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A History of Wild Places
A History of Wild Places: A Novel | Shea Ernshaw
150 posts | 111 read | 1 reading | 87 to read
As spine-chilling as it is beautifully crafted. Ruth Emmie Lang, author of Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance The New York Times bestselling author of The Wicked Deep weaves a richly atmospheric adult debut following three residents of a secluded, seemingly peaceful commune as they investigate the disappearances of two outsiders. Travis Wren has an unusual talent for locating missing people. Hired by families as a last resort, he requires only a single object to find the person who has vanished. When he takes on the case of Maggie St. Jamesa well-known author of dark, macabre childrens bookshes led to a place many believed to be only a legend. Called Pastoral, this reclusive community was founded in the 1970s by like-minded people searching for a simpler way of life. By all accounts, the commune shouldnt exist anymore and soon after Travis stumbles upon ithe disappears. Just like Maggie St. James. Years later, Theo, a lifelong member of Pastoral, discovers Traviss abandoned truck beyond the border of the community. No one is allowed in or out, not when theres a risk of bringing a diseaserotinto Pastoral. Unraveling the mystery of what happened reveals secrets that Theo, his wife, Calla, and her sister, Bee, keep from one another. Secrets that prove their perfect, isolated world isnt as safe as they believedand that darkness takes many forms. Hauntingly beautiful, hypnotic, and bewitching, A History of Wild Places is a story about fairy tales, our fear of the dark, and losing yourself within the wilderness of your mind.
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JenniferEgnor
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Pickpick

I checked out this book not knowing what it was about, but loving the cover art that looks like ink blot and a pelvis. The first part really captured me, because I have the gift of psychometry too. The rest I felt was a bit long. I didn‘t expect the twist but I didn‘t like the ending. This book is a lot like M. Night Shyamalan‘s The Village. Cult mentality, deep isolation, Stockholm Syndrome. I‘d like to see this adaptated onto the screen.

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MsRadioSilence
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Pickpick

I‘m a HUGE fan of The Village, have been since I was a kid, so this book was right up my alley. Creepy, atmospheric, and I ate it up so fast. If more BOTM options had been like this one, maybe I wouldn‘t have cancelled my subscription. 👀 Anyway, 4 stars, and a great kickoff to #scarathlon!

#teamwhoyagonnacall #whoyagonnacall #31by31 #readysetread #spookoween #fallingforbooksreadathon #readlikehellathon

FlynnDewey Nice! Glad you had a solid start! 5mo
27 likes1 stack add1 comment
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MarshmallowAdventures
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Pickpick

A deceptively familiar atmosphere with dynamic characters, this novel weaves threads of deception and doubt through a cozy community. A thrilling mystery with an insightful conclusion.

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Meghan1
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Pickpick

Book 37 of 2023! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Meghan1
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Pickpick

Book 37 of 2023! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Rachiiebookdragon
Mehso-so

Overall I enjoyed this one.

Read for reading challenges.

4/5

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HiMyNames_Alyssa
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Pickpick

Loved this. Had a little bit of the Giver vibes. Inkling of a twist right before it was revealed. Comforting nostalgia/longing of and for a simpler life. Definitely a good summer read. Second draw from my TBR jar and either I'm loving it.

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HiMyNames_Alyssa
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Next pull from my jar 😊 loving that it's so much easier to decide my next read. And thankful to have the first library in Texas on my little island with such a huge selection. I'm pretty sure they have just about every book I have in my jar. And yes my shoes are on, I still have to go back to work after my lunch break 😪

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CollapsingLibrary
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Mehso-so

Mixed feelings on this read. I didn‘t see the twist coming until almost the end when it was basically there but overall it was pretty meh to me.

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Mccall0113
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First physical book of 2023. Finn doesn‘t care I have a black shirt on! 🙃 I asked my 8 year old to pick a book from my shelves because I couldn‘t commit. So far so good!

dabbe Finn is so cuddly cute! 1y
TEArificbooks Finn is my dog‘s name too 1y
72 likes2 comments
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wildwoodreads
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It‘s that time of year again. It‘s time to look back on my reading year and see what worked for me and what didn‘t. As always, I like to get the negativity out of the way first, and then tomorrow we‘ll move on to the best books of the year.

Check out my blog post for a more detailed explanation of why I didn‘t like these.
https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/12/28/disappointing-books-of-2022/

70 likes1 stack add
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Jilly6183
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I liked this a lot more than I expected to and, on balance, would recommend it. I had many of the twists figured out early but getting to the "how" made this a real page turner, although the "how" was, IMHO, overly simplistic for an otherwise well-devised story. But it's a well-written, atmospheric novel that's worth checking out.

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babyruth2510
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Pickpick

This was better than I thought it was going to be. Bee, Calla, and Theo live in the remote community of Pastoral but there is a catch…no one leaves. Death is in the boundary woods. When a community member needs help will they risk everything to get help? There was just enough mystery to keep me guessing till the end.

SamAnne I finished it a couple weeks ago. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would too. My one major irritation, and a small one really, but he author was way off on her gardening…If there is deep snow in the winter y‘all are not growing and orchard of lime trees! (edited) 1y
20 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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MysticFaerie
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Pickpick

4⭐/5⭐

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Lauranahe
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Not what I was expecting, but in a good way! Travis has a knack for finding people, so he‘s hired to find Maggie, who‘s been missing for 5 years. His search leads to him into the woods…where he disappears. A couple years later, Theo, Calla and Bee are questioning their life in the secluded community of Pastoral, and they start to find clues about Travis and Maggie…very good mystery, some fun twists, definitely recommend!

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cariashley
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Pickpick

This was more of a page turner than I thought it would be, and I enjoyed it while I was reading. But it‘s only a light pick for me - there were just a lot of plot holes and odd threads that didn‘t really come together. The handful of excerpts from Maggie St. James‘s children‘s book didn‘t really add anything, in my opinion. Still entertaining. #botm

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Sargar114
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Pickpick

My friend lent me this book and I went into it blind…and to be honest…that feels like the best way to tackle this one. I feel like most descriptions would lend itself to spoilers and while I was able to predict a lot of them, by the second half of this one I still didn‘t want to put it down. #doublespin for August

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! This one is still waiting to be read on my shelf lol 2y
CBee I felt the same! Loved it after the first half. Definitely wasn‘t what I was expecting. 😊 2y
24 likes2 comments
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Sargar114
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CBee Are you liking Wild Places? I really enjoyed it! 2y
Sargar114 @CBee I‘m in the middle of it…it‘s pretty wild and not sure quite what to make of it. I like it but definitely processing everything. 2y
CBee @Sargar114 I felt like that too, was a bit slower to start and then things got more interesting and wacky 😂 2y
Sargar114 @CBee Very Wacky! Still good…will probably finish the second half tonight 2y
CBee @Sargar114 great! Will look for your review! 2y
22 likes1 stack add5 comments
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CBee
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Pickpick

I had no idea what to expect when I started this - or if I did, I was totally caught off guard when it veered in another direction. Amazing slow burn mystery, damaged characters, idyllic setting, atmospheric writing. Really loved it once I got past the first few chapters. This counts for #booked2022 #aboutacult and is also my #bookspin! 😊😊

Cinfhen Woohoo!! Great review!! You‘ve peeked my interest ♥️ 2y
persephone1408 I absolutely love her writing! So dark and surprising.🖤📚 2y
CBee @Cinfhen it was really good! I love when I start a book expecting one thing, and that thing turns out to be wrong 😊 2y
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CBee @persephone1408 yes! I loved The Wicked Deep as well! 2y
persephone1408 @CBee yes! & I share a birthday with the swan sisters as well😉 2y
CBee @persephone1408 oooo that‘s creepy cool!!! 🙂🙂🙂 2y
ShelleyBooksie I think I'm one of very few ppl who didn't love this one. 2y
CBee @ShelleyBooksie I didn‘t know if I would but I ended up really enjoying it 🙃 2y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! This one is on my shelf!! 2y
CBee @TheAromaofBooks hope you enjoy! 😊 2y
BarbaraTheBibliophage This one is on my shelf and now I'm even more excited about it! 2y
CBee @BarbaraTheBibliophage hope you like it!! 2y
71 likes12 comments
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ShelleyBooksie
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Mehso-so

This book started strong for me. Then the other 3/4 of the book was like rewatching a certain M. Knight Shamalan movie. Predictable!

BookmarkTavern Your review made me laugh out loud! 2y
27 likes1 comment
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magyklyXdelish
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Pickpick

This was better than I was expecting! I loved how atmospheric it was. It kept me guessing. The character development was great. I loved the ending too.

#LMPBC

magyklyXdelish @Bookish_AF mailed this out today 🤗 2y
32 likes1 comment
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GodsLioness
Pickpick

I read this in stops and starts. Not a completely original story, but I still enjoyed it

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KatieDid927
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Thanks for the fun #SpookySummerSwap package @LeslieO ! @paperwitchs

LeslieO 💜 2y
Chrissyreadit Hi friend! Hope you are well! 2y
CanetteArilleBooks Your chocolate looks delicious 😍😻😋 10mo
39 likes3 comments
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Victoriahoperose
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Pickpick

This is not what I expected and I loved it. This was such a creative story about a community in the woods and it had so many twists in it that I never saw coming. I loved the writing and the story behind it. It reminded me a bit of The Village, but so much better. I could not out this book down. Read it in less than 24 hours. If you haven‘t read it - you should. Why is no one talking about this book?!!!

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Melkyl
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Pickpick

This was a good slow-build mystery. I really liked the way the author brought the reader around to figuring out what was going on. I liked the characters and was interested to find out how everything would end up. #BOTM

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BookishBelle
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Pickpick

I finished this today at my favorite breakfast spot. It was so good! Makes me want to live out in the middle of nowhere even more…

BookishBelle …without the psycho control freak killer/leader of course. And definitely closer to the amenities of civilization. 2y
Graywacke Nice! Happy Saturday 2y
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MoonWitch94 That danish 🤤😍 2y
kspenmoll Looks delicious! Breakfast is my favorite meal! 2y
26 likes6 comments
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bookandbedandtea
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Mehso-so

Finally read this after saying, for weeks, I was going to & it was underwhelming. I really liked the beginning. Travis's voice & story had me hooked but then we lost his POV. I was still ok with that because I figured the new people would collide with him & blend all their stories. And they did! But the way it happened was pretty weird. Also, the source of the "rot" was clear from early on so that reveal lost something for me. Spoiler below ⬇️

bookandbedandtea I know nothing about hypnosis but is it really possible to hypnotize so many people for so long? Into losing their sight? Into forgetting themselves? Maybe it's possible 🤔 but I found it hard to take. 2y
Kimberlone @bookandbedandtea the hypnosis stuff was just too unbelievable 2y
bookandbedandtea @Kimberlone would infinity have preferred your mind altering drug angle 2y
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Kimberlone @bookandbedandtea would have made more sense! Also I was disappointed that Travis‘s supernatural power was not really explained and how did it just completely go away with the hypnosis? 2y
jlhammar Beautiful photo and great review! I felt the same way about this one. 2y
bookandbedandtea @Kimberlone Yes! Could one lose that gift by being made to forget they had it?? 2y
bookandbedandtea @jlhammar Thank you! ⚘️ It's good to know other littens feel the same way. 2y
29 likes7 comments
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Kimberlone
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Final #BookspinBingo results for May. I finished both my #Bookspin and #Doublespin and got a bingo! May was a really good month for reading.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Fabulous month!! 2y
42 likes1 comment
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KateD1
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Pickpick

I loved this book. I loved her writing style. I love how it kept you on edge the entire time.
I also think you could spin-off the first chapter into its own book.

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Kimberlone
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Mehso-so

The Village comparisons are apt, but perhaps give too much away about the mystery at the heart of the community of Pastoral. While I enjoyed this book, and it had a really interesting premise, I feel like it left too much of the world building out of the narrative in order to make the mystery more mysterious. Despite that, I still was able to guess at the main twist. I was more interested in the framing device than the mystery of Pastoral.

Kimberlone I thought the reveal of Levi controlling the community with hypnosis to ultimately be pretty silly. My guess was that it was some sort of mind altering drugs and/or supernatural time travel element, but the actual explanation just didn‘t work for me. In The Village they only needed the story of the beasts in the woods to keep the community members in fear, and that almost would have been better (if very unoriginal). 2y
bookandbedandtea Yes! I just finished this and these are my thoughts exactly! 2y
Kimberlone @bookandbedandtea agree with your review as well!! 2y
46 likes3 comments
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Kimberlone
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Getting Sunday started off on the right foot.

Saknicole ❤️❤️❤️ 2y
vivastory Are you liking this one? I was really surprised by it 2y
Kimberlone @vivastory literally just started so I don‘t know yet! 2y
Librarygal08 I loved this book! 2y
Kimberlone @vivastory conflicted feelings about this one, will be posting my review later today! 2y
73 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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TheSpineView
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Pickpick

I read this for #LMPBC and it is the best of the group so far. The prose was fabulous! The characters are well done and it has just the right amount of creepy in it. 4⭐️

persephone1408 I absolutely agree 2y
79 likes1 stack add2 comments
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TheSpineView
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#WondrousWednesday @eggs

1. Tagged ~ 4⭐️
2. Upgrade
3. My new horse Spicy 💚🐎

Kimzey Congratulations on your new horse! 2y
MoonWitch94 Ohhh what a fun name! 🐴 2y
Eggs 🤎🐎💚 2y
See All 8 Comments
BiblioLitten Congratulations on your new horse😊 2y
48 likes8 comments
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TheSpineView
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#WeekendReading @Andrew65

📖 A History of Wild Places

raymond_frank Harry Potter and the cursed child 2y
TheSpineView @m.a.maqbool 👍📖 2y
ATB My Policeman… gotta read it before the movie is released. 2y
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TheSpineView @ATB Yes.. always read the book before seeing the movie! 2y
bthegood The Man Who Died Twice and The Guncle - make a great day 🌞 2y
TheSpineView @bthegood Thanks! 🥰 2y
45 likes6 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

This is a great palate cleanser for me, after several nonfiction books. I needed a bit of “out there” fiction and this delivered. I‘ve seen this compared to The Village (film) and that works. Don‘t want to say too much about plot, other than a children‘s book author goes missing and a private detective is hired by her parents to find her. Other characters are introduced and the story unfolds from different perspectives. Really liked the ending!

ChaoticMissAdventures I really liked this one too! 2y
Megabooks Just checked it out! Thanks! 2y
84 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Soccer mom status ⚽️

BookBosomed1 Loved that book! 2y
Tamra ‘Tis the season ⚽️ 2y
Santie I sometimes scroll through Litsy mindlessly but I can always tell when a post is yours. You have a unique style and I can identify it! Then I look up at the profile and go ‘yup, I knew it‘s Chelsea‘ 2y
See All 6 Comments
Chelsea.Poole @BookBosomed1 I just finished it—it was so good! 😊 2y
Chelsea.Poole @Tamra LOVE soccer season! ☺️ 2y
Chelsea.Poole @SantieWantie lol thanks!! ☺️ 2y
91 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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TheSpineView
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#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

"Death has a way of leaving breadcrumbs, little particles of the past that catch and settle and stain."

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TheSpineView
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#LMPBC Group L @persephone1408

Jenna, it came today! I see the postmark is May 2nd. That is 10 days to make it from your house to mine. I think a snail would have been faster! 😂

persephone1408 @TheSpineView thank God it finally came! I was starting to worry😂 2y
66 likes2 comments
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Linsy
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I've recently been catching up on the #fantasticstrangelings book club picks. I really enjoyed this one. Now I need to go back and read her witchy YA series. 🌲

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Laughterhp
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Pickpick

I had no idea this was narrated by 5 people. I thought it was narrated by 3 🤦‍♀️.

I really enjoyed this book. I got it from #BOTM but decided to listen to the audio. I wasn‘t sure where the story was going but I was riveted. I didn‘t expect the twist but loved it.

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Kimberlone
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Fresh #BookspinBingo card for May. Mostly #BOTM holdovers from last month, plus a couple others from my #TBR I‘d like to prioritize this month.

BookSpin: A History of Wild Places
DoubleSpin: Cloud Cuckoo Land

I also have a bunch of library borrows I‘m hoping to use for my free spaces. Fingers crossed that 3 free spaces on one line means I‘ll actually get a bingo this month 🤞🏼

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fantastic!! 2y
50 likes1 comment
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persephone1408

@TheSpineView this book goes to you right?? Sorry I'm in 2 groups... Lol I'm sorry I realized that the post office is closed on Saturday so I wont be able to get it out until Monday!

TheSpineView Yes, you are correct. 2y
12 likes1 comment
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persephone1408
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22 likes1 stack add
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MegsBooks
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Pickpick

I know this one‘s been a bit controversial but I really enjoyed it! The ominous undertones just pulled me in. I loved living in that space of not knowing. Though it was predictable, it was also an entertaining experience. :)
#botm

TheNeverendingTBR Damn, you returned after years. Well, I'm glad you're back. Thanks for following. 🙋 2y
MegsBooks @TheNeverendingTBR haha I did! Better late than never. 😁 Absolutely, happy reading! 2y
19 likes2 comments
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Samary
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Mehso-so

I love the cult and manipulative aspects to it but the ending, to me, felt kinda preachy almost… like “in case you didn‘t get it, this is what happened”

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GidgetsTreasures75
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3-31-22: My March Book Wrap Up! 👏🏼📖⭐️

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GidgetsTreasures75
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Pickpick

3-29-22: My 29th finished book of 2022! Travis can find people by touching objects and he has been hired to find the author, Maggie St. James. After getting his truck stuck in the snow, Travis disappears, as well. Meanwhile, out past that truck is a place called Pastoral, where people live by the land and fear going past its borders. The story comes together beautifully as we follow the lives of Calla, Theo and Bee. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣2️⃣9️⃣

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hes7
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Pickpick

I don‘t know if it‘s my mood or if I‘m just picking up good books, but I‘ve been loving everything I‘ve been reading this weekend. #20in4

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bookandbedandtea
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Bailey is curious about the book I've chosen to read next.