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#192025
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Girl, Interrupted | Susanna Kaysen
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Mehso-so

Memoir from the author about 2 years in a psychiatric hospital in the 1960s. It was a quick read so I finished it but was left feeling a bit nonplussed. I don't feel that I got any insight about the author at all, & I agree with another reviewer who says it all just feels rather empty. Most readers seemed to really like this one but whatever they saw, I just didn't connect with it. 2.5⭐

Librarybelle I‘ve seen the movie but not read the book! 10h
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 9h
Ruthiella I liked this a lot-found it interesting, especially to compare with the movie. 3h
24 likes4 comments
review
Maggie4483
Brave New World | Aldous Huxley
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Pickpick

You can‘t have the good without the bad.

This was my book for 1932 for the #192025 challenge.

review
OutsmartYourShelf
A Pocket Full of Rye | Agatha Christie
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Pickpick

When Rex Fortescue falls ill at work, he is rushed to hospital where he unfortunately dies. Inspector Neele is called & tests reveal that Fortescue was killed by taxine poisoning - a poison derived from yew trees. Fortescue's house is called 'Yew Tree House' & there is no shortage of suspects: is it the much younger second wife who is dallying with her tennis coach, or the elder son who has been arguing with his father recently, (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf or maybe the younger prodigal son who has just returned from abroad? Or is it someone else entirely? Neele is aided by the arrival of an elderly lady by the name of Miss Marple.

A thoroughly enjoyable read with the appearance of Inspector Neele (much nicer than Inspector Slack) who works well with Miss Marple. I know I've seen this one a couple of times on TV but I still couldn't remember 'whodunnit'.
3d
OutsmartYourShelf Again, it was classic Christie with the clues laid out if you know what to look for.
4.5🌟

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4947660856
Read 15th-16th Mar 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#192025 (1953) @Librarybelle
#SeriesLove2025 @thespineview
3d
Librarybelle Yay! This is one I have yet to read. 3d
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 3d
TheSpineView Fantastic!👍📖 3d
36 likes5 comments
review
OutsmartYourShelf
Peril at End House (Poirot) | Agatha Christie
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Pickpick

Hastings & Poirot are on holiday in Cornwall (does Hastings ever return to his ranch?) when they make the acquaintance of Nick Buckley, a young woman who lives in End House on the hillside. Nick has had quite a lot of near misses recently & whilst talking to Poirot is shot at, leaving a bullet hole in her hat. Poirot decides that he will find the person trying to kill Miss Buckley, but can he prevent a murder still to occur? (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf This is the first Agatha Christie book I ever read. I was about 11, bored whilst staying at a relative's house one summer & asked if I could read one of their books. This was the one I picked up of the shelf first & I remembered some of it but not all. It definitely stands up to a second reading as an adult, again the clues are all there in plain sight but hidden so cleverly you can pass them by without noticing. 4.25🌟 2w
Librarybelle That‘s so cool this was your first ever Christie when you were younger and that it stood up to the second read! 2w
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 2w
TheSpineView Fantastic! 2w
34 likes5 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
Havenfall | Sara Holland
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I‘m looking at my reading for the month and trying to decide what to pick for my #BookSpin! #DoubleSpin landed on the tagged book, but BookSpin landed on a category for the #192025 challenge: a book from the 1980s—2000s. I‘m trying to decide between the above four. Any recommendations?

Librarybelle The Remains of the Day! It‘s so good! 2w
Lcsmcat I agree with @Librarybelle - The Remains of the Day is wonderful. 2w
TheAromaofBooks I haven't read any of these!!! Havenfall has been on my TBR for quite some time. I've enjoyed several of Levine's other books. And it's short 😂 2w
BarbaraJean @Librarybelle @Lcsmcat Remains of the Day seems to have won the vote 😆 It may come down to what mood I'm in once I finish a few of my in-progress reads, though! Honestly, I will probably end up reading all four before the end of the challenge. @TheAromaofBooks Length and it being an MG read were not unrelated to my pulling the title as a possibility for this month... 😂 2w
35 likes4 comments
review
Librarybelle
The Bell Jar | Sylvia Plath
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Pickpick

This has been on my tbr forever, and I am so glad the #HashtagBrigade read it, though I‘m pretty late finishing the book for the group.

This is a hard story to rate, as Esther‘s story is parts disturbing and hard to read. Knowing Plath‘s state of mind too adds to backstory of this mental health novel. It‘s not supposed to make one comfortable. Glad I read it! #192025 #1963 #LitsyAToZ #LetterB

76 likes1 stack add
blurb
LitsyEvents
Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset
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Repost for @BarbaraJean

I‘ve had this on my shelf for a long time & I‘d really like to tackle it this year! Is anyone interested in a buddy read?

It‘s a trilogy of historical novels set in 14th-c Norway, originally published in 1920, 1921 & 1922. These would work well for anyone finishing the #192025 challenge this year. I‘m planning to use the first 2 books for 1920 &1921.

Let @BarbaraJean know if you would like to join.

Librarybelle A great reposting! This buddy read is organized by @BarbaraJean , so let Barbara know if you are interested. 3w
BarbaraJean Thanks @Librarybelle ! Yes, if anyone is interested, please tag me here or comment on the post on my feed! 2w
LitsyEvents @Librarybelle @BarbaraJean My mistake, sorry about that 🥴 I‘ve corrected the post. 2w
See All 7 Comments
Librarybelle No worries!! 2w
JenlovesJT47 @BarbaraJean I‘d like to join! 1w
BarbaraJean 🎉 I‘ll add you to my tag list! 1w
Sapphire Reading it now! 1d
40 likes7 comments
blurb
BarbaraJean
Kristin Lavransdatter | Sigrid Undset
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I‘ve had this on my shelf for a long time & I‘d really love to tackle it this year! Is anyone interested in a buddy read?

It‘s a trilogy of historical novels set in 14th-c. Norway, originally published in 1920, 1921, & 1922. These would work well for anyone finishing the #192025 challenge this year! I‘m planning to use the first 2 books for 1920 & 1921.

I was thinking May—July or June—August, one book per month. Comment if you‘re interested!

Ruthiella I would be interested! I have an ebook copy and have been meaning to read it for a while now. 3w
Deblovestoread I‘d be interested! It is such a chunkster I‘m not sure I could do a book a month but I‘m willing to try 😂 3w
Andrea313 I'd give it a try starting in June! 3w
See All 30 Comments
Daisey I also have this on my TBR and have been thinking I need a readalong to get me started on it. I‘d probably prefer starting in June to work better around some other long reads I hope to fit in. 3w
quietjenn Yes! I was just thinking of this today, oddly enough. 3w
Librarybelle I‘d be interested! 3w
LeahBergen It‘s so good! 3w
lauraisntwilder Yes! This has literally been on my nightstand for over a year. 3w
MeganAnn I finished book 1 at the beginning of the year and have plans to eventually tackle the rest of the book before the end of the year. I‘d love to join in for books 2 & 3 when you get to them. Book 1 was very good. 3w
MaureenMc I‘m interested! Been meaning to read this one for a while. 3w
Amiable This was my #chunksterchallenge read a few years ago! 3w
Gleefulreader I‘d be interested! 3w
AmyG I have read the first 2…and need to read the third. I‘d love to join in. 3w
BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @Andrea313 @Daisey @quietjenn @Librarybelle @lauraisntwilder @MaureenMc @Gleefulreader 🎉Yay! We‘ll start in June, then! I‘m thinking one general discussion/book & probably a few other posts along the way. @Deblovestoread It should work out to just under 100 pages/week—that sounds maybe doable 😂 @MeganAnn @AmyG Would love to have you join! I can tag you once we get to your non-read books, or for the whole thing, whichever you prefer. (edited) 2w
Librarybelle Sounds good to me! 2w
BarbaraJean @LeahBergen @Amiable I‘ve heard such good things about it for so long—it‘s time to finally read it! 2w
Amiable @BarbaraJean I mean … it‘s better than “Clarissa.” 😖😀 2w
BarbaraJean @Amiable 😂😂That‘s definitely “damning with faint praise”!! One of my college professors (who‘s a medievalist) highly recommended it and her taste *usually* aligns with mine—we‘ll see! 2w
Amiable @BarbaraJean There was a long stretch in the middle that I had to push myself through. And some of the main character‘s choices irritated me. But I would definitely recommend it as a worthwhile read. (edited) 2w
Ruthiella Awesome! 👍 2w
BarbaraJean @Amiable Makes sense, and it's good to know that the middle might end up being a bit of a slog. Glad to hear you found it worthwhile overall! 2w
staci.reads I may be interested. It's been on my tbr for a long time. 2w
BarbaraJean @staci.reads I'll tag you when we get closer to June and you can let me know if you want to join! 2w
julieclair I‘d love to join! I read the first book many years ago and loved it, so a reread would be nice. And I‘ve always wanted to read books 2 & 3. 2w
BarbaraJean @julieclair Yay! I'll add you to the list! 2w
TheBookHippie One of my favorite books of all time. I read it with @Lcsmcat 🙃 (edited) 1w
TheBookHippie @AmyG 😂😂😂😂😘😘😘😘 1w
AmyG @TheBookHippie Thank you…I am excited to finally read book 3! @BarbaraJean You can tag me for all. Thank you! (edited) 1w
TheBookHippie @AmyG I think you‘ll like book three. 1w
BarbaraJean @AmyG I'll tag you for all of it. Looking forward to it! @TheBookHippie 💜 💜 1w
41 likes30 comments
blurb
Liz_M
The Price of Salt, or Carol | Patricia Highsmith
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Not a bad month, two bingos, even! A couple of books for #192025, #Nepal book for #FoodandLit, a couple of books #OffMyShelf, a couple of books for #LGBTQIA2025 Bingo/#TBRTarot, and a #1001Books,. Didn't manage one for #FictionalTraveler, as my book for Ireland was actually set in Copenhagen, oops.

review
OutsmartYourShelf
The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie
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Mehso-so

Friends Thomas Beresford (Tommy) & Prudence Cowley (Tuppence) bump into each other in London after the end of WWI. In the aftermath of the war, they are struggling to find work & so they decide to place an advertisement together but before they can do so, they become embroiled in a conspiracy. Important government papers were entrusted to a passenger on the 'Lusitania' (a ship sunk by a German U-boat) who has since disappeared (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf & no-one has heard of her since. Is Jane Finn dead or being held somewhere?

This first book in the 'Tommy & Tuppence' series is a bit of a mad caper. Suspend your disbelief that a couple of inexperienced civilians would be asked to undertake a dangerous mission. Or that a government minister would spill secrets to two people who placed a newspaper ad.
3w
OutsmartYourShelf The plot almost became interesting at a couple of points but I found the two main characters a bit grating. It's OK but I prefer the author's Miss Marple & Poirot books. 2⭐

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7269043224
Read 22nd-23rd Feb 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#192025 (1922) @Librarybelle
#SeriesLove2025 @thespineview
3w
Librarybelle I liked this better my third or fourth time reading it than I did the first couple. I think I‘m in a “suspend my belief” mood at the moment! I also prefer her Marple and Poirot stories. 3w
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 3w
33 likes4 comments