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Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

#AboutABook Day 29: This #EuropaCollective title last December 2023 is #SetInBookshop. Read it while I was in Manila last December and paired it with bibingka and a delicious coffee banana rhum cocktail that was delicious.

charl08 Love this pairing 😍 Have yet to get my hands on this one. 14mo

Eggs Beautifully done 👏🏻👏🏻 14mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Gorgeous 💛 14mo

50 likes3 comments

CSeydel

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

so-so

I found this pretty dull, unfortunately. It began well, with a series of mysterious, menacing acts. The bulk of the story concerns the events leading up to the attacks: the birth of the bookstore and a tepid love triangle.

I didn‘t mind the slow build, but it frustrated me that the book never grapples directly with its central question: why are popular books not necessarily quality books? Can there be an objective definition of “a good novel”?

CSeydel #EuropaCollective 2y

AnnR That's a great question but unfortunately, I'm not sure how to answer it, especially when it comes to historical fiction. It's like The Nightingale vs Wolf Hall. I've probably just offended some readers and I apologize, but arguably one is a better quality historical book overall. Not that there is anything wrong with liking K. Hannah historical fiction. Read what you love. Reading diversity is what it's all about here on Litsy. 2y

CSeydel Found this line in a review and it definitely reflects how I felt reading this: “Though A Novel Bookstore is charming and compelling and very readable, it has neither the depth nor the beauty of the great books that it dedicates itself to. It makes one wonder if the time might not be better spent reading the greats themselves, rather than this tribute.” 2y

CSeydel @AnnR I don‘t know how to answer it either. I think the “soil” of my mental & emotional state and my life situation deeply affects how I receive any given book. For instance, I am certain I got a lot more out of The Thursday Murder Club because I happened to read it right after Being Mortal. I was emotionally primed to connect with the elderly characters on a deeper level. A Novel Bookstore treats books as finite objects rather than ideas. 2y

AnnR @CSeydel I understand what you are saying and very much agree. My emotional, physical state and even age, definitely influences my reaction to a story. I suspect that's true of most readers. 2y

56 likes5 comments

lauraisntwilder

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

70+ pages in, we're finally getting to the bookstore, and it's all wrong. Unless the French book industry is drastically different from the American one, bookstores aren't getting boxes of books automatically from publishers. What publishers are indifferent to sales? And what rare books are even still in print that the publisher is who you'd call? This was 2001, so he should've been looking online.

I'm going to bail if this doesn't get better.

19 likes

JulietteReadsALot

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

pick

#europacollective

I read it in French, not in English. Now, I have a reading list of mostly French books to read, yeah! Did the translator chose mostly English books? I see myself borrowing the book at my local library just to get the list of books, haha.

Loved the questions this book is asking: how would you curate your ideal bookstore? What constitutes a good book?

jlhammar Fabulous review! Wow, so cool that you read the French edition. Great cover. I think that the English translation kept all the same titles and authors. Lots of titles discussed were in French. 2y

24 likes1 comment

mcctrish

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

pick

A mystery involving a bookstore that sells only good novels
I loved the setting, some characters more than others and the fact that Colleen Hoover would never be sold in The Good Novel 🤣🤣 but neither would a lot more of what I read 🤷🏻‍♀️
I loved parts of this a lot, the ending seemed odd and heartbreaking. I bet this would be amazing as a movie ( get rid of some of the blah, blah, blah 🤣) #europacollective

Tamra 😂😂 Blah Blah …. Yes there is a wee bit of that going on. 2y

mcctrish @Tamra I needed less blah blah 🤣 2y

jlhammar 😆 Great review! 2y

36 likes3 comments

mcctrish

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

Finally starting this. Merry Christmas Eve Littens

dabbe You, too! 💙❄️💙 2y

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squirrelbrain

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

pick

Finally got time to catch up with reviews from the past few weeks….

#europacollective

I liked, but didn‘t love this one. It was really hard to get into with trying to understand the seemingly random characters, but once the main players were established and they started to tell their story to the gendarme then I became more interested.

I also found the ending a bit weak, so still a pick but not a strong one.

mcctrish, GatheringBooks, kspenmoll, Gleefulreader, LeahBergen, TheBookDream, DrexEdit, Sapphire, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, JulietteReadsALot, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, Chelsea.Poole, Cathythoughts, BarbaraBB, jlhammar, CSeydel, Sparklemn, JuniperWilde, julieclair, AllDebooks

Tamra Agreed, the ending was weak. It was puzzling as to why Cosse decided to wrap or unwrap it that way. (edited) 2y

Gleefulreader I‘m about 70% through this and I‘m struggling a little bit with both the premise and how the characters related to each other, which I‘m finding frustrating because I *should* love a book about a bookstore and a love of literature. 2y

Sapphire I agree, I didn‘t care for the ending. I expected more of a surprise on who the narrator is and the voice‘s perspective didn‘t line up with the other characters description of that person with out explanation (edited) 2y

See All 9 Comments

squirrelbrain @Gleefulreader - I think many of us thought the same, that it *had* to be good. 🤔 2y

jlhammar Yes, agree about the start being hard to get into and the lackluster ending. Overall I really enjoyed it, but completely understand the criticisms and mixed feelings. Looking forward to The Postcard in March! 2y

erzascarletbookgasm What a shame. I like the cover 😊 2y

GatheringBooks I was surprised at who the narrator was towards the end. I was amused (borderline annoyed but more entertained) by how elitist the crew of The Good Novel was. I still furiously tried to list down the titles they mentioned though. Does anyone from our tiny book club have a list? 2y

Aimeesue I was very confused by the beginning of the book. At first, I thought that there was something wrong with the ebook 😂 2y

JulietteReadsALot @GatheringBooks I read it in French, and I need to finish the list on List Challenge before publishing it. But from reading reviews, I guess the list of books have been adapted to an English readership. Would be curious to see it. As for them being “elitists“ I guess it has everything to do with how each of us defines what constitutes a good novel. Pretty sure I would fall in the elitist group (so many pet peeves when it comes to book marketing) 2y

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A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

#DecemberDreams Day 21: #WinterSolstice in our part of the world in Manila is often marked by Simbang Gabi or Midnight Mass (Misa de Aguinaldo) - a 9-day Novena leading up to Christmas Eve. It is typically paired with native delicacies such as puto bumbong (in the photo) and bibingka (in a different photo that is forthcoming) and native hot chocolate. 💕 Also paired with the #EuropaCollective pick for December. Nearly done with the book! 💕

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, jlhammar

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Looks delicious 😋 2y

Eggs Looks and sounds sumptuous !

Blackmail and Bibingka

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A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

bailed

Even though parts work well, this one's just not for me. Time to #HailtheBail!

squirrelbrain Well done for bailing! 👏 2y

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain it's hard to do when you've gotten that far into it! 2y

Tamra On to the next! 2y

BarbaraBB I understand. I didn‘t even start it 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2y

67 likes4 comments

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

To bail or not to bail?

Parts in enjoying, but others are really not working for me. I've made it over half way, is it worth sticking with it?

I find I enjoy the parts about the committee members, but I find Van completely insufferable. And I really don't like his obsession/relationship with Anis.

But so far it's at 100% on Litsy! It's there something in the second half that's worth sticking around for? Anyone else having similar thoughts?

TheKidUpstairs I do find it interesting that when #EuropaCollective titles were selected, this is the one I was MOST looking forward to. And I'm rather meh on it. But Our Fathers, which I was not overly interested in, was one of the best books I read in 2023. 2y

Tamra It was an overall soft pick for me, but it is definitely flawed. I too could have done without the ridiculous love interest. I enjoyed the discussion about the book selections most. I would go with your gut - you don‘t want to feel like you wasted precious reading time if that is your inclination. IMHO, there isn‘t a big climax that is going to rock your world. (edited) 2y

squirrelbrain I thought about bailing but now I‘m rather liking it, once they started to tell the story to the policeman. I‘m about halfway too, though, so can‘t advise on what comes next! 😃 2y

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jlhammar The bookstore planning and literature discussions, how it made me think about my own reading (what I might like more or less of, those truly exceptional reading experiences that standout in my memory, etc.) were what really made this book for me. If that stuff isn't doing it for you, bailing might be a good choice. I agree about the Van/Anis relationship. 2y

Chelsea.Poole I had planned to read this but can‘t get ahold of a copy…seeing this I‘m not so sad about that now. 2y

TheKidUpstairs @Tamra thank you! I was wondering if there was going to be some big moment in the second half that would turn things around, and worried I wasn't giving it enough of a chance. Glad to know there's no big moment. I agree though, it is fun to think about what books I'd put on my list for the store and why! 2y

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain interestingly, that's where it really started to lose me! I liked the committee members, and the strange men in black suits being shady over "good" books. But Van and Anis and Francesca and the store just aren't working for me. Glad it's picking up for you! 2y

Hooked_on_books When everyone on Litsy is loving a book but it isn‘t working for me, I usually go to Goodreads and see if people who had the same issue as me saw it continue through the book. There is invariably at least one person who will have discussed the issue I‘m having. (It‘s pretty much the only way I use Goodreads reviews.) 2y

TheKidUpstairs @jlhammar it's definitely interesting to think what I'd put on my list for the store. I like that as a thought experiment, and thinking about what it is that draws me back to certain bookstores over others. But I don't think I need another 200 pages of it. 2y

TheKidUpstairs @Chelsea.Poole not working for me, but if you're interested in trying it I'm happy to send you my copy! 2y

Tamra @TheKidUpstairs for me, the premise of the novel was really fun - as you say the thought experiment. 😁 2y

TheKidUpstairs @Hooked_on_books looking more deeply at the reviews I see that although it's a pick for people, most people seem to call it a low or soft pick, and definitely acknowledge similar issues with it. 2y

TheKidUpstairs @Tamra that part is definitely fun! Tell me (because I've decided to bail - too many books too little time), is Van's attitude and obsession with Anis ever acknowledged as problematic? Or does it continue in the same vein? 2y

Tamra @TheKidUpstairs not that I recall. It was a distracting superfluous storyline, so I didn‘t pay particularly close attention to it. 2y

Chelsea.Poole Thank you for the kind offer! I‘m also drowning in books over here so I‘m going to let this one pass me by, based on your experience with it. 2y

CSeydel I‘m struggling with this one too. I‘m at 45% according to my kindle and it‘s not engaging at all. I don‘t care about the bookstore, and I‘m definitely not enjoying the weird “romance” between Van and Anis. Francesca just makes me sad. I‘m just gritting my teeth until the story gets back around to figuring out who is behind the attacks on the committee. But it‘s slow going 2y

TheKidUpstairs @CSeydel glad to hear it's not just me. I ended up bailing. 2y

JulietteReadsALot @jlhammar I 100% agree with your comment! I liked wondering what would constitute for me a good novel, and I found really interesting all the discussions around books. 2y

53 likes18 comments

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

#DecemberDreams Day 16: There is an #Angel benefactor in this #EuropaCollective December title in the form of a wealthy Italian heiress whose bookish heart is patterned after my own heart. Tagging our #EuropaCollective folks as well. 💕💕

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, jlhammar

Eggs Perfection!! 2y

marleed Your drink looks fantastic! 2y

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Yum 😋 2y

49 likes3 comments

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

"You have almost no chance."

"It's the almost that fascinates us."

56 likes

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

I've got guests for tonight's #HyggeHour - they're sweet and cuddly and, thankfully, QUIET 🤫

#NaturaLitsy #MidwinterSolace @AllDebooks

TheBookHippie Awe. ♥️ 2y

AllDebooks Cuteness overload 😍🐾🐾🐾😍 2y

69 likes2 comments

Aimeesue

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

pick

A bookstore that only sells “good novels,” selected by a secret roster of authors who are even unknown to each other.
I should‘ve been way more interested in this than I was, but honestly, I find it hard to care what “good” literature is, and found the whole conceit snobby, and just . . .why?? Who cares what other people read? And to harrass & assault people over it? I found the whole conflict odd. Pick, but a low one.

#EuropaCollective

Aimeesue @mcctrish @GatheringBooks @kspenmoll @Gleefulreader @LeahBergen @TheBookDream @DrexEdit @Sapphire @TheKidUpstairs @Deblovestoread @charl08 @Adventures-of-a-French-Reader @Tamra @lauraisntwilder @Chelsea.Poole @squirrelbrain @Cathythoughts @BarbaraBB @CSeydel @Ruthiella @Sparklemn @JuniperWilde @julieclair @AllDebooks (edited) 2y

mcctrish I‘m still waiting for my copy to come in the mail 🙏🏻 2y

Tamra I thought the prompt to think about what I would select to include was fun and daunting. 😅 “Good” of course is entirely subjective! 2y

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Aimeesue @mcctrish Hope it arrives soon! 2y

Aimeesue @Tamra Right? It‘s super subjective. I wouldn‘t want to shop there often though; I need a variety of reading material, from challenging "good" books to enjoyable brain candy. I‘m a really moody reader. 2y

BarbaraBB I am on the fence about it. Your review mirrors what I‘ve been afraid of. 2y

Aimeesue @BarbaraBB If nothing else, it certainly raises a lot of good questions about what "good" lit is, why people feel the need to attack things that absolutely have no impact on them, crowd-sourcing and manipulating umbrage and anger, and the power of capitalism and big business to influence taste. It was ell written too. I‘ll be thinking about this one for a while. 2y

jlhammar Oh, interesting, I didn't take it so much as book snobbery as wanting to create a place for like-minded readers, where the books that they most want to read are in stock/on the shelves. Many of those being books that don't really get championed in today's book world and are under threat of being forgotten. I'm actually so glad that you chose this one because it had been languishing on my shelves for years! Sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it more. 2y

TheKidUpstairs I'm about 150 pages in, and so far, I agree with your review. The writing is wonderful, but I really don't like Van as a character, and Francesca's not that great either. The snobbishness is off-putting (and Van's obsession with Anis). I find I'm enjoying it most when the narrative follows the committee members - they're the most interesting part for me. 2y

Aimeesue @jlhammar 1/2 I didn‘t hate it, but the central issue was very us/them, in/out, good/bad which I loathe and which is what drives the cries of "coastal elitism" in the US, which is what drove the violence in the book, I guess. All independent bookstores curate their stock to some extent (a used bookstore refused to take one of my books because the shelf of that letter (by name) was full ?) but to set yourself up in opposition to all the other 2y

Aimeesue @jlhammar 2/2 bookstores seems unnecessary. There are ways to build a community of like-minded readers -and I‘m all for that, Litsy!- but it probably can be done without all the secrecy and culture wars. 2y

Aimeesue @TheKidUpstairs yeah, the Van/Anis thing was a bit creepy. 2y

Tamra Now that I reflect more on it, the premise is the best part of the novel. It‘s execution was “meh” in many parts. 2y

Aimeesue @Tamra Yeah, I think so too. There was just so much going on and it never really coalesced into what I‘d hoped for. Felt like I was chasing something that wasn‘t really there, in about 20 different directions at once. Whew! 2y

Tamra @Aimeesue well said! 2y

44 likes15 comments

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

pick

“At The Good Novel, we sell good novels, nothing else.”

It took me a good fifty pages or so to really get into this, but once I did I enjoyed it immensely. The mystery was fun, but it was the intriguing and passionate endeavor to open this special bookstore that captivated me. All the details, discussions, debates - I couldn‘t get enough!

#EuropaCollective
#CloakandDaggerChristmas Prompt: Feliz Navidad - read a mystery in translation

mcctrish, GatheringBooks, kspenmoll, Gleefulreader, LeahBergen, TheBookDream, DrexEdit, Sapphire, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, JulietteReadsALot, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, Cathythoughts, BarbaraBB, CSeydel, Ruthiella, Sparklemn, JuniperWilde, julieclair, AllDebooks

Tamra It was fun to think about which books would be on my list. 😄 2y

Ruthiella Nice! Sounds like it‘s a gentle mystery. 2y

squirrelbrain I‘ve only just started it, so don‘t think I‘ve got to that 50 page mark yet…. 2y

Tamra @squirrelbrain it is a slow start. 2y

67 likes3 stack adds4 comments

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

“You‘ve just chosen the three finest novels in the store.”
“I‘m willing to believe that,” she said with a smile.
She had just read his first two, All the Pretty Horses and The Crossing, and was eager to read the third one and then share the trilogy with the people around her. She blessed the sky that augured bad weather: by this evening she‘d have finished Cities of the Plain. She knew she was about to spend an unforgettable day.
#EuropaCollective

mcctrish, GatheringBooks, kspenmoll, Gleefulreader, LeahBergen, TheBookDream, DrexEdit, Sapphire, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, JulietteReadsALot, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, Cathythoughts, BarbaraBB, CSeydel, Sparklemn, JuniperWilde, julieclair, AllDebooks

jlhammar Not only did this remind me that I'd like to read McCarthy's Border Trilogy in 2024, but I just loved how it captured that feeling of having the whole day ahead of you to read a book you know is going to be amazing. 2y

AllDebooks Beautiful ❤️ 2y

squirrelbrain Lovely! And a gorgeous pic as well. 2y

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LeahBergen I‘ve been wanting to read The Border Trilogy, too! 2y

Tamra Ahhhh, those beautiful days! 2y

Billypar I'd love to re-read The Crossing and Cities of the Plain - they're two of my all-time favorites (but I'm also terrible at re-reading) 2y

jlhammar @Billypar That‘s great to hear! I fully expect to love them. I really get on with his writing. And I‘m right there with you when it comes to re-reading. 2y

Hooked_on_books I could stare at that picture all day! 2y

GatheringBooks Wonderful quote!! My reading of the book has stalled somewhat because of our travels, but excited to go back to it soonest. 💕 2y

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Tamra

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

pick

A book about book snobbery? Not everything worked for me, but it was still “good” literary fun!

The question I have is whether any of the Committee members would have selected this work for The Good Novel. 😉

#Europacollective @jlhammar

jlhammar Oh wow, you finished already! I was not pleased with the very limited reading time I had this past weekend. I had hoped to read most if not all, but barely made a dent! Your review has me eager to get back to it. 2y

Tamra The mystery fizzled out at the end? 😕 Did I miss something? I really wanted more of it! (edited) 2y

Tamra @jlhammar I started it earlier in the week and had to power thru the first few chapters for it to gain traction. Once it got going I didn‘t want to interrupt the momentum! (I‘ve been distracted too.) (edited) 2y

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Tamra I should add it has a terrific defense of literature as a reflection of life. 2y

BarbaraBB Great review. I need to start it soon too. 2y

Aimeesue I had the same question! And although I enjoyed it overall, I dare say probably not. 😄 2y

Aimeesue @Tamra I thought it fizzled out too. People in the hospital and moving because of the attacks and then nothin‘??? 2y

Tamra @Aimeesue right?! I thought the mystery had such potential and kept me reading. 2y

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A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

Nothing cozier than reading by the Christmas Tree lights, with a warm fire in the background!

#HyggeHour is such a lovely way to end the weekend, and get ready for the next week with calm, peaceful, cozy energy!

#MidwinterSolace @AllDebooks

JamieArc Yes, it is a wonderful way to end the week in preparation for another! 2y

BarbaraBB How is the book? 2y

TheKidUpstairs @BarbaraBB I'm enjoying it so far. It feels very French, in a really lovely way, and the story is interesting so far. I'm not overly fond of any of the characters, but I'm not yet sure if you're meant to be. So it could go either way, but so far it's engaging and fun! 2y

61 likes3 comments

Tamra

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

Today I‘m going to properly luxuriate in this novel. (Says I now - hopefully nobody else has plans for me.) #Europacollective

Ruthiella Good luck! 😃 2y

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Sapphire

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

#europacollective

jlhammar Great quote! 2y

23 likes1 comment

Sapphire

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

“Don‘t you think that in France, at every meal, in every restaurant, there is at least one table where people are talking about literature?” #europacollective

Dilara Ha - if only! 😂 😂 2y

Sapphire Maybe in 2004 when the character says it - before smart phones! But I remain hopeful. Look how many of us found Litsy! 2y

jlhammar Wow, looks like the perfect meal to accompany this book! 2y

Sapphire @jlhammar for as many restaurants they meet in, at least in the first half of there is very little description of the food. Much description of scenery. Interesting choices. I am loving this book. But yes, a French brasserie on my travels this week did seem appropriate to the quote. And the onion soup was very good. The book is better 😎 2y

16 likes4 comments

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

#HumbleHarvest Day 30: Started slowly #FallingInLove with our #EuropaCollective pick for December which I began reading while in Bologna last week. It is a slow burn and I struggled with the first few pages. Paired tagged book with al dente pasta from Italia. Yum. Chilly dining outdoors but the tobacco smoke was what really got to me way more than the chill. 🥶🚬

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks, jlhammar

Eggs Lovely 🥰 ugh I hate smoke 💨 2y

jlhammar Good to know about the slow burn! Plan to start this weekend. 2y

39 likes2 comments

Sapphire

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

Getting a jump on and digging in to my December read on my work trip to Philadelphia this week. #Europacollective

Tamra Such a prettier cover than mine! 2y

jlhammar Yay, so looking forward to this! Have a good trip! 2y

22 likes2 comments

LitsyEvents

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

Reposting for @jlhammar
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2667805

jlhammar Our December read for #EuropaCollective. All are welcome to join us! 2y

LitsyEvents #BuddyRead 2y

48 likes2 comments

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

#EuropaCollective ✨December 2023✨ REMINDER

Bonjour Collective!

Our next pick takes us to a bookstore in the City of Light. “A Europa classic about love, deceit, Paris, and books!”

Read the book sometime in December, post your review &/or any thoughts along the way and be sure to tag the group.

All are welcome!

mcctrish, GatheringBooks, kspenmoll, Gleefulreader, LeahBergen, TheBookDream, DrexEdit, Sapphire, TheKidUpstairs, Aimeesue, Deblovestoread, charl08, JulietteReadsALot, Tamra, lauraisntwilder, Chelsea.Poole, squirrelbrain, Cathythoughts, BarbaraBB, CSeydel, Sparklemn, JuniperWilde, julieclair, AllDebooks

jlhammar @LitsyEvents Please repost. Thanks! 2y

Sapphire Thank you for the reminder!!! 2y

Gleefulreader I am so excited for this! It has been on my TBR for ages! 2y

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Tamra I might not be able to wait for the calendar to change! 😁 2y

mcctrish Thanks for the reminder, I just ordered this in print and it won‘t arrive until December 5th. Last time I read on my kindle but I love these books so much I want physical copies 2y

Deblovestoread Happy to be reading this soon! Yay #EuropaCollective! 2y

squirrelbrain Really looking forward to this - I got my copy the other day. 2y

julieclair Looking forward to this! 2y

BarbaraBB My copy is Europa Editions too but not as attractive as yours! 2y

62 likes9 comments