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Great Circle
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
162 posts | 113 read | 1 reading | 66 to read
"After being rescued as infants from a sinking ocean liner in 1914, Marian and Jamie Graves are raised by their dissolute uncle in Missoula, Montana. There --after encountering a pair of pilots passing through town in a beat up Cessna--Marian commences her lifelong love affair with flight. At fifteen, she drops out of school and finds an unexpected and dangerous patron in a wealthy rancher who provides a plane and subsidizes her lessons, an arrangement that will haunt her for the rest of her life, even as it allows her to fulfill her destiny: circumnavigating the globe and piloting her plane over the Arctic Circle. A century later, Hadley Baxter is cast to play Marian in a film that centers on Marian's disappearance over the South Pacific. Vibrant, canny, disgusted with the claustrophobia of Hollywood, Hadley is eager to re-define herself after a romantic film franchise has imprisoned her in the grip of cult celebrity. Her immersion into the character of Marian unfolds, thrillingly, alongside Marian's own story, as the two womens' fates--and their hunger for self-determination in vastly different geographies and times-- collide. Epic and emotional, meticulously researched and gloriously told, Great Circle is a monumental work of art, and a tremendous leap forward for the prodigiously gifted Maggie Shipstead"--
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Skeeterisme
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

Took me months, but well worth it

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RobES
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Mehso-so

This is a tough one for me to review as it was so gorgeously written that I really enjoyed reading it ... that being said it was sllllooooowwwww! I love a slow burn but this was so slow it was fizzling out. Also, the parallel story of Hadley the actress wasn't present enough to make any real impact... although I did like the ending! Also, does anyone want to come sort out these bookshelves for me!?

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MallenNC
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Mehso-so

This book was way too long and there‘s much too much trauma in it. It could have lost the modern day Hollywood storyline and been stronger. It gets better about halfway through as it starts focusing more on Marion, the pilot who is lost on an around the world flight. Even though there were too many side stories, my favorite part of the story was about Marion‘s artist brother who like his sister seems ahead of his time.

Suet624 Completely agree on all points. 1y
fredthemoose I felt the same way! 1y
vlwelser 💯 1y
31 likes3 comments
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vlwelser
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Mehso-so

I just didn't love this. It's well written but it's far too long to just be okay.

#SheSaid @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Caroline2 Agreed!!! 😬 1y
Graywacke Yeah, that. 1y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 1y
RobES I'm reading this at the mo and am finding the same thing 1y
47 likes4 comments
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RobES
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Summer reading has started 🌻🌞📚

Tamra Fabulous blooms! 1y
38 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Hello #SheSaid! How‘s everyone doing today? I‘m a bit late here, sorry thunderstorms in our area and service a bit spotty. I hope you are all doing well.

My update is… I finally made it halfway through this book, and you are right, it is getting better. I will definitely be finishing it now. How are all of you doing reading-wise with this month‘s pick? Finished? Still chugging away?

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘m even really liking the parallel storylines now….stuff in the past where I can see the red flags coming a mile away and can‘t believe she does not (which was really bothering me), when it‘s paralleled in the present I can see how she falls into it, or wants to believe in it. 1y
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MallenNC I finished! There were things I really liked and things I didn‘t but it was way too long for me. It was worth reading but not a favorite. 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @MallenNC I will agree with that, that might be why I was having such a hard time getting through the first half before it really got going, for me anyway. (edited) 1y
MallenNC @Riveted_Reader_Melissa It helped that I had the audiobook and the print version form the library so I could get through it. I don‘t love long books, so it was at a disadvantage with me. But once it gets more focused on Marion I thought it got better. 1y
vlwelser It was fine. But it's way too long just to be fine. 1y
34 likes8 comments
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staci.reads
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

I finished this one up early for #Shesaid, and I absolutely loved it! It's epic, and the cast of characters and settings can be overwhelming, but it's beautifully written, and I became incredibly invested in the characters. @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

TheKidUpstairs It's been interesting following the discussions for this one, most people seem pretty meh on it, but it was one of my favourites last year! Glad I'm not alone 🤣 1y
staci.reads @TheKidUpstairs Yes, I definitely felt like the outlier on this one, but I thought it was beautifully written, and I'm still thinking about it! 1y
68 likes2 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Hello #SheSaid! How‘s everyone doing?

I‘m sorry to say this one has stalled for me, and I‘m actually considering DNFing it. 🫠.

Does it get better? For those of you reading on schedule.

Suet624 I mentioned earlier that I really didn't like this one very much when I read it last year. I finished it, but should have DNF'd it. 1y
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TheKidUpstairs I read this one last year and it was one of my absolute favourites! But I loved it from the first page. I know it doesn't always work for everyone! 1y
AllDebooks Hmmm, maybe feeling the same. I think I may pause it and come back to it later in the year rather than give up entirely 1y
Deblovestoread I just finished and while I enjoyed the Marion Graves part of the story I didn‘t get the other part with the Hollywood movie storyline and I didn‘t like the ending. If you aren‘t enjoying it I would move on. 1y
vlwelser I'm caught up finally. It's okay but it's way too long. 1y
MallenNC I finished and it did get better. But if I hadn‘t been listening to the audiobook I probably wouldn‘t have continued. It‘s much too long, the Hollywood part was unnecessary, and there was too much trauma. The ending was interesting, but I won‘t say more about that so I don‘t spoil it. Her brother Jamie was the best character to me, and I wish it had been about him. 1y
Julsmarshall My hold didn‘t come in from the library and , after reading these comments, I may not bother. 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa I think where I‘m struggling is there should be more Marion, less her fathers issues, uncles issues, etc, etc. I get they shaped her… but I feel like it‘s focusing on them more than her…. It‘s feeling like a big Bechdel test fail to me. She meets a female pilot! Yay…do they bond over flying. Nope, are jealously both into her husband also a pilot 🤷‍♀️. She meets the ladies of the night at her job…they immediately make her up and push her ⤵️ 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ on men. She decides to cut her hair short, but it‘s a big fail until her friend a boy helps (but charges her intimate contact as the price for helping). Plus where I wish they‘d be developing her, they switch and develop her brother or uncle more. It makes them more interesting… but the uncle‘s gambling habit seemed like it appeared out of thin air one chapter and was just added to make a reason Marion would be put into another bad situation. 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ before that he was just an absent minded artist…then one chapter his character changed for the sole purpose of losing the family car and pushing the Barclay storyline. 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa And yet this article makes me think I should push through ⤴️ 1y
MallenNC The fact that my favorite character was Marion‘s brother in a book that is supposed to have two female leads is a problem I think. I agree that way too much time is spent with side stories. (edited) 1y
staci.reads I'm an outlier, apparently. I finished it up a few days ago, and I really liked it 🫣😬 I loved Marion's story and her unconventional life. I lived reading about the female aviators, and I loved the layers to the plot. I do wish the author had either given Hadley's story more attention or just left it out. It felt like a vehicle to give her a reason to tell Marion's story and reveal the surprises slowly. It wasn't necessary for that. 1y
staci.reads @TheKidUpstairs I agree! Although it was long, I wanted to keep reading the entire time. 1y
staci.reads @Riveted_Reader_Melissa thanks for sharing the article! It's clear reading the book that it had to be meticulously researched, but it was fun to read about the author's process. The section in Antarctica was so vivid! Now I know why. 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @staci.reads I really liked the article too. And I have a book recommendation for you, nonfiction. It‘s about female animators at Disney, but a few left to become pilots during the war, and I remember that part being very interesting. 1y
staci.reads @Riveted_Reader_Melissa that looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing! 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ plus it dealt with the sexism of their industry at the time, ideas that became the property of Disney after they left, etc, 1y
32 likes21 comments
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Deblovestoread
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

This a medium to low pick. Told in 2 different time lines about 2 different women. I really enjoyed the Marion Graves storyline about her wanting to learn to fly and attaining her dream. The current storyline of a Hollywood starlet cast to portray her in a movie didn‘t quite work for me. #SheSaid

Crazeedi Thos was a dnf for me. Just couldn't 1y
ChaoticMissAdventures I agree, the Hollywood modern day story line did nothing for me and I wish it had not been a duel storyline. 1y
66 likes2 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Hello #SheSaid!

I‘m still behind, but plugging away with this one. How‘s everyone else doing?

vlwelser Same. Still plugging along but behind. 1y
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MallenNC I don‘t know where others are in the book so I won‘t say any specifics, but I can‘t decide if I like this book or not. I know it was nominated for prizes, but it doesn‘t seem special so far. I think maybe I‘d like a straightforward one person narrative with Marian better than the movie star plot. I‘m still reading though! (edited) 1y
fredthemoose Oooh! I‘ve been MIA from this group for a long time, but I read this one a few months ago! I super struggled with the first part (Marian‘s childhood/adolescence). I don‘t remember all of the specifics, so won‘t spoil anything, but it felt creepy and exploitative in a way I wasn‘t sure I could handle for that many pages. If anyone else is struggling with it, that part does get better. 1y
staci.reads I didn't get started on this until a couple days ago, but I'm getting caught up. I'm not quite through the 2nd section yet, but I'm finding it hard to put down. I expected more of a balance between Marion and Hadley's stories, but the first half at least has been dominated by Marion's back story. I agree @fredthemoose, the exploitation that Marion's experiences is hard to read about. She was definitely living in a man's world and didn't believe ⬇️ 1y
staci.reads She had many options. Still, Barclay is a bastard, and I'm hoping he has an appropriately ugly downfall and that it's at Marion's hands. 1y
26 likes7 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Hello #SheSaid! How‘s everyone doing this weekend?

It‘s a nice change of pace to get into a fiction book this time….how‘s everyone doing so far.

vlwelser I'm so far behind. I only made it to Barnstormers. I will try to catch up this week. The book is long but so well written. I'm not skimming so it takes longer. 1y
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Deblovestoread It took me awhile to get into it but now I‘m hooked. 1y
AllDebooks Picking my library copy up tomorrow ☺️ 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Ok… so I‘m not the only one behind 😂 1y
MallenNC I got an audiobook and print copy from the library so I was able to make it thorough the whole section for this week. It is a long book! I wasn‘t sure I liked either of the main characters all that much at first but they‘ve grown on me, and now I want to know what happens. 1y
Suet624 I might be the only one who didn‘t like this book when I read it last year. 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1y
vlwelser It seems like @MallenNC is the only one on schedule. Overachiever! 1y
MallenNC @vlwelser Since I fell behind on the last two books it remains to be seen if that continues! 1y
39 likes10 comments
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LitsyEvents
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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repost for @Riveted_Reader_Melissa:

Hello #ShesSaid! The schedule is up for our June fiction read! Sorry for the delay!

original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2594025

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Hello #ShesSaid! The schedule is up for our June fiction read! Sorry for the delay!

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Ok… it will let me tag individually, but not a group. I‘ll try the group tag again later. 1y
squirrelbrain For any UK Littens, this is 99p on Kindle today. 1y
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @squirrelbrain That‘s great timing! 1y
vlwelser I was going to try to do it but it won't let me copy/paste from my phone. #SheSaid 1y
Deblovestoread I‘d like to jump in for June if I may? 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Deblovestoread You definitely can! We‘d love to have you. 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa After days of trying…. The tag went through without issue today 🤷‍♀️😂 1y
AllDebooks Thanks x 1y
TheKidUpstairs I read this one last year and absolutely loved it. I'm not going to re-read, but I look forward to discussing it! 1y
MallenNC I am getting to start! I missed the end of last month‘s discussions bc I was on vacation so I‘m ready to stay on track this time. 1y
vlwelser Are you feeling any better? 1y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @vlwelser Yes! Finally! I had some inner ear virus/inflammation that was effecting my balance. Labyrinthitis….so it was what was making me very dizzy giving me a headache and nauseous. So like extreme seasickness, but without the fun trip. 😂. They gave me basically prescription strength motion sickness medicine, which then made me sleep a lot. So that‘s the recap…. But yes, much much better now. 1y
vlwelser 🤗😘 1y
vlwelser This book is long. 😂 1y
46 likes17 comments
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LitsyEvents
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Repost for @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

#SheSaid schedule for the next 12 months. See original post for details https://litsy.com/p/YWhuT1hvTEpp

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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And coming up in June…Great Circle, our first fiction of the year.

Plus an updated schedule going forward 😉

I have to admit I‘m really looking forward to the last one just added to that list, we started this group with a great Carol Anderson, and after this week… her newest book seems more timely than ever.

#SheSaid
#SheSaidSchedule

JamieArc I really liked Great Circle. I got so immersed in it that when I finished, I started to google the main character. I totally forgot it was fiction. 2y
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MallenNC I got behind on this month‘s book but I‘m excited about this schedule. I forgot we had a fiction pick this summer! 2y
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @MallenNC Sometimes a Fiction read is so nice to kick off the summer. 2y
SamAnne I‘ve read this one. Will follow along with the discussion. 2y
CatLass007 I‘d like to be added to the tag list for #shesaid. Is the schedule shown here through April of 2024? 9mo
44 likes7 comments
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Jen2
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Mehso-so

I tried but just didn‘t like this one.

Aims42 I think I bailed around page 50 or so. I‘ve heard great things but I couldn‘t get hooked 2y
Vansa Oh,this was quite bad! I have no idea why she had to shoehorn in graphic familial sexual assault,just for shock value?Also,why the snobbery for fan fiction,and fans in general?This writer is doing the same thing she's so contemptuous of-writing Kirsten Stewart fan fiction!More exploitative than fan fiction that's about fictional characters.Also she seems to really hate women,so much "not like other women".She writes of WWII like it was(1/n) 2y
Vansa (2/n)constant Love triangles and dancing,including a POW camp.The best bits were the potted biographies of female aviators- a biography of any of them would have made for better reading.And Caleb merely exists to....scratch an itch for the stupid woman.As you can tell, I hated this book! 2y
Jen2 Glad I‘m not the only one! 2y
TheEllieMo I‘m so glad to find I‘m not the only one who didn‘t really enjoy this one! 2y
50 likes5 comments
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Verity
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

It has taken me actual months (six of them I think) but I have finally finished this. And despite the time it‘s taken me, it‘s a pick. I‘ve done about half of it over the last few days - because once the war gets going it really picks up. I cared more about Marian‘s story than Hadley‘s, but most of it is Marian so that is fine!

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JillR
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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The above are my very favourite reads this year. Highlights✨accepting I can read and love Bridgerton as much as I want✨yet still finishing and loving the Women‘s Prize for Fiction shortlist - a huge achievement for this girl who has always been afraid of #booksthatwinprizes✨being part of my first book group; this year‘s choices have brought vampires, Japanese work culture, time travel, flesh-eating and more, and I‘m all for it!✨Happy New Year✨

TrishB A great picture 👍🏻 the books match wonderfully and great choices. 2y
JillR @trishb the photo is very pleasing but I promise I picked the books based on my true favourites and not the aesthetics 😆😉. Happy New Year! 🥂 2y
squirrelbrain Love this picture and your summary! I‘ve read all of these (some this year, some last year) and really liked all of them. (edited) 2y
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JillR @squirrelbrain thank you! Loved all of these obviously, although there were also lots of average reads this year. Excited about new books to come in 2023 as I‘m impatiently awaiting lots of new paperback releases! Happy New Year 😊 2y
Cathythoughts I‘ve read three of your lovely stack. Happy New Year Jill 🥳 2y
JillR Happy New Year @cathythoughts x 2y
36 likes6 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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#12Booksof2022 On the fifth and sixth days of Christmas, my reading gave to me...a pair of multi-linear reads.

Multiple characters and timelines can be confusing if done poorly, but fantastically engaging when done well. And both of these were done very, very well.

@Andrew65

Andrew65 Two good choices, and both are on my TBR 🙈 2y
57 likes2 comments
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Frankie00
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

The storyline, the characters and the brutal honesty that makes up this book are just a few of the reasons it enticed me so much. Marian Graves is an extraordinary brave woman who‘s tale is one I recommend everyone reading. This is definitely a book that I will think about for a long time coming … 🧭

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fredthemoose
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Question for those who‘ve read this… I‘m a quarter of the way through the book and there‘s been more than enough abuse and neglect of the female characters for my liking. Marian is just meeting the benefactor for the first time. Should I be bailing? I‘d rather not listen to 450 more pages of women being treated like objects and shown no actual care…

Suet624 Wish I‘d seen your post earlier. I hope you bailed. 2y
38 likes1 comment
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Hooked_on_books
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

Great Circle follows two women who are separated in time but have a connection. Marian is an orphan of sorts who strives to be a pilot in an age that found this unacceptable for women, and Hadley is an actress in the current era. I thought this was great with a superb ending to Marian‘s story, though I would have liked to see a bit more for the ending of Hadley‘s.

Cathythoughts Nice review! I have this on my kindle, I must get to it some day. 2y
Sophronisba I really loved this, although I agree that Shipstead seemed much more interested in Marian than Hadley. 2y
59 likes2 comments
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NovelNancyM
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

This is an amazingly complex book that endeared me to the characters. Marian Graves is a strong female protagonist and I loved her twin brother Jamie. So many concepts about identity, sexuality, gender roles and a great read overall. Highly recommend!

31 likes1 stack add
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AlizaApp
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

Historical fiction about a badass female aviator in the first half of the 20th century, and then a later storyline featuring the train wreck actress playing her in a biopic in 2015. I liked the historical storyline better but the whole novel came together well. A high recommend.

Soubhiville Nice Henna! 2y
AlizaApp @Soubhiville thanks it was from my friend‘s wedding! 2y
40 likes2 comments
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Marialou
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

I really didn‘t like this at first. I didn‘t feel connected to the main characters and was irritated by the tangents and very long description and background for everyone and everything. But as the book progressed I did start to really invest in the two leads, I cared for and worried about them. By the end i loved these characters and the book. I accidentally adored it.

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AnneCecilie
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Cinfhen Ohhh, I forgot about this book!! Good pick 🫶🏼 2y
AnneCecilie @Cinfhen That‘s the thing when it comes to these games, you remember all the books you forgot to think about, at least I do. 2y
Cinfhen Truth!!! 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Thank you for playing! 2y
37 likes4 comments
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katcalvin
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Bailedbailed

I signed up to read a book about a daring aviatrix and instead I got a boring Twilight actress character written with every Hollywood cliché the writer could think of, so much child sexual content that I question how this book is even legal, and tired, trite prose. And it‘s like eleventy billion pages. I refuse to finish. There are other books out there. I will read literally any other one. The Booker committee, it turns out, is not infallible.

SamAnne My book club just signed up to read this one for August. 😬😳😳😬😬 2y
6 likes1 comment
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Robotswithpersonality
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
This post contains spoilers
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Pickpick

I stay away from most historical fiction, because the prevalent abuse of minorities: i.e. misogyny, homophobia, chokes me with rage and despair, recognizing it is completely factual that such atrocities, still present in modern society, were that much worse in earlier times. (Look up trigger warnings). However Marian Graves came to life on the page as a human who just kept trying to live their own life despite imposed limits. Worth it.

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Robotswithpersonality
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Current favourite word: "...lolloped..."

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MonicaLoves2Read
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

Wow! An EPIC Book! I enjoyed everything, except for the actress that was playing Graves. Don't expect a quick read. It's not.

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JillR
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

I spend my reading life searching for books like this one. Books that completely consume me and I can‘t put down. Marian Graves is our main character; an aspiring aviator in the 1930s, who has a complicated and troubled background. Her story is interspersed with that of film star Hadley who is to play Marian in the biopic of her life. That little summary doesn‘t do the epic scope or intensity of the story and characters justice; I loved it!

Cathythoughts Great review 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2y
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 I loved it too. 2y
Freespirit It looks great!! 2y
42 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Donna1980
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

This book was epic, all 670 pages of it but I‘m so glad I chose it to be a holiday read so that I could be fully absorbed in it. A book with layers like this needs to be given the time it deserves to be truly loved. Marian Graves dreams of being a pilot and to circumnavigate the globe. So the story is set in motion as the author traverses the 20th century through the lives of 2 women predominantly but many other beautifully written characters. 5🌟

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Donna1980
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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What a recommendation this was. If you are looking for where to start with the nominees for the women‘s prize for fiction this year, then I can think of no better place to start. This book is a gem!

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charl08
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Not going to arrive in time to drink out of this during watching the shortlist events this week.

New challenge to see if I've read something by all the winners 🏆?

Nute Whoa! I love that mug! 2y
vivastory I thought about ordering this. I have the journal, which I love 2y
charl08 @nute @vivastory I wanted the journal as well! 2y
humouress I foresee a merger … 2y
78 likes4 comments
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Butterfinger
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

Manipulation, heartbreak, adventure, love. This epic has it all. I got so lost in the reading, I could swear it was Ken Follet. And Jamie. Swoon. Reminded me of Anne Blythe's Walter. Interspersed between the chapters, you are treated to historical snippets of real aviators. This is my favored contender for #WomensPrize2022 No, wait. I forgot about The Sentence.

54 likes2 comments
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thewallflower0707
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Mehso-so

Okay, I‘m done with what feels like a very long book. I usually love historical fiction, but I just could not get invested. It‘s beautifully written though.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,75/5

#WomensPrize #novel #historicalfiction

Suet624 Agreed. 2y
19 likes1 comment
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AnneCecilie
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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vivastory I almost chose this one for today's prompt. I'm really looking forward to reading this one! 3y
Eggs Well done 👍🏼 ✈️📚 3y
AnneCecilie @vivastory One of my favorite reads from last year. Hope you enjoy it 3y
63 likes3 comments
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PhilipE
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
Pickpick

Pretty good book. The last hundred pages were really well written. Beautiful writing.

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sophies_little_library
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Happy Sunday!

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Cathy_J
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

The epic story of a fictional female aviator Marian Graves. I really enjoyed traveling through history over such a great length of time with characters who became so familiar to me. I loved many sections of the book but there were others I thought were not entirely necessary. It is a long book but it does span a long and interesting life. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

sprainedbrain Loved that one! 3y
81 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Ncostell
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

I have mixed feelings about this book which contains dual timelines. As is often the case when I read this type of book I am usually drawn to one storyline over another. The story of fictional pilot Marian Graves was compelling as I enjoyed reading her journey and learning of the role of women pilots during WWII. The secondary timeline of a modern day actress playing Marian in a movie about her life was less engaging and felt unnecessary to me.

Aims42 I bailed because I couldn‘t get into the book because of Marian‘s timeline. I think I only got maybe 50 pages in - Is it worth trying again? 3y
Ncostell @Aims42 It is a pretty big commitment as it‘s so long. I was glad that I finished it as I felt that it had a satisfying resolution. Marian‘s timeline does take up much more of the book though so if you‘re not as interested in her story I would keep that in mind. I didn‘t feel very connected to her at first but she grew on me as the book progressed. 3y
Aims42 @Ncostell Thank you, sounds like maybe another try in the future 👍 😃 3y
63 likes3 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

Such a beast of a book! Marian Graves, fictional female pilot, has a difficult go of things from infancy (1914) and throughout most of her life. Not only do we get the intricate details of her life from birth to the end of her life, but also her parents‘ lives and others in her orbit jump off the page. The time periods and sense of place, just amazing! This epic journey is pierced by present-day chapters about an actress playing Graves in a film.

julesG I especially felt that last sentence. The story could have done without the dual timeline. 3y
Chelsea.Poole @julesG I‘ve read a bunch of reviews with the same sentiment and I can see it could have been left out. For me, it felt like a refreshing return to Marian after tabloid, Hollywood drama. Kind of a juxtaposition that enhanced Marian‘s story for me 🤷🏼‍♀️ 3y
100 likes2 comments
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Suet624
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

I‘m giving this one a pick but I have to say that of the 600 pages, it was the last 200 pages that finally connected me to the characters. They had felt very distant before that. I think I‘ll appreciate it more after it settles in a bit. Well researched with great detailed storytelling.

Cinfhen I loved this one!! I was convinced Marian was “real” / not sure the current day story was necessary 3y
Suet624 @Cinfhen I know! I saw your review. Current day story really wasn‘t necessary. 3y
Ncostell I‘m about a third of the way through this book now and know what you‘re saying about feeling disconnected from the main characters. Despite that, I feel it‘s a propulsive story but am glad to hear that the characters may grow on me as the book progresses. 3y
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Suet624 @cinfhen @ncostell I think my main issue was that this was on the Booker Prize short list. There was much to praise about the book, but I expected more because of being on that list. Like I said, with time it's probable I will recognize more of what I liked about it. 3y
Cinfhen I‘ve stopped putting my faith in all of these prizes / but I get why your expectations would have been high!! I just loved all the historical detail and I felt the author didn‘t rush her story but gave us time to really live alongside Marian. I loved it right from the start and stayed engaged throughout the pages ( well audio hours 😉it was LONG!!!!) 3y
Suet624 @Cinfhen I completely agree on its length! 😂😂 3y
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sophies_little_library
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead

‘Circles are wondrous because they are endless. Anything endless is wondrous. But endlessness is torture, too. I knew the horizon could never be caught but still chased it. What I have done is foolish; I had no choice but to do it.‘

review
sophies_little_library
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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Pickpick

This was extraordinary: spanning continents and centuries, introducing distinctive, wonderful characters. I adored Marian and her twin Jamie, who are real, flawed, and who grow. Most of this novel is set in the past, so the film-making storyline is primarily to complement Marian‘s journey. This didn‘t bother me, as Marian was the character I cared about, but it could bother some. This is such a bold, sweeping novel and a careful character study.

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AnneCecilie
Great Circle | Maggie Shipstead
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#September #9thbookof2021 was another month with several amazing reads, but I landed on this as the best of the month.

Honorable mentions: Ace by Angela Chen, The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

#12Booksof2021

Suet624 In the midst of this right now. 3y
AnneCecilie @Suet624 How do you find it? 3y
Suet624 @AnneCecilie I‘m enjoying it but wishing it weren‘t quite so long. 😀 3y
Andrew65 Looks good. 3y
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