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#Bbrc
review
Librarybelle
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Pickpick

I‘m surprised I‘m the first one to review this - it came out in 2019! Set in #Australia, this is a dual timeline double mystery, with similar situations and some trigger warnings (see below). Abby finds an injured teen in the bushlands, which triggers some horrific memories for her. This is the stage for the slow reveal of the past and present, involving abduction, violence, and what it means to forgive. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Librarybelle ⬆️⬆️⬆️ I listened to this and had some trouble in the beginning identifying which storyline was being discussed - I think I would have followed along a lot better with print. It‘s a slow burn novel, with also a bit of romance. I liked it and would read more by Romer. TW: child abduction, violence towards children, abuse 2w
Librarybelle It‘s terrible to say this is my first for #ReadingOceania2024 ! @BarbaraBB 2w
Librarybelle #BBRC #Adult #OnceBittenTwiceShy - so many of these characters are grappling with their past and are afraid of falling into the same patterns, making the same mistakes, or even reliving the same nightmares. @LibrarianRyan 2w
See All 7 Comments
BarbaraBB I only read one too so far 😱 2w
Librarybelle @BarbaraBB I know we have a lot of great books to choose from, thanks to the participants! 2w
LibrarianRyan Sounds interesting. I bet it had an embargo by Audible/Amazon because I have never heard of it, but it sounds interesting. 1w
Librarybelle @LibrarianRyan That could be! 1w
60 likes7 comments
review
Librarybelle
First Lie Wins: A Novel | Ashley Elston
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Pickpick

While I wished this one had a bit more thriller aspects, I did enjoy the view of a con from the con artist‘s perspective. #IgnoranceIsBliss when the female MC is on the case, hiding her true intentions from her marks. There were a couple of twists that I did suspect and others I did not. Overall, a quick, fun read. #BBRC #Adult

LibrarianRyan Nice. I know lots of people who have liked this book. 1w
Librarybelle @LibrarianRyan It was a good distraction read. 1w
69 likes2 comments
review
Librarybelle
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Mehso-so

Oomph…I can see why this book has a low rating on Litsy! I was so tempted to increase the listening speed just to get through the book at times. It has a good premise - friends quarantining together, and said friends have lots of issues. Not very likable characters, and that did not bother me. But, the last part of the book was like reading something completely different and just randomly added.

Using this for #BBRC #Adult #RainOnMyParade

BarbaraBB I had been looking forward to it but was so disappointed! 1mo
Librarybelle @BarbaraBB Yes! Good idea but so disappointing! 1mo
RaeLovesToRead I agree. Started well then I dunno, maybe Schteyngart was drunk or got the cat to finish it or something 1mo
See All 8 Comments
Librarybelle @RaeLovesToRead 😂 I love the idea of the cat writing a section! 1mo
Ruthiella This book drove me crazy! 😝 4w
LibrarianRyan I hate when that happens. I went through 3 audio books in one trip because I just could not do it anymore. 1w
Librarybelle @LibrarianRyan It‘s definitely not fun! 1w
60 likes8 comments
review
Librarybelle
North Woods | Daniel Mason
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Pickpick

This beautifully written novel entranced me from page one. Mason writes such a unique novel, focusing on a body of land and its inhabitants over centuries. Telling the story through various mediums - prose, diary, poem, letter, song - really made this so riveting and lyrical. The tie in with everyone too, the little nuggets thrown in over the years, just added perfectly to the story. I am so glad I read this! #52BookClub24 #AtLeastFourDifferentPOV

Hooked_on_books I was put off by the hype for this one and didn‘t immediately read it when it came out. Then I did and I‘m so glad I did! It‘s so good! 1mo
Librarybelle @Hooked_on_books I agree about the hype and not necessarily wanting to read something that everyone else is buzzing about - I‘ve yet to read Where the Crawdads Sing! 1mo
See All 16 Comments
Hooked_on_books I have no plans on reading Crawdads at all! 1mo
BarbaraBB Such a highly original book! 1mo
Suet624 You know that feeling you have after reading a book that feels perfect? That‘s how I felt after reading this one. Sooooo gooood. 1mo
Librarybelle @Suet624 Yes! You are exactly right! 1mo
AmyG @Suet624 Agree. Definitely a big favorite of this year…loved it. 1mo
Tamra It‘s a wonderful reading experience. 💚 1mo
Librarybelle @AmyG @Tamra So good! I‘m very glad I read it! 1mo
BookWrym Read this a while ago and loved it 1mo
Librarybelle @BookWrym It was so good! 1mo
LibrarianRyan I always loved the cover of this one. 1w
90 likes1 stack add16 comments
review
Librarybelle
The Housemaid | Freida McFadden
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Pickpick

Light pick…the writing was less than stellar - how many times McFadden repeats the same thing over and over got on my nerves - but the thrill of the story kept me reading and the various twists. And the end - wow! I can see why she has become extremely popular, with long waiting lists for her books at the libraries. Fast read that left me gasping in parts. #52BookClub24 #AnAuthorEveryoneHasRead

Hooked_on_books I keep seeing this everywhere, but I think the repititon you mention would drive me batty. Otherwise, it sounds fun! 1mo
Librarybelle @Hooked_on_books I probably would not have continued because of the repetition except for the twists she would throw into the narrative. That‘s what really got me through the book! 1mo
See All 9 Comments
Kristy_K Good choice! I also haven‘t read her. 1mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 1mo
Librarybelle @Kristy_K I debated reading a book by McFadden or one by Colleen Hoover, who also seems to be an author just about everyone has read. A mystery won over a romance! 1mo
LibrarianRyan The number of people I see with this on their best of the best lists. It just seemed to come out of nowhere. 1w
Librarybelle @LibrarianRyan I know! I guess Booktok really helped propel her to a “everyone wants to read list.” It won‘t make my top 20 favorite book list, but it was a decent read overall. 1w
79 likes1 stack add9 comments
review
Librarybelle
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Mehso-so

I stumbled upon the short story that looks at Agatha‘s first case, way before she moves to the Cotswolds. It was okay. Short stories are hard for me, as I much prefer the development from a novel, but it was an interesting intro to Agatha Raisin. The audio is not a Penelope Keith audio, so I really missed her narration of this. #BBRC #Adult #LongStoryShort #52BookClub24 #AnApostropheInTheTitle

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
LibrarianRyan Really. I had no idea this novella existed. Inusually love novellas. I like to see what an author can do in such few pages. 2mo
Librarybelle @LibrarianRyan It came out a few years ago, before Beaton passed away. Her last few books she wrote were not the best in the series. 2mo
71 likes3 comments
review
Librarybelle
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Pickpick

This was a fun romance with layers of humor & danger, not to mention some heavy topics. I liked Cohen‘s weaving of Austen novels into the story. There were times Vicky drove me a little crazy, but given the situation she faced from her family - having to #BiteTheBullet and marry - I‘ll give her a little leeway. Very charming. Thanks for hosting, @StayCurious ! #PemberLittens #JaneAdjacent

#Zeke #Xander #SebastianKitty #CatsOfLitsy

StayCurious It was fun to see all the Austen parts woven in 2mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🐾🖤 2mo
LibrarianRyan Nice. 2mo
72 likes2 stack adds4 comments
review
Librarybelle
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Pickpick

Light pick. Lee‘s YA novel about a girl, her mom, and their special ability to make potions of sorts to help with love has the feel of teen emotions, including the complicated mother-daughter relationship, and of course love. I was really invested in the elixir creations and the “heart notes” Mim and her mom could detect for emotions. So fascinating - a smell for everything, from worry to happiness. #SundayBuddyRead

76 likes7 comments
review
Librarybelle
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Pickpick

I picked this up based on @Aimeesue ‘s review, and I‘m glad I did! Originally published in #1981 , this YA historical fiction covers quite a lot of heavy topics. Russian displacement, eugenics (yikes!), and war are a few of the big ones. There are some very horrible characters, but the MC Anna‘s outlook on life is so grownup and inspiring. And yes, at its core, this is a romance; it‘s fun to watch things unfold! #192025

LeahBergen I want to read this! 3mo
Librarybelle @LeahBergen It was delightful! 3mo
Aimeesue I‘m so glad you enjoyed it, I thought it was fantastic 💙 3mo
CaramelLunacy This is definitely on my list! 3mo
74 likes5 comments
review
Librarybelle
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Pickpick

Oh Agatha! While this one also focuses a lot on Agatha‘s love life rather than the mystery, I didn‘t find it as disruptive as the last one, perhaps because she and a regular character are both wishy-washy over their futures - to propose or not to propose…

Sinister secrets and grizzly murders abound in this series addition, featuring a less-than-holy bishop and a bunch of church bell ringers, plus an abusive vicar. #BBRC #Adult #TakesTwoToTango

Crazeedi I think I might have this one! I have a few of hers, I'll have to look 4mo
Librarybelle @Crazeedi I think I‘m enjoying the series more at this point for how the characters interact rather than the mysteries, which seem to be a side plot line. I know this is near the end of Beaton writing the series, and I can tell the stories are not as strong closer to her passing away. 4mo
See All 7 Comments
Hooked_on_books My mom loves this series! I think she‘s read all of them. 4mo
Librarybelle @Hooked_on_books They are so much fun to listen to! Perfect fluff stories! 4mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 4mo
LibrarianRyan ❤️❤️❤️❤️ 4mo
86 likes7 comments