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Chessa

Chessa

Joined April 2016

https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/chessakat Your weird librarian mom! Reading mostly SF, horror, mysteries, and other genres in SE WA.
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Bitter Root Omnibus by David F. Walker, Chuck Brown
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Chessa
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Pickpick

Clear your schedule for this one, you will not want to put it down! Twists on twists. Loved how the MC never gave up on forgotten & discarded women & girls. Out 5/7/24. #thriller #mystery #feminist

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Chessa
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Pickpick

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5 stars for this middle grade (possibly young YA) graphic memoir about growing up with OCD. Highly recommend for all to help us be more empathetic to this mental health issue. An excellent pick for any school or public library collection. #graphicnovel #graphicmemoir #middlegrade

11 likes1 stack add
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Chessa
Heads Will Roll | Josh Winning
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Pickpick

This is a very fun summer camp slasher novel! But make the summer camp for adults who are either running away from something in their lives or have been “cancelled” by society, and make the adults all give up all their electronics for the duration of camp (no cell phones/internet!). There are a ton of horror easter eggs in here -I‘m 100% sure I didn‘t catch them all - but the ones I did catch, I was absolutely delighted by. #horror

17 likes2 stack adds
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Chessa
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Just catching up with last month‘s reads (January 2024). 7 graphic novels, 2 novellas, 2 audiobooks, 1 memoir, and 2 novels. 5 are out now, 2 come out next week (Malka Older! Ngozi Ukazu!), 7 more come out in more than a month. I‘ll try to post about those as we get closer to pub dates! #readingroundup #january2024

11 likes1 stack add
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Chessa
Bitter Root Omnibus | David F. Walker, Chuck Brown
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Current graphic read! I‘m enjoying this setting (1919) and this sprawling family who fight bad guys (“Jinoo“) with root magic. It‘s the omnibus version, so it‘ll probably take me a while. But that‘s ok - the art is cool and the story is weird and interesting.

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Chessa
Heads Will Roll | Josh Winning
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About 30% into this really fun summer-camp-for-canceled-adults horror novel (ARC)! There are some REALLY fun horror Easter eggs sprinkled throughout - I don‘t want to spoil them, but they are DELIGHTFUL. Out July 30, 2024 - perfect summer camp season. 😎

16 likes2 stack adds
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Chessa
The Tea Dragon Festival | Katie O'Neill
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Pickpick

The Tea Dragon Festival is as sweet and gentle and adorable as the first. Erik and Hesekiel are back, this time returning to Erik‘s small-town mountain home for a long-overdue visit. There is a little bit of a mystery to solve, a dragon and other characters to meet, and super cute and sometimes grumpy-looking tea dragons to adore. I always love to visit Katie O‘Neill‘s rich, colorful worlds. ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

charl08 Happy litsyversary! 4y
26 likes1 comment
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Chessa
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps | Kai Ashante Wilson
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Pickpick

Holy. Shit. #ReadingBlackout

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Chessa
Devil in a Blue Dress | Walter Mosley
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Are you reading during the Superb Owl celebration? I am! This is my first Mosley and I love it so far! #currentlyreading #ReadingBlackout

Kimzey Yep, I'm reading and Litsying during the Superb Owl! 🏈 6y
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Chessa
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Day 3: Nekkid hardcovers! These are all my nerdy husband‘s. AND the vintage crane toy, too. #notmybooks #riotgrams #nakedhardcovers

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Chessa
Smell of Other People's Houses | Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock
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Purple was weirdly hard for my unpacked books? Day 4 #riotgrams #purplebooks

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Chessa
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Let it be known that 4/8 of the books were The Raven Cycle books that I listened to on audio while I stressed through moving selling/buying prep and I REGRET NOTHING #monthlyreading

hermyknee The Raven Cycle! I‘m on the Raven King now, but I‘m having a hard time finding time to read because mostly I‘m dead all the time. Is it good on audio? Is it the same??? I need my Raven King experience to be perfect. I love these books. 6y
Chessa @hermyknee So I listened to alllll of them and I REALLY like the narrator! He‘s a professional actor that you‘ve probably seen in movies/on TV and he does a really good job characterizing all the voices without making them silly. His Ronan is especially 👌. (edited) 6y
Clare-Dragonfly That sounds like a great choice! I hope it made moving easier! 6y
39 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Chessa
Six Wakes | Mur Lafferty
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Day 2: Current read! For a while this locked room mystery set on a spaceship with clones kept putting me to sleep (literally) but the second half has really captured my attention! #riotgrams #currentlyreading

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Chessa
Furthermore | Tahereh Mafi
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And then there is my secret library book drawer - don‘t tell! #riotgrams #shelfie

BookishMe 😍😍 6y
Kmatti Jem! 😍 6y
Chessa @Kmatti844 Jem is excitement! 6y
52 likes3 comments
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Chessa
Lonesome Dove: A Novel | Larry McMurtry
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Have I whined here about moving? It‘s happening, and most of my owner books are in boxes. I kept these out so I don‘t wither and die. #shelfie #riotgrams

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Chessa
Children of Time | Adrian Tchaikovsky
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Day 5 #riotgrams is BIG BOOKS. I have to say that I‘ve recently become more enamored by short books/novellas - I have commitment-phobia to long books! These are ALL on my TBR. #bigbooks #commitmentissues #bigbooks

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Chessa
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Currently reading four books a teeny bit at a time - need to commit but I can't for some reason. (Not pictured: The Polish Boxer, which I'm not loving honestly.) Day 4 #riotgrams

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Chessa
The Round House | Louise Erdrich
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Day 3 of #riotgrams is 3 Word Titles. I included one of my current reads, The Round House, my first Erdrich!

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Chessa
Illuminae | Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
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#riotgrams Day 2 is #orangecovers ! Orange is my favorite color, so I had a particularly good time hunting these down from all the upstairs shelves in the house! #yayorange

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Chessa
Cuckoo's Calling | Robert Galbraith
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#riotgrams are back! Day 1 is a #shelfie, natch.

britt_brooke 😍 7y
55 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Chessa
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I'm a latecomer to short stories - last year was the first time I dipped a toe in. It's not my first love as a format, but I enjoy it much more than I thought I would! It turns out that I check most short story collections out from the library. BUT! My best friend sent me this late last year, one of her favorite authors. I still need to read it! But fall seems an appropriate time for them. #30DaysofReadathon

OSChamberlain Short stories are like my life‘s blood. Hahaaa 7y
40 likes1 comment
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Chessa
March: Book One | John Robert Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell
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Day 25 of #30DaysofReadaton is COMICS! I loooooove comics and graphic novels. I read a LOT through the library, both in hard copy and a bunch through Hoopla. But here are some I had on hand!

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Chessa
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🎶I always feel like, some dog is watching me! 🎶 ANYWAY, catching up on #30DaysofReadathon with Day 28: Red Books!

LauraBeth 😂😂 7y
39 likes1 comment
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Chessa
Popcorn | Frank Asch
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Day 27 of #30daysofReadathon is SNACKS, a favorite word AND thing. I'm team salty snacks all the way. Maybe salty & sweet, but mostly salty. Raiding the kids' lunch stash has never felt so right.

readordierachel This picture is adorable. 7y
Chessa @ReadOrDieRachel Hee thanks! ❤️ 7y
38 likes2 comments
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Chessa
Ewoks' Hang-Gliding Ad | Star Wars, Judy Herbstman
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Went to a cute used bookstore in Butte, MT today called Second Edition Books. Picked up a couple of things! This Ewok book makes me so happy for some reason.

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Chessa
Strange Dogs | James S. A. Corey
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Pickpick

Eeeeeeek, this was a good one, even if it it's left pretty open-ended (be warned). This seems, like The Churn, one of *The Important Novellas* of The Expanse series - don't miss it if you're a fan! Elements are introduced that are surely going to be in future novels - and I AM SO HERE FOR IT!!!

Chessa Also, this is the second book I've read this year featuring dogs on an alien planet - new SF trope? I LOVE IT. 7y
40 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Chessa
Pop Princess | Rachel Cohn
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When you find a sekrit used book store under the Mercantile in Virginia City, MT called POD. The steep staircase made it seem like a quest. 😂 #winning

Louise Sounds wonderful! 7y
Chessa @Louise it was so great! 7y
BellaBookNook Love your shirt! 7y
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Chessa @BellaBookNook Thanks! I dug through a pile of laundry to find it for today! 😂 7y
OriginalCyn620 Love the t-shirt! 7y
Chessa @CynthiaF.Buck it's my fave!!! ❤️ 7y
54 likes6 comments
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Chessa
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Pickpick

I didn't love this as much as Ghost Girl in the Corner (my fave of the series) but it did get me excited to read Shadowhouse Fall next month! Ghost Girl was very much its own story - this one feels like a teaser for the next book. Not a bad thing, but don't expect any kind of resolution. This is just to whet your appetite.

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Chessa
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Pickpick

It's been like 20 years since I've lived in a small town, and nothing supernatural ever happened there. But despite that, I still found myself nodding at truths about the sometimes desperate living of small towns that was woven into this amazing little collection of short stories. Great stuff, I'll definitely be keeping my eye on this author.

valeriegeary This title! 👏👏👏 7y
ReadingEnvy Loved this one! 7y
41 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Chessa
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Final #24in48 #readathon tally! I was aiming for 12 hours, but I got 15. Feeling a-ok for my first time! (And I won a prize! 🎉)

UwannaPublishme 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
Varshitha 👏🏻👏🏻 7y
theshrinkette Nice! 7y
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TrishB Well done 🎉🎉 7y
Chessa @UwannaPublishme @Varshitha @theshrinkette @TrishB Thanks y'all! I can't wait for the next one! 😍 📚 ☕️ 7y
GypsyKat Well done! 👏👏👏 7y
Reviewsbylola Sounds like a total win! 7y
Chessa @GypsyKat @Reviewsbylola Thanks guys! 💃🏻 7y
61 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Chessa
Lumberjanes Vol. 4 | Shannon Watters
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Pickpick

ULTIMATE PICK! OMG THIS. WAS. SO. GREAT!!!!!!!!!

Glee. So much glee. MARIGOLD THE CAT. Samwise Po-Tay-Tos. I die. I loved this so much I can't even.

Book 7 for #24in48 #readathon

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Chessa
Billie Holiday | Carlos Sampayo
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Mehso-so

Whoo boy, this was dark. Not that easy to follow the panels or story? It flashed back and forth in time, and though the black and white art was really cool it was not always the easiest to tell what was happening. A short biography of Billie Holiday, mostly dwelling on drugs, drinking, rape, humiliation. Hard to read in multiple ways. Book 6 of #24in48 #readathon

41 likes1 stack add
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Chessa
Level Up | Cathy Yardley
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Pickpick

Super cute geeky romance novella! Good stuff about consent, geek culture, toxic masculinity. Skates dangerously close to a She's All That geek-to-beauty thing, but manages to avoid it. Laughed out loud several times - just a fun little book. I'm excited to see what's next in the series. Book 5 completed in #24in48 !

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Chessa
Binti: Home | Nnedi Okorafor
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Pickpick

Oh, man so great! I love Binti so much. It had been a little while since I'd read the first book, and I had a teeny bit of trouble trying to remember what had happened and what certain words meant - but it all becomes clear in the end! Can't WAIT to read book 3! This was my 4th book completed for #24in48 📚 ❤️

43 likes1 stack add
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Chessa
Lagoon | Nnedi Okorafor
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An author that everyone should check out: Nnedi Okorafor! I just happened to start these two books at nearly the same time in the #24in48 #readathon - but #Binti was one of my favorite reads of 2016! #weneeddiversebooks

bookwrm526 I picked up Lagoon after I read Binti (while I was waiting for Home to come out) and loved it on audio 7y
Chessa @bookwrm526 Oh good, glad to hear the audio is good!!! 7y
49 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Chessa
Saga Volume 4 | Brian K Vaughan
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Pickpick

Somehow I got very very very behind in Saga but I finally jumped back on the horse and I'm so glad - gah, it's so good! Must hit the library tomorrow for even more. Book 3 of #24in48.

GypsyKat I love this so much! 💗💗💗 7y
46 likes1 comment
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Chessa
Fish | Bianca Bagnarelli
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Mehso-so

This short little graphic novel was...quiet and sad but so so short it was hard to really get attached. Book 2 of #24in48.

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Chessa
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Pickpick

1st #24in48 book completed! I lurrrved this romance! Kind of a m/m Beauty & the Beast vibe. Great characters and sense of humor, so many found family feels. 😍 It was my first Cat Sebastian, but it will not be my last!

37 likes2 stack adds
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Chessa
Beauty Queens | Libba Bray
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My picks for Epic Roadtrip Audiobooks! These are reasonably all ages picks (my guys aren't terribly sensitive). Beauty Queens is hysterical, As You Wish is delightful, and Born a Crime is fascinating (and hysterical). #24in48

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Chessa
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#24in48 #readathongoals Husband and kids made breakfast so I could keep reading 😁 📚 ‬

Leniverse Lucky! 7y
44 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Chessa
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Chessa
The Gene: An Intimate History | Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Thanks, Library Free Shelf, for this brand spanking new copy of The Gene and a slightly loved The Rosie Project! 😱

kmell33 Jealous! 7y
56 likes1 comment
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Chessa
Persons Unknown | Susie Steiner
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Pickpick

4/5 ⭐️ I thoroughly enjoyed the second installment of the DS Manon series. Manon is a delightful mess, as always, and I can't help loving her supreme *humanness.*. Davy is also back (yay!) along with a new perspective character, Birdie (who is fantastic). Highly recommend this, and I'm excited to see what Steiner puts out next. (Full review at https://leveledupreading.wordpress.com/2017/07/10/persons-unknown-by-susie-stein...

53 likes5 stack adds
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Chessa
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#riotgrams / day 24 / #tinybooks / I love these tiny Maurice Sendak books!

celtichik So many great memories of this box set! 7y
emtobiasz 😍😍 I was just talking to someone about this book as my earliest experience with #audiobooks-- google Carole King's rendition, it's on YouTube! 7y
51 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Chessa
A Wrinkle in Time | Madeleine L'Engle
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#ReadingWomenMonth/ Day 22 / #middlegradereads / Maybe my all time fave middle grade book, and the same edition I first read when I was 10!

valeriegeary Love this book! 💕 7y
RealLifeReading Woah this cover! 7y
ReadingEnvy One of my all time favs 7y
65 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Chessa
The Magpie Lord | KJ Charles
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#riotgrams / day 22 / #currentread / After a couple of ARC busts this month, I really needed a book win - and I am SO GETTING IT with this book! Historical-fantasy-m/m romance - it is just so freaking delightful and reads so fast - I having a feeling I'll be buying the rest in this series posthaste.

53 likes3 stack adds
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Chessa
The Waking Land | Callie Bates
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Panpan

2/5 ⭐️ I really wanted to like this book - I love a good fantasy story with magic, a strong female protagonist and revolution - but this one just fell short for me. Convoluted to the point of not interesting with a main character who I never felt much sympathy for - I just wasn't convinced by this story. Full review at https://leveledupreading.wordpress.com/2017/06/21/uprooted-it-is-not/

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Chessa
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#ReadingWomenMonth / day 20 / #shelfie / A couple of the many, many shelves in our house! These contain the newest/most TBR books.

51 likes1 stack add
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Chessa
I'll Give You the Sun | Jandy Nelson
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#riotgrams / day 20 / #celestialbooks / A day late, but here's #scoutkitty checking out #illgiveyouthesun for Summer Solstice!

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 7y
49 likes1 comment
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Chessa
Pattern Recognition | William Gibson
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#ReadingWomenMonth / day 19 / #CanadianAuthors I have to admit I had to look this one up. I did recall Atwood and Gibson, but I don't think I knew about Martel or DeWitt. Pattern Recognition was my first Gibson and holds a special place in my heart!