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The Mirror Thief
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
A globetrotting, time-bending, wildly entertaining masterpiece in the tradition of Cloud Atlas.Publishers Weekly raved that "with near-universal appeal . . .Seays debut novel is a true delight, a big, beautiful cabinet of wonders that is by turns an ominous modern thriller, a supernatural mystery, and an enchanting historical adventure story."Set in three cities in three eras, The Mirror Thief calls to mind David Mitchell and Umberto Eco in its mix of entertainment and literary bravado.The core story is set in Venice in the sixteenth century, when the famed makers of Venetian glass were perfecting one of the old world's most wondrous inventions: the mirror. An object of glittering yet fearful fascinationwas it reflecting simple reality, or something more spiritually revealing?the Venetian mirrors were state of the art technology, and subject to industrial espionage by desirous sultans and royals world-wide. But for any of the development team to leave the island was a crime punishable by death. One man, howevera world-weary war hero with nothing to losehas a scheme he thinks will allow him to outwit the city's terrifying enforcers of the edict, the ominous Council of Ten . . .Meanwhile, in two other VenicesVenice Beach, California, circa 1958, and the Venice casino in Las Vegas, circa todaytwo other schemers launch similarly dangerous plans to get away with a secret . . .All three stories will weave together into a spell-binding tour-de-force that is impossible to put downan old-fashioned, stay-up-all-night novel that, in the end, returns the reader to a stunning conclusion in the original Venice . . . and the bedazzled sense of having read a truly original and thrilling work of art.From the Hardcover edition.
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DrexEdit
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Late (again!) but not forgotten. My #bookspin is an as yet to be determined short story (or essay!). My #doublespin is another #chunkster. It's almost as if the wheel of spinning book fates does not care that I'm already in the middle of three chunksters. 😲

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Those chunksters can pile up fast!!! 3y
35 likes1 comment
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DrexEdit
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Ready for #BookSpin Februrary! I'm finding more ebooks on my electronic shelves that I need to read, in addition to the physical books I need to read! 😳

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
32 likes1 comment
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DrexEdit
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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#BookSpin list for January! Looking forward to the numbers! 😊

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
36 likes1 comment
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DrexEdit
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Whoooo!! I am SOOO READY for #BookSpin December! Woot! Bring it on! 😄

@TheAromaofBooks

Lcsmcat Some good reads there! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 3y
33 likes2 comments
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DrexEdit
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Wanted to get my #bookspin up before the actually spinning for November! So here it is! I like how many books #bookspin clears off my #TBR!

@TheAromaofBooks

EvieBee You‘re on volume 3 of Eleanor Roosevelt?! That‘s so commendable. 3y
DrexEdit @EvieBee well the first two I read quite a long time ago. It's not a recent achievement. 😊 Volume three has been sitting here well over a year now, so I feel like I need to get on with it! These are the best ER books ever though. Hands down. 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3y
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DrexEdit
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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#Bookspin!!! I think I made it just in time! Even though I haven't officially ticked off my #doublespin for August. I'll do that next. 😁

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! 3y
Jinjer I like the way you've incorporated short stories. 3y
DrexEdit @Jinjer thanks! Short stories was how I got my reading focus back after the pandemic started. Since I'm reading them anyway, might as well get credit for them, amirite,? 😄😊 3y
31 likes3 comments
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sarahbarnes
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Mehso-so

I usually like books that weave together multiple narratives, but I didn‘t love this one. It was interesting enough to finish, but I never really got into it.

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mutlee
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Bailedbailed

Giving up on this for now. Other audio books have come off hold at the library, and this one just hasn‘t grabbed my attention yet. Anyone recommend giving this another chance?

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CaitlinR
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Pickpick

This is one wild ride, and I enjoyed every minute. Hard to imagine an author can tie together stories set in 1958 Venice Beach, the Venetian/Las Vegas and, 16th Century Venice but Seay does it, and does it beautifully. He even links the characters across time. Five years to write, 580p, and I couldn‘t put it down. Wowza!

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Emmalibby
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Bailedbailed

I've been trying to read this for weeks but I just can't read it anymore. There's nothing wrong with the writing in sections but it doesn't feel like a connected story and I don't really care what happens.

(It probably didn't help I read an excellent nonfiction and I've been distracted with kpop recently!)

A Book you started in 2017 but never finished for #litsyreadingchallenge

#readingchallenge #challenge #lrc #whatireadin2018 #fiction

TracyReadsBooks I enjoyed the book—particularly the sections on Vegas in the second half—but a lot of friends didn‘t. It‘s being adapted for tv which may be a better way to enjoy the story. 7y
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Emmalibby
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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#bookmarkappreciation for #febinbooks18
I think this is one of the only bookmarks I now own. It came as part of a set from waterstones but I have no idea where the rest have gone! I really need to pick some more up 😄

The book is The Mirror Thief, I'm still reading it after a couple of weeks. I'm finding it hard going but I will finish it!

#readingchallenge #challenge

ReadingRuby The bookmark is so cute 😍 7y
Emmalibby @rubyhanmer I know, I'm annoyed I've lost the rest of them! 7y
RadicalReader @Emmalibby gorgeous bookmark. There isn‘t anything better than millions of beloved bookmarks 6y
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MrBook
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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#TBRtemptation post 10! In 1500s Venice, famed glassmakers were finally perfecting the invention of the mirror. Industrial espionage was engaged in by sultans, dukes, and kings. The guild was forbidden to leave the city, but 1 of them has a scheme to outwit the enforcers. Related schemes also play out in 1958 Venice Beach, CA, & the Venice Casino in contemporary Las Vegas. The ways all 3 are connected will illuminate. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

CaitlinR Gotta have it — thanks for the review. 7y
TracyReadsBooks Such a good book—love the Vegas storyline in particular—and have been fortunate enough to hear the author speak about it several times. Could be fun to watch if the tv adaptation actually happens. Fingers crossed. 7y
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Emmalibby
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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#currentlyreading for #janinbooks18
I tried reading this last year but couldn't get into it at the time so returned it to the library.
Started it again this morning and I'm enjoying it so far.

#readingchallenge #challenge #fiction #historicalfiction

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Allietaylor16
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Megabus back to Chicago! I'm adding the exclamation mark because I'm five minutes into the trip and still excited about the journey. Not sure I'll feel the same in a couple of hours.

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AlexGeorge
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Just started this, and I'm hooked.

Allietaylor16 @AlexGeorge I'm at Parnassus Books in Nashville right now and saw this book. I searched on Litsy, saw your post, and that was enough for me 😀I'm excited! 7y
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8little_paws
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Pickpick

This is me now. This book is bananas. There's three stories at once happening here, and how someone even came up with this idea as a book premise is beyond me. Took me a while to get into it, but at some point I found myself completely hooked into Stanley and Crivano. Lots about alchemy and seeing and truth and how we present ourselves to the world and how history repeats themes over.

Why I read it: book 2/5 ChiRB award finalists, #mounttbr

ephemeralwaltz Sounds mind-blowing! Shelved on GR, thanks :) 8y
jessdean Haha- this pic!🤣 8y
Victoria_C Martin Seay was one of the authors at Northshire Books' Booktopia this past spring. He was great, and I have the book, but still haven't gotten too far. It was kind of making my head hurt. 8y
8little_paws @victoria_c yeah you certainly need to be in the right mood to read this book. It's mentally taxing. 8y
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8little_paws
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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This quote just about sums up this book!

Godmotherx5 I'd heard mixed reviews. The reviews made me wonder if the book is worth my time. 8y
8little_paws @Godmotherx5 it's good, but wow is it dense in sections particularly 16c. Italy. I keep my phone nearby when I'm reading those sections so I can look up stuff. Martin Seay is clearly a very, very smart person and the concepts in here are very interesting. 8y
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8little_paws
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Saturday night goals: get through this section of The Mirror Thief, then catch up on some bookish podcasts while knitting, and maybe even start a new audiobook!

kspenmoll What are you making? Looks warm & colorful😃 8y
britt_brooke Whatever you're making looks lovely so far! 8y
8little_paws @kspenmoll it's the endpaper mitts pattern 8y
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Broke_Girl_Reads I love the yarn! Such beautiful colors 8y
Faibka Beautiful colors, nice knitting 😉💕 8y
Godmotherx5 I envy your skill Had my first knitting class. Teaching this old dog new tricks is not easy. 8y
8little_paws @Godmotherx5 thank you, I have been knitting now for 13 years 8y
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8little_paws
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Hey I have an idea! it's 7 am and I've got the rest of the week off work, let's read this doorstopper!

GlitteryOtters Sounds like a good plan! Happy reading!! 8y
rachellayown 👍👍👍 8y
curlyfro This looks good! 8y
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CherylDeFranceschi
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Here is one of my many TBR's. #FunFridayPhoto

Hooked_on_books Lots of good ones there! Dreamland is shattering. 8y
CherylDeFranceschi @Hooked_on_books I want them all in my brain! 8y
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tcheer4life
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
Pickpick

It took me 9 months to savor this book. Too rich to read quickly. What a ride.

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ingredientx
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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More (beautiful) trends in publishing!

Not gonna lie--I kinda want to wallpaper my bathroom in both of these prints

TrishB Lovely 😀 8y
75 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Pickpick

Here I go, writing a very positive review for this door-stopper of novel that I didn't love. Huh? While it wasn't exactly my cup of tea, its merits were as plain as day, and there was really nothing to criticize. Incredibly well-written, intricately plotted with mysterious, interlocking narratives from Renaissance Venice, 50s California, and oughts-Las Vegas. Think The Da Vinci Code but with prose that doesn't suck.

Megabooks Great review! 8y
8little_paws This took him nearly 13 years to get out--5 to write and over 7 to find a publisher. 8y
MamaGina "Da Vinci Code but with prose that doesn't suck" ... that may be my favorite review line ever! ? 8y
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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LeahBergen I think you should make bookmarks like this ... of my favourite quotes and first lines. 😉 8y
ReadingOver50 Love that quote ❤️ 8y
vivastory I read amazing things about this when it came out. Still need to read it. 8y
shawnmooney @LeahBergen I'll get right on that! ♥️♥️ 8y
8little_paws This book made the ny times 100 notable books of the year! 8y
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Lindy Wow. I would have flagged that passage also! 8y
shawnmooney @Lindy It stands out, hey? I haven't decided yet if I'd recommend this book to you, but I am enjoying it. Does the synopsis appeal to you? 8y
Lindy Multiple story strands. ✅ 16th c Venice ✅ supernatural mystery ✅ similar to Cloud Atlas ✅ Yup! Sounds appealing. 8y
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Hobbinol Sad but so true!💙💙💙 8y
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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LeahBergen 😂😂 8y
Megabooks Ick! 8y
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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As someone who's moved around a lot in his life, this passage really resonated…

Lindy I know what you mean. After I had spent only 1 year away, travelling, I felt changed and so did my city. 8y
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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rachellayown
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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Pickpick

How do you write a short review about such an ambitious epic novel?!?

This book just made Publishers Weekly's best of 2016 list, so of course it's good. It's also super complex and would probably appeal to fans of David Mitchell. That said, this book is not for readers who prefer a neat linear story with only one storyline. But it's totally brilliant and well-written, to be sure.

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Non-linear + David Mitchellesque? I'M IN!!! 8y
shawnmooney Love that photo! 8y
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8little_paws
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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#booktober big books! This chunker is on my tbr shortlist. And check out my new bookshelf! @RealLifeReading

BookishMarginalia 👍🏼💜 8y
Alfoster Looks great! Bet you can't wait to fill it!📚📚📚 8y
OffTheBeatenShelf.com Nice!! I need a new shelf myself. Where'd you find this one? 8y
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Lola Lots of room for chunksters in there! 8y
8little_paws @OffTheBeatenShelf.com Target, it was on sale 8y
Lola Lots of room for chunksters in there! 8y
megt What a great shelf! 8y
CherylDeFranceschi Excellent shelf! 💕 8y
Zelma Great looking shelf! 8y
WhatDeeReads It's pretty! 8y
rachellayown I'm reading that now! 8y
8little_paws @rachellayown I'm planning to read it and maybe a few others from the ChiRB awards list in advance of the ceremony at Volumes in December!! 8y
rachellayown Excellent plan! 8y
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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rachellayown
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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I'm not going to be able to read for an entire 24 hours, but I plan on having my own abbreviated #readathon tomorrow, pulling from my very ambitious TBR stack (not pictured: the books loaded on my e-reader- HERE I AM, THE HAUNTING AT HILL HOUSE, THE VIRGINITY OF FAMOUS MEN, and ALWAYS HAPPY HOUR)

Where do I even begin?!?

8little_paws Can I just say I'm mad excited you all at ChiRB are doing the chirby awards? A bunch of friends and I are going to the event in December. 8y
rachellayown Yay @8little_paws ! The list of nominees is seriously great. Do you have any you're rooting for? 8y
8little_paws @rachellayown I haven't read them yet, my tbr has exploded! Heard the mirror thief is phenomenal, and my friend works for Chicago review press and they're excited that algren was nominated! I plan on reading a bunch before the ceremony. 8y
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rachellayown @8little_paws Yeah, THE MIRROR THIEF has been on my TBR since it came out. I'm excited about the list. I think it's going to be tough voting for just 1 in every category! (We voted for 6 in each for the short list.) It's so cool you're reading them too! 8y
8little_paws @rachellayown also people at open book club this week (Roscoebooks, third Thursdays, 7:30pm) recommended the Ball and the Frangello. I told everyone there about this and reaction was very positive. Chicago has really stepped up the literary event game lately I've noticed and it's extremely exciting! 8y
8little_paws Barely a week goes by without me attending at least one literary event if not two-three 8y
rachellayown Yeah, Chicago is a great literary city. I live about 2 hours away so I don't get there as much as I'd like, but try to go in for some events. 8y
rachellayown @8little_paws And that's really cool. I'd love to be able to attend that many lit events and week! 8y
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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shawnmooney
The Mirror Thief | Martin Seay
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