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kite81

kite81

Joined September 2016

review
kite81
Pickpick

Delightful stories, each featuring a typewriter at some point, written by Tom Hanks. I just adore him. Listened to the audio book, it was fabulous!

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kite81
What Happened | Hillary Rodham Clinton
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If you want to read this, read it. Or, like myself, listen to the audio book. Great, informative, inspiring, maddening. Let's not forget this happened, because history repeating itself could tear our country to shreds.

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kite81
The Smell of Other People's Houses | Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
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What an interesting read. 1960s Alaska was still dealing with what it meant to gain statehood, and this novel gives a look into the lives of some families that got tangled in that strife for various reasons. Historical fiction, still recent enough for the teens to be relatable, and a powerful reminder of the power of change.

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kite81
Just Fly Away | Andrew McCarthy
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A decent YA novel with good lessons and a valuable story.

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kite81
Pickpick

This book took me longer than expected to read. Not because I didn't enjoy it, but because it delves into the brain of a very anxious girl very well. I have my own inner spirals, and seeing Aza's felt very raw and uncomfortably familiar. I enjoyed this novel, though, and am thrilled that Green has overcome his writer's block.

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kite81
Good Daughter | Karin Slaughter
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A riveting read, full of twists and turns. The sisters survived a vicious attack as teenagers that left their mother dead and their father devastated. But what really happened? And why? And who? Flashbacks woven through their equally emotional story in current time create a story that is quite unforgettable.

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kite81
Spellbook of the Lost and Found | Moïra Fowley-Doyle
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Mehso-so

This book, by the author of the phenomenal The Accident Season, was okay and resolved well. But it took FOREVER to get there. My gosh, I could've done without several of the chapters. By the time I got to the last 100 pages, I realized that I could have figured out what was going to be revealed if it had held my attention long enough at a sitting to put the pieces together.

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kite81
Don't Go | Lisa Scottoline
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A suspenseful mystery thriller with several twists and turns. I liked it.

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kite81
Save Me: A Novel | Lisa Scottoline
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An enjoyable, fast paced mystery thriller with family drama thrown in.

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kite81
Pickpick

I enjoyed the audio book of this so much! Al reading it is just such a fantastic treat. There's wit, sincerity, sarcasm, satire, and more in this true tale of life on the campaign trail and in the United States Senate. Highly recommend!

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kite81
The Almost Sisters: A Novel | Joshilyn Jackson
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I loved this book! A mix of mystery, southern charm, small town life, civil rights, and geekery is the only way to describe it. I listened to the audio, read by the author, and it was absolutely delightful.

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kite81
Mehso-so

I enjoyed this, but after a bit it seemed kind of predictable and weighed down by one dimensional characters.

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kite81
Pickpick

The always brilliant Sedaris brings us another gem! If you get the chance, listen to audio books of his work- it makes the greatness even better.

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kite81
Pickpick

If you get through this without learning something, then you're an idiot.

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kite81
Pickpick

This book is raw and honest. It's an account of Roxane's journey through life as an obese woman. She was brutally gang raped as a 12 year old, and has been using extra weight as a shield ever since. Her struggle through life as a fat person is frankly accounted, but she doesn't want pity. She wants to present facts, hope for the future, and awareness of how we treat the obese.

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kite81
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Pickpick

Holy freaking cow was this book AMAZING! Such an eye opener on so many levels. Skloot takes the reader on a journey through Henrietta's life, illness, and death. She weaves that story with the facts about cell culture, history of black America, and the conditions the rest of the Lacks family have lived through. You will come out of this with information that you did not have, and a heart full of love for the Lacks family.

4 likes1 stack add
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kite81
Wishing Spell | Chris Colfer
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I wasn't sure what I would think of The Land of Stories series, but if this first book is any indication I am going to love it! Colfer uses fairy tales to set the backdrop for an incredible adventure.

2 likes1 stack add
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kite81
Reality Boy | A.S. King
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Gerald grew up with the glare of forced celebrity on him. His mother sent a letter when he was young to a show that got their family featured in a reality nanny 911 type series. Needless to say, this walks us through his past while he navigates his present. This book is breathtaking.

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kite81
Pickpick

Once again, King hits it out of the park with a story that will sadden you, anger you, make you laugh, and make you want to punch someone. Pure gold.

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kite81
Yes Please | Amy Poehler
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Amy Poehler wrote a fun, funny, engaging, and frank memoir. I loved it!

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kite81
Wink Poppy Midnight | April Genevieve Tucholke
Mehso-so

I give this book a solid "meh". Perhaps it didn't thrill me like I'd hoped because there were comparisons to E. Lockhart's brilliant We Were Liars in reviews, which was a high standard and inaccurate. Sure, there's a mystery, and the end is a twist (so to speak), but it just did nothing for me.

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kite81
Bad Feminist | Roxane Gay
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I enjoy Gay's writing, and enjoyed this collection of essays. It made me think, that's for sure, and ponder some points of view that I hadn't before. It also made me crack up in parts.

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kite81
Untwine | Edwidge Danticat
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Well tear my heart out why don't you!? This book is beautiful, raw, and brilliant.

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kite81
The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas
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Truly the best YA novel that I have read this year! Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, and full of important lessons and eye-opening viewpoints, it is destined to be on many high school reading lists. At the heart of it is Starr, who has dealt with too much violence and racial tension in her 16 years. Her struggle, and the memorable people that surround her, will stay with you, and have you shouting "Justice for Khalil!"

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kite81
Pickpick

Touching, honest, and beautifully written. Tom Ryan has done it again, bringing us the story of a geriatric dog he saved from a miserable last few days in a kill shelter. William was feisty and untrusting, but proved himself able to love and be loved. What a gift this book is.

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kite81
Pickpick

Molly, the protagonist of this book, rang so true with me that I was rooting for her all the way. Filled with raw emotion and honest experiences, this novel brings the 17-year-old girl that considers herself an underdog, a chubby third wheel, to the forefront. I heavily identified with her for multiple reasons, and I enjoyed this book a lot.

TbrandBeyond Great review- just started reading this and so far it's really good! 7y
4 likes1 comment
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kite81
Lily and the Octopus | Steven Rowley
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If you've ever loved a dog, this book will rip your heart out. It's poignant, honest, funny, gut wrenching, and tremendous. Nothing has made me cry so hard or literally LOL like this book did in a long long time. To put it like Lily would: I! Loved! It! So! Much!

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kite81
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Glory O'Brien's mother committed suicide when she was 4 years old. Naturally, that left Glory with a lot of questions and a tremendous amount of emotional bullshit to wade through. This incredible novel weaves the story of Glory figuring out what it means to have a meaningful life, a bizarre decision to drink a bat, and truth bombs dropping on our protagonist that fill us in on some backstory. Oh, and don't forget her fierce feminism.

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kite81
Roanoke Girls | Amy Engel
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Full of intrigue, tragedy, and a scandalous family secret, this novel is darn near unputdownable. Amy Engel has crafted characters that weave this story into a riveting web of familial deceit and drama. Truly enjoyable!

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kite81
Exit, Pursued by a Bear | E.K. Johnston
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This book is well-written and full of heart. Hermione Winters comes from a small town, lives life as a popular cheerleader, and doesn't expect to do anything at cheer camp but train for the coming year. Her life is flipped upside down by a rapist, and the book gives us such a heartbreaking look into her struggle that I simultaneously couldn't put it down and needed to take breaks from the raw emotions.

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kite81
Fish in a Tree | Lynda Mullaly Hunt
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This book is a great read for middle graders. I enjoyed the story, as well as the lessons imparted. I'm sure both kids and adults need reminders that different is awesome.