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Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

pick

3⭐️ I‘m sure that I would have enjoyed this novel more if I was not in this state of excessice COVID-19 anxiety. I‘m not a fan of adultery stories (can‘t they just behave?); but I loved the calming prose that Fontane used in letting us have a peek into the psychology of his characters

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Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

Covid-19 and financial market meltdown get me nervous and super freaking busy at work. Thank God for weekend readathon! So let‘s do this #stayathome24in48 Singapore time zone 🥰

Stay safe and stay healthy, Littens!

TheSpineView Love that mug!💜 Stay safe and many blessings to you!😘 5y

Reggie Love that mug!!! 5y

MaleficentBookDragon 😻😻😻😻 that mug! 🦈🦈🦈 5y

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cariashley 🙌 I‘m dealing with the same. Are you in the finance industry? I‘m in NY and my Singapore colleagues keep sending me scary updates on the escalating restrictions. 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Cute mug! Stay well. 5y

sisilia @cariashley I‘m in private banking 😆 Singapore is actually doing fine. We are very cautious here, but it has the best systems and facilities. They just launched an app that captures the phone numbers of people within 2-3 meters from you; this allows easier contact tracing. I think it‘s a brilliant app 5y

cariashley @sisilia their handling of the situation since day 1 has been phenomenal! Complete opposite of the US. The “scary” updates I was talking about are around non-Singaporeans not being allowed back into the country, which is actually smart, just a nightmare from my HR perspective 😅 5y

sisilia @cariashley haha it‘s true.. but it‘s the safest approach for everyone. All residents coming back from overseas have to stay home for 14 days now 👍🏻 5y

BarbaraBB Could you tell a bit more about that app? What is its function? To avoid coming too close? 5y

sisilia @BarbaraBB For easier contact tracing. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid19-trace-together-mobile-app... 5y

BarbaraBB Very interesting, thanks for sharing the article! 5y

sisilia @BarbaraBB Other countries should use the same app ⭐️ 5y

71 likes12 comments

youneverarrived

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

so-so

I think if the writing had been less than stellar in this one it would have been so much harder to get through. I loved the dialogue & although the characters weren‘t likeable they were well drawn and realistic. I liked the atmosphere but I was left with a ‘what was that all about‘ feeling, mostly.

I would have liked to have heard more from Christine herself especially considering the ending 👇👇

MicheleinPhilly, Librarybelle, vivastory, BarbaraBB

youneverarrived but it got me thinking how in many contemporary novels we get to hear from multiple perspectives a lot but I think this was less of a thing in 19th century fiction? #nyrbbookclub #readingeurope2020 #germany 5y

BarbaraBB You finished it! Well done. Too bad you didn‘t enjoy the whole book as much as you did in the beginning. 5y

youneverarrived @BarbaraBB eventually yeah 😂 I think it dragged on a bit too long but I did enjoy the writing. 5y

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vivastory Great review & I agree. I thought it started very strong and then dragged on a bit. 5y

Librarybelle You‘re right - 19th century fiction doesn‘t seem to have multiple perspectives. Sorry it dragged by the end! 5y

youneverarrived @vivastory yeah just that tad bit too long. 5y

youneverarrived @Librarybelle I thought so! We‘re so used to hearing from different character perspectives in recent books. 5y

Suet624 Great points about length and multiple perspectives. 5y

68 likes8 comments

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

Thank you @merelybookish for this wonderful bookmark 😘

Texreader Beautiful!! 5y

Crazeedi 💖💖💖 5y

merelybookish My pleasure! And thank you for the tags you sent! 5y

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Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

I just started this, fellow #nyrbbookclub 🤪 I dare not see the reviews and ratings; I want to find out what this is all about 😃

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Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

#MarchMadness Day 2: This is my #MarchTBR. Top two books are for our #NYRBBookClub. Nearly finished with our February pick and would share my thoughts in the discussion threads ably created by @vivastory and @MicheleinPhilly as soon as I finish reading. All titles fit into our #ReadIntl2020 theme as well.

Eggs

Liz_M The Book of Disquiet! I was so excited to buy this as a newly released translation and have yet to actually read it. 😂 5y

batsy @Liz_M It's one of my favourites! But I have an older version. I need the new translation (and that cover 😍) 5y

Eggs Great and pretty post!! 5y

60 likes3 comments

Leftcoastzen

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

pick

#NYRBBookClub At 1st, hard to get into,the 19th century in me kicked in,the world of Zola,Balzac,& Flaubert.in the afterword “people appear to be speaking insignificant small talk,& suddenly out of this twaddle comes a startling insight.”Holk has everything yet feels to the core of his being, he can throw it all over for a perfect new life.Christine ,his wife ,trying to keep her high standards, forgiveness part of her faith, what is unforgivable ?

vivastory Great review! Glad it worked for you! 5y

LeahBergen I never got past the twaddle. 😆 5y

batsy Yes! Nice review. There are buried gems in there as @merelybookish put it, but it does require work to read through the twaddle 😅 5y

merelybookish @batsy It's a lot of twaddle for a few gems. 😛 5y

46 likes4 comments

emilyhaldi

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

so-so

This book gave me such a hangover 3 wks ago that I couldn't muster the energy to post my review until now 😆 I enjoyed the writing style and there were moments of beauty (like the poignant song lyrics) but I think we would have been better served if 100 pages were omitted from the middle. If I hadn't been trapped on an airplane with it for 4 hours I may have walked away altogether...Looking forward to our discussion! #NYRBbookclub

vivastory That seems to be the general consensus, it's worthwhile (for some) while reading, but hard to return to. Should be an interesting discussion! 5y

LeahBergen You poor thing, trapped with this one on a flight. 😆 5y

MicheleinPhilly @LeahBergen 😂 Where‘s the emergency exit? I need to drop something off??? 5y

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LeahBergen @MicheleinPhilly She missed out on a great Litsy photo opp here ... she could‘ve staged a photo with this book tucked into the airline‘s barf bag. 😆😆 (edited) 5y

emilyhaldi Damn ya'll are savage!!!! @MicheleinPhilly @LeahBergen and I'm kicking myself for the missed photo op 😏 5y

MicheleinPhilly I didn‘t even read the fucking book. 😂 @LeahBergen 5y

batsy It should have been shorter, yes! 5y

emilyhaldi Lol I love it @MicheleinPhilly shit happens!! This was the best book you could have missed out on so it's all good 😉 5y

Reviewsbylola Ugh, I HATE being stuck with a book like that! 5y

Suet624 Great review. 5y

68 likes10 comments

batsy

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

pick

It's 2020. In a time of plague & my nation's own sudden political shake-up (😠) reading about dreamy German aristocrats made me want to roll out the guillotine like a French revolutionary. But! Reader, I persisted. I found the prose clean, clear, & strangely restful. Beats me what any of this is *about* but I slowly grew to appreciate the carefully-observed psychological landscape of these characters. A light yet probing sensitivity. #nyrbbookclub

batsy Definitely an outlier here 😅 @vivastory @MicheleinPhilly Also using this for #readingeurope2020 🇩🇪 #germany @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB 5y

Tanisha_A Dude, this review is 👌🏽! ⭐ 5y

Liz_M Not the only outlier! I also found it a lovely "quiet" read. 5y

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Nute On increasing occasions, I find that I am appreciating a story told with”restful” prose! Digging this review!✨ (edited) 5y

BookishMe Now if only politicians over there could be as crystal clear and rational... Oops! Anyways, your reviews always inspire me to think harder about what I read 👍🏽👍🏽 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Ha! Love your review, Suba. Great job! 👏 5y

erzascarletbookgasm And all the local drama and shenanigans are making me 😠 5y

Billypar I'm glad you liked it: I was worried that our discussion would be a bit one-sided 😁 Even if it wasn't my thing, I did feel pretty well immersed for much of it- there are many books that I've liked more that don't have that quality. Looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts! 5y

BarbaraBB Great review. You make it actually sound attractive! 5y

vivastory Stellar review! 5y

Cathythoughts Great review ✨ 5y

batsy @Tanisha_A @BookishMe @erzascarletbookgasm @BarbaraBB @vivastory @Cathythoughts Thank you, friends 💜 5y

batsy @Liz_M I'm so glad to hear that :) 5y

batsy @Nute Yes, it was a soothing "space" to be in, even if there is a lot of melancholy & anguish! It's amazing what a certain kind of writing style can evoke. 5y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm I'm so mad, J! But I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's not the end 🤞🏽 5y

batsy @Billypar Haha, I feel like I might struggle to talk about i! Because this was like a book that evoked a lot of feelings, but seems intangible in some way. Like a dream, sort of, or a "mood" book, if that makes sense. 5y

emilyhaldi Gosh, your review makes me want to read this again with a new perspective! I did get a bit if the restful prose, but the events of the story stoked my annoyance more than anything 🙃 5y

batsy @emilyhaldi I get that! And that's how it was for me at the start; somehow it was just one of those things where I don't know what happened but it clicked for me after a bit 🙂 5y

Leftcoastzen Great review!is there a good source of information online of what‘s going on in your country? 5y

LeahBergen I found it oddly restful while I was reading it but just had zero urge to pick it up again after I set it down. 🤔 (edited) 5y

batsy @Leftcoastzen Thank you! I think this article might some up the issues https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/29/muhyiddin-yassin-named-as-malaysia... I'm so depressed and angry; we had a historic election, the outcome wasn't perfect, but we're now basically held hostage by a soft backdoor coup with the conservatives aligning with the fascist, reactionary elements 5y

batsy @LeahBergen I hear ya! This was one of those books that worked better for me when I just kept going without stopping 5y

Leftcoastzen I‘ll check it out , the whole world has gone mad! 5y

Centique Beautiful review! I‘m sorry about the election result. Commiserations 💕 5y

batsy @Centique Thanks P, it's bleak for sure 💔 5y

youneverarrived You put it so well! I‘m not quite finished it yet but I‘m feeling similar about it. 5y

batsy @youneverarrived Thank you! ❤️ I look forward to your thoughts! 5y

Suet624 Oh gee, I missed what was going on with your elections. That‘s awful. And what a great review for this book. In my mind I am resting easy with this book. Now that I‘m done with it. 😀😀😀 5y

Cathythoughts Beautiful writing in your review 5y

batsy @Suet624 I know Sue, the year has barely started and it's crazy. It wasn't even elections, just a strange "stealing of power" move made worse by the fact that we have a constitutional monarchy. A veritable shitstorm, ugh 5y

batsy @Cathythoughts Thank you, lovely! ❤️ 5y

BiblioLitten I love a good characterisation.♥️ I hope I find this in the library🤔 5y

batsy @BiblioLitten A strange, odd, dreamy book that seems to have split our book club quite a bit 😁 Hope you are able to find it! 5y

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batsy

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

#nyrbbookclub

Tanisha_A 👏🏽 5y

merelybookish There are a few gems buried in there. 🙂 5y

Cathythoughts I love this quote 👍🏻❤️ 5y

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batsy @merelybookish I went from "hmm I might bail" to "hmm I'm intrigued" to "I think I like this?“ so it's been a wild ride! Lol 5y

batsy @Cathythoughts Me too! There are a number of these gems buried in there, as @merelybookish puts it 🙂 5y

Izai.Amorim "Whiskey has killed more men than war, but most men would rather die filled with whiskey than with bullets." Winston Churchill 5y

merelybookish @batsy I liked it more at the beginning and then it went downhill from there. So your ride sounds more interesting. 🙂 Still, as I have mulled it over, thinking of it on terms of the 19th c. marriage plot is interesting. 5y

batsy @merelybookish It is very intriguing in that sense, I agree! The bourgeois novel and the marriage plot can't be separated 😁 5y

batsy @Izai.Amorim 🥂 5y

Suet624 I love that quote! @Izai.Amorim 5y

Izai.Amorim @Suet624 Isn't it great? The old man was cool. 5y

97 likes11 comments

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

Really, I am reading the #NYRBBookClub February pick while weekend-ing in Dubai. Promise. Fits our #ReadIntl2020 theme, too!

wanderinglynn Great photo! 5y

vivastory 👍📚 5y

BarbaraBB Lovely pic! 5y

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Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

I swear I am reading while gallivanting around the Miracle Garden in Dubai, a Topiary Wonderland of sorts with the most gorgeous flowers in the world. Arguably the best garden, ever. But yes, really, I am reading our #NYRBBookClub pick.

MallenNC Great picture! 5y

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mklong

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

bailed

Taking a little photo inspiration from @LeahBergen here. I tried, I really did, but every time I pick up this book, I fall asleep. I don‘t think it‘s bad, I am just clearly not in the mood for it. Time to put this one to bed.

I will still check in on Saturday to see what I missed. Maybe y‘all will convince me to pick it back up! #NYRBBookClub

MicheleinPhilly Don‘t feel too badly - I‘m the group leader and I didn‘t even read it. 😬 5y

emilyhaldi I don't blame you! 5y

LeahBergen 😂😂 I hear ya! 5y

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Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

This is my second copy of this #NYRBBookClub pick-of-the-month because I lost my first one. Since I sincerely doubt I will be able to finish this before tomorrow‘s discussion, I thought I may as well pose with it while bargain book hunting in Sharjah. There‘s a book festival going on here over the weekend (check out the blurry feast behind me in the second photo) with fairly new titles going for around 1-2 usd. 4 usd max.

DrexEdit Happy book hunting! 📚📚😊 5y

Cathythoughts Great pic 5y

BarbaraBB Great pic! I haven‘t even started it ☺️ 5y

Suet624 Love all the pictures you‘ve posted. 😂😂😂 5y

66 likes4 comments

DrexEdit

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

so-so

As a study of human relationships 👍
As an easy breezy read 😐
I did enjoy it but it was work, not easy. The author is an excellent writer and portrays real human relationships with believable psychological motivations very well. There was something very honest about this book. Plus there is always something rewarding in reading translated works. Best way to learn about culture, even if that culture happens to be 19th century Danish aristocracy.

DrexEdit #nyrbbookclub 5y

Suet624 Great review! 5y

40 likes2 comments

merelybookish

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

so-so

Oh man, I finished this but it wasn't easy. At first, I was on board, as we learn about the family dynamics. I actually enjoyed some of the descriptions. But once we landed in Copenhagen, it became hard work. I didn't care and I didn't want to care. I'm okay with 19th century prose but I have to care about someone or something. Maybe so-so is generous.
But will be interesting to discuss nonetheless! @vivastory @MicheleinPhilly #nyrbbookclub

LeahBergen I do believe bailing was the right choice. 😆 5y

merelybookish @LeahBergen I feel like those of us who finished might deserve a prize 5y

LeahBergen 😆😆 5y

sarahbarnes Congrats on getting through it! 😂 5y

emilyhaldi Yes, Copenhagen was a real turning point!! 👎🏻 5y

76 likes5 comments

Suet624

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

so-so

Lordy, this was a change of gears from reading Catch and Kill. I actually found the afterword with the information about the author more interesting. The writing provides a lovely sense of place but the characters were either depressed or depressing. It was a slog fest. I‘m patting myself on the back for persevering because I really hate to bail. You never know. It‘s always possible I‘ll look back on some of the scenes with fondness. #NYRBbookclub

merelybookish Still mid-slog. But you sum up my feelings! 5y

LeahBergen I hate to bail, too! (but I did 😬😬) 5y

emilyhaldi Keep me posted if you ever find yourself looking back on this with fondness 😂😂 5y

Suet624 @emilyhaldi Hahaha. Hey, it could happen. 5y

71 likes4 comments

LeahBergen

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

bailed

Sorry, #NYRBBookClub -bers ... this one is leaving me “cold” (see what I did there? 😆) and I‘m calling it. It‘s a bail for me.

The reviews of those of you who‘ve finished it haven‘t inspired me to press on and I‘m REALLY trying to be more of a bailer in my “advanced” age. 😆😆 I‘ll be popping in to the discussion to see what I missed!

Caroline2 Yep. I bail a lot more now than I used it. 9 times out of 10 when I push through with a book, I wish I had bailed!! 5y

Cinfhen Great photo 😍 5y

batsy Ha! Love the pic! I haven't made much progress yet so I can't tell which way it's going to go 🤔 5y

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TrishB I bail a lot more too! 5y

Cathythoughts If you gotta bail , you just gotta bail ❤️👍🏻nice pic 5y

erzascarletbookgasm Haha! Brilliant what you did there! 😉 5y

BarbaraBB Great pic. And I‘m bailing a lot more too as well. Scary thought we may run out of time 😱 5y

Mdargusch I think that‘s a smart move. Most NYRB books leave me cold! 😂🥶 5y

Suet624 I‘m impressed that you bailed. I moaned and grumbled about reading it the whole way through. 5y

saresmoore Right there with ya! 5y

merelybookish Wise decision. I wish I had bailed. 5y

LeahBergen @Caroline2 @Cinfhen @batsy @TrishB @Cathythoughts @erzascarletbookgasm @BarbaraBB @Mdargusch @Suet624 @saresmoore @merelybookish Thanks for helping with my “bailers guilt “, everyone! 😄 5y

emilyhaldi Good choice!!! I was stubbornly determined to finish this for some reason, but you didn't miss much 😂 curious at which point you bailed? It had to be somewhere in Copenhagen....? 5y

emilyhaldi Ps. Are you reading French Exit????? I LOVED that book so hard ❤️❤️❤️ 5y

LeahBergen @emilyhaldi Just finished French Exit. It was weirdly wonderful! 5y

LeahBergen @emilyhaldi Oh, and I bailed right around the start of Copenhagen. 😆 5y

Reviewsbylola I never got around to this one. 😬 I‘m a big proponent of bailing though. 5y

111 likes17 comments

Billypar

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

so-so

#nyrbbookclub
Not for me: the writing was good but not enough to hold my interest without more plot. I did enjoy the characters: there were a lot of colorful ones with lively dialogue. The Count & Countess' relationship intrigued me at first, but Holk seemed the less interesting of the two and we spend far more time with him. His chief quality seemed to be how dense he was in social situations, and I was bored by the mundane details of his day 👇

Billypar Still, I'm glad I stuck it out: there were strong moments, and I enjoyed learning about a time and place in European history that I knew little about previously. I look forward to our discussion to hear from those who enjoyed it more! @MicheleinPhilly @vivastory 5y

BarbaraBB Great review. I must still read it - before the 29th. The blurb did appeal to me but all your reviews scare me off a bit! 5y

Nute Thoughtful review! I get what you‘re saying...if there is very little plot in the book then the characters need to at least be interesting. 5y

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Billypar @BarbaraBB I think there's been some positive early responses so I expect we'll have a range of reactions, which tends to make for good discussion! 5y

Billypar @Nute I've changed a little as a reader over time - plot isn't as important as it used to be, and characters more so. But I still like a good story-- without one, there's got to be something else that really grabs me about the characters or writing style overall. 5y

LeahBergen I‘m about 50 pages in and seriously considering a “ bail” on this one (and I seldom, if EVER, bail). 😮 5y

Billypar @LeahBergen Yeah, it's pretty rare that I bail, and it's usually with nonfiction if I do. The setting does change and you do meet some characters that are an improvement on some of the ones from the first 50 pages. But if you continue I would set your expectations that the pace will remain on the slow side until closer to the end. 5y

merelybookish @LeahBergen I also considered bailing but felt some guilt so slogging away. I *may* be doing some skimming, tho. I just find it...kind of dull. 😴 5y

merelybookish Great point about Holk! Im still trapped in Copenhagen with him and hoping to get back to Christine soon. 5y

Billypar @merelybookish Yeah I never really felt like he had a ton of hidden depths that I wondered about. Now I'm more curious in getting others' thoughts on what Fontane likely felt about him, or if there's something I missed. 5y

Suet624 I‘m so with you on this book. Just a tough one to get through. I‘m not sure I even liked ANY of the characters. 5y

Billypar @Suet624 Yeah, I wouldn't say any were very likable. I found them entertaining at times, but not enough to offset the slow place and minimal plot. 5y

42 likes12 comments

Aimeesue

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

This one is a liiiiiiiitle slower paced than my last read. From Drake on the high seas to Schleswig-Holstein. Interestingly, they both have a lot of Lutherans running about.
#NYRBBookclub
#Stella
#Suzie
#DogsofLitsy

Leftcoastzen 🐶🐶❤️It‘s a slower pace but I‘m enjoying it .about 100 pages in. 5y

Aimeesue @Leftcoastzen Oh, I‘m enjoying it; it‘s just an adjustment. I did kind of want to hie off to Scicily with Baron Steen to watch Etna erupt, though. 😁 (edited) 5y

merelybookish I've started to skin the political sections. 🙈 5y

Aimeesue @merelybookish Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do to get through things. 😂 5y

39 likes4 comments

merelybookish

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

"It is not the opinion that matters but the way you defend it."
Some food for thought.
This book tho...reminds me of being in a 19th c. lit class. It feels serious and "good for me," a bit ponderous. I don't dislike but it's no page-turner. Some of the problems feel pretty rarified (e.g. build a family vault or a badminton court ?). Still the marital issues feel recognizable and real.
Only 50 pages in.
#nyrbbookclub @vivastory @MicheleinPhilly

youneverarrived Interesting. It‘s like ‘it‘s not what you say, but how you say it‘. I had no idea it was written in the 1800s till I started it the other day but I‘m really enjoying the atmosphere & the characters. 5y

vivastory I don't completely agree with that sentiment, but there's some truth to it for sure. 5y

merelybookish @youneverarrived I'm enjoying the domestic scenes but finding discussions of Danish politics a bit. 😴 5y

merelybookish @vivastory I know...I found it intriguing to think about in the midst of our political climate. 5y

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youneverarrived

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

I started this last night and I‘m really liking it so far. #nyrbbookclub

Might use this for Germany for #readingeurope2020 too 🇩🇪

65 likes

Billypar

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

#nyrbbookclub

Quite a blurb, right?

Not pictured: "Unputdownable!" --Leo Tolstoy

Leftcoastzen Yo ,Brooklyn! 5y

DrexEdit 😨😁 5y

Billypar @Leftcoastzen Brooklyn says 'yo' back! 🌉🗽 5y

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batsy I need to start this soon! I'm taking Mann at his word 😅 5y

Billypar @batsy I'm a little past the halfway point and struggling a bit with staying engaged, but hopefully it will begin to pick up soon (also just might not be my thing). 5y

Suet624 @LeahBergen @billypar did you see what Tolstoy had to say about this book? 😂😂😂 interesting to think about what other books were being read at that time. Maybe this one really was impressive for that period. 5y

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merelybookish

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

Youngest kiddo is at a birthday party so I'm hanging out at the mall with bobo tea and the February #NYRBbookclub selection.
Based on the description on the back, not expecting a light read. 😬

Lcsmcat Sounds good, though. I‘ll be watching for your impressions. 5y

merelybookish @Lcsmcat I'm liking it so far. Very 19th century realistic. 5y

LeahBergen I better get cracking on this one soon. 😬 5y

merelybookish @LeahBergen I checked yesterday. Doesn't appear many people have started this one. (Except @saresmoore ) 5y

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saresmoore

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

I‘m enjoying this more as I go on. The conversation topics are of almost no interest to me, but the relational dynamics are feeling very palpable. #NYRBBookClub

vivastory I will be starting it Monday. I'm looking forward to it! 5y

Suet624 I had started and then Ronan Farrow‘s book finally came through my library app. It‘s engrossing and I hope I‘ll get back to this one soon. 5y

Suet624 Ugh. This book is such a slog. 5y

saresmoore @Suet624 Agreed. I‘m not sure if I‘ll get through this one. 5y

87 likes4 comments

saresmoore

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

In contrast to the super engaging Wolf Hall, I‘m having trouble getting in to this one. But I think it will be worth the effort since it‘s for #NYRBBookClub.

readordierachel That cover image is intriguing 5y

saresmoore @readordierachel Isn‘t it? I really want to like this, but so far it‘s a snoozefest. 5y

saresmoore @emilyhaldi Have you made any more progress on this? 5y

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LeahBergen Oh oh. I haven‘t picked it up yet. 😬 5y

saresmoore @LeahBergen It might get better! The characters just keep talking about building vaults and stables and Prussia and I‘m 😴 (admittedly exhausted from growing a human). 5y

MicheleinPhilly WHOOPSIE! Oh well - I just suggested it, y‘all picked it. 😉 At the rate my month is going I may not even be able to “host.” 😩 5y

saresmoore @MicheleinPhilly Oh, no! I‘m really sorry you‘re having a rough month! ♥️ But you certainly can‘t take any blame if the book doesn‘t turn out to be one we love, that gamble is half the fun! 5y

Leftcoastzen Me, perpetually behind . Starting soon. 5y

BarbaraBB I haven‘t started it yet either. But I will. Because of #NYRBbookclub. @emilyhaldi wrote somewhere it got a bit better towards the end so I hold on to that. Looking forward to what you will think, Sara. Last but not least, take care @MicheleinPhilly ❤️ 5y

Suet624 You forgot about all the talk of the homeopathic veterinarian. 5y

saresmoore @Suet624 Oh, right! 😂 5y

emilyhaldi I'm going to be honest, this one never really grabbed me. The begging and end, where the focus was on the marriage, were more interesting to me. I found my mind wandering during the whole middle section 🤨 it's an odd one for sure! 5y

Liz_M I just started (what better day to read about the failure of a marriage than Valentine's Day?) and find it oddly...soothing? An ordinary life of quiet despair. 5y

90 likes13 comments

emilyhaldi

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

My views have changed considerably in the past 12 hours, and not for the better 😏

I brought next month's #NYRBBookclub selection along on vacation and quickly realized it is NOT a beach read 😆 I'm guessing anyone else who has started this would agree... However, I am hoping I can dedicate the majority of my next flight to focusing in on this as it's quite dense 🤓

LeahBergen I can never read dense books on planes. Perhaps you should have purchased one of those chicken cookbooks instead? 😂😂 5y

emilyhaldi Apparently chicken cookbooks make for popular airplane reading in some parts of the world!!! @LeahBergen 😂🤔 5y

Mdargusch Sounds about right. 5y

Reviewsbylola Not sure you were able to focus much with the bathroom debacle. 😂 5y

BarbaraBB You brought some heavy stuff with you on your beach holiday! I hope this one gets better! 5y

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Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

#NewYearNewYou Day 27: Now this is a portrait of #PerfectPleasure. Non-alcoholic cherry and strawberry margarita. Just the way I like it. I know I know. What can I do. #NYRBBookClub - anyone started on this yet?

Eggs

Eggs Beautiful and tasty 😋 sounds great 👍🏼 Love that cover (edited) 5y

LeahBergen My copy should be arriving this week. 👍🏻 5y

youneverarrived My copy arrived yesterday but not starting it till next month 😊 (edited) 5y

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BarbaraBB Not yet but I did receive my copy 😀 5y

vivastory Not yet, probably in a couple of weeks 5y

Suet624 Starting it in a few weeks and those drinks look amazing. 5y

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Leftcoastzen

Irretrievable | Theodor Fontane

How Litsy and reading in general makes you buy more stuff!So the tagged book is next months #NYRBBookClub read , my local libraries did not have it .And listening to Will in the World made me wonder more about the Catholic/anti Catholic times in England so here I go buying the earliest editions of the Book of Common Prayer .Continuing education, can deduct it?😄

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