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The Starless Sea
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
The magical new novel from the bestselling author of The Night Circus. Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a strange book hidden in the library stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues a bee, a key and a sword that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to a subterranean library, hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly-soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose in both the mysterious book and in his own life.
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kgriffith
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Heck yeah, Bahni Turpin‘s part in the audiobook! 👏🏼💃🏻

23 likes1 stack add
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kgriffith
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Some of the characters from Morgenstern‘s books show up very literally in the Phantomwise tarot. #Eleanor

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emz711
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern

Itching to read this again. This is becoming almost an annual read. Anyone else?

@JenP ?
Newest follower

Slajaunie I didn‘t care for it. 2mo
emz711 @Slajaunie I think it's an acquired taste. Did you read ? 2mo
StaceGhost This book changed my life. I don‘t think I‘d have gone for my PhD without it. 2mo
See All 9 Comments
emz711 @StaceGhost omg now I have to know what your PhD is! Video games? 2mo
StaceGhost @emz711 haha! Yes! In literature and criticism. My focus is on playful literature, videogames as long form narrative, and adaptations. 2mo
StaceGhost I like to listen to starless sea on audiobook whenever I have a chance 2mo
Slajaunie @emz711 Yes and I loved it! 2mo
Sparklemn @emx711 @staceghost So inspiring to know this book has meant to much to you! I enjoyed it, too, and think about it often. It motivated to read even more than I do. 💙 2mo
JenP I‘ve never read it. But will add it to the list 2mo
32 likes9 comments
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IndoorDame
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Gissy Is that a bookmark? I don‘t know what it is but it looks pretty☺️❤️ 4mo
IndoorDame @Gissy it‘s a sticker based on the book I saw on Etsy that I‘m trying to convince myself I don‘t need to buy 😆 4mo
MidnightBookGirl I'm here to tell you that while you don't NEED to buy it, perhaps you should treat yourself! The Night Circus is my favorite book (I have a tattoo), but I've only read The Starless Sea once, and I think I'm going to make it an official January TBR pick. :) 4mo
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IndoorDame @MidnightBookGirl oooh, that‘s a great bookish tattoo choice!!! 4mo
Eggs Beautiful ✨✨ 4mo
peanutnine Okay I absolutely adore that sticker!! 😍 I've thought about getting a Starless Sea themed tattoo for a while @MidnightBookGirl I'd love to see your Night Circus one! 4mo
Gissy @IndoorDame Ohhh and with that beautiful sticker around the temptation I think is big😄 4mo
MidnightBookGirl @peanutnine I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in my many posts, so I'll find it and tag you. :) 4mo
peanutnine @MidnightBookGirl thanks! 🤗 4mo
emz711 @MidnightBookListener omg do it! I love this one more than night circus 2mo
53 likes10 comments
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bekakins
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Pickpick

#bookspin for October plus lots of points for #scarathlon #mischiefandmayhem and this might be the most beautiful book I‘ve ever read. Gorgeous prose, absolutely HUNDREDS of nods to books, computer games etc.. and totally mesmerising. I‘m a fast reader and I read this pretty slowly for me cos I just wanted to savour every sentence. Loved it.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 5mo
PuddleJumper That's great! 5mo
14 likes2 comments
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Branwen
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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It's finally getting cooler here and I'm so here for it! 🍁🍂 Spent much of the afternoon rereading one of my favorites in the park! 💕📚

AnnCrystal ❕😍💝. 5mo
AnnCrystal ❕😍💝. 5mo
emz711 One of my favorites too, any recommendations of something like it? 2mo
52 likes3 comments
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Jari-chan
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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This was so, so hard. If I could choose two books for #BookOftheMonth I would've chosen The Bandit Queens as well. I had a sleepless night because of this #bookwormproblems

#botm

AnnCrystal That book looks enchanted ☺️👍. 6mo
Jari-chan @AnnCrystal It really is ❤️🤭 6mo
20 likes2 comments
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Jari-chan
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Thank you so much for tagging me, @The_Penniless_Author

1. So far I think it's The Starless Sea. It might also be The Bandit Queens, but I first have to finish it.
2. Sweater weather! I love my comfy sweaters and prefer them over my summer clothes. Also, they have more pockets to put things in, which comes in handy while working 😆

Tag, you are! 😁

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 6mo
Jari-chan @TheSpineView Thank you for hosting 😊 6mo
23 likes2 comments
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Jari-chan
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Pickpick

What else could I do when my bookish Bestie gifted me this stunning edition of The Starless Sea, than to reread it? I wanted to do this anyway, because it has been on of my favourite books ever since I've first read it. And it hasn't lost any of its magic. It felt like reading it for the first time over again, just with some bonus knowledge. What a beautifully crafted story. And crafting is the right word for what Erin Morgenstern did here ❤

AnnCrystal 👍❤️💕📗 looks good 😊. 6mo
39 likes1 comment
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Catsandbooks
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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1. Mainly staying inside in the A/C and drinking lots of water

2. Erin Morgenstern and Sabaa Tahir. I just really love their writing!

#Two4Tuesday

Wanna play? @CurvyCrochetGirl @Texreader @OriginalCyn620

TheSpineView Stay cool and thanks for playing! 8mo
OriginalCyn620 Thanks for the tag! 😊 8mo
35 likes2 comments
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Deblovestoread
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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#Weekly Forecast

Will likely finish both buddy reads today. Messy Lives I just want to be done and anxious to finish Lamya‘s memoir.

The Starless Sea is another book I‘ve waited forever to read but it‘s starting out good. Search is next up on audio. Thalia is for #192025 and still enjoying the Jane books.

Cinfhen I really enjoyed Search!! I think you will too!! And even though I‘m not big on fantasy, I enjoyed this one on audio 8mo
42 likes1 comment
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Soubhiville
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Like others have said, I don‘t feel guilty rereading a favorite, and my happy-place book is The Starless Sea. I tend to read it every fall.

A song for the guilty pleasures playlist that stays stuck in my head forever: Call Me Al by Paul Simon. If you‘re my age and watched much MTV, you know how fun this music video was. My husband and I BELT this song when it comes up on our playlist. 😁

tpixie Rereads bring the confort odd friends and short back to you!! Love the video with Paul Simon & Chevy Chase! https://youtu.be/uq-gYOrU8bA 10mo
tpixie @Soubhiville lol 😂 I just saw your post after I sent the link 😀 This is a great video for #NationalSmileDay ! The end when Chevy sticks the trumpet in Paul‘s face and Paul breaks and smiles for one second! 😀 (edited) 10mo
See All 13 Comments
LaraReads Great choice! 🎶 10mo
youneverarrived One of those songs once you hear it you can‘t stop singing it all day 😆 10mo
Soubhiville @tpixie 😁🎶 gotta love it! 10mo
tpixie @Soubhiville 😀❤️ 10mo
BarbaraBB Oh this is such an 👂 🐛!! 10mo
dabbe A man walks down the street, says, “Why am I soft in the middle?“ This is on my jogging exercise list. I belt it, too! 🩵🎤🩵 10mo
Centique I love this book too - I must reread it soon! 10mo
peanutnine Ugh Starless Sea is such a great comfort reread ✨❤️ 10mo
53 likes13 comments
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catsuit_mango
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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A nice hotel room with a méridienne, a kettle and quiet to read my book..I could stay here for a long time

12 likes1 stack add
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Bookfan1414
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Have you ever run your fingers through the pages of a book and just began crying? I haven‘t even finished reading it. I‘m even starting over because I just never finished. And it was an overwhelming feeling. Like my very soul needed the release. What the heck am I in for?

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thepostman96
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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how beautiful is this vintage uk paperback edition 😍

peanutnine So pretty! 😍😍 11mo
7 likes1 comment
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Lieh
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
Pickpick

I would give this book a 7/10. I thought it started ofd a bit slow; I actually liked the middle the best!

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Booksbymybed
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Mehso-so

It started well enough, beautifully descriptive language, rich world building and an intriguing plot. And then after a while it was only language, and the plot became more and more diluted in interruptions and side stories. I struggled with a rather fractured narrative and unfinished tidbits. The final 20% of the book took me almost a month. More disappointing than not, I am sorry to say. I was excited for this one and wanted to like it, oh well.

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KristiAhlers
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Pickpick

There is just something about the way this author writes that's like a warm hug. She's a go-to writer for me when I'm feeling cranky or just need a read that I can lose myself in. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Monica5 You read fast. I'm always seeing you reviewing so many books. 😊 12mo
KristiAhlers @Monica5 I read multiple books at a time and read more than watch TV 🙂 12mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! I had some mixed feelings about this one (I did like The Night Circus better) but overall enjoyed it. 12mo
KristiAhlers @TheAromaofBooks totally agree that Night Circus was better. I think what I like about her is her writing just flows real well. 12mo
TheAromaofBooks Her writing definitely draws me in. Her books don't feel as long as they are to me, if that makes sense. They're like finding a trail that you can't resist staying on to see what's around the next bend, until you've lost track of how far you've come. 12mo
61 likes5 comments
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yvil
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
Pickpick

I loved slowly getting through this book. While reading, I was both living the story and simultaneously trying to put it together in my head, flipping back to previous pages to look for certain details or excerpts. Again, I loved the world it created in my mind and, though confusing at times, I enjoyed and appreciated the numerous stories in it and how they ended.. or began. mar2023

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peanutnine
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Pickpick

Ugh I love this one so much! It was the best comfort reread these last few weeks when I needed an escape and could just envelope myself in this magical journey.
#LGBTQ2023 mythology @Kenyazero
#2023ReadySetRead has foil on the cover / makes you feel comforted or cozy / insect on the cover @Clwojick

Soubhiville One of my favorite books! 13mo
IndoorDame Such a beautiful copy 🖤🖤🖤 13mo
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
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abostwick24
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Panpan

Oof. I really didn‘t like this book — l honestly felt like I wasted 19 hours of my life. The multitude of stories woven together just seemed superfluous and made the plot very confusing. The characters weren‘t relatable nor very engaging. And, the ending was very predictable… The only thing I enjoyed was the side character and the story of Kat.
My Review: ⭐️ (1/5)

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peanutnine
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love it ❤️ 13mo
Eggs Stacked. I loved Night Circus 🎪 13mo
peanutnine @Eggs her writing is so lyrical, I love it so much 13mo
julieclair Stacked. What beautiful prose. 13mo
39 likes1 stack add4 comments
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BookBr
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Pickpick

I finally finished. I‘m not sure what I think, tbh. A story about stories, inside another story, about a book. It‘s…complicated and disassociated and strange. Like someone writing down someone else‘s stream of consciousness. But the language and the characters are so beautiful that I have to give it a pick. I don‘t know if I recommend it or not either. If you‘re in the mood for something strange and new, I guess.

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Robotswithpersonality
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Pickpick

A marvelous, timeless fairy tale. As much about personal choice as the reverence for story telling. I think if you go in looking for only the A to B plot or main pairing you'll spend a lot of time frustrated, but if you let the story take you wherever it chooses to, you'll have a splendid time.

Robotswithpersonality That being said, I am very grateful to the book designers along with the author, because the formatting, even down to the subtle decorations on page separating books, chapters and sections made this meandering a lot clearer to follow.
I don't know if it's a new favourite, if I could reread it with the same sense of wonder, but I'll always be glad I took the time to experience it fully the first time, and didn't rush through.
13mo
9 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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If the closet had been big enough, I have no doubt I would have! 😅

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Robotswithpersonality
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Ah, romanticizing the past, a common past time.
Writing your name on every book's card gets less fun after the first few.

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Robotswithpersonality
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Points will be deducted for all tired tropes concerning librarians. 😑

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Robotswithpersonality
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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PAINFULLY relatable.

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Robotswithpersonality
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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My MLIS is gibbering at me: but, but Library of Congress!
Okay, only MOST university libraries use LC and only MOST of public libraries use DDC...but I don't like it. 🙎🏼‍♂️

Robotswithpersonality Wouldn't necessarily have a DDC call number if it was catalogued as vs just misshelved in fiction either...my brain! 13mo
6 likes1 stack add1 comment
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peanutnine
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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None of my current reads were holding my attention so I've decided to give into my impulse for a comfort reread
🐝🗝️🗡️
#catsoflisty #benthecat

dabbe Sweetest kitty! ❣️🐾❣️ 14mo
48 likes1 comment
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BookBr
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Still working my way through this one — it‘s an oddly dissociative story, which makes it easy not to pick up again right away. Yet, I enjoy it very much when reading. Maybe just a January lull? I‘ve been rereading regency romances in between times lol.

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thestarlesscasea
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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I got a new job, and this is my gift to myself to celebrate ✨️
I feel like I spend so much time reading books that are just fine, books that don't light me up the way my favorite books--like the tagged Morgenstern gem--do, and I hope TBR can help me change that 📚

Bklover Congratulations on your new job! 👍❤️⭐️. Also, I must check out this TBR. 1y
6 likes1 comment
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SueK
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Mehso-so

I chose this as my first #AuldLangSpine because I DNF‘d it once before but really wanted to read it, having adored Night Circus. I finished 50% this time, which is farther than I made it last time. I love the idea of nested stories and symbols in a hidden, magical library, and wanted to love the characters and solve a great puzzle. But the tedium of pointless wandering became claustrophobic. Maybe 3rd time‘s the charm. @IndoorDame @monalyisha

monalyisha Oof. I also tried to pick this up because I loved The Night Circus and couldn‘t get into it, either. I couldn‘t tell if it was because I was in grad school at the time and couldn‘t focus, or if the fault was with the book. 🙈 You gave it a fair shot. Twice, even! 1y
IndoorDame @monalyisha @SueK such a popular reaction to this one! I was definitely in the minority in loving it as much as The Night Circus 😂 1y
SueK @monalyisha @IndoorDame I‘m kind of glad I‘m not alone. I‘ve seen lots of people say they love it! And I figured I would too, given how much I loved The Night Circus—and stories about stories!—but not this time, or not this story. Or maybe it‘s just me. Heh 1y
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Larkken @IndoorDame count me in the minority too! Maybe it helped that I listened to it on audio first and the narration by Dominic Hoffman really pulled it into dreamy territory for me? 1y
IndoorDame @Larkken ooh, I can see how that would put you in the right headspace! I didn‘t know he did audio narration. I‘ll have to be on the lookout now 1y
SueK @Larkken @IndoorDame the audiobook voice acting and production is fantastic. Definitely worth checking out 1y
15 likes1 stack add6 comments
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SueK
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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TheSpineView Fantastic 1y
Soubhiville One of my very favorite books! 1y
18 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Johanna414
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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I don't remember who initially posted this reading bracket, but I've so enjoyed filling it out all year!

Allylu Me too! I'm glad I'm not the only one who had trouble fitting the titles into the brackets. You have some great books here - I loved A Thousand Ships and I'm reading Other Birds this year. I read a different Sea of Tranquility, not in 2022, but the year before during Scarathlon. 1y
34 likes1 comment
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Laughterhp
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Omg! It was so hard to choose between Fevered Star and the Starless Sea. But overall, I think I liked Starless Sea more and the book takes you on such a journey.

I loved having this bracket to refer back to every month. Thanks so much to the person who created it!

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encinarus
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern

I'm about 1/4 through this and it is narratively WAY more confusing than the night circus was. I'm enjoying it but I also have no idea what's going on 😂.

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Laughterhp
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Pickpick

And with that, I‘m done with #pop22! This one fit the use a prompt for previous years. I chose #darkacademia to fit #booked2022.

I‘m not exactly sure how this is dark academia, but I loved this book. I loved the journey that the story took you on and all the fairytales and stories sprinkled in between.

I loved everything about this book and it‘s currently my favorite read of December.

#winterreadathon

Andrew65 I really need to read this. 🎄🎄🎄 1y
Megabooks Congratulations!!! 🥳🥳🥳 1y
Cinfhen OMG!!! This photo is FABULOUS!!!!! LOVE IT 😍 And congrats on completing both challenges!!!!! 1y
See All 8 Comments
KarenUK Woo hoo!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏 1y
IndoorDame Congratulations 🍾 1y
BarbaraBB Gorgeous pic! And congrats on finishing the challenge! On to #pop23! 1y
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 (edited) 1y
Cortg Congrats on the challenge! 1y
74 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Nessavamusic
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Bailedbailed

This has sat on my tbr forever, and as I expected not for me. I just don‘t enjoy her writing style. DNF
#bookspinbingo
#Roll100 - off the tbr

Laughterhp Oh no! I picked this up this month and I‘m obsessed with it! I have like 30 pages left. 1y
Nessavamusic I didn‘t particularly like Midnight Circus either, it‘s just me! @Laughterhp 1y
PuddleJumper I never got in with midnight circus even though it was highly recommended 1y
idealityandme I couldn't get into this one either! 1y
44 likes4 comments
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IndoorDame
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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#ReadingBracket2022 @chasjjlee

I have to admit that looking at this, it doesn‘t seem to me to represent my reading journey this year, BUT, I‘m truly terrible at picking favorites, so I do want to see what comes out on top at the end of next month.

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thewallflower0707
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Mehso-so

The cover is gorgeous and the writing pulled me right in, it all felt like a dream. Unfortunately, the plot lost me in the last half.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

#ErinMorgenstern #TheStarlessSea #coverporn

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IndoorDame
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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The last book I finished is tagged

The only subscription boxes I‘ve ever been really tempted by are UK only, & I‘m in the US so no

Last year I read The Return of the Light: 12 Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice & loved it! I expect I‘ll come back to in subsequent years. & When I have a class of little ones I always read them Hershel & the Hanukkah Goblins

Thanks for the tag @Eggs #WondrousWednesday
@Chrissyreadit @Texreader

Eggs #3 those sound great 👍🏼 1y
50 likes1 comment
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IndoorDame
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Pickpick

I‘ve watched this get very mixed reviews, which may have deterred me from picking it up before now, (this has been on my shelf since it came out and was my #bookspin in April, but it‘s somehow taken me until now to actually read it!) but I ended up loving it! It was a slow read for me. It‘s 500 pgs, all in short chapters of 2-3 pgs, and for the first half of the book I found I had to put it down and walk away every chapter or two. ⬇️

IndoorDame Around the halfway mark I finally got into the rhythm of the writing and read slightly closer to my usual pace. As with The Night Circus, I was all ready to be disappointed in the resolution, but the last few pages offered an unexpected twist that pleased me. Either way, I think her writing is more about the journey than the destination, and it‘s such a joy to spend time in the magical worlds she brings to life. 1y
tpixie Great review. It bet the ending of a book is very hard to write! 1y
IndoorDame @tpixie agreed! Especially this kind of book where you bring a fantasy to life and then you somehow have to make your way back to some semblance of reality 1y
See All 7 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1y
Andrew65 I keep meaning to read this! Well done 👏👏👏 1y
66 likes1 stack add7 comments
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IndoorDame
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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There is a pirate in the basement. (The pirate is a metaphor but also still a person.) #FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

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hissingpotatoes
The Starless Sea | Erin Morgenstern
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Bailedbailed

1.5/5⭐ All aesthetic, no substance. Far too rambling and stagnant for my tastes. #booked2022

Areader2 I agree I bailed on it ! 1y
15 likes1 comment