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Good Lord Bird
Good Lord Bird | James McBride
Winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Fiction Soon to be a major motion picture starring Liev Schreiber and Jaden Smith A Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Oprah Magazine Top 10 Book of the Year A magnificent new novel by the best-selling author James McBride. cover review of "The New York Times Book Review" Outrageously entertaining. "USA Today" James McBride delivers another tour de force "Essence" So imaginative, you ll race to the finish. NPR.org Wildly entertaining. 4-star "People" lead review "A boisterous, highly entertaining, altogether original novel. "Washington Post" From the bestselling author of "The Color of Water, " "Song Yet Sung, "and "Kill 'Em and Leave," a James Brown biography, comes the story of a young boy born a slave who joins John Brown s antislavery crusade and who must pass as a girl to survive. Henry Shackleford is a young slave living in the Kansas Territory in 1857, when the region is a battleground between anti- and pro-slavery forces. When John Brown, the legendary abolitionist, arrives in the area, an argument between Brown and Henry s master quickly turns violent. Henry is forced to leave town with Brown, who believes he s a girl. Over the ensuing months, Henry whom Brown nicknames Little Onion conceals his true identity as he struggles to stay alive. Eventually Little Onion finds himself with Brown at the historic raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859 one of the great catalysts for the Civil War. An absorbing mixture of history and imagination, and told with McBride s meticulous eye for detail and character, "The Good Lord Bird" is both a rousing adventure and a moving exploration of identity and survival."
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staci.reads
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

I loved Deacon King Kong, so I added this one to my book stacks soon after I read Deacon. I loved many things about this book, and McBride's humor is on point. I found, though, that it tended to drag on and become tedious for long sections of the narrative. While I can appreciate his skill and his irreverent humor, it was a less-could-have-been-more situation for me. This was my July #Doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 9mo
70 likes1 comment
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melissajayne
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Mehso-so

3⭐️ Really liked the overall story, but felt that it could have used some more editing. I can see why the book won the #nationalbookaward, but felt it was slow in a number of places and it felt at times like the author was trying too hard to make the story more compelling. #2022 #fallreads #fiction #historicalfiction #bookreview #bookstagram #americancivilwar

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Adventures-of-a-French-Reader
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this novel that made me discover John Brown, and his fight for the abolition of slavery.
I loved the narrator, Onion, who recounts his time in John Brown's army with a truth-revealing sense of humor.

jlhammar I need to get to this one! I loved his more recent novel, Deacon King Kong (audio was fantastic), and his memoir, The Color of Water. 2y
BookNotes I loved this book. 2y
Adventures-of-a-French-Reader @jlhammar I actually own these two books... So many more books to read ;) The more I read, the more I feel I don't read enough, haha. 2y
21 likes1 stack add3 comments
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katcalvin
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

You can‘t lose with McBride and this lively tale of John Brown‘s wild life is worth picking up.

Therewillbebooks I loved this book 2y
9 likes1 comment
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katcalvin
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
Pickpick

You can‘t lose with McBride and this lively tale of John Brown‘s wild life is worth picking up.

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SkeletonKey
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Finished listening to this one yesterday. I don‘t think I‘ve ever managed to laugh during a book about this time period but it certainly was an interesting, comic voice.

I didn‘t realize there was a movie based on the book now so might have to try to see that too.

BkClubCare McBride is a favorite of mine - I will read everything he writes. 2y
CaitlinR I loved this book too! 2y
SkeletonKey @BkClubCare @CaitlinR - definitely a unique one! 2y
29 likes3 comments
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Smarkies
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

I didn't expect this book to be such a lark and a wonderful romp. Pleasantly surprised at how this subject was tackled by the author.

SamAnne This has been on my TBR for a long time! 3y
Smarkies @SamAnne it has actually sat on mine since 2015. 😂😂 Only picked it up because I want to watch the mini series. 3y
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Nathan_Opland-Dobs
Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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❤️

SamAnne This is on my night stand and I can‘t wait to get to it. Loved Deacon King Kong. 3y
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Karkar
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

I loan this out to family so I do not have a real book picture ☹️📚. But this was great! I am going to have to see if I can find the show that everyone is talking about on Showtime and look up more about John Brown.

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JLaurenceCohen
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
Pickpick

McBride tells the tragi-comic story of John Brown's abolitionist crusade through the eyes of Onion, a young Black boy posing as a girl. McBride shows Brown in his complexity: idiosyncratic, zealous, delusional, courageous, and very much not detail-oriented. It's a coming-of-age story for Onion, who starts out wanting no part of Brown's crusade but ends up acting as bravely as any of Brown's followers.

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JLaurenceCohen
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride

It really helps to have read a bit about John Brown before reading this, but if you have, it's especially funny. The scenes with Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman are really good.

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JLaurenceCohen
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride

McBride tells the story of abolitionist John Brown from the perspective of a Black boy--disguised as a girl--named Onion. McBride uses a sly, ironic tone to portray Brown as idiosyncratic, lucky, and obsessive, rather than a strategic mastermind.

suvata That was such a great book. I guess there‘s a mini series of it on Showtime. I haven‘t watched it yet but I plan on it. 3y
JLaurenceCohen I haven't watched it either but I've heard good things and Ethan Hawke is always great 3y
RamsFan1963 I should read this. I just finished The Zealot and the Emancipator, and Brown came off as rather fanatical and bloodthirsty. 3y
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CaitlinR
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

After reading Deacon King Kong (which I loved!) I set out to read McBride‘s backlist list of fiction. There were parts of GLB that I loved, but I found the voice in Deacon more mature.

Henry Shackleton is “freed” by John Brown. Mistaken as a a girl, and known as Onion, he accompanies Brown and his sons from early raids to Harpers Ferry. At the end Henry understands his mission “weren‘t no lunacy.”

“Blow ye trumpet blow”

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Sreckess
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

I read a review in the New Yorker about the new Showtime series with Ethan Hawke playing abolitionist John Brown. The review mentioned the playfulness of the book and the interesting POV, and that was spot on. It depicts a gory time in American history but the novel was never glorifying the violence and instead pointed to the absurdity and mundaneness of it all. This was my first James McBride book but not my last. I loved his tone & language.

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juliegumdrop
Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Here‘s my #novemberwrapup. What a great reading month. 7 audio books, 2 physical books. Tagged book was my favorite and I just started watching the Showtime series. If it wasn‘t for audio books I would never have gotten through these two mammoth classic tomes. So so good!

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juliegumdrop
Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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This is very good! I want to watch the tv show. Has anyone seen it yet?

SamAnne Yes! The show is really good. Ethan Hawke is great as is the young actor playing Onion. 3y
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EKonrad
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

Thought this was a great historical fiction look at slave rebellion leader, John Brown. Looking forward to catching up on the new tv series now! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Lola
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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It took me awhile to get into this one. Long past Nancy Pearl‘s Rule of 50. And had I not read and loved Deacon King Kong first, this might have been a DNF. But I stuck with it and now I‘m IN. Looking forward to the Showtime adaptation on 10/4.

SamAnne I wanted to read this before the series came out! But won‘t get to this book until later this fall. 4y
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Julz422
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

This was a little slow at times, but I loved the parts where it did pick up and loved hearing this take on history.

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Julz422
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Two more weeks of summer and it‘s not terribly humid out! A book goes even better with wine!

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Julz422
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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New library book!

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jenlbean
Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

I loved this book! I was hesitant to read it because it's way outside of my normal reading genre, but I'm so glad I did. It blew me away. Definitely will be picking up more historical fiction and expanding my reading habits.

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Graciouswarriorprincess
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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My biweekly trip out today for groceries and decided to go to the Dollar Tree. I found these two books there and grabbed them. Happy reading as I have read the one by James McBride. But I love Fixer Upper and Clint so I am anxious to read that book.

kyraleseberg Great finds! 4y
Graciouswarriorprincess @kyraleseberg Thank you. Happy reading! 4y
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CindyE09
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ This is the story of John Brown‘s raid on Harper‘s Ferry, an important historical event that helped set off the Civil War. Despite being about such a fascinating topic and the interesting character of John Brown, this book was a bit boring at times. I read this for the #ToB ‘s winners tournament later this year. While it wasn‘t my absolute favorite, I am still glad I read it and am looking forward to reading more from McBride.

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Redwritinghood
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Mehso-so

In this book, a young, orphaned slave recounts his time at the side of American vigilante-abolitionist John Brown. For some reason, the young narrator pretends to be a girl throughout. The tone, especially with the narration on the audiobook, is a bit of a farce on the stereotype of the black slave. It also calls into question how history is told: was John Brown a genuine fighter for human dignity and justice or was he a maniacal terrorist? 👇🏻

Redwritinghood Many other famous abolitionists in history also come out looking a little tarnished here. While there is a lot to commend the messages in the book, it did go on a bit long, though, and I got tired of the book. Had it not been an audiobook, I may have bailed on it. 3⭐️ 4y
ljuliel I think John Brown was a character that some people worshipped and others hated. I also don‘t like it when narrators try doing a different voice and they‘re not good at it. There are a few really talented ones that can pull it off, but not many. I‘m not sure what‘s the most irritating : a man with a deep voice trying to sound like a female , or a female trying to lower her voice like a man‘s. 4y
Redwritinghood @ljuliel The narrator was really good, I just think it was trying to be the stereotypical voice. 4y
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Suet624 Have you ever read Cloudsplitter? It‘s a long one but really informative about John Brown and the work that he did. I found it fascinating. 4y
Redwritinghood @Suet624 I haven‘t read that. Will have to check it out. In this book, though, I think he was trying to show how history often only shows one aspect of a figure. His portrayal of Frederick Douglass here was also not as shining as history has often shown it to be. 4y
thebluestocking Check one off of the #supertob list! I read this back the year it won the Tournament and really enjoyed the questions it asked about history and the audio narration. I agree that I could‘ve been shorter though. 💙 (edited) 4y
55 likes6 comments
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Amiable
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

Rollicking tale of Henry (a.k.a. "Onion), a young boy born a slave who joins John Brown‘s antislavery crusade — and who must pass as a girl to survive the attack on Harper's Ferry. Written in a first-person narrative from Henry's point of view, the dialogue and the language are first-rate. A wonderful mixture of history and imagination, I was amused, entertained and educated.

Ruthiella Loved this one too!😍 4y
59 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Halfway through . . . And this book has been mind-numbingly repetitive.
But, enter Frederick Douglass! Things are finally getting a little more interesting.

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MsLeah8417
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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CURRENTLY READING

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Palindrome
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

Imaginative history, slapstick comedy, rip-roaring adventure, exploration of race and identity, delivered in Twain-like tones. On the eve of Civil War, young slave Little Onion and abolitionist John Brown meet and, before one can murmur Huckleberry Finn, they‘re on the run, careening toward calamity at Harper‘s Ferry. The book doesn‘t resolve confusion re: Brown, but Little Onion‘s narrative voice gives the abolitionist flesh and blood humanity.

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SamAnne
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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One of my favorite book stores. Eugene, OR. Tsunami Books. I always visit, peruse, and buy a book when I come to town.

Lindy You tagged a wonderful, heartbreaking book. Thank for reminding me about it. 5y
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OrangeMooseReads
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Mehso-so

Finished this while grocery shopping this morning. McBride is a fantastic story teller and I loved the idea of this story. I didn‘t love the story though. I think what bothered me the most was what felt like the over use of the N-word. I understand that for the time the story was set in that was an incredibly common word and I try to adjust my brain to that there was A LOT of that word in this book. Maybe if I‘d read instead of listened? 👇🏼

OrangeMooseReads Beyond that the ending felt abrupt and unfinished from the way that the story begins. I was surprised when it ended because none of my questions were answered about the MC from how the story started. Over all it‘s just a so-so. 5y
MichelleScott_author I really, really didn‘t like this book. 5y
56 likes2 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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I‘m enjoying the story but I have an issue. The N word is used so frequently in this story. I know the setting is a place and time when it was used without regard and that the story is about a black man in that time. When I‘m reading a physical book I‘m able to skip over the word but with an audio it‘s there loud and clear and there is no avoiding it. I hate that word so much. Aside from that McBride is a fantastic writer and storyteller.

DivineDiana That would bother me too! 🙁 5y
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OrangeMooseReads
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Starting this today. Just a few minutes in and I‘m liking it. This is the first I‘ve gotten to get at a book since the few minutes Saturday.
This is my first book for #blackhistorymonth as well. This year I‘m once again reading books by black authors or about the black culture or community. I do this for 2 reasons. 1) to better educate myself and 2) to expose myself to different cultures and authors

Tamra I recall enjoying this one! 5y
46 likes1 comment
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cathysaid
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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It's safely home @DarcysMom . Reading the commentary from all of you is so interesting! Thanks for such diverse and engaging reading. #LMPBC @suvata @Hooked_on_books

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DarcysMom
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick
cathysaid Great review! It's been many years but I recall really enjoying The Color of Water. 6y
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Hooked_on_books
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

This book is terrific! Narrated by Henry/Onion, a boy liberated from slavery, it tells the story of the exploits of John Brown, a white abolitionist who fought to free slaves. Using good humor and great phrasing, McBride tells a compelling, inspiring, sad story. I‘ll definitely be reading this author again. #LMPBC

Hooked_on_books @DarcysMom I‘m so sorry for the delay in mailing this out. I got started on it late and it took longer to read than I had budgeted for it. Completely my fault. I‘ll be dropping in the mail tomorrow. 6y
DarcysMom No worries. I am excited to get it. 😄 6y
68 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Sharpeipup
Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Barely out of my driveway and the audiobook is scratched. #fail #audiobook #roadtripreading

LiteraryinLawrence Nooooooo! 6y
Sharpeipup @LiteraryinLititz That was my comment. 6y
17 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Hooked_on_books
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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My next book for #LMPBC round 2 has arrived! I‘m excited that we all chose such different books. I really enjoyed the first two and look forward to this one.

suvata Enjoy 😊 6y
cathysaid We did choose such different books. Hope you like it! It took a few pages for me to engage but once I did I enjoyed it. 🐶 6y
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suvata
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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On its way to you, @Hooked_on_books

Litsy Markup Postal Book Club
#LMPBC Round 002 - Group G:
@suvata @Hooked_on_books @DarcysMom @cathysaid

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suvata
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

A historically fictional account of John Brown‘s attempt to start a slave revolt by raiding the Harpers Ferry Armory in 1859. This is one of those books that just gets better and better as it goes on.

Read as part of Litsy Markup Postal Book Club #LMPBC Round 2 Group G.
 @Hooked_on_books @DarcysMom @cathysaid

cathysaid Did it take you a while to engage, or was that just me? 6y
suvata @cathysaid The first half was slow but interesting. The second half was better in my opinion. 6y
60 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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suvata
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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#LMPBC Round 002 - Group G
@suvata @Hooked_on_books @DarcysMom @cathysaid

Starting the second book. So far, I‘m loving it.

DarcysMom Excellent! I will be starting mine this weekend. 6y
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suvata
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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My April 2018 reading commitments.

Vegamon I really enjoyed surprised by joy 6y
57 likes1 comment
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cathysaid
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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My #LMPBC is coming your way @suvata ! Mailing tomorrow 📚

Looking forward to the book headed to my mailbox! @DarcysMom @Hooked_on_books

suvata Yay 😁 6y
suvata It arrived today! 6y
cathysaid @suvata Enjoy! 6y
50 likes1 stack add3 comments
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cathysaid
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Hooked_on_books I confess I have not started mine. 😳 It‘s in the stack of the next three I‘ll be reading. 6y
suvata I‘m very bad because I haven‘t started mine yet. Fortunately, it‘s a short book. It will only take a couple days to read. 6y
DarcysMom I am a little over 100 pages in. 😁 @Hooked__on__books @suvata 6y
cathysaid @DarcysMom Show off!!!! 😘 I kid. That's about where I'm at. 6y
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cathysaid
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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cathysaid
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Spoken by Henry (also mistaken as Henrietta) shortly after being abducted by the abolitionist John Brown near the beginning of the book. #Silence was probably the wisest choice at that moment. 🤐

Just started this book for #LMPBC and so far, it's certainly entertaining! @suvata @DarcysMom @Hooked_on_books

#MagicalMarch

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds good!!! 👏🏻 6y
vkois88 Definitely sounds good 6y
56 likes2 comments
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cocomass
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Pickpick

This book really toes the line between masterful satire and WHAT THE HELL. I laughed out loud many times and other times I nearly gasped at what could be read as the trivialization of slavery (!!). Ultimately I think McBride accomplished what he set out to do, and I found the story gripping and entertaining. Definitely wouldn‘t recommend this one to everybody though. Know thyself (which also may well be the core message of The Good Lord Bird).

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cocomass
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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Is this book supposed to be cracking me up? 😂

#ReadingBlackout

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suvata
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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#LMPBC Round 002 - Group G UPDATED
@suvata @Hooked_on_books @DarcysMom @cathysaid

Let me know when you decide on a book and I will update my graphic. Thanks.

Hooked_on_books Will do. I‘m on vacation this week, so I won‘t be posting my choice until next week. 6y
cathysaid @Hooked_on_books Hope you're having fun! 6y
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cathysaid
The Good Lord Bird | James McBride
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So here are my top 3 picks, listed in order of preference. However, even though The Good Lord Bird is my first pick, at 480 pages it exceeds the page limit of 400. So if you all would prefer a book that is a bit shorter, I am interested in the other two as well...no worries. Check them out and let me know your thoughts! #LMPBC @Hooked_on_books @DarcysMom @suvata

DarcysMom They all look good to me. 😁 6y
DarcysMom And I haven't read any of them. 6y
suvata All look good to me too 6y
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Hooked_on_books I don‘t mind the length at all and the tagged book looks really interesting. I have a copy of Autumn, so I‘d rather if you didn‘t choose that one. And I‘ve never read Amy Bloom, so that one works, too. 6y
cathysaid @DarcysMom @suvata @Hooked_on_books Alrighty then. I'll go with the tagged book. Looking forward to seeing what we all pick! 6y
DarcysMom @cathysaid @suvata @Hooked__on__books I will get my options posted today. 😁 6y
suvata @DarcysMom No hurry, hon. 6y
43 likes7 comments