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alanacristin
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The kid fell asleep early and I have a new library book and a kouign-amann weeeeee 🎉 #librarylove #mommyreads #booksandcoffee

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alanacristin
The Force | Don Winslow
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That feeling when you get a new phone and the storage is all empty and calling for you to download as many ebooks as you'd like 😍 back to having enough space to bookjuggle 🎉 #mommyreads #ebooks

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alanacristin
Artificial Condition | Martha Wells
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Pickpick

More Murderbot! While the first book felt like it could cryptically stand alone, this second story seems like a short episode on the way to something bigger. The new characters give brief glimpses into a larger, diverse world of bot and human relationship. And the locations and transport described seem like parts of video games I'd enjoy playing. A fun one-sitting read! #mommyreads #scifi #robots #novella #babyreads #tractors

17 likes1 stack add
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alanacristin
Courting Darkness | Robin LaFevers
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Pickpick

The first in a new duology, this book really assumes you've (recently) read the His Fair Assassin trilogy. I loved those books, but I had to hunt for detailed summaries online to adequately refresh my memory on all the characters. Alternating between the familiar Sybella and a new character Genevieve, this story focuses on adventures in the French court while still asserting Breton pride. Highly enjoyable! #mommyreads #historicalfiction #fantasy

alanacristin I miss the old cover styles though with the ladies 😍 5y
AlaMich I had totally forgotten about the new book until I saw that you liked my post. I‘m excited all over again! 😊 5y
alanacristin @AlaMich woohoo! 🎉 5y
21 likes3 comments
review
alanacristin
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Pickpick

Ok, these titles and covers are so unappealing 😖 but the stories are really quite fun! This was great as an #audiobook, like listening to an old radio drama. and I realized my pronunciation of Flavia deLuce was much too continental 😂 some really charming descriptions of theatre sets and mechanics in this one too. But TW for very disturbing death of a child 😢 #mommyreads #mystery #crime #historicalfiction

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

A fun prequel to Stranger Things, focusing on the generation before Eleven. I've still only watched the first season so I'm not certain if other characters appear in the show but it's wicked background info on Dr. Brenner and the Hawkins lab. Not sure people unfamiliar with the show would appreciate it but I definitely think fans will enjoy spending more time in this world. #mommyreads #audiobooks #booksonthebigscreen #scifi

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alanacristin
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😍 #bookmail 😍
I had no idea there was a tea dragon card game! Now to find someone to play with. Who am I kidding, I will totally play versus myself because adorable tea dragons 💗
I'm also so excited to read Kid Gloves! Lucy Knisley and I were pregnant at the same time, and her chronicles always captured so perfectly the feelings and experiences of pregnancy and new parenthood. She's so delightfully talented!
#mommyreads #graphicnovels #games

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alanacristin
Mr Wuffles! | David Wiesner
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Pickpick

This book is adorable! Mostly without words, the illustrations play out like a comic with panels and dialogue bubbles (usually with an imagined language). I love the cross-species collaboration and the nod to Lascaux style cave paintings. Now I'm looking for everything else this author has done 😍 #babyreads #mommyreads #picturebooks

19 likes1 stack add
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alanacristin
The Lost Man | Jane Harper
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Pickpick

Harper's books are great as #audiobooks 💘 she is so talented at conjuring a sense of place and making you feel the climate and weather shifts. This was another intriguing murder mystery, minus Falk, with a distinctive Australian setting. Bonus points for an interview with both the author and the voice actor at the end 👍 #mommyreads #crime #mystery #Australia

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alanacristin
All Systems Red | Martha Wells
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Pickpick

I love Murderbot 😍 the voice in this is just so great. Murderbot's self awareness is sweet, funny, and relatable even with the sci-fi setting and action sequences. It's like Annihilation and The Martian had the super loveable baby I've always wanted. Next up this short prequel story while I await my hold on book 2. #mommyreads #speculativefiction #cyborg #robot #space #scifi #novella

wanderinglynn This is on my TBR! 👍🏻👍🏻 5y
19 likes1 comment
review
alanacristin
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Mehso-so

What the heck did I just read? The swimmy linework is entrancing, loved the chapter heading pages, and liked how many scenes look like theatre sets. But with the #memoir-like story that stops and restarts and what...? The whole struggling to function like a normal human is great, especially the painful childhood flashbacks. The shadow thing is interesting. The romance and family memories, I think I missed something. #mommyreads #graphicnovels

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Picked this up last month at our library in Tokyo for #Readharder2019 (a cozy mystery) and was pleasantly surprised! Flavia is a cheekier, younger Nancy Drew who loves chemistry and trying to unravel all the mysteries. Full of charming and quirky locals in post-WWII English countryside. And to find out it's a series with heaps more 😍 currently on book 3 💨 #mommyreads #cozy #mystery #crime

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Wasn't sure about this at first, so much fighting. But the super hero high schoolers grew on me. I'm intrigued by the references to previous (maybe parallel?) starforces as well as the other club revealed further into the volume. The hair is aces😍 #mommyreads #comics #booksandcoffee

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alanacristin
Elvis Is King! | Jonah Winter
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Pickpick

I love these photos of creepy dioramas of Elvis's life. The text rhythm didn't come naturally to me but the contents are great. The author clearly addresses race in regard to Elvis's success, especially in the afterward. The book also conveys the hunger of a talented young kid growing up in poverty. My 3yo isn't ready for this one but I'll be checking out other works by both the author and illustrator. #mommyreads #biography #picturebooks

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

This has been my fav so far in my Disney Small World Library reread, because it doesn't depend on stereotypes to tell a story (of course it's the American one 😂). The Junior Woodchuck Jamboree has scouts from across the USA gathered in Washington, DC to represent their State. So there are lots of DC monuments in addition to short info on each state. Also they all work together to solve a mystery rather than bickering like other installments.

IamIamIam Awww, we have this too!!! 5y
14 likes2 comments
review
alanacristin
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Mehso-so

I kind of imagined this as a Scooby Apocalypse style retelling in which Strawberry Shortcake channels Veronica Mars 😍 Alas! A cute collection of issues from the recent reboot but only one is noirish. Young readers who enjoy frenemy drama and cooking competitions would probably like it. #mommyreads #allages #comics

Bklover That looks yummy! 5y
Tamra Is there any diversity amongst the characters represented? 5y
alanacristin @Tamra not really. It's ambiguous at best. Orange Blossom is darker skinned, but everyone else is incredibly fair. I thought a few characters could maybe read Asian but the overall whiteness stands out. I'm honestly not super familiar with the original characters anymore (i was more of a rainbow brite girl 🌈) more info here though: https://strawberryshortcakeberrybitty.fandom.com/wiki/Comic_Books 5y
alanacristin @Bklover thanks! My son and I are indulging in all the berries while we're here in the States 🍓😋 they're super expensive in Japan where we live. 5y
Tamra @alanacristin thank you for the heads up! 5y
19 likes1 stack add5 comments
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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Cute, elaborately decorated sweets with geeky themes...that I'll probably never make 😂 so much time, so many pricey supplies, and so very sweet. Maybe one day when my child is in school and I want to be the coolest room mom ever 🤣 I do love the abundance of photos for the different decorating steps. Nice! I'll have to check out the show. #mommyreads #cookbook #youtube

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alanacristin
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🎶Library Love! 🎶 starting our vacation off with a huge pickup from the library! 🎉 so excited about this mix of picture books, graphic novels, cookbooks, YA, and parenting 😍 #babyreads #mommyreads #picturebooks #ya #cookbooks #comics #graphicnovels #librarylove

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alanacristin
Whiskey in a Teacup | Reese Witherspoon
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Pickpick

I didn't expect to finish this pretty coffee table book in a day, but it's a very light read. The photos are vivid and lovely, very IG living-my-best-life 24/7. Surprisingly few recipes but i look forward to trying some. Her nostalgia for her childhood and family traditions feels familiar though i don't necessarily equate it all with being southern. Her version is much more affluent and genteel then mine 😂 more in the comments ⬇ #mommyreads

alanacristin This is by far the whitest book I've read recently. The glossy, idealized version of Southern tradition makes me uncomfortable for not addressing at all that it was built upon a deep history of oppression, violence, and prejudice. Clearly celebrating family traditions doesn't have to unpack all of history but a very privileged white lady flying a banner of southern pride in 2018 seems to necessitate an acknowledgeb of these complex feelings at least 5y
alanacristin The random shout-outs to successful Black woman from the south felt a bit like trying to dodge these critiques. That could be due to editing but felt awkward regardless. That said, her enthusiasm & joy for gracious hostessing feels genuine & is contagious. I relate to all her preaching on manners. And singing the praises of beloved grandparents is always welcome. I think my mom will enjoy reading this and it's very feel good if you're the choir. 5y
alanacristin Oh and I read reviews criticizing her accommodations for vegetarians but really, honey, she's a progressive southerner in that regard! I've been to many a family function and eaten potato salad on a bun as even the veggie sides are made with meat 😂 She's alright, bless her heart. 5y
Caterina Thanks for the long, interesting review!! I'm also from the South, so I found it particularly interesting. I think reading about a more affluent, very white Southern childhood would drive me up a wall right now, but maybe when I've been living in Berkeley for a while I'll start feeling sentimental. 😂😂 Also my dad's vegetarian and a pastor and the struggle is so real, potato salad/coleslaw all the time!! 😂😂 5y
alanacristin @Caterina yes, coleslaw! 😂 what i found really interesting was that she didn't refer to her family during childhood as well-off. But from a photo it appears both her grandparents had masters degrees, their house in Nashville oozed money, and her dad was a surgeon. Nothing wrong with any of that but it just wasn't addressed as being major factors in her version of Southern living. still, i enjoyed reading it! Very sunny ☀ 5y
24 likes5 comments
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alanacristin
Keep Her Safe: A Novel | Sophie Hannah
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Pickpick

Well that last bit creeped me out😨 works well as an #audiobook with the lush descriptions of a resort in Arizona as well as the tv show segments. Took a few chapters to get a hang of with the shifting narration and to lose the chicklit vibes. Made for an entertaining listen while packing. Yeah, creepy that final bit 😮 #mommyreads #crime #thriller

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Tasia Malakasis runs Belle Chevre, an artisanal goat cheese fromagerie very near my hometown in Alabama where we're visiting now. Though most recipes in this cookbook could work with any goat cheese (including homemade), I'm keen to try some of their specific blends mentioned here. Flagged a lot of recipes to try but many would be difficult in Tokyo. Southern Greek fusion 😏 #mommyreads #Alabama #cookbook #ebook

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

This unfortunately titled book is actually a really interesting Iook at the bathing culture and history in Japan -- from outdoor natural hot springs and fuedal era water delivery to local bathhouses and super sento. Also a look at chemistry and radiation in regard to onsen, the evolution of the sex trade in Japan, and racism at bath time. Some nice black and white photos too. #mommyreads #travel #japan #onsen #history #nonfiction

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Finished this on the plane ✈🐙 A cute look into the foodie delights of Tokyo as experienced by an American dad and his young daughter. All the neighborhoods and foods are very familiar to me, and it was fun to read a tourist's perspective. Good bibliography for further reading into Japanese food fun especially from a gaijin perspective. #mommyreads #ebook #Tokyo #Japan #food #travel

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alanacristin
Giant Days, Volume 5 | John Allison
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Just got to the States last night and so excited to be reunited with books that didn't fit in my luggage last time. Also put in 30 holds at the library 😂 starting off with these three. Also my only reading resolution this year was to review each book I read on litsy - super fail! I'll be trying to backlog my adult reads at least. Apologies in advance for post bombardment! Also trying the website Litsy out 💻 #mommyreads

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alanacristin
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Seems like a good one to start on Easter 😍😂
#mommyreads #sudiobook #librarylove

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alanacristin
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Bailedbailed

Well. This sounded weird in a good way but was actually weird in a i-value-my-time-more-than-this way. Alas! This is the first time in years I've #dnf a book (instead of shelving it for later). It was that rough. #mommyreads #nope

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alanacristin
Educated: A Memoir | Tara Westover
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This book is so well written and compelling, but the severe injuries sustained by this family and the subsequent lack of proper treatment is heartbreaking and nauseating 💔

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alanacristin
Sadie | Courtney Summers
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Pickpick

This book works so wonderfully as an #audiobook 😍 Flipping from Sadie's perspective to the podcasts, listening to it just seems ideal. Heavy subject, though. I appreciated the terror being conveyed without graphic descriptions for the most part. Of course I crave more resolution but maybe this seems more true crime/missing person podcast authentic? I don't listen so maybe that's a stretch. A great, engaging listen. #mommyreads

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

I love that the author tells his own story in this #audiobook, especially since so much of his undercover work in this case was over the phone. Lots of history about this time period and foul organization that I didn't know. It's presence in Colorado was actually really surprising to me (I'm from Alabama 😣) Keen to see the movie now. Stallworth seems like he's got more stories to tell from this time and after. #mommyreads #memoir

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Ahh more thrillers with memory loss 😝 I appreciated the author's note about research though, and the shout out to the memoir Blackout. Entertaining for late nights reading on my phone. A twist I hadn't seen coming, shame on me, along with some other predictable curves. I'm reminded that I've never longed to be a flight attendant 😂 but I do miss hanging out in Europe. #mommyreads #crime #thriller #ebook

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alanacristin
The Secret History | Donna Tartt
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Pickpick

I feel like i should have read this in school so I'd have curated supplemental reading and discussions about the Greekiness with folks reading hard because grades. Tartt performs the #audiobook so Vermonters sounded more Southern than expected. Richard kept reminding me of Tobey Maguire acting in Wonder Boys. The book is a meaty listen with some occasional wth though I feel like there's more there that I haven't unpacked. #mommyreads

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alanacristin
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Girrrrrrl, no no no. Stop making the bad decisions 😱
I just face-palmed in a restaurant over this madness.

#mommyreads #thriller #crime #ebook

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alanacristin
Akata Witch | Nnedi Okorafor
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Pickpick

Yess!!! 🎉🎉🎉 This book is everything I wanna read & by far my favorite thing I've read recently 💘💘💘 I love the world building and the integration of folk lore and maybe alternate history (I'm not familiar enough with Nigerian culture to know which references exist outside this series). Pupils and teachers of magic hidden within contemporary society, the existence of magical beings, large magical festivals...*swoon* #mommyreasa #ya #fantasy

alanacristin Also badass women, libraries and bookstores, and descriptions of food 😋 and excepts from a study text. Just gah all the things I'm here for 😍 6y
19 likes1 comment
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alanacristin
Red-Hot Chili Cookoff | Carolyn Brown
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Panpan

After starting this 2nd book, I jokingly asked myself if the 3rd would also take place in an old house turned business opened by three bffs...yes, it does 😒 This was basically the same story as The Jalapeño Society but with less enjoyable banter, maybe because so much of it involved prayer? More food description in this but not in an appetizing way 😂 A southern lingerie shop would make for entertaining tv though! #mommyreads #ebook #chicklit

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Almost gave up on this #audiobook but glad I stuck with it. Robinson adds a few extra bits as she reads, and my favorite part is her laughing at herself 💘 my early struggle was all the spoken hashtags and abbreviations which clutter her witty and insightful points. I think they'd read more smoothly in print. While I didn't love this as much as You Can't Touch My Hair, she still delivers great #essays, & I'll seek out her future books.#mommyreads

monalyisha I just started & am also thinking of giving up for the same reasons. 6y
alanacristin @monalyisha I'm glad i stuck with it in the end. What'd you decide? 6y
monalyisha @alanacristin I‘m gonna give it back & use my credit for something else. 🤭 6y
alanacristin @monalyisha glad you have that option! Hope your next one is a better fit 💗 6y
23 likes4 comments
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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Full disclosure: I borrowed this because jalapeños. I can't find them easily in Japan and miss them. So I thought I'd read this and enjoy people eating them and maybe there'd be a recipe or two à la Fried Green Tomatoes (no). But it was a diverting read anyways. Like a Charlaine Harris novel without supes 😂 Steel Magnolias Lite? Agnus serves Ouiser realness but no one is ill, bless. #mommyreads #texas #chicklit #ebook

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Accidentally followed The Witch Elm with another oops I'm not remembering properly enough to solve this mystery book. All my predictions for the plot came true, and I'm not recalling any twists...but it was a fun, creepy #audiobook to make housework more enjoyable. I realize Nina is meant to be a half-Brazilian with flowing locks but the voice actor's delivery of her snark just made me think of Sue Perkins 😂🍞🎂 #mommyreads #crime #thriller

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

And for my next severely belated review: let's enjoy unreliable narrators! I appreciate that a man is struggling to sort memories in this case. Kept expecting a Dublin Murder Squad cameo 😜 reminded me of The Likeness in that the house plays such a central role in the story. Always enjoy Tana French 😍 #mommyreads #ebook #crime

20 likes1 stack add
review
alanacristin
Puddin' | Julie Murphy
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My only resolution was to review each book I read this year...and I'm already behind 😂 while I'm not sure I loved this as much as Dumplin', the #audiobook was entertaining & endearing with different voice narrators for Millie & Callie (actually not sure how they're spelled because audio). I don't really remember them from Dumplin' so I'm tempted to reread it. Another body positive book with some interesting mom/daughter dynamics. #mommyreads #ya

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alanacristin
Alexander Hamilton | Ron Chernow
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I was so behind on my 250 book reading challenge last month! Then i realized i hadn't put the date read on over 100 #picturebooks 😂 I set my goal high to accommodate the abundance of kids' books and, previously at least, comics I read. My average book length is 113 pages 😝 Alexander Hamilton was by far the longest. I had to recheck it out three times and that was as an #audiobook 😂 Here's to a new year of reading! #mommyreads #goodreads

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alanacristin
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Well, we rang in the new year with colds...all using separate screens, yikes. But this morning has been spent continuing The Witch Elm #ebook on my phone while helping the 2yo explore a stack of #transportation #picturebooks 📚 oh, he's moving on to potty books! 🚽 this year I'm hoping to review each book i read, ha! Fingers crossed. Happy new year! 🎉 #monmyreads #babyreads

Bookzombie Happy New Year! 🎆🎊 🎉 6y
14 likes1 comment
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alanacristin
Lethal White | Robert Galbraith
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Just started the #audiobook, and I always enjoy this series. But..am i the only one who keeps confusing Cormoran and Robin with Bill and Holly from Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes?! 😂😂😂 #mommyreads #crime

ElizaMarie You know.... I kinda felt the same way! Maybe because I listened to the two series so close together 6y
alanacristin @ElizaMarie glad I'm not the only one! I think for me it's the same: i read the first two books at about the same time. The dynamic is similar and the men especially seem quite alike. I do better with the Strike books though overall since Mercedes is disturbing with the gore and evil 😂 6y
19 likes2 comments
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alanacristin
Cravings: Hungry for More | Chrissy Teigen
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It was an exciting day to pick up holds at the library 😍 #mommyreads #librarylove #cookbooks #picturebooks #retellings #civilrights

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alanacristin
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina | Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
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When it's still thanksgiving family time but you realize books you'd forgotten about can't be renewed and you must read them now 💨 💨 💨 #mommyreads #librarylove

27 likes1 stack add
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alanacristin
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Pickpick

Turns out maybe i do like fan fiction? At least when it's a goofy, buddy cop murder mystery with political figure protagonists? I'll read the next one for sure! Though home for the holidays, i hid the cover to avoid any stressful debates 😖 #mommyreads #fanfic #crime

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alanacristin
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Pickpick

I loved absolutely everything about this! Characters, world building, language, the art and the color are so dreamy 😍 basically all i want out of life is to hang out in a cafe full of delightful fantastic beings and occasionally solve mysteries with them. Each character, including the villian, would be great featured in a one shot issue backstory. There seems like so much more story to tell. #mommyreads #queer #comics

22 likes1 stack add
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alanacristin
Slice Harvester: A Memoir in Pizza | Colin Atrophy Hagendorf
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Pickpick

Hagendorf reminisces about his punk youth, tries to become a sober punk adult, and takes quirky friends along as he eats a slice of pizza at every pizzeria in Manhattan. That is a ridiculously huge project I admire and envy 💚 so it's part memoir, part food guide to the best and worst slices across the city. I only wish I'd read the original zine as well 😍 #mommyreads #food #memoir #punk #pizza #nyc

gradcat I only wish I could‘ve accompanied him to all those pizzerias..yum! 😋😋😋 6y
23 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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alanacristin
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Help, please 🙏 I have heaps of #ebook #cookbooks as well as e-magazines, digital comics, & other illustration heavy ebooks. Which ereader do you recommend for storing & viewing those? Previously, I've used my tablet or phone with kindle app but the size of the files limits how many i can have at the ready. I'd love a designated reader for cookbooks especially. What do you use and love?? I'm stateside and would like to shop for one 😊 thanks!

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alanacristin
When Life Gives You Lululemons | Lauren Weisberger
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Pickpick

Never before has a book made me question if my yoga pants needed an upgrade...more references to plastic surgery and philandering husbands than my average read, but entertaining nonetheless. I can't help but see Emily Charlton as Emily Blunt, and her bitchy sass is still satisfying. The end raises a few eyebrows with one trivial concern in the spoilers below. #mommyreads #chicklit #ebook

alanacristin Why isn't Andy at that baby shower?!? 6y
20 likes1 stack add1 comment
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alanacristin
Competence | Gail Carriger
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Book mail! 😍✨💃 I'm so excited to catch up with Prudence 💘 and I'm obsessed with all the food truck books 😂 there's one more on my mommy-toddler TBR, but for now we're lifting flaps and discussing ingredients 🍕🍧🍓 #mommyreads #steampunk #babyreads #foodie #boardbooks #bookmail

britt_brooke Cute! 6y
18 likes1 comment