@jchawkins on Litsy

jchawkins

Belgariad (Vol 1): Volume One: Pawn of Prophecy, Queen of Sorcery, Magician's Gambit (Trade) | David Eddings

This book has me laughing out loud. I forgot how much I enjoy the Eddingses and their world. It's been too long! 😂😂😂

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jchawkins

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die | Peter Boxall

#1001books #readaroundtheworld So I did a thing. I mostly cleaned up the nationalities from the complete GR list of authors in the tagged book. Then I got a complete list of countries/sovereign states. Then I combined the two. It should be viewable here: https://bit.ly/30y0xg7. Might add column for #readwomen later.

Read harder AND smarter, Littens. I don't know if I'll ever real all 1200+ books, but I want to read as diversely as possible.

Lucy_Anywhere Wow - awesome goal! Good luck 👏 5y

suvata Impressive list 5y

merelybookish Cool! Thanks for posting. 5y

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Eyelit Very cool! Thanks for sharing! 5y

BookwormM Cool 😎 5y

BarbaraBB Very cool! Thanks for sharing 💕 5y

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jchawkins

Hashes & Bashes | PJ Colando

@Eggs #wondrouswednesday tagged by @Sunraven

1) a root vegetable hash topped with a fried egg.
2) honestly, Ian's Pizza. All the pizzas are bizarre: brisket and tater tots pizza, macaroni and cheese pizza, hamburger and cheese pizza...
3) I usually like to snack while reading...not the same thing!
4) peanut butter ice cream with fudge pieces and swirls. Why do people insist on complicating it with candy or caramel swirls?
5) @Nute @Graywacke

Sunraven Peanut butter desserts om nom nom. 5y

TheAromaofBooks Sign me up for your ice cream!!! 5y

Nute Thanks for the tag! I love peanut butter any kind of way I can get it! 5y

Eggs Pizza 🍕 5y

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jchawkins

Collection of Sand | Italo Calvino

pick

Both charming and remarkably insightful. First half got a bit exhausting because Calvino was apparently eyeballs deep in art and literary criticism from the Italian scene between 1910 and 1980; but the second half, about imagination and travel, was beautifully done.

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jchawkins

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings | Shel Silverstein

@Sunraven #treeproject

Shel Silverstein saved my sanity as a child. I don't know how many times I read his books. I had a lot of his poems memorized for years.

Sunraven My sister loved this book, too! I was more into fairy tales and epic fantasy and pioneer stories (which probably “saved” my sanity by making me seem only questionably sane 😆), and all I really remember from this book is the illustrations ... though I feel I should re-read it, because surely I remember at least a poem or two, hmm. 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven Hahaha that's awesome. Yeah, I got into fantasy as I got into middle and high school, but these dark little poems were great. Phillip Pullman talked about this once...something about how it's important to acknowledge darkness to children. I should find that quote. (edited) 5y

Sunraven IME that could be a statement about how adults often avoid what they think of as darkness more than a statement about kids, but I do have copious Thoughts on this subject, thanks to the perils of my brand of weird. 😆 I‘ve just noticed that adult fiction sometimes handles “darkness” shallowly, while YA classics sometimes bludgeon you like causing trauma is the goal. I always preferred the route where dark and light are both real, and balanced... 5y

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jchawkins

Collection of Sand | Italo Calvino

Calvino: the first Litten. 😂

batsy Perfect 😆 5y

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jchawkins

Collection of Sand | Italo Calvino

"The city is always a transmission of messages, it is always a discourse."

Boom.

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jchawkins

Aspen Gold | Janet Dailey

@Sunraven #treeproject #trees #nature Ever heard of Pando? It is an entire forest...made up of A SINGLE TREE. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree)

Lady_Tigana_20 That was interesting. Thanks for sharing. I feel like I had heard about this years ago, but then I forgot. 5y

Sunraven The Hidden Life of Trees, which I just read, mentioned that, or else I‘d be saying the same thing as @Lady_Tigana_20. 😁 I also find it entertaining that there‘s a massive 2,400-year-old fungus in Oregon that basically eats trees (again, mentioned in that book). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armillaria

Nature is full of wacky stuff. 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven that's super cool! Nature is indeed pretty crazy! 5y

jchawkins @Lady_Tigana_20 yeah I love random trivia like this 😁 5y

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jchawkins

Collection of Sand | Italo Calvino

It is well into the afternoon, but I FINALLY finished everything on the to-do list. Fiance is purging unneeded stuff from his apartment this evening, so I'm taking the rare opportunity at total solitude to read more Calvino. 😊

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jchawkins

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living | Tsh Oxenreider

I wasn't paying attention and then I looked down and discovered that I had organized my M&Ms by color. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 😅🤣

BooknerdsLife 😂👍🏼 5y

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jchawkins

1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die | Peter Boxall

It is an absolutely gorgeous day today, and thanks to @ValerieAndBooks , I found the Goodreads Google spreadsheet for the tagged book. Sorted it by books that haven't been deleted over the multiple editions, then started tagging those I've already read. 37 of over 1200 😬 but a lot of them are on my TBR anyway, so I think it'll be a fun long-range goal to chip away at! #1001books

Emilymdxn I feel the same! I‘ve been working away at the list for years and feel like I‘ll never get there but it‘s fun either way. What are you thinking of starting with? 5y

jchawkins @Emilymdxn probably adichie. Calvino, Murakami, and Oz are already favs of mine so those will probably be hit pretty early too. Where are you at right now? 5y

squirrelbrain I was just gifted this book! I‘ve found the spreadsheet (thank you!) so I‘ll have a look at that after my hols... 5y

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llwheeler I didn't know there was a spreadsheet, thanks for the tip! I have this list as a long term, no pressure goal too. 5y

jchawkins @squirrelbrain @squirrelbrain sure thing! So much easier than making the sheet manually... 😅 5y

Emilymdxn @jchawkins I‘ve been working on it about ten years and I‘m hoping to climb from 19% to 20% total this year - slow but rewarding progress! Ahhh Calvino is my fave too 5y

jchawkins @Emilymdxn geez, that's dedication! Good for you!! And yay Calvino ♥️ 5y

Sarahreadstoomuch I‘m working on it too... not sure where I‘m at right now, but it‘s a great list! 5y

TheEllieMo I have a phone app for these! It has every book that‘s featured in any edition of 1001 Books you must read before you die, 1315 in total. So far I‘ve read 38. Only a few more, then...... 5y

ValerieAndBooks Welcome to the club 😊🤓!! It‘s fun trying even though I know I probably won‘t get to them all (so far, only 12.7% of all 1315 — the phone app calculates that too) 5y

Sunraven Goshdarnit, now I want to find the spreadsheet, too. Must ... do ... bookish ... things... 5y

jchawkins @ValerieAndBooks yeah, idk about you but I'm not aiming to finish them all. I'll read at least every author if I can, but I'll only read an author more than once if I like them, and I've got no qualms bailing if the book isnt my thing. That app sounds great tho... 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven this is a community of enablers of overcommitting to books! ?(This emoji popped up when I searched "muahaha!"! ?) 5y

Sunraven It looks like your emoji is truly villainous, since from here it‘s just a question mark. 😆 It‘s made its daring escape! 5y

ValerieAndBooks Trust me, I bail too 😂! And so many of these books are chunksters, too ! 5y

Lynnsoprano @Sunraven Litsy is a rabbit hole you fell down, like the rest of us 😂 5y

Sunraven @Lynnsoprano: Took me a while, though ... I failed to get the hang of it late last year when I first joined, but I‘m glad I felt compelled to blather publicly about books again recently. I like this rabbit hole. 😆 5y

Lynnsoprano @sunraven Welcome to the club 😂 5y

Sunraven @Lynnsoprano: Glad to be part of it! 😉 5y

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jchawkins

Untranslatables: The Most Intriguing Words from Around the World | C J Moore

#nature #trees #treeproject @Sunraven

Sunraven One of my favorite Japanese words! 💖🌳☀️ (And one of my favorite things, haha.)

...Also, I see our game of tag has a tag now. Guess it‘s my turn tomorrow. 😆 (edited) 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven yes! I wanted to make it official 😁 5y

Sunraven The Tree Project liiiiiiiives!

(...and stuff.) 5y

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jchawkins @Sunraven 🤣🧟‍♀️🌳🌲 5y

Sunraven ...I‘m not sure I‘ve ever seen that one emoji before. Is it ... a zombie? 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven yes, but I was thinking Frankenstein, but there wasn't a Frankenstein emoji. You know, cuz you said it liiiiiives! 5y

Sunraven Zombies are sort of ... “It unliiiiives!” I guess. 😆 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven 😂😂😂 5y

Sunraven 🤪 5y

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jchawkins

Figuring | Maria Popova

#top6reads I would highly recommend all of these, for different reasons. Vuong, Roy, and Oz are masters of emotional resonance. Figuring celebrates queer women who changed American history with their lives' works. Brusatte spins a great yarn with nonfiction. And Anzaldúa changed how I see the world.

SamAnne Vuong has been on my list for awhile! 5y

Sunraven Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is on my endless TBR list ... Maybe I‘ll move it up a few notches. 😁 5y

jchawkins @SamAnne he's so good!! 5y

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jchawkins @Sunraven it feels like a beach read to me, so the summer is the perfect time for it 😁 5y

Sunraven Good to know! Maybe I can use it to convince myself to go to the beach. 😆 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven I'll leave you to it, I hate the beach 😂 5y

Sunraven I‘m actually sort of terrible at reading on the beach, anyway. I want to just stare at the scenery instead ... I‘d much rather read on a picnic blanket under a tree. Are “picnic reads” a thing? 🤔 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven maybe we call them Alice reads, since Alice fell asleep under the tree and dreamed Wonderland? 😄 5y

Sunraven Or enlightenment reads, since the Buddha was theoretically enlightened under a tree? 😉 Or tea reads, because tea was supposedly invented when a leaf fell into water that was boiling under a tree?

I didn‘t know I knew of so many things that happened under trees. Now I sort of want to put together an anthology involving tree-related occurrences. 🌳 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven or that Odin gained his wisdom under a tree, or that Newton figured out gravity under a tree... 😁 Sounds like a good project to me! 5y

Sunraven This is totally getting written down. Maybe it will even happen, haha. 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven ahahaha yesssss! 5y

jchawkins #treeproject 5y

merelybookish Sorry for the late response! Ive read a bit of Gloria Anzadula but I need to read more! 5y

merelybookish What an eclectic set of books! I also loved

God of Small Things

jchawkins @merelybookish I hear Borderlands is the staple to read by her, but I haven't read that one yet. And yes, I'm a bit of an omnivorous reader! 😅 5y

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jchawkins

The Federalist Papers: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay | Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, Ian Shapiro

#redwhiteandblue #colormepretty @Sweetkokoro Had to throw in a costume book about dress in Colonial America too, of course 😁

Sunraven Ooh, costume book! 🤩 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven dude I have SO MANY 😂 5y

Sunraven I have ... a few, but so far I‘ve kept myself mostly reined in — when I used to make costumes often, I couldn‘t afford them and they were harder to find than they seem to be now ... and now I don‘t sew as often, so I don‘t think about it as much. It‘s still in my soul, though. 😆

I still want some like ... general historical costume books that aren‘t crap. Most of the ones I have are specialized or else they‘re pretty generic overviews. 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven yeah I've struggled with finding one like that, too. But I like having an entire library of specialized books lol. But you're right, it's an expensive craft to pursue! 5y

Sunraven If I had infinite money and shelf space I would definitely be fine with a huuuge library of specialized books, whether or not I used them on a regular basis. Maybe someday I‘ll have one of those libraries with a rolling ladder and there will be room. 😉 5y

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jchawkins

Binti: Home | Nnedi Okorafor

so-so

It seemed like Okorafor asked herself, "What do SFF books need so they're not superficial?" And then made a checklist & checked off the boxes as she wrote. "PTSD? Check. Transfolk? Check. Break down stereotypes? Check." Binti is the only character who isn't static, and everyone keeps forcing her to change, rather than it being her choice, so its not a show of her character. By the end I didn't care anymore, even with the cool world building.

TheAromaofBooks Passive main characters are a pet peeve of mine. Frequently, when I find myself feeling mildly aggravated about a book I realize it's because things are happening TO the character instead of the character DOING things. 5y

jchawkins @TheAromaofBooks YES. Main characters should have agency! 5y

Sunraven On the subject of peeves (thanks @TheAromaofBooks 😁), checkboxing like you describe is a major one of mine. The apparent popularity of substituting checkboxing for thoughtfulness has been driving me batty lately, so reading this review is balm for my soul. 😆 It‘s nice to not feel like I‘m the only one who notices that sort of thing ... whew. 5y

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jchawkins @Sunraven 😆 same here! I think it's because social sensitivity is SUCH a thing right now. It feels like a sort of clumsy way to try to ensure diversity and sensitivity in fiction writing (but movies seem to do it a lot too, now that I think of it...). Not bad in concept, just had in practice. 5y

Sunraven The funny not-funny thing about the current environment is that it makes me feel LESS safe — and I‘m multiply marginalized, theoretically someone supposed to feel supported by it. It‘s just that if someone substitutes checkboxes for thought, they‘re probably not going to understand me as a whole person. I am not my checkboxes, duh. Some “allies” even seem to view me as an enemy because I‘m not easy enough to checkbox. So yes, bad in practice. 😉 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven yeah, one would hope minds would he kept open, but that's not the reality as often as it should be. And the culture tends to also be weirdly censoring, too, which is probably related to that. At least, that's how I feel, as one who is not nearly as marginalized as others--not sure if it feels that way for others, though. 5y

Sunraven Oh, man, don‘t get me started on the censorship. That makes me angry no matter who does it. I get the impression that a lot of people are just taking their preexisting judgemental habits, or emulating the judgemental habits of mainstream people they want to fight, and peppering them with the Right Words to “prove” they‘re sensitive, so that the thought-framework is essentially the same whether people are allies or not, but flavored differently. 5y

Sunraven ...And it hurts my heart when people commandeer social science terms and concepts to use as weapons to justify their censorship and negativity, because I went to school for anthropology and its concepts get used the opposite of the way I feel they should be ... but school was a long time ago and I‘m out of practice arguing with people over that sort of thing. Le sigh. Anyway. 😉 5y

jchawkins @Sunraven haha yeah and you need people willing to hear the argument anyway, which many aren't. Ah well. 5y

Sunraven 100% true, and ah, well, indeed. Maybe being excruciatingly empathetic will be the next trend. 🤣 5y

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jchawkins

Binti: Home | Nnedi Okorafor

Oh this is so true. So spot on.

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jchawkins

Spirit Gate: Book One of Crossroads | Kate Elliott

When you plan to write a fantasy novel over the next couple-three months...and you tell yourself your #libraryhaul is for research purposes. 😁😂🤦🏻‍♀️

rretzler But, of course! 5y

OnlyYoo The Bulgariad is great! My fav character is silk 5y

jchawkins @OnlyYoo I am so looking forward to it! Polgara the Sorceress was one of my fav books in my teen years. 5y

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jchawkins

The Source of Self-Regard: Selected Essays, Speeches, and Meditations | Toni Morrison

#colormepretty #brown @Sweetkokoro

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jchawkins

Binti | Nnedi Okorafor

pick

What a great way to blow off some steam! Great, short read. Super creative. Highly recommend this one!

S3V3N I loved this book. 5y

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jchawkins

Wise Man's Fear | Pat Rothfuss

Guys, I am beyond burned out right now. I need a fun, easy SFF read, but I don't know where to start. Recommendations, please?

llwheeler Probably too popular to be a useful rec, but I read the first Murderbot (Martha Wells) on a day when I had very low brainpower/energy and loved it. Hope you find something that does the trick. 5y

jchawkins @llwheeler you know, I've been out of touch with the SFF world long enough that I don't even know what that is. 😅 Thanks for the rec! 5y

llwheeler @jchawkins lol yay, I usually end up recommending things people have already read. It's sci-fi novellas, I've only read the first one so far. Tagged the first book

All Systems Red

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jchawkins @llwheeler awesome, thank you! 5y

Marilyncjackson Not sure if this qualifies fully but The Witches of Lychford was good the guy that wrote it writes for Dr Who. There are 3 books so far and this is the first one. To me it read like an episode of a TV show

Witches of Lychford

wanderinglynn I recently read VC Schwab‘s A Darker Shade of Magic & enjoyed it. 5y

PickwickPlockPlock How about Jasper Fforde?

The Last Dragonslayer

Melissa_J This is the first book in a fantastic fantasy series

Theft of Swords

jchawkins @Marilyncjackson @wanderinglynn @PickwickPlockPlock @Melissa_J thank you for the recommendations! Looks like I've got a good list now 😊♥️ 5y

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jchawkins

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

#wizardsunite is finally compatible with my phone!! I just started, but heres my info. Feel free to add me! 😁

OrangeMooseReads Added 😊 5y

BooknerdsLife Have fun!!! 💙💙 5y

jchawkins @OrangeMooseReads 💗 5y

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Owlizabeth Request sent! 5y

RealLifeReading Invite sent (username bakkwa 5y

Bookishlie Invite sent:) 5y

Lauram Invite sent, Laurmel 😃🧙‍♀️ 5y

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jchawkins

Harry Potter | JK Rowling

#mywizardingworld and my wand is 14.5" unyielding yew with a unicorn hair core ?

BooknerdsLife I‘m a Ravenclaw too 💙 from the previous Pottermore, but I feel like maybe I need to do this again? 🤔 5y

jchawkins @BooknerdsLife it was a fun waste of 10 minutes 🙃 5y

jchawkins @BooknerdsLife also yay ravenclaws! 💙🧡💙🧡 5y

BooknerdsLife @jchawkins Thank you 😆💙Hahaaa I cant wait to do that🙌🏼 5y

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jchawkins

Patterns of Fashion: Cut and construction of linen shirts, smocks, neckwear, headwear, etc | Janet Arnold, Jenny Tiramani, Santina M. Levey

I don't know if any of you are fanatics of history, historical dress, historical costuming, costuming for theater, or sewing...but I am, and these books came in the mail today, and they include SCALABLE PATTERNS to sew from, and detailed studies of extant garments, and I could just die of happiness.

starlight97 It looks awesome! I wish I knew how to sew so I could make my own vintage dresses 🤩 5y

jchawkins @starlight97 it is so much fun!! If you have access to a sewing machine, there are a lot of really great pattern companies now that have good beginner projects and good support communities! 5y

starlight97 @jchawkins then I just have to get a machine! 😃 5y

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jchawkins

Light in the Dark/Luz en lo Oscuro: Rewriting Identity, Spirituality, Reality | Gloria Anzald�a

Tagged by @Ruthiella and @Ddzmini ...here we go!
1) Sean. Summer camp, cracking jokes. He still gets me in stitches within ten minutes flat.
2) Phoenix Arizona
3) can this be flavor? I get strong childhood flashbacks from Concord grapes. They grew in my grandma's back yard.
4) I just finished the tagged book. It changed my life and I'm not kidding.
5) thanks for setting this up @Eggs! Good way to start getting to know people ☺️ #wondrouswednesday

Ruthiella Ah summer camp! Those friendships were so intense! 😀 5y

jchawkins @Ruthiella yes! Remarkable that it's lasted 15 years! 5y

CrowCAH Welcome to the Litsy family!!! 📚 5y

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jchawkins @CrowCAH thank you!! 5y

SW-T Welcome to Litsy 😊 5y

jchawkins @SW-T thanks! ☺️ 5y

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jchawkins

Charles James: Beyond Fashion | Harold Koda, Jan Reeder, Charles James

#30JuneBooks @howjessreads (day 20 - picture books) Do coffee table books count as picture books? 😅 This is one of my favorites! Charles James's designs are so beautiful and original that I am reduced to incoherent squeaking and blustering.

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jchawkins

Moleskine Passions - Book Journal | Moleskine

Oh boy. There goes all my money. 😂😅

rretzler Welcome to Litsy! 📖 @LitsyWelcomeWagon 5y

jchawkins @rretzler thank you! ☺️ 5y

wanderinglynn Welcome to Litsy! 👋🏻 5y

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jchawkins @wanderinglynn thanks! 🙋🏻‍♀️ 5y

ladym30 Welcome to Litsy!❤️ 5y

jchawkins @ladym30 thank you! 🥰 5y

Crazeedi Welcome to litsy!!🎉🎉 5y

jchawkins @Crazeedi thanks!! ✌️ 5y

sudi Welcome To Litsy 😊🙋 5y

Crazeedi Btw, I love moleskines!!!! That is a cool book journal, I'm going to have to check it out (edited) 5y

jchawkins @sudi thank you! 🙋🏻‍♀️ 5y

jchawkins @Crazeedi yeah, me too! They're weirdly collectible haha! 5y

CocoReads Stacked just so I can remember I want to check them out! 😁❤️📚 5y

RaimeyGallant Welcome! #litsywelcomewagon 5y

jchawkins @RaimeyGallant thank you! 5y

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 💖📖💖 5y

ImperfectCJ Uh-oh...this looks dangerous. Welcome to Litsy! 5y

jchawkins @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego @ImperfectCJ thanks! And yes, it totally is 😂 5y

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jchawkins

Collection of Sand | Italo Calvino

No matter how many authors I read, Calvino remains a favorite. This man was a wizard with his words. So, for that matter, is the translator for this edition, Martin McLaughlin.

BookwormAHN Welcome to Litsy 😺 5y

jchawkins @BookwormAHN thanks! 😸 5y

Emilymdxn Calvino might be my favourite writer of all time, love him so much! Welcome to Litsy fellow Calvino fan 5y

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TorieStorieS Welcome!! 😃 5y

jchawkins @Emilymdxn yesssss! Thanks! If you ever hear of any Calvino buddy reads, let me know! 5y

jchawkins @TorieStorieS thank you! ☺️ 5y

BooknerdsLife Welcome to Litsy 🙌🏼💖📚 5y

jchawkins @BooknerdsLife thank you! 🙌🏻 5y

Erofan Welcome! 🎉😉 5y

Smrloomis Welcome! 🥳 5y

jchawkins @Erofan @Smrloomis thanks guys! 😄 5y

manifestsanity I always loved Invisible Cities. 5y

DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy!! 🎉📚🎉Hope you are enjoying it here! 5y

jchawkins @manifestsanity yesssss that book is so good! 5y

jchawkins @DebinHawaii thank you! I very much am! 😄 5y

PurpleyPumpkin Welcome to the Litsy family! Enjoying your posts so far. Have fun!😉👍🏽 5y

jchawkins @PurpleyPumpkin thanks! I'll do my best haha! 5y

Nute Welcome to Litsy! It‘s a warm and friendly community. I know that you will enjoy yourself here. I‘m looking forward to getting to know you!🙂 5y

jchawkins @Nute thank you! It certainly seems that way. I look forward to getting to know you, too! ☺️ 5y

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jchawkins

Joined June 2019