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The Subtle Knife: His Dark Materials
The Subtle Knife: His Dark Materials | Philip Pullman
The most magnificent fantasy series since The Lord of the Rings. --The Oregonian Lost in a new world, Lyra finds Will--a boy on the run, a murderer--a worthy and welcome ally. For this is a world where soul-eating Specters stalk the streets and witches share the skies with troops of angels. Each is searching--Lyra for the meaning of Dark Matter, Will for his missing father--but what they find instead is a deadly secret, a knife of untold power. And neither Lyra nor Will suspects how tightly their lives, their loves, their destinies are bound together . . . until they are split apart. A #1 New York Times Bestseller A Newsweek Top 100 Book of All Time An Entertainment Weekly All-Time Greatest Novel The story gallops with ferocious momentum. --The New York Times Book Review Pullmans imagination soars. . . . A literary rollercoaster ride you wont want to miss. --The Boston Globe Destined to become a classic. --Detroit Free Press The Subtle Knife is as absorbing and irresistible as The Golden Compass--and even more so, as powerful forces are set in motion. A brilliantly conceived work. --Lloyd Alexander, author of the Prydain Chronicles, and Newbery Medalist for The High King
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thereadingpal
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Slowly, slooooowly getting back into reading
I'm halfway through Sublet Knife now! And it's getting quite exciting
I just wish I had more time and mental energy for reading...

#fantasy

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thereadingpal
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Always traveling, always traveling...

Going at a friend's house to have Shabbat dinner with her. I'll sleep there and then tomorrow we'll go to services together
In the train, I try to do a bit of reading :)

AmyG Have a lovely Shabbat! Or as we say….good shabbos! 1mo
thereadingpal @AmyG Shabbat shalom, dear! 1mo
15 likes1 stack add2 comments
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thereadingpal
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Waiting at the dentist
What better way to spend the time?

AmyG Agree…but Ihate going to the dentist. 😬 Hope you have an easy visit. 2mo
thereadingpal @AmyG last time I had an old fixing fixed. This time it was teeth cleaning so it was pretty painless 2mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I had to go last week and I swear I left fingernail marks on the arm rests!! I hate the sounds!! 😫 2mo
thereadingpal @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks honestly same x.x they're too loud 2mo
20 likes4 comments
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thereadingpal
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Trying to rest a bit by reading :) this is a re-read with my friend Alex. We first read the Golden Compass 🧭 and now we're onto the second book

#fantasy #reread

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thereadingpal
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1. Contemporary, I'd say. Or medieval
2. I finished The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (a re-read!)
3. I'd say it's the books from the Wheel of Time series (which I need to finish AHAH)

Thanks to @Eggs for hosting!!!
#wondrouswednesday

Eggs Thanks for joining in! 2mo
16 likes1 comment
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thereadingpal
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Hello!
I just wanted to say to the #litsylove fam: I'm sorry I fell so behind with answering letters. Misty is aware I was (and am) having a rough time. Nevertheless, I am starting to write letters again, and will go to the post office in the next few days to send them off.
I'll first answer to the ones that sent me letters so far, and then will see of writing to people I've never interacted with in the exchange, so I can meet new peeps! 😊

ElizaMarie You aren't the only one. I am sure a lot of Litsy Peeps are behind (I am chronically behind). The wonderful thing about #LitsyLove is that there is no time limit or deadline. 2mo
Cuilin It happens to all of us. Don‘t worry 😉 as @ElizaMarie says there‘s no deadline. Do what you can when you can and have fun. 🥰 hope things get better for you soon. 2mo
thereadingpal @ElizaMarie thank you. It was like.. a lot of time. But I've stacked the letters and will answer them one by one. They kept me going during this rough path 2mo
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thereadingpal @Cuilin thank you! I hope things get better soon too. In the meanwhile, I started reading again, which is a positive note 2mo
dabbe I haven‘t written or received—yet. 🤩 With 150 or so people, it‘s a challenge, but a fun one. No worries! Hope 2024 is better for you! 😍 2mo
CaliforniaCay Go easy on yourself. I've been a part of this wonderful group for 5+ years. There are some people I only write to once or twice a year but they still write me back even though there are several months between my replies. Life gets busy, write when you can 🩵😇🩵 2mo
thereadingpal @dabbe it's a challenge, but a fun one! :D 2mo
thereadingpal @CaliforniaCay life gets busy indeed!!! I'm just sorry I went basically MIA xD 2mo
15 likes8 comments
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lingui5t

So far I like this one better than Golden Compass, in short because I like Will's personality better than Lyra's. Lyra seems like the type for whom things 'shouldn't' go perfectly (in Book 1 she had a Star Wars Rey type feel, she is magically skilled immediately at something that usually takes decades of intense study to master). She's also muddle headed and brash, impulsive and emotional, whereas Will is responsible, somber, and concientious.

lingui5t I'd also add that Will has noble aims/intentions, whereas Lyra I couldn't relate to Book 1. Will is moved by protecting and caring for his mother and the quest to learn about his father, and he is on the run from an occurrence in Chapter 1; Lyra, essentially a coddled princess, seems to stumble on information about her parents that she isn't even looking for.

Lyra gets them into trouble. Will gets them out. Will is the hero so far.
2mo
3 likes1 comment
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Clare-Dragonfly
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

I love Will and the expanding, unfolding worlds—and the other characters too, especially Lee Scoresby. I am absolutely compelled by the story. However, I am baffled and turned off a bit by all the wise, good characters who go “Lord Asriel? That guy who ripped a child apart for a bit of dramatic power? Yeah, the most important thing in the world is following him into his impossible fight.” I don‘t remember well enough to know how that turns out.

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Rachiiebookdragon
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
Mehso-so

I enjoyed this one, but I prefer the first one more.

Read for reading prompts.

3.75/5

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Burpito
Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
Mehso-so

The second part of the trilogy, arguably more interesting than the first

edit: in retrospect i dont like it

lingui5t You should say more about why you didn't like it after thinking it was more interesting than #1. 2mo
3 likes1 comment
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Deifio
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The bunnies are keeping me company for my reread of the second book. I finished the second season of the HBO TV series. And I think it's a really good adaptation so far!

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Melreedauthor
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Pickpick

I wasn‘t expecting to stay interested in the book.

I was wrong.

This follow up in the series brings new storylines, new tales and new characters to help shine a light on what is actually going on in the novel. Without telling you a single thing as to where it‘s going.

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Melreedauthor
Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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I told y‘all I would start part 2 soon. 😁

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PageShifter
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Pickpick

I just love Lyra, and I really liked the new main character Will too. They were an awesome pair and I loved to follow their adventure.

This was so magical and I loved that so much. There were several thrilling scenes and I rooted for characters.

There was a lot of action and that was exactly what I needed right now.

#SeriesRead2022

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BookwormM
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

I am pretty sure the TV series is helping me understand what I missed when I first read this trilogy as just an adventure story.

Moving onto book 3 so I am fully up to date ready for the next episode

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Jovy
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Pickpick

I am so loving this series! The plot expands to epic proportions in this second installment. Great addition of Will Parry to balance out Lyra‘s more impulsive nature. The only thing that disappointed me is there was no bear in this one. Perhaps we‘ll meet Iorek again in the 3rd book!

#MountTBR2021 #SeriesRead2021

TheSpineView Way to go! 3y
DivineDiana Have you watched the TV series? It‘s so good! 2y
Jovy @DivineDiana No I haven‘t! Is it true to the books? 2y
DivineDiana Only read one of the books. There is only one season so far. So not sure. But it‘s good! 2y
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freeatlast1137
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Pickpick

Lyra meets Will from another world and they work together to find his father.

I am surprised that I never read these books as a kid. I owned all three but never read them. They are pretty good, a little convoluted, but I enjoyed this book a ton.

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camilla_788
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Pickpick

Loved the relationship between Will and Lyra. Found it much easier to understand after reading Northern Lights.

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Zephsomething
Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

Y‘all I forgot about the cliffhanger at the end of this book holy man I want to read the next one Right Now but it‘s currently the middle of the night

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Zephsomething
Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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I always fucking forget that in his dark materials Texas is it‘s own country 😆

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Zephsomething
Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Lyra has such a wild checklist of what makes her trust someone. I love her So Much

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Zephsomething
Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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On to book 2! I remember really liking this one !

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Bookishly_Lizzy
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
Pickpick

Not as good as The Golden Compass, but a must read if you‘re watching the series.

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Johanna414
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

My final book for 2020 - these are so good on audio!

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Johanna414
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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So far my worst Covid symptom has been exhaustion... I just don't have energy to do anything. My plan is to spend the day on the couch with my #audiobook and #crochet project while the kids play with all their new Christmas toys. #audiocrochet

rockpools 🙁 Hope you feel better soon. Take it easy! 3y
rabbitprincess Rest up and take care ♥️ Love the crochet — a gorgeous blue! 3y
AmyG Oy, feel better. Your blanket is beautiful, btw. 3y
32 likes3 comments
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SoManyBooksNotEnoughTime
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

"...danger could look friendly, and treachery smiled and smelled sweet;..."

The Subtle Knife is the second book in the His Dark Materials series. I am absolutely loving this series and only regret not reading it sooner. I am trying to read along with the BBC/HBO screen adaption now, having read the first book along with the first season last year. Both are phenomenal and I can't wait to see what happens next.

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antivancrowe
Pickpick

I had a hard time focusing on the first book, and when I read this I was zooming through it way faster. I loved this book so much it reminded me of fun fantasy that I miss experiencing.

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UnRuLee
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

Okay ARGH. So good, but ARGH. I can‘t read book three until tomorrow and I HATE when books just stop and cliffhanger like this. AAAGGGHH.

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OrangeMooseReads
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Started this yesterday. #audiobooks #libby

Sace I love that art! 4y
38 likes1 comment
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Shay
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The Folio edition has lovely illustrations by Peter Bailey.

7 likes1 stack add
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Shay
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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On to book two in the reread!

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bookishbitch
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

So many things are happening! I'm not sure if my heart can take much more. Great story, great writing. I can't wait to see what happens next.

HeathHof Love this series!! 🤍 4y
bookishbitch @Mynameisacolour I'm pretty sure it will be one of my favorites by the time I am finished. 4y
23 likes2 comments
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BehindthePages
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

The darker themes and hardships the characters must face are not for someone looking for a feel-good fantasy novel. The Subtle Knife dives further into the sins that humans commit and the evil that can lurk deep inside a person, no matter what world they are from. It also departs from philosophy and starts a battle against organized religion. #fantasy
Full review https://www.behindthepages.org/post/the-subtle-knife-by-philip-pullman

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Librarian343
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
Pickpick

I‘ve been listening to this series on Audible and I am absolutely loving my experience. This story is true escapism. I‘ve come to love Lyra and I can‘t wait to finish up her adventure.

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BehindthePages
Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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A beautiful day to start the grill up! Keeping busy while the world outside is stressful. Listening to a good book always helps me through the day. What have you all been doing and reading?
#audiobook #cooking

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Emilymdxn
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

I‘m really glad I continued this series. I don‘t feel like I‘m as ‘into it‘ as I could have been if I‘d read it when I was younger but it‘s still rewarding to read now. I adore the theology and philosophy of it and I feel like it would have been very good for my brain as a child!

I‘m off work sick again 😒 I swear I have the most useless body. Im grateful it‘s not coronavirus but miserable to be ill, at least it was after my birthday not during!

Hufflepuffle I hope you feel better soon! 💜 4y
RiverKScottWrites Feel better! It‘s one of my favorite series. I used to be deeply religious so there‘s something special to me about these books — like old friends in more ways than one 4y
AmyK1 Hope you feel better soon! 4y
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Moray_Reads I love all these books but the third is by far the best, hopefully it will be a case of saving the best for last with you too! 4y
Ericalambbrown This is an excellent series! The third book is wonderful. Feel better! 4y
Megabooks I am so sorry you‘re sick. Wishing you a speedy recovery! 💕💕 4y
79 likes6 comments
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Tahoe
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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1) Yes I do! My apologies to the authors with not so good graphic designers ...
2) I got The Subtle Knife as a birthday present as sequence to Northern Lights (love it)
3) newspaper at the office or people of the same place^^
4) I set 2 alarms, one to snooze one to wake up and get up
5) @bookandbedandtea @JulietBoydAuthor

Thank you for the tag @LittleBug ^^ I want to wake up so smoothly as you do with lights and music *_*

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danimgill
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Mehso-so

I remembered absolutely nothing about this one from when I read it in middle school and I gotta say, this is nowhere near as engaging as The Golden Compass. I'm obviously still invested in Lyra's story but I feel like Philip Pullman lost the forest for the trees a bit here with all the world jumping and side character threads going on. Looking forward to rereading The Amber Spyglass, which I remember liking more as a kid.

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EchoLogical
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1. Just one 🤷🏾‍♀️
2. 👍🏾
3. Umm...2
4. 😂👀🤦🏾‍♀️
5. @Liatrek @WarpedSweetness
#friyayintro @4thhouseontheleft @howjessreads

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hannah-leeloo
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Onto book 2. My fiancé is slightly ahead of me for now but we're both loving this adventure! So much to take in

Enchanted_Bibliophile I love your ring, it's beautiful and different. 4y
hannah-leeloo @Enchanted_Bibliophile thank you ❤️ the man who gifted it is just as so 4y
Bookish_AF I also have a non-traditional ring so I just love seeing others with them too!! 😊 4y
hannah-leeloo @whippoorwill815 traditional is good but I believe that having a ring that has person meaning and link between you both, that's just as unique and beautiful as the relationship it symbolises. Congratulations on yours ❤️ 4y
49 likes4 comments
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Laughterhp
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Almost stuck to my TBR completely! 4 were not on my original January TBR post, but the picture has been edited to show all the books I read. 😂

Read 13 books total
Read 2 BOTM books
Read 4 #NewYearWhoDis books
Read 1 NF book

Did not read a Classic book. I started reading on Serial Reader and then I got sick and haven‘t started back up again 🤷🏻‍♀️- only monthly goal I didn‘t meet and I know it‘s going to be the hardest

#JanuaryStats

Chrissyreadit Which classic? I think I need to read Red White and Royal Blue . 4y
Laughterhp @Chrissyreadit I was starting with Jane Eyre and Sense & Sensibility. I have Jane Eyre in paperback but I thought I might be more motivated if I read in little chunks every day. 4y
Chrissyreadit I liked both of them- but I thought sense and sensibility more fun. 4y
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megnews That‘s quite a feat! I can never stick to my tbr. Too many shiny books grab my attention that I just have to read now. 4y
Laughterhp @megnews I know! I usually don‘t stick to it either which is why I was so excited that I basically stuck to it! 😂 4y
BookishMe I linked serial reader to Goodreads, and now that ebook is added to my CR shelf! Yikes!! Lol, now no neglecting the subscribed title 😁😁 4y
62 likes6 comments
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BookishRedhead
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

Not as magical as the first one but still fun with all kinds of adventure

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Laughterhp
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#BookReport - Only finished 2 books this week before the sickness took over and productivity went down.

I switched the Honey Bus to audio and the narrator is extremely slow. I cranked it to 1.5x speed and it still seems slow. I normally listen at 1.25x

We‘ll see how I feel and if I get any reading done this week. Still not 100%.

I don‘t know how accurate my #WeeklyForecast will be. We are going away next weekend, so I may make it up.

DGRachel Feel better! 4y
Butterfinger I hope you feel better soon. 4y
Cinfhen Sorry you aren‘t feeling well \ sending healthy hugs 🤗 💝 4y
53 likes4 comments
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Laughterhp
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Pickpick

This is the first time I‘ve read this series and I‘m really enjoying it. Such a great fantasy adventure. This book definitely went more into the God, good, evil, angels etc. but I‘m still liking this series. I‘ve already put the 3rd book on hold on audio. I listened to the 1st on audio, read the print of the 2nd. But I think I definitely enjoyed it more on audio! After I finish this series, I think I‘ll move onto his new Book of Dust series.

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Aaronlisa
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

I read this Jan 6-18 and gave it 4 ⭐️. Overall I liked the book but I did feel it suffered a bit for being the 2nd book in the trilogy. It wasn‘t bad but some parts felt overly slow while other parts felt rushed. I do feel that the whole religion concept is getting a little convoluted and I hope the 3rd book has better answers.

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Laughterhp
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Happy Sunday! Enjoying this book, snuggling and watching the Bruins.

I was so off yesterday, I was miserable and had the worst headache. So it nice to be In the mood to read today. 💚💚

#sundayreading #weekendreads

Nutmegnc Of course the books are better, but the HBO series His Dark Materials is extremely well done! With the author as executive producer! If you haven‘t watched, I highly recommend!! (edited) 4y
Julsmarshall @Laughterhp and @Nutmegnc We have really enjoyed the HBO series as well. 4y
Jas16 Sounds like the perfect day 4y
See All 6 Comments
Laughterhp @Nutmegnc @Julsmarshall We got rid of cable last year, so I don‘t have HBO.. so I can‘t watch it 😔 Maybe one day.. I‘m glad to hear it‘s good though. 4y
Nutmegnc @Laughterhp I actually added hbo to my amazon account. I watch it from my appletv. #hatecable 4y
Laughterhp @Nutmegnc Ooh that‘s good to know! I didn‘t know you could do that. I might look into that. 4y
53 likes6 comments
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cozypunk
The Subtle Knife | Philip Pullman
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Pickpick

Oh my broken heart! This was so sad and scary (but in a good way). I haven't decide if I admire the two main characters who are preteens. On one hand, I like how Pullman (author) gives them insurmountable challenges which they both take on. On the other hand, I don't like how they're obviously pawns in Pullman's much larger scheme. Also, I love and loathe his cliffhangers. Plan ahead and have all 3 books on hand. #dw2020reads

kipress Book two is my favourite! Reading the new-new one now to my daughter (very slowly).
4y
5 likes1 comment