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The Satanic Verses
The Satanic Verses: A Novel | Salman Rushdie
One of the most controversial and acclaimed novels ever written, The Satanic Verses is Salman Rushdies best-known and most galvanizing book. Set in a modern world filled with both mayhem and miracles, the story begins with a bang: the terrorist bombing of a London-bound jet in midflight. Two Indian actors of opposing sensibilities fall to earth, transformed into living symbols of what is angelic and evil. This is just the initial act in a magnificent odyssey that seamlessly merges the actual with the imagined. A book whose importance is eclipsed only by its quality, The Satanic Verses is a key work of our times.
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review
Brooke_H
Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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Mehso-so

If you took the weirdest Kurt Vonnegut novel and inserted a dose of dark stuff, complicated writing, made it way too long, and also took most of the fun out of it, you'd have this book. There are parts of it that are engrossing. There are many parts of it that are overwritten and almost unbearably complex. I'm not ashamed to admit that I had no idea what was going on in the first chapter. I had to google it.

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PurpleyPumpkin
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 📚👍🏻📚 2mo
Eggs Perfect 🤩 2mo
40 likes2 comments
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Brooke_H
Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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Not gonna lie, this one is a struggle. Might DNF. 😝

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ReadingOver50
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Pickpick

I remember when this book came outand all the outrage over certain passages. There are some interesting passages, but a lot of the time it feels overwritten and confusing. There are a lot of characters introduced and many of them make more than one appearance. The two main characters are not very likable. I feel like this could have been much shorter and still gotten the point accross. Still, there are portions of the book that will stick with me.

Ladygodiva7 I have this book, got it for a $1. Wasn‘t sure if I‘d ever read it…. 10mo
Erinreadsthebooks I have some figurines that look like those. I love them 😍 10mo
82 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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DivineDiana
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Mehso-so

I finished this on the last day of August to complete the #authoramonth2023 challenge.It had been sitting on my bookshelves since 1989. It was a struggle for me,but I was determined to finish it to honor Salman Rushdie,who nearly died for writing this book.At first,I was fascinated with the main characters,Gibreel,the movie star/angel and Saladin of the many voices as they fell from the sky.Then it became very strange.I started to lose my way.

Soubhiville Good job finishing and finally getting it off your TBR! 14mo
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Librarybelle Hooray for a 1988 entry! 14mo
Cinfhen Must feel great to have FINALLY read this book!! Congrats 🎉🙌🏻❣️I started it many years ago but never finished 😛 14mo
DivineDiana @Cinfhen It does! A wild ride! It felt like a madcap adventure with serious undertones! 😵‍💫 14mo
58 likes7 comments
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IndoorDame
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#AuthorAMonth I have mixed feelings about our author this month. In the end I‘m bailing on 2 of his books and not finishing any, but I also kind of love his writing, am glad I got this introduction to it, and will definitely return to him sometime when I‘m in a different mindframe. I read the first few chapters of this and immediately knew I would have been obsessed with it as a teenager when I was reading a lot of Tom Robbins and Kurt Vonnegut.⬇️

IndoorDame I still have both of them on my shelf, but haven‘t picked up something like that in decades and don‘t feel the urge to right now. I also listened to half of Haroun and the Sea of Stories at night, but it wasn‘t a good choice for a ‘when I couldn‘t sleep book‘ because for all that it‘s a children‘s story, it‘s still complex and requires a lot of concentration. 1y
JenReadsAlot I ended up bailing on this one too. 1y
DivineDiana I am struggling with this,but determined to finish for various reasons. A few years ago, I did read Haroun and the Sea of Stories. It was on the high school required reading list. I don‘t remember anything, but I don‘t think I will ever forget this one!🙂 1y
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BkClubCare Oh! I feel a bit better. I can‘t seem to get motivated to read this book and have owned a copy for YEARS. On my #somedaybutlater pile 1y
IndoorDame @BkClubCare the #somedaybutlater pile is pretty extensive in my house 🤣🤣🤣 1y
BkClubCare @IndoorDame - when people first see my to-be-read shelf they usually exclaim, “you‘ve read all those books?!!!” And I say, “not yet.” 🤣 1y
IndoorDame @BkClubCare ha, same! 😂 1y
dabbe I was afraid I'd bail on this one, too, so I took the easier route and read HAROUN AND THE SEA OF STORIES, which I loved. He's a bit out there for me, too. 1y
IndoorDame @dabbe usually I love that #aam is a bit all over the place and sometimes pushes me outside my comfort zone, but lately I‘ve had such a hard time focusing 1y
dabbe @IndoorDame 💚🩷💚 1y
Larkken I‘m having trouble focusing on his works , too. My brain is too tired for heavy plot arcs or something 1y
BarkingMadRead I just bailed on this. I just can‘t get into it! 1y
IndoorDame @Larkken exactly how I‘m feeling about him right now 1y
IndoorDame @BarkingMadRead I think the whole group is having a tough time with Rushdie this month! 1y
51 likes14 comments
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BarkingMadRead
Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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Starting this late for #authoramonth but I have faith that I‘ll finish it! @Soubhiville

Bklover I‘m working on Midnight‘s Children, although I snuck in a Christmas romance. 1y
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JenReadsAlot
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Bailedbailed

Nope. Not for me! #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Soubhiville That‘s ok! 🙂 1y
DivineDiana I understand! 1y
35 likes2 comments
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DivineDiana
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Current audio combined with the actual book. #authoramonth #salmanrushdie

JenReadsAlot I just started this yesterday! 1y
DivineDiana @JenReadsAlot We‘ll have to compare notes! 🙂 1y
57 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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BookwormAHN
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Pickpick

Two men literally fall out of the sky after their plane is hijacked. Both survive & one goes on to a devil like role and the other to play out the angel part. Then it gets nuts. There are historical flashbacks, ghosts, gods, prophets, & your never sure what is real 🐐
But in my opinion it's worth the craziness. Although I would like to suggest the audio version & Tears For Fears 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' really works.
#TitlesAndTunes

Cinfhen Ahhhh, fabulous!!! #OnceAnEightiesGirlAlwaysAnEightiesGirl 🤩And now I‘m definitely gonna look for SV on audio!!! Thanks for posting & sharing 🧡 1y
BarbaraBB Great review. I loved this book so much! And Tears for Fears was one of my favorite bands in the 80s! 1y
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CSeydel I recently discovered my teenage daughter listening to Tears for Fears … she goes “oh, have you heard of them? They‘re amazing!”😆 1y
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 1y
Andrew65 An interesting review. 1y
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Jari-chan
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Mehso-so

Well, this wasn't for me. For some reason the book just didn't grab my attention. Every now and then there were some interesting parts, but all in all it's just a shrug to me. I can't even review it. But at least I know now why it got all that negative attention. That's also why I can't rate it as a Pan, because too many people got hurt and I have to keep that in mind. For a free and open world.

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MariaW
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Last weekend I went to an exibition called “Satanic verses & banned books” in Zurich. It was very interesting and explained why books have been banned through the ages.

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Tkimsal
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A few of us after our discussion of “The Satanic Verses.” We were all proud to have tackled this challenging book. Onward!

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Tkimsal
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I‘m glad to have finished this. I am hoping book club discussion this weekend will help illuminate this for me. I struggled mightily with this book, but I got through it.

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Tkimsal
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Me, starting about 8 pm any Friday night, thinking about reading quietly in my pjs. #TrueStory

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Tkimsal
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Reggie Lolol 2y
7 likes1 comment
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Tkimsal
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Halfway point achieved. Book club discussion of first half this Saturday. One of the most challenging books I‘ve ever read.

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Tkimsal
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I‘m heading into the 4th part of “The Satanic Verses” for book club next weekend, and part of my prep is reading the chapter synopsis for the next part so I have some idea what the hell I‘m reading. After part 3 and this preview of the next part, I‘m feeling a bit like George Costanza on Seinfeld when he finds himself saying to Susan‘s parents, “All right, we‘re taking it up a notch!” #FirstSaturdayReaders

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Tkimsal
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Book club selection, 570 pages.
Guide downloaded from the interweb, 90 pages.

😳

batsy Oh wow! I read it without a guide but I wish I did—I think it would be really helpful and add to the experience. 2y
DivineDiana I wish I had known about this guide! But not going back in now! 😅 14mo
8 likes2 comments
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Tkimsal
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Actual photo of me after finishing Part 1 of this month‘s book club book, Salman Rushdie‘s “The Satanic Verses.” #FirstSaturdayReaders #UhOh

Leftcoastzen 😁👏 2y
Reggie Lol 2y
7 likes2 comments
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Tkimsal
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Starting this for book club. We are spreading this over two months. I admit I have been feeling apprehensive about tackling this book. #FirstSaturdayReaders

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Nicos
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Pickpick

Not bad, not sure what all the fuss is about. Solidarity with the author. If you don‘t like it, don‘t read it.

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Tonton
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“A poem cannot stop a bullet. A novel can‘t defuse a bomb … But we are not helpless … We can sing the truth & name the liars.” - Salman Rushdie

BarbaraBB Beatiful quote. I am shocked about what happened and hope he‘ll be alright 2y
Tonton @BarbaraBB Not out of the woods, hoping for the best. 2y
29 likes2 comments
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Johanna414
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This happened at the Chautauqua Institute, just down the road from my town. Hope Rushdie pulls through, though it doesn't sound great...

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/12/1117164727/author-salman-rushdie-was-attacked-on-...

LiteraryinPA This is horrifying. I can‘t. 2y
KristiAhlers This is so sad! I can‘t even with how evil we can be to each other. This breaks my heart. 2y
sprainedbrain This is horrible. 2y
BarbaraBB It sounds serious. I‘ve read he may be alright though. I hope he will be. This is horrifying 2y
39 likes4 comments
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bekakins
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Mehso-so

#bookspin for July!

I really liked parts of this… but most of it I found difficult to follow and unnecessary. To be honest, I‘m mainly glad it‘s over and I can read something a bit easier!

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 2y
13 likes1 comment
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Ruthiella
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Pickpick

I did It! It only took me 41 days to read it. 😂 This was my 2nd Rushdie, so I was used to his style which helped.

A wild ride about faith, belonging, prejudice, xenophobia, etc. all told in a jumbled, often absurd story. Two men descend from the sky, one an angel and one a devil...but which has free will? What is evil and does our interpretation change based on who is committing the act and why? Who can be redeemed? #DashingDecember

Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 3y
BarbaraBB Well done! I loved it one very much but I read it along with this book, which made that I understood a lot of it better (I think): (edited) 3y
Ruthiella @Andrew65 Thanks! 😊 3y
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Ruthiella @BarbaraBB I read Midnight‘s Children with a guide because I knew nothing about India, Pakistan or Partition. But for this one I just googled a lot, particularly the life of the Prophet. 3y
Cathythoughts Great review 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3y
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Thanks 🙏 3y
Centique Well done! I used to adore Rushdie but I haven‘t read him for over a decade. We studied Midnights Children at uni and it was a mind blowing experience with a great lecturer. I will get back to him and this one. 3y
Ruthiella @Centique I had to read Midnight‘s Children with a guide to make sense of it. A uni course would have been awesome. 3y
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GatheringBooks
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cant_i'm_booked
Pickpick

This was a superbly written book, although also somewhat cacophonous regarding its number of narratives spread over thousands of years (from the establishment of holy Mecca to 1980s London) but which all share a disorienting parallel in characters and motifs. Really enjoyed the author's exploration of what separates dreams/madness from the realm of holy visions and how either can bring out both humanity's most virtuous and most despicable acts.

BarbaraBB I loved this book so much! 3y
7 likes1 comment
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cant_i'm_booked
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Another long awaited TBR book. Very curious as to what exact elements in the novel unleashed that famous (and still standing?) fatwa upon Rushdie, as well as an immense battle between those who believe it a book that blasphemes the Islamic Prophet Mohammad and those protesting religious censorship.

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GatheringBooks
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Day 28: Here are #3Books #BannedBooksIHaventRead - I actually left my copy of tagged book in Singapore with a friend because I was afraid it will be confiscated here in the UAE.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Wow!! They go through all of your belongings there? 4y
OriginalCyn620 That was probably a good decision! My in-laws used to live there so I know what you mean. 4y
GatheringBooks @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks from my experience thus far, not really. But better to be over cautious than to be flagged and not be able to order books in the future. 4y
GatheringBooks @OriginalCyn620 really? UAE? That is nice! Definitely a “whole new world” 4y
45 likes1 stack add4 comments
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DoctorMirabilis1267
Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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I‘m excited to try Book Spin for the first time. These have been books on my list for a long time. Thank you @TheAromaofBooks for hosting the Book Spin! #bookspin #doublespin

Leftcoastzen Welcome! I have enjoyed everybody‘s #bookspin posts & I‘ve made excellent progress getting to books on the TBR for a long time! 4y
TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Glad to have you along!!! 4y
DoctorMirabilis1267 @Leftcoastzen @TheAromaofBooks Thank you! I am really looking forward to it! 4y
10 likes1 stack add3 comments
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StaceyKondla
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I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join the fun if you want.
This is day 133 #bookstoread #tbrpile #bookstagram

mirnas I have that exact edition on my bookshelf for years now. Still planning to read it asap😂 4y
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Cenuel
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‘The archangel sings to me,‘ she admitted, ‘to the tunes of popular hit songs.‘

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StaceGhost
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“ Now I know what a ghost is. Unfinished business, that‘s what.” #readyoursign progress so far 📖☠️sooo many to go yet but I‘m almost halfway! 📚

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TheEllieMo
The Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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I think I want to read this, but I have a very complicated relationship with Rushdie‘s work...

#Verse #AcrossApril @Eggs

Eggs 👏🏻📚🤗👏🏻 Haven‘t read Rushdie... 5y
BookNAround I struggled with this one but adored Midnight‘s Children. 5y
TheEllieMo @BookNAround I liked Midnight‘s Children but felt it was too long; loved Quichotte but it still felt a little long. Rushdie‘s approach seems to be “why use one word when 50 will do?”! He‘s a good storyteller but oh so wordy!! 5y
TheEllieMo @Eggs I would recommend Quichotte. I didn‘t expect to like it but I did 5y
Eggs @TheEllieMo thanks for the rec! 5y
35 likes5 comments
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EadieB
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Day 18 - #Verse #AcrossApril
#TheSatanicVerses #SalmanRushdie

I have a copy of this book but have not read it yet! It is on the #1001BooksToReadBeforeYouDie list.

Eggs Exciting! 5y
EadieB @Eggs I think I should read this soon! 5y
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BarbaraBB
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#7days7books Day 5

An all-time favorite. Salman Rushdie can really be the best storyteller, taking me to places beyond my imagination 💕

You wanna join @thebluestocking and @readordierachel ? Share 7 books that have been important to you. No explanation needed.

readordierachel Thanks for tagging me 💕 I'll give it some thought 5y
65 likes1 comment
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Leftcoastzen
The Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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Good day! Long story short,I lost my original Hardcover of The Satanic Verses in a break up with a boyfriend years ago.Found this lovely copy for 25 cents today.

youneverarrived Great find 👍 5y
LeahBergen Perfect! 👌🏼 5y
43 likes2 comments
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Awk_Word_Smith
Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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I‘ll just leave this here.

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The_Reading_Hedgehog
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Pickpick

This book took me a bit to read and digest. Salman Rushdie has turned into one of my favorite writers and his book did not disappoint. I enjoyed the many elements of magical realism and how they made the story. I also found the plot compelling and thought that the messages got across.

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Weaponxgirl
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Uk littens bbc Iplayer has a program on the satanic 30 years on that is super interesting.
I‘m really going to recommend it for getting the background politics and lots of different points of views on the book.
I‘ve learnt a lot and got a lot to think about it. Thought you guys would be interested. Littens elsewhere I‘d recommend seeing if you can find this too.

sarahbarnes I read this book a few years ago and really liked it, but I feel like my understanding of the story could definitely benefit from this program. 6y
Weaponxgirl @sarahbarnes I think it would benefit someone who‘s read it even more. The presenter is a Muslim himself and talks to lots of different people how they felt about it. This includes people who were a part of the original protest, a guy who used to be from the far right a women who is no longer Muslim and has done signs for gay pride saying allah is gay. I want to read this even more now. 6y
sarahbarnes That sounds really interesting. I‘m not in the UK but will have to look at the BBC website to see if I can find it. 6y
Weaponxgirl @sarahbarnes I hope it‘s there for you too. 6y
48 likes4 comments
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Billypar
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#CallingAllMonsters #OctoberXFiles
The creature hospital scene from Satanic Verses came to mind for this, along with the fact that the manticore is rallying the patients to rise up and not stand for being defined by others.
I had much spooky fun this month @Robothugs and @Cinfhen - very well done!
Happy Halloween all 🎃💀👹👻

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Lcsmcat
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RavenLovelyReads
Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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The title gives me the heebee jeebees...but I want to know why this book shook up the world. With that said- happy banned book week! Has anyone read this?? Did you enjoy it?

MStew I wanna read it, I heard he went through alot of stuff after writing this! 6y
JustJill1963 I read it 2x and it‘s a brilliant story. 6y
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archaeolibrarianologist
Satanic Verses | Salman Rushdie
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Gina
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Oooohhhh did I score today at Goodwill! (Insert *happy dance* here)

AmyG Oh wow. You sure did. 6y
Gina @AmyG Eeeeeeeee. Some days it's like hitting the lottery there. Then I thought how cool is it that the people in my neighbour are so well read. It gives me faith in humanity. 😄 6y
AmyG Ha! It‘s such a great feeling when you find something amazing at Goodwill. Yes...like hitting the jackpot!!! 6y
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Drnkpnkprincess Ohhhh I spy hazel wood! Hope you enjoy it! 6y
Gina @Drnkpnkprincess that cover art called to me 6y
Drnkpnkprincess @Gina the gold leafing is 😍😍 - too bad it‘s just the jacket and not the hardcover and spine too 6y
13 likes6 comments
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DGRachel
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That‘s just so...wrong. 😂😂😳😭😭😭😭

alisiakae 😂😂 I like the modification! 6y
Libby1 This is hysterical! You must be birthday twins with @Rachbb3 ! 😃😈 6y
Rachbb3 Lol! 😈👍🏼 6y
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CampbellTaraL Hahaha! Hilarious 😈🤣 6y
Moray_Reads Such a great book though! Mine was Satanic too but, I imagine, much less worthwhile 😈 6y
Centique I got a Stephen King book about a flesh eating virus. 😱😱😱🤣 6y
70 likes6 comments