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Shuggie Bain
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
A stunning debut novel by a masterful writer telling the heartwrenching story of a young boy and his alcoholic mother, whose love is only matched by her pride
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JenReadsAlot
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Book scavenger hunt - skin #hauntedshelf @PuddleJumper #flerken

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bthegood
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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I decided to clear my stacks - I have a record of read books on storygraph - I am starting over with my “to read“ choices. I realize in the past 4 years my tastes have changed and many of the books I thought might be interesting to read end up being DNF or I just don't pick up to begin with - so I plan to be more mindful of books I put on my TBR list 🙂

This felt good !! Make a great day everyone - 📚

Jari-chan I did the same. It's so liberating! 6mo
Bookwormjillk I‘ve been thinking of doing the same. I have my reading history on LibraryThing. I also want to make a backup of all my reviews. 6mo
bthegood @Jari-chan 🌞 (edited) 6mo
bthegood @Bookwormjillk my reviews are on storygraph along with read books/dnf books ect.. it did feel good to start fresh today 🙂 6mo
33 likes4 comments
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Donna1980
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Wow this is a bleak read but totally immersive! About half way through and can‘t put it down. I‘m always in awe of people who can write a first novel that is this good!

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giulia.mosna
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

5/5 ⭐

In entrambi i libri che ho letto di Douglas Stuart ho apprezzato soprattutto la sua capacità di scrivere personaggi estremamente complessi e comprensibili al tempo stesso.

In both books of Douglas Stuart that I read I appreciated most of all his ability to write characters that are at the same time extremely complex and understandable.

8 likes1 stack add
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arlenefinnigan
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

Oof. This is brilliantly written but my God it's bleak.

keithmalek I just finished reading "A Little Life" by Hanya Yananihara. Do your best! Nothing will faze me now. 12mo
Ruthiella True that! 😢 12mo
arlenefinnigan @keithmalek I've seen a lot a reviews comparing this to A Little Life! So beautifully written but so unremittingly bleak. 12mo
squirrelbrain A Little Life is worse IMO. 12mo
28 likes1 stack add4 comments
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arlenefinnigan
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Next up. Looks like an uplifting feel-good read. #BooksAndBooze #InappropriateHashtagForThisBook

Karisa 😬👏👏👏 1y
Ruthiella Ooof! 😬 1y
26 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Centique
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

I‘m probably the last person on Litsy to read this! I needed to be in the right head space as I‘d heard it was very sad. And yes it is - but I felt like I was learning such a lot about alcoholism and this hard nosed, hard done by, community that Shuggie lives in - that it was also fascinating and that made it a fast read. Stuart manages to show the depths of alcoholism and poverty with great humanity. A 5 star read for me.

psalva You‘re not the last! I still have this on my TBR and I hope to get to it this year :) 2y
AshleyHoss820 If it makes you feel better, I haven‘t read it yet, but it‘s glaring at me from my bookcase! 🫣 This makes me look forward to it! ☺️ 2y
Centique @psalva @AshleyHoss820 oh good! I get the joy of recommending it to you! It‘s so good! 2y
See All 16 Comments
Leftcoastzen It‘s on my list to read as well , it‘s giving me the stink eye right now! 2y
andrew61 Great review. A tough read but worth it. 2y
Cathythoughts Great review, I loved it but it was tough going as @andrew61 said. 2y
batsy You can always count on me to be that person who hasn't yet read a very popular book 😂 I want to read this! But I keep putting it off because I guess I'm still emotionally preparing myself. 2y
RebelReader @batsy. I‘m right there with you. I want to read this one but haven‘t yet. 2y
jlhammar Loved this one. Heartbreaking, but so good. 2y
Reggie I don‘t know if I‘ll ever be ready for this or the Mungo one. 2y
Centique @Reggie @batsy it really wasn‘t as bad as I was expecting. There‘s such a lot of love in it and the worst moments are dealt with very matter of factly. He doesn‘t wring the emotions out of you with them. (edited) 2y
Centique @Reggie the other thing is that it‘s much more the story of the mother than the story of Shuggie. It would be a harder read if it was all told from his point of view but a lot of it he‘s at school and you‘re reading her experiences. 2y
Rissreads I‘m so glad you loved it! Yay! I loved the scene with the women and the bras when they were playing cards! 2y
Centique @Rissreads oh Lordy I forgot to tag you Nerissa! Thank you so much for the gift of this book. 💕 I have put a little Book Depository package together for you last week so hopefully that will get to you in February! 2y
Rissreads I didn‘t mean for you to send me more books but that‘s very kind of you x 2y
joeymc Definitely not the last as I am still working my way through it. I wouldn‘t say I‘m enjoying it as it‘s so dark and bleak but I can appreciate it. 2y
69 likes16 comments
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Bookmarkie
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Back on Litsy after 3 years. I had wanted to spend more time offline and doing more reading books than reading about reading books. Hi Litsy peeps!

SamAnne Welcome back! 2y
DivineDiana Glad you have returned! It‘s hard to resist! 👏🏻📚👏🏻 2y
Librarybelle Welcome back! 2y
See All 9 Comments
Ruthiella Welcome back! 2y
BarbaraTheBibliophage The struggle is real. Sometimes I like read without “reading in public.” 2y
JamieArc Welcome back! Happy reading! 2y
LiteraryinPA Welcome back! 2y
Suet624 Welcome back 💕 2y
BarbaraBB Welcome back! 2y
36 likes9 comments
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Messiejessie
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

Poor sweet little Shuggie 💔
He is hopelessly devoted and it‘s heartbreaking.
While I expected this book to be sad, I didn‘t expect to be utterly consumed by it. I couldn‘t put it down.
It will sit heavy on your heart.

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anushareflects
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

A pretty devastating read on alcoholism, poverty, abuse, and what it means to love a broken parent, and more importantly, how one copes despite it all.

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mirnas
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

This is the best book I've read recently! A story about Shuggie's growing up in Glasgow during the 1980s with his alcoholic mother. Wonderful, sad, touching, well written text on destroyed childhood, povery, abuse, addiction and the last years of working-class Glasgow. Booker prize well deserved!

TheLudicReader Such a great book. 2y
23 likes1 comment
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Kenyazero
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Bailedbailed

This is probably a pretty good read, but I‘m an hour and 20 minutes in and I‘m not particularly enjoying it. I dislike all of the characters so far (except maybe Shuggie?), and there have been many instances of sexual harassment and abuse. I don‘t think this book is for me. I‘m sure it has a lot going for it, though! (This is one of my #Roll100 books, and perhaps the first roll I‘ve bailed on)

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MinnieTimperley
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

This is more the story of the mother Agnes than the titular Shuggie, but it is Shuggie that brings hope to the novel. Stuart is a brilliant writer expertly painting time, characters and place.

TheLudicReader Such a great book. 2y
53 likes1 comment
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Hanna-B
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
Pickpick

Totally gripping and with the most powerful imagery. A painful and heart breaking story of a family overwhelmed by inter generational trauma and dysfunctional coping mechanisms. But despite this I cared so much for Shuggie (rhymes with buggy) and his mum Agnes, whose characters are drawn so finely, with their humanity shining through despite their flaws (well despite Agnes‘ flaws). A one of kind story, I will never forget it.

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BittersweetBooks
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Sadness made for a better houseguest; at least it was quiet, reliable, consistent 🫗

CarolynM 💔 2y
21 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Chiperskee
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Mehso-so

I had high hopes for this one.

Mccall0113 I DNF this one. I just couldn‘t get into it. I may try again. I‘m such a mood reader 2y
6 likes1 comment
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broughtyoubooks
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

Started this one thinking I had to read it before Young Mungo. They're not connected at all (so far as I can tell) but I did love it even through the pain. A fractured, working class family in Scotland just getting through life. Made me remember reading Angela's Ashes/'Tis

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MinnieTimperley
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Well this has been on my TBR pile since publication, I have Young Mungo awaiting collection at Waterstones and Shuggie Bain has been listed on the Platinum Jubilee Reading List. I am hoping after just finishing The House in the Cerulean Sea that I have enough warm feels to face this.

TheNeverendingTBR Loved this book, I'm from Glasgow so it made me like it even more 3y
MinnieTimperley @TheNeverendingTBR my paternal grandfather was from Glasgow and my dad used to disappear there for Hogmanay when I was younger. 3y
TheLudicReader It‘s such a good book. 3y
55 likes3 comments
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Nikki_E
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart

I was really struggling with reading this, so I switched over to the audio and it is such a better experience. I am definitely going to need something cheerful and fun after though.

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Julsmarshall
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

Wow! A beautifully written, heart breaker of a book. I both read the book and listened to the #audio and it was good to switch it up-great to hear the accents and tone on audio, but the written text helped avoid confusion at times. Hard to get through at times, but ultimately glad I heard his story. #MountTBR #BookspinBingo #marvellousmarch @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 3y
67 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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NoAge1990
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
Pickpick

A tumultuous yet rewarding Scottish Yarn that's been soaked in the trauma of alcoholism.

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TheNeverendingTBR
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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1️⃣ Definitely Goodreads, I've used that the longest and I really like it for tracking my reads and getting recommendations.

Add me⤵️
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/93434926-michael-theneverendingtbr

2️⃣ Yes, my goal is 150 books. It'll be the most I've ever read in a year if I complete it. I've not failed on my reading goals yet! ✊

3️⃣ Tagged! 🧡

Thanks for the tag @DarkMina

I tag @Ast_Arslan @youneverarrived @Cathythoughts

DarkMina @TheNeverendingTBR You‘re welcome! 3y
36 likes1 comment
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melissajayne
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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My favourite read for #May. May was a very strong reading month for me; I got 5 books done and was my third strongest reading month and until November, I didn‘t read as much as I did in May. I also had 2 other books that could have qualified for favourite read and were very close to becoming the favourite read. #12booksof2021

Andrew65 A popular book. 3y
32 likes1 comment
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CarolynM
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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#12booksof2021 #4thbookof2021 #April

I had a major reading slump in April and only reported 4 books read for the month. The Booker Prize winner was the best of them, but I didn't like it enough for it to make my #Top21of21 list.

@Andrew65

Ruthiella I found this book pretty hard to read due to the subject matter. But I think it will stick with me. 3y
CarolynM @Ruthiella It was abit of an emotional assault, wasn't it? I think I didn't let myself get as invested in it as it probably deserved. 3y
Cathythoughts ❤️ 💔 A heartbreaking book. 3y
See All 7 Comments
TrishB I still can‘t bring myself to read it yet. 3y
Andrew65 A popular choice. 3y
andrew61 Great choice, still thinking about it. 3y
Graywacke Your post matches my own feelings on this pretty well. 3y
68 likes7 comments
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jlhammar
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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#12Booksof2021 February favorite. Broke my heart, but oh so good. Did a mix of print and audio for this one. Audio is excellent.

Cathythoughts Great book 👍❤️ 3y
Cinfhen Yesssss, this book was beautiful 3y
28 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Chars
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

“Why the fuck did you bring me here?” His answer? “I had to see if you would actually come. She had loved him, and he had needed to break her completely to leave her for good. Agnes Bain was too rare a thing to let someone else love. It wouldn‘t do to leave pieces of her for another man to repair later.” Stuart depicts, in a brutal starkness, the breaking down of a person. He also shows a solidness, however, of undeniable character & daring style.

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Mitch
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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This year started our strong- flagged in the middle and picked up for a fun finish!

Faith.Hadden What was your favourite book to read? 3y
Mitch @Faith.Hadden wow - If I can only have one it might have to be 3y
Faith.Hadden @Mitch Very interesting. Do you mind if you tell me about it? 3y
See All 7 Comments
Mitch @Faith.Hadden it‘s a huge sprawling family saga that takes place in a time of huge political upheaval and social change in Georgia and Russia. It was amazing - totally engrossing! 3y
Faith.Hadden @Mitch Very interesting! I might try to find it. 😁 3y
vivastory I see a lot of wonderful books 📚📚 Matrix is going to be my first book of the new year. I'm glad to hear that you're finishing the year strong! 3y
MaureenMc 👏🥳👏 3y
64 likes7 comments
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Allthebookclubs
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Mehso-so

I read this one for a book challenge (Booker prize winner). It was not my cup of tea and was very long and drawn out. It was dark and depressing and hard to finish. Book #71 in 2021

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bekakins
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

Super depressing, but absolutely brilliant. You‘re rooting for Shuggie the whole way through, beautifully written.

Cathythoughts 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️💔great book 3y
13 likes1 comment
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AlRah
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Vansa Are those Malayalam books, btw? Which ones? 3y
Cathythoughts Shuggie ❤️💔 (edited) 3y
AlRah @Vansa Yes... 3 are malayalam... Gurusagaram and Dharmapuranam by O.V Vijayan and Mahabharathqam samskarika charithram ( Mahabhartha cultural history) by Sunil P Ilayidom 3y
Vansa Nice! I wish I could read books in Tamil, My proficiency at reading Tamil is unfortunately quite low! 😀 3y
10 likes4 comments
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Tonton
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Intriguing look behind the scenes of how the Booker Prize is judged! I didn‘t know it was televised. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/oct/05/arguments-anticipation-and-careful...

squirrelbrain I just read this before seeing your post - fascinating article! 3y
BarbaraBB Very cool. Thanks for sharing! 3y
39 likes2 comments
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andrew61
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

I put this brilliant book down exhausted by this sad story of the effect of alcoholism upon a family. In Agnes, mother of shuggie and his 2 half siblings, we meet a woman who is lively, funny, and beautiful but humiliated by the men in her life who even when she seems to escape from her addiction at one point is drawn back in by a man's stupidity. The impact on shuggie is inevitable with the story book ended by his sorry circs after leaving home.

33 likes1 stack add
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TheLudicReader
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

This is a beauty of book. I loved these characters and enjoyed every painful moment I got to spend with them. It‘s highly worth your time.

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TheLudicReader
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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I have never read the last page of a book- not even if I abandon a book. Just why? I hate spoilers, too. Book blurbs that give away too much is another of my pet peeves. I‘d love to hear some of yours.

Skyrimir I will admit to doing this a handful of times. I‘ve really got to fight the anxiety to keep myself from doing it with some books! I agree with you about the blurbs that give too much away. The only spoilers I need are the ones I give myself. 🤣 I also hate blurbs that just praise the author‘s last book. I want to know about the book in my hands, not the last one. 3y
jb72 I‘ve read the ending ahead of time quite a few times. Spoilers don‘t bother me at all. I do agree with @Skyrimir that those blurbs that just hype the books are super annoying. Also I hate when the publisher ditches cover art in exchange for the movie poster. 😑 3y
merelybookish I always read the end. Have for as long as I can remember. It just eases my anxiety. I learned later my Mum and sister do too. (Also, my daughter is in your Grade 10 English class. She might also read the last page. 😂) 3y
See All 7 Comments
TheLudicReader Wait, what, @merelybookish?! Do you live in SJ? And who is your daughter? Is there a mind blown emoji? 😁 (edited) 3y
merelybookish @TheLudicReader We just moved back. We've been in the US for years. Today was her first day. 🤯 3y
TheLudicReader @merelybookish Well, welcome home. Please tell her to let me know she‘s your daughter. (And thanks for the 🤯!) 3y
merelybookish @TheLudicReader Will do! Whether she says anything....🤷 3y
34 likes7 comments
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jdiehr
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

Shuggie's love for his alcoholic mother is so fierce and unwavering it'll break your heart.

There isn't much 'happy' to be found here, but this is a powerful book and worth the read.

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KatieB
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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For those in Canada… Shuggie Bain is an Amazon kindle daily deal. I thought this book was excellent - a 5⭐️ read for me

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Readerann
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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Pickpick

SO sad, but so good.
#TournamentofBooks #ToB #Booker

17 likes1 stack add
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Ast_Arslan
Shuggie Bain | Douglas Stuart
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I am posting one book per day from my to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it. Some will be old, some will be new - don't judge me, I have a lot of books.

Day 82th

Join the fun if you want!

#tbrpile