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rachellayown

rachellayown

Joined September 2016

writer| social justice warrior | book reviewer| awkward introvert| book obsessed
blurb
rachellayown
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Some of these stories are pretty out there, others were just delightfully weird. Overall it was an entertaining read. Alissa Nutting is one of a kind.

35 likes1 stack add
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rachellayown
The Sympathizer | Viet Thanh Nguyen
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I‘ve put off reading this one for too long, so started it this morning. I‘m anticipating a slow not exactly page-turning book that I won‘t overly enjoy, but will be glad to have read. Those who‘ve read it: is this the case?

MicheleinPhilly 👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼👋🏼Long time, no see! I bought this years ago and have put it off for the same reason. 5y
Billypar It sort of shifts as it goes- at times, it's kind of a dark-comic, war-time satire, but there are other spots where it's more suspenseful. Overall I enjoyed it- clever and thought-provoking. 5y
rachellayown I know @MicheleinPhilly SO LONG! It‘s nice to be back. 🙂 5y
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rachellayown Oooh good to know @Billypar ! Thank you! 5y
Reggie Hey stranger, nice to see you back. 5y
batsy Hello 👋🏽 I haven't read this one & look forward to your thoughts 🙂 5y
rachellayown Hey @Reggie! Yes it‘s been a long time!!! 5y
rachellayown Hey @Reggie ! Yes it‘s been a long time!!! 5y
rachellayown Thanks @batsy! It will probably take me a while but I‘ll try to check in about it! 5y
35 likes1 stack add9 comments
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rachellayown
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Book mail! I had no idea Kevin Wilson had a short story collection coming out this summer, but I‘m excited to check it out!

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rachellayown
The Window | Amelia Brunskill
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My good friend wrote a novel! I got the privilege of attending her book launch party (this is the cake!) and of interviewing her. If you want to check out the interview, here‘s the link: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2018/04/12/the-window-amelia-brunskill-interview/

Kristy_K I just bought this book last week. It looks good! 6y
rachellayown Yay! I hope you like it @Kristy_K! 6y
readordierachel Exciting! 6y
RohitSawant That's fantastic! 6y
37 likes1 stack add5 comments
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rachellayown
That Kind of Mother | Rumaan Alam
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Book mail! I‘m really excited to read this novel and interview Rumaan Alam!

Cinfhen Oooh, exciting!!! I kind of fancy the simple cover💚 6y
38 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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rachellayown
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I‘ve been the worst Litsy-ian ever and haven‘t checked in for over a month, but I wanted to see if any wise and well read soul might have some advice for me. I waited for these two books to come in at the library and I was so excited to get them, but they‘re long and I‘m not really grabbed by either and am thinking about abandoning them both. I know I can always pick them up again later, but any thoughts on either of these two?

LauraBeth Well since the Lorrie Moore book is essays, you can dip in and out of that without worrying about reading the entire thing. I‘m currently skipping around in it. I‘ve heard GREAT things about The Female Persuasion - I‘d read 5-10 pages and see if it hooks you. 6y
rachellayown Good point @LauraBeth. I thought I‘d skip around the Moore book before abandoning it and read anything that sounds good. As for the Wolitzer, I only read the first few pages but felt like it could go either way. 6y
RohitSawant Great to see you back! 6y
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BookishTrish I‘ve also heard amazing things about 6y
Reggie The protagonist, Greer, comes off sooooo whiny in the Wolitzer but if you can hang on until the 2nd half, the book becomes worth. 6y
rachellayown Thanks @rohit-sawant! 6y
rachellayown I have too @BookishTrish but my TBR is enormous!!! 6y
rachellayown Thanks for the insight @Reggie. I think I‘ll likely come back to it when I have more time! 6y
41 likes8 comments
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rachellayown
American Panda | Gloria Chao
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Pickpick

I loved this novel. Yes, I‘m friends with the author, but it‘s such a hilarious, fun, and heartwarming book. I had the pleasure of interviewing Gloria Chao for Chicago Review of Books and the interview is live today on the site: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2018/03/06/american-panda-gloria-chao-interview/

Reggie Nice interview!! Stacked. 6y
readordierachel Great interview! 6y
46 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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rachellayown
Feel Free: Essays | Zadie Smith
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I was really excited to pick this book up from the library, but am feeling a little lukewarm about it so far. I‘m hopeful it will pick up though as I‘m a huge Zadie Smith fan.

Reggie I see a lot of hype about her but then I read the reviews and they are all mostly lukewarm. 6y
rachellayown That‘s interesting @Reggie. I think her last few books haven‘t been all that well received so that makes sense! 6y
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rachellayown
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I really enjoy Gretchen Rubin‘s writing and thought this book was an interesting read. I didn‘t completely buy into it (I don‘t think everyone necessarily fits into these categories) but a lot really resonated with me.

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rachellayown
American Panda | Gloria Chao
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Exciting book mail today: an advance copy of a friend‘s novel! And I made it into the acknowledgements!

cariashley Very cool!! 👏👏 6y
readordierachel That's awesome! 6y
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Jas16 That is fantastic 🙌🏽 6y
batsy Cool! And the book sounds interesting 👍 6y
RohitSawant How awesome! 6y
Reggie Awesome sauce!!!! 6y
40 likes8 comments
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rachellayown
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Pickpick

I listened to the audio book of this one. Infidelity is a loaded topic and this book handles it with logic, compassion, and wisdom. A book worth checking out if you‘ve ever been effected by an affair or are just curious about the topic.

merelybookish I heard her on the Dear Sugar podcast. She was so interesting! 6y
rachellayown I‘ll have to check it out @merelybookish! 6y
Reggie Dan Savage, I don‘t know if you‘ve ever read his sex column but he has some challenging ideas about infidelity. I don‘t agree with them but it‘s hard not to see the sense in some of them. 6y
rachellayown I love Dan Savage! She talks about his thoughts on it @Reggie! 6y
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rachellayown
Monsters | Emerald Fennell
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Pickpick

This book isn‘t in the Litsy system yet, but I just finished the ARC of this delightfully weird book. It‘s part fiction, part poetry, part social commentary and is illustrated with some amazing pictures of monsters! Full review next month via Chicago Review of Books.

AshHisson Beautiful cover! I look forward to seeing it. 6y
readordierachel This sounds awesome, and that cover is gorgeous! Excited to read the review. 6y
rachellayown The illustrations are incredible too @AshHisson! 6y
rachellayown Thanks @ReadOrDieRachel! It‘s definitely an interesting book. 6y
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rachellayown
Electric Arches | Eve L. Ewing
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Pickpick

I don‘t read a lot of poetry, but enough to know this book is amazing! (And I knocked out my first book of the year!)

Reviewsbylola Beautiful cover. 6y
readordierachel Sounds like a good one 👍🏼 6y
rachellayown I love the cover, too @Reviewsbylola! And it really is a good one @ReadOrDieRachel! 6y
53 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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rachellayown
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I‘ve been MIA here as I stepped back and tried to focus on my happiness and well being. It turns out I abandoned some great relationships/ friendships for books. I‘m vowing to read less in 2018 to focus more on people, but I have to admit I think I killed it in 2017.

vivastory Friendships are definitely important, but I'd be lying if I said you weren't missed on here. Still, self-care is vital 6y
Jas16 Seconding what @vivastory said. 6y
readordierachel Nice to see you post again 🤗 6y
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MicheleinPhilly Thirding @vivastory. I hope you still pop in and let us know what you‘re reading from time to time. Happy New Year! 6y
batsy It's nice to see you here and I think that's a meaningful resolution. All the best! 6y
RohitSawant So delighted to see you back here! 🙌 6y
rachellayown Thanks @vivastory @Jas16 @ReadOrDieRachel @MicheleinPhilly @batsy and @rohit-sawant! I missed seeing what all of you were reading. Here‘s to me figuring out a better way to balance life and social media! ❤️ 6y
Christine Yay for your thoughtfulness and self-awareness! I will be happy to see you on here in any capacity that feels right to you. ❤️ 6y
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rachellayown
The Answers: A Novel | Catherine Lacey
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I‘ve gone MIA again here, this time because I‘ve been battling health issues. My condition has not only affected my body, but I‘ve been dealing with neurological issues as well, which has made reading difficult. I‘m hoping to find a book to sink my teeth in. Has anyone read any of these? I‘m hoping one will help lift my reading slump and I‘d love any recommendations!

merelybookish No book recommendations but I hope you're feeling better soon. ❤️ 6y
rachellayown Thanks so much @merelybookish! 6y
RanaElizabeth Ugh, sorry to hear about the health issues. No book recommendations but good luck on finding something to keep your interest. 6y
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Redwritinghood Unfortunately, I haven‘t read any of these but I hope you are feeling better soon. 6y
Jas16 I hope you feel better soon. 💜 6y
tammysue Sending *hugs* your way, I hope you start feeling better soon.💛 6y
DivineDiana Sending healing wishes your way. Haven't read any of these. 😕 6y
A.Shari.A Feel better! 6y
readordierachel So sorry to hear about your health issues. Hope you feel better soon 💙 6y
batsy I'm sorry about your health issues. I hope there are ways to make it better and you feel better soon. I've only read Home Fire and I didn't get on with it, but it has gotten rave reviews so it might work for you :) 6y
Theresa Sending positive thoughts & well wishes your way!! 6y
mrp27 Hope you feel better soon. 6y
Reggie Hope you feel better, Rachel. 6y
Simona I have read Home Fire and I like it very much. It's a little bit heavy and sad, but important story. Feel better soon 😘 6y
Christine Thinking of you and sending good wishes your way!! ❤️ 6y
Reggie Hey Rachel, you ok? We‘ve missed you here. Hope everything is ok. Happy New Year!!! 6y
rachellayown Thanks, @Christine! Happy New Year! 6y
rachellayown Hey @Reggie! Thanks for checking in. I know I‘ve been MIA here. I‘m doing better now and excited to put this awful year behind me. 2018 has to be better! Happy New Year to you too!!! 6y
Christine So glad to hear you‘re doing better, Rachel!! Happy New Year! :) 6y
59 likes21 comments
review
rachellayown
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Pickpick

I finally read/ finished this National Book Award winner (just in time for a list of more nonfiction to read as the announced this year's finalists). It's not a light or quick read, but it's so important. It has parallels to Thirteenth (a documentary on Netflix that should be required viewing by everyone in America). I listened to the audio and am glad I did because it'd probably be a long time before I got through the print book. Very powerful!

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rachellayown
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So this novel came out last month and didn't get much buzz, but I had fun interviewing the author. I was really impressed that she wrote such a terrific book in her second language! You can check out the interview here: https://chireviewofbooks.com/2017/09/11/how-to-behave-in-a-crowd-camille-bordas-...

merelybookish I really liked this book. Dorey is such a great character. Will check out the interview! 7y
readordierachel Great interview. That's definitely impressive! Also, what an interesting cover design. 7y
rachellayown I loved Dorey too @merelybookish! Thanks! 7y
rachellayown Thanks @ReadOrDieRachel! Yeah, I was impressed. And I love the cover! 7y
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rachellayown
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Hey everyone! I've been terrible about Litsy lately (mostly because I've been writing a lot and not doing as much reading) but I received this awesome book mail today and was excited to share since I saw this novel was long listed for the National Book Award!

Libby1 Hi! Great to see you here whenever you can make it. ☺️ 7y
rachellayown Aww, thank you @Libby1! I hope you're doing well! 7y
LeahBergen There you are! 👋🏻 7y
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MicheleinPhilly Will be curious to hear your thoughts on this one. We have similar tastes. ☺️ 7y
rachellayown @LeahBergen 👋👋👋 7y
rachellayown It may take me a while to get to it @MicheleinPhilly but I'll be sure to report back! 7y
Jess7 Love the cover!!! #CoverLovers 7y
readordierachel Hey there! This book sounds excellent. Look forward to your thoughts! 7y
Reggie This might be inappropriate, but if you're writing a book can I read it? Can I be a first reader. Can you be my first super arc? Lol 7y
rachellayown Hey hey @ReadOrDieRachel! Yeah, I'm looking forward to reading it! 7y
rachellayown Oh @Reggie that's super nice of you (and totally not inappropriate!) I'm actually working on a play right now (after a short play I wrote was in a festival a few weeks ago) but I have written a novel too. I would be honored to have you as a reader if you were up for it! Maybe we should email or send messages via FB, Twitter, etc to chat about it? 7y
Reggie Hey Rachel, my e-mail is reglara79 at yahoo.com. I would totally be up for it. 7y
rachellayown Cool @Reggie, thank you! I'll be in touch! 😀 7y
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rachellayown
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Pickpick

I can't think of a writer quite like Mohsin Hamid. I've devoured three of his books in the last six months and they're all so different but each one brilliant in its own way. This novel is told in second person and as a self-help book, and the latter is at times a little clunky. But Hamid writes such sharp prose. I laughed at some lines, other times I nearly got chills from the writing. Overall I admired it more than I enjoyed it.

8little_paws Oh lord I sobbed at the end of this 7y
outis @8little_paws Me, too! 7y
ephemeralwaltz And these are the kinds of books I feel deserve 5 stars, even if I've maybe enjoyed a 4-star read more. Hadn't heard of this one, thanks! I just bought The Reluctant Fundamentalist so I'm hoping to get to it soon :) 7y
rachellayown Very true @ephemeralwaltz! I hope you enjoy The Reluctant Fundamentalist! 7y
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rachellayown
A Kind of Freedom: A Novel | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Pickpick

I loved this novel. I'm a sucker for generational family sagas and this one is slim with less than 250 pages, yet is such a rich story and an excellent exploration of systemic racism. I found it remarkable.

You can read my full review via CHIRB here:
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2017/08/23/a-kind-of-freedom-margaret-wilkerson-sex...

readordierachel Nice review! 7y
Reggie Do the great grandparents ever show remorse or do they just turn their backs on her? Totally want to read this now, Rachel. Great review!!! 7y
rachellayown Thank you @Reggie! The great grandparents aren't heavily featured in the other generations' stories... there's only so much that can be crammed into so few of pages! For that reason maybe some would say it feels incomplete, but I loved it. I hope you do too if you read it! 7y
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rachellayown
Mrs. Fletcher: A Novel | Tom Perrotta
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Pickpick

I'm always excited to hear about a new Tom Perrotta novel. His books are just so entertaining. They're funny but also smart and compulsively readable. His latest is no exception. That said, I'm sure this novel won't appeal to everyone. The prose is pretty expository at times and the subject matter (current sexual politics- such as consent and Internet pornography) is going to put some people off. But I loved it so much I gobbled it up.

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rachellayown
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Pickpick

(Instead of taking a picture of this book, I thought I'd share the sign outside of my house since it highlights a key concept in this book: no human is illegal.)

This book does a really nice job tackling the issue of immigration & putting it in a historical context & displays a lot of the implications of government policies & laws. An excellent overview for anyone wanting to understand the humanitarian issues at stake under our current system.

Heatherine Love your sign. ❤️ 7y
bookdrunkard78 I'm going to have to get me a sign! 7y
Buddys_Momma Awesome sign!!! Thanks for sharing 💜with us Littens and the world 🌎 7y
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Seekingtardis I need this sign in my life!! 7y
LauraJ Wow! So heartening to see you display that ❤️ 7y
rachellayown I think they have an Etsy shop @bookdrunkard78! 7y
rachellayown @Buddys_Momma 👊🏼👊🏽👊🏾👊🏿 7y
rachellayown @Seekingtardis 👊🏼👊🏽👊🏾👊🏿 7y
rachellayown @LauraJ 👊🏼👊🏽👊🏾👊🏿 7y
saguarosally I've seen these out in yards in Tucson. Haven't seen a one near Phoenix. 7y
lynneamch 💜 7y
rachellayown @saguarosally 👊🏼👊🏽👊🏾👊🏿 7y
74 likes4 stack adds13 comments
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rachellayown
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It's rainy and I want to stay home and read this book, but I have to go do a home study interview tonight. Sometimes adulting is hard.

vivastory Are you enjoying this one? 7y
8little_paws omg I can't wait to read this 7y
Angitron I loved this one!! Hope you enjoy it! 7y
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readordierachel I feel like everyone should be allowed to stay home and read on rainy days. It should just be understood. 7y
rachellayown I am @vivastory! It's nice and creepy. 7y
rachellayown It's really good so far @8little_paws! 7y
rachellayown Thanks @Angitron! I am so far! 7y
rachellayown I couldn't agree more @ReadOrDieRachel! 👍 7y
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rachellayown
The Position: A Novel | Meg Wolitzer
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Mehso-so

I adore Meg Wolitzer so it pains me to rate this novel as a 'so-so.' It has her signature charm, which I love and the premise was interesting: the children of a couple who wrote an illustrated sex manual (think The Joy of Sex) find it and this discovery changes them all. There was a lot to be desired here though. The plot had great potential, but ultimately didn't go as far as it could have and the character development wasn't very satisfying. 👇

rachellayown Overall a decent novel. (And I still love Meg Wolitzer.) 7y
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rachellayown
The Dark Dark: Stories | Samantha Hunt
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Pickpick

I haven't read Samantha Hunt's novels, but I picked this story collection up after reading a review. I found Hunt's prose delightful. These stories are so strange and interesting that I want to check out Hunt's other books.

vivastory I love this cover 7y
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rachellayown
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Pickpick

Oh man, this book.

The five biggest stars for this brilliant essay collection that is so real, true, and important. It tackles so many issues: motherhood, education, prejudice and white privilege, gun control, happiness, fear, love, writing, the current political climate, etc. etc. Seriously, it's so sharp and raw and the writing is phenomenal. I will definitely be rereading this one several times. I highly recommend this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Alfoster Wow! I don't normally read non-fiction but this sounds amazing! 7y
mrozzz I just started listening to the audiobook this morning!!!! I love it. 7y
rachellayown It really was @Alfoster ! I listened to the audio book, which is read by the author and was phenomenal. I can't wait to read the physical book. 7y
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8little_paws How's it compare to her first collection? Gonna be honest: a lot of her writing is about motherhood and relationships there, both of which I can't relate to. 7y
rachellayown I listened to the audiobook too @mrozzz and thought it was amazing. Enjoy! 7y
rachellayown I haven't read her first collection @8little_paws but yeah, there is a lot about motherhood and relationships but what I loved was the way she blends the personal and political. I'd say check out the first essay which is pretty indicative of the collection and see what you think. 7y
8little_paws @rachellayown I'll probably snag it from the library. I thought her writing was fine in the first collection.... I'm just not a mother and probably never will be. 7y
rachellayown The library seems like the way to go @8little_paws. I listened to the audiobook and she reads it and her performance was part of what I loved, but I also loved her prose and appreciated her honesty and intelligence. 7y
readordierachel Sold! Sounds amazing. 7y
rachellayown I hope you love it @ReadOrDieRachel! 7y
DivineDiana Stacked! 7y
68 likes14 stack adds11 comments
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rachellayown
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My interview with Lindsay Hunter is live today! Chatting with her was an absolute delight and it's probably my favorite interview I've ever done. You can check it out here:

https://chireviewofbooks.com/2017/08/08/eat-only-when-youre-hungry-lindsay-hunte...

8little_paws Yes!! I'm reading this book right now. In fact I might finish it tonight. I'll read this review afterwards. 7y
Christine Just read your interview - fantastic job! I'm all the more eager to read this one now. 7y
tammysue Excellent interview!! 7y
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mrozzz Wow awesome! 7y
readordierachel 👏👏👏👏 7y
Reggie Nice interview Rachel!!! 7y
saresmoore 🙌 7y
rachellayown Looking forward to hearing what you think @8little_paws! 7y
rachellayown Thanks @Christine! I hope you enjoy the novel! 7y
8little_paws great interview!! I hope I can make the event at W&CF. this book was wonderful. 7y
rachellayown Thanks @8little_paws! I would love to make it to the event too. She's fantastic. 7y
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rachellayown
The History of Love | Nicole Krauss
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It took me way to long to put together a photo for #bookcolortag but here it is @Simona !

vivastory Very impressive 👏👍 7y
readordierachel Some good ones in there! 7y
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emilyhaldi 😍 7y
Simona Nice selection❣️ 7y
JazzFeathers 😍😍😍😍 7y
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rachellayown
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Pickpick

Wow, Marlon James is a master.

I loved the first chapter, but then had a difficult time getting into this novel. I'm glad I persisted because it turned out to be incredible and a serious literary achievement. A challenging book, but definitely worth reading.

rachellayown And @vivastory sorry it didn't turn out to be much of a buddy read! I hope you're still enjoying it! 7y
vivastory @rachellayown No need to apologise! I'm at 20% finished, hope to completely finish by next Friday. This was an unexpectedly terrible work week. I'll message you on Goodreads when I finish and we can discuss it further. 7y
rachellayown Sorry to hear it's been a terrible work week @vivastory! I hope things get better. Yeah, message me when you're ready to discuss! 7y
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rachellayown
Home Fire: A Novel | Kamila Shamsie
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Here are the books I'm most excited about this month. #augustmostanticipated

Kalalalatja Great, great covers! 7y
batsy I haven't read anything by Jac Jemc but I really like the sound of that book. Will be interested in seeing your thoughts. 7y
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vivastory I can't wait to read 7y
rachellayown I love the covers, too @Kalalalatja! 7y
rachellayown I haven't read anything by Jac Jemc either, but I've heard great things about this one @batsy! 7y
rachellayown Glad to hear it @LauraJ! 7y
readordierachel Those covers are all fantastic! 7y
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rachellayown
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Trying to start my month off right...

batsy A good start, I'd say! 7y
BrooklynBookGirl This is supposed to be an amazing book 7y
rachellayown It is @BrooklynBookGirl! A bit difficult to get into initially, but really fantastic. 7y
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rachellayown
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It's been a rough month and my July stats are certainly not notable. But I did manage to read some great books and these two were definitely among my favorites!

readordierachel Sorry your month was rough. Here's to a better August! 7y
rachellayown Thank you @ReadOrDieRachel! I hope it's better too! 7y
Marchpane Love the covers on both of these - good to know the insides match the outsides! 7y
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Christine :( re the rough month. Thinking of you and sending good vibes your way! 7y
rachellayown They definitely do @Marchpane! 7y
rachellayown Thanks @Christine! I appreciate it! 7y
52 likes6 comments
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rachellayown
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I read this novel when it came out and loved it, so when I found it at Dollar Tree, I quickly snatched it up. It seems quite fitting for the #outofthisworldgiveaway that @valeriegeary is having! (P.S. I'm in the U.S.)

valeriegeary This book is so good! And a great choice! 😄 7y
rachellayown I only remember pieces but remember being spellbound @valeriegeary! And by the way, I'm looking forward to reading your new book! 7y
Kammbia1 One of my top 5 novels! 7y
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rachellayown
The Snow Child | Eowyn Ivey
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I have been terrible about Litsy lately, but need to jump on to thank @rohit-sawant for The Snow Child and @McShelfington for Feminism is for Everybody! Receiving them was such a treat and I'm looking forward to reading both books! Thanks again!

RohitSawant So glad it arrived! Hope you enjoy reading it. And looks like it‘s in great company! 7y
vivastory How's Brief History of Seven Killings going? 7y
rachellayown Very slowly @vivastory! It's definitely a book I need to settle into. Have you started it? 7y
vivastory @rachellayown I'm starting tomorrow or Tuesday. I'm working all weekend and although I can read at work it can be a challenge to focus. 7y
rachellayown Yeah and you'll need to focus for this one @vivastory! SO MANY characters! 7y
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rachellayown
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Pickpick

Kevin Coval is one hell of a poet and this is one hell of a book.

OhNoMersault You should watch his interview on Chicago Tonight. So good. 7y
rachellayown Ooh I'll check it out. Thanks @OhNoMersault! 7y
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rachellayown
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Book mail! I'm really excited about this one.

vivastory Amazing cover! 7y
rachellayown 👍 @vivastory hey, I'm caught up in this book now so I can't start our buddy read tomorrow. It's cool if you're geared up and ready and don't want to wait for me. I'll get to it eventually! 7y
vivastory @rachellayown Tag me when you're ready. I have a lot of other things to keep me occupied. 7y
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rachellayown Awesome, thanks @vivastory! I've got a couple of books I'm covering and one I picked up from the library I need to get through first. I should be good by the end of the month though. I'll give you a heads up when I have a better idea as to when! 7y
vivastory @rachellayown Sounds good! 7y
Christine This book sounds so good!! (edited) 7y
rachellayown I'm loving it so far @Christine! 7y
SilversReviews Great cover. 7y
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rachellayown
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Today I got pretty far in the tagged book (which is what I'm listening to on audio right now) thanks to a country drive to pick up my CSA. The book is a startling look at what we're losing by constantly being plugged in and relying on texts, emails, and social media over conversation. It doesn't have the best narrator, but the topic has me completely hooked.

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rachellayown
What We Lose | Zinzi Clemmons
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Reese_Pearly.Pages Nice review! I'm almost finished with this one. 7y
Reggie Wow, nice, Rachel. Have you ever reviewed a horrible book? Or do you just leave those alone and just give the light to books that are worthy? 7y
rachellayown Thanks @Reese_Pearly.Pages! I hope you're enjoying it as much as I did. 7y
rachellayown Thanks @Reggie! Yeah, when I first started I had to review one I really struggled with. Since then when I look at the list of books available for review, I'm more picky so I don't run into that again! 7y
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rachellayown
Of This New World | Allegra M Hyde
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Pickpick

Allegra Hyde is a beautiful writer and I really enjoyed this collection. There were a few stories I didn't like as much, while others I absolutely adored. Overall it's a solid collection and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

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cobwebmoth Nice interview! I'm looking forward to reading this book. 7y
rachellayown Thanks @cobwebmoth! I hope you enjoy it. 7y
Simona I'm always curious in process of writing, especially about decision for form/construction of the story. Nice interview👍 7y
batsy I'm with @Simona, I love to hear about the writing process... Thanks for sharing, enjoyed this! 7y
rachellayown Thanks @Simona and @batsy! Maybe I should make a point to ask more questions about the writing process in my interviews. I have another in the pipeline so I appreciate the feedback! 7y
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rachellayown
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Pickpick

What a deliciously fun read! I gobbled up this novel about a couple who decides to open up their marriage. It's funny, sexy, and has hints of a Tom Perrotta novel. It would be an excellent beach read or reading slump buster. Thanks to @MicheleinPhilly and @Reggie for the recommendation!

Ashley_Nicoletto Loved this one too! 7y
nomadreader I have this one waiting on audio for a road trip later this week. So excited! 7y
SilversReviews Gorgeous cover. 7y
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rachellayown
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I'm way behind on #thesatanicversesbuddyread but I started reading the tagged book after reading reviews by @MicheleinPhilly and @Reggie and I'm hooked and don't want to stop. #blameitonlitsy

MicheleinPhilly 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼That book busted me out of a 2 week reading slump! 7y
rachellayown I can see why @MicheleinPhilly! I felt a reading slump creeping up on me and this book has knocked down that threat. 7y
Lola I just listened to the Just the Right Book podcast episode where Roxanne Coady interviews the author of this one. If the link doesn't work, its episode 27 http://www.bookpodcast.com/469-2/ 7y
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Reggie Yayyy, I hope you love it. Owen's side chick is a little crazy. And I don't know if I could live in that town. Lol 7y
rachellayown Cool @Lola! I will check it out! 7y
rachellayown I'm loving it @Reggie! Ha, I love how crazy Izzy is... and that town... 7y
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rachellayown
Revise the Psalm: Work Celebrating the Writing of Gwendolyn Brooks | Quraysh Ali Lansana, Sandra Jackson-Opoku
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Gwendolyn Brooks is one of my favorite writers so I was excited to learn about this book. It's a collection of poems, art, fiction, and nonfiction prose celebrating Brooks as a writer and as a person. (It sounds like she was as amazing as a person as she was as a writer.) If you're not familiar with Gwendolyn Brooks, do yourself a favor and pick up one of her books. If you are and love her like I do, this book is for you.

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rachellayown
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I'm in. #asidefrombooks

📓hobby: writing, biking, yoga
📓drink: tea (hot, iced, & kombucha)
📓food: anything with avocados
📓color: lime green
📓city: Chicago
📓dream home: somewhere tucked away surrounded by trees & a body of water, but close enough to a city (i.e. library) to bike to
📓accessory: does a book count?
📓tv show: Portlandia
📓last movie seen in the theater: it was so long ago I can't remember!
📓current read: tagged book +4

KCorter That dream home sounds perfect! 7y
vivastory Are you enjoying The Mysterious Benedict Society? It sounds enjoyably quirky. 7y
readordierachel A book totally counts. The perfect accessory. 7y
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rachellayown I am and it is @vivastory! It's not one I'd highly recommend, but it's certainly enjoyable. 7y
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rachellayown
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Pickpick

I'm not someone who pays much attention to celebrities, so I didn't know some of the women profiled in this book. But my ignorance didn't get in the way of my enjoyment of this fantastic feminist read. The analysis of our society's reception of Hilary Clinton was so excellent. A couple of chapters weren't stellar, but this book is smart and powerful and a wonderful ode to unruly (i.e. a woman who doesn't conform to societal expectations) women.

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rachellayown
A Kind of Freedom: A Novel | Margaret Wilkerson Sexton
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Not sure this photo does justice to the beautiful mail I received today: a novel I'm excited about and some goodies from my sister (a pouch she made and some reading buttons) It was so lovely to come home to these!

vivastory Lovely pouch. That's a thoughtful sister. 7y
LeahBergen How wonderful! 7y
rachellayown Thanks @vivastory! Yes, she really is. 7y
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rachellayown
What We Lose | Zinzi Clemmons
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I'm reviewing this one for CHIRB and can post the link when it runs. Until then, let me say this novel is so beautiful and smart. I absolutely loved it.

Jokila Beautiful cover too! 😱🌸🌼 7y
readordierachel Love this picture! 7y
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rachellayown Thanks @ReadOrDieRachel! (Also, I love your new profile pic!) 7y
RohitSawant Look forward to the review! And fantastic pic! 7y
rachellayown Thank you @rohit-sawant! 7y
batsy I'm looking forward to this book and your review! 7y
Sassy_Steph Beautiful cover, beautiful photo!! 7y
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rachellayown
What We Lose | Zinzi Clemmons
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Here's my tentative TBR for July. I've been pretty decent about sticking to my lists lately, so hopefully I'll get to all of these.

vivastory I was also thinking about tackling A Brief History of Seven Killings this month 7y
rachellayown It's been on my TBR for way too long @vivastory! I feel like I need to finally read it. Hey, if you do, I'm down with a buddy read/ discussion! 7y
vivastory @rachellayown Sounds great. It definitely won't be this upcoming week (insane work week) but maybe next week 7y
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rachellayown Cool, yeah, let me know @vivastory. I wouldn't be able to get to it this week either. Next week or the week after would be perfect. 7y
Megabooks Great TBR!! 7y
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rachellayown
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I didn't do anything fancy for my stats this month, but here they are!

AmandaL I plan on reading Their Eyes Were Watching God for ReadHarder. Great month! 👍 7y
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rachellayown
Purple Hibiscus: A Novel | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is one of my favorite writers. I'm working my way through Book Riot's 2017 Read Harder challenge and when I saw this book fit the "novel in which a POC goes on a spiritual journey" task, I eagerly put it on hold. I wish I'd read this novel before her other work because I think I would've enjoyed it more. This one is her first novel and feels like that. But it's beautifully written and admirable for a first novel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

ReadingEnvy I really want to read this 7y
rachellayown I look forward to hearing your thoughts when you do @ReadingEnvy! 7y
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