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Ella Minnow Pea
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
An epistolary novel set on a fictional island off the South Carolina coastline, 'Ella Minnow Pea' brings readers to the hometown of Nevin Nollop, inventor of the pangram 'The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over the Lazy Dog'. Deified for his achievement in life, Nevin has been honored in death with a monument featuring his famous phrase. One day, however, the letter 'Z' falls from the monument, and some of the islanders interpret the missing tile as a message from beyond the grave. The letter 'Z' is banned from use. On an island where the residents pride them-selves on their love of language, this is seen as a tragedy. They are still reeling from the shock when another tile falls. And then another...In his charming debut, first published in 2001, Mark Dunn took readers on a journey through the eyes of Ella Minnow Pea, a young woman forced to create another clever turn of phrase in order to save the islanders beloved language.
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bekakins
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Third #roll100 done for Feb. LOVED this. Really clever, interesting, and scary

PuddleJumper 🎉🎉 1mo
11 likes1 comment
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Libby1
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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A perfect way to spend an afternoon. ❤️🌈❤️

Bookzombie That cake looks lovely and yummy. 2mo
Caryl I loved this book! I have it on my shelf, and have been tempted to read it again. 2mo
70 likes2 comments
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Cortg
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

This is a clever satire about an island named after a man believed to have come up with a sentence using all 26 letters in the English language. After many years, the tiles holding the letters begin to fall and the tyranny of the local government mandates these fallen letters not be used in any way. Dystopia at it‘s finest. #Pop23 ~a book your friend recommended

Ruthiella I liked this one too. It was very clever and taught me the word “crepuscular”. 5mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I really enjoyed this one, I have read it a couple of times and am always amazed at how creative Dunn was in writing this. 5mo
squirrelbrain This has been on my radar for ever - I really must get to it sometime. 5mo
Cortg @squirrelbrain it was a fun read! Something different. 5mo
36 likes1 stack add4 comments
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rachaich
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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I've been wanting to read this for over a year... very excited!

vivastory I saw last week that there is a new illustrated edition 9mo
mcctrish Oh I LOVED this book 💚💚💚💚 9mo
14 likes3 comments
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Matilda
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

This hit totally different during the current world of banning books and transgender people.

34 likes1 stack add
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mrp27
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Peafect!! 😂 12mo
Eggs Great photo and choice 🫑❤️🥬 12mo
21 likes2 comments
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PickettT
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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First Read of the year! :)

1 like1 stack add
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Pogue
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Thank you @DebinHawaii I could not put this book down! Yes I unwrapped the book turned to page 1 and only came up for air to feed the cats! @MaleficentBookDragon thank you for running #jolabokaflodswap

Sleepswithbooks This looks so cozy! 1y
DebinHawaii You are welcome! Glad you enjoyed it & hope you fed yourself some chocolate too! 😉 Happy holidays! 1y
Maria514626 That setting looks lovely. ☺️ 1y
36 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Smarkies
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

A quirky book in epistolary form in which the correspondents have to use fewer and fewer letters in the alphabet to communicate with each others.
#roll100

DisneyFan Stacked! I‘m intrigued! 2y
37 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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CoffeeNBooks
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Written in epistolary, this is the story of the island of Nollop, where Nevin Nollop came up with the well-known sentence "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." The sentence is memorialized on a statue of Nollop, but as the letters start falling off the placard, the island officials ban them from use.

74 likes2 stack adds
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Blueberry
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Eggs Perfect 🤩 2y
50 likes1 comment
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vivastory
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Poignant

BkClubCare Right?! 2y
mom2bugnbee I LOVED this book. So clever. 2y
Branwen Wow 😳 2y
55 likes1 stack add3 comments
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BkClubCare
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

A clever story about letters (alphabet) told in letters (by correspondence) that amazed me! I had been wanting to read this since I first heard about it many years ago. Something about this year has me finally inspired to read these longtime-tbrs. This one is fun; lucky but fun. #DogsofLitsy #EstherAssisting She is such a good model for me.

BkClubCare Going to mail the card featuring the alphabet to a friend I haven‘t chatted with for too much time now. We used to do a silly exchange by theme: of a letter in the alphabet!! Last week had a “day” of reconnecting with an old friend. Today‘s the day for me. 3y
BkClubCare Am wondering 💭 if I can count this for the Botanical category of #WhatsinaName Challenge 3y
AvidReader25 It‘s been years since I read this one but I remember how clever it was! 3y
24 likes3 comments
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Shadowfat
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

This was a fun book! The writing was a little formal but I think it gave the author a little more leeway as letters started to disappear.

13 likes1 stack add
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keithmalek
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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13 likes1 stack add
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MommyWantsToReadHerBook
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

My brain isn't up to much right now. This was enjoyable overall. ⭐⭐⭐

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Acoleman
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

This was a love letter to language and an interesting commentary on blindly following a government/religion that doesn‘t make sense. Fun to read - but near the end it got a little difficult.

14 likes1 stack add
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megnews
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Regret waiting so long to read this! Laugh out loud epistolary dystopia? The ridiculousness made great laughs. If all dystopia was like this, I‘d read more dystopia!

BookNAround Fun, right?! I was so impressed as the letters dropped out! Dunn‘s got a book told pretty much entirely in footnotes and I keep meaning to read that one. 3y
TheBookHippie Oh I like this one! So glad you read it! 3y
lahousewyfe One of my very favorites! Have you read Ibid? Another wonderful and fun read. 3y
megnews @lahousewyfe no, but both you and @BookNAround recommended it so it‘s going on my list. Thanks! 3y
Caryl I love this one! I‘m due for a re-read. 3y
62 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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JacqMac
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

What a charming little book. A novel in letters, about letters. But about so much more. It was a great story to get lost in for a little bit. And it really helped with my reading slump.
#NovelNovember Time: 6:01
@Andrew65

Andrew65 I love these type of books. 😊 3y
reading_rainbow I love that cover 💛 3y
65 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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JacqMac
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Spending my Sunday morning with this little gem.
#NovelNovember Time on the clock: 2hrs

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 3y
53 likes1 comment
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Tex2Flo
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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#two4tuesday
@TheSpineView @KarenUK
Yes, I know I‘m late but I cannot avoid a direct challenge.
1. I pass most every book on, but ask for them back if it is dear.
2. I wish to replace this book which I did pass on but never had it returned. Somehow hard to find a nice hardback.

TheSpineView Thanks for playing and good luck! 👍 4y
12 likes1 comment
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Neesay
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn

We must respect that silence and make our decisions and judgments based upon science and fact and simple old-fashioned common sense; a commodity absent for too long from those in governmental elevatia, where its employ would do us all much good

8 likes1 stack add
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Jasxnicole
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Although it took a few passes to understand what was being communicated when a letter disappeared from the story, I thought it was a really creative way to demonstrate that a letter was no longer allowed in the town, which also trickled down to the pages of the book. It also did a great job touching on the topic of censorship.

Overall this was a fun read and I‘d definitely visit it again in the future.

JanuarieTimewalker13 Loved this book!! 4y
11 likes1 stack add1 comment
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britt_brooke
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Such a clever little book! Nollop‘s high council tries to control the island‘s inhabitants by eliminating the use of letters as they fall from the Nevin Nollop statue - supposed author of the famous pangram. This isn‘t just a love letter to words and language, but a creative, and disturbing, way to illustrate how quickly the world can fall apart. An odd combination, perhaps, but it works.

#bookclubbook

BarbaraBB Wonderful review, thanks for bringing this to my attention 💛 4y
smilingshelves Love this book! 4y
ness I liked it a lot, too—except there were so many ableist words! It brought it down for me. 4y
See All 6 Comments
britt_brooke @ness I‘ll be honest, I only noticed that once. Not that that‘s okay. And it clearly means that I need to be more aware, so thank you. 🙂 4y
113 likes6 stack adds6 comments
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britt_brooke
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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📖🍷🛀🕯 Just got caught up for my weekly #bookclub discussion tomorrow. Why do I procrastinate? I‘m the leader FFS. 😏 I need to prep the discussion points, too, and there‘s SO much to talk about!! I‘m absolutely in love with this clever little book! It‘ll for sure be a favorite read of 2020, and one I know I‘ll recommend often.

#bookclubbook #bookandbooze #bookandbath

Kimberlone Love your yeti wine glass! 4y
britt_brooke @Kimberlone Thanks! It‘s actually a knock-off from Target. It‘s great, though! 4y
104 likes2 comments
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royallyregan93
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

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britt_brooke
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Such audacity I had thinking I could grab a few book club chapters this morning!!

90% sweet, 10% naughty. Champ has gotten so big, I tend to forget he‘s just 9 weeks old. 💚🐾

#dogsoflitsy #champ #bookclubbook

MicrobeMom Adorable! ♥️♥️ 4y
Kangaj1 So cute! And this is one of my favorite books! 4y
OrangeMooseReads He is adorable 😍 4y
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LauraBrook What a cutie! 4y
Thndrstd So adorable! ❤️ 4y
batsy That face! 😍😍 4y
erzascarletbookgasm 🐶 💗 4y
kspenmoll What a cutie! How could you resist that sweet face! 4y
candority He is so cute! 😍 4y
Itchyfeetreader Wow 9 weeks he‘s a real cutie 4y
Velvetfur Aaww cutest little pup ever! So adorable! 🐶💜🐶💜 4y
Sleepswithbooks 😂😍🐶 4y
AlaMich A nugget of fluffy goodness! 4y
Kalalalatja What a cutie 😍😍 4y
Princess-Kingofkings Such cuteness 🐶 4y
Leftcoastzen What a cutie!🐶❤️ 4y
OriginalCyn620 Sooo cute!! 🐶❤️ 4y
MsMelissa Obviously how can you ignore that precious face 😊🐶 4y
Cathythoughts Adorable 🐶❤️ 4y
Megabooks Such a cutie!! 💜💜 4y
TheRiehlDeal 9 weeks! Boy, he's growing fast! ♥🐶 4y
britt_brooke @TheRiehlDeal He has almost doubled in size since we got him! 😳 4y
britt_brooke @AlaMich Totally!! I‘ve never had such a fluff ball. It‘s adorable! 4y
britt_brooke @Kangaj1 Such a clever story. I‘m loving it so far! I think the rest of my book club is, too. 4y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The little paws on the coffee table like he's about to give you a talking to! 😍😂 4y
britt_brooke @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick He meant business! 🤣🤣 4y
Suet624 Just adorable. 4y
britt_brooke @Suet624 Thank you! He‘s such a good boy. 💚 4y
Reviewsbylola He is SO cute!!! 4y
132 likes32 comments
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britt_brooke
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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My IRL book club selection is marked up and ready! Technically, it‘s a private fb group comprised of a few of my high school friends, all scattered through KY and TN. I‘m the organizer since I‘m the only mega-book-nerd/control-freak. 💁🏼‍♀️ I think we‘ll fly through this one. Looks fun!

#boolclubbook

BookNAround This is such a creative and fun book with lots to talk about. 4y
britt_brooke @BookNAround So good to hear. I‘m excited to finally read it! 4y
92 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Moray_Reads
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Delightful. Playful with language with some important things to say about freedom and opposing arbitrary government which gave some parts a darker fine then I was expecting.

44 likes2 stack adds
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ness
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

I don‘t remember who recommended this book, but I‘m glad they did! It was a fascinating MG dystopian about government taking away letters and language that felt super relevant right now. My biggest con was how many ableist slurs there were. Like, wow, so many.

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Blueberry
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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1. Ella Minnow Pea
2. John R. Erickson: Hank the Cowdog series
3. Elementary
4. Eagles
5. Every Time I Hear That Song: Blake Shelton

#LetterE #ManicMonday @JoScho

ChaoticMissAdventures I don't know of many people who have read this book. I found it so creative. 4y
JoScho 💜💜💜 4y
Blueberry @ChaoticMissAdventures yes, it was very creative and a fun storyline also. 4y
41 likes3 comments
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Kayla8
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Mehso-so

2020 Reading Challenge
8. A Book with a Creative Title

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Goodreads Review Below ⬇️:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3227298726

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bohemian_yogini
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

As a lover of words, the English language, & the CHANGE we can create with these letters given to us, I could not put this book down! It‘s witty, it‘s charming, it‘s also terrifying to think of a government with total control over the specific letters used by the people BUT... that‘s a discussion for another time...😛😶 It took me half a day to read this cover to cover, a perfect stay-home book to keep your mind occupied! 📖

16 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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TerriGreen
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Mehso-so

This short epistolary novel tells the story of the island of Nollop where the residents are banned from using certain letters of the alphabet after they start falling off a sign. I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn‘t strike me as funny or cute. 3⭐️ book 29

Tracyantoon It sounds so clever! Must be hard to write a good book without certain letters. 4y
10 likes1 comment
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JulAnna
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Work holiday today, so I spent some time reading the wonderful comments in my #postlit book!Thank you so much to @ScientistSam @daniwithtea @irre @Kappadeemom @RiotMom @StellarDoc @melyndarae @goodthinkrebel @ReadingsByTheC @trazo @aroc @CareBear for all of your wonderful insights and impressions! I have enjoyed this bookish journey with all of you! 🤓💛Thanks @CareBear for the awesome bookmarks and for sending all the books my way-it‘s been fun!

aroc One of my favorite reads of 2019! 4y
45 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Pam.Kokomo
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Quick and smart read. A lighter, epistolary version of 1984, if you can imagine that.

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alysonimagines
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

This kooky and winsome epistolary novel requires a substantial suspense of disbelief. As letters of the alphabet fall one by one from their revered founder‘s monument, residents of the island of Nollop are forbidden to use them by a government that is chilling and comical in its stubborn adherence to dogma. If you‘re willing to hang your hat on this silly premise, it‘s an amusing ode to language and a cautionary tale of unyielding totalitarianism.

alysonimagines P.S. Thanks to @Eyelit for sharing a copy of this book with me! I am going to continue sharing the silliness and pass it on to someone else I know who loves words. 4y
lahousewyfe One of my favorites! 4y
alysonimagines @lahousewyfe Nice! I‘ve been curious about this one for a while and I‘m glad I finally read it. I will never think of pangrams the same way again. 😂 4y
See All 6 Comments
lahousewyfe @alysonwrites Mark Dunn plays with words so well! You should try Ibid. The whole story is told through footnotes! 4y
Eyelit Glad you liked it and will share it! 😁 4y
15 likes1 stack add6 comments
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monalyisha
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Would you look at that? I have a palindromic amount of followers! That‘s neat. Thanks, pals! 🙌🏻🥳

sharread 👍🎃 4y
Jas16 🙌🏽📚🎉 4y
BookwormAHN 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
DaveGreen7777 Wow! (Hee hee, that was another palindrome for you! 😉) 4y
OnlyYoo Congrats!! 4y
71 likes5 comments
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mom2bugnbee
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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My page count was pretty typical this month, but three 5⭐ books? Unheard of for me! What a great month!

The Miserable Mill ⭐⭐⭐
Shoggoths in Traffic ⭐⭐
Mister Hadj's Sunset ⭐⭐⭐
The Brutal Telling ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ella Minnow Pea ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader ⭐⭐⭐
Recursion ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Echo ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Austere Academy ⭐⭐⭐
The Ersatz Elevator ⭐⭐⭐

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Ella Minnow Pea was so delightful. Loved it. 4y
29 likes1 comment
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Sarahreadstoomuch
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Very clever and silly; it was a fun little read. I‘m not sure it deserves all the gushing I‘ve seen/heard about it, but I‘d say it‘s worth knowing about. #rorygilmorereadingchallenge

22 likes1 stack add
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mom2bugnbee
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

Oh. My. Word.

I will be recommending this book to everyone with a love of the English language. I can't wrap my head around how he wrote this.

Reminded me a bit of Flowers for Algernon. Saying how is a spoiler, but those who have read both will understand.

So glad that Anne Bogel pushed this to the top of my TBR. It may be one of my all-time favorites.

And I think I can finally declare my reading slump over. What a great day! 😁

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

mcctrish I loved this book. I‘m only sad I didn‘t buy it 5y
Aseleener Would this be appropriate to read to kids? Mine are 9 & 11. Sounds like something my 11 yr old would enjoy. 5y
mom2bugnbee @Aseleener Completely appropriate re: subject matter & content. The only caveat is that the vocabulary level is extremely high. I was constantly stopping to look up the definition of a word. The main issue in the plot is that letters keep "disappearing" from the alphabet (spoilers to say more), so as the book progresses, the characters/author have to get much more creative with their word choice, thus using lesser known words. 5y
mom2bugnbee A book with a plant in the title or on the cover - #pop19 5y
mom2bugnbee A book about a topic that fascinates you (language, etymology) - #mmdchallenge 5y
40 likes4 stack adds5 comments
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mom2bugnbee
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Y'all. 30% in and I'm in love.

☑ An amazing, original premise
☑ Rich, descriptive language
☑ Epistolary novel

#currentread #currentlyreading

Three of my bookish love languages wrapped in one book. ♥

BookNAround I adored this one too. So creative and impressive. 5y
mom2bugnbee @booknaround Just finished. Oh. My. Word. Quickly vaulted to one of my all-time favorites. 5y
38 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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shadowspeak17
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Clever. Silly. Reading this wasn‘t a bad way to spend a few hours of my time, but it could have been better. It was just okay. 🤷🏽‍♀️

#booked2019 #FoodOrBeverageOnCover #catsoflitsy #Phoenix

Cinfhen Well played 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
37 likes1 comment
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cjbooklover
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
Pickpick

I really enjoyed the way this book was written. I loved the fact that it had a decent amount of words that I was not familiar with so I could expand my vocabulary. The council‘s rules and reasoning about the sign was absolutely ludicrous, yet scary. I loved that the people fought back for their beloved home. 3/5 ⭐️

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biblio_ginger
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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I'm really liking this book but it feels like it's taking me forever to read. 😜 Oh well, just keep reading!

readordierachel Your drink looks yummy! 5y
biblio_ginger @readordierachel it's my favorite! A mango smoothie with extra whip cream! 5y
19 likes2 comments
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tjwill
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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I might try this one. Anyone up for some #bookishbingo? This was posted by bookish.com

RainyDayReading I‘m trying this out this month, but we‘ll see how it goes. 5y
47 likes1 comment
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Linsy
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

This book is so freaking charming! 🧡

Ruthiella Agree! I really liked it. It also has a dark undercurrent.😀 5y
Linsy @Ruthiella That is true. I was so surprised! 😲 (edited) 5y
EmilyM One of my favorites! 5y
jenreads7 That book was very good! I was surprised too. 5y
115 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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tjwill
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Perhaps the greatest title ever? This has been on my #TBR a very long time.

BookNAround I thought this was really clever and quite a good and thoughtful story to boot. 5y
LibrarianRyan Loved this book. 5y
71 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Beck9lol
Ella Minnow Pea | Mark Dunn
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Pickpick

An island council ban the usage of certain letters that keep falling off a famous memorial statue. The people of the island grow more and more frustrated and many face the consequences for slipping up. It comes down to the wire with one girl left to save the island. If you‘re in the mood for fun and silly, this may be right up your alley. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2