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azulaco

azulaco

Joined May 2016

So many books, so little time!
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Trans-Sister Radio: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian
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Maisie Dobbs (Anniversary) by Jacqueline Winspear
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The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
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Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
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The Feast of the Goat: A Novel by Mario Vargas Llosa
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Salvador by Joan Didion
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Moon-Child: A Play by Derek Walcott
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azulaco
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Tag, everyone!

1. Flying to Texas to see my mom, returning on Easter Sunday to eat candy with my kids :)
2. I haven‘t really had one yet, but several three-star ratings. The level of the sex scenes in The Kiss Quotient was way too much for me, though. I‘m not a hardcore romance fan.
3. Little Women! I read it over and over again, and also several of Alcott‘s other books. I still have my Little Women series hardbacks from childhood.

Cupcake12 I love Little Women ❤️ Thanks for joining in x 3d
12 likes1 comment
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azulaco
Untitled | Untitled
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I stumbled across this event on my hometown library‘s website. I would totally go to this, and I may suggest it to my local library. I think a local bookstore was doing something similar this year - need to follow up. Also? I‘d attend a similar event that listened to an audiobook together in installments, although that might be harder to organize.

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azulaco
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Bought myself a birthday present! 🥳

Ruthiella Happy Birthday! 🥳🥳🥳 1mo
BeeCurious 🎂📚🎉 1mo
Lindy Happy birthday! 📚🎁 1mo
cariashley Happy birthday! Have always meant to pick up this author. (edited) 1mo
Caroline2 Happy birthday 🥳 1mo
16 likes1 stack add5 comments
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azulaco
Untitled | Untitled
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I love musicals, but I‘m aging myself a little with these choices 😆 #tlt

1. Cabaret
2. Jesus Christ Superstar
3. Camelot

3.5. Honorable mention for Spamalot, which I got to see on Broadway with Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, and Sara Ramirez 😁
Plays, hmm. I‘ve seen a lot, but one of my all-time favorites is Twelfth Night. And Noises Off! SO funny!

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 So jealous you got to see Tim Curry! I adore him! Great choices; thanks for sharing! 🩷💜❤️ 1mo
21 likes1 comment
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azulaco
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Pickpick

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of women in an Indian village finding a way out from under negative circumstances. Yes, a few husbands got killed, but they needed killing. 😂 Kidding, sort of. They were pretty horrible men. This was a lively read that moved along quickly. I just loved the way the bad guys tripped themselves up with their own inflated egos. Sweet justice.

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azulaco
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Nobody told me this book was so depressing.

15 likes1 stack add
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azulaco
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An absentminded reader‘s tale:
I was looking to see how much the tagged book was on Kindle. I have the audiobook from Hoopla. Sometimes I alternate between audio and Kindle when I‘m trying to finish fast. Amazon informs me that I *already bought* this book on Kindle, on June 19, 2017. 2017!! I forgot I had it. Here is a screenshot of the order. It was $4.98 total for both, so I got a heck of a deal that day. I‘m so glad Amazon reminded me. 🤦🏻‍♀️

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azulaco
Murder in Venice | L. B. Hathaway
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Pickpick

Forgot to post back when I finished this book. I‘m going through the whole audiobook series in order on #Everand. Love this series!

I enjoyed this one, but the ending was heartbreaking. And so much drama over Alaric. Girl, you can do better. Exciting and handsome doesn‘t mean he treats you right. Venice was a lovely and mysterious backdrop, as always. I had early and accurate suspicions about the ultimate culprit, but it was still a fun read.

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azulaco
Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth
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We are all Malati! #suitableboy2024

Lindy I flagged that passage too 📚❤️ 2mo
19 likes1 comment
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azulaco
Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth
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I like the character of Malati already. 😊 #suitableboy2024

Lindy I tend to read several books concurrently and right now I‘m listening to a 3-generation family saga set in Sri Lanka. Two daughters are studying medicine in that book, a nice bit of synchronicity. 2mo
Lindy I wonder if this portrayal of Malati echoes Seth‘s own feelings about marriage? He‘s bisexual and India doesn‘t recognize same-sex marriage, so that might a major factor. 2mo
12 likes2 comments
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azulaco
Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth
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Part 1 thoughts.
I like Lata, but my favorite character so far is her friend Malati.
Lata handled an unwanted chat-up like a queen. I wish I could have been that secure at her age.
Arun and Meenakshi deserve each other. If you haven‘t gotten to the last part of Part 1, oh boy, just wait till you see the stunt Meenakshi pulls. Awful people, awful child. Such entitlement.
Go, nerdy Prem! I‘m so glad Savita seems to appreciate him! #suitableboy2024

Lindy Amy, I‘m so glad you are keen! And I love your comments on Part 1. Go nerdy Pran! I will tag the rest of our reading group on this post of yours on Saturday when we will discuss Part 1. Our schedule is to discuss one part each weekend, starting with Part 1 on February 10. Part 2 on February 17, etc. I apologize for not making that clear beforehand. (edited) 2mo
azulaco @Lindy I did go back and see that you said Feb. 10 in the original post! 2mo
Lindy @Leftcoastzen @kassandrik @squirrelbrain @KathyR @jlhammar @bekakins I think Meenakshi‘s stunt is likely to have long repercussions, despite Pran having carefully vetted Savita‘s letter to her. I love his comments: “Diplomatic but deadly! Soft steel.” Pran and Savita are a good match. 2mo
kassandrik @Lindy I feel the same about the future consequences of Meenakshi's greedy behaviour. It looks like a first rusty nail into the coffin for her relationship with in-laws. She just started proving herself with actions. I am kind of afraid of her and Arun :/ 2mo
17 likes4 comments
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azulaco
Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth
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I just found out that this is available on Kindle Unlimited. Yay! I‘m going to try to follow along with the group read headed by @Lindy, but I‘m not sure I can keep to the schedule. Excited to try! #SuitableBoy2024

Lindy Amy, welcome to our group read! 2mo
squirrelbrain Hooray! ❤️ 2mo
RebelReader I‘m reading it on my lunch break everyday. 2mo
21 likes1 stack add3 comments
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azulaco
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The only consolations of Alzheimer‘s, and they are small indeed, it that it doesn‘t hurt much, and that once the full nightmare is under way, you are long gone.

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azulaco
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It‘s so good! I‘m visiting my mom, and bought this for her, but she‘s going to have to wait until I‘m finished with it 😂 I read half of it in one night, so I don‘t think she‘ll be waiting long!

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azulaco
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Pickpick

Finished! Another delightful Posie Parker mystery. This one had a lovely happy ending for Posie that made me want to stand up and cheer! I‘m so looking forward to her exploring her new life circumstances in the next book. Recommended for those who like cozy-ish historical mysteries with spunky young heroines. I bet Posie Parker and Tuppence Beresford (from Agatha Christie‘s books) would have been great friends!

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azulaco
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I would very much like to finish this audiobook today, if Everand would ever quit buffering and actually play the book.

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azulaco
Winterset Hollow | Jonathan Edward Durham
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Pickpick

Weird mix of fantasy and horror. I‘d love to see a movie adaptation, but I can‘t imagine how it could be done that would draw people to see it. It would look stupid in a movie trailer - talking animals? Reading it was a wild ride. Not as gory as I feared, but this vanity press needs to hire a better editor (brooch misspelled as “broach” TWICE). The backstory was intriguing enough to keep me reading. Three stars, entertaining, would recommend.

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azulaco
The Handmaid's Tale | Margaret Atwood
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It took me awhile, but this is my #bookerdozen.
The Handmaid‘s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Oryx and Crake, Margaret Atwood
A Little Life, Hanya Yanagihara
Prophet Song, Paul Lynch
Trust, Hernan Diaz
Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel
Never Let Me Go, Kazuo Ishiguro
Lincoln in the Bardo, George Saunders
Girl, Woman, Other, Bernardine Evaristo
The Amber Spyglass, Philip Pullman
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke

Shocked at how few winners I‘ve read!

Ruthiella Great list ! A lot of overlap with mine! 👍 2mo
vivastory Fantastic liost!! I really liked Oryx. Plan on reading the rest of the trilogy. Some personal favorites of mine on your list & others that are high on TBR (Pullman, Saunders & Mantel). I know what you mean about the winners. I think that most of my selections were from the longlist & shortlist 2mo
28 likes2 comments
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azulaco
Prophet Song | Paul Lynch
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Pickpick

This book was chilling, because it seems so plausible. Tyranny has overtaken the government of Ireland, and “enemies of the state” are disappearing. When Eilish‘s husband is arrested, she struggles to keep her family safe while trying to locate him. Nightmarish and beautifully written. I want to read more by Paul Lynch. This one will make my #bookerdozen for sure, still putting together that list, the idea of which I stole from @vivastory .

vivastory Looking forward to your list! I haven't read the book yet, but it does sound intriguing 2mo
21 likes1 comment
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azulaco
The Adventures of Sally | P. G. Wodehouse
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Pickpick

Another stand-alone gem by Wodehouse. Sally is a nice girl of modest means who lives in a New York boarding house and has to work for a living. She suddenly inherits money, and her world changes. Again (see my previous review), hijinx ensue on both sides of the Atlantic, but true love triumphs in the end. A rags to riches to rags story with a happy ending. I loved sparky Sally and her practical approach to life.

Chrissyreadit @mabell @TheAromaofBooks @julieclair Have any of you read this one? 2mo
julieclair Looks great! Added to my stack. @Chrissyreadit @mabell @TheAromaofBooks I have never even heard of this one! 2mo
TheAromaofBooks I've read this one, but it has been several years. Some of Wodehouse's standalone novels are just SO fun 2mo
mabell @Chrissyreadit Never even heard of this one! 2mo
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azulaco
The Intrusion of Jimmy | P. G. Wodehouse
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Pickpick

I listened to this in installments on the Classic Tales podcast, wonderfully read by B. J. Harrison. It was delightful, as all of Wodehouse‘s pre-war work is. Young Jimmy pretends to be a master burglar, ends up breaking into the police chief‘s house, further complicates things by falling in love with the Chief‘s daughter. Hijinx ensue on both sides of the Atlantic. Apparently this has also been published under the title A Gentleman of Leisure.

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azulaco
Murder of a Movie Star | L. B. Hathaway
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I lost my dad shortly after Christmas. Aside from finishing The Feast of the Goat, I‘m sticking to lighthearted books for now because I‘m too sad for heavy literature. Lots of P.G. Wodehouse, lots of cozy mysteries and vintage-set mysteries. It‘ll be okay, eventually. I sure wish I had thought to ask my dad to read along with me in #readingtheamericas2023. He would have had interesting things to say about all my books. :(

SamAnne Condolences. 2mo
Librarybelle So sorry for your loss 2mo
mabell I‘m so sorry! Lighthearted reads are completely understandable. Wodehouse is perfect for that! I just relistened to The Mating Season read by Jonathan Cecil. One of my favorites! Take care ❤️ 2mo
Cupcake12 sorry for your loss, sending my thoughts to you and your family x 2mo
8 likes1 stack add4 comments
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azulaco
The Feast of the Goat: A Novel | Mario Vargas Llosa
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Your cup of coffee or glass of rum must taste better, the smoke of your cigar, a swim in the ocean on a hot day, the movie you see on Saturday, the merengue on the radio, everything must leave a more pleasurable sensation in your body and spirit when you had what Trujillo had taken away from Dominicans thirty-one years ago: free will. #readingtheamericas2023 #dominicanrepublic

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azulaco
The Feast of the Goat: A Novel | Mario Vargas Llosa
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It had been this malaise of so many years‘ duration - thinking one thing and doing something that contradicted it every day - that led him, in the secret recesses of his mind, to condemn Trujillo to death, to convince himself that as long as Trujillo lived, he and many other Dominicans would be condemned to this awful queasy sickness of constantly having to lie to themselves and deceive everyone else…#readingtheamericas2023 #dominicanrepublic

azulaco …of having to be two people in one, a public lie and a private truth that could not be expressed. 2mo
6 likes1 comment
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azulaco
The Feast of the Goat: A Novel | Mario Vargas Llosa
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I didn‘t get close to finishing #readingtheamericas2023, but I want to continue it, so I‘ll be #readingtheamericas in 2024 as well. I‘ll be using the books in the Around the World in 80 Books challenge on Goodreads as well. Anyone else still #readingtheamericas in 2024? @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle thanks for hosting and have a good time #readingoceania2024!

Librarybelle Sounds like a great plan! 2mo
BarbaraBB I am sure you‘re not the only one! 2mo
Susanita We watched the movie at my old office. It was…awkward. 2mo
10 likes3 comments
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azulaco
Winterset Hollow | Jonathan Edward Durham
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I‘ve had this one on my Kindle Unlimited list for a long time. Finally started it, and like it so far. I‘ve read the warnings about extreme violence and disturbing content coming up fast in the storyline. It sounds like Christina Henry‘s dark fairy tale fantasy novels, but gorier? I‘m not a fan of hardcore gore, so I‘ll DNF if it‘s too much for me.

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azulaco
For the Wolf | Hannah Whitten
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Long time, no post. Summer was super busy. I‘m looking forward to some cozy fall reading. This book was a sale purchase on Kindle some time ago, and I‘m finally getting around to it. It has totally sucked me in. I love fairy tale retellings/reinventions. This one has elements from several tales, but it‘s an original fantasy story. 40% in and hooked. #highfantasy

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azulaco
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I think this is the third time I‘ve read this book. It‘s so good. I wish this particular David versus Goliath story had a happier ending.

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azulaco
I'm Glad My Mom Died | Jennette McCurdy
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Pickpick

Wow, that was a wild read. Jennette McCurdy tells all about growing up with her psycho mom, who pushed her into an acting career and encouraged her to develop an eating disorder. Her mom was A LOT, like severe untreated borderline personality disorder a lot. Mom also had recurring cancer, so just imagine the guilt trips. And then she died, and Jennette had to fix her life. Well-written and entertaining, though I found the audio narration flat.

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azulaco
Dinosaurs | LYDIA. MILLET
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Pickpick

Finally got around to reading this. I liked it, but it felt unfinished. Loved the writing. Interesting concept: MC who is so rich he doesn‘t have to work, but instead flails around trying to find purpose in his life through volunteer work and his friendships. He‘s so oddly clueless, I wanted to shake him, yet he‘s somehow sympathetic too. Not easy to pull that off. tournamentofbooks #ToB2023

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azulaco
Allergic | Megan Wagner Lloyd
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Pickpick

I‘m not doing the #LetsGetGraphic readathon this week, but I just happened to finish this graphic novel this week. Cute story about a girl who desperately wants a pet, but is desperately allergic to animal fur. Great subplots about making and keeping friends, and dealing with big life changes. I‘m going to pass this on to my 10 year old.

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azulaco
You'd Be Home Now | Kathleen Glasgow
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Pickpick

This is a great YA book about dealing with addiction in a family. I couldn‘t stop reading it. It‘s compelling, and the voice of the teenage narrator is authentic.

paper.reveries WOW and a poignant cover. 9mo
21 likes1 comment
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azulaco
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Pickpick

I just finished this charming little mystery which has no relation to any of my reading challenges, but caught my eye on Scribd. Now I want to read the whole series. Cozy mystery series set in 1920s England, with a spunky young heroine (Posie Parker) who was a nurse in the Great War and now runs her own private detective agency. Very enjoyable.

Ruthiella Sounds like a great find. And I love Parker Posey 9mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag This sounds great plus 6 hours-ish is my preferred audiobook length and the library has it! Awesome! 9mo
20 likes2 comments
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azulaco
Salvador | Joan Didion
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Latest secondhand #bookhaul for #readingtheamericas, which I have sadly neglected for a couple of months. Three countries here - El Salvador, Peru, Dominican Republic. I kept having to renew Salvador at the library due to getting distracted and not finishing, so I finally just bought a cheap used copy to read at my own pace. Trying to get back to reading paper books - much easier on my brain and eyes.

BarbaraBB Lots of Vargas Llosa. I hope you will like him. 10mo
15 likes1 comment
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azulaco
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Pickpick

I liked this book. Some people think that it suffers by comparison with Anthony Marra‘s previous books, but I disagree. The writing is just as good, it‘s just that the subject matter is not as stark. I loved the intertwined stories of all the characters suffering from varying forms of oppression, and struggling to maintain their identities. I haven‘t read much about WWII Italy or the restrictions on foreign-born Italian-Americans - interesting.

16 likes1 stack add
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azulaco
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It‘s taking me a long time to get through this book. I‘m enjoying it, despite my snail‘s pace. I guess it suffers by comparison with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, but then, what book wouldn‘t? The writing is still wonderful.

HeatherBookNerd I felt exactly the same. 11mo
9 likes1 comment
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azulaco
The Lying Game | Ruth Ware
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Pickpick

Not everyone enjoys Ruth Ware, but I really liked this one. Even when I figured out who did the crime, I was hooked enough to keep listening just in case I was wrong. The narrator of the audiobook was so good. A book all about secrets between old friends, covering up even deeper secrets. Nice and twisty. #52bookclub2023 #titlebeginswiththe #bookaboutsecrets

Librarybelle I liked this one too 11mo
Read4life I love Imogen Church as a narrator. 🤓 11mo
Cinfhen Imogen Church is one of my favorite readers too @Read4life 11mo
23 likes3 comments
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azulaco
Trust | Hernan Diaz
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Pickpick

The structure of this book was so interesting, with the four related novellas. I have always loved books within a book. I think the audiobook added to my enjoyment of the four stories, and the writing was a pleasure. I see why it made so many best of 2022 lists. Five stars. I‘d like to read other books by Hernan Diaz. #52bookclub2023 #roaring20s I haven‘t posted & tagged in awhile…I hope I got everyone for #52bookclub2023

Ruthiella This one is on my list. I enjoyed this by Diaz, though it was very sad: 11mo
mcctrish My in laws just read this for a book club ( and I honestly don‘t think they got it 🤣🤣) 11mo
squirrelbrain I really liked this one. 11mo
Librarybelle I‘ve heard lots of good things about this one! 11mo
Cinfhen This was such a GREAT book!! And audio narration was fantastic too 11mo
24 likes1 stack add5 comments
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azulaco
The Lying Game | Ruth Ware
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I am enjoying this audiobook. So many secrets!

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azulaco
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I‘m just starting this one. It‘s going to be an interesting read, I can already tell.

MatchlessMarie I loved this one. I put it off so long because of I was intimidated by the volume but it really is an easy read. 🧡 12mo
14 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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azulaco
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Pickpick

Overall good, but not quite the shocking story I was anticipating. Three and a half stars. #52bookclub2023

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azulaco
The Mirror & the Light | Hilary Mantel
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Listening to this audiobook little by little, dipping into the hardback when I have time. I love this series. #52bookclub2023 #meanttoreaditlastyear

Librarybelle I greatly enjoyed Wolf Hall and keep meaning to get back to the series 13mo
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azulaco
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I picked this up at the library as my #colombia entry for #readingtheamericas2023. It sounds intense but good. I hadn‘t heard of Ingrid Betancourt before I found this book. She sounds like a remarkable woman.

Librarybelle I‘ve not heard of her either…it does sound intense! 13mo
BarbaraBB I have heard of her. Sounds very interesting!! 13mo
13 likes2 comments
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azulaco
Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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Pickpick

This was SO good. I loved the Mayan mythology, and the refs to Mexican history and society of the period (1928). Lots of rabbit hole side Googling, which I always enjoy. I knew how this novel had to end, and yet I *had* to keep reading *just* to be sure - the mark of a really good writer! A+ for the young spunky heroine, and for the plot that didn‘t devolve into a predictable love story. #readingtheamericas2023 #mexico #52bookclub2023 #mythology

SamAnne I‘ve been trying to get to this one for a long time! 13mo
Librarybelle Stacking! 13mo
20 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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azulaco
Gingerbread | Helen Oyeyemi
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Pickpick

Definitely going to have to re-read this one in hard copy form. The audiobook was good, but it‘s the kind of book where you say “wait, what?” and have to flip back to an earlier part of the book to tie threads together. I‘m eager to read all the rest of Helen Oyeyemi‘s books. What a unique talent! The magical realism feel won‘t be for everyone, but the writing is so good and engaging. Weird in a wonderful way. #52bookclub2023 #startswithG

Cinfhen Agree!!! Some books really lend themselves to print!!! 13mo
LaraReads Great review! I own this print copy from years ago but have never gotten around to it! 13mo
Librarybelle I really need to get to this one! 13mo
23 likes4 comments
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azulaco
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Pickpick

If you‘ve only read Agatha Christie‘s novel-length murder mysteries, you‘re missing out. She wrote tons of atmospheric, even downright creepy short stories. This collection has some good ones. I highly recommend exploring Christie‘s short stories to gain a deeper appreciation of her talent. #52bookclub2023 #publishedposthumously

AshleyHoss820 Thank you for bringing this to my attention! ☺️ 13mo
Cinfhen Ohhhh, cool!! Thanks for sharing- 13mo
See All 7 Comments
azulaco My favorite stories are the ones featuring Mr. Harley Quin. Those always have some kind of karmic justice. The creepiest Christie story I ever read was The Dressmaker‘s Doll. It‘s in the collection Double Sin, and also in The Last Seance. 13mo
azulaco @AshleyHoss820 @Cinfhen Scribd has a bunch of Christie story collections, as well as tons of her stories as stand-alone ebooks. 13mo
Cinfhen Thanks!! I love Scribd 💜😁 13mo
AshleyHoss820 @azulaco Scribd to the rescue! One of the best subscriptions I have. 🧡📚 13mo
16 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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azulaco
Gingerbread | Helen Oyeyemi
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This book is so quirky, and so fun! I‘m listening to the audiobook, read by the author. The only thing is, I may need to re-read this in book form, because I feel like I missed a few things. I‘ve been meaning to read Helen Oyeyemi for a long time - glad I finally picked this one up. #startswithG #52bookclub2023

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azulaco
Fifteen Dogs | Andre Alexis

That feeling when you get excited about a book review on a Facebook group, and go to add the book to your Want To Read list in Goodreads, only to find that you already added that book to your Want to Read list…in 2015. In my defense, I gave birth to my second child that year, so I was pretty busy.

Eyelit I‘ve done that so many times, and I don‘t have any good excuse 🤣 13mo
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azulaco
Missing | Thomas Hauser
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Pickpick

I finished this book weeks ago. I needed some time to process it. Pretty horrible that the US government could engineer a coup in a foreign country, then fail to help its citizens stay safe in the resulting unsafe conditions. I am appalled at the Cold War era “organization men” who were careless in the aftermath of the coup, deliberately delayed helping US citizens who they felt were of an objectionable stripe, then tried to cover it up.

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azulaco
Gods of Jade and Shadow | Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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This is a good one! I didn‘t mean to start on #Mexico so soon for #readingtheamericas2023, but Amazon suggested this for me and it hooked me. This is a good intro to the author. I‘ve been meaning to read her book Mexican Gothic for a long time. Also works as a mythology book for #52bookclub2023.

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