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The Collectors Apprentice
The Collectors Apprentice: A Novel | B. A. Shapiro
B. A. Shapiro, whose previous books have sold over half a million copies, once again weaves together historical and imagined characters to create a psychological art thriller, this time set in 1920s Paris and Philadelphia, where one fascinating woman must disguise her identity in order to reclaim it. Its the summer of 1922, and nineteen-year-old Paulien Mertens finds herself in Parisbroke, disowned, and completely alone. Everyone in Belgium, including her own family, believes she stole millions in a sophisticated con game perpetrated by her then-fianc, George Everard. To protect herself from the law and the wrath of those who lost everything, she creates a new identity, a Frenchwoman named Vivienne Gregsby, and sets out to recover her fathers art collection, prove her innocenceand exact revenge on George. When the eccentric and wealthy American art collector Edwin Bradley offers Vivienne the perfect job, she is soon caught up in the Parisian world of post-Impressionists and expatriatesincluding Gertrude Stein and Henri Matisse, with whom Vivienne becomes romantically entwined. As she travels between Paris and Philadelphia, where Bradley is building an art museum, her life becomes even more complicated: George returns with unclear motives . . . and then Vivienne is arrested for Bradleys murder. The bestselling author of The Art Forger and The Muralist has made the art history novel her own. In The Collectors Apprentice, B. A. Shapiro gives us an unforgettable tale about the lengths to which people will go for their obsession, whether it be art, money, love, or vengeance.
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Lizwarnerpdx
Pickpick

This book was different than the first two I read by B.A. Shapiro. The lead is a woman again, but not an artist....rather an art appreciator. After she gets swindled by a con man who takes everything her & her family have, as well as all their wealthy friends her life takes some definite twists and turns and crosses paths with the conman again too. It felt a bit slower & had a different style, but was still an engaging read.

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marleed
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Pickpick

I found this book in a LFL a few months ago, and a visit to the art world seemed intriguing. From Paris to Philadelphia, Paulien becomes Vivienne, befriends Gertrude Stein and has a love affair with Henry Matisse - that‘s a fascinating fictional life!

#15Books15Weeks Book 10

TheHeartlandBookFairy It sounds like a really good book 😁 4y
67 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Insightsintobooks
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56 likes1 stack add
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GloVerdino
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Book mail! Ooops, my glass is empty!

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GloVerdino
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I was just thinking how nice it would be to win a Goodreads giveaway, haven‘t gotten anything in a while. Has anyone read this one yet?

Teachersrus Congratulations 5y
Simona Congratulations 🍾🥂 5y
25 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Paulloesch
Pickpick

.It was actually love stories rolled into one: love of art, especially Impressionism, the Platonic love of an older man for his younger apprentice; the love of the young woman for a passionate artist; and the false love used to manipulate that the con man initially feigned for the young woman.
What I liked most was how well it communicated the love of art that caused me to rekindle my own feelings about art and want to learn more about it.

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BennettBookworm
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Pickpick

Between a pick and a so-so. I love Shapiro‘s style and her descriptions are so vivid. I also loved that this one was all about post-Impressionism and 1920‘s France. I just felt that at some point the plot was way too drawn out and convoluted and I was ready for it to be done.

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BennettBookworm
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Spent all day with a friend just talking about our favorite books from elementary school/middle school and the impact they had on us! Kindred spirits ❤️ loving this one so far and I am so into Shapiro‘s style of writing. She hooked me in with the Art Forger and now I feel like I‘d read anything she wrote!

26 likes1 stack add
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Jason7
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Mehso-so


I‘ve learned much of what I know about art and art history through historical fiction. This is my second B.A. Shapiro novel, and while I don‘t think this one is as good as The Art Forger, I did like the story. It‘s about the art world in the 1920s and, of course, the crime and corruption the art world attracts. XE Sands narration is above average. Overall audiobook rating: 3.98 stars

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LibrarianChels
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Mehso-so

It was fine. Predictable. Onto the next.

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Sills
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What a sweet surprise from my Listsy pen pal🎄many many thanks you are the best Betty #litsypenpals #christmaspenpals

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Sills
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#SSS best swap ever! Loved everything Jill! Thank you for the many precious and thoughtful gifts. The personalized stocking and color was perfect for my new cottage home. The books-perrrrrffffeecccttt!📚 the aqua Christmas sign guess perfect👍I can't wait to share my hot cocoa with my family at Christmas either🥰 your thank you card is on its way🎄🎄🎄🦌🦌🦌

Jilly6183 Yay! So glad it arrived and you like everything! Merry Christmas! 5y
Jilly6183 Oh! There was also an ornament in the first box. Did you get that? Just want to make sure nothing got lost ☺️ 5y
Sills @Jilly6183 yes there was it's on my tree so sorry-it is so precious because it was made from pages of a book. 5y
Avanders 😍🎄❄️🥰♥️ 5y
43 likes4 comments
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BookNAround
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I won a giveaway on the Reading with Robin Facebook page. Yay me! Look at all of these goodies. (If you don‘t listen to her podcast, you should give it a try. It‘s spoiler free and cozy, friendly and she loves books and authors like we do.)

Zelma Thanks for the recommendation. I like cozy and friendly! 👍 5y
robinb Congrats! 🎉🎊 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Wow, congrats! 5y
LeahBergen 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
batsy Fun!! 📚📚 5y
73 likes5 comments
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Sills
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#StockingStufferSwap #SSS well I'm bursting with excitement-December 6 can't come soon enough🎄🦌🎄

Avanders 🤭❄️💙❄️💙❄️ 5y
38 likes1 comment
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Sills
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Three and a half months in my new downsized home. So much accomplished with this fixer upper, but my new built in is by far my favorite👏👏👏 These are some of my favorites❤️ you don't want to see the other overflowing bookcases😳

tpixie Gorgeous!!!! I can‘t wait to come Thursday and see it all in person! 5y
Avanders Ooooh so pretty!! 5y
BookBabe Gorgeous! I love how you styled it. Joanna Gaines would be proud! 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
56 likes4 comments
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Sills
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#stuffedStockingSwap #SSS @Avanders @biblio_ginger
Excited to mail my Rudolph🦌 package tomorrow for the Stocking Suffer Swap🎄

biblio_ginger Yay!!!! I can't wait! 😄😄😄 5y
Avanders 🎄♥️❄️💙☃️ 5y
38 likes2 comments
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BennettBookworm
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A great morning at the Goddard Riverside Book Fair! This was introduced to me last year by @Kaylamburson and I‘m obsessed. New books, half off or more, benefiting great causes in the community. This year I also had some lovely conversations, recommending books I adore to people who hadn‘t heard about them yet. As long as I‘m still living in NYC, it‘s going to be an annual tradition!

Kaylamburson Awww yayy!!!! I'm so glad this has become a tradition for you!! I got a few good picks this year, too! I've been wanting to read both Silver Sparrow and Collector's Apprentice. Hopefully we will see each other at it next time! 5y
BennettBookworm @Kaylamburson absolutely!! 😄 5y
LiteraryinLawrence Glad you had fun!! Silver Sparrow was great and the others are new to me. Can‘t wait to hear what you think! 5y
31 likes3 comments
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Amie
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Bailedbailed

I'm tired of alternating timelines and really wish they weren't used so often in historical fiction these days. With this book, the multiple, alternating timelines seemed more like a gimmick and did nothing to build the story.

Jas16 I totally agree about alternating time lines. I am tired of them too. 5y
49 likes1 comment
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Amie
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By coincidence, I seem to have an art theme happening with my current reading. Just finished Girl with a Pearl Earring, and am currently reading the other two. All three have plots related to the art world, but are set in different time periods and are different types of books. 🎨🖌️

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tpixie
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Enjoying reading outside today!! The weather is beautiful!!
#Autumn

AmyG Beautiful. 5y
Tanisha_A All the gold! 😍 5y
Sace So pretty! 5y
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SandyW What a beautiful picture! 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful 🧡🧡 5y
tpixie @RestlessFickleBookHoarder @AmyG @Tanisha_A @SandyW @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thanks!! we are so lucky to have this as our back yard!!! 🍁 🍁🍁 5y
97 likes6 comments
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nomadreader
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Once again, Xe Sands narrates B.A. Shapiro. They'll be keeping me company on the 4-hour drive home this morning🤞

12 likes1 stack add
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shendrix413
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Omg @Sills ! I love 😍 😍 😍 😍 😍 my #feedareader box!!!!! Thank you so much! It's obvious you took time to really think about what I would like! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
@MinDea @TricksyTails

Sills @shendrix413 you are so very welcome. I'm thrilled you love it. #FeedaReader was a great swap🙂 Enjoy🙂 5y
52 likes1 comment
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Sills

Any Christmas holiday swaps out for sign-up? I sure would like to sign up for one🙂🙂🙂

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Sills
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On its way the 4th quarter #feedareader swap. Lived all the recipes, books and goodies📚❤️

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ablachly
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I LOVED The Art Forger, so I can‘t wait to read this one! #BookExpo #arc

tpixie Awesome! I loved 6y
rather_be_reading 😲 lucky! 6y
22 likes2 comments