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Laurinda
Laurinda | Alice Pung
When my dad dropped us off at the front gate, the first things I saw were the rose garden spreading out on either side of the main driveway and the enormous sign in iron cursive letters spelling out LAURINDA. No Ladies College after it, of course; the name was meant to speak for itself. Laurinda is an exclusive school for girls. At its secret core is the Cabinet, a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates - and some of their teachers. Entering this world of wealth and secrets is Lucy Lam, a scholarship girl with sharp eyes and a shaky sense of self. As she watches the Cabinet at work, and is courted by them, Lucy finds herself in a battle for her identity and integrity. Funny, feisty and moving, Laurinda explores Lucys struggle to stay true to herself as she finds her way in a new world of privilege and opportunity.
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OrangeMooseReads
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Saw this at Dollar Tree. I was doing my usual ‘judge by the cover‘ on if I wanted to spent the $1 +tax, I flipped it over and was sold by the blurb. #yesplease #coverjudged

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lis_s
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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“So for me, leadership is about building your own character before you start influencing anyone else. To be a true leader, I think you must first learn what it is like to follow — And to follow without losing your own moral compass, you have to know yourself and appreciate where you come from.”

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JacintaMCarter
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Pickpick

#2018Book163
If you ever watched Gilmore Girls and wished that Lane had gone to Chilton instead of Rory, then this is definitely the book for you. It focuses on coming-of-age as a student at an exclusive private school who doesn't fit in because she's the only non-white kid there. Not only does she have trouble connecting with her outrageously rich classmates, she also has to separate her life at school from her life of extreme poverty at home.

JennyM I listened to this a few months ago and thought it was excellent. Needs more #litsylove 5y
CometReadings Will definitely check this out! 😊 5y
60 likes5 stack adds2 comments
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JacintaMCarter
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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RealLifeReading
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Pickpick

I loved how this book handles elitism and privilege, racial prejudice and the experience of Asian immigrants in Australia.

Lucy and Linh was a sharp, funny and just fantastic read. We don't get many Australian books here in the libraries of suburban America, which is such a pity, so this was an extra pleasure to read.

Blaire This sounds great!! Good review. 6y
122 likes11 stack adds1 comment
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Asktheletters
Laurinda | Alice Pung
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It was a billion degrees here today (okay, only 38, but ugh), so I set up camp in the air conditioning and ploughed through this one. Think “Mean Girls”, but set in a posh Australian girls‘ school with a POC protagonist that looks at race and class.

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Audrey
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Pickpick

This was an extremely well written book about a girl who gets a scholarship to an exclusive school. Pung does an excellent job capturing the feelings of alienation, wanting to fit in, immigrant life and cultural and class differences. And she does so in a seamless way. The ‘twist‘ was obvious and Lucy was a tad too insightful but not over the top. I hope more people discover this YA book.

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Skylarthesmiler
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Some books for school

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quietjenn
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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I think we all feel pretty #underpressure as teenagers, for so many different reasons. As a new scholarship student at a fancy prep school, our main character in this Australian YA novel feels it from a plethora sources, for sure. #septembowie

36 likes1 stack add
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NadinetheReader
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung

Lucy is awesome! Please read this book ASAP!

1 like1 stack add
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MariettaSG
Laurinda | Alice Pung
Bailedbailed

I bailed because after 15 chapters I got the gist of the text.

Joanne1 Read it for bookclub last year. I felt the same way. Def not my fav YA novel. 7y
7 likes1 comment
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Fancypants
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
Mehso-so

Feeling pretty meh about this book. (This is the third time I'm trying to post this sooo...) some interesting cultural stories written in the book but it dragged so much. It took me a long time to finish and just didn't do much for me.

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misshelved
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Lucy is occasionally a little too astute for a 15 year old and I'm not sure I get the whole "this is a letter to Linh" thing. But I love books about private schools, and this one is no exception. Alice Pung does a great job of capturing adolescent cruelty.

2 likes1 stack add
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kathyellendavis
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Pickpick

Lucy gets a scholarship to a preppy school and has trouble adjusting with all the spoken and unspoken rules. She misses Linh, who was left behind at her other school and tries to balance this new life with her old life. I loved the family relationships in this book and was appalled by the outrageous but real "mean girls." A great novel with a voice that stuck with me about finding yourself but not losing yourself along the way. #kidlitsy

12 likes1 stack add
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onesmartcupcake
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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"Where we lived was not a place where good stories began, but a place where bad stories retreated, like small mongrel dogs bitten by much larger, thoroughbred ones."

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saresmoore
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Pickpick

This book completely surprised me! What a gem. It's a YA novel, centered almost completely on the circumstances of high school, but it's also intelligent, insightful, and wholly unexpected—not juvenile or contrived. Alice Pung is a gifted writer and storyteller and her unique perspective (the reason I picked up this book) is just an added bonus. I thoroughly enjoyed this and plan to read more from the author.

saresmoore Read for #allthereadingchallenges due to the narrative on immigration. 7y
64 likes1 stack add1 comment
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saresmoore
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung

"All teenage girls are drama queens inside their minds, even the mousiest of us. We load and reload movies of ourselves in heroic postures and outlandish triumphs, movies that, if they were ever to be played in front of an audience of people we know and love, would cause us to shrivel in shame."

This is certainly true in my experience.

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saresmoore
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Back at Christ Our Savior, a cute boy was a cute boy, even if he was a bit of a loser. But here it seemed that cuteness had to be filtered through quite a few lenses. It reminded me of going to the optometrist...But it seemed to me that all these girls were myopic, because the guys they considered popular were not necessarily the hottest...Laurinda girls were into Jane Austen heroes, not hunks.

mcipher Love this!! 7y
saresmoore @mcipher This book is really fun and strikingly astute. I'm really enjoying it! 7y
63 likes2 comments
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saresmoore
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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I chose a light read for this gorgeous day. I love reading in the backyard with my girls, especially on not-hot days.

I'm not sure if I like the style in which this is written, but the perspective of a teenaged girl born to Chinese immigrant parents in Australia is what initially drew me to this sweet YA novel.

Jenshootsweddings Sigh. I miss reading outside. 7y
LauraBeth This makes me long for spring! 💕🌷🌸 7y
LeahBergen 💗💗 7y
See All 9 Comments
saresmoore @Jenshootsweddings You could use a nice outdoor reading respite! 7y
saresmoore @LauraBeth This is as close as we get to spring! Soon it'll be back to the 9-month-long summer. 7y
Suet624 I could do with a 9 month summer!!! 7y
saresmoore @Suet624 Wanna trade? I'm so tired of being hot & sticky and living with mosquitoes! 7y
Suet624 It's funny isn't it? It's going to be -2 F tonight with wind. When I lived in hot climate I would keep the bathtub filled with cold water to jump into. Now I have scads of blankets on the couch and a heating pad in bed. Cold weather makes me feel a bit desperate sometimes, while hot weather just makes me wilty. 7y
saresmoore @Suet624 I think it's the extremes that get to us! That's one of the main reasons I'm aiming for NC. It's nice and moderate as climates go! 7y
59 likes9 comments
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meichner87
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Current read, for #riotgrams day 6. I'm home sick today, so hopefully I'll get some reading done in between naps.

Chachic Hope you feel better soon! *offers virtual tea and soup* 7y
7 likes1 comment
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Glaiza_echo
Laurinda | Alice Pung
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Jas16
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Pickpick

When Lucy receives a scholarship to prestigious Laurinda she is surprised,but this could be her way out of her neighborhood. Lucy knows she will have trouble fitting in. She is poor. She is an immigrant. She is behind in her classes. However she did not anticipate a place where 3 cruel girls run the show Lucy has to learn just how smart and strong she really is. This was so much more than a book about bullies- families, privilege, race, and more.

saresmoore I'm looking forward to this one! 7y
Jas16 @saresmoore I will be interested to hear what you think. Some of the Goodreads reviews were less enthusiastic. 7y
25 likes2 comments
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Jas16
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Before I left for work this morning I snapped a picture of the current version of my #24in48 TBR stack. This will likely change and I also have ebooks and an audiobook ready to go. It is nice to know that all of this awaits once I escape this place. 9 hours until midnight in California!

CocoReads 6 hours for me. I plan on reading an hour or so at midnight and then catching a nap before starting again. #onegooduseforinsomnia 7y
Joybishoptx @CocoReads I always wake up around midnight and 3. Going to start then too! I can't wait! 7y
26 likes2 comments
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Jas16
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Checked this one out of the library because it was #recommendedby @RanaElizabeth . Looking forward to reading it during 24in48

RanaElizabeth Yay! I hope you love it just as much as I did! 7y
20 likes1 comment
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Kat.Kao
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Kat.Kao
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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This is like when I told my mom I had a 3.8 GPA in grad school after taking full courseloads each semester, student teaching/interning, and either working full time at Starbucks or assistant coaching a nationally competitive high school debate team and she said "Of course you do," then refused to go to my graduation (or let me go alone) because she didn't want to deal with New York. Book, you get me.

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bibliobets
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Pickpick

This one operates well within some familiar YA tropes: new school, popular girls, outsider status, parents who can't understand. Lucy doesn't feel like a teenager to me–and I love that, because she's able to see outside of herself in a way few teenagers (adults too!) ever can. I'm gonna pick it hard for POC narratives, no romance, and immigrant MCs. LOVE.

bibliobets @Jayorwhatever I think you would like this one!! 7y
Jayorwhatever Wow I'm so here for all those things you just listed!!!!!!! 7y
5 likes1 stack add2 comments
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melissathebeautiful
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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All teenage girls are drama queens inside their minds, even the mousiest of us. We load and reload movies of ourselves in heroic postures and outlandish triumphs, movies that, if they were ever be played in front of an audience of people we know and love, would cause us to shrivel in shame.

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bibliobets
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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First YA of 2017! I love it so far. It snowed here for the first time this year and nothing shuts the south down like snow. My goal is to read 30 YA this year, and more cozy days like this will sure help!

Jayorwhatever can't wait to hear what u think of this, I have it on my wishlist! 7y
7 likes1 comment
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Chasingmermaids
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
Pickpick

I honestly loved and was addicted to this book. It s described as Gilmore girls meets mean girls and it some how did just that!!! I loved it and it uses a common twist but actually pulled it off that I didn't see it coming. I don't know what I'll read after this. It was just great!!!

5 likes1 stack add
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Joanne1
Laurinda | Alice Pung
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Mehso-so

I really enjoyed the premise and some parts of Laurinda, but as with Unpolished Gem there's something about Pung's writing that grates in me. That combined with the end of the school year where my tolerance of teenage angst is at its lowest meant that this was only a so-so read for me.

21 likes1 stack add
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RanaElizabeth
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Pickpick

Mean Girls, but a thousand million times better and smarter. Full of heart-crushing statements about immigration, bullying, and self-worth. Top-five of the year, want and need everybody to read this.
Full review over on Goodreads.

ReadingOver50 Sounds good 😄 7y
60 likes14 stack adds1 comment
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RanaElizabeth
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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A slower month for me but there was a lot of video games played over the holidays so I lost some time there.

mrsh62010 Time enjoyed is never lost :) 7y
Yournewfriendsams 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 7y
Robothugs A "slow" month is 12 books ?. I've been distracted by video games, too. Especially since the new Final Fantasy just came out ?. 7y
See All 9 Comments
RanaElizabeth @Robothugs I've been replaying Skyrim and Dragon Age, finishing all the random quests takes dedication! 7y
Robothugs I can't tell you how many times I've replayed Dragon Age! One of my favorite series and I really enjoyed Inquisition! I've yet to get the remastered Skyrim. I definitely want to, though! 7y
RanaElizabeth @Robothugs I'm so cheap, I never buy DLC stuff but I always suffer severe FOMO. 7y
Robothugs You need to get the DLC's for Inquisition. At the very least, get the last one they released. You will not be disappointed! 🙌🏻 I could reveal why but...spoilers. 7y
RanaElizabeth @Robothugs Oh, I know all about that big reveal. I'm a terrible person and read all the spoilers! 7y
Robothugs 😂😂 well then I guess you don't need to get it! 🙈 I think most people saw something like that coming! 7y
62 likes9 comments
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RanaElizabeth
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Settings: Minnesota and Australia. Main characters: Native American women and Vietnamese girl. Plot: Family, love, Native history and boarding school Mean Girls. Overall theme? Actually both are about growth and knowing one's self.
#currentlyreading
#photoadaynov16

Blueberry How are you liking this? I like the Minnesota and Native-American themes. I wonder why she changed the title from the original title of Laurinda. 7y
RanaElizabeth @Blueberry Gah, sorry for the confusion. Minnesota and NA is the Sweetgrass book. The top book is Vietnamese girl in Australia. I think the Laurinda title was for the Australian publication. 7y
Blueberry Haha, I did wonder why it didn't mention Native-Americans. I added it to my tbr list. I like the Sweet grass one also (since I'm from Northern Minnesota) but it looks harder to get. 7y
IncredibleRamblingElimy Is this an americanised edition of Laurinda by Alice Pung???? 7y
RanaElizabeth @IncredibleRamblingElimy I haven't noticed much to be changed for the US publication other than the title, but yes, this is Laurinda. 7y
49 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Kelly
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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yay aussie ya!! #booksandleggings

24 likes3 stack adds
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Kelly
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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Library haul of wonder!

Matilda Inspected and kissed by a bunny 💙📚🐰 8y
SusanInTiburon Bunny! 💛💛💛 8y
jessicaesquire Great haul, great bunny. 8y
CherylDeFranceschi ❤️🐇! 8y
rubyslippersreads What could be better than bunny and books? 📚🐰 8y
34 likes1 stack add5 comments
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AwkwardlyAlive
Lucy and Linh | Alice Pung
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My sales rep gets me on a very deep level. :)

MrBook Lol, nice! 8y
18 likes1 stack add1 comment