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Very Nice
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
"From the acclaimed author of The Red Car, a comic novel of race, money, sex, liberalism, and bad behavior in our post-Obama, era featuring a wealthy Connecticut divorcee, her college-age daughter, and the famous Pakistani-American novelist who seduces them both"--
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Christine
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

Was slumping a bit so shopped my own shelves. This was great! My second Dermansky and I liked it at least as much as the first. I‘m still unsettled by the almost total lack of contractions (and Litsy confirms that I was whining about this with The Red Car, too! 😆). But I did just google it this time and learned a bit about why she doesn‘t use them, which soothed me. I did a hybrid read of this + the (excellent, full cast)
audio.

Ruthiella This has been on my list for forever! 8mo
BarbaraBB This one made me laugh so hard! And I think it is better than Red car too. 8mo
Christine @Ruthiella I felt the same! Well worth making time for. 8mo
Christine @BarbaraBB Yes, so funny (and the audio narrators heightened that for me, too)! 8mo
38 likes4 comments
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Suet624
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this one but I‘ll never remember the name of it. All of the characters are pining for a certain person who just isn‘t interested in them. Most of the characters are self-involved and selfish but I always wanted to know what was going to happen to them.

BarbaraBB I had a good laugh while reading this and that can be so welcome at times too! 14mo
Suet624 @BarbaraBB so true. 14mo
60 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Cinfhen
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

Wow, did I love this book. It was smart, funny and full of suburbia sizzle ! A perfect read to kick off September.
#FeaturesALoveTriangle #Booked2023 @BarbaraTheBibliophage
#ISpyBingo #LetterX #JustWordsOnCover #Adjective

BarbaraBB Yesss! I loved this one. Made me laugh out loud so often. Especially the purple swimsuits 😂 1y
Cinfhen Everything was so clever! I enjoyed all the characters including the dog 🐩 @BarbaraBB (edited) 1y
KarenUK Loved this too! 1y
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TheAromaofBooks Such a fun cover!! 1y
Cinfhen I like this cover too despite it being rather plain @TheAromaofBooks and I really did enjoy the book @KarenUK have you read any other of her books? I‘m thinking of trying 1y
Megabooks Yay!!! @BarbaraBB and I are fans!! She sent me this that I really enjoyed, too. 1y
Cinfhen I‘m DEFINITELY going to read/ listen to Red Car @Megabooks !!!🚘♥️ 1y
72 likes2 stack adds7 comments
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squirrelbrain
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

You were so right about this book @BarbaraBB - it‘s such a fun read!

The characters are *all* completely unlikeable but in a hilarious over-the-top way. I thought the ending was a little bit too OTT for me but overall a fab book, especially for the first read of my holiday.

BarbaraBB I am so happy you enjoyed it! It‘s a good vacation read indeed, so hilarious. Those purple bathing suits 😂. Your picture is fantastic, enjoy your time camping 😘❤️ 2y
youneverarrived Have a lovely holiday 💕 2y
Megabooks This is a fun one! Enjoy your holiday! 2y
Megabooks This was a tob longlist gem a couple of years ago. 2y
66 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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BarbaraBB
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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#AlphabetGame Letter V

This was really the right book at the right time: it was such a funny read and exactly what I needed when I read it, thanks to @Megabooks

Megabooks 😘😘😘 this was such a fun read! 2y
53 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Karkar
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

This book was a super fast read for me. But I agree with the other reviewers that I did not like any of these characters.

Megabooks But they are wonderfully unlikable in my opinion! 4y
41 likes1 stack add1 comment
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erzascarletbookgasm
Very Nice: A novel | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

The story of a bunch of nasty people, somehow interconnected, who put their own interests above all else, behaved terribly, & got themselves in messy situations. Even the gorgeous dog was not very likeable (she was disloyal). The choppy & bitting writing style took a little time to get used to but it turned out to be irresistible & strangely amusing. The climax where everyone showed up at the pool..it‘s crazy. Enjoyable, satirical, & humorous.

erzascarletbookgasm Thanks for putting this on my radar @BarbaraBB . I remember stacking it after your review. I‘ll check out her other books. 👍 4y
Megabooks The climax is great! 4y
BarbaraBB Yes I loved that setting at the swimming pool with all those purple bathing suits 😂😂. Happy you liked it! 4y
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erzascarletbookgasm @Megabooks @BarbaraBB It would be interesting and fun if it‘s being adapted to a tv mini series. 😁 4y
Reggie You make me want to try this. 4y
Cathythoughts Sounds like a good read 👍🏻❤️ 4y
84 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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cathysaid
Very Nice: A novel | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

Entertaining with slightly disjointed prose reflected in the jacked up lives of every single character. A young, college prof without ambition, his 19-yr old directionless student, her selfish mother recently left by a pretty worthless husband, and a standard poodle spend a few summer weeks at a house in Connecticut. And it‘s a Clusterf*ck. What I find hard to reconcile is how I disliked each and every character yet still enjoyed the book. 3/5 ⭐️

BarbaraBB For me this was the perfect read when the crazy times were at its height. And I still chuckle when thinking of those purple bathing suits 💜 4y
cathysaid @BarbaraBB True. And the bathing suits...I kept picturing the Fruit of the Loom grapes 🍇 🍇😂 4y
BarbaraBB 😂😂 4y
45 likes3 comments
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BarbaraBB
Very Nice: A novel | Marcy Dermansky
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#BookReport 24/20

I finished these three books. I flew through Very Nice and Dear Fang and then it took five days to finish Sharks. It was difficult getting into the story because of Hawaiian slang but in the end it was worth it for sure.

TrishB Good week 👍🏻 4y
Megabooks It‘s Meg‘s recommendations week! 😂😂 I‘m so glad you liked Very Nice! Such a funny book. 4y
Cinfhen Love the photo and enjoy reading your report 💞 4y
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Ruthiella I have Sharks on my list because of the summer TOB though I can‘t participate due to library shut downs, crazy hold periods for ebooks and purchased books taking weeks to arrive. But I will get to it sometime!😀 I read Dear Fang last year and liked it. Dermasky - anything by her- is in my list. I‘m super curious. 4y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks Definitely Meg‘s recommendations week 💕 4y
BarbaraBB @Ruthiella That is too bad, that you won‘t be able to read the ToB books. I‘m sorry you‘ll miss it. If you can get a hold of the Dermansky, read it, it‘s perfect. So funny and good and a great distraction from real life! ❤️ 4y
75 likes2 stack adds6 comments
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BarbaraBB
Very Nice: A novel | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

This is a perfect book for anyone who wants to escape reality in a really good and fast paced book. A girl has a one time thing with her professor who next turns up at her mothers house to stay there with them. I had such a good time reading this and had to laugh out loud at the scene with the three purple bathing suits. And the ending is the best!
#ATY2020

CoffeeAndABook Ha! This sounds perfect 👌🏼 thanks for sharing, I‘m stacking it 📚🤓 now I only wish it automatically came with a beach to read it on 🏖 (edited) 4y
TrishB Stacked too 👍🏻 4y
Megabooks Great review!! 4y
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BarbaraBB @CoffeeAndABook I‘m sure it‘s as entertaining without the beach 😀💛 4y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks It‘s perfect! I really loved it. Do you remember the end at the pool when Rachel discovers her mother bought purple bathing suits for the three of them? 😂💜 4y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB yes!! 😂😂 4y
Liz_M I'm happily jealous that restrictions have lifted enough for you & family to spend time at the family beach house! 😆 (edited) 4y
nomadreader I've enjoyed this author in the past. I need to read this one. Great review! 4y
batsy Great review! I have this stacked; I'm even more interested now. 4y
BarbaraBB @Liz_M It‘s like discovering the world all over again even if it is close to home. I hope you can leave the city soon too for whatever kind of different surroundings! 4y
BarbaraBB @nomadreader I need to find out about the other books she wrote! 4y
BarbaraBB @batsy It is perfect to distract you from current times. I really loved it. I don‘t know if I would as much if times had been normal. (edited) 4y
nomadreader I loved Bad Marie! 4y
BarbaraBB @nomadreader Thanks!!! 4y
CarolynM Have to stack this after that review! 4y
92 likes8 stack adds15 comments
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Lauren.Archer
Very Nice: A novel | Marcy Dermansky
Pickpick

This was a fun read, however I don‘t know if the author ever used a contraction once. I listened to this on audio and it got distracting at times. Also, that ending.....

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AlizaApp
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

Not sure I loved the prose style (short, declarative sentences and dialogue that sounded very tinned), but I got drawn into the story of an unlikely (and lopsided) love triangle between a Pakistani professor who needs a place to stay, the former student he slept with, and her mother. The ending was off the rails though.

Megabooks Totally! I loved it! 5y
BarbaraBB I am so curious to read this one, thanks to @Megabooks so I am glad it‘s a pick for you too! 5y
26 likes2 comments
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Megabooks
Very Nice: A novel | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

A tri-state Peyton Place, this novel brought the summer heat back to cold Kentucky.

Zahid is a celebrated writer that‘s in a pickle for housing and love and comes between a mother and daughter. Meanwhile, there‘s a larger web with dad, a pilot, overachieving twins, and Zahid‘s editor.

But all the plot lines are clear and weave seamlessly. This book has the best ending scene of any I‘ve read this year! 4.5⭐️

#ToB #ToBlonglist

BarbaraBB Great great review. Definitely TBR 😘 5y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB I hope you enjoy it! 💜 I just started Ducks, Newburyport 😬 so far, it‘s really good, but I‘m not usually one for 1000 page books! Have you read it? 5y
BarbaraBB No I don‘t dare. 1000 pages, 8 sentences... I only will if it is shortlisted 😊 5y
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Megabooks @BarbaraBB I had some credit for ebooks on Amazon, and thought heck, why not? I‘m feeling the need to challenge myself. I‘m hitting a real low on bedrest both physically and emotionally. Maybe taking on an intellectual/endurance challenge will bring me out of my slump?? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y
batsy Nice review! Of the books on the #ToB longlist, this is one is high on the TBR. 5y
BarbaraBB @Megabooks It must be so tough, your bedrest. I hope the book will ligt your spirits and that it won‘t be too long before you be up again. Wishing all the best for you 💜 5y
Megabooks @batsy I was surprised how much I enjoyed it! 5y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB thank you dear friend! It‘s harder than I expected or it sounds. And it‘s more isolating, especially in winter. They said I could switch to a soft collar a couple of weeks ago but my neck was still 56 cm around! Four weeks after surgery! (Most collars only take up to 50 cm.) now I‘m down to 48 cm, but still noticeably swollen! 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y
BarbaraBB I can‘t imagine how isolated it must be. I feel for you my friend. I hope you can wear the soft collar now?? 5y
Megabooks @BarbaraBB it‘s still very tight, so for now I‘m continuing to wear the hard collar. 🙁 5y
70 likes4 stack adds10 comments
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Jenken1998
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Bailedbailed

Nope. DNF. The whiney first world characters got on my nerves. The writing was good but i just was too annoyed by the characters and their "problems"

RealBooks4ever Guess it wasn‘t a Very Nice book? 😊 5y
51 likes1 comment
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Chelsea.Poole
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

Very Nice was a quick read for me. Entertaining, mostly light, but with some pretty unlikable (which I found to be realistic) characters. We have a family going through a separation with the college-age daughter caught in the middle. Readers meet others in their orbit and some semi-weirdness ensues. Pick from me!

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KarenUK
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Pickpick

Imagine if TV show ‘The Affair‘ and Delia Ephron‘s ‘Siracusa‘ had a baby, with more diverse characters (and no murder!) These characters are not ‘Very Nice‘, in fact they are mostly downright awful, but I enjoyed this sharp, satirical, biting novel. Each POV was so full of self-delusion, self-righteousness and self-soothing of their own ego, yet I couldn‘t stop reading. It felt super current, and it was really a lot of fun. Odd ending though.🤷‍♀️

Reggie Lol, thank you for the awesomely done visual equation! 5y
KarenUK @Reggie 😊💕! Wish I could do this for every review, but I‘m not that ingenious! 🤷‍♀️ 5y
42 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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tholmz
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Mehso-so

I am giving this a so-so because it was interesting enough to breeze through but also what the hell — this is a very weird book and the ending is very soap operaesque. Not great writing, lots of cliches.

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KarenUK
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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Update for my #20booksby2020
5 read, 3 in progress....all great reads so far 😊📚💕

megnews Great job! I‘m halfway through Maybe You Should Talk to Someone and enjoying it as well. 5y
suzie.reads You're doing great! I really want to read three women. What did you think of it? 5y
KarenUK @suzie.reads I loved it! I was amazed by the honesty and intimacy of the three women‘s stories, and I liked the style of the writing... its very polarizing though, some people hated it! 5y
See All 13 Comments
suzie.reads @KarenUK well definitely be giving it a try 🙂 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @suzie.reads we are reading this one for our #BotmBuddyRead in January if you would like to join us! 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @KarenUK I totally agree!! 5y
suzie.reads @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I will do that thanks 😊 5y
Tex2Flo I‘m always amazed when folks can predict what they will read. I have to peruse all my at-home titles for 20 minutes before I know what will be IT this time. 5y
Samplergal @Tex2Flo I can‘t do it very well, but I try to keep to these challenges. 5y
KarenUK @Tex2flo @samplergal these aren‘t the only books I‘ll read.... because I still like to read on a whim too ... this list is mostly book club books, books on my library hold list, and a few on my nightstand 😊📚 5y
Cinfhen You‘re just busting along 🙌🏻♥️I‘m almost done with On Earth and it‘s stunning!!!!!! You‘re gonna LOVE IT 5y
KarenUK @Cinfhen I think it‘ll be totally my jam 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞 5y
Tex2Flo @KarenUK Well, thank goodness. I just couldn‘t imagine anyone being that organized. 5y
53 likes13 comments
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KarenUK
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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#nextup A new library hold just became available...

Litsy is currently at a 0% rating 😳, and Roxanne Gay gave it a rare 5⭐️ on Goodreads! So I‘m interested to see where I fall....🤷‍♀️
It sounds totally my jam, so I‘m feeling optimistic! 😊

47 likes4 stack adds
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KatyAliceReads
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
Panpan

Honestly... wtf even is this book? It‘s like the author threw every literary fiction cliche into a blender, poured the resulting word slurry onto the page and called it a day.

I almost started to think it was a parody of literary fiction novels, but ultimately it‘s not smart enough to pull off that con job.

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KatyAliceReads
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
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#24in48 @24in48 I‘m actually about 2 hours further than this photo indicates, but this pic is better than the one I took of my stopping point.

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Preciouz29
Very Nice | Marcy Dermansky
Mehso-so

Interesting premise, some unique characters, but in the end it wasn‘t for me and I had a hard time finishing the book. I really wanted to like it, but I didn‘t enjoy it and I really can‘t say why I didn‘t.

ErinC I agree 100%. It was just odd. 5y
Preciouz29 @ErinC so glad it wasn‘t just me! 5y
2 likes2 comments