FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

The Inspector and Mrs. Jeffries | Emily Brightwell

Here are my picks for #CloakandDaggerChristmas readathon. It's a mixture of classic, Canadian, and series I have started. We'll see. 🤷‍♀️
🗡️Insp. Bucket (Victorian mystery): The Inspector & Mrs. Jefferies
🗡️Insp. Gamache (small town): The Suspect 🇨🇦
🗡️Tommy & Tuppence (duo): The Unquiet Dead 🇨🇦
🗡️Agatha Raisin (amateur sleuth): Jane & The Twelve Days of Christmas

Hercule Poirot (golden age): Daughter of Time
👇

merelybookish 🗡️ Det. Galileo (translated: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead 🗡️ Kinsey Malone (P.I.): A is for Alibi 🗡️ Flavia de Luce (children): The Red Herring Without Mustard 🗡️ Columbo (tv): TBD 2w

quietjenn Ah, these look fun. Tempted to jump in on this challenge. Mysteries are my favorite and I feel like I haven't been reading them much lately. We'll see! 2w

merelybookish @quietjenn Ah well, please do! I don't expect I'll read all of these but it's been fun coming up with picks for each prompt! Maybe mysteries at Xmas will become my things 2w

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Ruthiella Great list! I loved the Flavia de Luce series. The mysteries themselves are not exceptional but I love the characters and setting. I also enjoyed the Grafton books. And they are pretty short page turners. The Daughter of Time is great. My favorite Tey mystery. 2w

merelybookish @Ruthiella Thanks! I figured it was safe to try Grafton. She seems to have endured. 🙂 And I have read the first 2 Flavias and agree that the characters are fun! 2w

Ruthiella @merelybookish One of the cool things about that Alphabet mysteries is that Grafton kept it all set in the ‘80s throughout the whole series. I really like that consistency and it keeps things logical re: lack of cell phone or internet, etc. 2w

batsy Fun! And yes, nodding along to what @Ruthiella said about the Tey and the Flavia series. I enjoy the Jane Austen mysteries too, but felt the early books were better. I'm trying to plan my books for the challenge; might be having too much fun doing "research"... 2w

merelybookish @batsy Oh I spent hours and eventually had to make myself stop. So many possibilities! And thanks for the heads up on the Jane Austen mystery. I haven't read any but was drawn to the Xmasy title. Maybe I'll go back to one of the earlier ones. Please tag me if/when you share your picks. 🙂 2w

rubyslippersreads @quietjenn I‘m tempted too. 😊 1w

rubyslippersreads @batsy Even though it‘s not “Christmassy,” I‘m tempted to read

Jane and the Madness of Lord Byron: Being a Jane Austen Mystery

rubyslippersreads @merelybookish @Ruthiella ❤️❤️❤️ Sue Grafton. My BFF and I were in a coffee shop when we heard she‘d died, and we both started crying. 😢 1w

merelybookish @rubyslippersreads Yes, do join! It's fun to make the list. And does that mean you've read all the alphabet murders? 1w

Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads I was sad to hear she died too, and one book short of completing the alphabet. I also love that her inspiration to write the series was her idly thinking of ways to kill her ex-husband. 😂 1w

merelybookish @Ruthiella That's hilarious! 😂 1w

quietjenn @Ruthiella 😆 if I knew that, is forgotten it! I haven't read these since I got really into them in high school and think I stopped wherever the series was at that time. Worth asking to the proverbial list. 1w

batsy @rubyslippersreads I haven't read that one yet and it's a nice thematic crossover with our most recent &#furrowedmiddlebrowclub read! 🙂 1w

rubyslippersreads @merelybookish Believe it or not, I‘m only up to Q. 😄 1w

57 likes17 comments

Cathythoughts

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions: Seeking God's Will | Keith Kenebrew

#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub I picked out these two by Elizabeth Eliot … please vote for the one you‘d like to read for January. Thanks, Cathy X

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, erzascarletbookgasm, CarolynM, LeahBergen, BookNAround, batsy, Ruthiella

erzascarletbookgasm Both sound intriguing… I vote

Henry

batsy I've been looking up these titles and other Eliot books; intriguing indeed! I'm also voting for

Henry

rubyslippersreads I‘m fine with either, with a slight preference for

Cecil

See All 24 Comments

quietjenn It's pretty much a toss-up for me, so I'll vote for the one with the best opening line -

Cecil

LeahBergen Oh, lovely! 👏🏻👏🏻 I own both so I‘d be fine with either but… I‘ll vote for

Cecil

CarolynM They both sound fabulous and I'd be happy with either, but the reference to running away to the circus makes me lean slightly towards

Henry

Ruthiella I literally flipped a coin- TAILS for

Cecil

(edited) 2w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm @batsy @rubyslippersreads @quietjenn @CarolynM @Ruthiella So (if we‘re going by our original club of 8 voting list) it would appear that Cecil has one more vote than Henry. 😄 That will be our January read and we‘ll save poor old Henry for another month. Yes? 2w

LeahBergen @Ruthiella has our March pick and @batsy has our May pick. That has given us all one round of picks! 2w

CarolynM @LeahBergen Works for me. @SamanthaMarie Do you want to join us for this one? 2w

Ruthiella Also @catebutler , @Tamra , and @sarahbellum if you are interested in reading along with us in January 2022? 😃 2w

Tamra Yes, I‘d love to join in January! 👏🏾 Thank you @Ruthiella 😁 (edited) 2w

quietjenn @LeahBergen sounds good! 2w

catebutler @Ruthiella Yes please! I‘d love to join in. 2w

sarahbellum @Ruthiella Yes, please continue to keep me in the loop 🙂 2w

LeahBergen @Tamra @catebutler @sarahbellum Oh, good! Let us know if you want to be added to the “official” 😉 list so you are added into the rotation of choosing our reads. And you, too, @BookNAround ! I know some of you just like to be notified in case you can find the time to read along with us that month, so … no pressure! 2w

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Yes thanks 👍🏻 Cecil it is then !! I‘m delighted you‘re joining in January @Tamra 😘 and @sarahbellum @catebutler 👏🏻👏🏻 (edited) 2w

batsy @LeahBergen Cecil it is! 🎉 And noted on when it's my turn next year, thank you 🙂 2w

erzascarletbookgasm Off to order Cecil before I forget! 👍 2w

Tamra Woot! Already loaded on my Kindle! Looking forward to reading for fun. 😃 1w

Tamra @LeahBergen thank you! I think for now I‘ll stick to the hod hoc schedule until I‘m free of classes. 🙃 1w

SamanthaMarie @CarolynM Yes I do!! I'm still trying to read this month's as well. We've just had a series of busy weeks so I've been reading fluff 😅 1w

LeahBergen @Tamra Yes, I figured that would be the case as you‘ve been so busy with your course readings! 1w

CarolynM @SamanthaMarie Lovely! No rush to finish, but I look forward to seeing what you think. 1w

56 likes24 comments

rubyslippersreads

My Caravaggio Style | Doris Langley Moore

I‘m only about halfway through, so no spoilers please, but can‘t Jocasta do better than Quentin? She even wants to pop in and clean his awful fish flat!

(Sadly, this is not my copy; I‘m reading on Kindle. 😏)

#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub

@LeahBergen @CarolynM @Ruthiella @quietjenn @erzascarletbookgasm @Cathythoughts @Cathythoughts @batsy @BookNAround

Leftcoastzen Wow, I love this copy! 2w

LeahBergen I know! Poor Jocasta. 😆 And yes, I love this cover. 😍 2w

LeahBergen Oh, and don‘t read any of the chattering on other posts until you‘re done! 2w

See All 9 Comments

Ruthiella I read on Kindle too! Not as pretty as the hard copy but you can‘t beat the price. I too felt a lot of sympathy for Jocasta in this book! 2w

CarolynM I'm sure she could! That is a fabulous edition of the book you have there, I love the ghostly Byron lurking over procedings🙂 2w

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen Thanks for the warning! 2w

quietjenn @rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella Kindle for me, too! I love the price and the instant gratification. And I do think Jocasta is the real star of the story and deserves so much more than Quentin. 2w

Cathythoughts Oh dear , the fish flat … living over a fish shop could be very challenging! 2w

batsy She definitely can do better! Justice for Jocasta 😆 2w

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Cathythoughts

My Caravaggio Style | Doris Langley-Levy Moore

pick

#FurrowedMiddleBrowClub As for Quentin, he really got what was coming to him. What did he think he was attempting with his forgery?? And how will he come to terms with his ‘ feelings‘ for Jocasta ?

“ I understand so well what she meant when she said it would be hard to recover from a love affair with Byron because of having constantly to hear about him “

Ha ! Take that Quentin !
And I also kind of feel sorry for him .. 😬 from a distance.

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, erzascarletbookgasm, CarolynM, LeahBergen, BookNAround, batsy, Ruthiella

CarolynM What a kind heart you have! I'm afraid I can't find any sympathy for him at all. 2w

Cathythoughts @CarolynM It‘s just that‘s he‘s so pathetic & he‘s not fooling anyone … 🤷🏼‍♀️ I feel sorry for him “ at a distance “ & he can stay at a distance 😁 2w

batsy Hahaha! "Coming from a distance... " Love it ? 2w

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Cathythoughts @batsy He‘s really something! His ‘ Caravaggio ‘ style 🙄 (edited) 2w

quietjenn Sorry at a distance it's a great way to phrase it! 2w

Ruthiella I feel sorry for him too in a way, but am glad Jocasta escaped him. He was so patronizing to her! 2w

Cathythoughts @quietjenn 😂 ! @Ruthiella I‘m so glad Jocasta escaped him too 👍🏻 2w

LeahBergen And didn‘t you all love that he was so patronizing to Jocasta but she was way cleverer than he ever imagined? 2w

LeahBergen And that ending! I was surprised that she flung it in the fire and then somewhat surprised at myself for not seeing it coming. 😆😆 @Ruthiella @batsy @quietjenn @CarolynM 2w

LeahBergen Oh, and Cathy … you have our next pick for our January read. 😊 2w

Ruthiella @LeahBergen Yes! She was much more capable and clever than he gave her credit. 2w

CarolynM @LeahBergen Once Jocasta arrived at Murray's rooms I started to get an inkling of what might happen but not why. It seemed like a fitting conclusion. 2w

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Yes Jocasta was so much cleverer.. he never saw that !! 👍🏻 2w

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen Thanks for reminding me .. I thought I was in March 😬. I won‘t have a clue what to recommend, I‘ll be shooting in the dark , so I‘ll have a look & put up a couple of titles & ye can pick, ok ?! Give me a couple of days 😘 @CarolynM @Ruthiella @quietjenn @batsy @erzascarletbookgasm @rubyslippersreads @BookNAround 2w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts That sounds great, Cathy! 👍 2w

CarolynM 👍I don't think you can go far wrong with these books🙂 2w

Cathythoughts @CarolynM I agree 👍🏻😁 2w

batsy @LeahBergen @Ruthiella @quietjenn @CarolynM Yes, Jocasta surprised me but it also felt pretty apt and exactly as it should be 😁 2w

batsy @Cathythoughts Sure thing 👍🏽 2w

rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella I cringed when he said, “my young person.” 😠 1w

rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen I was surprised too, but it was very satisfying. 1w

rubyslippersreads @CarolynM @Cathythoughts I agree. I want to read them all, so I don‘t care what order we read them in. 1w

rubyslippersreads @batsy Jocasta showed herself to be Quentin‘s superior in every way. 1w

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batsy

My Caravaggio Style | Doris Langley Moore

pick

Can't resist a novel about literary fraud & its ensuing shenanigans. In this one, Quentin, a bookseller & writer (variously described by fellow #furrowedmiddlebrowclub readers as a dweeb, a manipulator, & not a peach) attempts to "find" Byron's lost memoirs by forging it. He's not prepared for the clever curiosity of his model girlfriend, however! I enjoyed this & it was smartly set up, but found Quentin sadly somewhat dull in his nefariousness.

batsy @BookNAround @CarolynM @Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm @quietjenn @LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella 2w

Ruthiella I think Quentin‘s haplessness was to keep the reader from seeing him as an all out villain. But it was difficult at first to get used to the tone of this book...so different from previous selections. 2w

Cathythoughts Nice review! I‘m almost there … and agree 👍🏻. What a great idea for a book … it‘s brilliant ! ( I better finish up quickly now .. 2w

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LeahBergen @Ruthiella Yes! I was a little surprised by this one when I started it. The tone is very different from other FM reads. 2w

Ruthiella @batsy PS I see Don Juan peeking out there in your photo. Have you read it? Would you recommend? I‘ve never read any Byron. 2w

batsy @Cathythoughts Thank you, Cathy! Look forward to your thoughts 👍🏽 2w

batsy @Ruthiella @LeahBergen That's true about it being different in tone from the others I've read by DM. It reminded me a bit of Kingsley Amis' Lucky Jim and Muriel Spark's Loitering With Intent. I just needed Quentin to be all out unlikeable in an enjoyable way 😆 Good point though @Ruthiella he was probably meant to be seen less as an outright villain, but sadly had no real redeeming qualities. 2w

batsy @Ruthiella I'm ashamed to say that I've still not read it and basically used it as a photo prop 🙈 I've not read any Byron, either. 2w

LeahBergen @batsy I‘ve only read bits and pieces of Byron‘s poetry over the years. I must confess to finding his actual life more fascinating. 😆 2w

batsy @LeahBergen I think I might be the same! I paged through Don Juan and I don't know if I'll be able to read the whole thing 😂 2w

CarolynM @Ruthiella I've not read all of Don Juan either, but I've read a lot of his shorter poems and extracts from DJ and Childe Harold. A lot of what I found moving and romantic as a teenager strikes me rather differently these days, but I still love Growing Old https://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/Classic%20Poems/Byron/growing_old.htm 2w

batsy @CarolynM I've not come across this poem before! Thank you for sharing. 2w

Ruthiella @CarolynM Thanks for the tip! Interesting that your perception changes as you grow and age with Byron. I know this has happened to me with fiction, but I don‘t know enough about poetry to judge. 2w

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Ruthiella

My Caravaggio Style | Doris Langley Moore

pick

A gentle farce with subtle humor but improbable situations (not the least of which what Jocasta ever saw in Quentin!) The story is about a Byron forgery inspired in part as jealous revenge against Byron himself, despite the fact he‘s been dead for over 140 years. And the ultimate fruit of all Quentin‘s efforts? Hilarious!

I am fascinated by the author who founded The Fashion Museum in Bath and designed Hepburn‘s costume in The African Queen. 😮

Ruthiella @LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads @CarolynM @quietjenn @Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm @batsy @BookNAround #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub 2w

CarolynM Ooh! I didn't know that about Doris Langley Moore! I will have to do some googling. 2w

batsy The author does sound fascinating! Great review 💕 2w

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quietjenn She seems like such an interesting lady! 2w

erzascarletbookgasm Interesting about the author! Will go find out more! 2w

Ruthiella @erzascarletbookgasm @quietjenn @batsy @CarolynM She seems like she was quite an amazing character! I would LOVE to go to that museum in Bath. I‘ll have to put it on my bucket list. It‘s also (currently) located in the Assembly Rooms ! 😮 Shades of Jane Austen. ❤️ 2w

LeahBergen And she was a Byron scholar, as well! An amazing woman indeed. 2w

Ruthiella @LeahBergen Yes! And self taught. I loved how she made herself a side character in this book! 😆 (edited) 2w

LeahBergen I was tickled by how boring she made herself seem in her cameo in the publisher‘s office. 🤣 2w

LeahBergen Oops! I was typing at the same time as you. 😆 2w

51 likes10 comments

CarolynM

My Caravaggio Style | Doris Langley Moore

pick

Well, that wasn't quite what I was expecting! Overall I found it an engaging read. I was pleased to see Quentin finished up pretty much where he deserved. I enjoyed the dotty great aunt & her devotion to questionable causes, but a campaign against coffee drinking? That's beyond the pale!
#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
@LeahBergen @Ruthiella @Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm @batsy @quietjenn @rubyslippersreads @BookNAround @Sarabellum @SamanthaMarie

Ruthiella Work has been kicking my behind this week! 😫 I thought I‘d be done by Tuesday but am only 80% through. I hope to finish this weekend. 🤞I figured Quentin would get a comeuppance...just don‘t know the details yet! (edited) 2w

CarolynM @Ruthiella I know how you feel, I barely did any reading this week😣 2w

LeahBergen I‘ve been having a couple of super slow reading weeks, too. 🙄 Nice review and I can‘t wait to discuss this a little more as everyone finishes! 2w

See All 8 Comments

erzascarletbookgasm I‘ll try to sneak in some chapters in between..I need to pay attention to my couple of library loans due soon. 😬 2w

batsy Nice review! I love the aunt 😂 And I sympathise with how everyone is feeling ... It's been hard to get reading done this month! 2w

quietjenn Yep, reading ennui sounds very familiar! Also, those fake company names were cracking up, but I'll take the real coffee, please. 2w

Cathythoughts Nice review 👍🏻 I‘m hoping to finish off the last few pages this weekend… I love the dotty aunt too , Quentins visit to the aunt & all the carry-on about the furniture & ‘ finding ‘ the old book in the portable desk ( ? 😂) is my favorite part so far. And yes , me too with the slow reading ! 🙄 Looking forward to seeing Quentins comeuppance too @Ruthiella (edited) 2w

Cathythoughts Gorgeous picture 💫 2w

60 likes8 comments

quietjenn

My Caravaggio Style | Doris Langley Moore

#furrowedmiddlebrowclub -bing with lunch. Quentin continues to be a real peach. 🙄

LeahBergen That he is! 😆 2w

CarolynM 😆 2w

Cathythoughts Quentin 🙄 he‘s driving me mad !! 2w

batsy Hahaha! A real delight, isn't he 😆 2w

Ruthiella Totally! 😂 2w

46 likes5 comments

LeahBergen

My Caravaggio Style | Doris Langley Moore

pick

Quentin Williams is a bookseller in 1950s London with a gorgeous model girlfriend and virtually no money. While trying to impress a book dealer, he inadvertently hits upon a ‘get rich scheme‘: he‘ll attempt a forgery of Lord Byron‘s lost memoirs (famously burned by his friends after his death).

I found this a bit slow to start but once it did, I couldn‘t put it down. More comments to come when everyone is finished!

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, erzascarletbookgasm, CarolynM, BookNAround, batsy, Cathythoughts, Ruthiella

batsy Lovely photo and review 💜 I finished it last night; it didn't quite work for me as I wanted because I found Quentin lacking a bit of personality 😆, but otherwise it was good fun! 3w

quietjenn I've only read a wee bit, but an hoping to devote some time to it tonight! 3w

erzascarletbookgasm I‘ve just made a little start 👌 3w

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LeahBergen @quietjenn @erzascarletbookgasm Like I said, I found it a slow start. Quintin‘s narration is (intentionally, I think) a bit plodding but plow on … it DOES pick up. 3w

batsy @LeahBergen Dweeb! Yes 😂 Agree with you, the topic of forgeries and literary society shenanigans is too good to resist. 3w

Ruthiella I‘m at 70% and hope to finish tomorrow with luck. It is slow to start and I kept feeling I should like Quentin but he‘s not sympathetic at all. Still, I have no clue how it will all pan out... 3w

LeahBergen @Ruthiella He‘s surprisingly unsympathetic, isn‘t he? 😆 And I was also (belatedly) struck by the fact that he‘s our first male narrator/male point of view for a Furrowed Middlebrow read, isn‘t he? 🤔 3w

Ruthiella @LeahBergen Yes! I was thinking that too. 3w

LeahBergen @batsy Wasn‘t he a dweeb? 😆 I think I was a bit predisposed to like this one as I have such a fascination for the workings of the world of rare books and forgeries, in particular. 3w

LeahBergen @batsy Oops! I edited a typo in my previous response to you and now my comment has shot to the bottom here, out of order. 😆 3w

Cathythoughts I‘ve just made a little start too .. @erzascarletbookgasm hopefully later today I‘ll get some read 👍🏻❤️ (edited) 3w

CarolynM I'm about halfway through. It was a bit slow to start but it seems to be hotting up now. I don't think I'd call Quinton a dweeb - he's awfully manipulative! 3w

quietjenn A little over a third of the way through now, and I can certainly understand all of your comments about Quentin! I found myself thinking exactly as @Ruthiella the whole time - “not the most sympathetic character, are you Quentin?“ And I actually had to remind myself once or twice that the author was not a dude, because there's something about the way he thinks/talks about Jocasta that irks me. 2w

Cathythoughts My son & 8 yr old granddaughter here today. I said .. remind me what a dweeb is … Sofia says .. Granny , even I know that , my Dads a dweeb 😁….. also the name Jocasta , had to check it out .. she was married to Oedipus , 🤔🤔🤔 interesting.. slow start , but picking up now 👍🏻 @CarolynM 2w

CarolynM I completely agree with you about the Quentin/Jocasta dynamic @quietjenn - most unpleasant. I bet your son isn't really a dweeb @Cathythoughts - the way our children see us🙄🤣 2w

CarolynM I started out hoping the hoax would succeed, now I'm hoping for a spectacular failure. 2w

LeahBergen @CarolynM Yes! I was rooting for him at first, too. As to the “dweeb” comment: I completely agree with you as to his manipulativeness. It‘s only as I got further on to the ending that I found him such a sad, pathetically verbose little man. If that makes sense? 😆 (edited) 2w

LeahBergen @quietjenn He‘s just so smug and overbearing. 🙄 2w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts 🤣🤣 Oh, your poor son. Aren‘t children rotten and wonderful? And good association with the name Jocasta - I hadn‘t twigged on to that at all. 2w

Cathythoughts @LeahBergen @CarolynM My sons definitely not a dweeb … that‘s an example of the Irish sense of humour for you … slagging 😂. I hope to get more read today 🤞🏻 I‘m enjoying it 👍🏻 2w

LeahBergen @Cathythoughts That‘s exactly the sort of humour in my house, too! 😆 2w

rubyslippersreads I just started but am curious to see where it‘s going. 2w

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LeahBergen

My Caravaggio Style | Doris Langley-Levy Moore

My “currently reading and about to start reading” stack. 😄

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub
#Manawakans

robinb Beautiful cup! 💙 4w

TheLudicReader I love that tea cup. 4w

LeahBergen @robinb @TheLudicReader Thanks! It‘s a real favourite of mine and makes a huge cup of tea. 😆 4w

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CarolynM Looks lovely😍 Testing my memory here - is the Chalet Girls on Camp one of the island ones? 4w

Tamra Ahhhhhhhh sigh of envy 4w

Centique That cup! 😍😍 4w

Cathythoughts Lovely stack & picture Leah 💫 4w

batsy Such an inviting photo 😍 4w

LeahBergen @CarolynM Close but they‘re still in the Tirol at this point. 😀 3w

LeahBergen @Tamra @Centique @Cathythoughts @batsy Thanks, all! 😘😘 3w

kspenmoll I read the Diviners so so long ago! Love your teacup! (edited) 3w

rubyslippersreads ❤️ the stack and the cup! 3w

LeahBergen @kspenmoll It‘s one I‘ve been meaning to read for years! 3w

LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads 😘😘 3w

tpixie Great ambitions! Beautiful tea cup 🍵 3w

LeahBergen @tpixie Thanks! 😘 3w

103 likes16 comments

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