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Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West | Gregory Maguire
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
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review
blakelylaw
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Panpan

I had to work really, really hard not to bail. Only reason I didn't is that that goes against my general principles.

I got the book because I LOVE the musical. I HATED the book and I don't say that lightly. It is disgusting!

And warning to parents, because of the sexual content, it IS NOT appropriate reading for any of those children, especially young girls who also love the musical.

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ShyBookOwl
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great photo 💚🖤 5mo
41 likes1 comment
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lynneamch
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I still haven't read the book, but teen granddaughter and I loved it on Broadway.
"I do believe I have been changed for the better
And because I knew you
Because I knew you
Because I knew you
I have been changed
For good"
#Wicked #AutumnPlease @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs I see it‘s on my Litsy TBR…👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5mo
rubyslippersreads I adore the musical and saw it several times, but didn‘t really care for the book. 5mo
lynneamch @rubyslippersreads Appreciate your view. My granddaughter said she bailed on the book when it got pretty dark. It's keeps getting farther down on my tbr. 5mo
32 likes3 comments
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Bookworm54
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dabbe #tootrue 🖤🧡🖤 5mo
TheSpineView 🖤🎃🖤 5mo
27 likes2 comments
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BarkingMadRead
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Eggs Sounds so good 👏🏻👍🏼👌🏼 5mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful edition 💚🖤 5mo
43 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Kshakal
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rubyslippersreads I can‘t believe it‘s been 20 years since the musical debuted. #Wicked20 5mo
Kshakal @rubyslippersreads I know!! It is still one of my favorite musicals and will probably always be! 5mo
Eggs Excellent 👌🏼 5mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🖤🧙🏻💚 5mo
26 likes4 comments
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Blueberry
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I really enjoyed this book, much more than the play.
#Witch
#AutumnPlease
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

MissyD I liked the book. I‘m seeing the play for the first time in December 5mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 🖤🧙‍♀️💚 5mo
PurpleyPumpkin I completely agree! I enjoyed both the book and the play, but the book came out on top for me. 🙌🏽 5mo
Eggs Oooh looks good! 🖤🤍🖤 5mo
42 likes1 stack add4 comments
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mjtwo
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Panpan

28 July-13 Sep 23
Relieved to have finally finished this so I can move on to something better. Recommended by a former colleague but found it lacked the lightness and humour of the musical (yes I probably should have expected that) and I just could not reconcile the two. It seemed to go forever and I felt Maguire was too busy being clever for me to actually understand what was happening.
I need to learn to bail.

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mobill76

Son of a Witch was kinda disappointing as sequels often are. It's hard to recreate the impact of such an innovative version of Oz. A Lion Among Men redeemed the series a bit, I thought. Tying up all the loose ends is at once satisfying and disappointing. It's bad enough that the story is over. I'd like a little bit of the mystery left to haunt me as I walk the woods at night. The first book is the best but the whole series is genius.

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BekaReid
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Morning reading interruptions. Edgar is in need of some attention.

RaeLovesToRead Awww Edgar! 🥰 9mo
21 likes1 comment
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BekaReid
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I picked up a copy of Wicked last year but never got around to reading it. Maybe now is the time. I have to admit I'm starting it with a bit of apprehension since I've heard so many mixed opinions on it.

RaeLovesToRead Oh kitty! What a face 😄🥰 9mo
RaeLovesToRead Such a cutie 9mo
16 likes2 comments
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Blueberry
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🍭 The Man with the X-ray Eyes (I was a kid.)
🍫 Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
🍬 Burnt orange/rust

I tag @NataliePatalie.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

Eggs 🧡🎃😱 1y
39 likes1 comment
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Roary47
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Will be trying to catch up today and read a bunch while home with my youngest who is now sick. Lots of Minnie Mouse and cuddles for today. Here is the prompt “Wicked” for #OminousOctober the only book in this series I liked. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks #Scarathon #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I hope he feels better ❤️‍🩹 1y
Eggs This book looks fun 🤩. Hope your little one is getting better 💕 1y
16 likes1 stack add2 comments
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vonnie862
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🧙‍♀️ 🖤 1y
Eggs 💚🖤💚 1y
32 likes2 comments
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marleed
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Pickpick

Honestly, I anticipated struggling my way through this book that was on my TBR so long that I donated my original copy unread - then couldn‘t resist this beauty at thrifting prices. I‘ve seen the touring musical several times and enjoyed reading this book for the whole story. I think I‘ll read Son of a Witch next October!

CaitlinR I‘ve enjoyed all of his books, I‘m glad you liked this one! 1y
marleed @CaitlinR I don‘t know why it took me so long! 1y
CaitlinR “So many books, so little time …”. I‘m sure you‘ve been reading some great stuff 🙂 1y
73 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Blueberry
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MommyOfTwo Loved that book 1y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 🖤🧙‍♀️ 1y
Eggs Stacked!🖤🖤 1y
54 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Kshakal
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Mom and I had tickets for this in March of 2020 and we are finally here!!

BethM Soooo good 2y
Kshakal @BethM it is my favorite… my third time seeing it and mom‘s second! 2y
39 likes2 comments
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Kshakal
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Although this is my favorite musical I have never been able to bring myself to read it! #beenonmyshelf4ever #bookmoods @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

BethM It‘s weird. Soooo weird. But delightfully, head scratching weird. And nothing like the play. 2y
JuliaTheBookNerd I struggled to get through it 😬 I found it kinda boring 🤪 2y
Eggs 🖤 🧙🏻‍♀️ 💚 2y
MadDustKitties It's deep, with lots of subtle political undertones. It's not a book I would have thought they would make a musical from... But they did. The musical and the book are not the same animal, no pun intended. 2y
DivineDiana I loved this book! The musical is still on my must do list! 2y
36 likes5 comments
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Kimberlone
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Thrift store book haul from Saturday. $1.50 for the lot!

I‘m always on the lookout for leather bound volumes in good condition. I‘m pretty picky when it comes to paperbacks. I actually prefer paperbacks because they are so much easier to travel with and I can fit more on my bookshelves. But even when they are really cheap ($.10 each at the thrift store), I only want copies that are in like new condition. This helps me limit myself!

vivastory That Sherlock! 2y
Kimberlone @vivastory yep, total steal! Glad I found that one :) 2y
TheBookHippie WOWIE!!!!! ♥️♥️♥️😍📖📖📖 2y
See All 17 Comments
BarbaraTheBibliophage What an amazing deal!! 2y
SRWCF And here I thought I was getting such a deal with my $0.99 thrift store books. $0.10 is just unheard of! I would have bought up each and every 📖 at that sale! 2y
tokorowilliamwallace Nice, some Ezra Pound. My most recent library sale hauls last week 2 days in a row came at 16 for $4 and 5 for $1. 2y
Kimberlone @tokorowilliamwallace that‘s awesome! Love a good deal! 2y
Kimberlone @SRWCF this is a locally owned thrift store so I think that‘s why the books start at 10 cents. Some hardcovers can be up to $1 but compared to Goodwill or the main used bookstore in my city (which even for the cheapest books starts at $3 usually), still an extremely good deal! 2y
tokorowilliamwallace @Kimberlone, huh, really? The two Goodwills I frequented in Melbourne, Florida mostly had books for a dollar. 2y
SRWCF @tokorowilliamwallace My local Goodwill store books usually start at 2 to 3 bucks. 2y
Kimberlone @SRWCF @tokorowilliamwallace I don‘t go to Goodwill for book shopping since there‘s a better thrift store option for books in my area, but I live in Alaska so everything is more expensive, including Goodwill prices. I don‘t think I‘ve ever seen a book priced at Goodwill for less than $2.99 here. (edited) 2y
SRWCF @Kimberlone I live in Idaho and I definitely have my fave thrift stores to shop at. My number one is St. Vincent De Paul's. Next is any library sale. Those two have the best prices! 2y
Kimberlone @SRWCF Bishop‘s Attic is my go-to for book thrifting! They have the best deals in my area. Can‘t beat 10 cents per book! 2y
SRWCF @Kimberlone What a great name for a thrift store! 2y
Caitlin89 Oh my gosh!! What a steal! Like everyone else here, I only ever see thrifted books for 2 or 3 dollars at best! 2y
Saknicole Have your read Wicked? That series is so um darkly unsentimental? The musical is so fluffy compared! I read Wicked and Son of a Witch in HS and honestly idk how I felt. 🤷‍♀️ 2y
Kimberlone @Saknicole I read it in high school around the same time as the musical came out and was definitely surprised at how different they are. I don‘t remember reading any of the other books in the same universe. I loved this edition and couldn‘t resist for 10 cents. Love the green pages! 2y
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vonnie862
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About last night...🤗
#musicals

annahenke Oh I went to see this in Chicago and adored it!! 2y
31 likes1 comment
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brittanythebookdragon
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Panpan

My God. Don‘t read it. Go watch the musical and enjoy it. Skip this hyper sexualized shit. No one will ever be able to convince me that Old Greg wasn‘t 100% fondling himself while writing this book. I‘ve decided I will never be a Maguire fan. He just isn‘t for me.

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PuSsNbOoKs
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“Ah, we‘re slow learners,” Nanny countered, “but they (men) can‘t learn at all.”

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MeganAnn
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2/2 #basicwitchswap
@DebinHawaii you clearly read my answers carefully because I asked for mahogany obsidian & now I have this beautiful sphere to set on my desk to help manifest my creative ideas. The turquoise pouch you wrapped it in is beautiful. The Taurus oil smells lovely. I‘m looking forward to finding different ways to use it.
Deb, you really spoiled me! I cannot thank you enough, I hope you love yours too. Happy Halloween + Samhain 🔮✨

DebinHawaii I was excited about the sphere! It was the first thing I bought. The Taurus oil caught my eye (& nose) at my local crystal shop, where I got the pouch & witch‘s datebook & I hoped you would enjoy it & could find something fun to do with it. 🖤💚🖤 2y
sprainedbrain Gorgeous! 🖤 2y
39 likes2 comments
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peanutnine
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#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

🎃 Oh gosh, so many right now 🤦🏼‍♀️ Just started the tagged, even though I'm also in the middle of reading Once & Future Witches, SBC's Guide to Slaying Vampires, the Puma Years, and #DoWRTR

🎃 I'm visiting one of my best friends in FL for an event at the Kennedy Space Center! 🚀🧑🏻‍🚀

🎃 Flexible work hours ☺️

Eggs #2 how nice!! 🚀 2y
25 likes1 comment
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peanutnine
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Finally got to see our first (masked) show of the 2020 season! 😅 Wicked is one of my favorite musicals, it was such a great performance! It's made me want to read the book now. I've had it on my TBR shelf for years, this may finally be the season that I read it 💚

xicanti I love the book very much, but it‘s got a completely different tone from the musical. Everybody I know who read it because they love the show was either disappointed or horrified. 3y
tdrosebud I'll be seeing this for the first time in Nov! I loved the book. 3y
peanutnine @xicanti lol yes I've heard that. I'm definitely not expecting the same optimistic bubbly tone that is the musical. I'm interested to see the darker side of the story honestly. Thanks for the heads up though! 3y
peanutnine @tdrosebud yay! I hope you enjoy it! It's such a fun experience 3y
41 likes4 comments
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ShawnYLibros

Im almost finished Wicked its been a chore. It is such a boring book and the characters are so flat I cant stand it. I desperately need to find a good book to read.

booksbrewsandbooze Ok you‘re the only person I‘ve seen online who felt the same way I did! I keep on meaning to give the audiobook a try instead… 2y
5 likes1 comment
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Kshakal
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My heart is so happy right now!! 💚💖💚

ReadingOver50 I love Wicked! 3y
Kshakal @ReadingOver50 me too!! My favorite Broadway show for sure! 3y
25 likes2 comments
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ShawnYLibros
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On page 144 of wicked an nothing interesting is happening yet when does it get better

5 likes1 stack add
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ShawnYLibros
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Starting Wicked Tonight DNFed it many years ago and want to give it another try

CrowCAH I slogged through it after falling in love the play. The musical is definitely better! 3y
7 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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MatchlessMarie
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I‘m late but this prompt was a little tricky for me because I recently moved and have still been unpacking but haven‘t really established a cohesive aesthetic so here is one corner I have put together. Special mention to Wicked photobombing 😂 #readathon #deweyaug

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peanutnine
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Day 31 #MayCharacters
Prompt: Musical

Okay so I'm cheating a little on this one because no one in the book is actually musical but the musical adaptation of this story is one of my favorites 💕

Thank you @Eggs and @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for hosting this monthly photo challenge! I've had a ton of fun with the daily prompts 😄

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Sounds good!! Thank you for playing! Hope to see you in June!! 📚🙌🏻 3y
Eggs Great choice❣️ it‘s been so much fun reading your posts 🥰👏🏻🥳 3y
28 likes2 comments
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xicanti
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I switched to red tea tonight. I probably won‘t finish WICKED before I fall asleep, but I‘m hard into it now. I forgot how skillfully Maguire manages POV here, and how good it gets once Elphaba finally begins to speak.

alisiakae I‘ve been meaning to reread his books! 3y
xicanti @4thhouseontheleft finished this one last night after all, and now I‘m all afire for the rest of the series! I‘ve never read the finale so I‘m especially excited for that. 3y
43 likes1 stack add2 comments
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xicanti
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Green tea felt like the most appropriate beverage tonight.

I‘m over halfway through my WICKED reread now, and while I still love it, I don‘t think it‘ll retain its Top 16 status. (My faves make a Top 15, now.) I expected that and I‘m at peace with it. It‘s been twelve years since I last read it, and this is only my fourth time overall. I‘m so fickle that the faves that STAY faves in the long term are pretty rare.

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MariaW
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Saw the novel Wicked posted by @xicanti and had to buy the whole collection. 🙈

xicanti Yay! 3y
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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xicanti
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My dad needed help with something at a venue right near this public art, so I paused and read a nice chunk of my book while I waited for him to show up.

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xicanti
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Back in the day, I set April aside for rereads. I let the practice drop off a few years back when my reading priorities shifted a bit, but this year I want to focus on rereads again!

First up: Gregory Maguire‘s Wicked Years series. I‘m finally gonna read the fourth one.

And yes, I know you probably hate WICKED. I don‘t need to hear about it. It really bugs me when people go out of their way to tell me they loathe something I love.

mcctrish I loved Wicked 3y
xicanti @mcctrish yay! I often feel like the only one, and for some reason, the people who hate it always feel the need to rant at me when they find out. 3y
reading_rainbow I have this on my TBR and I‘m actually really excited about it 3y
xicanti @reading_rainbow I hope you enjoy it! 3y
40 likes4 comments
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KrystalClarity
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Panpan

This book is a major downer; the scope and magnitude of things gone wrong in Elphaba‘s life from start to finish is astonishing. Honestly, it was a slog. Also, I‘m not afraid of sex in books, but the sheer number of things described in sexual terms felt awkward. Like mountains, or a person going through great stress over a loved one‘s mortal peril and digging their nails into something. This happens a lot and the dissonance was distracting.

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Kris10H
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Got a new Kobo with some Christmas gift cards, so I guess I'm also finally reading this gem! It's been ages since I looked at my Kobo collection, and turns out that, like my physical collection of books, I have a lot of ebooks waiting to be read. Maybe I should stop buying until I've read them all?
(Nah! I don't have that kind of restraint.)

AkashaVampie I only read ebooks... so that would be an easy answer for me 3y
Kris10H I go through phases where I'll only read ebooks, and then only physical copies for a while, nd then mostly just audio books. A book is a book is a book, I guess. Lol 3y
8 likes2 comments
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CrowCAH
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#RememberNovember #Defiance

Alphaba sure knows how to defy gravity and social norms; but she‘s still so Popular

Klou 😂😂 love it! 3y
63 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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MaleficentBookDragon
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My #basicwitchswap 📦 is here!!!

sprainedbrain Yayayayayyay!!! 3y
Erinsuereads Oh thank goodness! I wasn't sure it was going to make it with this ice storm we had! 3y
MaleficentBookDragon @ErinSueMreads I‘m so excited. I don‘t know what‘s in there but the box smells amazing. Candles? Incense? 3y
Erinsuereads Does it????? Yay! No incense. You said no on that on your sheet. But their may be some other delicious smelling things in there 3y
45 likes4 comments
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JessicaThunstromNelson
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Unintentionally seasonal reading

10 likes1 stack add
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katy4peas
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Ha-ha-hehe-haha-he!!

Lindy Cute! 3y
63 likes1 comment
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mrp27
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#3books #idnfed

I just wasn‘t interested enough to finish these three titles.

OriginalCyn620 📚😐📚 4y
28 likes1 comment
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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm
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Mehso-so

3⭐️s for now...
I‘m still not sure of my feelings towards this book... There were huge chunks of the story that just, didn‘t exist. Sometimes this worked in favor of the story, but mostly I found it a bit annoying. There were other moments where I wondered why exactly the author felt the need to write certain sentences. The Arjiki children are already pitifully disgusting beings, I don‘t need certain cringeworthy details just to make me go 😨🤢⬇️

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I did like reading a different take on the Oz story. There were plenty of moments where I sympathized with Elphaba very strongly. I never expected to feel for the Wicked Witch of the West in such a way, so I would say Maguire was very successful in retelling a classic in a new way. Overall, I‘m hoping the next book is a bit better and that Wicked is more of a world-building starting point. 4y
28 likes1 comment
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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm
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I really need to get in some reading time this weekend. I feel if I set a goal with encouragement from something like the #24B4Monday Readathon, I‘ll have a better chance of actually accomplishing it. So my ambitious plans are to finish Wicked, start & finish Gone Girl, & start Mossflower to cleanse my palate before diving into all the creepy Oct. reads I have planned. I promised a few peeps Doctor Sleep was next, but we‘ll have to wait til Oct.😅

jb72 Glad to have you aboard! 4y
Andrew65 Hope the Readathon helps. Great to have you with us and good luck. 😊👍 4y
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Zephsomething
This post contains spoilers
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“died in a sadly timed explosion” ???? What, pray tell, the fuck, does that mean?? Sir? Did you kill this babies mother so you could put in a cage as an experiment? What the fuck sir?

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Zephsomething
This post contains spoilers
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They really do just like, absolutely have Doctor Dillamond murdered huh? This reallly truly is significantly darker and more political than the play.

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Zephsomething
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The only thing I‘ve liked better in the book than the play so far is that Galinda is actually quite intelligent; flighty and silly and caught on the idea of Society still yes but also clever and excitedly interested in architecture.
I think when inevitably I write a hogwarts au they will both be in Ravenclaw and everyone will be Baffled as to why Galinda is there.

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm
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I feel you, Elphaba, me too. 💚💚💚