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Long Black Veil
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
45 posts | 36 read | 59 to read
From the New York Times bestselling author of She's Not There, a new novel about a woman whose family and identity are threatened by the secrets of her past.
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WhatWouldJaneDo
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Fiction recs for this week's prompt: tagged is my fave Dark Academia novel, and the MC's transition is a major part of the story.
The Merry Spinster by Daniel Mallory Lavery (formerly Ortberg) is a collection of gender bending fairy tales written as the author explored his own transition.
Queens of Noise by Leigh Harlan uses paranormal “were“ animal characters to explore the queer experience & ideas of found family.
#integrateyourshelf

runswithscissors007 Adding the merry spinster to my tbr! 4y
WhatWouldJaneDo @runswithscissors007 I hope you love it! Lavery also has a new-ish essay collection out that's on my TBR; I've been a huge fan of his writing for a long time (and his podcast/advice column as Dear Prudence) 4y
runswithscissors007 low and behold my local library has The Merry Spinster!!!! I did not expect that! Yay! Was looking for a new pod cast. Thanks! (edited) 4y
See All 6 Comments
ChasingOm Ooooh, I love dark academia! I loved The Merry Spinster too. 4y
WhatWouldJaneDo @ChasingOm I am always drawn to dark academia plots and often find them disappointing - definitely not the case with Long Black Veil! 4y
Eggbeater I loved Long Black Veil! 4y
33 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Eggbeater
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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"How does any relationship survive in the end, when change is the only constant?"

This book asks a lot of philosophical questions for a mystery. I had to ponder this one.

saresmoore Weirdly, I‘m reading a non-fiction book that sort of answers this question... 5y
42 likes1 comment
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Eggbeater
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Pickpick

This book is a suspense and a murder mystery with a character who is transgender, and it is also beautiful. It is a study of human depth and decency. The author is amazingly insightful when it comes to relationships. There were so many great quotes in this book about human nature that were thrown in the middle of this murder. I loved it! Highly recommend!

Reviewsbylola What a captivating cover! 5y
50 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Eggbeater
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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My hours for the #24B4Monday #readathon so far. I've already beaten my goal of 15 hours due to canceled plans. I might actually make 24 and I'm thinking I will finish two more books. I'm reading these 3 and they are all really good. The Long Black Veil is really captivating and spooky with lots of symbolism. It is written by a women who is transgender.
@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65 @jb72

Andrew65 A fantastic total and performance, backing you all the way for 24 hours. 👏👍🙌😊 (edited) 5y
Stacy_31 Stacked! I am reading She‘s Not There, based on your review. 😁😁 I enjoy her writing style, can‘t wait to explore some of her other writings. 5y
47 likes2 comments
review
WhatWouldJaneDo
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Pickpick

The first half of this was everything I wanted and didn't get in The Secret History. Young, kind of pretentious liberal arts students (who still seemed like real humans), a mysterious, potentially criminal incident, and more buried secrets than you can shake a stick at. The last quarter relied on some coincidences that stretched my disbelief and there were several characters I wish had been developed more but overall I really enjoyed this.

Pruzy The comparison to The Secret History has me intrigued! 6y
31 likes4 stack adds1 comment
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WhatWouldJaneDo
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Business trip. Been out all day with clients and co-workers, it's been a great time but I'm glad to unwind in my hotel room for a bit. Hopefully I'll get some decent sleep, flying home in the morning and going straight to the office.

38 likes1 stack add
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Lyn-Mara
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Book Riot‘s 2019 Read Harder Challenge #3 - Read a Book by a Trans or non-binary author. I‘m finishing up Long Black Veil, a murder mystery/marital drama that has my eyes watering. This book is deeply layered, exploring gender, identity and the depths of loyalty. It also has me majorly missing my college friends. 😭📖 #readharderchallenge #bookriot #bookstagram #longblackveil

18 likes1 stack add
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Kerrbearlib
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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I just discovered a new reading challenge I am excited about, the #fold2018 challenge! This is my book for challenge #6, fiction by a transgender author. I actually went to a book talk the author did for this book, so I am pretty excited about reading it!

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WellReadCatLady
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Omgggg! Thank you so much @LibrarianRyan I love it all! Did you make the unicorn bookmark? So cute! Also your letter was so sweet, I definitely will follow in your footsteps in future swaps. Thank you again!!! #secretsantagoespostal #wintersolsticebookexchange

MayJasper Splendid 😍 7y
LibrarianRyan Yes. Made the unicorn and the two clay book marks. Glad you liked it. I was a little worried since I sent 4 packages last Saturday and all should be there. I got your tag as I was digging for a tracking number. 7y
WellReadCatLady @LibrarianRyan the bookmarks are really well made and so cute! 7y
21 likes4 comments
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BrainyHeroine
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Day Three: 4/35. All 35 of my Bookmas books are here!!

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keggergoldy
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
Pickpick

My favorite thing about this book is that the trans-ness of one of the characters is both central and not so much. Her mistakes aren't reducible to that fact, nor is her appeal. Yay!! The book depends on a world of pop culture knowledge, and there were some weird sentence level writing issues. I wonder if the publisher rushed it out in time for last summer's pride... Anyway, it's a fun character study with some clever twists.

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keggergoldy
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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With more than a week left, I have met my reading challenge on Goodreads! I wonder what my final reading total will be. Also, I loved Long Black Veil, but odds are my biases relate to gender identity. I'll post more on that book in a minute.

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keggergoldy
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Reading this passage in the middle of a mystery novel feels like a revolutionary act.

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keggergoldy
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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This description of reinvention made me so happy.

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keggergoldy
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Just started this one as an evening break from an academic book that makes me very grumpy. I'm only 20 pages in, but I'm already enjoying the shifting POV chapters and the character detail. I already feel like I know these people.

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BlueStockingReviews
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Mehso-so

3⭐️ The use of the prison setting was eerie and a little creepy. It proved to be an interesting character study of the six friends that entered the prison that night. The book explored who they were then, and who they became thirty years later as a result of what had happened that night. I found myself wanting more details on the characters. https://lharvey250.tumblr.com/post/158003729034/the-long-black-veil-jennifer-fin...

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Fancypants
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Pickpick

Finished up this one today. Thought it was a really well written contemporary mystery. Finished up a little quickly but nicely

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Jessicakay
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
Pickpick

This one was a hard one to get into at first because I wasn't grasping what the author was trying to do from the multiple viewpoints but after I caught on, it was actually pretty insightful. It was very interesting reading a continuous plot line from multiple mental states and viewpoints although more could probably have been elaborated.

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MrBook
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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#TBRtemptation post 4! Released in April. The body of Judith Carrigan's college friend, Wailer, is discovered after missing for 20 years. She's the only one able to testify to Casey's innocence, Wailer's husband. The only problem is that in order to defend Casey, she's got some deep, dark stuff to expose which can rip her life apart. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Matilda Currently listening to the audiobook and loving it 7y
Cathythoughts Great title 7y
93 likes6 stack adds2 comments
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athorne
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Mehso-so

Coulda been better, coulda been worse. A great read for Pride month. I felt things while I read this, but I can't go into detail without spoilers soooo. Here's my review: http://theghastlygrimoire.com/2017/06/16/book-review-long-black-veil-by-jennifer...

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athorne
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan

Almost to the halfway point. I've been unemployed for a week now, and while I still feel like crap, my mental state is recovering. That's a plus. I go back to the psychiatrist next month and will also be seeing a pain management specialist. Time to curl up and read.

arlenefinnigan Hope things turn around soon. "The worst of times, like the best, are always slipping from our grasp. Mutability is our tragedy, but it is also our hope." 7y
LeahBergen 💗💗 7y
Cinfhen Sending hugs 🤗 7y
LauraBrook 💖💖💖 7y
annkuch13 Sending hugs and calming thoughts.💜💜 7y
27 likes5 comments
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Matilda
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Locked and loaded

wellitworkedlasttime Eddie Izzard released already? Wowee!! 7y
Matilda @wellitworkedlasttime think today was the release day. 7y
janeycanuck What app/service is this? I'm looking for places to get audios at a reasonable price. 7y
See All 8 Comments
wellitworkedlasttime Will have to indulge! 7y
Matilda @janeycanuck this is a screenshot of my iBooks app (they're galleys from publishers) my purchased audiobooks are on my Audible app and most are purchased from audible (amazon) deal of the day where an audiobook will be less than $4. Also, if your library has audiobooks (many do now) whatever program they use like overdrive etc. 7y
janeycanuck @Matilda awesome thanks... sadly, my library still gets most of their audios on CD so I don't have much luck there, though it's starting to get better. I always forget about iBooks, though. I've picked up a few deals of the day but maybe it's time to bite the bullet on a membership. 7y
Matilda @janeycanuck talk to your library and see if they're moving towards audiobooks streaming they may just need to know users want it... if I didn't have access to galleys I would be using a membership on top of the library. But if you don't signup for the daily email for audibles deal of the day. 7y
janeycanuck @Matilda thanks for the suggestions, I'm going to email my main library branch for sure! 7y
50 likes8 comments
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bookish_wookish
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Another pic from the library! I havent heard anything about it, but it sounded interesting. Labled a thriller and its about the Eastern State Penitentiary! Im in!

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athorne
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Okay. Judith Corrigan, thus far, is every bit as terrible and selfish as Amy Dunne in Gone Girl.

Here's a photo of #OtistheCat laying on top of my copy of Long Black Veil all grumpy like. #gingerbrats #catsoflitsy #littenkitten

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PedanticPastorMartha
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Pickpick

Wow. JFB does it again. I have one niggle with the plot, but it's minor. Who decides who we are, and when? If that's changed, by us or someone else, does the old narrative become a lie? What happens when the story in your head doesn't match what everyone expects of you, wants from you? Can you really change who you are? JFB has constructed this so carefully, beautifully, heartbreakingly--it is very nearly perfect. Read it. Then read it again.

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athorne
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan

It's been awhile since I've had the energy to read and God knows I'm behind on my galleys. I've had a full blown relapse. Today I had to quit my job. I'll be filing for disability, as I don't have any other options. My depression and anxiety, coupled with my colitis, have finally torn me down. Whelp, I'm gonna look on the bright side: more reading time! I turned to Litsy when I was first diagnosed. I'm glad to have you all. Time for a soak!

Hestapleton 💙💙💙💙💙 7y
DGRachel {{hugs}} 7y
LiteraryinPA I am so sorry you are dealing with all of that. 💜 I hope that reading can be a source of comfort, distraction, or hope for the future, depending on what you need. 7y
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Spiderfelt That's a full plate. I hope you can find some healing through rest. Love yourself. 7y
LeahBergen Hugs. 💗💗 7y
Redwritinghood 💕💕 7y
rabbitprincess ♥️♥️♥️ I'm sorry that you're going through this. We are here for you! Take care of yourself. 7y
BookishBeth ❤️❤️ 7y
kylienoele Sending you warm hugs ❤️ 7y
Alfoster Thinking positive thoughts for you. If you send me your address to annefosterathome@gmail.com I'll send you a reading surprise😍! 7y
LauraBrook I'm sorry that life is too much and I'm so proud of you for taking the difficult step and making changes to take care of yourself. ❤️❤️❤️ We are all here for you, and if you'd like to chat or email or text, I'd be happy to do so! Put your feet up tonight, and take a breath - this is a lot to process! 💖 7y
CherylDeFranceschi So sorry! Sending positive energy and fortitude to you! 7y
moranadatter I hope you find whatever you need to best take care of yourself. 💛 7y
Caterina I'm so sorry you have to go through all this. It sounds like you're prioritizing your well-being, which takes a lot of strength and courage to do. I'll be praying that you experience some improvement in your symptoms, and I hope that both Litsy and books can be a happy place for you right now. ❤️ 7y
melbeautyandbooks I'm sorry you're going through all this. 7y
athorne @Alfoster Thanks for the thought! 7y
athorne @Hehaney @DGRachel @LiteraryinLititz @Spiderfelt @LeahBergen @Redwritinghood @rabbitprincess @BookishBeth @kylienoele @LauraBrook @CherylDeFranceschi @moranadatter @Caterina @melbeautyandbooks Thank you all so very much for the good vibes. It was a very hard decision to make, mostly because I knew I would have to give up my car and job. Cars can be replaced though, and my life cannot. I don't have enough time for all the books as it is! 7y
36 likes17 comments
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PedanticPastorMartha
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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OMG, OMG! It is finally in my hot little hands (well, OK, downloaded into my Kindle app)! You know where I'll be every spare moment the next few days (and some not so spare...)! 📚

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athorne
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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My first physical #reviewcopy!

LauraBrook Isn't it exciting?!!!!! 7y
50 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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Robothugs
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Mehso-so

So! I really enjoyed Judith's story. The personal insight Boylan was able to give to the story really shaped Judith overall as a character. I would have loved if the story was told strictly from the perspective of Judith... I feel this would have been more intriguing to me. The story kept my attention but I ended up feeling pretty frustrated throughout. I'm struggling with my rating for this one.

Reese_Pearly.Pages I thought the same thing. Enjoyed the insight from Judith- other parts felt scattered. 8y
Robothugs @Reese_Pearly.Pages I'm glad it wasn't just me. 8y
32 likes2 comments
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Haweller
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Mehso-so

This book is read by Ms. Boylan and frankly I had a super hard time with that. I had to pause in my listening maybe this summer on the beach I'll be able to let go of my objections and actually be able to contact to the story.

3 likes1 stack add
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NarrativeFiligree
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
Mehso-so

This is a meandering book that wanders between a number of characters and places, and though it's not poorly written it just never rang true to me. I think the strongest aspect was the characterization of Judith, a trans woman, who is also one of the characters we spend the most time with. It's not really a mystery, and with almost every character being universally disappointed with their lot in life is a bit of a downer.

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kalinichta
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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I like Boylan's nod to the trans flag on the inner flap. 🏳️‍🌈

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kalinichta
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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A place for every cat, and every cat in its place.

(Well, not every cat. There are two more elsewhere.)

#catsoflitsy #petsoflitsy

Mdargusch I had a kitty that looked just like yours. ❤ 8y
kalinichta @Mdargusch I bet she was lovely. 8y
18 likes1 stack add2 comments
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brownekr
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Finished with breakfast this morning. I'm not sure how to rate this one. My first day of reading ended around page 200, which is pretty close to where it switches from mystery/suspense to thriller/dénouement, and I like to have to mystery run for a little while longer.

Also, I was wary about the introduction of a fat (did we mention he's fat?) character; it's not too spoilery to say that he does get a fat-related comeuppance and scolding. ?

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kalinichta
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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The book police inspect my library selection.
#catsoflitsy #petsoflitsy

JazzFeathers Did she find you guilty of something? ;) 8y
kalinichta @JazzFeathers Yes, of being completely indecisive in my next read. 😲 8y
17 likes3 comments
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brownekr
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Six chapters in and really enjoying this so far... but I also only have one week to watch a whole season of Orphan Black, so it keeps getting put aside.

I have, however, been spontaneously singing "Long Black Veil" at regular intervals since I checked it out, and I'm also earwormed by the constant references to "Norwegian Wood." (I think it's come up three separate times so far?)

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JoJosModernLife
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Pickpick

This is not just a book about murder. This is a book about how even the strongest of friendships can fray, the future is never what we expect it to be, nor are people always what they seem, and a person's seemingly small choice can have a big impact.

The turns in the plot are sharp but the design is masterful. Small details from the beginning of the book come back to play a bigger part later.

*Copy of this book was given by LibraryThing.*

2 likes1 stack add
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Reese_Pearly.Pages
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
Mehso-so

Mistake #1: In 1980, 8 friends go into the ruins of a prison after 2 of them get married. (Whhhhyyy?) One dies and the body is found decades later. 👎🏾I wasn't pleased with a character dump in the beginning of the story. It was confusing with their nicknames. Judith kept my interest and was my anchor in a bloated story. 👍🏾 I enjoyed the exploration of identity and loyalty. The twists were great! Shaky execution in the ARC. 🥉

TrishB Great review 👍 8y
Gina Well said. 8y
24 likes2 comments
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Genrebending
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Pickpick

Far from being a simple mystery novel, this is an exploration of identity, of keeping secrets, of who we are and how we change as we go through life. I've never read Boylan's fiction, but I'm glad I picked this one up. Of course, y'all should go read her memoir She's Not There. #trans #lgbtq

kalinichta I loved She's Not There and am intrigued by this one. 8y
Reese_Pearly.Pages I'm halfway done with this galley. It's really good and I wish I had more time to finish it! Probably will this weekend. 🙂 8y
rachellayown I loved She's Not There and have had my eyes on this one. 8y
63 likes10 stack adds3 comments
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lovelybookshelf
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
Pickpick

I love how JFB tells a story, the way she allows it to unfold in its own time. LONG BLACK VEIL contains elements of a thriller, a mystery, a hint of paranormal, but is still a wonderfully character-driven piece of literary fiction. The theme of a trans person living in stealth was profound. I think those of us who are younger, who've always had online community, can't fully grasp how isolating this was. Great read. #ownvoices #translit

Reese_Pearly.Pages I'm reading an arc of this now. It's definitely a little spooky so far. 8y
9 likes2 comments
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WendyL
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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And so success had come to her, as it comes to so many people....
The exasperating truth of success. We can't all make careers out of doing what we love or we'd be professional readers. Lol

28 likes1 stack add
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quirkyreader
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Pickpick

As soon as this book comes out find a copy.

31 likes3 stack adds
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lovelybookshelf
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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She needs to meet my extended family! Their accents are still in daily use, and they don't get a ton of tourists where they live. 😅😅😅 #downeaster #maine #ayuh #amreading

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Well-ReadNeck
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
Mehso-so

In 1980, eight friends enter an old, abandoned prison. Only seven of them leave. In 2015, bones were found in the prison and the survivors must revisit that night. A solid mystery with well designed twists. However, some of the language and dialogue reads as if it were taken straight from social media.

Well-ReadNeck More catching up with my #netgalley reviews 8y
68 likes1 stack add1 comment
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EKonrad
Long Black Veil | Jennifer Finney Boylan
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Pickpick

I read Boylan's "She's Not There" a long time ago, and it really opened my eyes to transgender issues. So, I would say I was a fan going into this reading. This novel does a great job at hooking the reader with a mystery set in an abandoned prison. However, there are many character POVs, which can be confusing, and it's hard to feel a real focus to the plot. Would still recommend this to some readers though. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

16 likes1 stack add