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DGRachel

DGRachel

Joined May 2016

LibraryThing member DGRachel

Howler. Passionate dog mom. Opinionated mood reader with eclectic tastes. I‘ll try any genre once. http://tailsfromthedogside.blog
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DGRachel
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September‘s #bookspin bingo board. Creating these really is a bright spot in my month. Thank you Sarah!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fabulous!! 24h
30 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
Spinning in Time | Joselyn Ignacio
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Excited for both my #bookspin and #doublespin titles this month. I‘ve been trying to get to Poetry as Spellcasting for months and now have an excuse to make it a priority. The Ravenmaster is a book from @Mollyanna #auldlangspine2025 list and counts for my local indie‘s reading challenge prompt of nonfiction I know little about.

Mollyanna I hope you enjoy! 😊 2d
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! 2d
35 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
Dark August | Katie Tallo
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I only managed to finish 11 books this month. I bailed on 5, paused 2, and have 3 active current reads. On the bright side, I cleared 5 books of my NetGalley queue. The books that were good were really good, but that ones that were bad, were awful. 😭

review
DGRachel
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Panpan

If you‘re looking for an ego-filled memoir of an FBI agent‘s 25 year law enforcement career, along with his discovery of the usefulness of psychics and tuning into his own guides and intuition, you may enjoy this. I wanted and expected a book on the hunt for a serial killer, psychics included, not bits of that interspersed with other cases, like Michael Vick. Now I can‘t get The Lost Dogs book out of my head. Skip chapter 23 here. I skimmed it.

GingerAntics Oh my… from the title alone I was read ready to add it. I‘m glad I read your review first. 5d
DGRachel @GingerAntics The title got me, too, and the insight from the psychic, John Edward, was fascinating, but for me, Hillard‘s ego got in the way and I will forever be mad about the Vick chapter. I‘ve been in tears for the last three hours. 5d
GingerAntics @DGRachel oh my god, do I want to know? 5d
DGRachel @GingerAntics I skipped most of that chapter, so I don‘t know how much graphic detail was given. It just brought back memories of the final chapter of the book about the dogs rescued from Vick‘s dog fighting ring and…No. you don‘t want to know. If you choose to read this book, just skip chapter 23. 5d
40 likes4 comments
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DGRachel
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I cannot believe it‘s already time for a new #bookspin list. I‘m considering this a tentative list as there are a couple of titles I‘d like to get to this weekend. If I read anything from the list, I‘ll replace it with a category, either “libro fm challenge” or “feels like fall”. I‘m in the mood for a good autumnal read and I‘m open to suggestions/recommendations.
(Edited to replace book I started yesterday.)

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 5d
35 likes1 comment
review
DGRachel
Here for a Good Time: A Novel | Pyae Moe Thet War
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Mehso-so

This was a disappointing friends-to-lovers adventure. It has a The Lost City vibe, with cinematic prose, but it was predictable (and not in a good way), filled with profanity that felt forced and awkward, with characters that made irrational decisions. The MMC was also a jerk, who belittled the FMC when she called him out, so she doubts herself and excuses his behavior. The book isn‘t terrible, but it didn‘t work for me. #netgalley

DGRachel For the record, I don‘t object to swearing. I object to bad dialogue made worse by frequent f-bombs that feel misplaced or thrown in to meet a word count. 1w
50 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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Today has been a #terribletuesday (it‘s totally an Alexander Day and I‘m ready to move to Australia-IYKYK). To get me through the rest of this day, I‘m turning to a much beloved author and a favorite audiobook narrator (Simon Vance). My favorite thing about this one is all the time we get with “Mother Russia” Connie Sachs. I love Connie so much. So. Much.

Eggbeater 🫂💙 1w
LiteraryinPA Ugh, I hope tomorrow is better! 1w
42 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
Well, Actually | Mazey Eddings
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Pickpick

With a 40% Litsy rating, I‘m clearly in the minority here but GAH! I adored this book and the characters, both the primary couple and their friends. The only people I didn‘t like are the ones I‘m not supposed to like. I laughed (so much so that I got side eye from Tash) and I cried. I identified with a lot of Eva‘s insecurities and I loved watching her and Rylie work towards their HEA. *happy sigh*

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 2w
50 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
Rewitched | Lucy Jane Wood
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Pickpick

A cute cozy fantasy about a witch who works in a bookshop and who must undergo a month of heavy training to retake trials to retain her magic. It‘s got fun characters, some you love, some you love to hate. While not written with quite the same skill, if you like Sangu Mandanna‘s books, it‘s worth trying this one. Loved the audiobook narrator.

47 likes1 stack add
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DGRachel
King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby
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Pickpick

I can‘t believe I‘m saying this, but this is borderline so-so for me and I expected it to blow away the #CampLitsy competition. I‘m giving Cosby some grace to compensate for my mental state, but I‘m disappointed. It‘s dark, violent, and gritty, but unlike Blacktop Wasteland, ALL of the characters just annoy me endlessly. I wasn‘t surprised by any of the elements of the ending. They were all inevitable, not just predictable.

TrishB I only gave it a so-so. Definitely not my fave of his. 2w
DGRachel My biggest gripe is the thing in books that I hate more than any other thing (except killing a dog - this is THE worst) and that is 90% of the worst of this could have been prevented if the siblings had just TALKED TO EACH OTHER HONESTLY!!!! I don‘t care if keeping secrets was “in character” or necessary for the plot. I hate it. I hate it. I HATE IT! 2w
DGRachel @TrishB Thank you! I really thought I was the only one who didn‘t love it. 😭 2w
See All 12 Comments
TrishB I always think that when it‘s just me! 😁 I thought it was mediocre and predictable. 2w
BarbaraBB I did enjoy it a lot but I too was really frustrated by them not talking to each other. Dante was the worst imo 😱 (edited) 2w
Megabooks @DGRachel in life, I hate it, too. But living with an elderly mother who can be very brittle and judgmental, there is a lot I don‘t say, even if it is in no way my preferred dynamic with people I choose to bring into my life. Family is tough. For me, there was enough realistic explanation why they weren‘t. I guess with the situation I‘m in, it gave me a level of strange affection for the characters 🤷🏻‍♀️ @BarbaraBB 2w
Megabooks However, I was mad at Roman for not being as honest with Jae. I think she could‘ve handled it, but I think he probably feared losing her. Fear is a strong motivator! @BarbaraBB 2w
ChaoticMissAdventures @DGRachel agree!! Just TALK to each other!! So annoying. I was annoying how terrible those boys were to their sister, leaving her out in the cold like that as she shouldered everything. 2w
DGRachel @Megabooks I completely agree that family dynamics can be tough to navigate and it was understandable here, it‘s just a trope in fiction that frustrates me a lot. 2w
Megabooks @DGRachel oh for sure! We all have tropes we find frustrating. 2w
squirrelbrain It wasn‘t my favourite of his either. I just recommended All The Sinners Bleed to a friend and I was reflecting on how much better that one was. 2w
DGRachel @squirrelbrain I‘m glad that others are considering this a rather disappointing outlier. I LOVED Blacktop Wasteland so much I‘ve bought his other books as they‘ve come out but I‘ve not gotten to any of them. I will have to go back as a palate cleanser to this one. 🤪 2w
51 likes12 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This was fun, even though I am clearly no good as a 10 year old detective. I solved 3 of the 10 cases. Sobol has some creative descriptions of characters, particularly the Tigers, and I found myself laughing a lot while reading.

#EBBR and my August #bookspin

Ruthiella I love his silly humor in these books. I just downloaded this one and hope to get to it this weekend. 🤞 2w
DGRachel @Ruthiella Enjoy! I think this was my favorite to date. It really made me laugh. 2w
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2w
36 likes3 comments
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DGRachel
Untitled | Untitled
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We do not care that we have nothing witty to post. We are posting anyway because we have FOMO. #WDNCW

Also shout out to @TheBookHippie for her inspiring post. Burn the patriarchy down. It‘s long past time for community care and matriarchy.

TheBookHippie 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 2w
lil1inblue I adore this one! 😍 😂 🙌 2w
Ruthiella 😂😂😂 2w
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AmyG Thank you. SAME 2w
Amiable This post for the WDNCW win! 🙌🏼😄 2w
Cuilin This may be my favorite one. 2w
dabbe This one's the wittiest one yet! Don't ever underestimate your writing abilities, m'dear! 😂😍😂 2w
52 likes7 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This is a fun mystery with delightfully quirky characters and found family. I love the format with short chapters from each character‘s POV. The short chapters make for a quicker read, and the multiple POVs bring the characters closer to the reader. The solution was fun, too. Out today (8/19). Just a day late for the #NGG #readathon.

AllDebooks Still counts. 😀 2w
56 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

Lots of action in this installment of Nancy Drew's adventures! Multiple noggin‘ knockouts for more than just Nancy, a missing dancer, a crumbling “castle”, secret formulas, boat crashes, and more kidnappings than you can shake a stick at. This one was pretty fun. #nancydrewbr

Librarybelle It was fun! 3w
dabbe 😍😍😍 3w
51 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

I love it when an author understands the brief. This is a classic Romance novel that hits all of the genre norms, right down to the timing of the spicy scenes and the third act break up. Secrets are one of my least favorite things (JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER!) but Daria actually makes it make sense. It‘s not just thrown in for the sake of tension. I enjoyed this workplace Romance, even with its insta-lust turned almost insta-love. It was fun.

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DGRachel
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Panpan

I am heartbroken. I LOVED Songbird and have been looking forward to part two of Mische and Asar‘s story for MONTHS. This was tedious and hundreds of pages longer than it needed to be. It feels like someone else wrote this book. This cannot possibly be the same author that wrote the previous Crowns of Nyaxia books. So disappointing, but based on StoryGraph/Goodreads ratings, mine is an unpopular opinion, so YMMV. I‘m just glad it‘s over.

Texreader How disappointing!! 4w
Meshell1313 Ugh that‘s what I heard. I‘m waiting on my hold but I do not have high hopes. Bummer! 3w
DGRachel @Meshell1313 Will I picked up the next book, which I‘m guessing will be Septimus‘s story? Yes. Will I adjust my expectations down? Also, yes. I do hope your reading experience is different from mine. I love Mische as a character so much that I feel like she deserved a better book. 3w
Meshell1313 You are sooo right! I hated it. I don‘t even think I‘ll read the next book! Wow. I never had this where I loved the 1st books and almost couldn‘t finish this one. 7d
DGRachel @Meshell1313 I am so sorry your experience was similar to mine, but I appreciate the vindication. I‘m still sad about how awful it was. 7d
50 likes5 comments
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DGRachel
Well, Actually | Mazey Eddings
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I didn‘t make it out to a bookstore for Bookstore Romance Day, but my Aardvark box arrived with the tagged book, so I‘m counting it as my Romance day purchase. 😎

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DGRachel
Tea on Sunday, | Lettice Ulpha Cooper
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Finally remembered to start this on a Sunday. 🤭

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DGRachel
Tilt | Emma Pattee
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Pickpick

I don‘t want to say much about this because discussion for #CampLitsy25 continues, but I went into this knowing NOTHING about it. I took one look at the cover and groaned, knowing it was going to be tedious Lit Fic that I‘d have to force my way through. Campers, you have my sincerest apologies for my attitude and doubt. This pulled me in from the second the earthquake hit and I couldn‘t put it down. It‘s raw and real, heartbreaking and brilliant.

BarbaraBB Glad you gave it a chance ❤️ 1mo
squirrelbrain Fabulous review! ❤️ 1mo
DGRachel @BarbaraBB What are you all doing to me? What is all this literary fiction that I‘m actually, gasp!, enjoying! I‘m horrified! What is happening to me? 😱😱🤣🤣🤣 1mo
See All 7 Comments
Megabooks Lololololol!!! So glad you enjoyed it. Def a gripping read!! 1mo
Chelsea.Poole Agreed, I loved it! 1mo
Butterfinger 😆 1mo
Suet624 Haha. Glad you liked it. 1mo
63 likes7 comments
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DGRachel
Dark August | Katie Tallo
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August‘s #bookspin bingo board. Five of these books didn‘t make it onto my official TBR and there are five books on my official TBR that aren‘t on here. I didn‘t plan that well. 😂🤦🏻‍♀️😂

ChaoticMissAdventures I cannot tell you how much time I spend in these boards, I feel like planning books is a third hobby (behind reading and buying) 1mo
DGRachel @ChaoticMissAdventures So much time. 🤣🤣 I have a running Excel spreadsheet to track things like book club reads I know I want listed for a particular month and NetGalley books listed on the month they publish. I also have a list of horror novels for October to remember and holiday books for December. 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1mo
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TheAromaofBooks @ChaoticMissAdventures @DGRachel - We aren't going to talk about the fact that I have two separate spreadsheets with multiple tabs to track both my ongoing TBR issues and my current reading stats 😂 1mo
DGRachel @TheAromaofBooks We aren‘t going to discuss all of the tabs on the spreadsheet I mentioned. This is the first year I haven‘t tracked the years current reads in multiple locations. The spreadsheet, Goodreads, AND StoryGraph was just too much. Now, I just track everything I‘ve finished in StoryGraph. 1mo
TheAromaofBooks I'm still tracking in all three 😂 Plus I am slowly scanning/adding all my books in the Bookshelf app (which I LOVE), so I am also tracking books I have read that I own there. I fully admit that it's a SMIDGE out of control haha 1mo
33 likes6 comments
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DGRachel
Spin Around Space | Igloobooks
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The #bookspin gods were kind this month, picking books that were already on my TBR for this month, one of which will take me less than an hour to read. Tea on Sunday is a birthday gift from @Mitch - she sent Yorkshire tea as well, so I have been waiting to start it on a Sunday. I‘ve forgotten for 2 months of Sundays! 🤦🏻‍♀️😂
(Pretty board to come later)

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! I have Tea on Sunday on my shelf as well!! 1mo
Ruthiella What luck! 😃 1mo
rabbitprincess Ha, I went to add Tea on Sunday to my to-read list and it turns out it‘s already there 😂 1mo
35 likes3 comments
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DGRachel
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I finished 18 books in July, which is about max-capacity for me, and while my average rating for the month is, well, average for me, and there were some books I really enjoyed, July feels like it was mostly disappointing. Here‘s hoping I end August feeling better about what I‘ve read.

kspenmoll Here‘s to August reads! 1mo
38 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
Enter the Aardvark | Jessica Anthony
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Oops.

ChaoticMissAdventures I grabbed The Hounding too! I have been wanting to read it so super excited. I placed a hold for Too Old For This at my library. It is a good month! I think all the books are by women which is cool. 1mo
40 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
When Blood Lies | C S Harris
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Pickpick

I‘m clearly in a mood because this was a rare miss for me in a series that is usually impeccable. Set in Paris as Napoleon escapes Elba, it brings closure to an ongoing storyline, while having fun with some historical figures like Vidocq. The issue I have here is that there‘s a lot of angst (understandable if you‘ve read the previous books),and Harris harps on it so much that it becomes repetitive & irritating. A low pick as it‘s still a St Cyr.

45 likes1 stack add
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DGRachel
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“Guillam had fixed his on Smiley; and just then would have gone anywhere with him, turned any corner, in order to remain beside him and hear the story out.”

Same, Peter. Same. 💖

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DGRachel
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I am bailing on Beasts of Carnaval. I wanted to love it, switched to audio to try to force myself to love it, and am now actively avoiding reading because I don‘t want to pick it back up. So, with that, I have best #bookspin bingo board to date. 5 bingos and both my bookspin and double spin completed. At least I accomplished one thing this month. 😭

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 1mo
38 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
Start Spinning | Maggie Casey
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Finally have my list together for August‘s #bookspin. Not totally happy with it, but my brain is not braining and I had to throw a couple things on there when I realized that my original list duplicated titles. 🤦🏻‍♀️ There are five NetGalley titles that publish in August, a sequel I‘ve been dying to get my hands on for six months, #CampLitsy, and books I really want to read. We‘ll see how the month goes.

uncommonlycozies this is an incredible list of book 🙌 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 1mo
35 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
Woodworking | Emily St James
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Pickpick

Once again, I would never have picked this up without #CampLitsy. The “friendship” between Erica and Abigail was deeply disturbing to me, and I came so close to bailing. It still gives me the ick. However, watching all of the characters evolve on their respective journeys was incredible. St. James writes beautifully, with depth and compassion. This feels like a big, important book that everyone should read. ⬇️

DGRachel The world needs more kindness, compassion, acceptance, empathy, authenticity, and love. 1mo
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 1mo
squirrelbrain Great review! ❤️ 1mo
Suet624 100% agree on what the world needs. 1mo
55 likes4 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

Finished with an hour to spare. This was a good Romantasy with an interesting magic system and world. I liked the characters and enjoyed the development of the romance. As with nearly every Romantasy I‘ve read, it‘s a planned duology, so it ends in a cliffhanger. I‘m getting really sick of cliffhangers, especially when there‘s no release date for book two. 🤬

Ruthiella Ideally every book in any series should also stand alone. Alas! 1mo
Sace @Ruthiella I completely agree! 1mo
DGRachel @Ruthiella Absolutely! At the very least, the ending should be complete enough, even if it is open-ended, that the reader feels satisfied with it as a conclusion. I don‘t want to be left not knowing what happens after the dang cliffhanger. Witch King by Martha Wells did this really well. 1mo
52 likes3 comments
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DGRachel
Untitled | Untitled
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#WDNCW We do not care about to do lists. Care of self is not selfish and we are going to care for ourselves by watching cartoons and snuggling on the couch with our puppy.

dabbe To-do lists are highly overrated and will ALWAYS be waiting there for you. Time is precious with that puppy! Enjoy! 🩵💙🩵 1mo
Eggbeater I love the Despicable Mes, and puppy snuggles make life worth living. 🐶 1mo
lil1inblue How could you not choose to snuggle that sweet bebe? 😍 1mo
DGRachel @dabbe @Eggbeater @lil1inblue Puppy snuggles are the best, even when the puppy is 5 years old and 45 pounds. Teeny tiny. 🤣🤣 1mo
50 likes4 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

So mad at myself for not cracking this open the day it arrived from Aardvark. I loved this so much. It‘s just as wonderful as The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches - lovely, cozy writing, lovable characters, including a zombie rooster named Roo Roo, and a story that draws you in and blocks out the real world. It‘s a warm book hug, with subtle socio-political commentary, if you pay attention.

monalyisha Yes! Sera‘s speech at the end about how restructuring power is necessary, even/especially after the kingpin has been knocked down, felt very (needfully) pointed. 1d
62 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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DGRachel
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Sorry @dabbe ! Apparently, I am incapable of following directions for this #threelistthursday #tlt I am addicted to movie scores: Pacific Rim, Captain America: Winter Soldier, and X-Men First Class are some of the best, but I had to throw in Jane Eyre, in case someone needed something a little more soothing. 😂 Cats was the first musical I fell in love with, Hamilton is amazing, and Hadestown is my latest Broadway obsession.

DGRachel Also, honorable mention to Phantom of the Opera‘s Broadway cast and the scores for Pirates of the Caribbean and Wonder Woman. 🎶🎶🎶 (And my Cats obsession is with the London cast or at least Elaine Paige. Such a beautiful voice!) (edited) 2mo
dabbe INCREDIBLE choices! I adore Elaine Paige, too! And you make me want to watch some more musicals! Thanks for playing and sharing. 🖤🎶🖤 2mo
43 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
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John le Carre is a comfort read for me and Dreamscape Audio has been releasing new recordings over the last year or two. I thought Simon Vance narrated them all, but apparently he‘s just doing the Smileys. My brain is not braining right now, so I‘m opting to ignore publication order for now (and therefore other narrators) in favor of George and Simon. 💖

39 likes1 stack add
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DGRachel
I Don't Care | Julie Fogliano
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Work is very work-y…
#wdncw #wedonotcare

lil1inblue 🙌 🙌 🙌 We do not care if people do not like the boundaries we set at work. 2mo
dabbe L😍VE! I actually insisted that parents email me with their questions and to NOT call. It was imperative to have a written record of who said what, and phone calls never allow you that--unless you're recording them. And yes, work on those writing skills, people! 🩵💙🩵 2mo
Bookwormjillk I‘m not the biggest fan of AI but if you can‘t write an email ChatGPT is a thing 2mo
See All 6 Comments
DGRachel @Bookwormjillk I‘ve found that the people who insist the most on phone calls are the people that just want to whine or argue. We do not care about why they think they shouldn‘t have to do something. After 25 years doing this job, I‘m not fighting with you. Do what you‘re supposed to be or don‘t get paid. Your call. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2mo
DGRachel @dabbe I struggle with phone calls for several reasons. Most people accept it when I tell them that and ask them to put their questions in an email. Every so often though… 2mo
Bookwormjillk @DGRachel in my work people who want calls usually want to transfer the labor of documenting their BS to me. 2mo
44 likes6 comments
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

I probably shouldn‘t mark this reread as a review, but consider this a review of the audio narrated by Simon Vance. Vance is perfect for le Carre‘s novels. This one is not as adventurous or glamorous as his more well known novels, but the author himself notes that this is closer to reality than Spy or Tinker Tailor. It‘s petty, sad, and filled with egos that desperately want to be relevant but aren‘t. Le Carre‘s writing is brilliant, as always.

47 likes2 stack adds
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DGRachel
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Not in the database, but the special short story made available after the Apple TV season of Murderbot wrapped up is delightful. It‘s just too short. It‘s a teeny taste of the world I‘ve come to love through these books and I‘m greedy for more.

julesG It's toooooo short!!! 2mo
DGRachel @julesG I wholeheartedly agree! 2mo
48 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

Billed as Dexter meets Richard Scarry‘s Busy Town, this is…disturbing. I‘ll leave it at that.

AllDebooks Woah, what a combo!! 😅 2mo
Chrissyreadit that is a description you don‘t see everyday 2mo
47 likes2 comments
review
DGRachel
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Mehso-so

We didn‘t get nearly enough of the old gang - minimal Bess, George Hannah, and Carson, although more Papa Drew than normal. Instead, we get Effie, but sadly she‘s an obnoxious scaredy cat. I actually found this one slow and rather tedious, and I don‘t think there was a single side character, villain or victim, that I liked. I think I‘m just in a mood, though. More grumbling under the spoiler tag. 😬 #nancydrewbr

DGRachel Venomous vs poisonous. It‘s not that hard to distinguish between the two and shouldn‘t we be teaching kids the correct terminology? Also, they are not aggressive. They aren‘t hunters. And dang it, Nancy, would it kill you to have a functioning flashlight instead of relying on candle? And how do you not hear a desk being moved across the floor? 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2mo
Ruthiella Having grown up with Black Widow spiders, I also found the threat of an attack ridiculous. But kudos to Nancy for applying the correct first aid when Effie is bitten. 2mo
DGRachel @Ruthiella The other thing that irritated me was the miraculous save by Ned at the end. He totally came out of nowhere. 2mo
Librarybelle Feel free to grumble! This is a light pick for me—not the strongest in the series, but not the worst. 2mo
39 likes4 comments
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DGRachel
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Oh, Nancy. Will you never learn? 😮‍💨

#nancydrewbr

Suet624 😂😂😂 2mo
Librarybelle 😂 2mo
Ruthiella Alas I am afraid not ! 😂 2mo
DGRachel @Ruthiella Too true! 2mo
dabbe How many times dies she di this? We should start counting these as well. #rashynancy 2mo
45 likes5 comments
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

I liked that this one had less overt racism than other entries in the series and it didn‘t include any mention of the creepy tooth collection. However, the solutions seem to stretch logic - the solutions could be right, but there are other explanations that are overlooked/ignored. Good for the target audience, though. #ebbr

Ruthiella Glad to hear this is better than the last one and there‘s no mention of Charlie Stewart‘s weird collection. 😂 2mo
56 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
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Pickpick

My first romance from Adriana Herrera. It‘s steamy, with wonderful characters. I love a good enemies to lovers tale, and the tension between Apollo and Aurora is fiery. I also can‘t resist an independent FMC who is loved and supported fiercely without being asked to compromise herself for that love.

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DGRachel
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Pickpick

This is a book that requires patience and commitment to really unpack. I have neither. It‘s beautifully written, with complex characters and dual narratives. On the surface - an author dealing with both her disability and a family that was less than supportive of her, but also deeper themes - modern politics, AI, space tourism, climate destruction and more. Now that I finished, I kind of want to reread and dig into it. Another #camplitsy25 winner!

squirrelbrain Great review! ❤️ 2mo
DGRachel @squirrelbrain Thanks! I can‘t remember the last time I wanted to reread a book right away and take more time with it, to really unpack everything. 2mo
BarbaraBB Happy you liked it that much! 2mo
See All 7 Comments
DGRachel @BarbaraBB What‘s funny is that I almost bailed early on. Zelu rubbed me the wrong way and her family was so horrid. I only kept going because it was for Camp Litsy and I‘m glad I did. 2mo
BarbaraBB It‘s not my kind of book at all. But because it was voted a Camp Litsy book I pushed one and really enjoyed it too. 2mo
Suet624 I thought about rereading it as well - or at least skimming it. :) 2mo
kspenmoll Wonderful review! 2mo
67 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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DGRachel
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We do not care that we are drowning at work and have more books on our “must read this month” list than we can possibly read this month. We are going to start this early copy of Hamburg Noir that was delivered an hour ago. We are done with the real world. #WDNCW

dabbe AMEN! L😍VE this; enjoy your reading. 🩵💙🩵 2mo
39 likes1 comment
review
DGRachel
Give Me a Reason | Jayci Lee
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Panpan

Out 7/29, this Persuasion retelling is one of the worst books I‘ve read this year. It is painfully repetitive. Most of it is just Anne or Frederick moaning about how they aren‘t worthy or agonizing about still loving the other person but knowing it‘s too late and the feelings aren‘t mutual (of course they are, idiots). It‘s so tedious I literally fell asleep 3 times. How dare they treat my favorite Austen novel this way. It‘s an abomination.

review
DGRachel
Homegrown Magic | Rebecca Podos, Jamie Pacton
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this cozy fantasy romance. The characters were fun, even the ones that weren‘t well-developed (Yael‘s parents are practically mustache-twirling villain caricatures) and the fantasy elements (magic) seemed almost unimportant, as though the authors couldn‘t be bothered to really craft a fantasy world. Still, it was a good story, even if I‘m not sold on the idea of a sequel.

review
DGRachel
The Unraveling of Julia | Lisa Scottoline
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Panpan

This was the most predictable, unbelievable, and ridiculous thing I have read in years. Purportedly a psychological thriller, it is just a poorly conceived gothic novel. I knew how large parts of this would play out less than 1/4 of the way in and even the finer details were absurd. Don‘t even get me started on the italicized Aws, Args, and Ouches scattered throughout. Scheduled publication 7/15. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

DGRachel For the record, I love gothic novels. I took a class in college specifically on early gothic novels and it was one of my favorite classes. This is an insult to the genre and I want those hours of my life back. 2mo
marleed Ohh this was on my radar so I think I‘ll skip this one now. Thanks for you perspective. 2mo
Kristy_K Agreed. I couldn‘t finish this one. 2mo
DGRachel @Kristy_K I don‘t know how far you got, but it didn‘t get any better from where you quit. 😂 2mo
43 likes4 comments
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

Out 7/15 I loved most of this. The writing pulled me in and kept my attention, which is no small feat these days. The characters were complex, and I loved that this had Sirens and a dark Little Mermaid vibe (the Hans Christian Andersen version 🖤). My only quibble was that it had more angst than I prefer. Be honest with each other, you idiots! That said, I will keep my eye out for the sequel, because I need to know how this story ends.

review
DGRachel
Two Twisted Crowns | Rachel Gillig
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Pickpick

I didn‘t love it nearly as much as One Dark Window or The Knight and the Moth. I‘m actually a bit disappointed. The writing is still captivating, the characters just as interesting, but I didn‘t feel the same pull. Maybe it‘s because we go from having just Elspeth‘s POV in book one, to having 3 POVs. I understand the need for the change, but I wanted more of Ravyn and Elspeth as a couple. I‘m not sold on the other couple. Still a pick, though.

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DGRachel
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Bookspin Bingo board and July TBR with book clubs, buddy reads, NetGalley digital arcs, and library books. I won‘t get through everything. I have an extra couple of days off work, though, and that will help. Maybe. 🤣🤣

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DGRachel
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I‘m not loving the audiobook of this but it‘s not the narrator‘s fault. I am not enjoying the story. Switching to print in the hopes I won‘t just bail completely. There‘s an 8 week wait for the ebook, but no wait other than transport from one branch to my branch for the hardcover, so I‘m going to try it in print, but I‘ll miss this weekend‘s discussion. 😮‍💨
#camplitsy25

peaKnit I had to bail. So many good reviews just not my cup of tea I guess. :( 2mo
DGRachel @peaKnit Thank you for this. It confirms my choice to get it from the library instead of buying the ebook. I‘m sorry it didn‘t work for you. 2mo
Lesliereadsalot It too me awhile to get into this book, but it‘s worth it to keep reading. Great ending! 2mo
55 likes3 comments