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The First Book of Calamity Leek
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
21 posts | 18 read | 21 to read
"WONDERFULLY STRANGE." --Mark Haddon A beguiling, irresistibly immersive debut novel about sixteen sisters in a walled garden, and what happens to their carefully constructed world when one girl starts asking questions about life outside. Fourteen-year-old Calamity Leek and her sisters spend their days tending white roses and memorizing the lessons in Auntys Appendix, a multi-volume compendium of show tunes, beauty regimens, and twisted creation myths. Calamity knows the Appendix front to back, and she is Auntys favorite, destined for particular greatness. But when her restless sister Truly Polperro gets too curious about life beyond their Wall of Safekeeping, she cracks Calamitys world wide open. Calamity needs a new book. And she will have to write it herself. With formidable imagination and brilliant strangeness, Paula Lichtarowicz's The First Book of Calamity Leek draws on fairytales and doublespeak to tell a story both classic and keenly modern. Calamity, fearless and wrenching, leads us to question the stories we ourselves live by.
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review
jen_the_scribe
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Mehso-so

I was very close to bailing on this in the beginning, and after looking up reviews I know I'm not alone. It was a bit confusing and insane, for lack of a better word. But something about it had me intrigued, so I kept turning the pages. A bit before halfway, it all starts making sense. The main character can be so frustratingly naive, but as you learn what's happening you start to realize it's not her fault. Wonderfully strange is right.

23 likes1 stack add
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jen_the_scribe
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Sitting out on my patio (my favorite spot in the house to get some alone time), with a cup of coffee and the tagged book. I'm finishing this one up, hoping to be done this weekend. I can't wait to discuss this one with you all here on Litsy, and I'm hoping my post will find someone whose also read it. It's a very strange book but it sucked me in lol.

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j.rye
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Bailedbailed

Nope.

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j.rye
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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What in the Sam Hill am I reading?! I‘m so confused that I‘m actually getting angry.

Crazeedi That drives me nuts, I usually just throw it😜 5y
30 likes1 comment
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jen_the_scribe
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz

Seems like a modern day fairy tale. Excited to read it.

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amberdfoy
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Just finished the tagged book. It was eh. Interesting, confusing, and the way it ended, it sounded like I might enjoy the NEXT book better, if there is going to be one. All the books in the middle of the shelves in the picture are ones I haven‘t read. I‘m a mood reader and I have NO IDEA what to read next!!! I‘m not feeling anything, except maybe a short one? Any suggestions? Something not too heavy.

Ddzmini 😍😍😍📖📚 5y
Naj I'd suggest the Wayward Children series by Seanan McGuire. They're fun, whimsical little novellas. And your shelves are to die for 😍 5y
amberdfoy Thanks!!! They‘ve been a long time coming! I had to get rid of allll my books I kept in my old basement because of mold and I had to move without them. Took advantage of that wall in a formal in a formal dining room we‘ll never use. I‘ve dreamed of a library for a long time. Building my book collection back up! 5y
23 likes3 comments
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amberdfoy
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Wanted to read something “different” and it appears this is it. The first chapter is very....intriguing. Trying to figure out what the heck is going on!

booklahoma I really like the cover illustration and typography 😀 - although I wouldn't miss the Mark Haddon blurb. 😝 (edited) 5y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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semtudo
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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New ones!! 😍👌

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DzdnDstrctd
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Mehso-so

Once again, #likemotherlikedaughter. Except for one thing: she loved this this book and I‘m undecided. I‘m mulling. Hmmm. 🙃🤡🤠🤓👄👂👼🐷

hermyknee Hahaha I love your username! ❤️ Parks and Rec! 6y
5 likes1 comment
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DzdnDstrctd
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Pickpick

Granted, I‘m not super far into the book yet. But, my initial reaction is HUH?!
I don‘t know if it will ever make sense.

#whatshappening #confused #flatironbooks #ARC

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DzdnDstrctd
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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My mom lent me this ages ago! It is now time to begin....

#readingrunsinthefamily #arc #likemotherlikedaughter @TheresaReads

10 likes2 stack adds
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BiblioBimbo
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Mehso-so

Not sure if it warrants the comparison to Atwood, but this was a decent read overall. It does take a while to get going but once it does it's an intriguing story! Calamity is a unique protagonist, so while not the best book I've ever read it was still worth picking up.

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Onioons
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Calamity lives with her 23 sisters behind the Wall of Safekeeping, under the guardianship of Aunty & Mother. Thru Calamity's eyes we see the Outside, the demonmales that threaten them & the war that the sisters are preparing to wage. However, while some of her sisters start to question their beliefs, Calamity clings to them. She is torn between the sisters she loves & her need to save them from themselves #flawedcharacter #octphotochallenge

LectricSheep This sounds interesting! 7y
37 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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Onioons
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz

Calamity lives with 23 sisters behind the Wall of Safekeeping, under the guardianship of Aunty & Mother. Thru her eyes we learn of the Outside, the demonmales that threaten them & of the war that the sisters are preparing to wage. However, while some of her sisters start to question their beliefs, Calamity clings to faith in their purpose. She is torn between the sisters she loves & her need to save them from themselves #flawed #octphotochallenge

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Onioons
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz

Calamity lives with 23 sisters behind the Wall of Safekeeping, under the guardianship of Aunty & Mother. Thru her eyes we learn of the Outside, the demonmales that threaten them & of the war that the sisters are preparing to wage. However, while some of her sisters start to question their beliefs, Calamity clings to faith in their purpose. She is torn between the sisters she loves & her need to save them from themselves #flawed #octphotochallenge

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Laalaleighh
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Mehso-so

It took over 100 pages for this book to sink its thorns into me. Once I got an inkling of what was going on I was so horrified that I had to finish it to see how it turned out. I'm not going to spoiler tag this because I think knowledge of the "twist" is necessary to not bail on this book, but spoilers from here on in. This is a book about girls kidnapped, brainwashed, and raised to be sold into the sex trade. (Continued in comments)

Laalaleighh It's told from the point of view of one of the girls, in flashback, after being rescued. The girls are basically raised in a cult and know nothing about the real world, including that what they are training for is prostitution. This book made me sick, and sad and I feel like I need several hot baths to wash away the revulsion I've been living with the past few hours. It is an interesting look into the mind of someone raised in a cult though. 8y
Laalaleighh If I could not rate this at all I would. 8y
LauraBeth Man do I really hate sex trafficking 8y
See All 9 Comments
Laalaleighh @LauraBeth me too. I feel like I need to scrub my brain out. The emotional damage and brainwashing done to that girl. Oh my god. I was crying through half of the book. 8y
Megabooks I don't think I could read that! 8y
Laalaleighh @Ebooksandcooks I wouldn't have read it if I had any use what it was about. I was so far into it when it finally clicked... I had to finish it to see if it got better. 8y
Laalaleighh Any idea* 8y
j.rye Im glad you gave the spoiler. This book is enraging me that I‘m anger reading it. 5y
Laalaleighh @j.rye just thinking back to this book makes me shudder with revulsion. Absolutely one of the most disturbing/horrifying things I‘ve ever read 5y
34 likes9 comments
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Laalaleighh
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Just as I'm about to give up and start reading something else- what's that? Do I spy a low-key Les Mis reference? Why yes, I think I do. Onward then.

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Laalaleighh
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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#bookisholympics book three. With a blurb like that how can it not be good?

KarenUK That blurb is amazing! 8y
BookishMarginalia Both @JaimitaPR and I have perished it and stuck it back on the shelf... The writing has not hooked either one of us 8y
Laalaleighh @bookishmarginalia oh no. The writing was weird. I made it 10 pages and then went to go play I am Setsuna all night instead! Maybe I'll just switch it out for Where'd you go Bernadette? 8y
BookishMarginalia Bernadette is great! 👍🏼🤓 8y
Laalaleighh @BookishMarginalia You were right! Bernadette was amazing!! 8y
33 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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I have an issue with some of the horrible similes that abound in fiction. 😱😱😱

Yamich49 Omg that is ridiculous. 😒 8y
thatkruegergirl Wow... 8y
Twocougs 😬that just hurts my writing loving heart. 8y
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BookishFeminist 😐 well that's something. 8y
ReadingEnvy I guess it depends. It makes me think of the author giggling, waiting for it to make you take a pause. Mission accomplished? 8y
BookBabe @BookishFeminist my reaction exactly 😐 8y
Carol Nope! I'm secretly 12 and am rolling 😂😂😂 8y
33 likes1 stack add8 comments
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WanderingBookaneer
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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First walk around @TheBookmarkPR . This is what I grabbed from the fiction section.

MrBook 😎👍🏻 8y
CherylDeFranceschi Nice haul! 8y
32 likes1 stack add2 comments
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BethFishReads
The First Book of Calamity Leek | Paula Lichtarowicz
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Though the narrator is 14 years old, this is not a YA book. Myth, becoming an adult, questioning the norm. Amy Einhorn says it's been described as a cross between Secret Garden and Lord of the Flies. Friday night, weekend read. Flatiron Books

jennifersmeth I think I need to read this one! 8y
jeff Intrigued! 8y
24 likes11 stack adds2 comments