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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! 7h
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! 7h
Kristy_K Good choice! I also haven‘t read her. 3h
45 likes5 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!! 2w
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. 2w
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. 2w
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 3w
dabbe 🖤🐾🐾🖤 3w
LibrarianRyan Nice. 2w
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! 1mo
Librarybelle @LeahBergen It was delightful! 1mo
Aimeesue I‘m so glad you enjoyed it, I thought it was fantastic 💙 1mo
CaramelLunacy This is definitely on my list! 1mo
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 2mo
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. 2mo
See All 7 Comments
Hooked_on_books My mom loves this series! I think she‘s read all of them. 2mo
Librarybelle @Hooked_on_books They are so much fun to listen to! Perfect fluff stories! 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2mo
LibrarianRyan ❤️❤️❤️❤️ 2mo
86 likes7 comments
blurb
Librarybelle
Untitled | Unknown
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Leave it to me to start off the year with a migraine! 🙄

So, I‘m now getting to all of the posts and readings I slated to do today! I finally compiled my #Top23Of2023 list, albeit with a wonky graphic. I amazingly read 151 books last year (not counting the picture books and early reader books for #BBRC ), and I had a hard time narrowing down my top 23.

Thanks to Barbara for carrying on @Cinfhen ‘s tradition!

AnnR Oh bummer. Hope you feel better! 3mo
Librarybelle @AnnR Thank you! 3mo
kspenmoll Feel better soon. 3mo
See All 14 Comments
Librarybelle Thank you, @kspenmoll ! 3mo
Ruthiella Hope you feel better soon! ❤️ 3mo
Librarybelle Thank you, @Ruthiella ! 3mo
Bluebird I hope you feel better soon! 3mo
Librarybelle Thank you, @Bluebird ! 3mo
Bluebird Great list of favorites! I read 4 of them this year, and they were all in my top 20 of the year: Black Cake, Lost City of the Monkey God, Tom Lake, and the Masterpiece. Several others are in my TBR list—will need to bump them toward the top. 😀 3mo
Librarybelle @Bluebird Thanks! I gave 5 stars to Tom Lake and Black Cake - so good!! 3mo
DGRachel I hope you are feeling better now! 3mo
Librarybelle Mostly, @DGRachel . Thank you! 3mo
BarbaraBB Great list! I can‘t wait to read Tom Lake! 3mo
Librarybelle @BarbaraBB Thank you! I loved Meryl Streep‘s narration of it, so I‘m a bit bias on the audio version! 3mo
55 likes14 comments
review
Librarybelle
Mistress of Mellyn | Victoria Holt
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Pickpick

My first Victoria Holt, with echoes of Jane Eyre in the storyline. Martha Leigh becomes the governess to Connan TreMellyn‘s young daughter Alvean. Alvean‘s mother died under scandalous circumstances, yet there is speculation that she still walks the halls of the manor. I enjoyed this - slight twist at the end, and while listening to this, I did say out loud how “smooth” the guys‘ pickup lines are. I‘d read more! Good to listen to! #192025 #1960

Librarybelle As Martha becomes entangled in the mystery and draws some conclusions, there is a #MethodToTheMadness ….except her method leads her to danger. #Adult #BBRC @LibrarianRyan 3mo
Ruthiella I‘ve never read any Victoria Holt, but I remember seeing her name on books my mother would check out from the library, along with Mary Stewart and Norah Lofts. 3mo
Librarybelle @Ruthiella She has so many! Good romantic/Gothic suspense. 3mo
See All 8 Comments
MittenGirlPeach I‘ve always loved this one so much! 3mo
Librarybelle I really liked it, @MittenGirlPeach ! 3mo
kspenmoll I read her as a teen & loved her books, along with Phyllis A. Whitney. 3mo
LibrarianRyan I love Victoria holt. I‘ve not read this one. But my fave is the India Fan. 3mo
Librarybelle @kspenmoll @LibrarianRyan She has so many, I cannot believe it took me this long to read one! I really liked listening to the story as well. 3mo
57 likes1 stack add8 comments
review
Librarybelle
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Panpan

Finished this a little early for #PemberLittens #JaneAdjacent so I could return it to the library today…

A 21st century woman is transported somehow into a 19th century woman‘s body. As a self-proclaimed lover of Jane Austen novels, you‘d think she‘d get some things right - decorum, social mores. Nope. Courtney/Jane is whiny and seems so clueless on some things it baffled me. Actions have consequences, and yet she doesn‘t quite grasp that. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Librarybelle ⬆️⬆️⬆️ I really did not like Courtney; I did have sympathy in the beginning - of course it would be disorienting to time travel! - but it‘s like she never really learned any lesson. The ending was rushed. I did appreciate Courtney‘s stance on leeches! Thanks for leading us through this one, @StayCurious !! Your daily posts helped a lot!!! 3mo
Librarybelle In her own way, Courtney married the #BestOfBothWorlds to adapt to life in the 19th century. I‘ll take that as a win to cover a prompt for #BBRC ! #YeahBaby @LibrarianRyan 3mo
LibrarianRyan 😍 3mo
52 likes3 comments
review
Librarybelle
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Pickpick

Low pick for me - I think I liked the atmosphere more than most of the characters! But, I was compelled to read it. The whole school sounds spooky, and I‘d love to see a place steeped in so much history and lore.

I guess the message from this is that grief affects everyone differently, and we‘re all running away from something, whether it‘s grief or stress or trauma or something else that consumes us. #PemberLittens #JaneAdjacent

Librarybelle #BBRC #TeenAngst #SnowballEffect - the loss of a loved one catapulted an entire family into grief and pain, causing them to lose interest or the inability to interact with past favorite activities, and in a sense, with each other. @LibrarianRyan 4mo
StayCurious Low pick for me as well. Not quite a so-so. I enjoyed it enough to make it a low pick 4mo
64 likes2 comments