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Casino Royale
Casino Royale: James Bond #1 | Ian Fleming
83 posts | 112 read | 31 to read
Casino Royale is the first novel written by Ian Fleming featuring Commander James Bond, also known as 007. First published in 1953, Casino Royales plot revolves around a plan to take down Le Chiffre, an agent of SMERSH, by bankrupting him in a high-stakes game of Baccarat Chemin-de-fer. Casino Royale is followed by Live and Let Die.
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RamsFan1963
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Mehso-so

113/150 If this was my first exposure to James Bond, if I had never seen any of the movies, then I know I wouldn't be the JB fan I am today. He's not a likable character, cold, cruel and manipulative, not a heroic figure at all. Putting aside the racism and misogyny of the era its written in, it's still poorly paced with paper thin characters. 3 ⭐⭐⭐
38th book finished for #RushathonExtended @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @Andrew65

Andrew65 It‘s strange how the films came from these books. 5mo
5feet.of.fury The movie is one of my faves 5mo
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 5mo
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RamsFan1963 @5feet.of.fury It might be sacrilegious, and I do love Connery as Bond, but I think Daniel Craig is my favorite in the role. Of course, the first Bond movie I remember seeing was Live And Let Die with Roger Moore, so you can only go up from there. It does have one of the best theme songs, by Paul McCartney & Wings. 5mo
Ruthiella Agree that Live and Let Die is one of the best theme songs from the franchise. Connery is my favorite Bond, I think, though I too grew up watching Moore. 5mo
5feet.of.fury @RamsFan1963 pierce brosnan/goldeneye was my intro & I do like that and the Connery stuff, but the Daniel Craig movies & portrayal are just fantastic 5mo
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RamsFan1963
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The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning.

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

ShyBookOwl Nice! I've never thought to read these books, even though I enjoy the movies 😅 5mo
RamsFan1963 @ShyBookOwl I've seen all the movies, but this is my first Ian Fleming original 5mo
Bookwomble I read it a couple of years ago, and was surprised at how brutal it was. 5mo
46 likes3 comments
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dysprosium2
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Pickpick

Entertaining spy novel. The book has more depth and detail than the movie (as is usually the case). Though the Daniel Craig movie is actually a fairly decent adaptation. Much less wholesome than Mrs.Pollifax, but Bond is well-written with nuance and believable character development. The book was written in the 50's so the descriptions of the scenes are an interesting peek back in time. Definitely not to everyone's taste, but I liked it. Recommend.

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TheSpineView
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Klou Ooh perfect!! 1y
47 likes2 comments
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Isaac.Witkowski
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Pickpick

In the second half of this book James Bond wins against Le Chiffre but soon after Vesper gets kidnapped and he has to go and save her but then he gets captured and they are both taken to Le Chiffres secret base. He is the tortured by Le Chiffre but a group called SMERSH break in and kill Le Chiffre. He escapes with Vesper and they go to a hotel and the night before Bond goes to ask to marry her she kills herself because she was a secret spy.

Isaac.Witkowski Probably to most main theme in the book was theme of the war between Europe and the Soviet Union. It influences what happens in the book and it is the main reason of why James Bond has been hired to take down Le Chiffre. Overall I loved the book and would rate it a 8 out of 10. The point of view in this novel is third person omniscient. It is established throughout the book because the narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of all of the (edited) 2y
MissYaremcio Thank you for the review Isaac. You were just missing the POV and how it is established. 4/6 2y
Isaac.Witkowski Characters in the book. They talk about the feelings of vesper and Le Chiffre but it is only told through the view of Bond. (edited) 2y
MissYaremcio Thanks for fixing it Isaac! 6/6 2y
3 likes4 comments
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Isaac.Witkowski
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Pickpick

This book was about a 007 agent named James Bond who is sent to France to bankrupt a Soviet agent named Le Chiffre. He has already lost 80 million and James Bond thinks it will be easy. He is working with a women named Vesper who he also has a crush on. James arrives in France and is immediately almost killed. He eventually gets to gamble with Le Chiffre and is slowly trying to run him dry.

Dylan.Gallant It‘s ok ☹️ 2y
MissYaremcio Thank you for the review Isaac! I needed the recommendation, and how the theme is established. 3/6 2y
4 likes2 comments
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TH3F4LC0N
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Mehso-so

Not much of a 007 fan, but this only cost me a quarter so what the hell. This book was pretty meh. The writing was decent but it was overly expository in places and the characters were thin. It did have some exciting moments tho. But DAMN is James Bond an asshole in these books! Misogynistic, sexually deranged; women are basically just meat to him. 🙁 Still, a fairly entertaining thriller. Full review here:

https://youtu.be/CbolqruIBh8

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TheKidUpstairs
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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"A dry martini…Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Got it?" #OnThisDay in 1953 publication of Casino Royale introduced the world to James Bond and his martini order. 007 was almost named James Secreten but Fleming changed it to Bond because it was "the dullest name I've ever heard." #HistoryGetsLIT

tokorowilliamwallace I like this edition cover. I've got to get more In Fleming in. I think I've only read 3 so far. But I've been collecting other espionage thrillers, so I should get to those first, I suppose. 2y
TheKidUpstairs @tokorowilliamwallace I think we all have books and stores like that! "I should read more..." But there are so many wonderful books and so little time! 2y
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Tristan.Urquhart
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Pickpick

Casino Royale follows the exploits of James Bond, a British double-o agent whose mission is to bankrupt Le Chiffre, a French banker for a communist organization during a baccarat tournament held at the Royale casino in Jamaica. If you like spy books and dramatic thrillers you will be amazed by this book. A central theme of this book is lying, which is used to great effect throughout the story with a highlight of this in the tense baccarat games

Tristan.Urquhart Overall great book if you love spy thrillers, 9/10 2y
MissYaremcio I love James Bond and this is my favourite one! I was just missing the POV and how it was established. 4/6 2y
Tristan.Urquhart As requested I will talk about this book's point of view.
The point of view in Casino Royale varies from many third person parts to a central core of a fist person point of view to represent not just what James Bond is doing and feeling but also to provide needed context for unusual events or action packed scenes.
2y
MissYaremcio Thank you for fixing this Tristan! 6/6 2y
2 likes4 comments
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Vansa
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#Onthespot
1.Definitely from the tagged book-one of the first spy novels to have such a startling twist and set it up in such a good way.
2.So difficult to pick just one!I'll go with Raiders of the hidden ark by Graham Addison,evocative of not just a time but also explores a contested city,the reasons behind archaeology.
3.It would have to be Subterranean Homesick Blues, available on audible,helped me when I was sick with dengue.
4.Gala Brand!

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Emilymdxn
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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For #wintergames2021 photo challenge day two here‘s my bookish #redandwhite collage. It‘s a random selection of books on my kindle that were red and white - turns out a lot of books have those colours!

#mistletoemaniacs @Clwojick

Clwojick ❤️🤍❤️ 2y
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Michellesibs
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Mehso-so

This is book one in a thirteen (?) book series so I'm looking forward to see how Bond's character grows.

This book hasn't aged well but I think if you go into it knowing that you may enjoy it more and I do appreciate what this author did for the spy genre overall.

Three stars.

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Sara_Planz
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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The latest episode of Adaptation Nation by @bookriot has inspired a reread of James Bond (and possibly a rewatch)!!

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jenniferw88
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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kaysworld1 It says your parcel has been delivered hun for the swap the rest of it is coming separately, hope you like it all xx 2y
55 likes2 comments
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SerenaCrawford
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this book—-different than the movie/movies. For the time period it was written—well done!!!

LindaLaforgeAuthor Great graphic cover eh. Shame I'm not into Bond! 2y
SerenaCrawford @LindaLaforgeAuthor maybe listen to it? It was Ian Fleming first bond novel. 2y
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TheGeeksAttic
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Pickpick

Ian Fleming wrote an exciting, thrilling story. Bond went through a lot in this story, (the guy smokes nonstop, at one point it says he lit his 70th cigarette of the day). I believe through his ignorance he learned quite a bit about life and how the line between good and evil could shift from a hard edge, to a blurred. This book was a loads of fun to read! I give it an A+
#JamesBond #007 #SpyThriller

hannah-leeloo Welcome to litsy friend. Happy reading 📚❤📖 3y
10 likes1 comment
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rabbitprincess
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Watching Casino Royale on DVD and laughing at the really crappy subtitle font and resolution. Also the cellphones and the 2005-era internet 😂😂

paulfrankspencer Don't laugh too hard. That movie is great. 3y
rabbitprincess @paulfrankspencer It is a good movie but I had forgotten that it is 15 years old, which these days seems like a lifetime ago! 3y
MsMelissa It always amazes me just how much has changed in the last 20 years! 3y
rabbitprincess @Book_Fiend_Melissa Yes, the tech especially has improved by leaps and bounds. We laughed out loud at the look of the news websites too! Sooooo early 2000s 🤣 3y
22 likes4 comments
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Vansa
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#12Books of2020 @Andrew65
I was inspired to repeat my Day 1 post from other people's lovely edited graphics!

Andrew65 Looks good. 😍 3y
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Vansa
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@Andrew65 #12Booksof2020
This is a fun idea!
Casino Royale was honestly a revelation for me. Super fun thriller with quite some soul searching and insights into espionage.

Andrew65 He did write great books. 3y
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Vansa
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Vansa
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What an excellent line.

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Vansa
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This is pretty evocative writing

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Vansa
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Reading Ian Fleming is a bit of a revelation. Bond in the books is a lot sadder, and a lot more rueful than the debonair playboy of the movies.

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GatheringBooks
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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RamsFan1963
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description or reason for wanting to read the book. Some are old and some will be new. Don't judge me - I have a lot of books.
Day 77

#tbrmountain #bookbuyingdiet

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mariaku21
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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Mehso-so

Once I accepted that young Bond of the book is sexist and full of anger, I was able to get into the book a little easier and again with Steven‘s amazing acting chops, silky baritone and accent, I did find myself enjoying the pace of the book if not Bond‘s inner monologues on Vesper which is why I ended up with a strong 3 ⭐ rating for this book and an interest to know how many more books are narrated by Stevens.

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Stevenjohntait
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Hoping to read through the full series in the next couple of years. Casino Royale bit dated but still worth a read for any Bond fan. I have a feeling the next Bond film is going to be terrible. I hope I'm wrong.

LibrarianRyan 💜I once convinced a teen to pick it as her “classic“ for english class. We had an entire discussion of what made it classic, which she used in her essay and class presentation. She aced it. The teacher even found me in the library to say thanks for helping kids think outside the box. The funny part is all the classics on her original want list were checked out. The kids could choose any book but they had to demonstrate why it was a classic. 5y
Stevenjohntait @LibrarianRyan Interesting. I'd have liked to read her essay. It's quite a different Bond from the ones I've seen in the films. I'm looking forward to reading the rest to see how he changes. I wouldn't mind writing a Bond novel myself one day. 5y
LibrarianRyan @Stevenjohntait I wish I could have read it as well. I only know she aced it because the teacher told me. 5y
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OriginalCyn620
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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I am my father‘s daughter. The first thing I thought about for #globetrotter was James Bond! 🌎
#letstravelaugust

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🖤🙌🏻📚 5y
50 likes1 comment
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AlaMich
Casino Royale | Ian Fleming
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I chose this when aimlessly searching Libby for an audiobook. I‘ve never read a James Bond book and I learned through a little digging that there is a set of audio editions read by British celebrities. This is not in and of itself a thing to be sought out. But so far, Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey fame has just the right sort of smooth purr I would associate with James Bond. #audiobooks #jamesbond

callielafleur Casino Royale has the best explanation of the rules of baccarat that I've ever come across. Very helpful when watching the older Bond movies! 5y
AlaMich @callielafleur I will have to be on the lookout for that! I have less than no idea how baccarat is played. 😊 5y
Suet624 That‘s great! 5y
40 likes3 comments
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CafeMom
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Pickpick

#1001books #reading1001
This is the book that started it all. It was nice to be introduced to the characters I know so well. First published in 1953 this book is dated and rather chauvinistic. I enjoyed the adventure of it all and it ended in typical Bond fashion.

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tpixie
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Went to an awesome book-themed bar in San Francisco. I had a Miss Moneypenny from Ian Fleming‘s Casino Royale! 🍸 📚🍸

EclecticBookLover That looks delicious! My husband and I had the Vesper as our signature drink for our wedding. 5y
tpixie @EclecticBookLover it was delicious! How fun! A signature drink!! 🍸🍸🍸 5y
66 likes2 comments
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bookswithbec
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Bailedbailed

I hate DNFing books... it hurts my soul... I tried to read a different type of book... and I love James Bond movie so it really hurts my soul. I might try to read it again but not right now.

rretzler The James Bond books definitely read like the times they were written in - the 50s and the 60s - and are mostly nothing like the movies. The Sean Connery movies were perhaps more like the books, but by Roger Moore‘s time as Bond, I feel like only the character of Bond was recognizable. So don‘t feel too bad if you don‘t like the books! They were better reading in the 60s! 🤣 5y
bookswithbec Sean Connery and Roger Moore are some of my favorite Bonds. @rretzler 5y
8 likes2 comments
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madamereadsalot1
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Brooke_H
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It‘s finally cold enough here in central CA to start wearing my fave cozy sweatshirts! And by “cold” I mean high of 56F and raining. And pretty good air quality! Yay, rain! This shirt has me in a 007 mood. I‘ll have to watch one tonight.

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Amandajoy
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I couldn‘t figure out why the physical therapist asked me if I was a James Bond fan... #bookishshirts

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KarenUK
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#abbainaugust #thewinnertakesitall
My 1955 copy of this James Bond classic originally cost my Dad 3 shillings and sixpence!

Cinfhen UH.MAY.ZING ♣️♥️♠️♦️ (edited) 6y
Mdargusch Such a good choice! 6y
Reviewsbylola That‘s so cool!! ♠️ 6y
emilyhaldi Fabulous!!! 🙌🏻 6y
Meredith3 Omg I loved the movie adaptation with Daniel Craig 😻 6y
70 likes5 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
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007 is assigned to play against and bankrupt Le Chiffre, in a high-stakes baccarat game at the Royale-les-Eaux casino.
Haven‘t read the novel but enjoyed the 2006 film adaptation.
#ABBAInAugust #thewinnertakesitall

sisilia I have the whole set of 007 but I haven‘t read any 😱 6y
Cathythoughts Oh I love it ! Perfect choice ❤️ 6y
callielafleur If you're a fan of the movies and you don't understand baccarat, I highly recommend that section of this book. It is very informative about a game I've never heard of outside James Bond stuff. 😁 6y
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Cinfhen Loved the movie!! 6y
Mdargusch Good choice! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 6y
Reviewsbylola I like that cover! ♣️ 6y
Meredith3 My favorite James Bond movie! 🖤❤️🖤❤️ 6y
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KJHowe
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Ian Fleming is one of the Fathers of the Thriller and Bond one of the most successful literary characters of all time.

Who is your favourite Bond?

RebelReader Sean Connery 6y
Briguy73 Though i really like Pierce Brosnan, I grew up in the 80‘s.So i am gonna have to go with Roger Moore. 6y
rajithr Daniel Craig, in SkyFall 6y
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amywithbooks Daniel Craig 😍 6y
Kathleenkelly Without a doubt, Daniel Craig. 6y
Erofan Sean Connery! 6y
Reggie Roger Moore. 6y
Gingermint2000 Daniel Craig 6y
dragondrool Daniel Craig. 6y
DamoM Definitely Sean Connery 6y
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strangerinastrangeland
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Pickpick

Of course there are misogynistic bits, the book was first published in 1953! Looking past all of that, the way Fleming writes is amazing. Detailed and smooth, it definitely reflects Bond‘s lifestyle; he observes everything and is only focused on that moment in time. He‘s a spy after all and could die at any moment, that‘s the beauty of it.

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DreesReads
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Mehso-so

Bookout bug! If you “pause” the timer stops on the screen—but it still adds the paused time. Yesterday I read 121 pages at 70+ pages/hour. Today I utilized “pause”. This book actually took me about 3 hours. It was very quick and quite misogynistic—not that that surprised me. From page 159: “the conquest of her body, because of the central privacy in her, would each time have the sweet tang of rape.” WTF “sweet tang”. 😡 #1001books #192019 #1953

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DreesReads
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Halfway through February and finally starting one of the THREE group reads I have left, ugh! This one will be quick. This page number made me giggle. Every page uses three digits, even page one. Clever. #1001books #jamesbond

Zelma That is clever, and fun. 6y
JenP It‘s a quick one and our other ones are pretty short too! I‘m behind too 6y
21 likes2 comments
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DreesReads
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Picked up the 4th of my February group reads at the library this morning. And there are 3 other books I‘m already reading (2 group, 1 nonfiction). Aye yi yi I need more hours in the day!

AshleyHoss820 I really liked Jazz...but Toni Morrison has my heart, so... 6y
Daisey I'm over booked this month, but I really want to make time for Jazz. 6y
34 likes2 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
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He‘s good-looking, charming, worldly, and armed with a licence to kill.
#heartsandhardcovers #charm

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love these covers!!! 6y
71 likes1 comment
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PurpleyPumpkin
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Mehso-so

A little too much misogyny & machismo for me in this one. It‘s very much a book of its time/generation. Usually, dated references don‘t bother me, but it really irritated me here. I think I‘ll stick to the movies. 2/5⭐️

AlaMich That's so hard, isn't it? Sometimes I can will myself to ignore those irritating things and others I just can't. The worst is when it's a book you're quite enjoying but you just can't get past the olde tyme biases. (edited) 6y
PurpleyPumpkin @AlaMich That‘s exactly right! I can often sidle past that stuff because I know that‘s just how it was back in the day. But I couldn‘t do it here. 6y
53 likes2 comments
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Clwojick
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TricksyTails So many pretties! That Lovecraft! 😍 6y
83 likes1 comment
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Jesskathkarl
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Morning rituals. 📖☕️🍁

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Skeeterisme
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Pickpick

Ian Fleming. James Bond. Dan Stevens. Swoon.

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Anton
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Watching all four Daniel Craig 007 movies this weekend.

TobeyTheScavengerMonk Quantum of Solace gets a bad rap from most, but several rewatches slowly shifted my opinion to the positive. Somehow I doubt that will happen with Spectre... 7y
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TheKidUpstairs
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Some #twowordtitles from my TBR for #anditsaugust. To narrow it down a bit, I decided not to use titles where 'The' was one of the words 😀

@RealLifeReading