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The Air You Breathe
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
231 posts | 69 read | 2 reading | 150 to read
The story of an intense female friendship fueled by affection, envy and pride--and each woman's fear that she would be nothing without the other. Some friendships, like romance, have the feeling of fate. Skinny, nine-year-old orphaned Dores is working in the kitchen of a sugar plantation in 1930s Brazil when in walks a girl who changes everything. Graa, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy sugar baron, is clever, well fed, pretty, and thrillingly ill behaved. Born to wildly different worlds, Dores and Graa quickly bond over shared mischief, and then, on a deeper level, over music. One has a voice like a songbird; the other feels melodies in her soul and composes lyrics to match. Music will become their shared passion, the source of their partnership and their rivalry, and for each, the only way out of the life to which each was born. But only one of the two is destined to be a star. Their intimate, volatile bond will determine each of their fortunes--and haunt their memories. Traveling from Brazil's inland sugar plantations to the rowdy streets of Rio de Janeiro's famous Lapa neighborhood, from Los Angeles during the Golden Age of Hollywood back to the irresistible drumbeat of home, The Air You Breathe unfurls a moving portrait of a lifelong friendship--its unparalleled rewards and lasting losses--and considers what we owe to the relationships that shape our lives.
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review
JenReadsAlot
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Pickpick

I thought this was pretty good. My #doublespin for April @TheAromaofBooks
#roll100 @PuddleJumper

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 8mo
42 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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JenReadsAlot
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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My picks for April! I've already started tagged so good picking @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!!! Enjoy!!! 8mo
28 likes1 comment
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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“When we are young, we give ourselves completely. We allow our first friends or first lovers or first songs inside us, to become a part of our unformed being, without ever thinking of the consequences, or of their permanence within us.”

This quote…

#HumbleHarvest
#Friendship

Eggs Elegant quote that really hits me square in the heart 💞🩷💘 13mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs me too ❤️ 13mo
59 likes2 comments
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Ellen_C
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Pickpick

A story of friendship, jealousy and creativity against backdrop of political repression in Brasil 1930s/40s. Dores and Gracas are unlikely friends drawn together by circumstances & their love of music. Peebles shows us the slums of Rio and 1940s Hollywood as we see the girls fortunes rise and fall. https://cannonballread.com/2023/09/the-air-you-breathe-a-novel-elcicco/

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marleed
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Pickpick

This was good HF! 1930‘s-40s Brazil to Hollywood with two unlikely bffs. It‘s always interesting to me the success someone, even a kitchen maid, can find when allowed education, even if that education is only to supplement the success of someone born to more privilege. Also, trying to find success with Brazilian music in a Hollywood rampant with racism was an interesting read.

#14books14weeks2023 Book 13!
@TheHeartlandBookFairy

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I loved this one ❤️ 1y
marleed @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks It was very well done! 1y
81 likes1 stack add2 comments
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tokorowilliamwallace
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles

A joke is a way of dominating a language. You must have timing and fluidity, like a fine musician...This is what happens when you move to a foreign place: either you recoil into yourself, becoming a quiet, tense listener, or you make a show of your errors, flaunting them for all to see. Both are attempts to make people comfortable with your otherness. Forgettable, or entertaining.

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tokorowilliamwallace
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Sit beside me now, at the riverbank
hear my voice, loud and strong.
Wade into these sweet waters with me,
let me open your heart with a song.

Now we're both pulled under, friend,
singing the same refrain:
Dive back, again, to the lace you once loved
and you'll find it's never the same.
. . .
Now, I wish for the early, chaotic part of my life to return to me, even with its cruelty, its sacrifice, its missteps, its misdeeds. My misdeeds.

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tokorowilliamwallace
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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#two4tuesdays @TheSpineView
1. Philosophy or miscellaneous non-fiction? Even for fiction, what I go for is probably too vague to fit one genre.
I'd probably be driven insane like The Joker if I had this restriction. I constantly crave and live off of novelty and variety.
2. Most of the books I pick up and read are half-started and unfinished. No other way to be.

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Crazeedi
The Air You Breathe | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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#12Booksof2021 #2ndBookof2021 #February @Andrew65
I actually read this as an audiobook. And the narrator was excellent. The book was complex, and very moving

Andrew65 A good book. 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Loved this one!! 3y
59 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Catsandbooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Pickpick

5/5 ⭐️ It took me forever to finish this book, but not because it was bad or slow, but rather cause I've been having a stressful few months. Beautiful story of Dores and Graça, two women whose friendship and love of music changes their lives forever. Sort of gave me Evelyn Hugo vibes, which I loved. I think this would make a wonderful movie or TV show! If you love music, travel, or historical fiction- it's a must read!
#FoodandLit

45 likes1 stack add
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Catsandbooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Perfect spring afternoon 🌿🌷💙

Cortg Yessss! I spent some time in my hammock yesterday. It‘s my happy place! 4y
Catsandbooks @Cortg It's great as long as there's no bugs biting! As soon as they come out, I go in lol 4y
46 likes2 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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“If remembering tells us who we are, then forgetting keeps us sane. If we recalled every song we‘d ever heard, every touch we‘d ever felt, every pain no matter how small, every sadness no matter how petty, every joy no matter how selfish, we could surely lose our minds”

Traveling to #SouthAmerica for this one!! So good!!

#LitsySpringBreak

Ruthiella You‘re the second person to use this title for the this prompt! It must be good! 😀 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Ruthiella it is!!! Definitely read it! ❤️ 4y
80 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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CoffeeNBooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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#LitsySpringBreak #SouthAmerica I loved this book, set in Brazil in the 1930s.
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheKidUpstairs

Crazeedi Great book 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Loved this one!! 4y
71 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Crazeedi
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Pickpick

#FoodAndLit #Brazil @Butterfinger @Texreader
Thank you for taking me to Brazil to listen to this timeless story! I'm glad I chose audio for all the pronunciations, the reader was great. This is a story of samba, of songs of rich girl and poor girl bound together by circumstances of birth, but bound even more by the music in them. From the roda de samba to LA and back, the story of their lives unfold. Beautifully written.

Crazeedi I will definitely read more by this author 4y
Crazeedi Update on #20in4 @Andrew65 8 hrs so far!! 4y
Andrew65 Great 👏👏👏 I enjoyed this book. 4y
See All 10 Comments
Texreader Already stacked!! 4y
TheBookHippie There‘s a playlist for the music on Spotify it‘s just lovely. We read this for our BuddyRead on Sundays we had great talks. 4y
Crazeedi @TheBookHippie I didn't know that, I'll definitely look for it 4y
Butterfinger Wonderful review. 4y
Cinfhen I didn‘t realize it was a translated book ❣️awesomeness 4y
Crazeedi @Cinfhen I just checked after you said this. I thought I saw it was a translation but now I cant find and I think I'm wrong! Taking this off number 8!! 4y
Cinfhen That‘s ok 👍🏻 you could be right 😊 4y
67 likes10 comments
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Crazeedi
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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#Audiobaking the my new #airfryermagic , just finished the tagged book for #FoodAndLit @Butterfinger @Texreader . Posting review after dinner!!

JacqMac That looks yummy! 4y
Elizabeth2 That looks mouthwatering! 😋 4y
Butterfinger Oh my, that looks delicious. 4y
See All 8 Comments
DarkMina That looks amazing! 4y
Catsandbooks Air fryers are awesome! 4y
Crazeedi @Catsandbooks I am loving mine! 4y
fictionaddictbooks @Crazeedi Gosh, these look really yummy😋😋😋 4y
75 likes8 comments
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Crazeedi
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Audio-crafting, (for #FoodAndLit) took a break from phone yesterday and today!
3/4 the way through the book, it's like 19 hours?!

Elizabeth2 Beautiful! You are so talented, Diane! 😍 4y
AmyG One is prettier than the next! ❤️ 4y
TheSpineView Lovely! 💜 4y
See All 11 Comments
curiouserandcurioser @Crazeedi So beautiful💜 4y
DinoMom So beautiful 🤩 4y
eanderson Very cool!!! 😀 4y
AmyK1 I love your bookmarks! ❤️ 4y
MemoirsForMe Gorgeous! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
erzascarletbookgasm Lovely job! 4y
Cupcake12 So pretty x 4y
Eggs 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
68 likes11 comments
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Crazeedi
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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#FoodAndLit @Butterfinger @Texreader
https://medium.com/remote-sensing-in-agriculture/sugarcane-cultivation-in-brazil...
This is an article on sugarcane production in Brazil. It is the world leader in producing this vital staple. The book I'm reading takes place partly on a sugarcane plantation in the early 1900's.

Butterfinger That was interesting. I'm glad it pointed out that the sugarcane development will destroy the rainforest environment. Thank you for sharing. 4y
Butterfinger Diane, I don't know why I tagged you on your own post. It is one of those, "Look at this momma!!!! Her dress turns colors! moments. 4y
See All 16 Comments
Catsandbooks I'm hoping to read this book this week! 4y
TheBookHippie We did this for Bookclub when we were BOTMBUDDYREAD all the questions and research I did is still there but the search for it 😝😩 enjoy it‘s quite good. #botmbuddyread (edited) 4y
Texreader Looks good! Stacked! Thanks for posting the article! (edited) 4y
EadieB I read this too with the BOTM Buddy Read. Enjoyed it very much! Hope you do too! 4y
Crazeedi @EadieB I really am, the audio is very good 4y
EadieB @Crazeedi I think I did audio + book! Good story! I own her other book but haven't read it yet (edited) 4y
Crazeedi @EadieB I ordered the seamstress too, have it in my stack! Lol 4y
EadieB @Crazeedi I could have read it and sent it to you. 4y
Crazeedi @EadieB I guess I should have known you might have! Lol. You've been generous already! 4y
EadieB @Crazeedi You should check with me because I have to read and get rid of my books after I read them as I have too many books. 4y
Crazeedi @EadieB well I will definitely remember (I hope)!! 4y
LitStephanie Clearing rainforests to grow sugarcane to make fuel doesn't seem to be a win for the climate or biodiversity. Interesting that sugar cane is such a big part of Brazil's economy, though! 4y
77 likes3 stack adds16 comments
review
Beccacraft
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
Pickpick

This book is about two girls from opposite upbringings who join together through their love of music, and learn how truly intertwined they are. It was fun, engaging, and enjoyable, and I learned a lot about the making of music in Brazil.

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Catsandbooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Joining August #BookSpin #Bookspinbingo with book of the month books I'm behind on

BennettBookworm They‘re so prettyyyyy 4y
Catsandbooks @BennettBookworm yes they are 😍 I actually have a whole cart full of them 4y
TheAromaofBooks Hurray!! 4y
See All 6 Comments
AmyG Great photo and wonderful books! 4y
Catsandbooks @AmyG thanks! 4y
42 likes6 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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“If remembering tells us who we are , then forgetting keeps us sane.”

There is definitely not much air stirring out here!! It‘s 91 degrees, but feels like 101!! 🥵

#Forget
#FlyHighJuly

Eggs Just finished walking at 7:30 and it‘s 100 here 4y
Eggs Lovely (and true) quote ❤️🌸❤️ 4y
Trashcanman 🤗🤗😊 4y
See All 12 Comments
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs I‘ve been writing letters 🥰 should have been walking!! 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Trashcanman how are you my friend 💙 4y
Eggs Wish we could walk together ☺️😊 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 4y
Trashcanman @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I'm still sucking in oxygen, for what that's worth. I'm mostly ok. Thank you for asking and for your card. It was nice to receive it. Thank you for not forgetting about me. How are you? How are your kids? I hope you are all well and safe. 4y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Trashcanman you‘re welcome. I‘ll never forget you 💙 Everyone is well here thank goodness... is everyone there? 4y
Trashcanman @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Everyone here is safe. 🤗🤗❤ 4y
tracey38 It was 93 but felt like 108 here today before a huge storm came through around 4pm. 4y
84 likes12 comments
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Erofan
The Air You Breathe | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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?We all take for granted things that come too easily.
That's why I can't let you go--you're always a challenge to me.
Here's my wow to you, here's all I believe:
For you, I'll stay invisble. I"ll be the air you breathe."?
#samba #brazil #theairyoubreathe

ItsAnotherJen This cover is so pretty 4y
aa_guer2021 Just a curious question, but why is your book in Russian? Do you read/speak it? 4y
Erofan @ItsAnotherJen Yeah!! I like the cover very much! The colors are rich and this cover is so pleasant to the touch! 😍 4y
Erofan @ruskigurl16 😁 I'm from Russia! I live in Saint Petersburg! 😉 4y
aa_guer2021 Ой! Привет! Я тоже из Санкт Петербурга! 😀 4y
59 likes5 comments
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Erofan
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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A clumsy orphan girl works in the kitchen on a sugar planter's estate in the North of Brazil. But one day in the house appears her age - the daughter of the owner. Music lives in the soul of each of them. And both dream of plunging into the big world. Music will become their common passion, the foundation of their life.
#currentlyreading

61 likes1 comment
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erinreads
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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It‘s okay to give up on a book 122 pages in, right? I didn‘t not like this, I just could never get momentum and read more than like 20 pages at a time, so it just feels like I‘ve stalled. I have been super busy with work this week and I also started another book right before this, so I feel like I know why this never got traction and it has nothing to do with the book. I always hate bailing after spending days with a book, though. 😭

Megabooks Bail! Why waste more time? 4y
50 likes1 comment
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erinreads
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Cats make good Kindle holders until they try and eat it. 🤦🏼‍♀️ #catsoflitsy #damnfinecooper

sprainedbrain Kindles are tasty at my house, too. 😂 4y
65 likes1 comment
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SheReadsAndWrites
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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1) The Air You Breathe, 24/6, Troubled Minds
2) Foreign Deceit by Jeff Carson
3) The Bookish Life of Nina Hill
#weekendreads
@rachelsbrittain

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SheReadsAndWrites
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Starting this one tonight... 🤓 #amreading

Hooked_on_books I 😍 this book! 5y
Ashley_Nicoletto I really enjoyed this one too! 5y
SheReadsAndWrites Oh good! I didn't know anything about it when I picked it up. @Hooked_on_books @Ashley_Nicoletto 5y
31 likes3 comments
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stephothebesto
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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1. ✔️
2. Puffy. Try not to eat them all the time, but when a bookstagrammer posed the question "What core would you want in your wand? It could be anything" that came to mind very quickly.
3. Sunset
4. Book plane tickets to Italy and to Uruguay.
5. ??‍♀️ They were all pretty good... Third grade was a good grade for reading, so let's go with that.

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RhianJMartin
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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I've been exploring my bookshelves lately. Don't you love looking at book cover designs and noticing what sort of colors are used? Teal seems to be a rare one, but I still managed to find four books with gorgeous teal covers and spines. 📚🐚

Have you read any of these books? 🤔

#teal #colorful #bookshelf #deebrown #theairyoubreathe #princecaspian #narnia #maevebinchy #thechroniclesofnarnia #francesdepontespeebles #cslewis

25 likes2 stack adds
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readtheworld
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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My current #TBR stack! I posted back in January about my personal goal of having 100% TBR turnover from one year to the next. 2019 is more than halfway over and I‘ve read (or DNFed and removed) most of my 2019 TBR books. The ones I still need to read are:
📖 The Air You Breathe
📖 The Night Tiger
📖 The Cairo Trilogy
📖 Pachinko
📖 The Cartographer of No Man‘s Land
📖 Cuentos de Eva Luna
📖 The Door (not pictured)

#readinggoal #toread

Tamra Good for you! 5y
readtheworld @Tamra thanks! 🙃 5y
Reagan Good job! I bet that feels fantastic! 5y
Lindy 💪 5y
readtheworld @Reagan-reads It does! I have a list of all the TBR books that I started 2019 with, and it‘s very gratifying to cross them off. 5y
64 likes5 comments
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Samplergal
The Air You Breathe | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Pickpick

I already deviated from my #24B4Readathon. I‘d forgotten about hVing not yet finishing this one. Tonight I finished. It‘s an epic with lots of interesting themes. I‘ll likely not forget these characters anytime soon, but it wasn‘t a book I couldn‘t put down. Only 3:5 ⭐️. But the writing is lovely. #mayMadness

Finished #2.

BeansPage Nice!!! 👍😃👍 5y
Andrew65 Same for me, I started this a few months ago but not felt the desire to pick it up and finish it. So well done. 👏 5y
86 likes1 stack add2 comments
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MrBook
The Air You Breathe | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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We‘ve wrapped up another wonderful meeting of #The2030SomethingBookClub 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! It was marvelous! This book provided plenty of conversation fodder if any book club organizers out there are looking for a selection to feature at an upcoming meeting. I give the book 4.5 stars. 👍🏻👍🏻

Have you read this novel?!

#NYC #bookclub

Samplergal It‘s to be finished this week, as it was too big to haul to Mexico. 6y
Karisa We read it for #botmbuddyread here on Litsy a few months back. Lots of great discussion to be had with Dores, Graca, and Carmen Miranda's life too! Glad your group enjoyed it too.😊 6y
100 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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MrBook
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Ahh, after 5 hours of hardcore work, time to relax on my porch with a good book and some whisky. Gorgeous, comfortable weather today for once, thank goodness. 😎🥃

Drocchio03 What a wonderful Saturday afternoon plan. Enjoy! 6y
Peddler410 Nice yard you have there! 6y
112 likes2 comments
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MrBook
The Air You Breathe | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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#BookNDinner! I have to take a minute and—I don‘t know—release. This has happened to me in my life twice before—it‘s always overwhelming & humbling for me. I saw a colleague today I don‘t normally get the chance to see, & she gave me a Red Lobster gift card 😱🙈*happy tear*. It‘s like a...I don‘t know, group networking thing going on, I‘ve been getting so much generosity from folks 😱. I got lobster, shrimp, crab, mashed potatoes, & salad. 😋

PurpleyPumpkin Aww, how very thoughtful. And I‘m sure this has happened right when you needed it! Relax and enjoy. 😊 6y
TheBookHippie Oh I want your opinion on the book!!!! 6y
AmyG How kind. Enjoy. I hope this book pulls you in. I loved it. 6y
kspenmoll Yum! It‘s because you are thoughtful & generous with yourself! Enjoy! How do you feel about the book? 6y
SW-T It‘s great to have such wonderful friends 😊 6y
124 likes5 comments
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MrBook
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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#BookNDinner! #CrackerBarrel Edition! The friend part fell through, but the dinner part didn‘t thanks to a gift card from my uncle 😁. Accompaniment this chilly and downpouring evening: steak, baked sweet potato with butter and brown sugar, mac ‘n‘ cheese, broccoli florets, cornbread & biscuit, and sweet tea. MMMmmm 😋! Happy reads & happy eats! 😎👌🏻

Drocchio03 I ❣ Cracker Barrel!! 6y
AmyG Great book! Dinner looks delicious. 6y
Maggie_Reads Yum!! Cracker Barrel is da BOMB!!! 😋 6y
See All 6 Comments
TheSpineView Yum! They have the best sweet tea! 6y
Crazeedi Hungry!! 6y
bookish_wookish Their pancakes give me life!!!! 🥞 6y
111 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
Nitpickyabouttrains
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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Pickpick

I really liked this historical fiction. Also, has anyone else noticed how many books have the backs of two women on them?

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CoffeeNBooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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#MayMovieMagic #HowFarIllGo It's the 1930s in Brazil, and Doris and Graca run away to the city because they want to be singers.
@cinfhen @rohit-sawant

Cinfhen I was curious about this #BOTM pick 🧐 Did U like it?? 6y
CoffeeNBooks @Cinfhen I thought it was a really good book! 6y
Cinfhen Oh, great!! Glad to hear it was a pick!! 6y
94 likes3 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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“We are all beautiful in our youth and we are all forgiven.”

#Forgive
#SpringIntoReading

84 likes1 stack add
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GinaKButler
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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I love a surprise in the mail from a bookish friend! Can‘t wait to read this one!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Great book ❤️❤️ 6y
5 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
alisonrose
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
Pickpick

OMG. YOU GUYS. THIS BOOK. My second 5-star read of 2019, only a bit over a week after the first, in fact. Absolutely adored every bit of this. I love these sort of whole-life accounts, esp w/an older woman narrator. Writing was pitch perfect, characters were all so flawed but it was also so obvious why they loved & needed each other. You see them change for better or worse & you understand them so well, it almost hurts. Also, QUEERNESS YAY. 5🌟

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alisonrose
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles

What a treacherous gift the imagination can be—one minute a blessing that grants you escape, the next an enemy you must fight off for your own survival.

[So. Damn. True.]

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alisonrose
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles

It‘s said that necessity is the mother of invention. I‘d argue that spite is its father. How many songs, poems, palaces, paintings, books, and enterprises have been made as retribution for a slight, a heartbreak, a careless word? Creation is a form of vengeance against a disbelieving world.

LoverofLit I'm on love with this quote! 😍 6y
LoverofLit *in 6y
alisonrose @LoverofLit it‘s so good, just jumped out at me 6y
30 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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cpreja
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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When I was young I made a promise to the music: I'll be here,I'll open a space within myself for you.I showed that I was devoted,and in return it rewarded me with words,with creation itself.There was the passion of a love affair in these moments because the music demanded my time,my full attention,my complete devotion.As long as I rendered myself entirely to its service,the music allowed me inside itself,immersed in a space where time didn't exist

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alisonrose
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles

When you have no power in this world you must create your own, you must adapt to your environment and try to foil the many dangers around you, so a woman‘s pleasantness—her smile, her grace, her cheer, her sweetness, her perfumed body, her carefully made-up face—isn‘t some silly by-product of fashions or taste; it is a means of survival. The performance may cripple us, but it keeps us alive.

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alisonrose
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles

Being a woman is always a performance; only the very old and very young are allowed to bow out of it. The rest must play our parts with vigor but seemingly without effort.

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alisonrose
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles
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[Well, there will be when I use this phrase as the name of my feminist indie punk band.]

SW-T 🤣🤣🤣🤣 6y
Beatlefan129 I would totally go listen to a band called The Uncommon Hussies 6y
Weaponxgirl Yup, I‘d watch them too 6y
alisonrose @Weaponxgirl 👌🏻👌🏻👌🏻 6y
41 likes1 stack add5 comments
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alisonrose
The Air You Breathe: A Novel | Frances de Pontes Peebles

Beyond that kitchen and those cane fields was a world of possibilities that I couldn‘t fathom, but wanted to. I was awed by the avarice of that cane fire. It was beautiful in its constant need, in its unbridled hunger. I watched it burn, its heat pounding against my skin, and knew that we were alike, that fire and me. We wanted more than we‘d been given, and we always would.