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We Begin at the End
We Begin at the End: Gripping. Heart-breaking. Unforgettable. Discover the most captivating crime read of 2020 | Chris Whitaker
132 posts | 114 read | 95 to read
'Surely destined to conquer the world . . . Astonishingly good' RUTH JONES 'So beautifully written . . . will remain with you for a long time' LYNDA LA PLANTE 'Contender for thriller of the year' JON COATES, SUNDAY EXPRESS With the staggering intensity of James Lee Burke and the absorbing narrative of Jane Harper's The Dry, We Begin at the End is a powerful novel about absolute love and the lengths we will go to keep our family safe. This is a story about good and evil and how life is lived somewhere in between. 'YOU CAN'T SAVE SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T WANT TO BE SAVED . . .' Thirty years ago, Vincent King became a killer. Now, he's been released from prison and is back in his hometown of Cape Haven, California. Not everyone is pleased to see him. Like Star Radley, his ex-girlfriend, and sister of the girl he killed. Duchess Radley, Star's thirteen-year-old daughter, is part-carer, part-protector to her younger brother, Robin - and to her deeply troubled mother. But in trying to protect Star, Duchess inadvertently sets off a chain of events that will have tragic consequences not only for her family, but also the whole town. Murder, revenge, retribution. How far can we run from the past when the past seems doomed to repeat itself? 'This one has it all . . . an absolute delight from first page to last' JOHN HART 'A damn near perfect crime novel' FIONA CUMMINS 'An absolute masterclass in crime writing and story-telling' JO SPAIN 'Writing that is Booker Prize good' DEBORAH O'CONNOR 'One of the year's best crime reads' VASEEM KHAN
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
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DMC_run8
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Pickpick

This book is categorized as mystery/thriller/crime, and it is. But it is also an incredible family saga that packs an emotional punch. The characters are written with such depth, and I hated to finish the book and leave them behind. 4⭐️

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BoleyBooks
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Tackle the TBR 🤓📚
What are you reading?
#boleybooks #WeBeginAtTheEnd #chriswhitaker #bookbeast #bookbuds #bookchat #libby

36 likes1 stack add
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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

I wanted to re-read this before his new book comes out. The characters and the ending still come together beautifully.

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ItsAnotherJen
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Pickpick

Excellent. Highly recommend. Beautifully written, unforgettable characters. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ All the stars

CoverToCoverGirl I wasn‘t a fan of the writing style and nearly DNF‘ed this .. I‘m so glad I carried on, it really was excellent. 8mo
89 likes1 comment
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GinaKButler
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Up next…my September #doublespin and it‘ll give me a Bingo! 🎉

I‘ve heard good things!
#bookspinbingo
@TheAromaofBooks

marleed I loved this book! 14mo
AmyG Great book. Enjoy! 14mo
BarbaraBB It‘s a great read! 14mo
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 14mo
29 likes1 stack add4 comments
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BBowling
Pickpick

A very compelling cast of characters in this murder mystery takes the reader from the California coast to the mountains of Montana. Loved the variety in settings but the people more and their attempts to live the lives their given and to right the mistakes of living. The earnest failings and quiet heroism that define this human existence. Loved this story!

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TheKidUpstairs
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How is it the end of 2022 already?

@BookNAround We Begin at the End is my current read, and my last of 2022 (although I'm unlikely to finish it today, so it will carry over a bit). First e-read will be Wrong Place, Wrong Time. And first physical book will be from the stack! Probably either How to be Perfect or These Precious Days.

#lastfirst

BkClubCare These Precious Days! 💖 2y
Suet624 We Begin at the End was unexpectedly good. 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Where did the year go?! 2y
TheKidUpstairs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I don't know! The last half especially. I'm certain it was just spring! 2y
BookNAround I have the Chris Whitaker book on my tbr because that‘s my maiden name. Maybe I‘ll even get to it this year! 2y
50 likes5 comments
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JenReadsAlot
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Pickpick

I liked this, but did not loved it like so many other people. My #bookspin for September @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
37 likes1 comment
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JenReadsAlot
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My #bookspin and #doublespin picks for September! I get excited on these mornings @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! Enjoy!!! 2y
Deblovestoread Loved We Begin at the End! 💜 2y
jlhammar Both great reads! 2y
28 likes4 comments
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Deblovestoread
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Another great book! If you haven‘t read it you should.

#AlphabetGame

Cinfhen Oh wow!!! I totally forgot about this book!!!! SOOOOOOOO GOOD 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing 🙌🏻📚 2y
40 likes2 comments
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LauraJ
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Pickpick

This one is a page-turner starring a young teen with the biggest chip on her shoulder ever.

CoverToCoverGirl I really liked it too! Quite disturbing in parts. 2y
46 likes1 stack add1 comment
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LauraJ
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Made a good dent in this one before Cecil pulled my bookmark out.
#catsarejerks

Bookwomble Godammit, Cecil! 😾😄 2y
Sleepswithbooks I really liked this one 🙃 2y
BookNAround Oh Cecil, you naughty boy!😂 2y
rubyslippersreads But a bookmark makes such a good cat toy! 😹 2y
47 likes1 stack add4 comments
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DLQBOOKNERD
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!
So good! This was a four star book until the last 45 min or so. It all came together nicely and ... just good!

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Ms.Story
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

51 likes4 stack adds
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Sleepswithbooks
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I‘ve heard great things about this one 😃 Thank you again @AmyG !!! I‘m jumping in like an enthusiastic hippo jumps into the river (and with the same amount of grace) 🦛 📖💛

AmyG It‘s a wonderful book. I was so excited when I saw it on your TBR. Enjoy! 2y
74 likes1 comment
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Sweettartlaura
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Anybody else doing the #kindlespringchallenge?
I have done ALL the tasks.
But it won‘t credit me for one - the 2021 Chart Topper.
I finished it (this book 🤞🏻) weeks ago.
I have synced and refreshed my Kindle & my Kindle app on my phone countless times since then.
Everything else has synced and been counted.
Anyone know why it‘s not working?
Did I have to buy a NEW book out of the top 100 of 2021? That‘s the only thing I can think of 🤷🏻‍♀️

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BittersweetBooks
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Hal said we begin at the end.
So where are we now?
I‘m not sure it matters.
Wherever it is, I hope we can stay here a little longer.
🪦🐎🖤

21 likes1 stack add
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GidgetsTreasures75
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Pickpick

5-20-22: My 47th finished book of 2022! Beautifully written story about a small coastal California town and it‘s inhabitants. Walk, chief of police, helped to convict his best friend, Vincent, of murder when they were 15 years old. Now, it‘s 30 years later and Vincent is finally free. Duchess, a 13 year old “outlaw”, is the star of this book, the protector of her brother Robin and single mom Star. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣4️⃣7️⃣

Caroline2 I really liked this book. 👍 2y
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Mdion1993
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Pickpick

One of the best books I‘ve read in years! Incredibly well written, sincere, and complex, WBATE is a story about Walk, a small town cop, and a young girl named Duchess, who find their lives undeniably changed upon the release of Walk‘s childhood friend, Vincent King, from jail. I savored every moment reading this, and I‘ll be recommending this book for a long time.

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Yahui07
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Pickpick

Such a beautiful and moving book!! 🥰🥰🥰
Enjoy and love the storyline and brilliant twists. In particular, the author gives each character his/her story which is what the real life is. We all have our own stories.
Highly recommend!! Although I don‘t really understand what “we begin at the end” means. Please share your view of the meaning! Thanks😍😍

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Deblovestoread
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#BookReport Loved We Begin at the End. This one will stay with me a bit.

Gave up on A Truth. Sorry #PemberLittens I think it‘s a case of too many buddy reads and I wasn‘t enjoying it as much as the others.

I WiILL finish To Paradise this week. Looking forward to both of my up next books.

Cinfhen I‘m planning on starting The Mercies this week too!!! 3y
BarbaraBB I loved We Begin at the End too. Such a surprising and versatile read. 3y
jenniferw88 No probs - do you still want me to tag you? 3y
See All 6 Comments
Deblovestoread @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I finished yesterday and have to say I was disappointed. 3y
Deblovestoread @jenniferw88 yes please. I will be interested in whatever tidbits are shared. Thank you! 3y
61 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Deblovestoread
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Hope to finish both of these this weekend. Haven‘t read much this past week and would like to pick up something new.

AmyG Great books!!! 3y
Andrew65 These are great choices. Happy reading. 3y
58 likes2 comments
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shadowspeak17
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#JanuaryWrapUp
I read way more this January than I usually do. I finished 2 books for #NYWD22, one of which (We Begin at the End) was a favorite this month. In Cold Blood was another favorite. My least favorite was the Watkins. I‘d been looking forward to it for months, but I ended up strongly disliking it.

Total: 7
Print: 1
Ebook: 4
Audio: 2
Fiction: 5
Nonfiction: 2

#NewYearWhoDis: 2
#Booked2022: 1

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shadowspeak17
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I honestly didn‘t like Whitaker‘s writing style, but I did enjoy the story and characters he created, especially Duchess, which mostly made up for that. This story was heartbreaking and engrossing, and I was sad to see it come to an end.

#NewYearWhoDis #NYWD22 #catsoflitsy #Ember

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 3y
Leftcoastzen 😻 3y
JamieArc I recently finished this and felt the same way. 3y
Caroline2 Yeah I‘ve heard his writing style is a bit marmite. Glad you enjoyed it in the end. 😉 3y
59 likes4 comments
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CarolynM
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Mehso-so

Seeing all the glowing reviews makes me wonder if I read the same book as everyone else. I thought the set up was contrived and the whole thing could have done with a serious edit. And while the resolution of the central murder was good, a lot of the explanation of the surrounding circumstances was hard to credit. Thanks @TrishB for sending this to me. I'm glad I read it even if its not a favourite.
#nywd @AmyG @monalyisha

Amiable I had the same feeling. I liked it OK but didn‘t have the same love for it that others seemed to have. 3y
CarolynM @amiable Glad it wasn't just me🙂 3y
AmyG Oh well. I guess you never know unless you give it a try. 3y
TrishB Sorry it didn‘t work out for you- agree with @AmyG you never know! 3y
65 likes4 comments
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JamieArc
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Pickpick

I often need to be dragged into books that have domestic hardships and are going to rip my heart apart, like this book. I had a little bit of a hard time getting into it, in part due to the writing style, but the plot drove me forward and the characters drew me in. And indeed, I shed tears through the last pages, for Robin and Duchess, for Vincent, Walk, and even Darke. Strong start for #NYWD

JamieArc Also, do NOT look at videos for the search “blond cowgirl” 😳😵🙈🙈🙈 3y
monalyisha Ha! The follow-up comment. 😂 3y
TheBookHippie I‘ve had problems with searching for images for my buddy reads!!! 😝😂🤦🏻‍♀️😱 3y
TheLudicReader I agree that it takes a bit to settle in to Whitaker‘s writing style…but then Duchess just takes you by the hand and you have to go. I think I would have followed that girl anywhere. ❤️ 3y
53 likes1 stack add4 comments
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JamieArc
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Weekend reading plans include:
📚Finish the tagged book today
🎧Start the audiobook of Mirrorland
📚Make progress in The Familiar Dark
📚Make progress in When We Spoke in Tongues

Andrew65 Some good choices. 3y
33 likes1 comment
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MicheleinPhilly
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Pickpick

A truly remarkable novel with one of the greatest heroines in recent memory. I laughed, I cried, I was on the edge of my seat. I won‘t soon forget it. 5🌟

Cinfhen I LOVE Duchess Day Outlaw Radley ♥️ 3y
MicheleinPhilly @Cinfhen She is my FAVORITE. ❤️ 3y
Suet624 It‘s one of those books that got too little fanfare. I really really liked it. 3y
72 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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emmaturi
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Pickpick

My first read of 2022 and it was brilliant, definitely 5 stars. Duchess is an amazing character, I was gripped all the way through, great atmosphere. I believe it's going to be made in either a TV show or movie. I saw it on twitter from the author.

BiblioLitten I have this on my TBR 3y
JamieArc This is my current read! 3y
Cathythoughts Such a good book ❤️ 3y
See All 6 Comments
emmaturi I hope you will enjoy it! @BiblioLitten 3y
emmaturi Are you enjoying it? @JamieArc 3y
emmaturi Yes it was really fantastic! @Cathythoughts 3y
43 likes6 comments
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JamieArc
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My #NYWD stack grows with 3 more acquired today. The Paper Palace is this month‘s #bookspin pick, and I‘ve started the tagged book. I have high expectations for a great month of reading.

steph_phanie Sing, Unburied, Sing is one of my most favorite books from the last several years! 3y
54 likes1 comment
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BethHagey
Pickpick

*****+

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Bookwormjillk
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#12booksof21 #12booksof2021 September

I really loved the characters in this book. I‘ll have to re-read this one in a year or two to see if it holds up to the five star rating I gave it last September.

Andrew65 Stacked! 3y
60 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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shadowspeak17
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I was hoping one of my holds for #NewYearWhoDis would come in in time for me to start today. Then two came in yesterday and I had to choose. 😬 I decided to go with this one first since I‘ve heard so many good things about it.
#NYWD22

AmyG Good choice. 3y
Caroline2 I really liked this one. 👍 3y
39 likes2 comments
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emmaturi
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These are my first two reads for 2022 and have mostly read We Begin at the End. I am absolutely loving it, can't believe it's been sitting on my shelf for ages.

BarbaraBB It gets better and better! Such a great book! Happy new year 🎆 3y
Suet624 This book was such a sleeper. I only heard about it on Litsy. A great read. Enjoy! 3y
emmaturi I have finished it now and it was so good. @BarbaraBB @Suet624 3y
36 likes3 comments
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kplovesbooks
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#12BooksOf2021 #11thbookof2021 #November
This book. ??? Real, raw, emotional, different. I think the phrase "take it back to breathing" will be with me for awhile.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
@Andrew65

Crazeedi This book stayed with me a long time 3y
JamieArc This is one of the first books I‘ll be reading in January. I‘m seeing it on so many top of 2021 lists. 3y
kplovesbooks @JamieArc YES! Enjoy!! 😊 3y
Andrew65 Sounds brilliant. 3y
28 likes1 stack add5 comments
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JamieArc
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Slowly amassing my #NYWD books for January. 6 more are coming through library or mail, and 3 I‘ll be listening to on audio. Who knows what I‘ll make it through in January, but happy to have such a wide selection of interesting books to choose from!

TheLudicReader Wow. That‘s an ambitious stack. ❤️ 3y
monalyisha Extra votes for the Jesmyn Ward! 😍😍😍 3y
JamieArc @TheLudicReader I will probably only get through 3-5 in January, but I like choices 😊 3y
JamieArc @monalyisha Jesmyn Ward is the one I know I will get to for sure because it fits a prompt for #Booked2022! I‘ve been hesitant to read her for a while for some reason, so I appreciate the enthusiasm! 3y
monalyisha @JamieArc It‘s one of my favorite books, probably. Certainly one of my favorite reads in recent years. 3y
55 likes5 comments
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Cinfhen
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This was my favorite read of January 2021 @Andrew65 / tomorrow I‘ll post my February pick #12Booksof2021

Andrew65 Looks interesting and uplifting. (edited) 3y
AmyG Loves this one. 3y
Bookwormjillk This was a great read 3y
See All 6 Comments
BarbaraBB I loved this one too. 3y
jlhammar Duchess! Such a great character. 3y
Cinfhen LOVED the “Outlaw” @jlhammar My favorite female character of the year @BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @AmyG 3y
75 likes6 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
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@melissajayne thank you so much! I'm so excited for this book 😄😄😄 (it has so much Litsy Love, I can't wait to read it!) And the chocolate looks DELICIOUS. What a wonderful way to start the day.

Thanks to @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing! Happy #Jolabokaflod Everyone!

melissajayne I hope you enjoy it all 🤗😊 (edited) 3y
marleed I loved this book! 3y
67 likes2 comments
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CarolynM
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@TrishB Your parcel has arrived at last! I'm very much looking forward to the book and I'm delighted to have more yummy Kendall Mint Cake. Thank you so much, I really appreciate it.😘

Crazeedi That book is so excellent, unlike any book I read this year 3y
AmyG It‘s SO good. 3y
TrishB Yay! Nearly 6 weeks later. I hope you enjoy the book 🤞🏻😘 3y
See All 9 Comments
erzascarletbookgasm I look forward to your thoughts on the book 👍. And is that really a cake 🍰? 🧐 3y
Cathythoughts I enjoyed this book 👍🏻 cake looks interesting 😋 3y
LeahBergen Lovely! What a great card (and I‘m still fascinated by the idea of that mint cake). 3y
CarolynM @TrishB It's had so much Litsy love, I'm pretty sure I'll like it. Thank you again💕 3y
CarolynM @erzascarletbookgasm It's basically a block of sugar strongly flavoured with peppermint. My family fell in love with it on a trip to the UK a few years ago. I haven't found anywhere to buy it in Australia. 3y
CarolynM @LeahBergen @Cathythoughts You should try it, it's delicious😋 3y
56 likes9 comments
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shadowspeak17
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I can‘t wait to start reading from your list @Caroline2! 😃 I‘ve read The Name of the Wind and Kindred before and agree that they are great. I‘m a bit of a mood reader, so I‘m not 100% sure which of the others I‘ll start with, but I‘m currently thinking it will be one of these five.
#NewYearWhoDis #NYWD22

JamieArc We Begin at the End seems to be on a few lists! It‘s top of my list for January. 3y
monalyisha I‘m a mood reader, too. 😉 But my vote is for 3y
Caroline2 Yay! I hope you like them! 😃 I‘m a mood reader too so I totally get it! 😉 👍 3y
49 likes3 comments
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kplovesbooks
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When the author comments on your bookstagram review of the book...and now you're a little bit famous. 🤩

marleed Very cool! 3y
40 likes2 comments
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CarolynM
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#NewYearWhoDis2022

Some great titles on your list @AmyG ! These are the 3 I plan to read on January.

@monalyisha

TrishB Have you brought the tagged one yet Carolyn? 3y
CarolynM @TrishB No, I haven't got that one. 3y
TrishB Phew 😁 I sent you it about 4 weeks ago so hopefully it will arrive before you want to read in January! Post is slow. 3y
See All 8 Comments
CarolynM @TrishB Thank you, that's lovely of you😘 The post is ridiculously slow at this end but I would hope that it won't take too much more than 4 weeks! 3y
TrishB Fingers crossed for this week 🤞🏻 3y
AmyG I hope you enjoy them! 3y
JamieArc The tagged book is on the list I received from my match as well, and with all the love I‘m seeing for it, will make it a January priority too. 3y
CarolynM @JamieArc Yes, it was in my TBR because of all the Litstylove. I'll look out for your review🙂 3y
49 likes8 comments
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kplovesbooks
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Pretty pleased that this one made it into the Goodreads Choice Awards opening round.

marleed Me too! 3y
BarbaraBB Me too! 3y
24 likes2 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
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Pickpick

So much hype and love for this book but I‘m in the minority. Duchess Day Radley, certainly not a character one will likely forget soon but I find her somewhat not believeable. My big gripe is the writing style, took me a while to get a hang of, but once I did, the story was engrossing enough..beautifully layered and heartbreaking…the sacrifices that some make for the ones they love 💔..and I sympathised with some of the characters. Low Pick.🤷‍♀️

Cathythoughts Nice review!! I really enjoyed at the time , but I agree more with you now .. a light pick. … and I have forgotten the characters 😬 (edited) 3y
erzascarletbookgasm Thanks Cathy. I‘m glad I‘ve read it, so sad, right? @Cathythoughts 3y
BarbaraBB Such an engaging read. And didn‘t you love the characters? 3y
peaKnit I agree with your review 100%! It was not a good as I had heard or hoped. And Duchess was unbelievable. I honestly even struggled with the names of the people 🤦🏼‍♀️ 😂 (edited) 3y
CarolynM I have to agree with you about Duchess. She's a memorable character for sure, but not a wholly believable one. 3y
63 likes5 comments
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erzascarletbookgasm
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#ThoughtfulThursday Thanks for the tag @MoonWitch94

📖 Tagged.
🍁 Looking at some old photos.
📚 Constant interruptions and noise!

All are welcome to play! Want to have a go @rockpools @RamsFan1963 @LostInSpace @SamanthaMarie @Megabooks ?

SamanthaMarie Constant interruptions are definitely a pet peeve! Thank you for the tag, I'll definitely play 😊 3y
BiblioLitten 2. 💕 3y
MoonWitch94 Thanks for playing 🍂📖✨ 3y
37 likes3 comments
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peaKnit
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1. Im just starting tagged book, Free Yourself from Anxiety with a yoga group, and listening to A Long Petal of the Sea because I love the narrator.
2. Goodreads
3. Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown, I signed up for her event.
#weekendreads

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kplovesbooks
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Pickpick

⭐⭐⭐⭐😭😭😭😭💔💔💔💔
Emotional, heartbreaking, raw, real... y'all, I was not prepared for this book!! Exceptional. (Warning: there is a TON of language here, but I'm glad I stuck with it because this book is just different on so many levels.)

Crazeedi I was overwhelmed by this book. Such a change from happily ever after kind of books. It really invaded my heart 3y
kplovesbooks @Crazeedi Right?!?! This was probably more akin to real life than any novel I've ever read. 💔 3y
Crazeedi @kplovesbooks your comment is exactly what I wanted to say but couldn't come up with the words. Real life, yes yes yes. It was a book unlike any I've read in a long time 3y
kplovesbooks @Crazeedi Thank you! 👌 And agreed... it's very unlike any other book. I love when a story is different; too many books carry the same feels, but this one definitely did not. 3y
32 likes4 comments