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The New York Times Book Review
The New York Times Book Review: 125 Years of Literary History | The New York Times
37 posts | 3 to read
A delightful (Vanity Fair) collection from the longest-running, most influential book review in America, featuring its best, funniest, strangest, and most memorable coverage over the past 125 years. Since its first issue on October 10, 1896, The New York Times Book Review has brought the world of ideas to the reading public. It is the publication where authors have been made, and where readers first encountered the classics that have enriched their lives. Now the editors have curated the Book Reviews dynamic 125-year history, which is essentially the story of modern American letters. Brimming with remarkable reportage and photography, this beautiful book collects interesting reviews, never-before-heard anecdotes about famous writers, and spicy letter exchanges. Here are the first takes on novels we now consider masterpieces, including a long-forgotten pan of Anne of Green Gables and a rave of Mrs. Dalloway, along with reviews and essays by Langston Hughes, Eudora Welty, James Baldwin, Nora Ephron, and more. With scores of stunning vintage photographs, many of them sourced from the Timess own archive, readers will discover how literary tastes have shifted through the yearsand how the Book Reviews coverage has shaped so much of what we read today.
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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New York Times Best Books of 2024.

What do we think of this list?

I have only read 2
Fiction
All Fours - Miranda July ✅
Good Material - Dolly Alderman
James - Percival Everett ✅
Martyr! Kayeh Akbar
You Dreamed of Empires - Álvaro Enrigue
NF
Cold Crematorium -
Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here
I Heard Her Call My Name
Reagan
The Wide Wide Sea

Suet624 I was really happy they put Martyr on the list. 2w
ChaoticMissAdventures @Suet624 I just got Martyr from the library! Excited to tackle it. I think I am going to get to all the fiction books since they are all on #ToB The NF books I am a bit luke warm on. 2w
Kitta I really didn‘t like all fours tbh. 2w
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Suet624 Oh, I didn‘t realize Empire was on the TOB. I guess I‘ll have to check that one out. 2w
ChaoticMissAdventures @Kitta it is super controversial! I read it during Camp Litsy, I personally enjoyed it but I think most people did not. 2w
ChaoticMissAdventures @Suet624 I have heard really mixed reviews, but luckily I think it is short! 2w
Kitta @ChaoticMissAdventures I read it for Camp Litsy too, it‘s not something I‘d normally read so I was glad to broaden my horizons even if I didn‘t enjoy it. I kept being like WHY are you doing this?? The whole way through lol 2w
ChaoticMissAdventures @Kitta oh for sure!! LoL it was wild. But I kind of liked that an older (than what most books are centered on) woman was depicted just out there being ridiculous. Some scenes went way too far though. 2w
23 likes8 comments
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Liz_M
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As always, I am stuck in the past...

But it's fun to see if I recognize any of NYT's "100 Notable Books of 2024".

BarbaraBB Haha, but you‘ve read those 1001 books we all still must 🩷 2w
20 likes1 comment
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squirrelbrain
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Thank you for the gift link @Chelsea.Poole - I love a list, although it‘s not good for my TBR!

Lots of the non-fiction I‘d never even heard of…. 🤔

And I‘m only part-way through two of these, Someone Like Us from the #ToBlonglist and Language City.

Chelsea.Poole We‘ve read several of the same books! 2w
AlaMich What do you think of Language City? It sounds like it‘s right up my language nerd alley. 🤓 2w
squirrelbrain @AlaMich - I‘m loving it so far, and you will too if you‘re a language nerd. I‘m about 3/4 of the way through and I‘ve paused it for a bit, but only because the #ToBlonglist is distracting me! 2w
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Caroline2 What did you think of The Empusium?? I‘ve paused it at about 100 pages. I‘m just bored and haven‘t picked it up for weeks now. Does it get better?? 🤔 3d
squirrelbrain @Caroline2 - I didn‘t love it, and it‘s the same all the way through apart from something more interesting in the last few pages. 😬 3d
Caroline2 Meh!! Soooo disappointing! Such a great premise! It promised so much but it‘s very slow isn‘t it. 🙄 3d
squirrelbrain Yes, and there‘s not much of a horror story either! @Caroline2 3d
56 likes7 comments
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Kitta
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Oh wow only 3!! Lots on my TBR though.

This is the New York Times notable list of 100 books (fiction and non-fiction). Link in the comments.

Bookwomble Have you recovered from pneumonia? I hope you're on the mend, at least ❤️‍🩹 2w
Kitta @Bookwomble yes, still coughing and tired but the worst of it is over. I‘m back at work but taking it easy. Thanks for asking ❤️ 2w
BarbaraBB Glad you‘re feeling better 🤍 2w
27 likes5 comments
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BarbaraBB
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Thanks for the link @Chelsea.Poole to the NYT Notable Books of the Year.
So many I haven‘t even heard of, while I‘ve been thinking I‘m on top of things 😂

I‘ve read just these twelve (to be honest, one of them I am still reading!) and have five more sitting on my shelves. I had more books in common with the NPR Books We Love-list!

Ruthiella I‘d only read five. Also, there was a lot of non-fiction which is something I don‘t gravitate towards as a reader, unfortunately. 2w
Chelsea.Poole Colored Television seems to be popping up on many of the lists. I really need to get around to that one. I am looking at Wild Houses on the couch beside me but still haven‘t cracked it open. 2w
sarahbarnes Having read 12 is good! Like @Ruthiella I‘ve only read 5, although there are several on my TBR. 2w
BarbaraBB @Ruthiella I don‘t either. And yes, there was a lot of NF on the list 2w
BarbaraBB @Chelsea.Poole That‘s the one I have just started. Colores Television I mean. I know I liked Wild Houses but I can‘t tell you what it‘s about anymore 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2w
51 likes5 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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I‘ve read 21 from the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2024 so far. I‘m hoping to add a few more to this graphic before the end of the year. Interested? I‘ll put the link in the comments below.

Chelsea.Poole If the first link doesn‘t work, here‘s the gift link article which should work for everyone without the paywall: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/26/books/notable-books.html?unlocked... 2w
Bookwormjillk Thanks for the gift link. I‘ve read 7. 2w
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BarbaraBB Thank you for the gift link! I read 12 (will share them) and some more on my shelves! 2w
AmyG Thank you!!!! I‘ve read 7, but have about 6 or so on my TBR. (edited) 2w
Kitta Thank you for the gift link! I‘ve only read 3!! 😮 2w
Lesliereadsalot Wow! 21 is amazing! I read 10, bailed on 1. 2w
Singout Very impressive! 2w
68 likes8 comments
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Wow this list is very different from others I have seen. I have only read 7, but I have 5 more at home waiting for me.

I cannot wait to really go through this there are so many I didn't know and my TBR is going to explode.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/11/26/books/notable-books.html

sarahbarnes At least 10 on here I want to read, too! 3w
38 likes1 comment
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Leftcoastzen
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The list in real live newsprint rather than online!

Suet624 I‘d prefer a paper copy too. 3mo
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Kimberlone
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NYTBR came out with their Readers Choice list of the 100 best books of the 21st century, and this feels much more in line with what books people actually read. I have a problem with calling a list “the best” when it includes so many obscure selections (how can they be the best when hardly anyone has read them outside academia/publishing?). The original list I only had read 9 from, but this list I have read 53/100! Just in the top ten I‘ve read 7!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘ve read 4 of these and only really liked one 🤷🏻‍♀️ 5mo
Deblovestoread I‘ve read 9 and loved 8 of those. My kind of list! 💜 5mo
Kimberlone @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks absolutely love that book! Station Eleven, Never Let Me Go, The Goldfinch, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and All the Light We Cannot See are also all time favorites of mine, so I was happy to see them in this top 10. 5mo
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Kimberlone @Deblovestoread agreed! The only from the top 10 that I‘ve read and didn‘t love was Educated, which I thought was fine but wasn‘t blown away. 5mo
ItsAnotherJen This is a much better list! I read all but one, and that's on my tbr 5mo
Kimberlone @ItsAnotherJen I agree, much more reflective of what books were both good AND popular during that time period! 5mo
47 likes6 comments
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Kimberlone
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Very surprised by the selection of books in this list. First, why are we already canonizing the best books of the 21st century after only 25 years? Second, I get that the NYTBR is very high brow compared to the taste of the average reader, but I was still confused by the not insignificant number of books in translation that were originally published prior to 2000, but translated after.

Plus, The Goldfinch was ranked way too low in my opinion!

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Flaneurette
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Some puzzling omissions on this list but these always spur some good discussions! now to take a look at my tbr and figure out what to prioritize-out of the 34 I want to read-I always want to read the latest buzzy titles tho.

Suet624 I agree. The new books always take precedence over my TBR. 3mo
27 likes1 comment
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PaperbackPirate
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Apparently I‘m better at buying the books than I am at reading them!

In case you can‘t read the covers:
The Corrections
The Overstory
Atonement
Americanah
White Teeth
H is for Hawk
Demon Copperhead
An American Marriage
Station Eleven
Bel Canto

Which one do I need to read first?

#100bestbooksofthe21stcentury #tbr

charl08 If you're anything like me, *all* of them... 5mo
Ruthiella I‘ve not read four, but of those I have read, I think I recommend Bel Canto the most. Based on the blurb, I wouldn‘t like it, but it totally surprised me. 5mo
Prairiegirl_reading Pre-Covid I would have said station eleven all day long but I‘m not sure how it would go now. I loved it back then. Demon Copperhead is excellent but I hard read. So I recommend both but with caveats. 5mo
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PaperbackPirate My friend‘s favorite book is Bel Canto which is why I bought it. Thank you for the extra encouragement to get it read @Ruthiella ! 5mo
PaperbackPirate Lol good to know @charl08 ! 📚📚📚 5mo
PaperbackPirate I already saw the Station Eleven show so I think that‘s why I‘ve delayed on that one. Demon Copperhead has been on my summer stack but there it still sits! Thank you for the recommendation @Prairiegirl_reading ! 5mo
Prairiegirl_reading @PaperbackPirate I always forget they made it in to a series! 5mo
46 likes7 comments
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Singout
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Here‘s my list of books I‘ve read, although I included a few bailed on. Thanks to @Bookwomble for making this accessible! Like others, I was not into number one at all and didn‘t even finish it.

Bookwomble Thank you for the mention, though I must give credit to @jlhammar for sharing the link first 😊 5mo
12 likes1 comment
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Singout
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My TBR from #NYTBest100: about 12 are available in audio in my library and weren‘t already on my list.

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kspenmoll
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After I read through the 100 books again, I chose 29 I may want to read at some point. A few I already own. #TBR #NYTinesBookReview

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KathyWheeler
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I‘ve read 20 of these and didn‘t care for two of them (The Goldfinch and The Plot Against America). There are also several on the complete list that I have no interest in reading.

Modern Mrs. Darcy‘s gift link: https://modernmrsdarcy.com/links-i-love-461/

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I also didn‘t care for The Goldfinch.. 5mo
TheBookHippie Didn‘t like Goldfinch either! 5mo
KathyWheeler @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheBookHippie I can‘t remember the last time I was so bored reading a book. I did finish it, but I‘m not sure why. 5mo
TheBookHippie @KathyWheeler I went on and on and on….. 😫😝 5mo
KathyWheeler @TheBookHippie Yes, it did! 5mo
27 likes5 comments
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BarbaraJean
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And here‘s my TBR from the #NYTBest100 list! I just postponed a library hold for Demon Copperhead, and eight others are on my shelves already—maybe I‘ll get to those sooner, maybe not 😆

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BarbaraJean
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I was eyeing these #NYTBest100 posts with envy yesterday, sad because the list was paywalled—thank you to all those who posted the tip for a gift link via Modern Mrs. Darcy!

Some of these I loved, some not so much—but I do love a good list, whether I agree with the choices or not. This was unsurprisingly focused on lit fic, but it was nice to see Fifth Season and some graphic novels make the list as well.

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youneverarrived
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I do love a list! 😁

charl08 Me too! 5mo
Cathythoughts Me too , I have lots of lists 👍🏻😁 5mo
47 likes2 comments
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Kitta
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My TBR list! #nytbest100 #nybest100

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Kitta
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Not bad, but some of these I hated 😂 so many are on my TBR shelf. Weird only wolf hall is splayed.

Thanks @Bookwomble for helping me find the link.

I‘ll put a link in the comments so you can play too! #nytbest100 #nybest100

Bookwomble 😊👍 5mo
BarbaraJean I spy another splayed one in the top row—Plot Against America! 5mo
Kitta @BarbaraJean oh good point!! 5mo
27 likes4 comments
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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I'm not surprised that I've only read 12 of the NYT's best 100 books of the 21st century, and that a few more of them I DNFed. There were plenty of titles there I have deliberately not picked up. I think the diversity of this list would have been improved by only including one book per author.

The only ones here I'd include in my personal list of the best books of the 21st century would be The Fifth Season, Detransition, Baby, and Fun Home.

Laughterhp I went to look at the list and NY Times wanted me to pay 😆😆 so I‘ll just piece it together by what people post lol. 5mo
Ruthiella @Laughterhp I think you can find it on StoryGraph too. Probably someone on Goodreads has also created a list. (edited) 5mo
Laughterhp @Ruthiella Oh that‘s a good point!! 5mo
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian @Laughterhp @Ruthiella I didn't give the NYT any money either, I found the list here: https://archive.is/EtN68#selection-4197.0-4212.0 5mo
Pogue 10 I have read 10 of them. 5mo
Bookwormjillk I agree about one per author 5mo
38 likes6 comments
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Susanita
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Two of these are among my all-time favorites, and one is among my all-time NOT favorites.

I recognize many of the books on the list as “usual suspects” that I‘ve seen on similar lists, and I used to take that kind of list and swallow it whole. Now I‘m more intentional about what I add to my TBR list. All that is to say that 6 of these are there. I might add more after checking out some that are new to me.

Meanwhile, I have DNF‘d 5. 😎

vivastory I've read a lot of the ones on your list and 3 are all -time favorites. I agree with you about being intentional about your tbr 5mo
48 likes2 comments
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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NYT List of the The100Best Books of the 21st Century is out!

I love a book list. Lots of thoughts on this one. It is strange to me that there are so many authors with multiple books, while genres like Sci-Fi and romance were mostly ignored.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.html?auth...

ChaoticMissAdventures I read 48 and have 4 at home waiting to be read. 5mo
Decalino Agreed! These lists are never perfect but this one was pretty strange. Also, why combine fiction and non-fiction? I feel like those should be separate. 5mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @Decalino I read most of the nonfiction books, and for sure there are enough fantastic ones that they could have made a whole other list and given those spots to a wider variety of fiction authors/books 5mo
28 likes3 comments
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IndoorDame
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My very small dent in a very large list #NYTtop100

ChaoticMissAdventures I just did my count up. Many of these I didn't even like! or I have read others by the other and didn't like, so I never picked up the one they have on the list. It was interesting to me to see so many duplicate authors - like all three of Jesmyn Wards books (so deserved) and 2 Junot Diaz, Alice Munro, and Elena Ferrante while mostly ignoring things like sci-fi. But I do like how they mixed in some Nonfiction. What did you think of the list? 5mo
IndoorDame There were definitely one or two I started and DNF and some others I had no interest in, but I was actually really interested in the I want to read counterlist and am saving that graphic for myself that has 27 titles, a few of which were already on my TBR but lots of others I hadn‘t even heard of. 5mo
Bookwomble I read going to say I'd guess my total would be zero, but I see Fun Home on your pic, so 1 😄 5mo
48 likes3 comments
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kspenmoll
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My husband sent this list to me. I have read 20 out of the 100 books listed. It‘s a start! #newyorktimesbookreview #top100

TheBookHippie Is there a link? 5mo
TheBookHippie @thegirlwiththelibrarybag thx. Paywall I could read what books with reader view! 😅😂 5mo
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dabbe You beat my sorry 🫏! 😂😂😂 5mo
BarkingMadRead I‘ve only read 5 🙈 5mo
kspenmoll @dabbe @BarkingMadRead I read several of these with a bookclub I was in for ages. If I were choosing myself, I am sure I would have read less! Some of the books listed I do not have the interest to read. 5mo
64 likes6 comments
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Leftcoastzen
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It‘s Sunday.Sometimes I treat myself!

Tamra I can hear your TBR exploding ☄️ 1y
Leftcoastzen @Tamra 😁probably! 1y
56 likes2 comments
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charl08
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Oh go on then.

41 likes2 comments
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charl08
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Sarraute was born Natacha Tserniak in tsarist Russia to assimilated, upwardly mobile Jewish parents who spoke Russian and French, not Yiddish. Her father, Ilya, a loving figure of stability in her life, was a chemist who owned a dye factory in Ivanovo-Voznesensk, northeast of Moscow, This was an industrial area that saw some of the first workers‘ strikes... Living in Paris years later, Ilya played chess with Lenin and Trotsky in the Café du Lion.

charl08 File under NF books I want to read (but probably won't). 2y
48 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Chelsea.Poole
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I‘m going to attempt the full #NYTtopten2022
Several of these were already on my radar or on hold.
Just listened to Rachel Avis‘s Strangers to Ourselves and it was great! May make my top of the year list as well.

DivineDiana I‘m thinking that is a great reading goal! 2y
AmyG Good for you! I thought about it, but I will just read the two I actually own…Candy House amd Demon Copperhead. Good luck! 2y
rockpools This list looks really interesting! 2y
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Deblovestoread I own 3 Trust, Candy House and Immense World and 3 others are on my TBR, Demon Copperhead, Checkout 19 and We Don‘t Know Ourselves. So many lists, so many books, not near enough time. 😂 2y
BarbaraBB I am taking a screenshot! 2y
DivineDiana @BarbaraBB So funny! I just did that! 2y
BarbaraBB @DivineDiana Ha! It seems a good idea and I can‘t read the NYT any longer without paying. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y
63 likes7 comments
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GatheringBooks
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#PoetryMatters Day 15: #Death or dying. 💕 Louise Gluck is 💕

TheSpineView Great poem 2y
32 likes1 comment
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willaful
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This is James Baldwin, reviewing Langston Hughes in *1956*. Plus ça change, plus c‘est la même chose.

My second #bookspin book, a library book. I checked this out on a whim and read it in bits. It's a pretty interesting historical record. I especially enjoyed the reviews of all the “trashy“ books and writers, like Jackie Collins, because the reviewers wrote with such relish.

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
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