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plaidchuck

plaidchuck

Joined May 2018

Love books, traveling, discussing the great mysteries and oddities of life. Add me on Goodreads too! https://www.goodreads.com/plaidchuck
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Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
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Bill the Galactic Hero by Harry Jr Harrison
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Treasure island by Robert Louise Stevenson
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plaidchuck
The Light Fantastic | Terry Pratchett
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Mehso-so

The book got better as it went on and a satisfying conclusion. Ultimately though it was forgettable and more of an extension of The Colour of Magic. Definitely can't recommend it to start reading #Discworld but Twoflowers and Rincewind's shenanigans do always amuse, especially in this case with a world ending scenario, oh my!

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plaidchuck
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Pickpick

These are, simply put, the steps that the book outlines to begin a Total Money Makeover. Seems simple right? apparently not if this guy has a job and people have made the book a bestseller! But really the book is about changing the mentality and often lifestyle that goes along with these steps. The number one thing really is to set a realistic budget for every liquid dollar that you have and make it work. Recommended for everyone!

CouronneDhiver My household recently switched back to using cash for our purchases and its made a massive difference. Way harder to spend it all if you have to look at it. 6y
plaidchuck @CouronneDhiver ah as in using physical cash? I've paid off and stopped using credit cards but yet to have graduated to this level. I can imagine it really is eye opening when it comes to impulse purchases 6y
31 likes2 comments
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plaidchuck
An American Marriage | Tayari Jones
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Pickpick

Listened to the audiobook, great work by the two person cast.

Really enjoyed this one, there were many heart warming stories about how Roy and Celestial met and how their relationship grew from acquaintance to marriage. All against the background of growing up in the New South in the changing demographic landscape of Black and White America. (Sad we still have these labels).

The ending was a bit abrupt for me but still a great book.

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plaidchuck
The Shining | Stephen King
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Pickpick

A horror masterpiece, nuff said. King masterfully gets into the mind and motivations of each character. The buildup sets expectations to a fever pitch and does not disappoint. Amazing foreshadowing and yet the climax is a page-turner to the very end. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 💀! Book 2 down for #makemereadit, on to Treasure Island!

MStew This is so far my favorite king book! The ending is bomb!!!💀 6y
BlueAlice So far this is one of my favorite King books. It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. There were so many great scenes that weren‘t depicted in Kubrick‘s film, I found myself several times throwing up my hands and saying “That should have been in the movie. That‘s scary as hell!” 6y
plaidchuck @BlueAlice yes while some things i think weren't filmmable it was strange that they didnt have the topiary animals or the wasps which were very important imageries in the book. Also they completely left out the history of the hotel other than Grady killing his family. Plus no Roque mallet??? 6y
43 likes3 comments
blurb
plaidchuck
The Shining | Stephen King
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Woefully behind on the August TBR. Time to finish this bad boy! Come get your medicine Danny! #horror #stephenking #makemereadit

MStew Fav! 6y
31 likes1 comment
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plaidchuck
The Color of Magic | Terry Pratchett
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Pickpick

This is just a funny book, full of satire on Fantasy and D & D tropes. A wizard who can't cast spells teams up with an account tourist from a far-awtay land for numerous shenanigans.

It all takes place on Discworld, which is, you guessed it, a world that rotates on a disc hoisted by four elephants riding on the back of a giant sea turtle through space. 🐘 🐘 🐘 🐘🐢 🌟🌟🌟🌟!

scowler1 I read the series in my twenties. Thirty years later and half way round the planet they're still on my shelf, ignored until recently when a friend of my daughter spotted them and asked to borrow one. 6y
35 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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plaidchuck
The Color of Magic | Terry Pratchett
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LOL this book is cracking me up. Can't believe it took so long to read Pratchett and the Discworld series. Just the lighthearted read I was looking for. 🐉

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plaidchuck
The Color of Magic | Terry Pratchett
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Good reading and beer at the pub. Life is good 🍺

MStew Doesn't get better 6y
ericas And in winter try a glass of red wine :-) 6y
plaidchuck @ericas any time is also fine for 🍷 lol! 6y
40 likes1 stack add3 comments
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plaidchuck
Gimme Gimme Gimme: The Book | Jonathan Harvey
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Congrats and thanks @Mitch for the generous #50kreadinglifegiveaway !

My five words are simply "I need to read more!"

Mitch Definitely! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 6y
28 likes1 comment
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plaidchuck
Life on Mars: Poems | Tracy K. Smith
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Pickpick

A stunning collection of poems by the current Poet Laureate of the US! From odes to ScFi such as Kubrick's 2001 to memories of her father (who helped develop the first Hubble telescope), she takes you beyond the heavens and brings you back down to Earth. I especially enjoyed her clean style, no wordiness and drawn out metaphors.

Having not read poetry in a while this was a great contemporary read to get back into it. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟!

33 likes2 stack adds
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plaidchuck
Neverwhere | Ne?l Ga?man
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Pickpick

First #makemereadit book for August has been read! Gaiman's prose is always top notch, but you can tell this was his first solo novel. It had a bit too many tropes like mcguffins and backtracking, and the ending wrapped up a bit too neatly for me.

This was also a novelisation of a BBC series so he was most likely constrained by that as well with the story. Still a seminal piece of urban fantasy! 🌟 🌟 🌟.5! Now on to #theshining!

cherinium I'm listening to this one on audiobook right now and have to admit that I'm having a tough time getting into it. I was wondering earlier if it's time to bail or switch formats or if I should just stick with it. 6y
plaidchuck @cherinium ohh I listened to some of it on audiobook and quite enjoyed Gaiman's narration. The last half of the story does pick up in my opinion. I will say that despite being about 370 pages it is still a quick read. 6y
35 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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plaidchuck
American Psycho | Bret Easton Ellis
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Pickpick

Ironic and darkly humorous, satirical yet prophetic, violent and explicit, this book encompassed all of these. The book has gotten the most notoriety for its violence and its movie adaptation. Darkly humorous because of the banality of its characters lives, ironic as Bateman flirts with escaping his life, prophetic because you could substitute a few products and its take on consumerism hasn't missed a beat. Dare I say a modern American classic.

MStew I want to read this!!! 6y
36 likes1 stack add1 comment
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plaidchuck
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Pickpick

What a fun little mystery! A great intro to Poirot who holds his own against Holmes in this first adventure. I enjoyed Christie's economical style.

I enjoyed Poirot being a foreigner and outsider which made him relatable and a fellow companion that we could follow during the case. Hastings is a straight man like Watson but seemed to have more agency than Watson in many of the Holmes stories I've read.

Opinion time! Poirot or Holmes and why?

KristinaRay It‘s been a long time since I read either, but I think I prefer Poirot over Holmes. 6y
Jaimelire Poirot wins for me. 6y
29 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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plaidchuck
Norse Mythology | Neil Gaiman
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A rare selfie showing the order for August for my #makemereadit challenge! Thanks to all who voted and @TheReadingMermaid who created the challenge. Tagged is another great book to check out by Neil Gaiman!

BeansPage 💖💖🤗💖💖 6y
SamanthaMarie Neil Gaiman is everything ♡♡♡ I've not read Neverwhere yet though. I still need to read that one and American Gods. 6y
alisonrose Yay Neverwhere!!!! 6y
38 likes3 comments
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plaidchuck
American Psycho | Bret Easton Ellis
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"My life is a living hell," I mention off the cuff, while casually moving leaks around on my plate, which by the way is a porcelain triangle. "And there are many more people I, uh, want to... want to, well, I guess murder."

Loving Bateman losing his sanity more and more as his social circle is oblivious.

28 likes2 stack adds
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plaidchuck
Flowers for Algernon | Daniel Keyes
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Pickpick

What if you lived two seperate lives, one as a mentally disabled person and the other as what is considered a genius?

A questions posed in this beautiful book. It is labeled as SciFi but that's really just used as a way to introduce the premise. A riveting and heartbreaking story of a simple man who attains intelligence we can only dream of, but learns that it's not worth much without the heart.

36 likes3 stack adds
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plaidchuck
American Psycho | Bret Easton Ellis
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Uh oh it's here! Look out yuppies! #noexit

31 likes1 stack add
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plaidchuck
The House on Mango Street | Sandra Cisneros
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Pickpick

An interesting book of vignettes about coming of age as the only girl in a large Latino family and Chicano community. It's labeled as a novel but I'd classify it as a poetry book with a loose overall narrative. Full of hopes and dreams and observations about her community and family. This will take some rereads to appreciate the play on words and metaphors.

crazyspine one of my all time favs 6y
30 likes1 stack add1 comment
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plaidchuck
Notes from Underground | Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Ok folks! Last post for the #makemereadit challenge for August! These three books have now tied for third place at 3 votes apiece! So vote away even if you aren't participating to determine third, fourth, and fifth place! My #tbr is in your hands!

30 likes1 stack add6 comments
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plaidchuck
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Pickpick

Listened to this on audiobook narrated by the man himself. As other reviews have mentioned the book starts a bit technical but things ease up as he discusses more tangible things (as much as they can be in Astrophysics). I especially loved the last chapter where NDT implores us to not feel insignificant when faced with the universe but rather to feel connected as the grand human experience within the history of the universe. Four stars!

33 likes1 stack add
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plaidchuck
Silma Hill | Iain Maloney
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Random haul today from the outlet store! Any comments on these #Litsynation?

Geeklet American War is soooooo good!! 6y
Tonton Charlie Huston is great! 6y
36 likes2 comments
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plaidchuck
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1. In my room getting ready for bed, early day tomorrow!

2. Reading Almayer's Folly by Joseph Conrad, listening to Astrophysics for People In A Hurry by the one and only NDT.

3. Next book to read will be American Psycho! After that I'll follow the voting results for August for the #makemereadit challenge by @TheReadingMermaid

#Tuesdaytidbits

BeansPage ❤️🤗💕 6y
26 likes1 comment
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plaidchuck
Man Called Ove | Fredrik Backman
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Pickpick

Just a beautiful little slice of life story that deftly moved between making me chuckle and making me shed a tear. We've all been Ove, fighting the losing battle against "men in white shirts" and raging against injustices to us and the ones we love.

Like Ove we always must remember that there is somebody out there that depends on us and loves us. Five stars. Brilliant!

akckitty This book is on my TBR! Happy to see other recommendations for it. 😊 6y
plaidchuck @Akckitty ohh it's a beautiful little story, hope you enjoy 😊 6y
Jess7 This is my favorite ! 6y
29 likes3 comments
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plaidchuck
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Alright folks! Neverwhere was the clear winner with 22 votes for the #makemereadit challenge with the rest of the results as follows:

The Shining: 7
Notes from Underground: 3
Treasure Island: 2
Gang Leader for a Day: 1
Bill the Galactic Hero: 0

Let's do another round of voting between these books to see if we can shake up these results and see if King is still, well king!

shellleigh33 I still have to go with 6y
Andrew65 It‘s got no votes so I have to give a vote to 6y
plaidchuck @Andrew65 that's the spirit! Really looking forward to reading it, sounds humorous. 6y
See All 9 Comments
Andrew65 @plaidchuck It does sound fun! 6y
Sweettartlaura The Shining! 6y
RamsFan1963 No one voted for Bill? I just read that recently, it was very good, the perfect anti-military science fiction story. 6y
plaidchuck @RamsFan1963 looks like Bill is getting some love! As a veteran I am looking forward to reading it! 6y
34 likes1 stack add9 comments
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plaidchuck
Things Fall Apart | Chinua Achebe
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Today's book store haul! #imayhaveaproblem #booksbooksmorebooks

BookishMarginalia Good haul! Enjoy! 6y
MStew 🤘🤘🤘 6y
32 likes3 comments
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plaidchuck
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Today's Goodwill/Library haul! #tbrpile #allthebooks

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plaidchuck
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Wow! I'm a bit all over the place this month, but i picked this up on a whim in the nonfiction section at the library and barely have been able to put it down! The writing style is personal and the stories are eye opening, highly recommended and already a pick even though i haven't finished it!

Kaye Thanks Chuck. Sounds good ! 6y
25 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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plaidchuck
Treasure island | Robert Louise Stevenson
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Here is my August #TBR stack for the #makemereadit challenge by @TheReadingMermaid! Pretty small but i don't want to bite off more than i can chew. I tried to pick one from each genre. The third from the top is Treasure Island. Tag a book and vote away! Highest voted book will be read first.

MuddyPuddle Neverwhere 6y
glitterkitty459 Neverwhere 6y
See All 42 Comments
monalyisha Neverwhere isn‘t my *favorite* Neil Gaiman but still... always Neil Gaiman. 🖤 6y
monalyisha OMG I didn‘t look at your user pic when I commented but when you friended me I realized... it‘s a bunny! I have a bun, too! 💖🐰 #rabbitsoflitsy 6y
plaidchuck @monalyisha ohh yeah what else do you recommend? I've embarrassingly only read Norse Mythology and some of his comic work so far. 6y
monalyisha @plaidchuck My favorites are “American Gods” & “The Ocean at the End of the Lane.” The latter is super short so it‘s easy to give it a go! So many of his fans name “Neverwhere” as their favorite, though, so I think I‘m just a freak. 😉 Don‘t let my unpopular opinion deter you! (edited) 6y
jillannjohn I‘ve owned this book forever and still haven‘t read it so I‘d like to hear your thoughts 😀 6y
plaidchuck @monalyisha Sounds good! I can tell he's a great author so I'll definitely check those out. Also love the buns! The pic is my bunny Max who is a seven year old Lionhead. Ill have to get him in more book pics (before he eats the books) 6y
monalyisha @plaidchuck Moxie (Crimefighter) just turned 6 🎉! 6y
Mollyanna One of my favorites... a short but intense read 6y
BkClubCare Great stack. Yowza! 6y
MeganAnn I have yet to read it, but I love some of his other books so 6y
BkClubCare Can‘t decide between The Shining and Neverwhere. (And I really want to read Gang Leader for a Day). Guess I‘ll vote for 6y
UwannaPublishme So many good ones: 6y
Sace Treasure Island 6y
Sarz It's so good. I'm reluctant to say it but it might be my all time favourite. 6y
plaidchuck Wow thanks for all of the votes everyone! Looks like Neverwhere is pulling away but never count out Stephen King.. also no love for Harry Harrison? Lol 6y
Reviewsbylola Notes From the Underground. 6y
51 likes1 stack add42 comments
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plaidchuck
Heart of Darkness | Conrad, Joseph
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Pickpick

Finally got to read this classic. Very haunting and atmospheric, and sometimes reminded me of Lovecraft's style of slow build up to horror and disgust. The subject and period of history of the book is disturbing, but at the very least we must remember the past in order not to repeat it.

kidamy I have this edition of it, too. I can't resist a cool cover. 6y
22 likes1 stack add1 comment
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plaidchuck
The Great American Pin-up | Charles G. Martignette, Louis K. Meisel
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Happy Independence Day!

Lauram Thanks! Helping others to ⬆️ Litfluence tonight. 6y
15 likes1 comment
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plaidchuck
Dangerous Visions | Harlan Ellison
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RIP Harlan Ellison, a brilliant writer who lived and breathed the craft. Not the nicest person to put it lightly, but his talent spoke for itself and he frequently championed initially overlooked writers such as Octavia Butler.

16 likes1 stack add
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plaidchuck
Old Man's War | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

An awesome Sci Fi Opera with a protagonist you root for from the start. Within the Heinlein-esque story of rising through the ranks there is a surprisingly tender love story that'll make you tear up at least once. Recommended with 4.5 stars!

15 likes1 stack add
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plaidchuck
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1. My daily mix (punk/ska mostly)
2. Depends on the day.. today we'll say Misfits
3. Again.. Punk for today at least
4. Yep, Spotify
5. @RaimeyGallant @Trashcanman

RaimeyGallant I just watched Big Little Lies, and I'm obsessed with the soundtrack. :) 6y
13 likes1 comment
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plaidchuck
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Pickpick

This was just a straight up fun read! And to my pleasant surprise this tilted more towards Scifi than fantasy. It was written and edited well and didn't feel anywhere close to 400 pages which is always a good thing. The author clearly did her research on the aquatic world which lent credibility to the Scifi feel of the story.

Not perfect but a must read if you like the ocean, SciFi and of course mythology/cryptozoology.

21 likes1 stack add
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plaidchuck
Old Man's War | John Scalzi
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"I did two things on my seventy-fifth birthday. I visited my wife's grave. Then I joined the army."

So far this has been a blast to read! A lot of old school scifi elements shared from the POV of a loveable curmudgeon!

Geeklet I really need to read this one again then check out the rest of the series. I remember really enjoying it but I read it right after The Forever War. The two books have become merged in my memory. 6y
plaidchuck @Geeklet yeah i can't wait to check out the rest of his stuff! 6y
20 likes2 comments
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plaidchuck
The Short Timers | Hasford Gustav
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Pickpick

I don't think I've yet read a book that better encapsulates the sheer absurdity of being in the military, on top of the political context and absurdism of the Vietnam War itself. Mind you there is nothing whimsical or romantic here, this is a book written by a mean green Marine who was in the shit in the late 60s.

This was also the source book for Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket which captured the book's dialogue well and had a great cast.

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plaidchuck
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Pickpick

Can't really review an ancient text but not having read it in its entirety before it really gave me some food for thought. Hoping to apply such thinking on everyday life.

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plaidchuck
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Random library pickup including two paperbacks for a buck.. because... Reasons! #hemmingway #aynrand #economics #mermaids #miragrant

20 likes1 stack add
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plaidchuck
Made to Kill: A Novel | Adam Christopher
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Panpan

Gonna have to give this one a thumbs down. A robot noir story is a great premise, but the rest is executed horribly. Thinly written characters, predictable tropes, and prose that needed a lot of editing.

TheBookgeekFrau That‘s too bad, I was hoping to hear something good about this book 🤷‍♀️ 6y
plaidchuck Yeah I was bummed too. It seems the two sequel books have gotten better reviews so I'll probably check them out! 6y
10 likes2 comments
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plaidchuck
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Pickpick

Awesome! A great mix of the old and new, and we all need more Krypto in our lives. Looking forward to more!

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plaidchuck
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Catching up on the last two years of DC Comics starting with the Man of Tomorrow! #superman #manofsteel #dccomics #dcrebirth

8 likes1 stack add
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plaidchuck
The Great Gatsby | Francis Scott Fitzgerald
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Pickpick

Amazing! Glad to have finally read this classic. It's a short novel already but flowed so well i couldn't believe when it was over already. Can't help to feel for Gatsby and I know I've been guilty of chasing that green light in this life.

CoffeeNBooks I love the final quote. I have a shirt with that quote on it. 6y
14 likes1 stack add1 comment
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plaidchuck
Ancillary Justice | Ann Leckie
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Pickpick

Wow! That's all I can think to start out with. A perfect blend in regards to the old and the new within sci-fi. Shades of Herbert and Le Guin, with a touch of space opera fun. Every word counted and the prose moved with forward momentum and sure-footedness. Highly recommended!

asiriusreader Welcome to Litsy!! 6y
11 likes1 comment
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plaidchuck
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Pickpick

The best description of depression I have ever experienced in any medium.

Wife Welcome to Litsy!🌹 6y
13 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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plaidchuck
Space Opera | Catherynne M. Valente
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Mehso-so

The author sets up an interesting universe using the Eurovision competition as a backdrop. Unfortunately, 2/3s of the book is filler exposition that grinds the main plot and agency of the protagonists to a halt. The wordy and 100-similies-a-page style got a few chuckles out of me here and there but overall was exhausting. There are definitely things to enjoy in the book but they were too few and far between for me.

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plaidchuck
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Pickpick

What a ride! Olympian gods and villains both old and new push Diana to her limits. Greg Rucka writes her with such wisdom and poise which has been lacking in many recent interpretations of the character. Definitely a must read if you have any interest in Wonder Woman!

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plaidchuck
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Checking out a great run for everyone's favorite amazon

8 likes1 stack add
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plaidchuck
Great Gatsby | F Scott Fitzgerald
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Up next to read, a classic I embarrassingly have never read.

Chelleo You‘ll find others reading it for the first time too especially since the #GreatAmericanRead list was published. Welcome to Litsy! Hope these #Litsytips by @RaimeyGallant http://bit.ly/litsytips and #LitsyHowTo videos: goo.gl/UrCpoU are helpful. There‘s so many fun things to do: book exchanges, buddy reads, photo challenges and more! Check out @LitsyHappenings for details. #LitsyWelcomeWagon 6y
RaimeyGallant Welcome from me too! 6y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 👋🏻😊👋🏻 6y
See All 9 Comments
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Welcome to Litsy!!! 6y
Vertabrain Welcome to Litsy. This is one of my all-time faves. 6y
swynn You're not alone -- I haven't read it yet either even though almost everybody else seems to have read it in high school. 6y
Jerdencon Welcome! This is in my top 10! 6y
LiterRohde That‘s a cover I have not seen. Love it. Symbolic even. 😲 My favorite cover, read: nostalgia, is the blue cover with the floating eyes. It is actually the one that is attached to your tag of the book. (edited) 6y
rather_be_reading welcome to litsy!! 📚🎉📚 6y
14 likes1 stack add9 comments