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Unspeakable Acts
Unspeakable Acts: True Tales of Crime, Murder, Deceit & Obsession | Sarah Weinman
26 posts | 17 read | 23 to read
A brilliant anthology of modern true-crime writing that illustrates the appeal of this powerful and popular genre, edited and curated by Sarah Weinman, the award-winning author of The Real Lolita The appeal of true-crime stories has never been higher. With podcasts like My Favorite Murder and In the Dark, bestsellers like Ill Be Gone in the Dark and Furious Hours, and TV hits like American Crime Story and Wild Wild Country, the cultural appetite for stories of real people doing terrible things is insatiable. Acclaimed author ofThe Real Lolitaand editor of Women Crime Writers: Eight Suspense Novels of the 1940s & 50s (Library of America) and Troubled Daughters, Twisted Wives (Penguin), Sarah Weinman brings together an exemplary collection of recent true crime tales. She culls together some of the most refreshing and exciting contemporary journalists and chroniclers of crime working today. Michelle Deans Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick went viral when it first published and is the basis for the TV showThe Act and Pamela Colloffs The Reckoning, is the gold standard for forensic journalism. There are 13 pieces in all and as a collection, they showcase writing about true crime across the broadest possible spectrum, while also reflecting what makes crime stories so transfixing and irresistible to the modern reader.
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review
KateD1
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Pickpick

This marks the 11th book I‘ve read this year. At this rate, I‘ll far surpass my goal of 20.
Unspeakable Acts is a collection of 13 true crime essays touching on everything from Bundy, mass shootings, to the more nuanced essays of culture and justice. Every essay will leave you thinking, the impact felt long after you shut the book.
#truecrime #essays #unspeakableacts

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KateD1
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Why are we so obsessed with true crime?
This book takes a look at modern true crime reports that changed genre.
I‘m excited to start it!
#truecrime #crime

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rsteve388
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Pickpick

This was an interesting series of stories related to true crimes that have occured and what the culture of true crime looks like with regards to podcasts. It also explored crimes that happen to minorities and how that impacts resources and response by the community and local law enforcement. Overall good book.

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rsteve388
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I am finishing this book up for #LMPBC Round 10 I think I am uber behind in finishing this book. Sorry y'all. I'll.get it done by tomorrow and send it out on Monday.

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Bookishlie
Pickpick

Finished this last night for #lmpbc round 10 group e. It was absolutely amazing! I am not one for anthologies but this was perfect for those small times between appointments, at bedtime (although a little creepy). The vignettes were short and snappy. My TBR probably gained 15 books:) Thanks!

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Bookishlie
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Loving my LMPBC read so far! Also sent out my #elfswap yesterday:)

vivastory I really liked this one 3y
Reviewsbylola This sounds right up my alley! 3y
Bookishlie So far I am really liking it - which is odd because short vignettes are not my usual thing. It‘s hell on my TBR though. Lots of books dropped that I now must read..... 3y
Avanders ♥️🎄🧚🏽‍♀️ 3y
24 likes1 stack add4 comments
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kbuggle
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Saturday activities!

ClairesReads Looks so interesting 3y
kbuggle @ClairesReads it is so far! 3y
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Mitch
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So excited to explore this list - thanks @vivastory for challenging my reading in the new year. I‘ve read 6 of these - so lots to choose from. Off to do some research and select my January reads ( I read slowly - so it might be Jan & Feb!) #newyearwhodis

vivastory Looking forward to your thoughts! 3y
DGRachel Stoner was gorgeous. I expected to hate it and bail based on the blurb, but I ended up absolutely loving it. 3y
Mitch @DGRachel 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 3y
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CoffeeK8
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Pickpick

This was a terrific anthology of True Crime writing comprised of 13 previously published articles. The essays were varied and well written. The best was the story of a woman who survived the first school shooting and how it changed her life. Other interesting ones were about two girls who killed another because of Slenderman & a girl who got her boyfriend to kill her mother who suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

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Annie1215
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Mehso-so

This was my #bookspin book for #bookspinbingo as well as my first book in this round of #lmpbc (coming your way soon @Bookishlie )

It wasn‘t exactly what I expected. It was a mix of true crime stories and some more procedural aspects to crime. Those chapters were a bit drier.

Excited to get my next book!

Bookishlie Yay! Working on predator now! Almost done:) 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
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MidnightBookGirl
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Getting close to a #BookSpinBingo... but I don't think I'm going to get a chance to fill the board this month, but I'll keep trying! I did read my #bookspin and #doublespin books, so there's that at least!

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guinsgirlreads
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Ok, back to my usual genre!

vivastory I'm currently reading this one. It's great 👍 3y
guinsgirlreads @vivastory Yay! Awesome 😊 3y
23 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Annie1215
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I‘m behind on everything so far in November 😬 but here is my #bookspinbingo board for November.

My #bookspin is Unspeakable Acts - which is also my November book for #lmpbc

My #doublespin is The Last Story of Mina Lee

Hoping I‘m as successful in November as I was in October!

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
Gissy Is that a washitape? 😍❤️❤️❤️ 3y
52 likes3 comments
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vivastory
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The only one of these memoirs I've heard about is Perry's After the Eclipse. This is a great piece by Alice Bolin about highbrow vs lowbrow true crime. She argues for the merits of lowbrow true crime. The previous piece by Sarah Marshall was about Bundy. It was an informative & astonishing work that argues that the psychopath diagnosis is largely meaningless & it's time for a more nuanced understanding of mental health.

LeahBergen Fascinating! 3y
Hooked_on_books I thought this was a terrific collection! 3y
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CocoReads
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Went to Barnes and Noble before bookgroup tonight. I had Birthday money burning a hole in my pocket so these are my treasures! Definitely excited about Unspeakable Acts, and I‘ve been super into Tim coma lately, getting reading for Christmas reading and Class Mom was on the bargain table. #doingmypartforbooks

CaffeineAndCandy ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ 🎂 🎈🎊 ᴄᴜᴛᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋs 3y
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vivastory
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batsy Humans... A noble species. 3y
vivastory @batsy Current mood 😂 3y
50 likes2 comments
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vivastory
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Goddamn I love true crime 😬😂

LeahBergen Oh, I‘ve been eyeing this one! 👍🏻 3y
vivastory @LeahBergen Love it so far! 3y
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Annie1215
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We have our lineup for #lmpbc round 10!

Group E is digging in to some true crime picks and I‘m excited to get started

We‘re ready! @Sace @Bookishlie @rsteve388

Sace I'm looking forward to reading! 3y
Bookishlie Me too! I haven‘t read a whole lot of true crime!! 3y
57 likes2 comments
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CoffeeK8
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Startled this cute little guy on my #audiowalk this morning.

readordierachel 😮😍 3y
49 likes1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

From a look at Ted Bundy to an exploration of the differences in an investigation for a missing black, trans woman compared to a white woman, to the impact of a music video on missing kids, this is a varied and interesting true crime anthology that makes an effort to be inclusive. I found it fascinating.

(Bindi asks that you try not to notice the floor fluff in the background. She got mad at her duck.)

squirrelbrain Naughty Bindi! What did the poor duck do to deserve that?! 🤣 3y
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain You should see it—it‘s as big as she is! Watching her wrestle with it is hilarious, since she spends half her time tripping over it. And she just loves pulling out that fluff! 🙄 What was I thinking? 🤦🏼‍♀️ 3y
LeahBergen Bindi! 😂 3y
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Ephemera
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Pickpick

This is a collection of articles about true crime. Most of the writers are women. The woman who edited this book, Sarah Weinman, wrote a book about the ‘real Lolita‘, the girl whose kidnapping formed the basis for the book by Nabokov. If you read true crime, I think you will like this book. Five stars.

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Godpants
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Pickpick

This is a super powerful collection of true crime essays, and I‘m so glad to have read it.

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Godpants
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I started reading this last night and I‘m FLYING through it. It‘s a collection of some recent crime journalism and IT IS SO GOOD! I‘ve only read the Jennifer Pan article before (which is excellent and I reread it again.)

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DrLReads
Pickpick

A collection of true crime writing from North American publications that seeks to probe the genre. The contributions are solid, however, I wish that the anthology examined its own positionality more. Bolin‘s chapter, one of the strongest in the book, does the best job at this. As a whole however, the connective tissue is thin, leaving the reader wanting more. Otherwise, a quick, engrossing read as the individual pieces stand on their own.

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Mitch
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Mehso-so

Some pieces in this collection I loved - they were thoughtful, reflective and encouraged discussion and consideration. Others were more pedestrian involved more of a retelling of events and missed the opportunity to broaden out the discussion. Stand out essay from Alice Bolin on the ethics of 'lowbrow' and 'highbrow' true crime ( her definitions).

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vivastory
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Received this in the mail today. A collection of true crime long-form journalism. This is right up my alley!

Hooked_on_books Nice! I want to read this one, too. 4y
LeahBergen That looks good! 4y
78 likes3 stack adds2 comments