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cariashley

cariashley

Joined May 2016

Reader, traveler, eater, New Yorker πŸ“šπŸ›«πŸ·πŸπŸ—½πŸ±
review
cariashley
Hell Bent | Leigh Bardugo
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Pickpick

Loved this follow up to Ninth House! Alex Stern is an excellent heroine - flawed, complicated and reckless but wildly entertaining to follow. The action started from page one and kept up a breathless pace to the last sentence; I blew through the second half of this in a day. Can‘t wait for the third book. #botm

StaceGhost Loved the detective‘s character development in this one 2d
cariashley @StaceGhost me too, and the other characters as well! Really well done. 2d
41 likes2 comments
review
cariashley
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Pickpick

And with that, I‘m a #tob23 completist! (Well, except for the one I bailed on halfway through πŸ˜…)

I really enjoyed this. It was all over the place in a good way, and I loved following all the threads. This sort of rambling, character driven writing is right up my alley. It didn‘t always work perfectly but it‘s really impressive for a debut. A strong contender for the tournament but still second to Sea of Tranquility for me.

Ruthiella πŸ₯³ Congratulations! I was also really impressed by this debut and I loved the writing too. 1w
Hooked_on_books Congrats on completing! 1w
BarbaraBB Well done!! 1w
jlhammar Wow, that is impressive! Glad you enjoyed this one. Really hope it makes it through the next round. 1w
36 likes4 comments
review
cariashley
Heart That Works | Rob Delaney
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Pickpick

One of the saddest, most honest memoirs of grief I‘ve read. It‘s brutal and devastating, but it doesn‘t wallow. Delaney narrates beautifully. It‘s excellent, if your heart can take it. As he quotes at the outset, a heart that hurts is a heart that works.

32 likes1 stack add
review
cariashley
A Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J. Maas
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Pickpick

After thinking book one was good but not great, I‘m now totally in on this series. Maas writes a really compelling romance and it‘s just what I needed right now. It got me through most of my waking hours on a 15 hour flight so that‘s saying something! There was way more action vs the first book, and though the plot left me scratching my head at times (did they really think through their plans sometimes??), it was all very entertaining.

Liatrek My current read and loving it so farπŸ™‚ 2w
40 likes1 comment
review
cariashley
Manhunt | Gretchen Felker-Martin
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Bailedbailed

I tried… but I couldn‘t. Bailed at around 45% of the audiobook. I just found I didn‘t want to keep listening. I respect the author for the boldness of the subject matter, though! Second to last #tob23 book for me, sadly I won‘t be a full completist since I couldn‘t finish it.

squirrelbrain I think that‘s about where I bailed too. I think it may have been better to read in print rather than audio - it was a bit too β€˜in your face‘ on audio. (Or β€˜in your ears‘ maybe?!) 2w
cariashley @squirrelbrain totally agree, and I really debated about the format before starting, but I was too tainted (sorryyyyyy) to switch at that point πŸ˜… 2w
Ruthiella I could not have experienced this in audio. I needed the freedom to look away from the page! 2w
36 likes3 comments
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cariashley
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida | Shehan Karunatilaka
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Pickpick

There‘s a lot going on in this Booker prize winning novel. Sometimes too much, especially with so much brutally gruesome material. Once I got used to the style it did flow better for me, and I did like the surprisingly hopeful way things were wrapped up. Still took me a couple weeks to get through, though. Will definitely be interesting to see how this does in #tob23!

Ruthiella I didn‘t like this too much when reading it, but I have to admit, it has stuck with me! 1mo
BarbaraBB I enjoyed this one too despite my initial doubts about it. 1mo
Cinfhen Cool photo 1mo
56 likes3 comments
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cariashley
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Pickpick

I liked this well enough, but it feels like an unusual choice for #tob23. I liked the section about the narrator‘s adult life the best, but that was just a part of the final third. An interesting portrait of how deep grieving affects one family, and a surprisingly easy read given the content.

Chelsea.Poole This is next up for me. I‘m not looking forward to the heavy subject matter. 1mo
squirrelbrain Great review. I‘m skipping this, unless it suddenly comes out in the UK at a cheaper price than it currently is. 1mo
Ruthiella I had trouble with the first third, but once I got past that, I was really caught up in it. 1mo
BarbaraBB I really liked this one but am still wondering what makes it tob-worthy! 1mo
43 likes4 comments
blurb
cariashley
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida | Shehan Karunatilaka
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Trying to manage some anxiety around some medical stuff I‘m in the middle of (nothing dire, still stressful), so I did the logical thing and went to The Strand. The walk combined with picking up these two books definitely helped! Seven Moons is for #tob23 and Liberation Day is a signed copy that jumped in my bag - am a huge Saunders fan and had been meaning to pick it up ☺️

Soubhiville Totally logical! I support your therapy! 2mo
Tamra Hang in there with a good read! 2mo
squirrelbrain The Strand would make most things better…hope you‘re OK. 2mo
See All 10 Comments
SamAnne Hope you head on an upswing! 2mo
Ruthiella Retail therapy! πŸ‘ 2mo
TheBookHippie β™₯️ I do this too! Sending light. 2mo
BarbaraBB Wishing you the best, and hope you‘ll like the book. Still need to read it. 2mo
batsy Sending good vibes! Where would we be without our bookish retail therapy ❀️ 2mo
cariashley @Soubhiville @Tamra @squirrelbrain @SamAnne @Ruthiella @TheBookHippie @BarbaraBB @batsy thank you so much for the kind words and positive thoughts!! ❀️❀️ 2mo
sarahbarnes Hope all is well. ❀️ I‘m glad you are taking care of yourself. πŸ“š I just finished Seven Moons and I liked it. 1mo
51 likes10 comments
review
cariashley
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Pickpick

I went into this with a lot of trepidation after reading a lot of mixed reviews, but I really liked it. Although it was definitely a bit meandering, most of the characters were so well-written I found myself just enjoying the tour. A strong contender for #tob23! #BOTM

Readerann I agree! 1mo
54 likes1 comment
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cariashley
My Volcano | John Elizabeth Stintzi
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Mehso-so

Just way too much going on here, which I know was the whole point, but the constant wtf-is-happening feeling made me tired. I really liked certain storylines, especially Ash & Joao, and the early parts of Mackayla‘s thread before it got real weird. I liked this more than 2 AM, but need to read the third play-in round book for #tob23.

BkClubCare I *think* that I requested this via ILL. I hope! Library will charge me $3 and that is just fine πŸ˜† 2mo
Megabooks I feel like if he had pared down the number of characters or timelines, it could‘ve been stronger. 2mo
cariashley @Megabooks completely agree. 2mo
54 likes3 comments
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cariashley
Dinosaurs: A Novel | Lydia Millet
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Mehso-so

Eh. This struggled to hold my attention on audio, although it was read really well. As others have said, it felt a bit flat to me and never really pulled me in. #tob23

BarbaraBB That‘s a pity. I enjoyed this one a lot. 2mo
cariashley @BarbaraBB I see that. I don‘t think I was in the right headspace for it. And print would probably have been better than audio. 🫀 2mo
squirrelbrain I really liked this one too, on audio, but I feel like I was in the right headspace for something β€˜quiet‘. 2mo
See All 6 Comments
BarbaraBB Print did work good indeed. Well, at least it‘s another one completed for the #TOB23! 2mo
Megabooks Sorry it wasn‘t a win for you. 2mo
Ruthiella Bummer. I‘m still looking forward to it because I didn‘t like the previous two books that I read from her. This will be the 3rd strike if I hate it. πŸ˜‚ 2mo
46 likes6 comments
review
cariashley
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Pickpick

Last post from paradise. This one frustrated me for the first half and made up for it somewhat in the second half. I‘m hooked enough to keep reading the series, and interested in seeing how the relationships progress given I already know too much about the later books from posts and reviews.

This will also be the last post with my Voyage - thanks for your 7 years of service, but a white screen of death incident means it‘s time to trade in!

BarbaraBB Paradise indeed πŸ₯° 2mo
43 likes1 comment
review
cariashley
The Passenger | Cormac McCarthy
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Pickpick

I felt like bailing for the first 20%, but I stuck with it and am glad I did. The style is challenging and there‘s an uncomfortable theme here that I wish hadn‘t been the focal point. But it‘s also highly captivating; the side characters provide colorful tangents and I really enjoyed Bobby‘s solitary sections. #tob23

BarbaraBB Wow, you‘re one of few people who read it, finished it and liked it! I‘ll try it soon too! 2mo
batsy Great to to see another Passenger fan πŸ‘πŸ½πŸ˜ 2mo
cariashley @BarbaraBB definitely mixed feelings about it, but have been turning over different parts in my mind enough for it to be a pick! 2mo
cariashley @batsy glad I‘m not alone! 2mo
39 likes4 comments
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cariashley
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Mehso-so

This had a little too much insta-love for me, even by historical romance standards, which is a shame because I liked Penny and her animals. The humor in this one was well done, at least. A decent low stakes, light read for my Hawaiian vacation 😎 #romantsy

review
cariashley
Heartstopper: Volume 1 | Alice Oseman
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Pickpick

I adored the show, and finally got around to reading the first volume of the series. It‘s just wonderful, can‘t wait to read the rest (and for season 2 of the show!).

39 likes1 stack add
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cariashley
The Passenger | Cormac McCarthy
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I struggled with this book in the beginning - it‘s challenging in multiple ways. But it‘s worth it for paragraphs like this that take my breath away. #tob23

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cariashley
Olga Dies Dreaming | Xochitl Gonzalez
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Mehso-so

Started out strong but ended up somewhat all over the place - I think it was trying to do a bit too much. Loved Olga as a character though, and the New York and Puerto Rico elements. #TOB23

Jas16 Totally agree 3mo
merelybookish πŸ’― 3mo
BkClubCare Agreed 1mo
48 likes3 comments
review
cariashley
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Mehso-so

This should have been right up my alley, but I was ultimately disappointed. It was super didactic and academic and the fantasy elements seemed like afterthoughts. I also thought the characters were pretty flat and lacked nuance. I think the ending was supposed to feel profound, but I was just glad to be done. Won‘t be rooting for this one in #TOB23!

Update, changing this to so-so as it wasn‘t THAT bad πŸ˜…

BarbaraBB Oh man… this book is really starting to scare me 3mo
Megabooks Sorry it didn‘t work for you, but I loved it. Every book has its fans and not fans. 3mo
cariashley @Megabooks so true! @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain see, this really might work for you guys, it could have been a me issue! 3mo
42 likes4 comments
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cariashley
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Pickpick

Oh Murderbot, you get better with every installment. I wish they were all full length novels like this one because it was such a delight. The super techy sci-fi bits still lose me from time to time, but it‘s all worth it. This is also one of the best narrated series I‘ve ever listened to, it‘s just perfection. I‘m tempted to go back and re-listen from the beginning but will force myself to wait until after I‘ve devoured the rest of these!

review
cariashley
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Pickpick

A quick and unusual read that was surreal at times. The writing was very compelling, as was the relationship between Agnes and Fabienne. I probably missed a lot of the symbolism but will be digging into reviews on this book to try and understand it a bit better - definitely a lot going on under the surface. It wouldn‘t be my pick for #TOB23 but I‘m glad the tournament brought it my way.

#PercyCat

squirrelbrain I just started this on Scribd audio but had to park it, as other audio library holds came through. 3mo
cariashley @squirrelbrain curious to hear how this is on audio! 3mo
rmaclean4 @cariashley i loved the audio! 3mo
49 likes3 comments
blurb
cariashley
Hamnet | Maggie O'Farrell
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Merry Bookmas everyone!!! Here‘s my book haul, thanks to my mom and my father-in-law ☺️

I hope all Littens are having a wonderful holiday season ❀️

JamieArc Nice! You have some good ones there! 3mo
BarbaraBB Wow! I loved Tin Man and Rabbit Hutch 🀍 (edited) 3mo
Ruthiella Excellent stack! I love Sarah Waters. 3mo
cariashley @BarbaraBB I‘m really excited for those ☺️ 3mo
cariashley @Ruthiella me too! I‘m slowly making my way through all her books! 3mo
58 likes5 comments
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cariashley
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Mehso-so

I struggled with this one, as I usually do with allegorical fiction. The concept is really interesting but the protagonist just seemed so removed. I did it on audio and had a hard time paying attention. #TOB23

Jas16 I felt exactly the same way. 3mo
BarbaraBB Still need to read this. Not very much looking forward to it 3mo
43 likes3 comments
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cariashley
Angelology | Danielle Trussoni
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Mehso-so

I bought this book waaaay back in 2011 and finally picked it up off my groaning TBR shelf. I‘d hesitated because of the mixed reviews, and sigh, they were right. It‘s an academic fantasy that‘s more academic than fantastical; a book that takes itself very seriously. The plot was also a bit confounding at times. I won‘t be continuing with the second book, needless to say.

Suet624 Oh my goodness. I bought this book ages ago too and have tried twice to get through it. 4mo
cariashley @Suet624 I regret to tell you it‘s probably not worth trying again! 4mo
Suet624 Thanks for reading it for me. Now I can take it off my groaning TBR. πŸ’• 4mo
Ruthiella I read this soon after it was published and I agree with your review. It didn‘t quite come together. 4mo
42 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
cariashley
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Here we goooo #TOB23! Iβ€˜ve only read two of the shortlisted books so I have my work cut out for me (Sea of Tranquility and Tomorrow). I own Mercury, Babel, and Olga in print.

Iβ€˜m going to need to do some of these as audiobooks to get through the whole list. Iβ€˜m picky when it comes to fiction on audio so thinking hard about my strategy. Has anyone listened to the audio versions of the shortlisted books?

Ruthiella I‘ve only read one and own none! πŸ˜‚ I put a bunch on hold at the library, though. I started Mouth to Mouth in print but something tells me it‘d probably also be good on audio. 4mo
Chelsea.Poole I just listened to this on audio and it worked well 4mo
Chelsea.Poole Also The Rabbit Hutch, Dinosaurs, and Nightcrawling on audio were all good! 4mo
See All 13 Comments
squirrelbrain Like you, I‘m going to listen to a fair few on audio, mainly due to that‘s where they‘re free! I just finished this one on audio and really enjoyed it. 4mo
squirrelbrain I also listened to this one a while ago, and I think it may work better in print. 4mo
Hooked_on_books I‘ve listened to Sea of Tranquility, The Rabbit Hutch, The Passenger, and The Violin Conspiracy on audio. All are good except The Passenger, which I‘m bothered to see on this list at all. Some parts grabbed me, but overall I don‘t think it‘s a good book. 4mo
Well-ReadNeck I liked The Violin Conspiracy, Olga Dies Dreaming, Mouth to Mouth, and Mercury Pictures Presents in audio. I tried The Book of Goose, Nightcrawling, and Sea of Tranquility on audio, but switched to (and preferred) print. 4mo
jlhammar Violin Conspiracy was great on audio. I also enjoyed the audio production of Sea of Tranquility. 4mo
Deblovestoread I listened to Violin Conspiracy and Nightcrawling and they were terrific. I‘m grateful for the additional audio recs as I have credits to burn. 4mo
BkClubCare Yes, I will likely do a spreadsheet tracking availability AND audio recs 4mo
Cinfhen I‘m loving these recs too - especially glad to see your suggestions @Well-ReadNeck as Book of Goose & Mercury are two I need!! I did audio for Sea, Dinosaurs, Olga; Violin, 2am & An Island - all worked great on that medium ( although I didn‘t necessarily love all of the books) in print I read Rabbit, Night, Tomorrow & mouth and thought they were all good in print too. I do think 2am would not have worked well for me in print. 4mo
cariashley @Ruthiella @Chelsea.Poole @squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books @Well-ReadNeck @jlhammar @Deblovestoread @Cinfhen this is SO helpful, thank you all!!! @BkClubCare yup I‘m about to jam on my own spreadsheet!! 4mo
Deblovestoread Audible currently has Olga Dies Dreaming on sale for 5.99 Also, Manhunt. (edited) 4mo
37 likes13 comments
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cariashley
The Maid | Nita Prose
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Pickpick

What a nice surprise, I hadn‘t realized this would be my hundredth read! Have definitely slowed down lately with work being insane so not sure how many more books I‘ll be able to finish this year, but at least I hit my goal.

As for The Maid, I liked it more than I thought I would (especially on audio) but thought it could have used some editing in the final third; it just kept going on and on. A low/moderate pick.

Bklover I enjoyed this one, but I do remember thinking she reminded me of Amelia Bedelia (my favorite Amelia Bedelia is when they go camping and her boss tells her to pitch the tent and she tosses it over a cliff!). 4mo
Slajaunie Congratulations!πŸŽ‰ 4mo
cariashley @Slajaunie Thank you!! 4mo
cariashley @Bklover Oh wow, what a good call. I haven't thought of Amelia Bedelia in YEARS! πŸ˜‚ 4mo
49 likes4 comments
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cariashley
Days in the History of Silence | Merethe Lindstrom
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Pickpick

A quiet, introspective novel with a LOT going on between the lines. All about the traumas of our past and how we choose to share these with our loved ones (or not). Beautifully written and translated from the Norwegian. I‘m very happy to have gotten this in my Strand subscription box as I never would have come across it otherwise. It would make an amazing movie.

Thanks to #PercyCat for being a sturdy book prop!

sarahbarnes This sounds really intriguing! And what a beautiful cat, although he doesn‘t look too pleased. πŸ˜‚ 4mo
cariashley @sarahbarnes 😹 he was rather disturbed!! 4mo
BarbaraBB This sounds great! 4mo
53 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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cariashley
Too Good to Be True | Carola Lovering
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Panpan

An easy read that still took me 2 weeks to get through (granted I had a lot going on); the whole premise was just so… dumb. I was rolling my eyes with every chapter. Unfortunate given the depiction of the main character‘s struggle with OCD held promise and was refreshingly different to see. #BOTM

Librariana It's such a shame when that happens with books. It's like they've got an interesting, promising thread and rather than weaving it into a good story, it all just dissapointingly unravels. Blah. 4mo
37 likes1 comment
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cariashley
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Oooh, Iβ€˜m so so excited this is being adapted! Itβ€˜s probably my favorite fantasy series of the last few years. I hope it actually happens and that they do it justice!

https://deadline.com/2022/11/meera-menon-to-helm-a-deadly-education-film-for-uni...

Soubhiville 😲🀩 I hope this happens! I loved this series. 5mo
43 likes1 comment
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cariashley
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Pickpick

I‘ve wanted to read Kelly Link‘s stories for a long time and glad I finally got to this collection. It ended up being more of a mixed bag than I expected. I loved a few of them (The Summer People, The New Boyfriend, The Light) but really struggled with others, some of which were a bit incomprehensible. Overall a moderate pick.

Reggie I love the one with the monster boyfriends and she finds out the ghost bf is cheating on her. I literally slow clapped. The other one I like is the superhero/dentist convention one. 5mo
cariashley @Reggie yes the boyfriend one was seriously great!!! I loved it. The superhero/dentist one felt just ok to me while I was reading it but it‘s actually really stuck with me. The butter sculptures, wow. 5mo
44 likes2 comments
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cariashley
The Ink Black Heart | Robert Galbraith
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Pickpick

Dammit, I‘m mad at how much I loved this book. I couldn‘t stop listening. I know JKR is a garbage person, but Strike and Robin are just a delight and I loved spending 33+ hours with them.

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cariashley
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Pickpick

This was really good, especially on audio, despite the lack of structure - it‘s really just a collection of anecdotes and sound bites about Bourdain, arranged mostly chronologically. I‘ve read so many think pieces about him that I found it both refreshing and revealing. The last sections are tough to get through, but I feel like I learned more about him and why his life ended so tragically. I miss his voice so much, still.

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cariashley
The Friend | Sigrid Nunez
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Pickpick

I loved this more than I thought I would - am always skeptical of award winners. The writing on pets and animals was especially moving. I zoomed through it in only 2 days but this kind of meditative book probably deserves a little slowing down and introspection.

blurb
cariashley
The Teddy Bears' Picnic | Jimmy Kennedy
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I heard this song on a random Instagram reel today and distinctly remember it was referenced in a book I‘ve read, but can‘t remember what book! I think it might have been a creepy book, maybe fantasy? The main character had to sing it to another character at different points in the story?

I tried googling but no luck at all. Can anyone help me with this brain worm, it‘s going to drive me nuts!

Chrissyreadit I don‘t know what book but I loved this song as a little girl. 6mo
cariashley Ah it JUST came to me - the book was Billy Summers, Stephen King! That was driving me insane πŸ€ͺ 6mo
33 likes2 comments
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cariashley
Happy-Go-Lucky | David Sedaris
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Pickpick

Was very lucky to see David Sedaris perform in my town the other night, and got to meet him. It was a delight, as is his new collection. One of the few things my husband and I can enjoy together on car rides!

Suet624 I‘m seeing him in a few days. Can‘t wait. 6mo
cariashley @Suet624 have fun!! 6mo
DivineDiana Love the inclusion of a sketch! ❀️ 4mo
45 likes3 comments
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cariashley
The Sympathizer | Viet Thanh Nguyen
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Pickpick

Very good and completely understand why it won a Pulitzer, but I found it hard to focus on. I think that‘s more about me and having a lot of stuff going on though. Need to stick to some lighter reads for a while.

This is the lovely view from my hotel room in Madrid, where I got to spend last weekend! πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ

BarbaraBB I love Madrid! Enjoy πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ 6mo
cariashley @BarbaraBB such a fantastic city, I wish I had more than a few nights there! It was a (very) quick hop across the pond for my best friend‘s birthday (a big one) ☺️ 6mo
BarbaraBB Nice! 6mo
50 likes3 comments
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cariashley
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Pickpick

This was more of a page turner than I thought it would be, and I enjoyed it while I was reading. But it‘s only a light pick for me - there were just a lot of plot holes and odd threads that didn‘t really come together. The handful of excerpts from Maggie St. James‘s children‘s book didn‘t really add anything, in my opinion. Still entertaining. #botm

43 likes1 stack add
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cariashley
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Pickpick

Sarah MacLean kills it, as usual. Loved her latest and so happy her novels seem to always come out right around my birthday, they‘re always a gift to myself! I‘m less enamored with my broken splinted fingers 😞 Some unsolicited advice - if your cat starts puking on the bed in the middle of the night, sometimes it‘s better to let him do it so you don‘t get tangled in the sheets and fall flat on your face, and somehow break your fingers πŸ€¦πŸΌβ€β™€οΈ

Jas16 Oh no! That sounds so painful! Wishing you a speedy recovery. 7mo
DGRachel OMG. That‘s terrible! I hope you heal quickly. At least you had Addie and Clayborn to take your mind off the pain. 7mo
cariashley @Jas16 @DGRachel thank you so much! And yes, Addie and Clayborn were the best distraction ☺️ 7mo
Dragon Wishing you speedy healing! πŸ’šπŸ‰ 7mo
40 likes1 stack add4 comments
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cariashley
Cult Classic: A Novel | Sloane Crosley
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Pickpick

This snarky, funny novel about committing (or not committing) to love in your late 30s was right up my alley. I loved the way she writes about New York, men and cats. The framing device was outlandish but I actually liked that it wasn‘t over explained - it fit the tone of the book. Highly entertaining.

47 likes2 stack adds
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cariashley
Our Wives Under the Sea | Julia Armfield
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Pickpick

I loved the dreamlike, eerie style of this book, and the writing was gorgeous. I wanted more out of the climax though, and the end of the Leah narrative was a bit disappointing. This felt like stripped down Jeff VanderMeer to me, though not in a bad way. Like in a VanderMeer book, I wanted clearer answers at the end. Still a pick, and glad I picked this up for #camplitsy!

Liz_M Beautiful picture! 7mo
cariashley @Liz_M thank you! Can‘t beat that pool blue 😎 7mo
squirrelbrain Great review! Looking forward to your thoughts at the weekend. 7mo
40 likes3 comments
review
cariashley
The Guest List | Lucy Foley
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Pickpick

Really enjoyed this audiobook! Loved all the different narrators (and their various accents, even the smarmy posh Brit a-hole one). I also didn‘t guess the ending, which is always nice. Lucy Foley is pretty reliable after this and Paris Apartment - this isn‘t my favorite genre but I‘m a fan!

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cariashley
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Mehso-so

Not my favorite #camplitsy read. While Emezi‘s writing is very good, I found the pacing to be off and couldn‘t buy in to the central romance. I think the point of the book is to be a challenging, uncomfortable concept though, which it definitely achieved. The audiobook narration was great.

Hooked_on_books I‘m glad I went with the audio. Bahni Turpin can do no wrong, in my opinion! 9mo
cariashley @Hooked_on_books completely agree!! 9mo
squirrelbrain It sounds like a lot of Littens enjoyed the audio of this one. (The book itself….not so much! 🀣) 9mo
Megabooks Good point about the pacing. Bahni is great! 9mo
47 likes4 comments
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cariashley
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Mehso-so

I‘m a big fan of VanderMeer but overall this was disappointing and my least favorite of his books. It started out strong but I couldn‘t get a handle on what was really motivating the main character‘s obsession, at the expense of literally everything else in her life. The suspenseful tone was on point throughout though and kept me reading.

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cariashley
A Rogue of One's Own | Evie Dunmore
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Pickpick

I love the unapologetic feminism of Dunmore‘s series; what a great take on the typical historical romance. I really loved how she ended this one. It did feel a bit long and took me a surprisingly long time to get through, although being sick with Covid definitely didn‘t help - did not feel like reading at all. Really glad to be mostly through it! #romantsy

46 likes1 stack add
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cariashley
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Pickpick

Can never get enough David Sedaris - trying to get through the backlist before seeing him live in October. I realized I‘ve barely been on Litsy; super busy at work, the US is a dumpster fire, and then Covid finally caught my husband and me after over two years of dodging bullets. It hasn‘t been fun at all but really hoping to be on the upswing in the next few days!

Leftcoastzen Sorry you two are going through that. Hope you both feel better soon! 9mo
Dragon Take care of yourselves- hope you both feel better soon πŸ’ 9mo
cariashley @Leftcoastzen @Dragon thank you!! πŸ’›πŸ’› 9mo
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cariashley
The Lies I Tell | Julie Clark
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Wasn‘t enamored with the selections this month, but I skipped last month and have a ton of credits to use, so I went for the thriller. And Lessons in Chemistry since I keep hearing about it. Hoping these will serve as a couple quick, light summer reads! #BOTM

Alfoster Both are good!β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈπŸ‘Š 10mo
cariashley @Alfoster oh yay I‘m glad!! 10mo
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cariashley
The Candy House | Jennifer Egan
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Pickpick

I was worried that I‘d miss a lot of references to Goon Squad since I read it so many years ago, but that wasn‘t really an issue. I know I didn‘t love it as much though - Goon Squad just felt so unique at the time, like nothing I‘d ever read. That being said, this was definitely entertaining and worth it - some sections are just stronger than others.

Megabooks Agreed! 10mo
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cariashley
The Mirror & the Light | Hilary Mantel
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Starting this doorstop today and regret putting it off for so long. The writing is just *chef‘s kiss*. The first line: β€œOnce the queen‘s head is severed, he walks away.”

(Also, check out the insane pollen build up on my outdoor table 😬)

DrexEdit If you can't speak the truth at a beheading, when can you? πŸ’œ 10mo
jlhammar So good! Loved this trilogy. 10mo
cariashley @DrexEdit love that line too!! So good! 10mo
Ruthiella I loved this trilogy too! πŸ‘ (edited) 10mo
45 likes4 comments
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cariashley
Crooked Kingdom | Leigh Bardugo
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Pickpick

What a ride - I loved this one the whole way through but the ending disappointed me. I‘m conflicted because some of the threads were tied up beautifully while others felt abrupt. It also really feels like there‘s more to explore with these characters and the storyline; I hope the rumors of a third book are true!

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cariashley
Cocktail Bar | Isabella May
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One more pic from my trip - this is the bar at our hotel in Paris, the Library Bar 😍 Basically the bar of my dreams. The hotel cat even popped in one night when we there to nap on one of the comfy chairs!

RaeLovesToRead 😲😲😲😲 10mo
RaeLovesToRead I have decided that I am going to go to Paris and I am going to stay here!!!! πŸ’•πŸ’•πŸ’•πŸ’• 10mo
julesG @RaeLovesToRead I'd move in if I could afford it. 10mo
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RaeLovesToRead @julesG It looks amazing! 😊 10mo
LeahBergen Beautiful! 10mo
BarbaraBB That looks fantastic! 10mo
cariashley @julesG @RaeLovesToRead I really did NOT want to leave!! 10mo
41 likes7 comments
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cariashley
Daunt Books - Marylebone | London, United Kingdom (Bookstore)
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Photo from my favorite London bookstore, Daunt Books, from this past Saturday! I squeezed in a visit between a work trip and a wedding (plus a 12 year anniversary celebration because the timing was just too perfect). So glad I made it there! I limited myself to one book purchase to save on packing space ☺️

LiteraryinLawrence I was there in 2019! It was delightful! 10mo
Leftcoastzen Lovely! 10mo
Hooked_on_books It‘s gorgeous! 😍 10mo
Chelsea.Poole Ohh I love it! 10mo
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