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The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories
The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories | Ken Liu
A publishing event: Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his award-winning science fiction and fantasy tales for a groundbreaking collectionincluding a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume.With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie. This mesmerizing collection features all of Kens award-winning and award-finalist stories, including: The Man Who Ended History: A Documentary (Finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, and Theodore Sturgeon Awards), Mono No Aware (Hugo Award winner), The Waves (Nebula Award finalist), The Bookmaking Habits of Select Species (Nebula and Sturgeon award finalists), All the Flavors (Nebula award finalist), The Litigation Master and the Monkey King (Nebula Award finalist), and the most awarded story in the genres history, The Paper Menagerie (The only story to win the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards). A must-have for every science fiction and fantasy fan, this beautiful book is an anthology to savor.
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Tea_and_Starstuff
Paper Menagerie | Ken Liu
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I'm trying out the #BookSpin for the first time in June! The named books are ones I own or am borrowing and have not read yet. I'm also trying to read more internationally, so for the “Country“ options - if picked, I'm going to try to read a book written by an author living in a country that matches the first letter.

BarbaraJean Yay BookSpin!! 10mo
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Nessavamusic
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Pickpick

This was an outstanding collection of short stories. A mix of historical fiction, magical realism, speculative fiction and sci-fi. The overarching themes include: colonialism, racism and human need to evolve. I absolutely loved it and took a long time to read to savor each story. My favorites are:

The Paper Menagerie, The Perfect Match, The Literomancer, Simulacrum, All the Flavors & The Waves. ⬇️

Nessavamusic All of the stories are beautiful written and most are absolutely heartbreaking. I highly recommend. 5⭐️ 11mo
dabbe Da puppies are all snuggled in! 💙🐾🐾💙 11mo
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ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

The biggest thing that stands out to me about this collection is how varied the stories are. There's fantasy/sci-fi, alternate history, crime drama, Old West, and sometimes all of that mixed together. Listening to this on audiobook, I sometimes had to backtrack when a new story began so I could get my bearings, especially on the alternate histories. Favorites are probably the title story, "State Change," "Good Hunting," and "All the Flavors."

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jenniferw88
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Pickpick

#pop22 #hugoawardwinner @Cinfhen @Abailliekaras @Kalalalatja @Cortg @KarenUK @Megabooks @RaeLovesToRead @squirrelbrain @Laughterhp

I think this would be a good intro to Ken Liu's work if you were unsure whether you'd like him or not.

Thanks @Leniverse for sending it me in the #speculativespringswap!

Cinfhen This is my final prompt left for #pop22 1y
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jenniferw88
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55 likes1 comment
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jenniferw88
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Thank you @Leniverse for everything in my #speculativespringswap - I love it all! I'm going to use the tagged for #tigeronthecover #pop22. And After 8's are my favourite chocolates so they'll be saved til last!

Thanks @Avanders for organising!

Tagging #pop22 crew - @Cinfhen @4thhouseontheleft @Laughterhp @Kalalalatja @Cortg @KarenUK @Megabooks @squirrelbrain @RaeLovesToRead

TrishB Lovely ❤️ 2y
Megabooks How wonderful! 2y
Cinfhen Ohhhhh, nice!!! I still need a book for that prompt too!!! 2y
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Leniverse I meant to add a note that had a stealthy look at the first couple of chapters of Sorrowland and it looks super interesting but might skirt a bit close to your triggers. 😬 But I did find it on your wishlist. It starts off pretty intense, so I guess you'll know right away if it's for you or not. If it isn't just send it back to me and I'll get you something else. I'm going to have to buy one for myself anyway! 2y
jenniferw88 @Leniverse thanks for the heads up! Anyway, it's good to test my boundaries with my triggers. As you've said it 'skirts' them, I should be OK. 🤞 2y
squirrelbrain Lovely gifts! ❤️ 2y
Avanders 😍😍🔮🧬🦠 2y
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RamsFan1963
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1. Yes. I have several short story collections on my TBR shelves.
2. No. I've never participated in any book clubs.
Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday
Wanna play? @audraelizabeth @Buechersuechtling @ReadingIsMyHobby @Onceuponatime @TheBookDream @Daisey @Bookishlie @Sharpeipup @Cuilin @ReadingFeedsTheSoul @Lucy_Anywhere @Onepageatatime88

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 3y
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Cathythoughts
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“I am also a translator, and translation offers a natural metaphor for how I think about writing in general.
Every act of communication is a miracle of translation “❤️💔 Ken Liu.

TheKidUpstairs I've read two books recently that touch on the art of translation, and how we communicate in general and across cultures. It gives a lot to think about. One was 3y
Cathythoughts @TheKidUpstairs I have the first book you mention stacked ... Looking forward to it. I love Ken Lui ‘s ideas about writing & our points of meeting .. 3y
Cathythoughts A lot of magic happens in translation 3y
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RamsFan1963
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description or reason for wanting to read the book. Some are old and some will be new. Don't judge me - I have a lot of books.
Day 230

#tbrmountain #bookbuyingdiet

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brandierickson
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“There are many ways to say I love you in this cold, dark, silent universe, as many as the twinkling stars.”

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RamsFan1963
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📖 Tagged
📖 Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman. Also any of his other collections, Trigger Warnings or Smoke & Mirrors
📖 Stand-alone

#sundayfunday @ozma.of.oz

BookmarkTavern Your tagged book has been on my TBR for a while now! Thank you for posting! 3y
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bell7
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I finished my library's summer reading program, reading eight books. All were good to excellent, though I think my favorite of the bunch was The Calculating Stars.

OnlyYoo I just got I was told it would get easier and I‘m so excited! 4y
bell7 @OnlyYoo I hope you enjoy it! I thought it was a fun read 🙂 4y
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bell7
Paper Menagerie | Ken Liu
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Sometimes I'm amazed by the serendipity of what ends up side by side in my commonplace book.

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TracyReadsBooks
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Going with a collection of short stories for my next book.

vivastory This has been on my TBR for far too long 4y
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DuckOfDoom
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Pickpick

Some stories were fantastic, others good, but I am so happy I finally read this book. It was on my TBR for ages. But I really needed time between the stories, some were quite heavy.

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melrailey
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Pickpick

Highly recommend this short story collection.

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JGadz11
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Current mood.🧡

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Books_n_Whatnot
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“And finally, thank you, dear reader. It is the possibility of our minds touching that makes writing a worthwhile endeavor at all.”

This preface made me feel so loved??

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Books_n_Whatnot

Strong take on immortality: “It‘s a myth that we must die to retain our humanity. . . We stop being human at the moment we give in to death.”

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Books_n_Whatnot

“The truth is not delicate and it does not suffer from denial—the truth only dies when true stories are untold.”

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Books_n_Whatnot
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Reviewing this while my foreign exchange roommates from China and Hong Kong throw an early Chinese New Year Party. How fitting! Liu is for sure a skilled writer, evident in the way he switches between narration styles. This book was FRESH. I felt like I was getting exposed to new content and ideas I hadn‘t considered before (or even thought to consider). Didn‘t ~love~ all the stories, but it deserves a pick for ‘The Man Who Ended History‘. #bfls

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slightlyfoxed
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Can you spot all the owls? Thanks so much for all of the adorable goodies in this #StuffedStockingSwap, @BeckyRoy - I love everything!

Avanders 😍🎄♥️🥰❄️ 5y
BeckyRoy @slightlyfoxed I‘m glad to hear it! I had a blast shopping for a theme:) 5y
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Expandingbookshelf
Paper Menagerie | Ken Liu
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“Fiction is about prizing the logic of metaphors-which is the logic of narratives in general-over reality, which is irreducibly random and senseless.”

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GatheringBooks
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#QuotsyOct18 Day 29: Tangled in the #Web of other people‘s lives. This book is absolutely brilliant.

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sakeriver
Pickpick

I‘d enjoyed Ken Liu‘s DANDELION DYNASTY novels a lot, which eventually led me to the title story of this collection, and then to the collection itself. The stories here look at history and identity and culture through the lens of science fiction, and not just Asian identity but American identity. Many of them feel highly relevant to me, and I do recommend this book.

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sakeriver
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“Just the same, my grandfather is part of who I am ... I am responsible for his sins, in the same way that I take pride in inheriting the tradition of a great people, a people who, in my grandfather‘s time, committed great evil.”

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Decalino
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Pickpick

I loved Ken Liu's Dandelion Dynasty fantasy trilogy so I was excited to check out this collection of short stories. They range from speculative fiction to time travel to alternate history to fantasy, but share common themes of loss and identity. Liu draws on Asian history and mythology; the most horrifying elements are atrocities that occurred in real life. A fascinating and sometimes devastating collection.

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sakeriver
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Next

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pppooraikul
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A 24-hours book fair where I can get all these in $30 sounds pretty amazing, isn‘t it? 😎

MeganAnn 😱😍 looks like some great choices! 6y
pppooraikul @MeganAnn Thank you! 😊😁 6y
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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Pickpick

This was quite a mixed bag for me. Some of the stories, including the title one, were mind bogglingly great. Others didn't really hold my interest and others felt like really cool concepts that hadn't quite been transformed into effective fiction. The ones that hit, though, are some of the best short stories I've ever read. Incredible imagination (whether in a science fiction or magical setting) and hard-hitting emotion. #ShortStories

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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Poetry is like "a gentle kitten licking the inside of my heart."

"We have always lived on a boat, you know? That's what Earth is, a boat in space."

Aimeesue I adore the title story. ❤️❤️❤️ 6y
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fengjie
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Better than Black Mirror, I promise.

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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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Got crappy work-related news today so am hoping this collection of speculative short stories, chocolate chip cookies, and plum cider will cheer me up.

Prairiegirl_reading I hope everything is ok!! 6y
Aims42 Hope everything gets better at work! 💜 6y
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BookishTrish That sucks! Hugs! 6y
Jabberwocky Hopefully it looks up soon! 6y
Beachesnbooks That looks like the perfect way to cheer up! 6y
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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I couldn't resist taking this out of my library today. I walked right by it after finishing my shift. The title story was so good when I heard it on the Levar Burton Reads podcast! #ScienceFiction

jamie_in_the_library I just put this on hold! Can‘t wait for my copy to come in 🐯 6y
Aimeesue Title story is one of my favorite short stories ever. Really left an impression. 6y
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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I listened to the title story in this short story collection this morning at the gym on the Levar Burton Reads podcast and it was amazing! Beautiful and heart-breaking and imaginative. I'm definitely going to get my hands on the book and read the rest.

(Also, if you're aren't listening to that podcast, you definitely should. He picks great stories and reads them out loud in his beautiful soothing voice. Reading Rainbow for grown-ups!)

skyeharmony Whaaaat? I haven't heard of that podcast but am going to follow it right now! Thank you! He narrates the autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. and it's 👌 6y
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian @skyeharmony My pleasure! Hope you like it. 6y
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jmtrivera
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Pickpick

A really beautiful collection of stories. There are so many ideas to pull here about being human, and how that means forgiving ourselves in each other we make mistakes. At the same time Liu teaches us about learning from history, he shows us glimpses of the future, and the risks and possibilities that lie there. I personally reflected a lot about parenthood, daughterhood, and the associated responsibilities. A pleasure to read.

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LoverofLit
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Pickpick

This book was emotionally THICK. My first dive into speculative fiction, this was very introspective, a lot sad, and very thought provoking. Overall, I'd definitely recommend but prepare yourself for some heaviness.

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LoverofLit
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Multitasking 😄

Johanna414 You go mama! I hated pumping so much with my first... Kind of dreading it this time around 6y
LoverofLit @Johanna414 Thank you! 😊 My daughter will be 6 months soon and I can't believe how it has flown...but also dragged. I'm on my second baby as well and I feel the dread. 6y
Johanna414 @LoverofLit my insurance covered a much nicer pump this time, so I‘m hoping that makes the difference... Isn‘t it crazy how the days and nights seem to drag by when you‘ve got a tiny baby, but then it feels like you blink and months have gone by? 6y
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LoverofLit @Johanna414 Yes exactly! What kind of pump did you get? I got the Spectra this time around and am liking it better than my Medela that I used with my first. 6y
Johanna414 @LoverofLit I actually haven‘t got it yet- I‘m picking one up next week. I keep going back and forth between the Spectra and Medela. My cousin offered me her Medela, so I‘d just have to buy replacement bottles and stuff. If I got the Spectra, I‘d be able to take whichever was more efficient to work with me. 6y
sammisho You are amazing!!😘😘 6y
LoverofLit @Johanna414 Looks like you got a solid plan! 6y
LoverofLit @sammisho Thanks friend! ❤ 6y
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LoverofLit
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I know there's #catsoflitsy and #dogsoflitsy but what about #babiesoflitsy hmmm?

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LoverofLit
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Starting this today for one of the topics on my #popsugar reading challenge. I've heard good things so I'm excited. #catonthecover

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GatheringBooks
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Pickpick

Ken Liu is Love Love Love.

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GatheringBooks
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Pickpick

Ken Liu is Love Love Love.

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GatheringBooks
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Pickpick

One of those books when even the Preface made me cry. Seriously, Ken Liu is a genius. A few stories I had trouble really getting into, but just stay on with it, and he leads you to dark yet enlightening places filled with beauty.

scripturient This looks sooooo yummy! 6y
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GatheringBooks
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Can‘t wait to attend Ken Liu‘s sessions for the #SWF2017 Singapore Writers Festival this weekend. Whee! Have to catch up on my reading, like, stat!

tournevis Which reminds me to make cheese macaroni for dinner. Good idea. 6y
Tamra I liked this collection, especially the title story. 6y
GatheringBooks @tournevis the mac and cheese is definitely excellent. must have had way too many mac and cheese during the festival weekend. 6y
GatheringBooks @Tamra i shared the title story with my teacher-students in Singapore and they were in tears afterwards. :) so beautiful. 6y
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bookworm.krizia
Paper Menagerie | Ken Liu
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Pickpick

I have only read "The Paper Menagerie" and not the other stories. I loved this story. How can a be story be 13 pages long but still hold as much sadness and longing like any other full length novel. I loved it! An ode to great mothers out there.

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BiblioNyan
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So excited for this short story collection!!

#diversebooks #ownvoices #sff #litsygram

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GatheringBooks
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Cheese omelette for breakfast with grilled portobello mushrooms and corn galette, and carrot cake with glazed chocolate and orange creme anglaise to wash it all down. Nuts and apple spritzer while reading Ken Liu. Posting this while on air. Loving the synchronicity and my pod which stretches out into a full snooze-inducing bed. Enroute to Dubai from Sao Paolo. Obrigada, Brazil.

AlaMich That all looks amazing!! 😊 6y
Lmstraubie Nice 😎 6y
julesG I first thought you were in hospital. Glad you're not. 6y
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MarriedtoMrT @julesG Me, too! 6y
Mdargusch I thought you were in the hospital too and eating amazing food while you‘re in there. 😂 safe travels! 6y
LiteraryinLawrence Me too! Safe travels! 6y
bedandabook Me too! Looks like quite the way to fly. Happy reading. 6y
BarbaraBB Enjoy! 6y
GatheringBooks @julesG @MarriedtoMrT @Mdargusch @LiteraryinLititz @bedandabook I had to laugh at that because that was the first thought that came to my mind too when the flight attendant took the photo - so it appears that hospital look and fresh-out-of-bed airplane vibe seem one and the same. sans make up and totally unglam but super relaxed. hahahaa. :) 6y
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