“My baby‘s bothering you?” 🤣🤣

This was such a cute graphic novel! The author inserts his family into a fictional mystery investigation lead by his wife, an amateur private eye. It‘s “a maternity leave mystery that centers on a new mother in all her post-partum glory.”

Thank you for putting this in my path, @jlhammar ! My library had a copy and it was a delight. #graphicnovel #canada #french

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Struggling to hold up my haul for a picture. It‘s a doozy! I‘ve read two of the books pictured. This was part of bookoutlet‘s bogo 50% off on all books. #bookhaul

This is totally readable, but I feel like the title is misleading. It‘s more like the “history” of violent faith. I‘m a history buff, but theology is not an area that I care about at all.

I was shaken to the core by all of the crimes committed in this book. It‘s sickening. It‘s rampant. It‘s wrong. If you read, there are triggers for everything you can think of. That being said, I will def be finishing the show! #truecrime #hulu

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The Hulu show based on this book is amazing! But! I can‘t be waiting around each week for new episodes so I bought the book. It‘s so good!

When the new episodes air tomorrow, I don‘t want to be bothered about anything, so I made this pork chop casserole in advance. 😆😉
#truecrime #currentlyreading

I really didn‘t like any of the characters in this book, which made getting through the first half incredibly difficult. But things took a VERY interesting turn, and I was there for it. A little forgettable but very entertaining. #hoopla

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Can you ever have too many literary mugs? #mugshot

Otto‘s first tulips! He loves to stroll the small town garden with me and whatever I‘m reading at that moment.

“Our country, despite concerted efforts from strong and vocal people, continues to suffer from an even larger collective problem of overlooking, excusing, or otherwise dehumanizing violence against women and marginalized people.” —Kathryn Miles, Trailed

A chilling look into violence against women who dare to explore the outdoors alone. As a lover of hiking and camping, it does give cause for concern about my next excursion. #truecrime

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I really, really enjoyed this book; now I have a whole new series to get wrapped up in. I‘ve only read Hill‘s literary memoir, HOWARD‘S END IS ON THE LANDING. She is a gifted writer!
This translates into a very literary police procedural that is more about each of the characters, including the victims, than it is about the actual murders. More please! Thank you @Adventures-of-a-French-Reader for recommending! #hoopla

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

Found a bookstore in the town we vacay‘d in. I laughed when asked if I wanted a box instead of a bag. #bookhaul

I thought this would be perfect for a weekend cabin retreat.

“They must have been followed. That‘s the thought I return to after all these years…”

#currentlyreading #truecrime

I treated myself to another #folio edition after finishing Miss Marple‘s story collection. This was my first and favorite Pym novel. #bookmail

“We rarely deserve the lives we lead. We pay for them however we can, be it with money, guilt, or regret.”

Ugh. So good. That plot twist came out of nowhere! My heart rate is still elevated. ?

*I didn‘t want to stop listening to the audiobook so I took out my coloring books. I really missed #audiocoloring ! #hoopla

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“There is a great deal of wickedness in village life. I hope you dear young people will never realize how very wicked the world is.” —Miss Marple

Finally finished this book of mystery stories and I loved it! I adore Miss Marple even more. I think I‘m ready to go through her books in chronological order now.

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Will you cry your eyes out? Probably. Is it worth it? Yes.

Bloom writes about the love of her life, and having to say goodbye to him after thirteen years of marriage. Unconventional because she‘s decided to support his decision for assisted suicide in Zurich before Alzheimer‘s claims his ability to choose.

Beautifully written. Thank you, @Amiable for the recommendation!

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Today‘s #bookmail makes me so happy! This booksleeve arrived with it, and it actually fits inside! All 700 pages of it!

This was excellent! Although this is about a private investigator revisiting her past via a case, it reminded me a lot of THE FACT OF A BODY. I loved this one more because it was so literary but still down-to-earth. I learned so much; it was also expertly edited. #truecrime

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Yes! This is what I was craving! Perfect for mystery thriller week.

“Why does everything need to be a list? What compels us to do that? It was something I‘d been doing ever since I became an obsessed reader…”

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scoun·drel /ˈskoundrəl/ : a dishonest or unscrupulous person; a rogue.

“This is a man with extraordinary intelligence, sensitivity and perceptive capacity, and he uses all of this to get around people. And if there are three things that we know about Mr. Smith, he‘s antisocial, he‘s manipulative, and he‘s extremely dangerous.” —Richard Neely, San Diego Prosecutor

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#truecrime

“The world is peaceful only when everyone has enough to eat.” —Momofuku Ando

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#picturebook

I don‘t know why it took me so long to finally read this! A delightful read that touched on the sweet and bittersweet moments in life. I appreciated the smallness of the towns and characters and the big heart of it all.
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Meet the newest member of our family. This is little Otto from Indiana! He plays percussion. The family band is all together now. #otto

I always have way too much fun with the Click series, featuring Olive. But guess what? Now I don‘t have to wait a year for a new graphic novel! Miller‘s started a new series within the Click world that feature some of Olive‘s other classmates. This one was a real treat! I got to know more about Beth and Chanda. Can‘t wait for the next installment!
#graphicnovel #middlegrade

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This is definitely a pick, but with caveats. If you‘re okay with an ending that can‘t be proven then this is the book for you.

It‘s incredibly heartbreaking. I slowly tandem read and listened to this for THREE weeks because it‘s intense. Many people say…what could you do? It was wartime. But is that enough? Is self-preservation ever justification for betrayal? I think nots. ? #truecrime

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This was an insightful #middlegrade #graphicnovel about mental illness (anxiety and panic disorder). It was handled so well by the author and was semi autobiographical. I remember feeling the same way at 11! Will resonate with readers of all ages. Like the author, I‘m STILL a big fan of plushies and other “toys.”

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https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LRC8xNy-HeI

This book has consumed me for the past week. It‘s a beautiful story that touches on the many difficulties women endured to participate in the Olympics. It sent me down so many rabbit holes. I was incensed a lot of the time, but so happy to learn about these often forgotten trailblazers. I definitely need to watch the documentaries the author recommended. Can‘t wait to read more of her work! #hoopla

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“Living people turned up quickly. Dead people took their time...“
I really liked this historical read; I love going into a book knowing absolutely nothing about it. If you're looking for a fast-paced thriller, this is definitely not it. Makes me wonder at its being a Reese pick. It hit the right notes for me, as I've been especially nit-picky about what I'm in the mood for. Great narrator on the audio edition!
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ½

Humphrey sends his TGIF greetings!

I finally finished a book! It's been a long, flu fueled couple of weeks but this book and puzzle were good company. I love #truecrime books about poison, and this one didn't get too bogged down in the science aspect of it. Lots of Agatha Christie quotes!

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#audiopuzzling

“In the end, we can never know everything about our families or the mystery of how we got here. It might just be enough to linger over the photographs and letters, to remember the stories we‘ve heard and pass them on. And one day…we will find in ourselves, a gift we hadn‘t noticed before, bestowed by our mishpocheh, those tenacious, loving people who knew we were worthy from the very beginning.”
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#ya #graphicnovel #WWII

“It‘s funny about photography, isn‘t it? The entire medium is founded on the instant. If you allow the shutter to be open for even a few seconds, the image goes black. We think of our lives as a sequence of actions, an accumulation of accomplishments, a fluid articulation of style and opinion. And yet, in that one sixteenth of a second, a photograph can wreak such havoc.”

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The hubs asked for pancakes after same day surgery this morning. These lemon ricotta variety didn‘t disappoint! I‘m in-between books at the moment but had the trusty #kindle on the table.

This is my second Goenawan book; I love the slow, reflective quality of her writing. Like RAINBIRDS, this book also revolves around a central character whose suicide or murder leaves a mystery for loved ones to piece together.

The 80s Tokyo setting was great, and the rich characters were a delight. Although we know how the story ends, it still managed to surprise. Looking forward to her next book, WATERSONG. #japan #hoopla

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This book was so good and worth the wait! As always, I would have never guessed the ending. I started the book and this puzzle last night and here I am. Book finished and puzzle nearly done. This is addicting. Also David Shih is one of my all time favorite narrators. Swoon. #japan #audiopuzzling

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I discovered Geary in 2008 and I went through all of his graphic #truecrime books. They‘re so unique and I love his illustrations. Didn‘t realize he was still adding to this series.
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What a weird, delightful little book of stories! I can‘t remember the last time I read a book chockful of magical realism. Kawakami wrote these interlinking stories with such a straight face that by the end I was halfway convinced that this town and its folk really did exist! Also, incredibly funny! Laugh out loud funny. #japan

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I loved this book. I wish everyone could read it! It‘s a very funny but touching #memoir about growing up in #Russia during the Cold War. Lots of drawings and doodles that touch on the Soviet experience from a Jewish angle. I‘ve already ordered a copy to keep. Reminds me a lot of the book tagged ⬇️. #middlegrade

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“If you want to be a successful con artist like me, you‘ve got to listen to your hunches. Follow those hunches as far as they‘ll take you.” —Lucky

Lucky is definitely a plucky, lovable grifter fallen on hard times. This reminded me of Curly Sue with a twist of Sidney Sheldon‘s IF TOMORROW COMES. Also, she‘s well read. I‘ll be checking out Lucia Berlin and Joan Didion thanks to her.

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I completed my 2021 challenge today! I didn‘t really have the mental clarity to read regularly until June of this year. We had so many major life changes! But it‘s thanks to my library and jumping fully back into mysteries and thrillers that I love reading again!

This started off as a sleepy, domestic mystery. It gradually picked up
so much speed that I had to finish it in two sittings. It wasn't sloppy,
overly dramatic, or hollow in its depictions. Surprisingly very PG rated,
which I found refreshing after some heavier reads. Highly recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

I saw the new JULIA documentary
at an independent theater last week.
It was soooo good! The material is
gleaned from all the biographies written in
the last 15 years.
Highly recommend! And now to get to
all those books! The tagged book is
the only one I‘ve read thus far.

https://youtu.be/aon49topYHo

This book was so thoroughly researched, but still easy to read. I enjoyed it immensely (as much as one can with books like this). I found it incredibly informative, but dark and depressing. Creeped me out!

In hindsight, so many lives could have been spared had police forces not botched the investigation. What‘s worse is that to this day, they fail to acknowledge it. #truecrime #hoopla

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½

At 50%, I was really annoyed. I hate repetition. It makes me feel like the author doesn‘t trust me to put things together on my own. But! I was invested enough to find out if I was right about the ending. I actually guessed most of the plot twists, but the ones I didn‘t gave me whiplash. I think we‘ve all had that toxic friendship (or several) that we desperately wanted to end, but then found filled some unidentified need. Spot on!

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My little stack of goodness from a #littlefreelibrary yesterday. #bookhaul

This book is amazing! I understand why it has received so many awards and is recommended for fans of WONDER. Funny, touching and anger inducing.
I‘ve had this in my Kindle library since July of 2014! I was prompted to move on it when I saw that a long awaited sequel was released this month. Great on audio as well! Sequel tagged ⬇️. #middlegrade

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Definitely a slow burn, even for Higashino who is loveably long winded. This was my second attempt to get through this one, and I was mostly motivated to finish because book 4 in the series comes out in December. Five years is a long time to wait! I recommend reading until the end because everything, everything comes together on the last page. Book 4 tagged ⬇️. #hoopla #japan

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After finishing the latest Bosch and Ballard novel, I figured I should get to know Bosch from the beginning.
I ♥️ him, and his experiences in the Vietnam War really came to the fore when he‘s called to the scene of a suspicious death. Connelly lead me down a rabbit hole about “tunnel rats” and the LAPD in the early 90s. Quite a read! Lots to be said about PTSD and its debilitating effects.

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This was an insane trip! The ending blew me away. Wow.

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Is anyone else listening to or reading this?!? Fifty percent into it, and I can‘t even. Edge of my seat. #currentlisten