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Anna K
Anna K | Jenny Lee
Meet Anna K. At seventeen, she is at the top of NYC teen society; she has the perfect (if perfectly boring) boyfriend and she always makes her Korean-American father proud (even if he can be a little controlling). As her friends struggle with the pitfalls of their hyper-privileged lives on the Upper East Side (sex, drugs, gossip and scandals), Anna always seems to sail gracefully above it all . . . Until the night she meets Alexi 'Count' Vronsky. A notorious playboy who has bounced around boarding schools and who lives for his own pleasure, Alexi is everything Anna is not. But he has never been in love until he meets Anna, and maybe she hasn't, either. As Alexi and Anna are pulled irresistibly together, she must decide how much of her life she is willing to let go for the chance to be with him. And when a shocking revelation threatens to shatter their relationship, she is forced to question whether she can trust Alexi - before first love morphs into something much more dangerous. A story about privilege and desire, about the pressures and dangers of trying to be perfect and, above all, about the dizzying, glorious, heart-stopping experience of first love - and first heartbreak.
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Roary47
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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No contest at the moment. Anna K is winning because it‘s the only one I didn‘t like. The others I just didn‘t get into.

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Roary47
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Bailedbailed

1✨ I couldn‘t continue with this one. We have teens that only talk about drugs, drinking and sex. There is more depth to these characters, but it was rarely seen. I was holding out for the love story, but then it ended up to just be cheating. I know YA is turning into more adult than young, but this is a little much. I went 73% before bailing. Originally read for #FoodandLit South Korea 🇰🇷

Texreader How disappointing! 7mo
dabbe #hailthebail and move on! 🤩🤩🤩 7mo
Catsandbooks Yeah these kids were out of control 7mo
26 likes3 comments
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Catsandbooks
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Mehso-so

3/5 ⭐️ This was an Anna Karenina retelling but with young rich teens in New York. I've never read the original Anna but this was wild. These kids were out of control, so much drugs, alcohol, and sex. I read it early for #FoodandLit South Korea as the main family is Korean, but it wasn't really a part of the story.

51 likes1 stack add
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Bailedbailed

Bailed at 37%. I really gave it a try for the #booked2023 #RetellingofaClassic prompt, but I'll be selecting another one from my shelf. The audiobook narrator was fine - she was youthful and exuberant. But 5 hours into nearly 14 hours of the book, I just can't continue.

I don't mind the insipidness of the wealthy teens, dropping name brands and struggling with relationships. However, the brand dropping was a bit over the top. Sometimes,

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick just saying cashmere gets the point across. Another gripe is that my suspicion that the author is a Gen X-er (or an elder millennial) is correct. There is a 90s themed party and mentions of 80s & 90s movies, all used as a kitschy theme or interest of these kids, born in the new millennium. It didn't come across as a cute theme party. It feels like Jenny Lee had zero interest in learning about the generation she's writing about or only knows 1y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick two teens. One girl found My So-Called Life in a Netflix deep dive and then talks about her mom enjoying Sixteen Candles, so she watched and is now talking about finding her Jake Ryan, like she's been pining for him for the last 38 years. It just felt like an anachronistic and less exciting Gossip Girl. Give me the disgusting Chuck Bass and complicated Blair/Serena friendship over these vanilla cheaters any day. 1y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick @TheAromaofBooks At least this month's #Bookspin selection can be removed from my physical shelf. 1y
See All 8 Comments
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick #rushathon @andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES Not exactly a book I fully read, but it was time spent. On to the next! 1y
LiteraryinPA Great review! 1y
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 1y
TheAromaofBooks Sometimes a book just isn't the right fit. Hopefully the next read works better!! 1y
Andrew65 Oh no 😫 Hope the next one is better for you. 1y
48 likes8 comments
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Sharpeipup
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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I know I‘m late on this #retelling but I find my reactions to both rather interesting.

Original
Hard to read
Rooted for Anna

Retelling
Enjoyed it more
Didn‘t like Anna much

Anyone else feel this way??

25 likes1 stack add
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Booknerd222
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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23 likes1 stack add
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Booknerd222
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Katie.happens
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Mehso-so

I started out really liking Anna K. After a bit though, the brand name dropping and (intentionally) vapid narration started to remind me a bit too much of the Pretty Little Liars. I do really enjoy a retelling of a classic, though.🥂

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Graciouswarriorprincess
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Book 68/150.

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jessijames
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Mehso-so

As a high school librarian I try to read as much YA as possible. This one is a cute retelling of Anna Karenina but nothing spectacular. I‘m reading the sequel next only because my students love these books.

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meglynn86
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Bailedbailed

Book spin #4
I really tried to get into Anna K. However It did not work out for me. So it's a DNF for me. I hardly ever not finish a book.

#bookspinbingo

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BookishTrish
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Mehso-so

If you take the Russia, politics, and philosophy out of Anna Karenina, what‘s left? A Gossip Girl esque story with a couple of touching moments.

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sarahs.thoughts.on.books
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

Pick with caveats. Picked it up thinking it would have more Asian characters, since pre-release most people were CRA x Gossip Girl. It was not. It did not disappoint on the modernized Anna Karenina front though. Or at least what I got out of Anna Karenina my one reading.

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mhillis
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Started reading for #JubilantJuly and about 25% finished with Anna K! I haven‘t read Anna Karenina in a while but I watched the movie last month so the story is pretty fresh in my mind.

Andrew65 Going well. 😊 4y
55 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Kelsyereadsbooks
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 this one was interesting, had a hard time finding a rating for it. At times I really liked it, and others I was just confused.

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AutumnRLS
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Trying to decide which one to read next. Thoughts?

BookNAround Camp because that tag line on the cover is gold! 4y
AutumnRLS @BookNAround Camp it is! 4y
Megabooks I was not a fan of Anna K, but it‘s not my usual type of book. 4y
12 likes3 comments
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GirlWellRead
Anna K | Jenny Lee
Pickpick
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ness
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Mehso-so

This book was fun, but I definitely read it at the wrong time. I just don‘t care about rich people‘s problems right now. There was also a lot of ableist slurs and a weird, ableist subplot about Adderall.

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ness
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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I haven‘t read “Anna Karenina” in more than a decade, but I‘m still psyched for this modern AU!

13 likes2 stack adds
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BookNightOwl
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Panpan

This book reminded me so much of gossip girl. I just wasn't a fan of any of the characters. They all felt a little too whining for me. They acted so immature but dealt with older teen issues. Just wasnt for me. 🤷‍♀️

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Sargar114
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

I have never read or seen Anna Karenina (I know, I know), the story which served as the inspiration. I think because I went blindly into it, I was able to enjoy it more since I wasn‘t comparing it to anything and didn‘t know what to expect. It was an insanely emotional roller coaster and I loved just about every bit of it. The characters were well developed and the flow of the story was so well done. Very hard to put down. 4.5 ⭐️

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TheMushroomForest
Anna K | Jenny Lee
Pickpick

I really loved Anna K. For me it was the perfect balance of silly fun and genuine story. The setting was genuinely fun, and the characters were beautifully flawed-yet-loveable.
There really isn‘t a better way to describe this than to say it‘s like reading Gossip Girl meets Russian Lit. I would highly recommend this as a summer read!

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natalieebloom
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Mehso-so

#CoronaBreak Book 10. I wish I loved this book more than I did. I enjoyed it, but it took AGES for me to get hooked. That might be the pandemic getting to my brain, though. I‘m hoping that I‘ll have more motivation to read once e-learning is over. Overall, it was a fun and easy read!

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Chab256
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

Since I loved Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, I gave this modern day, YA take on his novel a go, but had a hard time getting into it... probably because I couldn't relate to the super privileged NYC teenagers it follows. But, by the end I did find myself feeling something for most of the characters. Class does not alleviate internal struggle. It is universal.
"...it was about celebrating the lives of those you lost by living your own life well."
⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

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BookishTrish
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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May someone today make you as happy as the postman made me #bookmail #munrosbooks #recordmail

sprainedbrain LOVE Ben Harper! 4y
BookishTrish @sprainedbrain ME TOO! What are your favourite songs / albums? 4y
55 likes2 comments
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ONH
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Rated 2/5 ⭐️

✅: diverse cast, smattering of feminism, pop culture references (Hamilton, Billie Eilish, Rick & Morty), definitely gives a “feel” for the lives of the rich (but is it accurate?...), fast-paced
⛔️: not the most interesting, seemed a bit vapid, felt like the author bit off more than she could chew... wound up finishing it only bc I told my roommate I would 🥴 Would have been stronger if intersectional feminism had really been explored

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jessicaxmaria
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Making my way through this very *of the moment* update of Anna Karenina. Well, of the moment before we all had to quarantine.

3 likes1 stack add
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Sargar114
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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So angsty... 💁🏼‍♀️

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Sargar114
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Intrigued by the first page...I get the feeling I‘ll have to reference this a lot.

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DamYank
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

Whoa! Totally scandalous! Rich society kids in Manhattan...another Cruel Intentions!!!

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Artsywink
Anna K | Jenny Lee
Mehso-so

I listened to the audiobook. To me it read like an episode of Gossip Girl. I didn‘t mind the book but I think if I read it I may not have liked it as much. It was nice to listen as I was working on my puzzle.

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AriThomas
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

First book done for April #bookishbingo!
Anna K. made me nearly cry at the end, I was not expecting that turn of events. Though that might be because I haven't read the original Anna Karenina yet...

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Lauren.Archer
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

This a modern retelling of Anna Karenina set in New York with elite High School Students. I have never read Anna Karenina and I definitely think that was probably better, because I had nothing to compare it to.

For my full review, please visit my blog: http://obsessedbookaholic.com/2020/04/08/anna-k-book-review/

marleed I had such a hard time with this book. 5y
80 likes1 stack add1 comment
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AriThomas
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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1. Anna K. (Tagged), and others
2. The Warriors series
3. Any indie bookstore really.
4. The Giver, Gossamer.
5. The Giver
6. All of my unread books sitting on my shelf and then some 😅
7. Probably the Sweep series where magic is more tangible
8. House of Salt and Sorrows, in a good way!
9. one book a week for this year!
10. at a cafe outside and always with coffee to drink.
11. The Velveteen Rabbit
12. @Sara_Planz

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GerardtheBookworm
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Bailedbailed

An over-written young adult modern version of Anna Karenina set in New York City of rich kids being complete douchebags. Dubbed a cross of Gossip Girl meets Crazy, Rich Asians. Humor is forced, characters unlikable, and exposition is long winded and boring. And if you've read Tolstoy's classic, "spoiler" there is a gender swap in the finale that makes you want to chuck this book in the garbage. AVOID!

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marleed
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Panpan

Well, I finished it... I was down for an Anna Karenina reboot in a NYC setting, but this YA version of entitled teenagers behaving badly was a complete miss for me. It seems this book was influenced by the Crazy Rich Asian series which I really liked, but here the snarky, and often offensive narration, was the book equivalent of overacting in a bad way. I seldom thumbs-down a book and this is my first of 2020.

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heyitsMacall
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

Yay! It was nice to dissociate from my life within this story.

34 likes1 stack add
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Lizzie69
Anna K | Jenny Lee
Mehso-so

I think this just passed me by, the blurb sounded great but it was one of these books that I just couldn't get into.
The idea was great but knowing it was a modern retelling for me it just didn't work somehow.
I couldn't engage with the characters much, the only one I actually liked was Dustin as he worked hard for what he had and was a good friend to the others where in the main the rest of the kids came across as rather spoilt and ungrateful.

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Karen3
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

Not quite sure what to say about this one. I liked it enough to read the entire thing and it kept my interest, but the ages of the characters threw me a bit too often. I know it‘s a YA novel but it just seemed a bit far fetched for 15-17 year olds to be doing a lot of this stuff. Wasn‘t ready for the sucker punch at the end. 3.5 🌟 only because of the age issue I had. Other than that it was a great retelling of Anna Karenina. #BOTM

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swishandflick
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Mehso-so

Initially this felt like it would be right up my alley, but despite what seems on the surface to be solidly entertaining writing, it all became very tedious and flat. While I ultimately decided not to bail, by the end I was really ready to be done so I could move on to something else and I have no interest in the sequel #BOTM

(Also, just FYI that for YA this contains quite a lot of sex and drug use)

88 likes1 stack add
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squirrelbrain
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Pickpick

At first I thought that this #netgalley #arc would be a bit fluffy for my taste. However it‘s really quite dark in places as you might expect from a novel based on Anna Karenina. Lee stated that she wanted the book to be ‘soapy and fun and girlie and exciting, while also imparting a strong female message...‘ and I think that she achieved this.

One word of warning, for a YA novel, there‘s some rather explicit sex, as well as a lot of drug use.

Reviewsbylola Beautiful cover! 5y
88 likes1 comment
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squirrelbrain
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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#weeklyforecast

Just started Wolf Hall for #conqueringcromwell. Also just started the tagged book as a #netgalley #arc - it‘s maybe a bit fluffy for me but we‘ll see.

Last Walk in Naryshkin Park is for #lithuania for #readingeurope2020 - looks quite upsetting.

And finally, All the Rivers just called to me from the shelf - a gift from the lovely @BarbaraBB .

rockpools *scrolling past super-fast, so I can‘t see how much of a chunkster that is!* 5y
squirrelbrain It does look a bit chunky compared to the other two doesn‘t it @RachelO ?! 😱 (edited) 5y
BarbaraBB Oh I hope you‘ll love All the Rivers! It is a good one for your trip too - easy to read but thought provoking. (edited) 5y
squirrelbrain I‘m looking forward to it @BarbaraBB , although I think I might get round to reading it before I go.... 😁 5y
89 likes4 comments
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The_Heeler_Booklife
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Bailedbailed

Rating: ⭐️
*sighs* DNF. The writing is stuffy and juvenile. Also, one dimensional characters. It was boring and I couldn‘t get into it sadly.
#botm #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookblogger #review #bail #dnf #bookofthemonth #ya #retelling #litsy #littens

Booknerd222 I got the same one this month and I was iffy on it so I‘ll see what happens 5y
The_Heeler_Booklife @Booknerd222 I hope you like it when you get around to it. I wish I liked it because it sounded good. 5y
32 likes2 comments
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The_Heeler_Booklife
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Hoping this is good and light. I need something light with a bonus of being funny. My depression from my bipolar disorder is kicking my butt and the last book didn‘t help with how dark it was (even though it was good). Wish me luck.
#botm #bipolardisorder #bipolar #bibliophile #currentread #bookstagram #litsy #littens

Crazeedi Sending a hug, it's a struggle, be gentle with yourself 😍❤ 5y
Megabooks Sending hugs!! I have bipolar as well. This book is light, so I think it‘s a good choice! 5y
The_Heeler_Booklife @Megabooks bipolar is rough. Also, I‘m already struggling with this book. 😭 Maybe it is me, maybe it is the book, but I‘m struggling. 5y
See All 8 Comments
Megabooks @The_Heeler_Booklife honestly, it‘s a light read, but I bailed because the writing was juvenile and the characters were vapid. 5y
Megabooks Maybe it‘s because I love nonfiction, but sometimes a NF book on a topic I‘m interested in can get me more out of my head than fiction. 5y
The_Heeler_Booklife @Megabooks I think of doing bail. I already switched books. The writing is stuffy and I agree juvenile. I feel like right now everything is one dimensional. 5y
DaveGreen7777 Sorry your depression has been overwhelming! 😔 Hope you get some relief soon! ❤️ 5y
The_Heeler_Booklife @DaveGreen7777 thanks. Fingers crossed when I go back I get something to help. 5y
21 likes8 comments
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swishandflick
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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I took today and tomorrow off so I'd have a nice, long, much needed 5-day weekend. Starting it off with coffee and a new #BOTM while my boyfriend makes breakfast ❤️

Leftcoastzen Good for You! I hope you enjoy every minute. 5y
MarriedtoMrT Same! (Though my work is open Monday so I had to take that off too.) I need a recharge. Enjoy! 5y
The_Heeler_Booklife So lucky. I only have Monday off and need a recharge. Thankfully spring break is next month for me and is a week. Anyway, enjoy every single second. :) 5y
youneverarrived Enjoy 😊 5y
Sharpeipup Sounds like it‘s off to a good start! 5y
98 likes5 comments
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Romancegirl
Anna K | Jenny Lee
Pickpick

This book was difficult to get into at first. It took about half way through to get to the good parts, but after getting there it was so good. The slow burn, forbidden romance was amazing and the side romances just enhanced the story. It is a book that will cause readers to think about life and love. This was a beautifully heartbreaking story and I loved every minute of it, once it got started.

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Megabooks
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Bailedbailed

This is another shaky choice from #BOTM, and when I looked at the % dislike on their site, it seems others agree.

In this YA retelling of Anna Karenina, the writing was immature and unpolished with the feel of a college paper. The characters were flat. Only Vronsky had a bit of sparkle and snazz.

I also wish BOTM had shared that it is the start of a series. Then I definitely would‘ve went with The Holdout instead.

Bailing with 100 pages left.

Reviewsbylola Wtf is up with BOTM in 2020?! It‘s getting a bit ridiculous. Hopefully you get another credit. 5y
Megabooks @Reviewsbylola I hope so. It looks like I should‘ve went with The Holdout instead, looking at the reviews. But overall you probably did well to skip!! 😂👍🏻 5y
MicheleinPhilly I was really annoyed that this was one of the 5 main selections? Don‘t they have a YA club specifically for YA? 5y
See All 14 Comments
Megabooks @MicheleinPhilly They do, and they also offer most of those selections as add-ons to the adult box. Of all the YA choices, I‘m unsure why this was chosen for adults as a main selection. Maybe because it‘s a retelling?? I really wish I had gotten The Holdout instead. 5y
MicheleinPhilly The Holdout intrigued me but I think it‘s something I‘ll borrow from the library. I have high hopes for my pick but who knows when I‘ll actually read it. 😂 5y
Megabooks @MicheleinPhilly Your choice was in my box, too. I‘m going to try to read it before the end of the month. I have high hopes for it! 5y
KT1432 @Reviewsbylola @MicheleinPhilly @Megabooks I‘ve been feeling like their choices are a bit off this year too. I actually got the tagged YA add-on. I didn‘t even know it was available as an add-on until I saw someone else get it. Not sure why this one was chosen either...I can‘t really imagine a YA retelling of the original working out very well. 😕 5y
Cailey_Mac I got an arc of this like a week ago, and I found it to be like a very unthought put wattpad book🤷🏻‍♀️ 5y
Megabooks @lele1432 Wow. What you tagged sounds like a thoughtful YA book. And then there‘s the dumb Anna K where the author can‘t keep Anna‘s hair color straight! 5y
Megabooks @Cailey_Mac I think there are a couple of autocorrects in your comment, so I‘m not quite sure what you‘re saying. I‘m sorry. 5y
Cailey_Mac @Megabooks ohhh yes autocorrect strikes again; what I was trying to say was it felt like a rough draft of just some fan fiction. 5y
Megabooks @Cailey_Mac Totally agree!! Very good way of putting it. 5y
Catsandbooks Oh no... I got this in my box too. Disappointing to hear 5y
Megabooks @Catsandbooks I‘m hoping other people like it more. I always hope that because it sucks to waste a pick. 5y
103 likes14 comments
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Skyrimir
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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Just a few pages in and really enjoying my #botm! #bookswithmycalico

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Chab256
Anna K | Jenny Lee
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"The whole thing was a fucking disaster." ?
#FirstLineFriday
@ShyBookOwl

ShyBookOwl 😂 that's good 5y
Prairiegirl_reading That‘s a great first line 👍🏼 5y
Megabooks Fantastic!! 5y
27 likes1 stack add3 comments