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Songs of Innocence and Experience
Songs of Innocence and Experience | William Blake
46 posts | 60 read | 21 to read
Songs of Innocence and Experience is a collection of poems by William Blake in two phases. "Innocence" and "Experience" are definitions of consciousness that rethink Milton's existential-mythic states of "Paradise" and the "Fall." Blake's categories are modes of perception that tend to coordinate with a chronology that would become standard in Romanticism: childhood is a state of protected innocence rather than original sin, but not immune to the fallen world and its institutions. This world sometimes impinges on childhood itself, and in any event becomes known through "experience," a state of being marked by the loss of childhood vitality, by fear and inhibition, by social and political corruption, and by the manifold oppression of Church, State, and the ruling classes. The volume's "Contrary States" are sometimes signalled by patently repeated or contrasted titles: in Innocence, Infant Joy, in Experience, Infant Sorrow; in Innocence, The Lamb, in Experience, The Fly and The Tyger. The stark simplicity of poems such as The Chimney Sweeper and The Little Black Boy display Blake's acute sensibility to the realities of poverty and exploitation that accompanied the "dark satanic mills" of the Industrial Revolution'.
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IndoorDame
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#SchoolSpirit #Apple @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe;
I told it not, my wrath did grow.
And I water'd it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunnéd it with smiles
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright;
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine,

And into my garden stole,
⬇️

IndoorDame When the night had veil'd the pole:
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree."
3mo
Eggs 🌳😍🍎 3mo
lil1inblue 💙 ❤ 💙 3mo
dabbe 🩶🧡🩶 3mo
36 likes5 comments
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IndoorDame
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TheSpineView ❤️❤️❤️ 3mo
dabbe 🩶🖤🩶 3mo
38 likes2 comments
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Faranae
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I'm a day late and always a dollar short, but I didn't want to miss a chance to talk about the Romantic poets, especially eternal outsider William Blake. It was this or Keats. I really enjoyed KJ Charles' quoting of him in A Seditious Affair, though most of those are from A Marriage of Heaven and Hell, which is a much wilder ride.

#Naturalitsy #Midwintersolace #Fridaynightshare
@Chrissyreadit @thebookhippie @jenniferw88 @alldebooks

TheBookHippie Oh yes!!! Love!!! 11mo
AllDebooks I've held a long-held regard for Blake. 11mo
9 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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hissingpotatoes
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#QuotsyOCT21 day 25: flame

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hissingpotatoes
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I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.

London by William Blake

#QuotsyOCT21 day 8: gloom

TiredLibrarian Great pick. 3y
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TheSpineView
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#poetrymatters @TheSpineView
Prompt: Gorge

This poem is a personification of mercy, pity, love and peace. Blake also wrote a poem The Human Abstract that is the companion poem to this one.

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mariaku21
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Mehso-so

I knew of just one poem from Blake and that's Tyger, thanks to an episode of Batman: The Animated Series 🦇 so I was psyched to find this collection on the @SerialReader app.

I loved the second half of the book compared to the first half. I just connected better with it and this has me looking for more of Blake's work.

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AlwaysForeverReading
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This is one of my favorite William Blake poems.

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TheSpineView
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jenniferw88
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#back2school #bunnyread @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/54cfyrgOp0yHw5KcaC5CpS?si=n4o1RgX2SX-us6Y5xZfE...

Not surprisingly, a lot of these remind me of Chris! I looked through my 3rd year notes last night & found a bunch of songs I was thinking of using for my body in question assignment so had to add them last minute. And yes, it's fair to say that I had a crush on him!

Chris once played "Single Ladies" by Beyoncé ⬇️

jenniferw88 at the start of a lecture! 4y
jenniferw88 Mandy - Chris is gay but was stalked by one of his female students who had convinced herself she'd converted him! 😂 She was called Mandy!
Might Tell You Tonight - 'burrow like a sparrow' lyrics remind me of The Blossom by William Blake
Experienced - collection of Blake's poetry - Songs of Innocence and of Experience
4y
jenniferw88 Far From the Madding Crowd soundtrack - I used this book for my presentation in the literature of sexuality module, taught by Chris. The movie came out after I graduated though.
A Little Priest - my section of the Shakespeare Phenomenon presentation focused on musicals (mainly West Side Story) but I used the line 'the trouble with poet is how do you know it's deceased?' as the subtitle as the module focused on Shakespeare's continuing popularity.
4y
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Cinfhen Even when discussing music your so scholarly🤓🙌🏻❤️ 4y
jenniferw88 @Cinfhen haha! Don't worry, not every song I listen to reminds me of books 😂 4y
BarbaraBB Great list but who is Chris? Is he the Lion?! 4y
jenniferw88 @BarbaraBB yes, Chris is the 🦁!!! 4y
BarbaraBB You should write a book about him! 4y
DebinHawaii Great playlist! I see lots of favorites! 🤗 4y
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Bookwomble
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Is this a holy thing to see.
In a rich and fruitful land.
Babes reduced to misery.
Feed with cold and usurious hand?

Is that trembling cry a song?
Can it be a song of joy?
And so many children poor?
It is a land of poverty!

"Holy Thursday" - Songs of Experience

Palimpsest The poem is sad and still rings true, but the illustration is beautiful. I‘ve always liked Blake‘s pastoral type illustrations, and also like the ones with encroaching figures and trees. Looks like a wonderful book. 4y
Bookwomble @Palimpsest Yes, to all that 😊 This and his poem London, and several others address social ills which still plague us, all in a slim volume of poetry. I do love the way Blake entwined his verse within his paintings. 4y
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jenniferw88
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Day 6 #7days7books of books that have changed/influenced me.

Tagging @kaysworld1 if you want to do it

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EllisBell
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Strangely soothing, and available for free (including full-colour plates) on various websites.

Birdsong28 Love William Blake. Hope you are ok. We will see each other soon 😘 5y
10 likes1 comment
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erzascarletbookgasm
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Laughing Song by William Blake.

#poetrymatters #merry

TrishB ❤️❤️ 5y
Chrissyreadit I love this poem 🧡🧡🧡 5y
TheSpineView 💜💜💜 5y
51 likes3 comments
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jenniferw88
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I could have done celebrity #star crushes, but that would have involved #TheChase again, so I decided against it.

Chose this book because the lady inset taught me them, and she's a #star to me.

#ayupaugust @Cinfhen @squirrelbrain

Cinfhen That‘s a lovely dedication 💕🌟🙌🏻 5y
squirrelbrain Aww that‘s so lovely! ❤️ 5y
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Malisa
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Pickpick

This is more of a 3.5 stars, very interesting to see how Blake could take a concept and take it two completely different directions.

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IndoorDame
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Birdsong28 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ 6y
TheSpineView ❤❤❤ 6y
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Lcsmcat
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TheSpineView ❤❤❤ 6y
CoffeeNBooks I just read several of the poems in this book the other day! 6y
Lcsmcat @CoffeeNBooks I‘m reading it slowly, to savor them, and yet more than once have had them fit that day‘s prompt. 6y
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Lcsmcat
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I found a poem for #roses in my current read. #poetrymatters @TheSpineView

TheSpineView 😊 6y
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Lcsmcat
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Church and errands are done. Time for #litsypartyofone! @MrBook @Ambrosnazzy

MrBook 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 6y
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Lcsmcat
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My #FebruaryTBR. (I‘m not good at sticking to a TBR.) @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I‘m not either!! 😉 6y
StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego I never plan a TBR. Too moody of a reader. 6y
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quietlycuriouskate
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@kaye
My Litsy name is the same as my blog. It comes from William Blake. Cathedron is a wondrous place which houses shining looms upon which is woven "clothing for the soul divine". Well, I figure that could be a metaphor for putting words on my imaginings and intimations!
Blake's Mrs was called Catherine. My name is Kate.
Sometimes one needs more than a room of one's own: sometimes one has to inhabit a whole other world that doesn't exist.

Birdsong28 Love William Blake 😀📚📖 6y
merelybookish 💜💜 6y
LazyDays Nice. 6y
batsy That's lovely. 6y
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Lcsmcat
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Some of the #British poets on my shelves. #poetrymatters @LazyDays

Emilymdxn I 💖💖💖 Tennyson 6y
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jenniferw88
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@GingerAntics this is the poem I'm talking about - to help I've put the rude lines in capitals! ???

Fun fact: I had to revise these poems for a-level english lit - imagine my horror whilst i was at hospital & all i could remember were the two lines in capitals above! I remember thinking, "I can't recite these lines to anyone who asks what are you reading?!" ?

GingerAntics I think most people would have no idea those are dirty lines. It‘s amazing how the meaning of things change, how the double entendres that were once so common don‘t mean anything now. lol 6y
jenniferw88 @GingerAntics 18 year old me had NO idea lol! 6y
GingerAntics ROTFL that is kind of funny, though. lol 6y
jenniferw88 @GingerAntics The previous year's set text was Shakespeare's Sonnets - I thought they were bad enough! My favourite of them is the one that begins "My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun" - that was the one that I could recite from memory! ? 6y
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merelybookish
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And all must love the human form
In heathen, Turk, or Jew;
Where Mercy, Love, and #Pity dwell
There God is dwelling too.
"The Divine Image"

#poetrymatters @LazyDays

quietlycuriouskate William Blake 💚 6y
merelybookish @River_Voice I discover something new every time I read him! 6y
batsy Lovely pick! 6y
54 likes3 comments
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jenniferw88
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Day 3 of Books that changed my life - Songs of Innocence and of Experience. This selection of poetry is special to me for 2 reasons! 1) It reminds me of my favourite teacher at upper school & 2) because of reason above I ended up writing my BA dissertation on Blake's poetry and this collection of his poems featured quite heavily!

#booksthatchangedmylife.

Tagging @Katerina @maich and @kaysworld1

maich Thanks for the tag😘 6y
Katerina Thank you for the tag. I'll have to think about this one. 6y
jillannjohn One of my faves. 6y
Jess_Franzino I love this challenge! You‘ve inspired me to also do #booksthatchangedmylife 😃 Are you doing one book for each day in June? 6y
jenniferw88 @Jess_Franzino no, it lasts for 7 days and originated from a tag on Facebook but thought Littens might appreciate it! 6y
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Bookwomble
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O Rose thou art sick.
The invisible worm.
That flies in the night
In the howling storm:

Has found out thy bed
Of crimson joy;
And his dark secret love
Does thy life destroy.

- "The Sick Rose”

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Bookwomble
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Can I see anothers woe,
And not be in sorrow too.
Can I see anothers grief,
And not seek for kind relief.

- "On Anothers Sorrow”

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Autumnlong
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A touch of Blake in the morning.

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Kalalalatja
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Pickpick

Blake‘s poems need no introduction. They were great and reading them in this gorgeous Folio Society edition was delightful!

ju.ca.no This looks so great 😍😍 7y
TrishB Lovely ❤️ 7y
[DELETED] 3803335244 I‘m watching The Frankenstein Chronicles on Netflix & they incorporated William Blake into it with one of his poems. I haven‘t read a lot of him. But now I must! Beautiful edition! 7y
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Kalalalatja @ju.ca.no @TrishB it is a beautiful edition 😍 @ForeverNerdy I haven‘t heard of that series, but I know Blake was referenced in one of the Hannibal Lecter movies (Red Dragon??), and in this series, so I had to give him a read! 7y
Lyn-Mara Beauty of a book! 7y
batsy Beautiful book. And I've never heard of that show @ForeverNerdy it sounds great! 7y
RealLifeReading So beautiful! I studied this book for my A Levels! 7y
[DELETED] 3803335244 @batsy if your a Mary Shelley fan it‘s a neat show. I‘m only on episode 3 but I like it so far! If you get a chance to watch let me know what you think. 7y
batsy @ForeverNerdy Huge fan! Will definitely check it out 👍🏽 7y
ephemeralwaltz I love Blake!! 7y
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Kalalalatja
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While shopping for my #2018nonfictionbookexchange match, I stumbled over these beautiful bookmarks, and I just couldn‘t pass them up. I love flowers, and with the quotes from English poets, these bookmarks are perfection 👌

#bookishmail

Cinfhen 💗💗💗 7y
GatheringBooks those bookmarks look gorgeous, indeed! 💕 7y
readordierachel Lovely! 7y
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Nikki15 I have the same ones 😍 I love them, they‘re so pretty! 7y
Librariana Where oh where did you find them?? They're stunning! 7y
Christine11 They are beautiful! 7y
Kalalalatja @Librariana they are from Obvious State on Etsy 👌 7y
ephemeralwaltz Beautiful!! @Obviousstate has insanely gorgeous products!😍 I really want to get one of their totes. 7y
LeahBergen 😍😍😍 7y
Kalalalatja @ephemeralwaltz I wanted to get everything from them, the struggle was real! 7y
TrishB Lovely ❤️ 7y
ferskner Obvious State has THE BEST stuff. 7y
111 likes12 comments
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Kalalalatja
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I‘m really excited about this collection of #Regency poetry. I can‘t wait to read it 👏

#150PnPCoverParty

sofiaga Looks beautiful 7y
LeahBergen And what a beautiful copy! 😍😍 7y
CrowCAH Regency poetry; never read any. Will have to check this out! 7y
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Kalalalatja @sofiaga @LeahBergen it is so pretty, and the illustrations inside are even prettier 👌 7y
Kalalalatja @CrowCAH I read a bit in High School, but I remember enjoying it 👍 7y
batsy I covet that gorgeous edition of Blake! 7y
Kalalalatja @batsy it was on sale from Folio Society, so I just had to add it to my order 👌 7y
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DieAReader
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A new book for my tiny poetry collection. Can‘t wait to sink my teeth into it.

Linsy Beautiful!! 7y
DieAReader Thanks! It was a gift from my husband‘s mother while I was in the hospital this January. 7y
6 likes2 comments
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Retroprincess

Met my reading goal for the year just in time today!!

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nataliah198
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Jamesfahyauthor
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To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hands, and eternity in an hour. - William Blake

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jenniferw88
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Pickpick

Here's more annotation of Blake! @zsuzsanna_reads just spotted the word 'gothic' lol! If you hadn't guessed by my last post, this book gets 5 ⭐ & a pick!

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jenniferw88
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About 9 years ago I was taking my English Literature A-Level and we studied these poems. Fast forward 3 or 4 years and I am studying Blake again at University, alongside a Literature of Sexuality module. This time, Blake becomes my dissertation topic, & I realise that I had a crush on my (female) English teacher at school. Not surprisingly, this song reminds me of her! #melodicmay #day11 #experienced

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actualdisneyprincess
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I've had this sitting on my iPad since Easter - it seemed a fitting celebration of National Poetry Month (and this poem, among others, of the holiday itself) - and because my focus isn't the greatest today, figured today was as good a day as any to dive into poetry I haven't read since high school lit classes. 💖 #williamblake #songsofinnocence #thelamb

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GinEyre22
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#aprilbookshowers Day 23: Poetry

Modern poetry really isn't my jam, but I do enjoy 19th century British poetry

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TheLudicReader
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If there is a "happy place" for a book lover, surely it is NYC's The Strand. If only I could bring home ALL the books.

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GoneFishing

Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care, but for another gives its ease, and builds a Heaven in Hell's despair.

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TheLondonBookworm
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London
"I wandered through each chartered street
Near where the chartered Thames doth flow
A mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness marks of woe"
If anyone is coming to London go to the top of the Tate modern at night - the best view of the city.

MrBook Love your city! Love love love it! 😎👌🏻🙌🏻 8y
DuckOfDoom London and Prague are the two cities i would love to visit and actually seems possible the next year or so. Looking forward to that, it seems so beautiful 😍 8y
Laura317 Beautiful. 😍 8y
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TheLondonBookworm @MrBook I'm a little partial to it myself 😎😎 8y
TheLondonBookworm @DuckOfDoom Yes! That would be amazing :) come see the sights, I'm about if you need a literary tour guide 😉🤓 8y
TheLondonBookworm @Laura317 My favourite place on earth ☺️😉😃😁 8y
erzascarletbookgasm Will think of you if I ever visit and need a literary and bookish guide! 😉 8y
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KennethTolesJr

Told my wife if she pulled through on her homework the other day without falling asleep that I would buy her any book series she wanted, at any price. Since she's an addict, I know she hasn't forgotten, but I don't think she has thought about when that'll be happening.
#today #shhh

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CherylDeFranceschi
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Pretty pretty new bookish bookmarks from Obvious State. Super smitten! Met the lovely people at BEA and finally got our order together. Small, tired from a long day, squee!

brendanmleonard So gorgeous! 8y
LitHousewife Those are gorgeous!!!! 8y
BekahB Beautiful! 💕 8y
Trav Ooooh purdy. 8y
67 likes2 stack adds5 comments