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The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night
The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night | Jen Campbell
76 posts | 36 read | 153 to read
'ENCHANTING AND ILLUMINATING' Carys Bray, bestselling author of A Song For Issy Bradley 'THIS BOOK IS FULL OF CHARACTER AND MAGIC, AND I FOUND MYSELF MESMERISED' Claire Fuller, bestselling author of Our Endless Numbered Days 'THESE STORIES ARE WEAVED TOGETHER LIKE SILVERY FISHING NETS. LIKE SHIMMERING, JEWEL-BRIGHT WORLDS' Helen McClory 'These days, you can find anything you need at the click of a button. That's why I bought her heart online.' Spirits in jam jars, mini-apocalypses, animal hearts and side shows. A girl runs a coffin hotel on a remote island. A boy is worried his sister has two souls. A couple are rewriting the history of the world. And mermaids are on display at the local aquarium. The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night is a collection of twelve haunting stories; modern fairy tales brimming with magic, outsiders and lost souls. 'I'm fascinated by storytelling, and particularly fairy tales. How humans have always tried to explain things that they can't possibly understand with, sometimes outrageous, stories' Jen Campbell From the author of Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops series and The Bookshop Book.
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starlight97
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Pickpick

“The world is a dark place, full of many kinds of wolves.“

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starlight97
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Thanks for the tag @mollyrotondo ❣️

1. It's hard not to. A nice cover catches the eyes, but I do try to rely more on reviews & summaries
2. It was only $4.32 on Amazon! 💸
3. Multiple sources
4. At least twice!
5. @HOTPock3tt @catiewithac

#friyayintro @4thhouseontheleft @howjessreads

mollyrotondo 💜 4y
36 likes1 comment
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EllieDottie
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I would love too @emmaturi thanks so much for the tag! I can‘t wait to read Daisy Jones and the Six!! This is my favorite cover ever!! #7days7covers #covercrush

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 💗 5y
sudi Pretty 💖 5y
63 likes2 comments
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ReadingsByTheC
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I don't know if anyone has posted this yet, but the author Jen Campbell has a whole series on her YouTube channel about the origins of fairy tales. Lots of good watching! #happilyeverafterswap @Chrissyreadit

Chrissyreadit Thanks for sharing! 5y
Ericalambbrown This sounds fantastic! 😍 5y
ReadingsByTheC @Ericalambbrown It's pretty cool and there is a video where she shows her collection of Fairytale books. Lots of good picks for your TBR! 5y
RaimeyGallant Cool! 5y
24 likes4 comments
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AnneCecilie
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#adventrecommends day 23

I hardly ever read a short story collection and when I do, I take my time with it. The exception is this collection, I raced through it.

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CaroPi
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Pickpick

Was a beautiful book I like all the stories. Hope she will write more short stories. It has a nice dark atmosphere without been too scary. Really good for Halloween season. #shortstories #bookly

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Becker
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Short stories - well written - creative - a bit bizarre. Beautiful naked hardback 💖

11 likes1 stack add
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sixminutesforme
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Like all short story collections, not every story will work for each reader, but for me my overall impression was buoyed by the standouts in the collection, namely ‘In The Dark‘ and ‘Margaret and Mary at the End of the World.‘ The latter touched on quite dark content in an otherwise very whimsical collection, but it‘s the one that has stayed with me since finishing this book!

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Moray_Reads
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Two books of #shortstories by women, both with anatomical hearts on the cover. I love it. #readingwomenmonth @thereadingwomen

2BR02B I really dig the tattoo-style art on the cover of the tagged book. 6y
Moray_Reads @2BR02B it's a gorgeous cover and one of the best short story collections I've ever read 6y
52 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Kalalalatja
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This very pretty book is full of fairytale inspired stories, although rather dark and weird stories. One story is called Aunt Libby‘s #Coffin Hotel, which is about a girl who helps her aunt run a hotel where the guests sleep in coffins and participate in seances to be closer to the people they have lost.

#CoolBooks

LaraReads That‘s a beautiful cover! Fascinating way to use an actual heart drawing. Very pretty! 6y
Kalalalatja @LaraReads it is one of my favourite covers, it is so full of detail 👌 6y
Linsy Oh my goodness, I need this now! Moving it up my TBR! 💜💜💜 6y
Kalalalatja @Linsy it was such a great collection! 6y
86 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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EliNeedsMoreShelves
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Day twelve - short stories. This collection is written by one of my favorite booktubers. Also, this cover is gorgeous! #readingwomenmonth #readingwomenchallenge #daytwelve

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AnneCecilie
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5 books read this month and I'm happy about that. Favorites are the tagged collection of short stories and The Children's Book. I'm not a huge short story reader, but I've already started a new collection. That has never happened before.

I haven't read since Monday, this heat is killing me. There was a new heat record for May yesterday at 31,1 degrees. I don't know what that's in F. And I'm perfectly aware that's normal for several Littens.

hilded Hehe, jeg sliter og! Har ikke sovet ordentlig på en uke ? 6y
AnneCecilie @hilded sove får jeg gjort, det er det minste av problemene. Jeg blir helt slått ut og sove i starten av varmeperiode etter jobbe. De siste dagene har det vært problemer med kollektiv transporten på vei hjem, og det er slitsomt. Har en fantastisk unnskyldning til å spise is, masse is. 6y
hilded Her koker det i leiligheta, klarer ikke å få temperaturen under 30 på soverommet uansett hvor mye det luftes. Ute er det deilig da, og alltid fint med en unnskyldning til å spise masse is ? 6y
AnneCecilie @hilded for meg er det motsatt, jeg sliter med utetemperaturen. Men jeg liker ingen temperatur over 22 grader. 6y
32 likes4 comments
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AnneCecilie
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Pickpick

I'm not much of a short story reader, and can probably count on one all the collections I've read in my life. But this collection, just WOW. The mix of fairy tales and a little weird, I just loved it. And each and everyone had my thinking at the end.

What is the short stories about you ask?
Among others there's a girl running a coffin hotel, a couple rewriting the history of the world in the middle of the night and a man who buy animal hearts.

42 likes5 stack adds
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AnneCecilie
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#manicmonday

1. Done. Also tagging the other 3 in the comments

2. I didn't start reading until I was 13 yrs. It was my best friend at the time that introduced me to reading. She was talking nonstop about an author. A borrowed a book and was hooked

3. Vacations. Since it isn't vacation everyday, I also like the weekends

4. Of recent reads Jude from "A Little Life"

30 likes4 comments
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Kalalalatja
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#4NewFavesin4days day 4/4 📚

Thanks for the fun tag @Cinfhen

Cinfhen Thanks for playing 💗 6y
Moray_Reads Love this one 6y
103 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Bindrosbookshelf
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First book for the #readathon #teamanz2018

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Bindrosbookshelf
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Opening Questions answered ✅
Summarised below:
1) location
2) most anticipated book
3) most anticipated snack
4) facts about you
5) what are you doing different/most looking forward to

#readathon #teamanz2018

22 likes1 stack add
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AmyLarge
Pickpick

A collection of thought provoking short stories. They all have an element of the fantastical about them (either real or fabricated) and many of them are ambiguous, dropping you right into the middle of the scene. Dealing with topics like grief, love, death, divorce and sex, not fairy stories to share with your kids, but quick reads for a more mature audience. Be warned, the first one in the collection is super creepy! But keep going...

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readingjedi
Panpan

So here I go again: Little Miss Unpopular Opinion.

The writing was beautiful, formed with a humbling purity. The stories were staggeringly inventive, thought provoking, soul inspiring....

Aww shucks, who am I trying to kid? I just didn't like it.

I can appreciate beautiful writing. It's just not my bag as far as entertainment goes. This is just not the format for me. I just found it ... (sorry).... kinda irritating.

readingjedi I am, as far as I can tell, the only person in living Litsy history to Pan this. I am deficient obviously. 6y
PenguinInFlight @readingjedi No, not deficient at all! if we all liked the same books, what fun would that be? 💜 My dirty secret is I HATE The Catcher in the Rye. HATE IT. I want to slap Holden every time I‘ve read it, which as an English major, was a lot. I even read it later in life trying to appreciate it. Nope. My best friend thinks it‘s the best book in American literature, but I can‘t see it. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 6y
shanaqui @PenguinInFlight Oh! Me too re: Catcher! 6y
readingjedi @PenguinInFlight @shanaqui Lol, the deep and unsurprising irony is I love Catcher 🤣🤔🤣🤔 6y
PenguinInFlight @readingjedi LOL! See? Keeps things interesting. 😉 6y
84 likes1 stack add5 comments
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readingjedi
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Love this cover! Can't wait till the offspring is a-bed and I can get back to this one. Only another hour to go ....

Moray_Reads I just read this one, loved it! ♥️ 6y
Kalalalatja It is so good! 6y
104 likes5 stack adds2 comments
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Moray_Reads
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Pickpick

I loved this collection of strange, eerie tales. They're full of the dark magic of myth and fairy tale and reflect the unsettling magic of everyday strangeness. Campbell's writing is lovely and though each tale and she has impressive skill with the short story format, the lengths vary but each story is perfectly encapsulated in the space granted to it.

RohitSawant This sounds fantastic! 6y
HardcoverHearts Not sure if you follow her on youtube, but she has a channel and she is just wonderful. I highly recommend it. 6y
Moray_Reads @rohit-sawant it's really wonderful. I often find myself dissatisfied with short stories but I enjoyed every one of these 6y
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Moray_Reads @HardcoverHearts she does mention it in her author's note, I'll definitely have a look! 6y
Kalalalatja I loved the collection, and I can only second checking out her youtube channel. I get so many of my dark and weird book recs from her 👍 6y
Moray_Reads @Kalalalatja well, if I didn't need more encouragement that definitely does it! 6y
batsy Her booktube is one of my favourites ❤️ 6y
epsitawithane It's my favorite too @batsy 6y
51 likes5 stack adds8 comments
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Moray_Reads
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Kalalalatja 👌👌 6y
44 likes1 comment
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Kalalalatja
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The first story in this collection doesn‘t involve a #chemicalheart, but it does involve animal hearts and glass hearts which are produced to be put into human bodies, if their hearts break for some reason or other. It is dark and weird, but kind of fragile and beautiful at the same time 💜💜

#MarchintoOz

TheBookgeekFrau I‘m a little in love with this title 6y
haileybean I looooved this book. 6y
Blaire Pretty cover! Sounds intriguing. 6y
88 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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Bindrosbookshelf
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Just a few more library books to add to my overflowing stack 🙈📚 #libraryhaul #yetanotherlibraryhaul

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Bambolina_81
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I've been taking my time with this one as I don't like to read short stories all in one go. I love Jen Campbell's style and how quirky and well written her stories are. You can tell this is a woman immersed in fairy tales and the art of story telling. Very nicely done!

60 likes1 stack add
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Christine11
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Pickpick

Congratulations on your absolutely amazing milestone @cobwebmoth ! 1000 followers is incredible! This is a collection of short stories that I just finished and I was surprised by how much I liked it as short stories aren‘t my usual sort of thing !
#surprisedgiveaway ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

cobwebmoth Thanks! I haven't tried very many short stories, so I'll have to check this out.☺ 6y
Christine11 @cobwebmoth It‘s a really strange but beautiful collection of stories! I hope you get a chance to read this soon! 😊💜 (edited) 6y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love this pic 💗💗💗 6y
Christine11 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you ! 💕💗💕 6y
44 likes4 comments
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Bookgirl91
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About to start this fabulous book by one of my favourite authors

JoScho Love the cover! 6y
5 likes1 stack add1 comment
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thegirlwiththelibrarybag
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Short Stories for #RiotGrams...

I‘m usually not overly excited about short stories but the synopsis of this one sounds amazing...

teebe Jen Campbell is great. I‘ve been dying to read this! 6y
94 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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Kalalalatja
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7 days 7 book covers. Post a book cover you love. No explanation, no information on the book. Just a book cover you love.

Day 6

#7days7bookcovers

julesG Beautiful cover 6y
Soubhiville Interesting title. Did you enjoy this book? 6y
125 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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CaroPi
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So for #day4 of the #riotgrams the theme is purple. Surprisingly enough this is the only book that is purple....

Kalalalatja Love everything about this pic 👌 6y
MayJasper I hope you are feeling better 😊 6y
28 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Laru79
Pickpick

This was so weird and fascinating and completely different to anything else I have read. Short stories linked to fairy tales and my goodness they were so lovely and creepy and magical. I would definitely read more. It says in the author‘s note, that Campbell has a YouTube channel so I guess that‘s my next stop!

Katiesbookishlife Her YouTube channel is really great, she also posts a lot of great stories on Instagram as well. 6y
Laru79 Thanks @Katiesbookishlife I‘ll have a look at Instagram too! 6y
29 likes2 comments
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Zoe_reads_books
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So excited for both of these books! And those covers are to die for! #bookhaul

ephemeralwaltz Stunning covers!😍 6y
34 likes1 comment
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Laru79
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Like a fool I left my current book at home. Like a bookaholic, there‘s always something in my library that I want to read!! Excited to start on this Jen Campbell, have only read her non fiction before so hoping this is as good!

ju.ca.no The cover looks so pretty! 6y
Laru79 It is pretty! But the thing in the middle is a heart!! Just finished the first story in the collection, weird but clever 6y
Cinfhen Third time seeing this book in 3 days...I take that as a sign💫 ✨✨✨💫 6y
Laru79 It ‘s a good sign!! @Cinfhen I‘ve read the first two stories and can‘t wait to get back into it! 6y
Cinfhen Stacked 😊 6y
32 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Bambolina_81
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Next up...

I enjoy Jen Campbell's Booktube vlogs and have heard her interviewed but this is my first time reading her work.

Also, it must be a record as this is book 16 for me this month! That hasn't happened since I studied English and American Lit at uni.

batsy I love her channel, too! 6y
erzascarletbookgasm You‘re on a roll! 6y
Kalalalatja I LOVE her channel! And I just read this this weekend, and I loved it 👍 6y
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PurpleyPumpkin Wow, book #16! Good for you!👍🏽 6y
tammysue 👏🏻 👏🏻 That‘s fantastic! 6y
minkyb Off to a great start for 2018! 6y
Sarah83 Yes. Sounds pretty great. 🤗 6y
80 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Kalalalatja
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Pickpick

First: that cover 😍😍

Second: I loved this collection. Campbell is a born storyteller, and you can really see her poetry experience shine through in her writing. Some sentences were beyond beautiful! The stories were delightfully weird and whimsical, but also with varying degrees of darkness. 👌

#RecommendationsChallenge2018 #24in48

Cinfhen Love the title and THAT COVER 😍😍😍 6y
mcipher So pretty!! 6y
[DELETED] 3803335244 Oh this cover 😍 6y
Kalalalatja @Cinfhen it is the title of one of the stories, and it was really good! @mcipher @ForeverNerdy I love everything about this cover ❤️❤️ 6y
108 likes6 stack adds4 comments
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Kalalalatja
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I‘m calling it a day after close to 10 hours of reading. I finished these two this evening, and I can‘t wait to continue readathoning in the morning 📚

#24in48

Melissa_J Well done! 6y
emilyhaldi 👏🏻👏🏻 6y
Kalalalatja @Melissa_J @emilyhaldi thank you! Hope your readathons are going well 👏👏 6y
99 likes3 comments
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Kalalalatja
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Back on the print book reading track 📖 so far this short story collection is delightfully weird, and I‘m enjoying it a lot!

#24in48

Moray_Reads Such a pretty cover 😍 6y
emilyhaldi You always have the best snacks 🤤🍫🍪🍩🍰 6y
Kalalalatja @emilyhaldi this is one of my faves. It is called a Marzipane bread (it doesn‘t translate well 😄), but it is marzipane and nougat covered in chocolate 👌 6y
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Kalalalatja @Moray_Reads I‘m completely in love with it! And I love it is a naked hardback too 😍 6y
Moray_Reads @Kalalalatja I wish all hardbacks were like this, I'm not a fan of dust jackets 6y
Kalalalatja @Moray_Reads me neither, they always get in the way! That‘s why I love the VMC designer classics as well 👌 6y
96 likes5 stack adds6 comments
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dastevensish
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Pickpick

Oh how I adored this book! I need a new word though, because I cannot find one to capture the feel of these stories. They are magical and lyrical and whimsical and yet dark and sometimes heartbreakingly sad. This is my first finished book for #24in48, but I had started it prior to today. (Slightly more than two hours down.)

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dastevensish
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My to-choose-from pile for #24in48. So very much looking forward to a weekend wallowing in books.

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Kalalalatja
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My collection of tbr short #stories. I love fairy tales and fairy tale retellings, which definitely shows in my choices of short story collections 📚

#NuYear

ju.ca.no They look beautiful😍 6y
haileybean I LOVED Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night — I‘m curios what your favorite stories might be when you finish :) 6y
GatheringBooks i‘ve been intrigued by her body and other parties - esp since its been receiving soooo much love :) 6y
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TrishB Gorgeous photo ❤️ 6y
erzascarletbookgasm Beautiful! Curious about the Seven Gothic tales 6y
Cinfhen Curious to hear your thoughts on 6y
jamie_in_the_library Oooh adding all of the titles to TBR 6y
117 likes1 stack add7 comments
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dastevensish
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Hey @BkClubCare — the title of this short story made me think of you. Of course! And thinking of you made me smile. 😊

BkClubCare Hey! How did I miss this? Sorry and 😊 thank you! 6y
9 likes1 comment
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Joanne1
Pickpick

Some of the best, most compelling and creepiest short stories I've read in a long while. There's a fairytale twist to all of them, though sometimes I was left with the feeling that I didn't quite get something. There are coffin hotels, mail order hearts, fish girls, devil crabs and apple trees from the beginning of time.

Drnkpnkprincess Ohhhh! Sounds perfect for Halloween 6y
Drnkpnkprincess 9 months from now 😂 6y
52 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Joanne1
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Next up is this collection of very, very weird short stories.

TEArificbooks Love your pants 6y
68 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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beccaeve
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"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." - C.S. Lewis

RebelReader That mug is so cute! 😍😍 6y
beccaeve @RebelReader Thanks! It's one of my favorites ☺️ 6y
FlowerFairy Love the cute owl mug! 6y
49 likes3 comments
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whatthelog
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Mehso-so

One of my resolutions this year is to get back on Litsy! Everyone is so friendly, idk why I left. Anyway! One of my Christmas books was The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night. I thought it was ok but many of the stories blurred into one, unfortunately.

#shortstory #fairytale

LiteraryinLawrence Welcome back! 6y
valeriegeary A wonderful resolution indeed! Nice to see you again! 🤗 6y
Dragon 👍😀🐉 6y
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rockpools Welcome back! 6y
20 likes6 comments
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Kalalalatja
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Second part of my #bookhaul with my gift certificate I got for Christmas. 📚👌

That cover of The Beginning of the World... 😍😍 already a strong contender for best cover of the year!

#Bookmail

Maike Stacked because it‘s just so pretty 😄 6y
TrishB Cool 👍🏻 6y
erzascarletbookgasm Nice! My eyes were immediately drawn to the tagged book. 6y
laundry_piles That is a beautiful cover! 6y
Kalalalatja @Maike @TrishB @erzascarletbookgasm @laundry_piles it is so full of details, and I just love poppies 😍 6y
122 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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Joanne1
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Brought the kids to the library on this hot day of the LONG school holidays. Picked up this book I requested they purchase after hearing about it on a podcast. The kids are happy playing with a huge pile of Lego so I'm going to start it right now.

57 likes2 stack adds
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juliannebenford
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Last night I went to #lushbookclub to see the amazing Jen Campbell read and talk about The Beginning of the World in the Middle of the Night. More photos on my Instagram Stories: http://www.instagram.com/juliannebenford #authortalk #shortstories

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kathytrithardt
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I just got my final copy in the post, and this naked hardback is freaking gorgeous.