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My Year of Rest and Relaxation
My Year of Rest and Relaxation | Ottessa Moshfegh
A shocking, hilarious and strangely tender novel about a young womans experiment in narcotic hibernation, aided and abetted by one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature. Our narrator has many of the advantages of life, on the surface. Young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, she lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like everything else, by her inheritance. But there is a vacuum at the heart of things, and it isnt just the loss of her parents in college, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her alleged best friend. Its the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong? This story of a year spent under the influence of a truly mad combination of drugs, designed to heal us from our alienation from this world, shows us how reasonable, even necessary, that alienation sometimes is. Blackly funny, both merciless and compassionate dangling its legs over the ledge of 9/11 this novel is a showcase for the gifts of one of Americas major young writers working at the height of her powers.
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Yuki_Onna
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🖤🖤🖤 1mo
Eggs Perfect 👍🏼 1mo
16 likes2 comments
review
andrew61
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Pickpick

Set in a 12 month period before 9/11 this is the story of an entitled attractive young woman who has suffered 2 bereavements of parents + is struggling in her day to day life including her job in a v exclusive art gallery. She goes into an isolation fuelled by prescription drugs, caffeine, + video watching. A biting satire of New york Society and addiction to drugs this was both an unpleasant but compulsive read + I am still thinking abt it.

batsy "Unpleasant but compulsive" sums it up pretty accurately! 3mo
55 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Megabooks
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Dad‘s cancer and treatment has been a bit harder and more stressful than I thought it would be, so I haven‘t felt like diving into many new audiobooks. I‘ve just needed some comfort in my ears. These are five favorites I‘ve relistened to. Still reading audiobooks just not many new ones. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Bookwormjillk Hugs for you and your Dad. 5mo
DGRachel Sending hugs and healing energy. 💖 5mo
julesG Sending hugs! Totally understandable that you're revisiting favourites. 5mo
See All 23 Comments
AmyG A hug for you and a prayer for Dad. 5mo
Soubhiville Support and healing thoughts to you and your Dad. 5mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sending love and prayers 🙏🏻 5mo
marleed Oh I‘m sorry. I hope the days get better. I‘m a big fan of a good reread and find I often get more out of a story when I‘m not caught up in anticipating the end or determining plot twists. 5mo
AnnR Hugs and healing wishes. 5mo
Jari-chan Sending love and strength ❤️🙏 5mo
willaful Any book that helps you through a hard time is a good one. Best of luck for you and your dad. 5mo
TrishB If it helps ♥️ 5mo
quietjenn Hoping they provide lots of comfort. 💛 5mo
Deblovestoread There is comfort in the familiar. Sending love to you and your dad. 5mo
youneverarrived I can only imagine ♥️ sending love to you all 5mo
BarbaraBB I am so sorry to hear your father is having a hard time. He started out so well. You must be worries and I hope rereading these books has given you some comfort 🩷 (edited) 5mo
squirrelbrain Sending love ❤️ 5mo
Ruthiella Sorry to hear that. ❤️ 5mo
MaureenMc 💗💗💗 5mo
CarolynM Sending love💕 I‘ve been listening to a couple of favourite audiobooks on repeat these last few months. It helps. 5mo
Megabooks @MaureenMc thank you! 5mo
Megabooks @CarolynM it totally does. 💕💕💕 and sending love right back to you! 💜 (edited) 5mo
Chelsea.Poole I‘m so sorry you all re going through this! 5mo
74 likes23 comments
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Jilly6183
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Mehso-so

Maybe it‘s just me, but this gave me [non-violent] American Psycho vibes. It had the same increasingly erratic narrative, and had a similar satirical commentary structure (AP on the yuppy culture of the 80s, this on the “quick fix” pill obsession of the 90s). But unlike AP (which gave me actual nightmares), I was so bored by the end of this.

LauraBeth I read this when it came out and I still think about it every so often and get annoyed by it! 5mo
44 likes1 comment
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quietjenn
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Pickpick

I understand how this book isn't for everyone, but I thought it was extremely readable and pretty brilliant.

IuliaC I too find it brilliant 👍 7mo
batsy I felt the same about this! 7mo
youneverarrived Agree with you 🖤 7mo
51 likes3 comments
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TheSpineView
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Eggs Perfect 👍🏼 7mo
70 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Amor4Libros
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved this book…But, please, do not try this at home! 🤣

IuliaC Excellent review! 😂 I enjoyed this one too 11mo
24 likes1 comment
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Amor4Libros
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I‘m currently in the middle of 4 books…All interesting, but too heavy at times, so I picked this up last night because the curiosity was killing me (people either love or hate this book), and so far I‘m loving it!…Mainly because it‘s so ridiculous 😂😂

Bookish.SAM I loved it!!! But it seems to be pretty polarizing 11mo
21 likes1 comment
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Havinghope10
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Pickpick

Obsessed. Flew through it, and a great reminder to just tune out when needed (also maybe not to mix prescription drugs lol)

Blaire I loved this one! 11mo
13 likes1 comment
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iaietta
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Pickpick

4/5 ⭐️

L'assurdo racconto di una ragazza ferita che decide di isolarsi per un anno intero per poter rinascere
Very relatable 🙄

6 likes1 stack add
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ProudBookNerd
Bailedbailed

I couldn't stand this book. Initially I appreciated some of the dark humor it then it just became tedious and unbelievable that someone consuming the drugs the main character was, all in the effort to sleep 24/7, never had a medical emergency. I was reminded the first few pages in of Ignatius Riley from Confederacy of Dunces but then it nosedived into boring, repetive scenes. The ending was ridiculous and felt lazy.

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AbstractMonica
Pickpick

The narrator experiences the loss of both her parents while in college. She never had close relationships with either parent. Her lack of feelings, and the void of pleasant memories sets her on a mission to heavily sedate herself into a year long slumber. She hopes to wake up as a new person, and view her life as something worth living. The unnamed protagonist was cold, but hilarious. I really enjoyed this bleak novel, and couldn‘t put it down.

AbstractMonica There is so much to be said about this book, but just wanted to leave my review mostly at that. The narrator is an a**hole, and privileged. There are themes of eating disorders, suicide, and smaller issues that weren‘t central to the plot. 1y
13 likes1 comment
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AbstractMonica
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I started this one on my lunch break today! So far, so good! Im loving the dry sense of humor.

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Simche
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Pickpick

Trough the whole book I had this manic urge to keep reading and I think Otessa will be my new obsession for 2023! It was bold and brutal read.

8 likes1 stack add
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savvwavv
Pickpick

she‘s so real, love my crazy girlies 🫶🏽

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HettyG
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Pickpick

I can understand the poor reactions to this book, but I personally loved it. I think it‘s useful to reflect on our reactions to such a female protagonist as this, what does our reaction to her say about ourselves? Why are we uncomfortable with a woman having an existential crisis, how is her reception by readers different than, say, the protagonist in The Stranger? Anyway, food for thought,TLDR: I‘m a sucker for a cold hearted bitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

IuliaC Great review! 13mo
14 likes1 comment
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La_Cori
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Panpan

⭐⭐

Nope!! This was not for me and my taste.. I liked the author's writing style but all the characters were insufferable, especially the unnamed protagonist!!

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Flavius
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It's a yes. Though it took me longer than I expected to finish it. I had read so much praise for this book that maybe, I expected more.

13 likes1 stack add
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TheRiehlDeal
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🖍 Adult Coloring, 🎮 Video Games, 🎥📺 Movies and TV shows, 🎵 Music, ▶️ YouTube.

#LittensWantToKnow

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I forgot music 🎵 and tv 📺 🙌🏻 2y
RaeLovesToRead Woo! Videogames! #gamersoflitsy 2y
25 likes2 comments
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wisherwishinguponastar
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Last month I did not finish a single book, but I did pour a significant amount of time in to Animal Crossing New Horizons!!! September will be a new month with new #bookspin and #doublebookspin numbers! #bookjournal (I realize that you can not see the list very well🫠🫠🫠)

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rachaich
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Pickpick

Interesting... I found it hard at times as her sense of betrayal and lack of attachments is so intense.
I liked hearing her back story through her sleep.

24 likes1 stack add
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rachaich
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A new book to start 😊😊😍😍

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Bookbuyingaddict
Mehso-so

enjoyed it but didn‘t love 💕 it - perhaps would have loved it more in my 20s still a worthwhile read to see what all the fuss is about 😆

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itsyvetperez
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Mehso-so

“Rejection, I have found, can be the only antidote to delusion.”

- 3.25 ⭐️

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morgangrilliot
Mehso-so

love my homegirl

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christhelesbian
Pickpick

i think if i read this faster i would‘ve enjoyed it more but i left the book at my work for 6 months
whoopi goldberg is mommy

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britt_reads
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My birthday #bookhaul 🎉

everlocalwest Excellent haul!!!! Happy birthday! 🎉 2y
Leftcoastzen Good stuff ! Happy Birthday!🎂 2y
28 likes2 comments
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anushareflects
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Pickpick

This book was honestly so dark and hilarious. Loved the morbid oddity of it all. Really disliked the ending though - did not feel in line with the tone of the book at all. Full review www.anushareflects.com

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suvata
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Mehso-so

• TBR since July 11, 2018

Yay! This is my last TBR book from 2018. Now, on to my 2019 TBR (plus current books, of course).

My Year of Rest and Relaxation is a 2018 novel by American author Ottessa Moshfegh. Moshfegh's second novel, it is set in New York City in 2000 and 2001 and follows an unnamed protagonist as she gradually escalates her use of prescription medications in an attempt to sleep for an entire year.

Ruthiella Well done! 👏👏👏 2y
merelybookish Impressive! 2y
Hooked_on_books That‘s a huge accomplishment! Nice job! 🥳 2y
64 likes5 comments
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suvata
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Epigraph from:
My Year of Rest and Relaxation: A Novel
by Ottessa Moshfegh

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IuliaC
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Pickpick

Such a beautiful satire! I appreciated the dark humour, the honesty, the realism, the reflections and inner life of this narcissistic heroine, and most of all, the artistic connotations of an act of rebirth and renaissance through sleep.

So many names of drugs I've never heard of and hopefully never will again, and I'm still not convinced a human being can survive after mixing these pills and these doses :))

StellaB I‘ve also just finished an Ottessa Moshfegh book, ‘Eileen‘, and loved it. It‘s great to hear your high opinion of this one 🙂 2y
IuliaC @StellaB It's good to know, I'm stacking 'Eileen' too 👍😊 2y
shortsarahrose This is on my tbr, but I also loved 2y
See All 8 Comments
IuliaC @shortsarahrose I've added this one to my list too 😊 2y
batsy It was so brilliant and yes, I marvelled at the precision with which the character kept track of how to mix and match the drugs 🙃 2y
IuliaC @batsy Exactly so, very well researched! I googled the drugs just to make sure all of them were real 🙈 2y
BkClubCare @IuliaC wow!! I enjoyed this, too but just went along for the ride and didn‘t lookup a thing 😂 (edited) 2y
IuliaC @BkClubCare the best recipe to enjoy a book! 👍😀 2y
76 likes2 stack adds8 comments
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IuliaC
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Sleep felt productive. Something was getting sorted out. I knew in my heart - this was, perhaps, the only thing my heart knew back then - that when I'd slept enough, I'd be okay. I'd be renewed, reborn. I would be a whole new person, every one of my cells regenerated enough times that the old cells were just distant, foggy memories. My past life would be but a dream, and I could start over without regrets.

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IMASLOWREADER
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unlikable character but related to her…#audiophile #readinggoals #readingtherapy

13 likes1 stack add
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WellReadCatLady
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Pickpick

Unlikable because the character is privileged and able to act out her depression fantasy of sleeping for a year. It‘s a good read filled with some dark humor.

FelinesAndFelonies Her face is how I feel today. 🤣😏😵‍💫 2y
34 likes1 stack add1 comment
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guidosophia
Pickpick

oh to be in a self induced coma (jk that‘s not the takeaway i got from this book). i really liked it though i can see how pretentious it is.

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lenaars
Panpan

I did not enjoy this book. The title and the premise seemed so intriguing at first, but I was sadly disappointed. The characters in this book are so unlikable, which in and of itself is not a bad thing at all, but the way they were written was bordering a parody with how unrealistic it is. It's like they were unlikable just for the sake of being unlikable, particularly the female characters. Also, the conclusion felt incomplete and unfulfilling.

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sophies_little_library
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rest + relaxation

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shortsarahrose
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Thank you so much @MaleficentBookDragon 🎁 I‘m really looking forward to this book and the large bag of dark chocolate will be the perfect accompaniment! The snowman card is also adorable. Thank you also for all the work you do running this swap #Jolabokaflodswap

MaleficentBookDragon You are welcome. I hope you enjoy the book. 2y
29 likes1 comment
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Megabooks
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1. Literary fiction - Ottessa Moshfegh immediately came to mind. Love the tagged book! #autobuy

2. I DNF 3ish books a month. I‘ve got no time for things I‘m not enjoying, but I try to at least read 1/3 before I bail.

3. Patience and my church family

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

Eggs That‘s me #2. Thanks for playing 📚🌟😍 2y
60 likes1 comment
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cephellapod
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Pickpick

I love this so much. Though it probably should‘ve been, it never felt boring. I really do love books about mentally ill women. That last line!!!!!! I‘ve got to get back into reading now that I‘m settled into school. Thankfully, I‘m distracted enough now not to be profoundly self-reflective because of this.

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Bertha_Mason

I wish I could read My Year of Rest and Relaxation for the first time again.

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tellmesomething2read
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Having a trash chute was one of my favorite things about my building. It made me feel important, like I was participating in the world. My trash mixed with the trash of others. The things I touched touched things other people had touched. I was contributing. I was connecting.

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tellmesomething2read
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Mehso-so

female American Psycho to the point that it has to be intentional. rich, disaffected, benzo-addicted youth obsessed with videotapes. they even go to the same nightclub, tunnel.

we‘re supposed to think she‘s gonna get stuffed, right? there's all this false foreshadowing. then a Ghost World ending where the protagonist comes out of a sarcastic haze to admire her friend making an effort at life -- "beautiful."

mushy for nihilistic filth.

3 stars

Trashcanman Gabapentin is much better than benzos. Especially on an empty stomach.
3y
tellmesomething2read @Trashcanman gabapentinoids certainly give more of a high. but benzos are a superior anxiolytic. cleaner, more soothing, and tolerance doesn‘t develop as quickly. mix them and everyone wins. (edited) 3y
Trashcanman @tellmesomething2read I want to be your friend 3y
Yuki_Onna Looolzzz... 😂 This conversation is just... Chef's Kiss! Made my day! ❤ @Trashcanman 3y
12 likes4 comments
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BkClubCare
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Pickpick

A book that I am glad I read. I don‘t know what else to say.

Julsmarshall Cute pup! 3y
manifestsanity Whoopi Goldberg, that‘s what! 3y
Ruthiella Is that the newly renovated room? Looks beautiful! 😍 3y
BkClubCare @Ruthiella - yes! We are working our way around the house. 3y
49 likes5 comments
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BkClubCare
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The Dr. is …. Not right. “Here, have some samples.” 😳😱

vivastory I still need to read this one! 3y
BkClubCare On page 243: “like trying to tame a lion by sending it a postcard.” 3y
BkClubCare @vivastory - OMG! It is NOT pretty. Go read it so we can talk abt it!!!!! (edited) 3y
See All 10 Comments
vivastory I will read it after I finish my current read 3y
Hooked_on_books I didn‘t like this book at all. If the main character mentioned how beautiful she is one more time, I was going to scream! Which I may have done anyway. 3y
batsy A pretty sinister character, the doctor! 💀 3y
BkClubCare @Hooked_on_books - she has few admirable qualities. 3y
BkClubCare @vivastory - I have 10 pages left. I absolutely need daylight before I find out how this thing ends. 3y
BkClubCare @batsy - she‘s a wild one for sure. 3y
Cathythoughts A mad one 👍🏻 3y
28 likes10 comments
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CaitlinByTheBook
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Pickpick

Finished this one a few days ago. It was quite unusual, but I enjoyed it! Had to know how it would end and stayed up late to finish it. I could have continued reading about the main character for much longer. 4⭐️

Reviewsbylola I liked this one too. 3y
24 likes1 comment
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CaitlinByTheBook
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Currently reading…from a private railcar that will be traveling from Chicago to New York. So exciting!

Oryx Oh wow 3y
PhyllisH Sounds like fun🚞📚. 3y
Leftcoastzen Train car is awesome 3y
Cathythoughts Fabulous! Great picture 3y
26 likes4 comments
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TK-421
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I knew in my heart—this was, perhaps, the only thing my heart knew back then—that when I'd slept enough, I'd be okay. I'd be renewed, reborn. I would be a whole new person, every one of my cells regenerated enough times that the old cells were just distant, foggy memories. My past life would be but a dream, and I could start over without regrets, bolstered by the bliss and serenity that I would have accumulated in my year of rest and relaxation.

41 likes1 comment
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youneverarrived
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Pickpick

The whole book is written brilliantly but the ending is perfection. This would be a great book club read, lots to discuss! I thought I understood the book after the ending but reading reviews has me thinking maybe I got it wrong 🤔 but you know it‘s a good one when people take their own things/have different perspectives on it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Liz_M Oooh, this makes me want to read it sooner rather than later! 3y
Cathythoughts Great review! I enjoyed this one 3y
youneverarrived @Liz_M it‘s a good one! 3y
youneverarrived @Cathythoughts thank you ♥️ 3y
77 likes3 stack adds4 comments