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DGRachel

DGRachel

Joined May 2016

LibraryThing member DGRachel

Howler. Passionate dog mom. Opinionated mood reader with eclectic tastes. I‘ll try any genre once. http://tailsfromthedogside.blog
review
DGRachel
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Mehso-so

Oh, Nancy. You are not aging well. The “subtle” ads for other books in the series are starting to irritate. The mystery is even more predictable than the earlier books, and I swear I‘ve seen this as a Scooby-Doo episode. 😂 The cultural appropriation was not funny, though, and I could feel my blood boil as Nancy & Co. went shopping for authentic “squaw dresses” as party costumes. 🤦🏻‍♀️ #NancyDrewBR

Librarybelle Who knows…it could have been a Scooby Doo episode! 😂 4d
DGRachel @Librarybelle It was probably more than one! Ghost town? Haunted ranch? I‘m sure there were multiple episodes with these settings. 🤣🤣 4d
45 likes2 comments
review
DGRachel
Thank You, Omu! | Oge Mora
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Pickpick

I adored this picture book. It has beautiful messages about community, sharing, and gratitude. It‘s the picture book selection for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library‘s 2024 Community Reads program.

rockpools Hi Rachel. This may (or may not) be a silly question ( sorry!) but am I friends with you on DuoLingo? 🇮🇹 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿? I know it‘s a Litsy Rachel but have come back to it after ages and have the memory of a 🐌 2w
DGRachel @rockpools I honestly don‘t know. I quit using Duolingo earlier this year or the end of last year. I may go back to it eventually, but I don‘t even have the app on my phone anymore. 2w
rockpools @DGRachel Thanks for answering weird random questions. It‘s someone who‘s super-active on there at the moment that I‘m trying to track down, so probably not you! Sorry for going hugely off-topic in your feed! 1w
DGRachel @rockpools No need to apologize. I don‘t mind at all. I hope you find the person you are seeking. 1w
42 likes4 comments
review
DGRachel
Measuring Up | Lily LaMotte
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Pickpick

Every March, my county library system hosts a community read. This year‘s theme is food and the tagged book is the MG selection. I loved watching CiCi adjust to life in America through a cooking contest. Seeing her grow, learning to trust and make friends, and discover how to honor her Taiwanese heritage, was heartwarming.

49 likes1 stack add
blurb
DGRachel
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I have two books in progress, but the #bookspin and #doublespin numbers came out today. This is my #doublespin and is all I want to read. I think I‘m going to make myself read at least a few chapters of one of the other books, but I will probably cave and start Nero later today.

TrishB I really enjoyed this one. Need to get to the follow up! 2w
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2w
LeahBergen I don‘t know why I haven‘t read this as I loved her Memoirs of Cleopatra. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2w
See All 7 Comments
DGRachel @LeahBergen Mary Called Magdalene is one of my favorite books. I have Cleopatra but haven‘t read it, yet. I got to meet Margaret George at a book festival pre-COVID, and she was lovely. 2w
DGRachel @TrishB Glad to hear you enjoyed it. I own the sequel, too - one of the too many unread books on my shelves. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2w
LeahBergen How exciting! I‘ll keep an eye out for Mary, too. 👍 2w
bthegood just added the Magdalene book to my TBR - 🙂 (edited) 2w
45 likes7 comments
review
DGRachel
Tom Lake: A Novel | Ann Patchett
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Bailedbailed

Ann Patchett‘s writing is gorgeous and skillful. Meryl Streep‘s narration is equally brilliant. If family stories, contemporary/literary fiction are things you gravitate towards, I think you‘ll love this. I can see the appeal and all of the positive reviews are totally justified. I got a third of the way through the audiobook. It‘s just not for me, and that‘s okay.
#auldlangspine

Tamra I don‘t think she‘s for me either. There is something for everyone! 2w
TrishB It‘s always ok! 2w
Melismatic That‘s ok! Sometimes things just don‘t work for us 🤷🏻‍♀️💖 2w
See All 6 Comments
dabbe #fanofthepan! 🤩🤩🤩 2w
DGRachel @dabbe 🤣🤣 I love that hashtag! 2w
dabbe @DGRachel It reminds me that life's too short, and our TBR's are too long! 🤩😂😍 2w
42 likes6 comments
blurb
DGRachel
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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March #bookspin bingo board. 🤩

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fabulous!! 2w
31 likes1 comment
blurb
DGRachel
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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I clearly need to create better #bookspin lists. 😂 I only read one book from February‘s list. I did use up all the free spaces, though. 🤣🤣

TheAromaofBooks Some months be like that 😂 3w
29 likes1 comment
blurb
DGRachel
Just Like February: A Novel | Deborah Batterman
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I won‘t finish anything tomorrow, so this is my wrap-up for February. Thanks to comfort audiobook rereads and catching up to the #nancydrewbr group, I actually managed to finish 9 books this month. Considering what a dumpster fire the first half of the month was, I will take this as a huge win. The Last Widow was my favorite of the new-to-me books. Slaughter is incredibly talented. #februarywrapup

Librarybelle Yay!! 3w
37 likes1 comment
review
DGRachel
The bungalow mystery | Carolyn Keene, Russell H. Tandy
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Pickpick

Ha! I‘ve been saying I expect the criminals in these books to call Nancy meddlesome, and it finally happened. I enjoyed watching this one play out. Nancy really can do anything. My only complaint this time is all of the exclamation points. So! Many! ‼️‼️‼️🤣🤣
#NancyDrewBR

Librarybelle I forgot there were so many exclamation points! 😂 3w
Aimeesue 😂😂😂 3w
44 likes2 comments
blurb
DGRachel
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I decided not to recreate the wheel this month, especially since I only read one book from February‘s list and it was neither the #bookspin nor the #doublespin. 🤦🏻‍♀️ For March, I replaced those three titles, the library books that I returned unread, and all of the St. Martin‘s imprint titles. We‘ll see if I have any better luck reading from this list this month.

ChaoticMissAdventures I just started Tom Lake! It seems really interesting so far, and like it could be a pretty quick read. 3w
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3w
35 likes2 comments
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

Trying to catch up to the #NancyDrewBR group. I loved the side characters in this one, especially Miss Flora. The villain, Nathan Gomber, was a quintessential cartoon villain. I really expected him to say “I‘d have gotten away with it if it wasn‘t for that meddling girl”. 😂 The stakes are definitely higher in this one, with missing fathers and more physical danger. While I like Helen, I really want Bess and George, and I hope we get them soon.

Librarybelle 😂 That‘s so true about Nathan! 3w
53 likes1 comment
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

Karin Slaughter was exactly what I needed to break through this reading slump. Action packed, as always, and absolutely terrifying, I loved it and didn‘t want to put it down.

57 likes1 stack add
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

After weeks of bailing on almost everything (this is only the 3rd book I‘ve finished this month which is unheard of for me), I decided to take the advice Littens always seem to give each other about ending book slumps - change genres or reread an old favorite. I decided to let Jim Dale reread HP for me. I don‘t think the slump is broken, but I am grateful for the comfort (re)read. Onward to Chamber of Secrets

review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

I remember reading a lot of Nancy Drew as a child. I also remember liking the Nancy Drew Files that came out in the mid-80s better than the originals, thinking they were more readable. That still holds true. I find the prose here clunky, but there‘s a Scooby-Doo “meddlesome kids” vibe to Nancy that I adore. This gets points for nostalgia if nothing else.

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DGRachel
The Girl in the Lake | India Hill Brown
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Pickpick

I FINALLY finished a book this month! This was a mildly creepy middle grade horror novel with big lessons on racism and facing your fears. Well-written and engaging, it‘s perfectly narrated by Bahni Turpin.

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DGRachel
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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If Love Could Kill is my #bookspin and Spellbound is #doublespin I‘ve been battling my insurance company over critical medication for two weeks and have been too sick to do much reading. Fingers crossed that now that they are finally doing the right thing and I can get back on my meds, that I will be able to actively participate in life soon.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fantastic!! Sorry about your insurance woes. It's so infuriating!!!! 1mo
39 likes1 comment
blurb
DGRachel
Just Like February: A Novel | Deborah Batterman
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February‘s #bookspin list is a combination of library books and NetGalley titles with a couple of random TBR titles thrown in. Several of the new releases I am most excited about are, sadly, published by St Martins/St Martins imprints, and St Martins still has not addressed concerns over rascism and Islamophobia at their imprint, Wednesday Books, so I‘m trying to honor the boycott until they do. I‘ve covered the titles on my list.

DGRachel @ readersforaccountability on Instagram is the best resource for details on the boycott. 2mo
TheAromaofBooks Looks great!!! 2mo
34 likes2 comments
review
DGRachel
Blood Sisters | Vanessa Lillie
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Pickpick

I read a lot of mystery/crime fiction and it can start to feel exploitative, especially when the victims are BIPOC and the authors are white. Lillie is a Cherokee citizen, as is the main character here. This is a well written mystery centered around missing and murdered Indigenous women in a small Oklahoma town. There‘s more to it, of course, but no spoilers here. I‘m definitely interested in reading more of Lillie‘s work.

42 likes1 stack add
blurb
DGRachel
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This week has been A Lot personally, so I haven‘t finished anything as I haven‘t had the mental capacity to read for any length of time. I am enjoying everything in progress though. I know I‘m probably replacing childhood memories with The Cure trivia, but it‘s totally worth it. 😂 The audiobook is giving me life right now. 🖤

TrishB Hope next week is better ♥️ 2mo
DGRachel @TrishB Thank you 💖 2mo
Ruthiella Cure trivia cure 🖤 2mo
DGRachel @Ruthiella Exactly!😂 2mo
44 likes4 comments
review
DGRachel
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Bailedbailed

I tried. I really did. I reached the 42% mark, but no more. I expected this to center on the torso murders of the early 20th century. A series of gruesome murders of which I knew nothing. Instead, I‘ve basically had to sit through a love letter of an Elliott Ness biography. 😡 Check, please!

RamsFan1963 You might want to try Max Allan Collin's book, Elliot Ness and The Mad Butcher, or the graphic novel, Torso by Brian Michael Bendis, if you're interested in learning more about the infamous Cleveland Torso Murderer. 2mo
DGRachel @RamsFan1963 Thanks for the recommendations! I‘ll definitely look into Collin‘s book since I am interested in learning more about the actual killer. I‘m sure this book will eventually get there, but I didn‘t expect Ness‘s life story first. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2mo
52 likes2 comments
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

I picked this up for my local indie‘s January virtual book club/reading challenge. I went into it blind, and it‘s not at all what I expected based on the title. It‘s kind of an enemies to lovers romance with warring factions racing up and down various timelines. The audio was a little tough to follow despite separate narrators for the two POVs, but still well done.

BarbaraBB Where is it set? 2mo
DGRachel @BarbaraBB Kind of all over the place - there are brief references to a variety of historical events, different versions of London are mentioned with some frequency, and there was a reference to Soviet soldiers. 2mo
BarbaraBB Ah okay, I thought it was about a specific war! Thanks! 2mo
See All 7 Comments
TrishB Been on my tbr a while now! 2mo
DGRachel @TrishB It seems to be one that people either love or hate. I had it on my TBR, took it off because of negative reviews, and then listened to it thanks to my indie bookstore. I thought it was unique-focused far more on the characters than the world building, which is minimal. 2mo
Suet624 What are you making?
2mo
DGRachel @Suet624 Just a throw blanket. I wanted something to do with my hands while I watched TV or listened to an audiobook, and I didn‘t want to have to think about it, so I grabbed yarn I had sitting in my closet and just started crocheting using the moss stitch. There‘s no pattern or even a row count for stripe width - I just go until I get sick of the color. 😂 It‘ll probably be hideous when it‘s done. 2mo
63 likes7 comments
blurb
DGRachel
Blood Sisters | Vanessa Lillie
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It‘s been a struggle to stick with anything this past week. Nothing is holding my interest so I‘m just not reading much. I‘m hoping to change that by bailing on my #bookspin, since it‘s getting all “hidden/forbidden relationship” angsty and I wanted to supernatural, isolated setting, high body count, not angst, so I‘m mad at it. 😂 Fingers crossed that the tagged book grabs my attention and doesn‘t let go.

Ruthiella Good luck! 🤞 2mo
57 likes1 comment
review
DGRachel
The Rescuers | Margery Sharp
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Mehso-so

Mine is an unpopular opinion, I know, but The Rescuers was one of the first Disney films I remember, and it will always be my favorite. The film and this book couldn‘t be more different. I didn‘t care for the writing style and, ugh, the misogyny. I know it‘s in line with the time it was written, but it was more than I can tolerate in my present mental state. That said, I‘m glad I read it. #childrensclassicread2024

TheBookHippie 😅🙃 2mo
65 likes1 comment
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

This is a detailed look at the history of witch trials and demonology. It focuses on 13 trials as a deep dive into the actions and beliefs that drive witch trials - misogyny, patriarchy, and white supremacy being chief among those justifications. The text is very dry, though, which makes this a difficult read, and the narrator delivers the text in the manner of a dull university lecture. A pick for the content, but a low one for the tedium.

RamsFan1963 Thank you for the review. I'm stacking this but I think I'll go for the printed book if the narrator is so dry. 2mo
54 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

This was an interesting, informative look at the first criminal trial using genetic genealogy as its primary evidence. The cold case is a horrific murder of two young Canadians on a trip to Washington State. This book not only details the crime, but also delves into the privacy concerns around public and private DNA databases, and a history of the development of forensic genetic genealogy, especially the work of CeCe Moore and Parabon.

LeahBergen I love these books where DNA/genetic genealogy solves cold cases! 2mo
DGRachel @LeahBergen Me, too, and this one was a random find. I went on Libby, filtered audiobooks/available now/true crime, because I didn‘t want to read anything I already had in my personal audiobook library and couldn‘t think of a specific title I wanted. I just knew I wanted true crime while I worked. 🤓 2mo
62 likes3 stack adds2 comments
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

I‘m fascinated by the mixed reviews of this one. I enjoyed it, and while I can see that some elements were unnecessary, it never felt bogged down to me. The audiobook narrator is great. It touches on a lot of issues, but what I liked most was watching Bodie‘s perspective shifts as she uncovered new-to-her details of the people and events surrounding the murder of her boarding school roommate. #auldlangspine

Melismatic Yes! Throughout I kept expecting Bodie to be directly connected in some way. It was one of the few mysteries I read last year that kept me super engaged the whole way through. 2mo
Chelsea.Poole I agree, I thought this was great! 2mo
69 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
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Starting this one today, but Alma has pushed my expectations even higher than they were. Simmons‘s THE TERROR is one of my all time favorites and kicked off an obsession with Arctic and Antarctic exploration tales. Please don‘t let me down. 🤞🏻

Kappadeemom Sounds super creepy 2mo
Bookzombie Wow! Big shoes to fill. I love The Terror. 2mo
46 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
DGRachel
The Kept Woman | Karin Slaughter
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Pickpick

Book Angie is horrible, and things reach a point in this novel where I‘m just as mad at Will for enabling her behavior as I am at Angie. That aside, this is classic Karin Slaughter - violent, graphic, and unputdownable.

TrishB Awesome description! Yep. 2mo
vivastory I recently read book 2 in the Will Trent series & very few series make me feel like I need to take a shower afterwards like this one 😂 Agree on the unputdownable. I immediately ordered book 3. 2mo
DGRachel @vivastory Yes! Her books have a definite ick factor to them, but I cant stop consuming them. 2mo
vivastory @DGRachel I have a co-worker who says that she hates horror movies & books, but Karin Slaughter is one of her favorite authors. It's very confusing to me lolol 2mo
55 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
DGRachel
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When the library is not your friend…

Why do all the holds come in at the same time? Why must I work for a living? 😩😩

Ruthiella I feel you! That pesky job! 😫 2mo
Dilara I feel for you ⏳ 2mo
Amiable Even when I try to strategically stagger my requests, they STILL all come at once! I don‘t know how it happens that way, but it always does. 😖 (edited) 2mo
See All 7 Comments
DGRachel @Amiable I was #200 or so on one of the books in transit. I was so sure I had at least three months before it was ready! 2mo
Chelsea.Poole Hi 👋 library employee here — depending on how your system works, you may get prioritized by your home branch/books owned by that branch. That‘s how it works in my neck of the woods 😊 2mo
rabbitprincess I totally get this, having just picked up 5 holds from the library 🤣 2mo
mom_of_4 Mine does the same thing. I have like 12 at home and 3 in transit. Like omg i can only read so darn fast lol. 2mo
60 likes7 comments
review
DGRachel
Untitled | Unknown
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Pickpick

This short story isn‘t in the database. This is an absolutely terrifying story, simply because it‘s rooted in reality, from cyber-bullying, incels, and victim-blaming to police and college administrators doing worse than nothing. Written as a series of social media posts, it is a timely warning about the potential dangers of social media and toxic masculinity, but also: “cluck, cluck motherf*ckers”.

Melismatic Yes! 💪🏻 Im pretty fond of this authors writing, she draws you in so quickly and never lets go. 2mo
monalyisha This sounds good…and awful (in all of the ways it‘s supposed to be)! 2mo
58 likes3 comments
review
DGRachel
Summer Frost | Blake Crouch
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Pickpick

This short story is the stuff of my AI nightmares. It‘s well-written, compelling, impossible to put down, and utterly terrifying.

Book 2 for #auldlangspine

Melismatic It really struck me, too! It‘s honestly what I was expecting/hoping M3gan to be. 🫨😂 Truly terrifying. 2mo
52 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

While some of the chapters feature clever quips and some amusing anecdotes, a lot of this satire falls flat. I expected something either a little more serious or a little more outrageously funny. Where this book really shines is in the autobiographical elements, particularly surrounding the authors‘ experiences with drag, sex work, and being fired from various jobs. A soft pick and my first book finished for #auldlangspine.

Melismatic I hear you there. Their first book together was a bit more of a quippy parody, this was somewhere in between. 2mo
monalyisha It‘s hard when you can‘t quite nail down the tone! 2mo
DGRachel @Melismatic @monalyisha Humor is so subjective, but I will definitely check out their first book. I really loved their more autobiographical moments here. I appreciated their vulnerability and their ability to lighten things up with some laughs. 2mo
55 likes3 comments
blurb
DGRachel
BookSpinBingo | Untitled
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Spent some time after work making my #bookspinbingo board, so I‘m ready to start checking boxes. 🤩

#bookspin #doublespin

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Looks fantastic!! 3mo
39 likes1 comment
blurb
DGRachel
January | Sara Gallardo
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Now that the #bookspin numbers are out, here‘s my tentative January TBR - a nice combination of library books, #bookspin, and #auldlangspine. ☺️

But also, note to self, stop putting books on the bookspin list that you don‘t really want to read. 🤦🏻‍♀️ At least it‘s the #doublespin choice.

TheAromaofBooks Looks great!! And remember... DNFs count, so maybe this is your chance to jettison a book that isn't really going to work for you 😂 3mo
robinb Been there, done that. LOL I still have a few that I‘m “iffy” about but feel better about it overall. 3mo
Itchyfeetreader @TheAromaofBooks I love that idea 3mo
TheAromaofBooks @Itchyfeetreader - One time, I had a BookSpinBingo participant purposefully make her entire list of books she owned but thought she had a better than 50% chance of DNFing - she didn't make it through the whole list, but she did get rid of like 15 books that month! 3mo
DGRachel @TheAromaofBooks I kind of love that! 3mo
48 likes5 comments
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DGRachel
Wild Decembers | Edna O'Brien
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Apparently all I did was read in December. I don‘t think I‘ve ever finished 36 books in one month before, even with a bunch of them being comics/graphic novels/picture books. Lore Olympus Vol. 5 was my favorite for the month.

Nutmegnc Wow!! 😱👏👏👏 3mo
wanderinglynn Awesome! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🎉 3mo
Gissy 😳😱📚📚📚📚🎉🎉👌 3mo
43 likes3 comments
review
DGRachel
She Persisted Boxed Set | Chelsea Clinton
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Pickpick

With these two books, I am finishing 2023 with 175 books read. Both of these are good picture books with bite sized bios of female historical figures. The artwork is beautiful. My only quibble is the inclusion of JK Rowling, as her anti-trans rhetoric is extremely harmful. I‘m curious about whether the other featured women have questionable ethics. I‘d want to know more of them all before sharing with kids, to be able to discuss the good and bad.

robinb Congratulations! Very impressive! 👏👏👏 3mo
42 likes1 comment
blurb
DGRachel
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I have my first #bookspin list of 2024 created - a combination of library books, #auldlangspine, and a few NetGalley 2024 releases.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3mo
34 likes1 comment
review
DGRachel
Ten Second Staircase | Christopher Fowler
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Pickpick

This is such a great series. Bryant, May, and all of the staff at the Peculiar Crimes Unit are well-developed, complex characters. The crimes they seek to solve are often bizarre, at least on the surface. There‘s never a straight line to the solution, no matter how twisted or banal it may be.

Aimeesue I love Arthur and his crazy scarf 😂 3mo
50 likes1 comment
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DGRachel
The Devil's Playground | Craig Russell
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I hope to finish two more books today but neither of them will be the best of this month and nothing can knock The Devil‘s Playground out of the top spot of the year. It was close, though. I read some other books I loved that didn‘t even make it here, so choosing between some of these felt impossible. #favoritebookof2023

Thanks to @chasjjlee for the template!

review
DGRachel
Portrait of a Murderer | Anne Meredith
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Pickpick

This is a well written novel. It‘s not a mystery-we know who committed the murder and why. This is more of a study of the aftermath of murder on the family members and the psychology of the killer. There aren‘t any particularly likeable characters and I don‘t know that I‘d have been sorry to see any of them hang for the murder, guilty or not. While only a soft pick for me, I can certainly respect the craft displayed.

review
DGRachel
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Mehso-so

The stories are all full of the violence and gore I have come to expect from I Hate Fairyland. The other artists have all done a great job of capturing the essence of Gert. Where these issues lose me is in the art style and coloring. Most do a decent job of using a similar color palette, the actual drawings are so different and almost none of them are to my taste.

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DGRachel
System Collapse | Martha Wells
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Pickpick

The only thing better than ART is lots of little ART iterations. Look, I adore Murderbot, but I love ART, or maybe I just really love the way the two play off each other. Regardless, this novella has plenty of banter, lots of Murderbot anxiety, and high-stakes adventure. Delightful, as always.

54 likes2 stack adds
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DGRachel
Brooklyn Noir 3: Nothing But the Truth | Tim McLoughlin, Thomas Adcock
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Pickpick

This is the first (only?) nonfiction book in the Akashic Noir series. The stories are written by former police officers, prosecutors, and journalists. Most of these cover crimes that probably didn‘t get much media attention outside of the immediate area. There‘s a strong sense of place and they read just like fictional noir: sad, hopeless, inevitable, and violent. This is another excellent entry in the series.

44 likes1 stack add
blurb
DGRachel
Brooklyn Noir 3: Nothing But the Truth | Tim McLoughlin, Thomas Adcock
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Cozy blanket ✅
Hot chocolate - coming soon
Chocolate candy - eaten
True Crime Akashic Noir ✅

Happy Jolabokaflod!

review
DGRachel
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Pickpick

I have loved every volume of Lore Olympus and this may be my favorite to date. That cliff hanger ending, though…😱 I can‘t wait for the next volume.

The art and coloring are gorgeous and I love Smythe‘s reimagining of the Greek gods and goddesses.

46 likes1 stack add
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DGRachel
Portrait of a Murderer | Anne Meredith
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Well, I know what I‘m reading on Christmas Day! Thank you so much @Mitch ! These both look absolutely perfect for me. I hadn‘t heard of either before, and I can‘t wait to read them. I may have to buy a suit jacket just to be able to wear that pin and I think I‘m going to hang that ornament from a bookcase year-round. 💖 Happy Holidays, my friend!

LeahBergen Cute pin! 3mo
Mitch Happy holidays 🥰🎄🥰🎄 3mo
54 likes2 comments
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DGRachel
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@Melismatic Your list is fabulously eclectic! I‘ve already read The Bandit Queens, but the rest of the list is a mix of books that have been on my radar and ones outside my comfort zone. It looks like January is going to be heavy on mystery, thrillers, and horror, which is perfect. Based purely on the cover, I‘m going to be starting with the tagged book! (Thanks for all of your hard work putting this together @monalyisha 🤩)
#auldlangspine

monalyisha Small Joys looks wonderful. And Manhunt looks SO WEIRD. 😆 @Melismatic described the essence of her own list as “Horror & whimsy,” which is a vibe I can get behind. Hope you can, too! I totally suspect you can. 😉🥳 Enjoy! 3mo
DGRachel @monalyisha Oh yeah. That‘s pretty much a perfect vibe for me. 🤣🤣 3mo
Melismatic Yay!!! I can‘t wait to hear what you think! I tried to include a mix of light & dark. 💖 3mo
Melismatic @monalyisha 💖🥳 Small Joys *is* heartwarming and lovely and Manhunt is absolutely weird (in a surprisingly heartfelt way!). 💖 Thank you for all the work you‘ve done for this! Such a fun challenge! 3mo
DGRachel @Melismatic I bought the audiobook of Working Girls and 3 of the books are in Kindle Unlimited, which is great. I put library holds on Scattered Showers, Chainsaw, and I Have Some Questions. I‘m not sure if I‘ll get to all 7 in January, but I‘ll give it a shot. I‘m #143 in the hold list for Tom Lake. 😂 3mo
47 likes5 comments
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DGRachel
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Mehso-so

There's not really much new here if you are at all familiar with the most well-known serial killers of the 70s and 80s. If you aren't familiar with the likes of Bundy, Dahmer, Gacy, and BTK, then this has some good introductory material. The book is a spin-off of a podcast. I've never listened to it and honestly probably won't. The attempts to interject humor weren't funny. They just felt disrespectful to the victims.

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DGRachel
An English Murder | Cyril Hare
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Pickpick

I listened to this in 2019, enjoyed it, and promptly forgot about it. I liked it even more on the reread. There‘s something about stories of people being stranded because of weather, cut off from the rest of civilization while bodies start piling up that I just find delightful. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Toss in an English country estate, and I‘m almost guaranteed to love it. #goldenagecrimeclub

emz711 I'll add it to my tbr! 3mo
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review
DGRachel
A Kilt for Christmas | Tricia O'Malley
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Panpan

#unpopularopinion time. This gets one star for Clyde, the ghost coo and that‘s about it. I didn‘t enjoy the writing style as the supernatural elements were tossed in randomly, not woven neatly through the story. It was clunky and there was no real development to the relationship between the MCs. I‘m not a fan of insta-love, though, so YMMV.