘t wanna be the person who says, โ€œdidn‘t read - but hated itโ€. So I usually force myself to finish, so at least I have something to stand on if I still hate it ๐Ÿ˜œ. But I couldn‘t this time. And the thought of saying nothing for an hour+ lent itself to prioritizing other tasks 2y
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Sweettartlaura @Laughterhp ๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐Ÿ˜‚ ๐Ÿ˜‚ 2y
Laughterhp There was a reason I was kicked out of my book club ๐Ÿ˜‚๐Ÿ˜‚ 2y
Sweettartlaura @Laughterhp ๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ๐Ÿคฃ 2y
katy4peas I have had to admit that I didn‘t like it before and that I didn‘t finish it. But I am also stuck leading it, soโ€ฆ. ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™€๏ธ I have to sit for an hour and listen to everybody! 2y
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