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Van Gogh's Ear
Van Gogh's Ear: The True Story | Bernadette Murphy
106862 posts | 625 read | 24 reading | 434 to read
BOOK OF THE WEEK ON BBC RADIO 4 PRIMETIME BBC2 DOCUMENTARY WITH JEREMY PAXMAN On a dark night in Provence in December 1888 Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear. It is an act that has come to define him. Yet for more than a century biographers and historians seeking definitive facts about what happened that night have been left with more questions than answers. In Van Goghs Ear Bernadette Murphy sets out to discover exactly what happened that night in Arles. Why would an artist at the height of his powers commit such a brutal act? Who was the mysterious Rachel to whom he presented his macabre gift? Was it just his lobe, or did Van Gogh really cut off his entire ear? Her investigation takes us from major museums to the dusty contents of forgotten archives, vividly reconstructing the world in which Van Gogh moved the madams and prostitutes, caf patrons and police inspectors, his beloved brother Theo and his fellow artist and house-guest Paul Gauguin. With exclusive revelations and new research about the ear and about Rachel, Bernadette Murphy proposes a bold new hypothesis about what was occurring in Van Goghs heart and mind as he made a mysterious delivery to her doorstep that fateful night. Van Goghs Ear is a compelling detective story and a journey of discovery. It is also a portrait of a painter creating his most iconic and revolutionary work, pushing himself ever closer to greatness even as he edged towards madness and one fateful sweep of the blade that would resonate through the ages.
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BookishMadHatter
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I always post some form of reading tracker in my library, and I think for this year I've finally settled on this one. I haven't done one like this before, but so far I like it (I might even add one to my reading journal at home 🙈)

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ShyBookOwl
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TheSpineView Awww... 1h
dabbe 🩶🖤🩶 now
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PageShifter
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Day 6 #Read2025
I read 5h 59min

YTD 46h 39min:
5h 11min in Finnish
41h 28min in English

I read 110 pages today

YTD 1819 pages:
268 pages in Finnish
1551 pages in English

Finished books
YTD 5 books (in English)

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ChelseaM6010
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#25Alive
Day 4. Blessings
#Blessings

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Ddzmini
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Love it love it love it… I can‘t wait to read it the book and the snacks are awesome thank you so much @Deblovestoread really will enjoy all of this including scoping for it #littlechristmasswap @bookish_wookish I had a great time with this swap and will look forward to the next one 😊📚

bookish_wookish 🎄🎄 4h
Deblovestoread So glad you like it. It was a fun swap to put together 💜 4h
26 likes2 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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So yesterday we had tornado warnings here in Mississippi and woke up to snow ❄️ 🥶😳

Only in Mississippi 😂😂

“Look Mom!! Snow!”
#Adayinthelifeoftux

1/6/2025

TheSpineView Snow, I haven't seen snow in 5+ years. 6h
Charityann Wow! We got a lot in Maryland too. Can‘t believe how widespread the storm was. 6h
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheSpineView we usually get ice, but this is real, fluffy snow ❄️ 5h
60 likes4 comments
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TheQuietQuill
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Thank you so much for this amazing package @candc320 🎉❤️ I love everything so very much! And I loved the first book of Powerless so I cannot wait to dive into this world again with Reckless! Thanks so much @bookish_wookish for doing this awesome swap! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and New Year ❤️

bookish_wookish I love the stickers! 9h
candc320 Yay!!! I‘m so happy you like it 🥰!! 8h
31 likes2 comments
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Eggs
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TheSpineView Love Santana ♥️ 9h
lil1inblue 🤩🤩🤩 5h
39 likes2 comments
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Eggs
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💛💛💛 5h
lil1inblue 💛☀️💛 5h
39 likes2 comments
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OriginalCyn620
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Eggs 🌺🩷 10h
27 likes1 comment
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Sace
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I go back to work today. Gone are the days of almost unlimited reading time. Yet I still decided to start a bunch of new books over the last two days 🤣

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SilversReviews
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Thanks to these Litsy folks for today‘s prompt:

#25ALIVE
@Eggs
@AlwaysBeenALoverOfBooks

TODAY‘S PROMPT: JOY

Eggs Perfect 👌🏼 10h
30 likes1 comment
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jackilynn
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BookNAround
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Two weeks worth for this #bookreport and #weeklyforecast.

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CogsOfEncouragement
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Pickpick

Without realizing it, I chose a very appropriate listen to start a new year, and I love Mae Whitman.

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BookishMadHatter
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My 2025 Reading Journal Part III

These pages are pretty self-explanatory. Trying something new with the First Lines page (going to write in the first line of each book I read as I start them)

#readingjournal #bookjournal

PuddleJumper So pretty and organised! 1d
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 23h
BookishMadHatter @PuddleJumper thanks. Here's to hoping it stays that way lol 🤞 23m
19 likes3 comments
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BookishMadHatter
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My 2025 Reading Journal Part II

TBR entries in black are on my lists, any entries in color underneath a title are the remaining books in the series.

Series Tracker includes series I've already started & the books I have left to read in them (I checked & last year I either finished or got caught up on 59 series #serieslove2024 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView )

Wishlist is books I want physical copies of

#readingjournal #bookjournal

TheSpineView I love tracking my reading! Looks fabulous! 1d
Andrew65 I love this organisation 😍 Looks like you have got some great books and series to read this year. I look forward to seeing your progress. 😊 1d
PuddleJumper Looks great! 1d
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BookishMadHatter @Andrew65 i wouldn't dare show the actual number of series in there, but here's to hoping I'll finish/get caught up on more series than I add. That's my (hopefully) realistic-ish goal lol 24m
Andrew65 @BookishMadHatter According to Librarything I have read books from 603 series (🤪) and that isn‘t even fully updated (far from it) so likely to be a LOT more than that now. Admittedly some will be fully completed or up to date. This year I really need to find time to do a full review/update of my series and mark them finished, up to date, current, not finishing or TBR but it‘s a big piece of work. So I can definitely empathise. now
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BookishMadHatter
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(Finally) finished the pages for my 2025 reading journal.

Part 1:
Reading goals aren't completely yet

The 2025 page will get 1 square colored for every book read, using different colors for every month

On My Shelf is the unread physical books I own, to be colored in as I read them

#readingjournal #bookjournal

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I love it! ❤️ 1d
BookishMadHatter @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage thanks so much. I spent way too much time on this but listened to some goof old audiobooks while I was at it lol 22m
20 likes2 comments
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kspenmoll
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Just adore this New Yorker cover of December 23rd. I plan to frame it for my office walls.😀

tpixie Love it!! 1d
daena It is a good one! 1d
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 23h
Lesliereadsalot So cool!! 23h
57 likes4 comments
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PageShifter
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Day 5 #Read2025
I read 9h 22min

YTD 40h 40min:
5h 11min in Finnish
35h 29min in English

I read 300 pages today

YTD 1709 pages:
268 pages in Finnish
1441 pages in English

Finished books
YTD 5 books (in English)

DieAReader 🤯🤯Fantastic!! 18h
17 likes1 comment
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Birdsong28
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Birdsong28
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Alora
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Good morning! Happy Sunday! I'm starting a new book that my girlfriends sister-in law wrote and really enjoying it so far. Very easy read and it makes you want to keep reading!

AnnCrystal Beautiful cover-art 🤩📚💝. 1d
Alora @AnnCrystal Right?! I love the cover!! It's so pretty and my favourite colours. 1d
AnnCrystal @Alora 💝💝💝. 1d
38 likes3 comments
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Eggs
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😊 So pleasant to be with my daughters, sons-in-laws, grandchildren, and 4 dogs 🐶
🙏🏻 Grateful for blessings but anxious about selling house and moving again. My partner will never live here again.
🌚 I like shorter days and its cooler temps. It‘s cozy.
😔Above👆🏻bc it directly relates to my partner‘s brain damage & living situations.

#Chatterday @AllDebooks

Aims42 Sending all the love I can for your next chapter 💕💌 💕 1d
AnnCrystal Blessings and safety for your journey ahead 🙏💝💝💝💕👫🐕💝. (edited) 1d
dabbe All the 🩶🖤🩶 I can send. 1d
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AllDebooks I'm so sorry you're having such a tough time. Such a sudden and traumatic change is very draining. Sending you so much love and energy x 1d
Bklover Thinking of you and sending ❤️❤️❤️ 1d
TheBookgeekFrau Sending love and hugs ❤️❤️🫂 22h
53 likes7 comments
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Eggs
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TheSpineView ❤️❤️❤️ 1d
Eggs @TheSpineView 🥰🥰 10h
39 likes2 comments
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BarbaraBB
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Pickpick

My Dutch teacher in high school has been a major influence on my life. For although I already loved reading, he learned me about motives and messages and all that was told that wasn‘t literally on the pages.

He must be around 80 by now but he just wrote this poetry collection and I adored it.

#FoodAndLit #Netherlands 🇳🇱

(In the background a very Dutch view of dirty snow 😉)

squirrelbrain How lovely that‘s he‘s still writing! 1d
sarahbarnes That‘s so lovely! ♥️ 1d
Cathythoughts That‘s wonderful ❤️ 1d
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Texreader I love this!! And I love seeing a snapshot of Netherlands! 1d
youneverarrived Love this ♥️ 1d
Ruthiella That‘s such a sweet tribute. ❤️ 1d
Catsandbooks So wonderful! 🇳🇱 1d
Chelsea.Poole I‘m sure he‘d be happy to know he left an impact on you! 23h
Suet624 That's wonderful! 23h
CarolynM ❤️ 15h
74 likes10 comments
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Eggs
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🧡💛🧡 1d
AnnCrystal 💝💝💝. 1d
lil1inblue 😍😍😍 1d
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Eggs @AnnCrystal 💗💕🩷 10h
Eggs @lil1inblue 🥰🥳😊 10h
50 likes6 comments
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OriginalCyn620
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Eggs Excellent quote! 1d
27 likes1 comment
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JenReadsAlot
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Read4life
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Andrew65 Looks a good week, I‘m hoping to get to Whose Body soon. 1d
dabbe 🩶🖤🩶 1d
julieclair Nice! 💙 1d
TheSpineView Enjoy!❤️📖📚 1d
Cuilin Have a great week. 1d
54 likes5 comments
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PageShifter
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I finished Home Is Where the Bodies are, and then I am trying to read more of other three books
#WeekendReads

Thanks for the tag @KadaGul

I'll tag @Laughterhp @JessClark78 @MariaW

Pogue What did you think of it? 17h
PageShifter @Pogue I enjoyed it! I was expecting some good twists but unfortunately it was too easy to guess the most important things. But I still had super fun with it! 10h
22 likes2 comments
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jamield1911
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Snow baby ❄️
#dogsoflitsy

dabbe 🤩🖤🐾🖤🤩 1d
12 likes1 comment
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rockpools
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It‘s been a lovely booky start to the year. Let‘s see if I can keep it up!

⭐ Cuddy is ‘my‘ read, and I‘m loving it! Like nothing else.
🕵️‍♀️ Trying out Ann Granger on audio, as our library has LOADS of her books. This is historical crime, not too heavy, quite enjoyable.
🦦 Wild Treasures is a seasonal Cornish wildlife book, by a wildlife photographer/broadcaster. Interesting and encouraging but writing just ok.

Happy New Year!
@rachelsbrittain

squirrelbrain Sounds like a great start to the year! ❤️ 1d
44 likes2 comments
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Read4life
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SilversReviews
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Happy New Year of READING!!

You will have to wait to see which books will be in the “L” and “R” list!! 😊

Hope to see you this week!!

@bdavisauthor
@janeyangwriting
@susanmeissnerauthor
@MsHeatherWebb

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Ddzmini
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A little trip to Powells books 📚

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Eggs
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Andrew65 Looks a good read.

Thanks for playing along, it‘s been great seeing everyone‘s books. Hope to see you on the First day of Christmas later this year for #12Booksof2025. 👏👏👏😊🎉🥳
1d
Eggs ❤️😊🥰 @Andrew65 1d
54 likes2 comments
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bookandbedandtea
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Check check. Check. Check. Check check check....

KadaGul 💯 #Hello2025 🍀💜🌅💙🎆💛 2d
TheBookgeekFrau Omg we're twins!!! 😂 2d
AnnCrystal 🥳👍📚💝 Nine out of ten, I started donating any books that I had doubled or tripled...to make room for other books...although, given the chance, I'd buy a second copy of Batman Begins by Dennis O'Neill (and keep the first) 😂🦇📚💝. (edited) 2d
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bookandbedandtea @TheBookgeekFrau I always suspected as much! 😉 1d
bookandbedandtea @AnnCrystal You make an excellent point! The only books I have multiple copies of are various Jane Austen, Nancy Drew, and Sherlock Holmes and I can see a day where I will have to make some difficult decisions about which I ones get to stay. 😭 1d
TheBookgeekFrau @bookandbedandtea 🤣👯‍♀️😂 1d
AnnCrystal @bookandbedandtea truthfully, I have the habit of “keeping“ books 😂...literally 👀. and it's truly a difficult decision 📚💝 when I do remove any good book from my bookshelf for any reason. What helps me when donating or leaving in Free Little Libraries is believing that I'm sharing some books with someone. Perhaps introducing my character friends to someone who is meeting them for the first time.😉🪄📚💝. (edited) 1d
29 likes8 comments
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CBee
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Hey @tpixie it would‘ve taken me forever to find my original post, so here‘s a repost just for you 😊 The only change is that I draw numbers on the 3rd of the month, not the 5th. You can read as many of those drawn books as you want, *but* reading anything from your Kindle/ereader counts! Hope this helps 😊

tpixie How sweet of you! Thanks!! (edited) 2d
CBee @tpixie of course! Did you want me to add you to the tag list? 2d
tpixie @CBee yes please! I‘ll work on my list tomorrow (edited) 2d
See All 7 Comments
CBee @tpixie will do! 1d
tpixie @CBee 🩵❄️🩵 1d
DogMomIrene Oh thanks for reposting! This is for #readyourebooks right? I‘ve got a big backlog on kindle and this past year I bought a kobo for library check outs and I‘m already accumulating a backlog there😬😂 12h
CBee @DogMomIrene yep! It‘s #readyourkindle #readyournook #readyourkobo #readyourebooks 😃😂 Want me to add you to my tag list? 9h
56 likes7 comments
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JenniferEgnor
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New floor lamp from 🎯 Target. I thought it was stylish and not boring. The shape also reminds me of the lamp from The Brave Little Toaster🤣
Link: https://www.target.com/p/elegant-lighting-juniper-1-light-brass-floor-lamp/-/A-9...

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Suelizbeth
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Pickpick

I love the way Lee Child writes. Simple. Clean. Subtly suspenseful. This is an elegantly written short story. Too much description about the premise would spoil it for other readers. But it will leave you smiling at its cleverness. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Deblovestoread
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#5JoysFriday

1) Pippin wasn‘t fazed by the fireworks!
2) My son with my niece‘s dog Asoka
3) My dad shared his diary entry of the day I was born yesterday.
4) Started my journaling journey on the first.
5) Litsy always! 💙🩵💙

@DebinHawaii

Amiable Love the diary entry! 😍 2d
AnnCrystal 💝💝💝💝💝. 2d
dabbe 🩶🖤🩶 2d
Lesliereadsalot Your dad‘s diary entry is so special. Lucky you to have it! 🩷 2d
bthegood 💕 💕 16h
58 likes5 comments
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PageShifter
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Day 4 #Read2025
I read 10h 42min

YTD 31h 27min:
2h 24min in Finnish
29h 3min in English

I read 419 pages today

YTD 1409 pages:
98 pages in Finnish
1311 pages in English

I finished one book today
YTD 5 books (in English)

DieAReader 🎉🤓Doing great! 2d
20 likes1 comment
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Deblovestoread
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Some final 2024 stats for challenges.

#AtoZ : missed X and Y.

#AuldLangSpine: 8 read with a few more I hope to get tackle this year

#Booked in Time: 5 out of 12 is not great. Hope to do better this year.

#ReadYourKindle: 28 read which is great. We won‘t talk about how many took their place.

#SeriesLove24 86! Finished a couple, caught up on a couple and made progress/started others.

Thanks to all the hosts for the work they do!

TheSpineView Wow! Great job! 2d
Cuilin Fabulous 🎉 2d
Andrew65 86 is brilliant, well done. 👏👏👏🙌🎉🥳🎉 1d
63 likes3 comments
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JenniferEgnor
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While on my hunt for plant based/vegetarian cookbooks at two of my local libraries today, I checked out all of these…I‘m so excited to read tonight under the new lamp! Pic collage coming 🔜
💡 🛋️ 📚 📖 🐈‍⬛

keithmalek There are no recipes in any of those.😅 2d
JenniferEgnor @keithmalek I didn‘t find much for what I was looking for. But there are some other recipes in the bottom two! 2d
keithmalek Oh. I just gave this a cursory glance (obviously). 2d
15 likes3 comments
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TheEllieMo
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Eggs Lovely 🥰 2d
21 likes1 comment
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Ruthiella
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#weekendreads

My weekend plans are to get stuck in to these three books. It‘s been blissful two weeks with only having to check my work emails occasionally. Next week it‘s back to the grindstone 😭 with far less puttering and reading time available.

Cathythoughts Enjoy ❤️ 2d
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Thank you! 😊 2d
TrishB I just checked my work emails for the first time since I finished on the 18th December….. 2d
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Ruthiella @TrishB I hope they weren‘t too bad! That‘s in part why I check during my vacation…to alleviate the landslide on my first day back. 2d
merelybookish I didn't realize Eleanor Farjeon has written for adults. I have read some of her children's literature. Enjoy your weekend! 2d
Tamra I feel you. 😞 2d
Ruthiella @merelybookish I didn‘t know she was a children‘s author until I read the introduction. Interestingly, this murder mystery I read a couple of weeks ago was written by her brother! 2d
Ruthiella @Tamra Eight more years to retirement, if I am lucky. 🤞 2d
Tamra @Ruthiella I‘m in roughly in the same range! 🤞🏾 I am dreading (procrastinating) prepping next week because it means the break is all but over. The “on” button will be lit up until May. (edited) 2d
Ruthiella @Tamra Me too. Unless I take a dedicated vacation day, my next holiday is Memorial Day. But I usually do take Good Friday and Easter Monday off because Europe and Mexico have it off which means I am less called upon and can relax a little. 😬 2d
68 likes10 comments
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JenniferEgnor
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I brought my hospice patient another 5 books to read. On my previous visit, she said she wanted something scary. “Blood, guts, and gore!” She‘s diving into Perfume first. She‘s never seen Carrie, or Pinhead😱! I showed her the library book I‘m currently reading, and now she‘s laser focused in those pages🤣

TheBookHippie ♥️ 2d
Daisey Perfume is quite the read. I can‘t say I really liked it, but definitely one of the most memorable of my reads from last year. 2d
JenniferEgnor @Daisey it‘s a darker read for sure. I read it a while ago. It sticks out in my mind, and I‘ve never thought of any perfume the same way since. 2d
20 likes3 comments
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OriginalCyn620
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kspenmoll 💖💖 2d
Eggs ❤️💜💚 2d
39 likes2 comments
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bookandbedandtea
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It's my Litsyversary! 8 years of new friends, challenges, fun, and READING! 💜😊💜

AmyG Congrats! 🎉 2d
BookmarkTavern Happy Litsyversary! 🎉🎉🎉 2d
AnnCrystal 🎉 Happy Litsyversary 📚👏🥳💝. 2d
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TheBookgeekFrau Happy Litsyversary!!! 🎉🩵🩵 2d
Librarybelle Happy Litsyversary! 2d
Ruthiella Happy Litsyversary! 🥳🥳🥳 2d
dabbe HL! 🤩🤩🤩 2d
bookandbedandtea @AmyG Thanks! 😊 2d
bookandbedandtea @AnnCrystal Thank you! 😊 2d
bookandbedandtea @TheBookgeekFrau Thanks much! 😊 2d
bookandbedandtea @Librarybelle Thank you! 😊 2d
bookandbedandtea @dabbe Thanks! 😊 2d
Deblovestoread Happy Litsyversary 🎉 2d
28 likes15 comments