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JacqMac

JacqMac

Joined May 2016

Read all the things! 🇨🇦 ☕️ 📖
review
JacqMac
The Women: A Novel | Kristin Hannah
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“Women can be heroes, too.” If you need a book for International Woman‘s Day, this is the one. The story of Frankie, a trauma nurse in Vietnam. The first half is her service. “You survived a day at a time, however you could.” The second half is what happens after she returns home. “There were no women in Vietnam.” A little sad and a lot frustrating. But really good.

review
JacqMac
Dirty Thirty | Janet Evanovich
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“Someday I'll take the time to figure out why I like you so much, why you amuse me, why you intrigue me, why you're so desirable. Tonight, I'm just happy you're here to save me from being alone…” Weird. That‘s how I feel about book 30. I don‘t know why I keep reading them. Not a bad cliff hanger this time though, so I guess I‘ll be reading 31, too. lol

review
JacqMac
Prophet Song | Paul Lynch
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“… history is a silent record of people who did not know when to leave…” Wow. That was a dark ride. The Booker winner never disappoints me. I also tend to have a thing for Irish authors. A dystopian nightmare, set in Ireland, with a toleration government, though it could have been anywhere. And anywhere today. The main character made me so very angry I might never recover. It‘s phenomenal!

review
JacqMac
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Historical fiction is always my favourite. I stayed up much too late, more than one night, with this one. Inspired by real life events recorded in the diary of midwife Martha Ballard, the great aunt of Clara Barton. A phenomenal, captivating tale of a family, a community, a mysterous murder, and a multitude of babies, set in a tiny town in Maine, in the 1700s. My first Ariel Lawhon, but it won‘t be my last.

lynneamch Love all of them. Found this one especially fascinating as she uses two timelines: one moving forward and the other backward 1mo
JacqMac @lynneamch Tahnk you! I will add it to the TBR. 1mo
jlhammar This was so good! I look forward to reading her other books. 1mo
42 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
JacqMac
Denison Avenue | Christina Wong
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A work of art. The smooth sensuality of glossy paper. The way she conveyed emotions with the placement of the words on the page. A story about grief and resilience. “Decades of saving. A life spent saving, waiting for the right time, for the right moment. A moment that never arrived, continually delayed, postponed. Because we assume there will always be another time, another moment. Why do we wait?” My number one for #CanadaReads2024.

TheKidUpstairs Are the pictures interspersed throughout the story in the physical book? I read an e-book and the pictures were all relegated to an appendix at the end, it was my only complaint about it. Such a beautiful, poignant story. 1mo
JacqMac @TheKidUpstairs No, they were all at the end. But upside down. You had to flip the book over and read it from the other side. Almost like it was two books in one. I think I would have liked to have them interspersed throughout the book, too. 1mo
40 likes2 comments
review
JacqMac
Shut Up You're Pretty | Ta Mutonji, Tea Mutonji
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I wasn't expecting to like this one. But I do. I don't know why they marketed it as short stories. It's more like pieces of a life. It's not a memoir, but it reads like one. It's about a girl struggling to find herself and her place in the world. It's very raw and real. There‘s a lot of trauma in this one. It‘s not my favorite from the shortlist, but it‘s pretty close. #CanadReads2024

ChaoticMissAdventures I love this title, it reminds me of drunk girls in bar or concert bathrooms hyping each other up. 1mo
41 likes1 comment
blurb
JacqMac
Meet Me at the Lake | Carley Fortune
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We are having a snow day. I have already shoveled all the things twice. It‘s so quiet. Snow quiet is the best quiet. And knit pjs are everything. I‘m halfway through this most surprising Canada Reads choice. And my verdict so far is: vapid. I‘m not even sure how this fits. It‘s a boring and extremely predictable hallmark movie. Some people must like these things. Read what you love. But I am not those people. I am going to try finish it.

Read4life I agree that snow quiet is the best quiet! ❄️❄️ 2mo
TheLudicReader I was shocked that this book made the cut! 2mo
Kimberlone We are also having a snow day. Just cleaned my car off too! 2mo
39 likes3 comments
review
JacqMac
The Future | Catherine Leroux
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Mehso-so

I wanted to love this one. I should have loved this one. But I didn‘t. The fist 1/3 was great. Then part 2 happened and it went all Lord of the Flies. But without the good parts. She really lost me. When I finally got to the last 1/3, it improved again, but I wasn‘t interested anymore. It had so much promise. Maybe I was expecting too much. I thought it might be my favorite. It left me disappointed.
#CanadaReads2024

Nebklvr Lord of the Flies had good parts? 2w
35 likes1 comment
review
JacqMac
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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Finished my first book on the #CanadaReads stack. I really liked it. It was a little dark. But it‘s ultimately a story about grief. Interspersed with Cree stories and culture. Overcoming pain with the power of love and sisterhood. It‘s beautifully told. And might be hard to top.

42 likes1 stack add
blurb
JacqMac
Bad Cree: A Novel | Jessica Johns
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It‘s a yucky kinda stormy here today. Lots of wind and freezing rain. This is the Canada Reads book I‘m looking forward to the most, so what better day to start. With some Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon tea.
#JoyousJanuary @Andrew65

ChaoticMissAdventures I read this last year and quite enjoyed it! Canada Reads always picks the most interesting books. 2mo
Blueberry Starting this today. 2mo
Andrew65 Hope you enjoyed it. 😁 2mo
35 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
JacqMac
Suburban Hell | Maureen Kilmer
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This was a gift from my daughter. It was a good chick lit read. One of those books that good to read between heavier more serious books.
One book down for #JoyousJanuary.
@Andrew65

36 likes1 stack add
blurb
JacqMac
Untitled | Unknown
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Canada Reads shortlist dropped. It‘s not what I was expecting, but I can‘t wait to dig in.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7073689

review
JacqMac
The Snapper | Roddy Doyle
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Jaysis! That was brilliant. When I was reading it, at 3am, I was worried that my giggling was going to wake people up. I can‘t believe I haven‘t read Roddy Doyle before!
It appears that these are all out of print. Not having the whole trilogy in my library is going to make me a little crazy.
#OutWithTheOldInWithTheNew (I keep forgetting my timer, but I‘m getting a lot of hours in anyway. lol)
@Andrew65

Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 3mo
BookNAround This was such a good giggle, right? I think I might have the whole trilogy from when it came out but it makes me sad it‘s out of print now. 3mo
31 likes2 comments
blurb
JacqMac
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I read a lot in April. This one is in the running for my best book of the whole year.
#12BooksOf2023
@Andrew65

Andrew65 One I need to read. 3mo
kspenmoll I have this- now I must read it! 3mo
29 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
JacqMac
Readathon: Occasional List : Geleentheidslys | Gauteng (South Africa). Education Media Service
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I think I‘ll aim for 20 hours this time. I don‘t have a lot planned for the weekend. Finally. lol But we shall see.
#OutWithTheOldInWithTheNew
@Andrew65

Andrew65 Best of luck. 😁 Finish the year on a high! 3mo
26 likes1 comment
blurb
JacqMac
Dawnlands: A Novel | Philippa Gregory
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Andrew65 I really need to read more of her books. I have quite a few passed onto me when my mum died. 3mo
JacqMac @Andrew65 You should! She‘s an auto buy for me. She is one of my very favourites. 3mo
Andrew65 @JacqMac I am wanting to get to more historical fiction this year. 3mo
26 likes3 comments
review
JacqMac
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"We do what we must, Lucien. Sometimes we can choose the path we follow. Sometimes our choices are made for us. And sometimes we have no choice at all." The thrusts one wasn‘t my favorite. But it really came back with 4.

review
JacqMac
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Two down. I love crawling around inside Neil Gaiman‘s imagination. “And then she woke up.”

blurb
JacqMac
Greenwood | Michael Christie
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Andrew65 I‘ll have to check this one out, not one I know. 3mo
29 likes1 comment
review
JacqMac
The Commitments | Roddy Doyle
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I thought the writing style was going to bother me. But it reads a lot like a play, so I did okay with it. It was a funny and entertaining story. And now I need to find the movie.

review
JacqMac
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I was going to save these for tomorrow. But Dream kept calling to me. I loved it!

CatLass007 Great book by a brilliant author and artist. I‘m glad you enjoyed this one. 3mo
41 likes1 comment
blurb
JacqMac
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I love this idea @Andrew65
My favourite book read in January 2023.
#12BooksOf2023

Andrew65 A good choice. 3mo
32 likes1 comment
blurb
JacqMac
Untitled | Unknown
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Happy Everything and Merry Whatever!
I think they have all finely learned how to make happy. I have the bestest #bookhaul this year. I can‘t wait to dive in! I hope you all have a wonderful day, Littens.

Bookzombie Happy Everything to you too! 3mo
dabbe 💙❄️💙 3mo
CarolynM 🎉💕 3mo
33 likes3 comments
review
JacqMac
The Wasp Factory | Iain Banks
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That was weird. Good. But weird. I liked it. lol
It‘s been a slow readathon. But I‘m doing what I can
#DashingDecember @Andrew65

vivastory Definitely a weird, yet compelling, story 3mo
Andrew65 Every little helps. Well done 🎄🎄🎄 3mo
40 likes2 comments
blurb
JacqMac
The Wasp Factory | Iain Banks
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Starting the #DashingDecember readathon with this one. My cozy holiday reads are a little different. lol
@Andrew65

Ladygodiva7 This one is really good!! 3mo
BarbaraBB Such a great weird read 3mo
Andrew65 😂😂😂 Enjoy 😁 3mo
33 likes3 comments
blurb
JacqMac
Untitled | Unknown
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The Canada Reads long list is here!
One book to carry us forward.

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7056323

review
JacqMac
Birth Road | Michelle Wamboldt
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“This was a small place, where the wind carried whispers like snowflakes and all heads turned eagerly to catch them on their tongues.” Historical fiction based on a true story. Written in vignettes, set in Truro, Halifax, Boston, and Amherst, it tells of sad secrets, sacrifices, and trying to overcome the heartbreak of life‘s disappointments, as Helen grows into adulthood. I was surprised by how much I liked this one. 5 ⭐️

33 likes1 stack add
blurb
JacqMac
Untitled | Unknown
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❄️ Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea

❄️ Winter Wonderland

❄️ Fuzzy socks, fuzzy blanket, fluffy pillows, lots of candles, and a good book.

Please play. I love reading these.

Thanks @Eggs #WonderousWednesday

Eggs Harney & Sons is the best! 3mo
22 likes1 comment
review
JacqMac
Bear | Marian Engel
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Classic Canadian literature. Winner of the Governal General‘s Award. The 70s really were a different time, eh? But this was more than a novella about a librarian who had sex with a bear. It felt so deeply… lonely. The writing is amazing. Yet it is about a woman who has sex with a bear and it still won a GGA. Which I find most fascinating. Maybe that tells you just how great the writing is though.

review
JacqMac
Homecoming | Kate Morton
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Well, that was unexpected. I wasn‘t expecting to finish that so fast. It was so twisty. A mystery wrapped up in a drama. I might have even cried a little. Kate Morton was always an auto buy for me, until The Clockmaker‘s Daughter, which I dumped into a little free library after the first 100 pages. So I had a little trepidation going into this one. But it was absolutely fantastic. One of my best reads of the year.
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Jas16 Going to start this one over the weekend so I am excited to read that you loved it. 3mo
Soubhiville Oh wow, that‘s great! 3mo
TheBookHippie Clockmakers daughter was my one and only book by her I‘ve read -I loathed it. 😵‍💫 3mo
34 likes3 comments
blurb
JacqMac
Muppet Christmas Carol | Louise A Gikow
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I really don‘t like reading Dickens. Any Dickens. But the muppets make everything better.
#DecemberDreams #scrooge
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Read4life I agree! 3mo
RaeLovesToRead My favourite film! 3mo
Eggs My choice too ❤️ 3mo
See All 6 Comments
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 3mo
BarkingMadRead We are watching this right now! 3mo
38 likes6 comments
blurb
JacqMac
Untitled | Unknown
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The view from my bedroom window this morning. I guess Mother Nature heard today‘s prompt. So. Much. Shoveling.
#DecemberDreams #LetItSnow
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

keys_on_fire The shoveling stinks, but it looks so beautiful! 3mo
dabbe Wow. Beautiful! 🤩🤩🤩 (sorry about the shoveling, though!). 3mo
WJCintron 😍😍😍 3mo
See All 6 Comments
TheLudicReader We got our first snowfall today too.❄️ 3mo
Eggs Oh I love this! I miss snow, the beautiful part of it, that is… 3mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I love it ❄️❄️ 3mo
46 likes6 comments
blurb
JacqMac
Homecoming | Kate Morton
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My car had a service appointment today. So after shoveling a bazillion cm of snow to get out of my driveway, I took full advantage of the quiet time in the waiting room. 15 chapters in so far.
#24in4 @Andrew65

Kimzey I'm so impressed you shoveled snow and made it to a car service appointment. Where I live in Alabama the whole city shuts down if we receive the merest dusting of snow. ❄ 😱 Kate Morton is a good waiting room choice!
(edited) 3mo
AmyG I am curious to hear how this one is. 3mo
JacqMac @Kimzey I‘m in Canada. It‘s in our blood or something. lol 3mo
JacqMac @AmyG I know she can be hit or miss for me. I‘m about 1/3 of the way in and I really like it so far. 3mo
Andrew65 That‘s a good day, any reading time is good. 🎄🎄🎄 3mo
40 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
JacqMac
Pretty Paper | David Ritz, Willie Nelson
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Eggs Brilliant 👍🏼🎶 4mo
21 likes1 comment
blurb
JacqMac
Untitled | Unknown
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I‘m away from home today, so I can‘t show you the #advent calendar my husband created for me. But it‘s fabulous! And I can‘t wait to see what day one brings. Tomorrow. lol
#DecemberDreams
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Megabooks 😂😂 4mo
Eggs Sounds delightful ❤️🌲💜 4mo
37 likes2 comments
blurb
JacqMac
Homecoming | Kate Morton
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It has been so long since I made some time for a readathon. But I find myself with free time today. So I‘m going to try get as far as I can with this #AuthorAMonth book from my TBR, this weekend. I either really love Kate Morton or really dislike her, so I always have a little fear when I start a new one. So far so good with this one though.
#24in4
@Andrew65 @Soubhiville

Soubhiville I haven‘t read anything by her before. I hope you‘ll like it. The cover is very pretty. 4mo
AmyG I started The Lake House and am loving it. Lots of mystery. 4mo
JacqMac @Soubhiville I loved The House at Riverton. It made her an auto buy for me. But The Clockmaker‘s Daughter disappointed me so much. After the first hundred pages, I closed the book and went straight to a little free library and gave it away. lol (edited) 4mo
See All 9 Comments
JacqMac @AmyG Good to know. I still have that one on my TBR. 4mo
Andrew65 @AmyG I‘ve just started that one too Amy. 4mo
Andrew65 @JacqMac I didn‘t really enjoy that one either, but really enjoyed The Forgotten Garden, and my wife really enjoyed The House at Riverton. 4mo
Andrew65 Hope you enjoy this one @JacqMac 4mo
AmyG Enjoy! I am curious what you both think. @Andrew65 @JacqMac 4mo
Andrew65 @AmyG A positive start so far. 4mo
41 likes9 comments
review
JacqMac
Remains of the Day | Kazuo Ishiguro
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This was my first Kazuo Ishiguro. I probably wouldn‘t have read it without #AuthorAMonth. That‘s kinda what I love most about #AAM though. Reading things I normally wouldn‘t. I did love the snarky bits. I think I want to watch the movie now.
@Soubhiville

review
JacqMac
Drowning | T.J. Newman
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The definition of suspense. Even better than her first book. This was filled with tension from the first page. A plane crashes in the Pacific six minutes after take off. An engine explodes, the ocean is on fire, the plane floods and sinks, with 12 passengers trapped inside. 5⭐️

review
JacqMac
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“A four-year-old Mi'kmaq girl (from Nova Scotia) goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.” Read it in a day, because it was impossible to stop. I might be emotionally destroyed now. I loved it.

45 likes3 stack adds
review
JacqMac
This Is How We Love | Lisa Moore
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“We divided into two groups: those of us who regretted it had all gone by so fast, and those of us who saw that each moment had not gone by, but rather it had all accumulated, like rain sluicing from an uppermost leaf of a tree to every leaf below until it was all there in a single drop on the lowest leaf, clinging but shivering on the serrated tip of the leaf, full of everything that came before.”
5⭐️

37 likes1 stack add
review
JacqMac
Moon of the Turning Leaves | Waubgeshig Rice
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Waubgesig Rice wrote a sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow! And I‘m so happy about it. Even though I cried and cried. It‘s set 12 years after the power goes out and everything on the remote northern reservation collapses. I fell in love with these characters and I needed to know if the stories and half remembered skills of their ancestors were enough to keep them alive when the world fell apart.

TEArificbooks Omg! I didn‘t know there was a sequel. Going to buy now 4mo
Soubhiville Well now I have to go buy this! 😆🍂 (thanks for the heads up, I had no idea this existed!) 4mo
Bookzombie Omg! I didn‘t know this existed. I loved the first one! 4mo
JacqMac @TEArificbooks @Soubhiville @Bookzombie You won‘t be disappointed. 4mo
Soubhiville Looks like it releases in 2024. February. I‘ll definitely preorder it! 4mo
45 likes2 stack adds5 comments
review
JacqMac
The Book of Cold Cases | Simone St. James
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Simone St James never disappoints me. It had those perfect end of October creepy vibes. Who doesn‘t love a good ghost story?
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

review
JacqMac
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Magical apples. What harm could there be? I enjoyed a nice juicy apple while I finished it. Because I‘m weird like that. If you like Stephen King you will like Chuck Wendig. Their imaginations work in very similar ways. This might be his best novel so far.

33 likes1 stack add
review
JacqMac
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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In the running for my best book of the year, this one kept me up entirely too late. Because I couldn‘t stop. It has many echos of Little Women. Which means I thought I was prepared for it. But I was not ready. I‘m sure I‘ll stop quietly sobbing eventually. Maybe.

review
JacqMac
These Silent Woods: A Novel | Kimi Cunningham Grant
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This was so good. A slow burn, which usuallly means boring, but it was hard to put down. It gave me some Cormac McCarthy‘s The Road vibes. Not as dark, but with all the atmosphere and suspense. How far will a father go when faced with losing it all?” Bring tissues.

35 likes3 stack adds
review
JacqMac
Never Lie | Freida McFadden
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Read it in a day palate cleanser. The writing isn‘t the best, but the plot twists make up for it. It‘s hard to put it down. Trashy thrillers just hit right some days.

30 likes2 stack adds
blurb
JacqMac
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New bookmarks from my Australian cousin. Just in time for #RushAThon I need some motivation. My summer reading hasn‘t been what it usually is. It‘s good to have a #readathon to cheer me on. Thanks @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES My goal is just to read something everyday.

5feet.of.fury 😍 so pretty! 8mo
Hooked_on_books I love those! 8mo
DieAReader Beautiful bookmarks😍❤️‍🔥 Any and all goals are fantastic!! Thanks for playing along & have fun! 8mo
Andrew65 These are gorgeous ❤️ Definitely will promote reading. 8mo
42 likes4 comments
review
JacqMac
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I loved it. What a great ending, too.
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Soubhiville Agreed! 🙂 8mo
43 likes1 comment
blurb
JacqMac
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It‘s an uncomfortably hot day here today. The only thing I have the energy for is reading. I am hoping to get through this one during #jubilantJuly I loved Hamnet, so I have high hopes. #authoramonth
@Andrew65 @Soubhiville

Andrew65 Hope you enjoy it. Quite cool here the past few days, and very wet. 8mo
40 likes1 comment
review
JacqMac
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I read this in two days. Mostly because it was due back at the library. But it was good enough to get rid of my book hangover. It was a bit predictable, but I needed to know if I was right. I was, but the ending was still a bit of a surprise.