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The Vegetarian
The Vegetarian: A Novel | Han Kang
A beautiful, unsettling novel about rebellion and taboo, violence and eroticism, and the twisting metamorphosis of a soul Before the nightmares began, Yeong-hye and her husband lived an ordinary, controlled life. But the dreamsinvasive images of blood and brutalitytorture her, driving Yeong-hye to purge her mind and renounce eating meat altogether. Its a small act of independence, but it interrupts her marriage and sets into motion an increasingly grotesque chain of events at home. As her husband, her brother-in-law and sister each fight to reassert their control, Yeong-hye obsessively defends the choice thats become sacred to her. Soon their attempts turn desperate, subjecting first her mind, and then her body, to ever more intrusive and perverse violations, sending Yeong-hye spiraling into a dangerous, bizarre estrangement, not only from those closest to her, but also from herself. Celebrated by critics around the world, The Vegetarian is a darkly allegorical, Kafka-esque tale of power, obsession, and one womans struggle to break free from the violence both without and within her.From the Hardcover edition.
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review
hissingpotatoes
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Pickpick

4/5⭐ Interestingly, I grew to appreciate this book more after finishing it by reading (and disagreeing with) many of the reviews written about it.

Full review: https://hissingpotatoes.com/2024/01/24/review-the-vegetarian-by-han-kang/

DocBrown This was a pick for me as well. 2mo
Librarybelle It‘s probably not a book for me, but someone else I know read it and just could not stop thinking about it. 2mo
See All 7 Comments
Hooked_on_books I actually love it when that happens. It suggests this would be a good book club or buddy read book. I haven‘t read it but have considered doing so. 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Sometimes I don't really like a book. Then I read the reviews and get annoyed because other people don't like it for the wrong reasons 😂 2mo
hissingpotatoes @Hooked_on_books Yes exactly, this is definitely a book club book (as long as everyone is okay with the content warnings). 2mo
40 likes7 comments
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Hilary427
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Pickpick

I liked it. I have no idea what it was trying to say, but I liked it. The story is told in three parts - I enjoyed the first two. The third dragged on a bit. Very strange, odd book, but worth the quick read! (4)
⭐️: 3.75/5

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kaysworld1
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Finished my reading challenge 🎊

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Staci
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Mehso-so

This is the weirdest book I have ever read and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

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NataliePatalie
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I read some weird stuff in August 😅

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Night_Reader
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Pickpick

3.5/5 🌟

Very weird, graphic and disturbing book. Not for everyone.

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Pickpick

March Reread (I am rereading 12 books in 2023 to see if they hold up)
I absolutely love this complicated book. Han Kang's writing is immaculate. This is not a book for everyone, reviews are very divided, but I consider this a modern day Yellow Wallpaper. It is brilliant.
The main character has an unnamed mental illness, and symptoms begin with her going vegetarian. The symptoms progress and we get a view of how her family & society treats her.

DimeryRene I have a beautiful tattoo in honor of this book! Women turning into plants!! 13mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @DimeryRene amazing 😍😍 I love a literary tattoo. 13mo
22 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Shemac77
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Pickpick

Story in three parts told from three different perspective and all entwined. Evocative.

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Shemac77
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Onto the next.

33 likes2 stack adds
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The_Book_Ninja
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Pickpick

This book is beautiful & evocative. The story is small in scale but says so much, powerfully. Especially about mental health. Kang writes men better than many male authors seem to write women. She even writes men better, more honestly, than men too.That‘s important because this novel is,in part, about how men impose themselves on women. Woman who can‘t be what they want to be.Men can stunt growth and brutalise. This is patriarchy vs Mother Nature.

batsy Such a good book. I can still recall certain vivid, disquieting scenes. 14mo
The_Book_Ninja @batsy yeah, this will stick with me for a long time 14mo
30 likes1 stack add2 comments
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RaeLovesToRead
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#manicmonday #letterV @CBee @The_Penniless_Author

📖 Can I have Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer? No? That's cheating? OK, then. The Vegetarian it is.
✒ Brian K. Vaughan & Jeff Vandermeer
🎬 Vicky Christina Barcelona
🎤 The Vengaboys
🎶 Va va voom (Nicky Minaj) & Video games (Lana Del Rey)

Stop pretending that you all don't love The Vengaboys too! 😉

vivastory Video Games 👏 1y
39 likes1 comment
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lirahlu
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Measuring Up - ?⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ super cute YA graphic novel about a young Tiwainese immagrant who loves to cook when she discovers Julia Child
The Vegetarian - ⭐️⭐️⭐️ I honestly don't know if this is a pick for me or not. It left me with a "What did I just read" feeling. But I did keep reading. Mostly to find out what happened.

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Kitta
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Very intense and with a trigger warning for eating disorders, but I thought this book was amazing.

#alphabetgame #letterV @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

batsy I thought it was, too! Definitely one of my top V reads. 2y
11 likes1 comment
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Cazxxx
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Up next

StaceGhost I loved this book! Haunts me to this day 2y
Cazxxx @StaceGhost I hope I enjoy it too. It‘s meant to be weird and dark so it sounds like my kind of thing 😊 2y
39 likes2 comments
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cornfedwellread
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Taking inspiration from another #AsianReadathon pick, I made some Korean recipes from Cheap Lazy Vegan this morning. Unfortunately, the protagonist of this book doesn't have access to Rose's quick and filling recipes.

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RickW
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Mehso-so

I read this based upon recs & the International Booker prize.It is a compelling book with an interesting look into psychosis, PTSD & anorexia. It is a deep look into a dysfunctional family & obvious social inequalities. But there are issues. First there are no decent male characters. The concept of veganism appears to be born out of self trauma and unrealistic. The misogyny is over the top excessive. Not being mean, but it‘s a little over rated.

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samihan
Mehso-so

Strange but good

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she_she
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143

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she_she
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85

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she_she
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76

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cephellapod
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Panpan

I despise this book. I‘m not sure if I‘m too dense for whatever message this was supposed to convey but I cannot see any reason for reading this. It was incredibly disturbing and vulgar for no reason. I planned on finishing this book in a day because it is so short but it took me a few weeks to get though it because I could not get myself to pick it up most days. Just gross and seemingly pointless

RickW Although I didn‘t despise it as much as you, I had issues with it. The sexual abuse is horrific and the concept that there are literally no decent males theough the 180+ pages was insane. The male doctors are bad, the husband literally rapes his obtunded wife, the brother in law saves her only to have sex with her later. And on and on. The concept of veganism was also insanely inaccurate. The book is deep but the characters are shallow. 2y
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itsyvetperez
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Pickpick

This book is surprisingly good short read, disturbing and sad.

--4⭐️

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keepingupwiththepenguins
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Pickpick

“Before my wife turned vegetarian, I‘d always thought of her as completely unremarkable in every way.” Isn‘t that just… *chef‘s kiss*? It promises a fascinating story to come. The Vegetarian is “a beautiful, unsettling novel in three acts about rebellion and taboo, violence and eroticism, and the twisting metamorphosis of a soul”, and it‘s off to a strong start. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/the-vegetarian-han-kang/

52 likes3 stack adds
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natashalb
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Mehso-so

Yeong-hye decides to stop eating meat after experiencing a vivid and violent dream. The story follows her decent into madness, culminating in her desire to leave her physical body in its entirety, in 3 parts, through the eyes of her husband, her brother-in-law and her sister.

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Kiralyn
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✨existences briefly aligned✨ I love this little passage from The Vegetarian. It feels like one of those concepts only German has a word for, no? At the start of the pandemic, I began a quote book to house all the little moments that left a mark on me while reading. Trying to pick the habit back up. #thevegetarian #quotebook

Nute Such a cool idea!🤗 2y
10 likes1 comment
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Kiralyn
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Read this a while back. I was really excited because the review I‘d seen had described this book as a great work of feminist range- my interest was piqued. And I did like the book enough to follow through to the end but it felt less like feminist rage unleashed and more like women defeated. So maybe my expectations were tainted by the review but I walked away feeling a bit defeated.

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Victoria6
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sarahlandis
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Pickpick

Tw sexual violence.This book blew me away although I feel it would have been better to read rather than listen to. A sexual, violent story about a woman making odd life choices based on haunting dreams, a tipping point for an unstable family, and the family members whose lives fall into disarray. And perhaps it all symbolizes the silent rage and contempt women hold inside- people, the world, give us violence and sometimes madness is our response

rachelk Great review! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3y
sarahlandis @rachelk thanks!! 3y
21 likes2 comments
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Thndrstd
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Pickpick

A disturbing story of a woman who, haunted by dreams and dark images, refuses to eat meat and becomes insane in the eyes of her society, particularly men. But her "madness" is a result of a domineering, violent, patriarchal culture. This short compelling novel is sometimes difficult to read, but beautifully written and realized.

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Morr_Books
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Book club's in two days, so I should start the book, but I'm gonna do that poolside.

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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Yeong-hye aggressively embraces vegetarianism following a bloody nightmare. Told in three distinct parts, her previously mundane world slowly collapses. The men in her life are either patriarchal dicks or sexually exploitative. It‘s now her duty to defy. Sinking into illness, Yeong-hye becomes nearly plantlike herself, craving sun and water, barely moving. Very poetic at times; bizarre and brilliant.

Suet624 A great review of this book!!! 3y
britt_brooke @Suet624 Thanks so much! 💚 3y
Cinfhen This has been lurking on my TBR forever!!! I should FINALLY pick it up!! 3y
britt_brooke @Cinfhen It‘s a weird one, but an interesting style. I think you‘ll be into it! 3y
95 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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LostInSpace
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Panpan

What did I just read?

Cathythoughts Lovely picture 💫 3y
vlwelser 😂🤣 3y
Reagan Yep. 👏🏻 3y
37 likes1 stack add3 comments
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booksandsympathy
Pickpick

This book was dark. It is less than 200 pages, but the content meant I couldn't breeze through it in one sitting. It definitely makes you think. At times it was very jarring, I think because you never truly see anything from the main character's point of view, all you see are her dreams. It dealt with physical and sexual abuse, mental health, eating disorders, women's roles in society, and bodily autonomy. All in only 188 pages. It's quite a ride!

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booksandsympathy

"She was no longer able to cope with all that her sister reminded her of. She'd been unable to forgive her for soaring alone over a boundary she herself could never bring herself to cross, unable to forgive that magnificent irresponsibility that had enabled Yeong-hye to shuck off social constraints and leave her behind, still a prisoner."

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booksandsympathy

"It wasn't long before she realized something: perhaps the one she'd so earnestly wanted to help was not him, but herself. Was it not perhaps her own image - she who had left home at nineteen and gone on to make a life for herself in Seoul, always entirely under her own steam - that she had seen mirrored in this man's exhaustion?"

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booksandsympathy
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Next book in the #Asianreadathon. When Yeong-hye starts having bloody nightmares, she decides to renounce eating meat. It's a small act of independence, but it interrupts her marriage and sets into motion an increasingly grotesque chain of events at home. The prompt for this is read any book with an Asian protagonist. The country represented is South Korea.

cornfedwellread That one is on my list too! I'm such a slow reader though that I don't know how many I'll be able to finish. 3y
booksandsympathy @cornfedwellread I didn't finish all the books I wanted to for the readathon last year because they were longer books This year, four of my five books were shorter than 200 pages. There are a couple other books I wanted to add in if I could, but won't get them from the library in time. 3y
23 likes2 comments
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bookishly
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Right now, I am page 50 of this book. Currently, I am trying to digest the fact over how this book never came to me before. This book psychological eats you up. The characters are written genuinely that it makes you feel that they are amongst us.
I have tons of expectations from this book. I hope it doesn‘t disappoint me.

sudi Sounds good, Welcome to Litsy 😊 3y
11 likes1 comment
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nicpears

An entertaining read but I expected much more. It started off great and I was excited to see what would happen but as I got to the third chapter I realized that I wasn't going to get what I expected. Maybe it went over my head 🤷🏼‍♀️

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Tanisha_A
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Some used, some new! 🙂
#bookmail

meghathecloud The Vegetarian is on my TBR! The others look great too. 3y
BarbaraBB Great haul! 3y
LeahBergen Nice! 👏🏻 3y
See All 6 Comments
readordierachel Wonderful selection! 3y
Tanisha_A @meghathecloud @BarbaraBB @LeahBergen @readordierachel Thanks ladies! 😃. I got The Twin from your recommendation of Dutch novels, @BarbaraBB ! 3y
BarbaraBB I noticed! I hope you‘ll like it!! 3y
52 likes6 comments
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she.hearts.horror
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Mehso-so

This book left me with more questions than answers.

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coffees
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Both books I'm currently reading are at the store I'm working at today!! Time to dig in and finish at least one 😆😆 #teamharkness #scarathlon2020

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coffees
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Wow...totally not the type of book I was expecting. It's marked as #horror on goodreads but it had no paranormal vibes and then...it's a disturbing read. Won't be able to finish it during #cyoreadathon bc I'm off tomorrow but I'll pick it up next week, I'm on the last part

#teamharkness #scarathlon2020

#sbooktober #screamathon2020 #gothtober #slayerfest20 #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks @sace @4thhouseontheleft @StayCurious

23 likes2 comments
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shadowspeak17
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#3books that made me uncomfortable

I still enjoyed The Vegetarian. The other two not so much...

OriginalCyn620 The Vegetarian is a good choice for this prompt! 4y
44 likes1 comment
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Reagan
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What the hell.

ElizaMarie I have heard good things about this one! 4y
youneverarrived 😂😂 sums it up well lol 4y
48 likes2 comments
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vivastory
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📚 Virgin Suicides/Vegetarian/Vampires in the Lemon Grove
🖋Kurt Vonnegut/Virginia Woolf
🎬 Vertigo/V for Vendetta/Virgin Suicides
🎸 Velvet Underground/Violent Femmes/Verve
🎶 Velodrome (Dessa)/Video Games (Lana Del Rey)/Victor Jara's Hands (Calexico)
#manicmonday #letterv @JoScho

KVanRead Can‘t believe I forgot about The Violent Femmes and The Virgin Suicides!!!! Great picks 👏 4y
vivastory @KVanRead Thanks! I was a bit surprised by how many good things there are for V. Thought it'd be harder. 4y
Megabooks Virgin Suicides is one of the few cases where I like the book and movie equally. 4y
vivastory @Megabooks I need to reread/ watch it again, but I remember when it first was released I loved the movie adaptation. So much that I saw it in theaters twice, which I rarely do. 4y
44 likes4 comments
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CoffeeK8
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📖 The Vegetarian
💻 Sarah Vowell
📺 Veronica Mars & Vertigo
🎼 Vampire Weekend
🎧 Volcano - Damian Rice
#manicmonday #letterV

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Soytoosaucy
Pickpick

Interesting read. What I got from this book was the internal things we struggle with that come out in various ways physically. The things that eat us up inside that manifest out. The scene of Yeong-Hye‘s father and the dog that bit her, explained a lot. Though most may read this as very bizarre, it makes a lot of sense to me. 💭

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, just because they ending was 🤷🏻‍♀️

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Soytoosaucy

“Or perhaps, it was simply that things were happening inside her, terrible things, which no one else could even guess at, and thus it was impossible for her to engage with everyday life at the same time.”

12 likes1 stack add
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Soytoosaucy
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I LOVE this bookmark. Tyrion has always been one of my favs second to Tormund 🤣 #GOT

Anyone have any links to some cool unique bookmarks?

Velvetfur Oh that bookmark is fab, I want one! I don't have any links though, sorry, I just pick up bookmarks here n' there 🙂 4y
Soytoosaucy @Velvetfur it‘s okay😊 I usually buy mine online lately. I got this one on Etsy. https://etsy.me/2BYk1Bc 🤗 4y
Velvetfur @Soytoosaucy thanks for the link, they look great! I'd find it hard to choose a favourite character though 😂 4y
KVanRead Great bookmark and I also really liked that book, strange as it is. How are you liking it so far? 4y
12 likes4 comments