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vonnie862

vonnie862

Joined July 2017

RSP teacher who loves to read, hike, travel, & dance. http://vonniesreadingcorner.blogspot.com
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vonnie862
Old Man's War | John Scalzi
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I did not expect John Scalzi's book to be my favorite for June. I need to read more of his books.

#bookbracket @Catsandbooks

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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 18h
29 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Melt | Robbi McCoy
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I got one bingo! Woot! I usually don't read enough make bingo. Melt by Robbi McCoy was my Book Spin. It was an ok book.

#BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

PaperbackPirate 🎉🎉 23h
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Fantastic month!! 18h
28 likes2 comments
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vonnie862
Something Wilder | Christina Lauren
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Pickpick

This was so much fun! It had adventure, treasure hunting, humor, and romance. I highly enjoy these types of books!

4⭐️
#BookspinBingo #tbr

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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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Okay, this is cheating. Greenland food mostly focuses on whale and seal meat, but I don't see myself eating that during my lifetime.

I just came back from Alaska and had Arctic food like salmon, chowder, and crab. This counts, right? 😅

*background: Aialik Glacier

#foodandlit2025 @Texreader @Catsandbooks

TheBookHippie Yes! It counts 😆 3d
Bookwormjillk Greenland was a tough one. I think I‘m going to have toast and eggs tomorrow because that‘s what someone in the book I read had. I‘m a vegetarian anyway, but wasn‘t sure how to procure seal meat. 3d
Texreader Im with you! That works. 3d
Texreader @Bookwormjillk Toast and eggs! That‘s me!! 3d
Catsandbooks 👏🏼🇬🇱 2d
30 likes5 comments
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vonnie862
Untitled | Unknown
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Pickpick

The romance was lukewarm. In fact, I didn't care much about Kelly and Jordan's relationship. I found the brief history on Greenland and the melting of the glaciers more fascinating. I also wanted to hear more about Pippa's Viking heritage. This would have worked better as a historical fiction book instead of a romance book.
3.5 ⭐️

#foodandlit2025 @Texreader @Catsandbooks
#BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Ruthiella Not hot enough to melt! 😜 3d
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3d
Catsandbooks 👏🏼🇬🇱 2d
30 likes4 comments
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vonnie862
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Pickpick

What an interesting concept: What if historical figures come back and live amongst us? Harriet Tubman is back and wants to tell her story through songs. Darnell is in charge of making this into reality. We get to learn Harriet's experiences and understand why Darnell's career went into shambles. The audio ends with two songs, which were awesome!
4⭐️

#BookspinBingo

28 likes1 stack add
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vonnie862
Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy
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Pickpick

Well, I was not expecting that ending. This was a mixture of thriller/mystery story with a story about grief. The whole time I tried to guess what terrible thing happened in the island, and my guesses were incorrect. I felt for the family but I did not care for the affair that the 2 main adults got into. However, I was eager to find out how it was going to end.

4⭐️

#buddyread #camplitsy25 #bookspinbingo

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vonnie862
PUCKED | Helena Hunting
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Mehso-so

This was okay...I enjoyed Alex but not Violet as much. Violet needed to shut up a few times, IMO. Some of the sexy stuff was good, but it got old pretty quick.

#buddyread #bookspinbingo #littensloveromance

Pruzy Took me a long time to process what that cover is 1w
32 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Eagle Drums | Nasu?raq Rainey Hopson
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I visited the Alaska Native Heritage Center and got this lovely book. Has anyone read it?

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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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Little Free Library in Whittier, Alaska

41 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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I've been in Alaska these past few days, and I'm loving it!

Pic: Portage Pass Overlook

AmyG Beautiful! 2w
Texreader ♥️♥️♥️ 2w
TieDyeDude Welcome! 😉 2w
5feet.of.fury Wow! 😍 2w
Daisey I just got back from a trip to Alaska last week, and it was amazing! Enjoy!! 2w
36 likes5 comments
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vonnie862
Old Man's War | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

I was skeptical at first since this a genre I don't particularly enjoy. Boy, I was wrong!

I highly enjoyed this book. It was fun and heartwarming. I chuckled at the funny parts and teared up for the MC's love his wife. Who would have thought I would enjoy a military sci-fi book?

4⭐️
#authoramonth @Soubhiville #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2w
Soubhiville I‘m so glad! 2w
41 likes1 stack add2 comments
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vonnie862
Audition | Katie Kitamura
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Panpan

Ummm...I'm trying to make sense of what I just listened to. Maybe it would have made more sense if I read a physical copy? It makes one question what is real. This could have been clever but it just left me scratching my head. Not my cup of tea.

#camplitsy25 #bookspinbingo

Read4life Right? After I finished it, I just sat there. I had nothing. 3w
Meshell1313 Can confirm- reading the physical copy did not help. 😂 3w
uncommonlycozies @Meshell1313 your comment is really helpful for a reader like me & actually made me laugh out loud 🤣 (edited) 3w
mcctrish I think audio might have been a struggle with this as I was confused with a print copy and needed to go back and reread a few things ( not that it helped at all) 3w
41 likes5 comments
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vonnie862
Untitled | Unknown
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Summer break!!!!!!!

mcctrish Congratulations 🎉 4w
dabbe YAY! 🤩 4w
Roary47 Yay! Great job! 🎉 4w
33 likes3 comments
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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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This was the year of IEPs. As an Education Specialist for the RSP program, I conduct at least 40 IEPs in a school year. This year topped it off: 52 IEPs. And many of them were high profiles with lawyers. So yes, I am sooooo happy and thrilled to have held my last one today for the school year. 🙌
Bring on summer!

vonnie862 For those that don't know: IEP is Individualized Education Plan for students in special education. 1mo
dabbe You deserve a well-earned break! W🤩WZA! 🩵💙🩵 1mo
Roary47 Yay! 4w
28 likes3 comments
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vonnie862
A Court of Silver Flames | Sarah J. Maas
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Pickpick

And that, my friends, is the end!
I loved and hated Nesta. I wanted to throttle her so many times, but I enjoyed her character growth. And the ending, *tear*. I am really happy with how it ended.
4 ⭐️
#BookspinBingo #buddyread

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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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Here's my list for June.
#BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1mo
28 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Erasure: A Novel | Percival Everett
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Mehso-so

I saw American Fiction when it came out and I enjoyed it, so I was looking forward to reading this book.
Monk is an author who is struggling to publish a successful book. He keeps being told that his writing is not "black enough." Along with family drama, the story takes a pause for Monk's satirical book.

I understood the intent of Monk's book but I felt that it shouldn't have been a major chunk of the book.
#authoramonth25 @Soubhiville

willaful I just skipped most of it. 1mo
27 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Bookshop Cinderella | Laura Lee Guhrke
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Pickpick

This was a light read with a happy ending. It made me happy. 😊

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vonnie862
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The tagged book is perhaps the longest I've read. The copy I have is over 1400 pages.

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

BookmarkTavern Wow! Impressive! Thanks for posting! 1mo
27 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
A Love Like the Sun | Riss M. Neilson
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Mehso-so

Best friends turned to lovers...
I was hoping to like this more, but it was an ok story. There were some sweet moments in the book and I felt for the main character as she battled with her health. This read too much of a YA for me, other than the spicy parts. There were times I wanted to shake the MC as she kept pushing the guy away. 3⭐️

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vonnie862
Esperanza Rising | Pam Munoz Ryan
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Mamá Ramona ❤️
A woman who had to adapt from riches to poor and had to sacrifice and humble herself to feed her children. ❤️

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

BookmarkTavern That sounds like an amazing mother to me! Thanks for sharing! 2mo
26 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
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Mehso-so

It was not my favorite from the series, but it was nice to listen to what the characters did after the war with Hybern. There was character growth and plot development for the next book.

mcctrish It was a weak link in the series but sort of setting the scene for the next one which is a BEAST in size 2mo
34 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
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At first, I was going to say Harry Potter, but then I remembered all the wonderful dishes Tita made in Like Water for Chocolate. 🤤

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

BookmarkTavern Oh yes! Excellent choice! Thanks for sharing! 2mo
22 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Off the Map | Trish Doller
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I had a really slow reading month for April, but here's my bracket so far.

#bookbracket @Catsandbooks

Catsandbooks Wonderful! 🎉 👏🏼 2mo
30 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Austenland: A Novel | Shannon Hale
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"For Colin Firth
You're a really great guy, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends."

??
#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

BookmarkTavern That‘s amazing! Thanks for sharing! 2mo
Blueberry 🩷 2mo
27 likes1 stack add2 comments
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vonnie862
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Pickpick

So many unexpected things happened. The battle, the twists, and the character growth! I highly enjoyed it! And yes, I like Nesta now. I can't wait to read her book.

#buddyread #ACOWAR

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vonnie862
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Ooh I want to participate in this year's #camplitsy25 ! Please add me to the list.
Here are my nominations:
1. Homeseeking by Karissa Chen
2. Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone
3. The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami
4. O Sinners! By Nicole Cuffy

@squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

GatheringBooks I was supposed to nominate dream hotel too, i am so glad you did! Great titles. 💕💕💕 3mo
BarbaraBB Welcome to camp! I‘ve added you to the taglist ❤️ 3mo
Leniverse I almost nominated Dream Hotel, but then I thought, I'll be reading that before summer anyway so let's go for something new 😅 I'm glad to see my almost-nominees show up from other people, but it's going to be difficult to vote! 3mo
vonnie862 @BarbaraBB thanks! 3mo
Megabooks So glad you'll be joining us! I think The Dream Hotel would be an interesting one to discuss. Great nominations! 3mo
40 likes5 comments
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vonnie862
The Lord of the Rings | J. R. R. Tolkien
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Visited a new-to-me Gastropub and they were having Lord of the Rings theme cocktails and food. It was a cool bar (a little pricey, though) with lots of tabletop board games. My husband and I will be visiting again.

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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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Heartbound Book Shop in Anaheim, California, is my new favorite indie bookstore!

It's a romance bookstore and it has an awesome selection of books! They also have constant events, which are so fun to participate in.

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

Soscha Oooh…New place to me! 3mo
BookmarkTavern What a sweet name! I love it! Thanks for answering! 3mo
Kristy_K That‘s near me! I haven‘t heard of it before, but I‘ll have to visit. 3mo
vonnie862 @Kristy_K you must visit! 3mo
Mshookquilts Chaucer‘s, Santa Barbara, CA 3mo
22 likes5 comments
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vonnie862
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Ended my Spring Break with Harry Potter 🤗

BarbaraJean Ooooh—is that at the Pantages?! I just saw it there last week! 3mo
29 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
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Pickpick

Oh, the drama! Katarina and Heath are so toxic yet so perfect for each other. But all of the back and forth and petty fighting did irritate me. And then all of that for that type of ending? Yeah...

Don't get me wrong, the audiobook was a fantastic production. I loved the documentary feel of it. I was just not satisfied with the ending.

3.5 ⭐️

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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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I haven't watched many of the films listed but my top three are:

Fiddler on the Roof
E.T.
The Color Purple

#ThreeListThursday #TLT @dabbe

dabbe 🩵 all 3! Thanks for playing and sharing. 📽️🍿🎬 3mo
32 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Off the Map | Trish Doller
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Pickpick

Aww! My husband and I really enjoyed this book! We listened to the audiobook and enjoyed all the things that reminded of us. We love to travel and hike. Our favorite places were mentioned and we enjoyed the chemistry between the main characters. It was also emotional with Carla's dad as he went through dementia. It broke our heart. 4.5 ⭐️

#foodandlit2025 @Texreader @Catsandbooks #ireland

Catsandbooks 👏🏼🇮🇪💚 3mo
37 likes1 stack add1 comment
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vonnie862
A Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J. Maas
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Pickpick

This book! I was not expecting the feels!
I loved Rhys so much in this one that I can't wait to read the 3rd book.

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vonnie862
A Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J. Maas
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Hammock reading on a crisp morning ❤️

The book was getting too good to only read 3 chapters a day. I'll try not to spoil it for those doing the buddy read.

ShelleyBooksie So jealous of your reading location. Lovely!! 3mo
37 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Untitled | Anonymous
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A used bookstore tucked away in a corner amongst some shops in Big Bear. I almost missed it!

willaful Awwwwww! 3mo
38 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
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Better late then never: Week found this restaurant in Big Bear that served food from Nepal. And omg! The Mo-mos (dumplings) were freaking amazing!

#foodandlit2025 @Texreader @Catsandbooks

Butterfinger I keep thinking of my momos that I had. They were so good. 3mo
Texreader Yay!! Yes momos are so good 3mo
Catsandbooks Yum! 3mo
41 likes3 comments
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vonnie862
Court of Mist and Fury | Sarah J Maas
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Much needed getaway to Big Bear 💗

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 3mo
33 likes1 stack add1 comment
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vonnie862
Off the Map | Trish Doller
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Started on the tagged book today and went to our favorite Irish pub. We had Irish whiskey, Irish beer, bangers and mash, and shepherd's pie.

#foodandlit2025 @Texreader @Catsandbooks #ireland

TheBookHippie Fun!!! ☘️🍀☘️ 4mo
dabbe 💚🍀💚 4mo
Texreader Awwww! 😁 💚🧡💚🧡 We tried to go to our neighborhood Irish pub and it was packed and overflowing into the parking lot. So jealous! We got Thai instead. 4mo
Catsandbooks Awesome!! 🇮🇪💚 4mo
kspenmoll Looks so delicious! 4mo
38 likes5 comments
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vonnie862
Untitled | Unknown
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I love supporting my favorite small, romance bookstore, Heartbound Book Shop. ❤️ I wonder what I got?

ShelleyBooksie Beautiful wrapping 4mo
34 likes1 comment
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vonnie862
Untitled | Unknown
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Met this sweet local romantasy author, Madeleine Eliot, at a brewery. I got her dual book set on sirens. I'm looking forward to reading these!
*author is not on the data catalog

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vonnie862
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I didn't read many books in February but I did enjoy the first book in the ACOTAR series.

#bookbracket @Catsandbooks

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vonnie862
The great gatsby | Scott Fizgerald
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Not the biggest fan of the book, but this ballet production was wonderful! The dancing was beautiful and the visuals were stunning!

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vonnie862
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Pickpick

This memoir was about a Latina who climbed Mount Everest. It was filled with memories of growing up in Peru and in the United States, as well as her experience climbing up the mountain. It was very detailed and heartbreaking at times. However, I did feel that this could have been shortened. There were details that I did not need to know about. *trigger warning for child sexual assault

#foodandlit2025 @Texreader @Catsandbooks #nepal

Texreader Oh two of our #foodandlit countries this year! Nepal and Peru!! 4mo
Catsandbooks 👏🏼🇳🇵 4mo
25 likes1 stack add2 comments
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vonnie862
Difficult Women | Roxane Gay
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Mehso-so

I'm not a big fan collections of short stories, so I'm not surprised that I was not really into this one. Some of the stories were good, some were weird, and some I did not care for. However, there were some stories that were hard to read due to the topics (e.g. rape). So trigger warnings before reading this one.

#authoramonth @Soubhiville #bookspin

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vonnie862
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Pickpick

I loved it!
I get what the hype is all about! I was enthralled from page one and I kept turning those pages! Now on to book 2!

#BookspinBingo #doublespin

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vonnie862
Beautyland: A Novel | Marie-Helene Bertino
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Mehso-so

This is a coming of age story of a girl who is supposed to be an alien. The coming of age aspect was good but it kind of lost me with the alien thing. Was she really an alien, though? Or was she just a girl who felt like an outsider? 3 ⭐️

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vonnie862
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First attempt of making ciabatta bread from the Turkuaz Kitchen book. 🤗

We're going to use these for our burgers today.

Ruthiella Looks delicious. 😋 5mo
Deblovestoread Looks yummy! 5mo
IuliaC They look perfect! 5mo
42 likes3 comments