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Perfect Little World
Perfect Little World: A Novel | Kevin Wilson
When Isabelle Poole meets Dr. Preston Grind, she's just about out of options. She recently graduated from high school and is pregnant with her art teacher's baby. Her mother is dead and her father is a drunk. The art teacher is too much of a head-case to help raise the child. Izzy knows she can be a good mother but without any money or prospects, she's left searching. So when Dr. Grind offers her a space in The Infinite Family Project, she accepts. Housed in a spacious compound in Tennessee, she joins nine other couples, all with children the same age as her newborn son, to raise their children as one extended family. Grind's theory is that the more parental love a child receives, the better off they are. This attempt at a utopian ideal-funded by an eccentric billionaire-starts off promising: Izzy enjoys the kids, reading to them and teaching them to cook. She even forms a bond with her son more meaningful than she ever expected. But soon the gentle equilibrium among the families is upset and it all starts to disintegrate: unspoken resentments between the couples begin to fester; the project's funding becomes tenuous; and Izzy's feelings for Dr. Grind, who is looking to expunge his own painful childhood, make her question her participation in this strange experiment in the first place. Written with the same compassionate voice, disarming sense of humor, and quirky charm that made The Family Fang such a success, PERFECT LITTLE WORLD is a poignant look at how the best families are the ones we make for ourselves.
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ImperfectCJ
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Pickpick

I didn't love this one as much as Nothing to See Here, but it was still excellent and made me cry twice. My family was enjoying listening to it during our road trip, but the driving ended before the book, so it was everyone for themselves. I grabbed the ebook and finished first, and now I want to talk to them about it but they're not done. How rude!

monalyisha Ha! Great post. 😅 1y
55 likes1 comment
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JackieGreco
Pickpick

This book was such a page turner. It was about a scientific experiment where families raised their children communally and the success for the kids but fallout for the parents. The book was written like a movie.

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Magpiegem
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Wow @thegirlwiththelibrarybag I am so excited to read my new book and try my new recipes. They look absolutely delicious. Just my kind of thing 😊 And I love Kevin Wilson and this edition has a lovely cover too! Plus I had the sweetest bookmark ever inside 😍 Thank you so so much. I hope you book and recipes turn up today 🙏 #recipeswap

thegirlwiththelibrarybag They look so good together! Glad you like it - hope the soups are a success! (I don‘t remember which ones I sent now - 2 soups and a pasta?) Nothing yet, but Australia Post gets the job done, eventually… so no stress. 3y
23 likes1 comment
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SteveWJones
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I‘m finally digging into a Kevin Wilson book (and ashamed it‘s taken me this many years).

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amyf0x
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Pickpick

Finding herself single and pregnant, 19-year-old Izzy decides to take Dr. Grind up on his offer to join a daring new project called the Infinite Family and raise her child alongside 9 others.

Read April 29 - May 4
Rated 3/5 ⭐️
Book 25/60

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ErikasMindfulShelf
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Pickpick

This was great! This author comes up with some very interesting, quirky stories and characters. I also loved his book Nothing to See Here

Megabooks Love Kevin Wilson! 4y
ErikasMindfulShelf @Megabooks Which of his books is your favorite? 4y
Megabooks Probably his latest, but I‘ve enjoyed all of them except his short story collection, which is weird because I usually like short stories. I feel each novel has gotten better! I‘ve read each as audio and print. #fan 4y
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ErikasMindfulShelf @Megabooks I looooved Nothing to See Here. Need to read The Family Fang. 4y
Megabooks @ErikasMindfulShelf I loved TFF as an audiobook, but then I‘m a huge fan of the narrator, too, so it worked for me especially well! The narrator is Therese Plummer. (edited) 4y
58 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Jenken1998
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Pickpick

Read right through this last night. One of my favorite authors. A story about finding and making family and all the complicated messiness that goes with that. Izzy finds herself alone and pregnant. She is offered a chance to live with other expecting families and raise their children communally as part of an experiment. Not my favorite of his work but still good. I love his complex and conflicted characters #bookspin #doublespin #bookspinbingo

DrexEdit I read his Nothing to See Here in January and it‘s still one of the best books I‘ve read all year. I‘ll have to check this one out too! 😊 4y
Jenken1998 @DrexEdit i liked Nothing to See Here better but this was still good 4y
59 likes1 stack add2 comments
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jouleian
Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This book felt a bit flat to be honest. I felt like it was rushed and the ending felt like a fairy tale. And a fairy tale ending didn‘t fit the overall plot. It makes for a good discussion piece on family structure for a college or high school setting. Plus this book needed a self harm trigger warning. I can‘t say I‘d recommend this one. #wouldnotrecommend

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WanderingBookaneer
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I love Mr. Tannehill!

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BennettBookworm
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Pickpick

Now I see why people rave about Kevin Wilson! What a masterful writer! Once I started this book, I couldn‘t sleep until it was finished. I was absolutely swept up in this story, which was just eerie enough to give me goosebumps but totally on the side of normal so as to feel like these were relatable characters.
The ending was satisfying, but also not what I expected...
Thanks, @LiteraryinLititz !

LiteraryinPA I‘m sooooo glad you liked it! You can borrow his others if you want! 5y
37 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Tommy4
Pickpick

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Julsmarshall
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Pickpick

What makes a family? This interesting novel explores family make up and dynamics and how environment influences child development. It is a bit slow in places but the character development and overall story made it a really worthwhile read for me. #MountTBR

LiteraryinPA I liked this one as well. I also recommend another one of his if you haven‘t read it. 5y
LiteraryinPA And of course his newest one!! 5y
Julsmarshall Thanks for the recs, @LiteraryinLititz 5y
59 likes1 stack add3 comments
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JoScho
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The amazing Sherri sent me this Christmas care package and I saved it to open tonight-I go back to work tomorrow and knew I would need a pick me up. I adore it all. It was so kind and thoughtful. Thanks so very much Sherri 🥰

Crazeedi Oh! I love the Four Agreements bookmark!❤❤❤ 5y
LiteraryinPA Hope you love this book as much as I did! 5y
Butterfinger That was smart. 5y
Eggs Oh you‘re so welcome! Happy 2020! 5y
94 likes4 comments
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britt_brooke
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Panpan

⭐️⭐️ A ten-year science experiment; a psychological take on communal living and child rearing. Sometimes thought-provoking, but overall, a tedious snooze fest. Too many characters, too much dialogue, not enough focus. It‘s unfortunate because I LOVED Nothing to See Here and The Family Fang.

DrexEdit I guess you can't win them all. I looked back at my goodreads list and apparently I enjoyed The Family Fang quite a bit, but I barely remember it now. A re-read seems likely! 😊 5y
britt_brooke @DrexEdit My thoughts exactly. They can‘t all be amazing, lol. The Family Fang is so unique and quirky. It‘s fantastic on audio if you enjoy listening, especially for a reread. 😁 5y
Hooked_on_books Ha! I really liked this one and didn‘t think much of Nothing to See Here. Different strokes for different folks, I guess! 5y
britt_brooke @Hooked_on_books That‘s too funny! And it would be a super boring world if we all liked the same things. 5y
101 likes4 comments
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Ashley85
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This has been a slow read for me. It‘s getting a bit more intriguing now that I‘m almost at the half-way point. Interesting concept about family and child-rearing. Hoping it holds my attention so I can see how it all turns out!

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3njennn
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I‘m almost halfway through this and enjoying it enough to speed through. The mixed reviews have me intrigued about the ending.

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Patchshank
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Bailedbailed

I was going to try and finish this book, but I just can't. The writing style is so bland. Interesting things are happening, but the writing style makes me not give a flying truck about any of it. It was just boring me.
We all know that one person who just talks to hear themselves talk and you're spaced out the whole time just nodding every so often. This book made me feel like I was talking to that person.

SamanthaMarie Oh no!! Those people are terrible... and for it to be like that in a book ? also, "flying truck" ? 6y
44 likes1 comment
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GirlWellRead
Panpan

I don't particularly care for utopian-style books. Is it their formulaic nature? Because there will be a giant conflict/problem to overcome? Without giving too much away, things start to crumble at the compound (gasp!) with relationships disintegrating, funding running out and Izzy's growing feelings for Dr. Grind. The worst part was the ending, Wilson tied everything up a little too neatly and by that point, it had just fizzled out.

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KimM
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Mehso-so

I‘m reading through my #BOTM backlog. This one started out interesting with an intriguing protagonist who becomes pregnant just after high school graduation and decides to keep the baby despite having no support. Then she is introduced to the Infinite Family Project - a science-based commune-like alternative way to raise children. I struggled with the concept‘s believability and dreaded the drama I knew was coming. Eventually I just got bored.

nosferatoos I had heard such good things about this and it seemed right up my alley but I had SO many problems with it. 6y
30 likes1 comment
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Thousand-Lives
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Mehso-so

I found the premise of the story (ten families participating in a communal parenting experiment) more intriguing than the storyline or characters.

#botmbacklog book 6

bookandcat 🎉🎉🎉 awesome job finishing yet another backlog book! You're tearing through your pile! 6y
Thousand-Lives @bookandcat I am and it feels so good!! 🎉 Thanks for the motivation! 6y
bookandcat @Thousand-Lives you're welcome and thanks for participating!!! 6y
65 likes3 comments
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Thousand-Lives
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My youngest had to get shots this morning so we‘re cuddling and reading. ❤️

BookNAround Look at that sweet little plump arm! I remember those days so vividly but my youngest just headed off for his first day of junior year in high school. Enjoy the sweet snuggles while you can. 6y
Thousand-Lives @BookNAround Thank you! It goes so fast, doesn‘t it? I hope your son has a good first day and enjoys his junior year. 6y
readordierachel So sweet 💙 6y
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MStew Miss the baby days, mine is almost 2 😣 6y
Thousand-Lives @meghan2714 Unbelievable how fast it goes 😥 Mine just turned 1. He‘s my last so I try to soak it up as much as possible. 6y
MStew @Thousand-Lives ❤awwwww soak it up mama!🤗 6y
63 likes6 comments
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Tex2Flo
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Mehso-so

#augustisatrip
@vkois88 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
26 Utopia
Always goes too far. Never utopic.

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Thousand-Lives
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Perfect weather for some outdoor reading

On to #botmbacklog book 6 📖

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LitLogophile
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Panpan

Probably the most disappointing botm I‘ve chosen thus far.

The whole story is rushed but also not interesting enough for me to wish there was more. ⭐️⭐️

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lovelybookshelf
Mehso-so

I have so many thoughts and feelings! I'm strangely charmed and *super* unsettled. I had issues with the bad science in the execution of the premise, and flat, faceless secondary characters. But Izzy and Preston's stories tugged at my heart. This would make a great book club pick because there are a ton of ethical issues to discuss - with the potential to lead to heated arguments.

TW: cutting, psychological child abuse, ableist microaggressions

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wanderer15
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Pickpick

@LiteraryinLititz really got into this one, so I decided to try it too. Intriguing premise, artfully written - several times Wilson defied my expectations for how a scene or plot point would turn out. Will have to try reading his other books.

Meglet I‘m glad @LiteraryinLititz tagged you in one of her recent posts...your reviews are fantastic. They tell me exactly what I‘d ask about in order to figure out if I‘d like a book or not. And I like knowing the things you share about a book, even if it means I decide I‘m not interested in reading it myself. 6y
wanderer15 How nice of you to say, thanks! 6y
15 likes2 comments
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LiteraryinPA
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Pickpick

Loved, loved, loved. I put this on my TBR back when it came out last year, and it called out to me this week from the library shelves. I was pulled into the story from the start. Although the characters are in an unusual situation (a long term social experiment where 10 sets of parents raise their children collectively), they react to it as you or I might. I found it heartfelt, surprising, authentic, and creative. Total pick!

mrozzz I concur! This was a nice surprise for me! 7y
DebinHawaii I really enjoyed this one as well! 📚👍 7y
112 likes8 stack adds2 comments
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Jas16
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Mehso-so

I vacillated between pick and so-so for this one. While I really did like this book I just wanted more from it. I wanted more depth on the day to day running of the project and more developed secondary characters. I wanted more analysis about the impact on the children. Still this was a great premise and an entertaining read.

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Cityofamber
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Mehso-so

I‘m so torn about this book. I loved the idea and it kept me interested and I wanted to know more. But it took forever to get to the “community” part the backstory could of been shorted, I would of loved to see more of inside the community. Besides the main character the characters didn‘t feel like individuals. And the ending was too unreal and random. I‘m also interested in how the kids reacted to after everything. #botm

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Howseldomtheydo
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Love this! #tbr #red

Gezemice Nice. 😉 7y
mrsmarch @Schlinkles 😂😂😂😂😁😁😳 7y
Schlinkles @mrsmarch My life in a photo 7y
Ddzmini ❤️🎈✂️😡👹👺💄💋👄🎅🏽🤶🏼👨🏽‍🚒🧚🏽‍♀️🧜🏽‍♀️💃🏼👩‍👩‍👧👩‍👩‍👦👠🎒⛑🧣🦑🦐🦀🌹🥀😝🤣🤣📚📖 7y
Maria514626 Brilliant! 7y
148 likes5 comments
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kiminreverse
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I'm in a bit of a reading slump. I'm going to start this and we'll see if it sticks or if I switch books or end up watching Dark Mirror. #unreadshelfproject2018

14 likes1 stack add
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lyssamez
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Pickpick

Since it‘s freezing outside I‘ve finished this book under a cozy blanket by the fire. I devoured this book - it‘s wonderfully written and a fascinating premise that examines what makes a family.

DebinHawaii I really enjoyed this one! 👍📚 7y
9 likes1 comment
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Crash
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Pickpick

I flew through this book! It was an interesting topic of 10 families taking part in an unusual social experiment to communally raise all 10 kids from birth for ten years. Well written and interesting.

Tamra Can you comment on the outcome and put a spoiler sticker on it? 7y
Crash Not sure how to do that, but it was a well written fiction book. 7y
14 likes2 comments
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LitLogophile
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Wow, with an introductory quote like this I expect good things 🤔

Cathythoughts 🤔makes one think 7y
69 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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MrsAHintz
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Mehso-so

While the concept of the Infinite Family Project is interesting, especially when juxtaposed with the Constant Friction Method (the other parenting style written about in this novel), the actual writing fell flat for me and I found myself bored between the interesting, dramatic spurts. But, then again, my love of trashy reality tv shows with all of the constant twists and unending drama might be to blame for that... 🤷‍♀️

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars)

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Victoria_Clyne
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Pickpick

This was an audiobook for me and I really enjoyed it. It was an interesting premise for a story. I liked that for a majority of the book Wilson wasn't choosing the typical happily ever after path, so I was a little disappointed with the ending. But don't let that put you off its a great read.

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Soubhiville
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When both of the books you‘re currently reading are really good, how do you choose which one to pick up with this evening? I‘m just going to flip a coin. #agoodproblemtohave

Ashley_Nicoletto I will dabble back and forth until one just sucks me in. An hour here. An hour there. 😂 7y
68 likes1 comment
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LPezzo
Pickpick

I was surprised I liked this book so much after reading some of the reviews. It took a few chapters to really get into it, but it was worth it. I felt the book was different from many of the novels out now. I loved the idea of the Infinite Family Project, and it went along with the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. It didn‘t shy away from conflict either, which made it more realistic. Definitely recommend!

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Soubhiville
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This was a gift from my Litsy friend @Hooked_on_books , and it‘s next up on my TBR. I‘m looking forward to getting into it!
#GIVEAWAYSIX

Thanks for sharing your books with everyone @Liberty !

Ashley_Nicoletto This has been on my TBR since I got it. 🤦🏻‍♀️ 7y
Bloomingjen How was Euphoria? it is on my TBR (edited) 7y
mrozzz It's a good one! 7y
Hooked_on_books I hope you like it as much as I did. ☺️ 7y
Soubhiville @Bloomingjen that‘s my TBR shelf in the background, I haven‘t gotten to Euphoria yet, but it‘s also on my up soon list. 7y
70 likes5 comments
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jenniemayfield
Pickpick

This book was an interesting concept and I enjoyed it a lot. Although I wish the Goodreads overview hadn't spoiled the ending 🙈

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Mdargusch
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My #rainbow pile. Just a small part of my TBR. #fallintoreading

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Leaving now to look up Enslaved by Ducks 😂 7y
Reviewsbylola 🌈 🌈🌈 7y
Mdargusch I think I found that at target @ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled ! 😂 7y
emilyhaldi ❤️ this pic. And that chair gives me major nostalgia for some reason ☺️ 7y
RealLifeReading Lovely 🌈 7y
110 likes5 comments
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Soubhiville
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@Hooked_on_books thank you for passing this along to me! I may have stacked it when I saw you were reading it 😃. The blurb sounds really good.
Also excited for a new #OwlPost book! (Book and journal edge pictured...) I love the diversity of books our group has chosen!

Book mail is the best mail 😊📚📬

Hooked_on_books You're welcome! I totally wanted to steal that journal. I love the gilding! 7y
Soubhiville @Hooked_on_books it is really pretty, so shiny! 7y
erinreads Creeping on your feed to ask a quick question (😬😬): You organized some postal book groups, right? If so, does everyone send to the same person each month or do you all send to someone different each time? I'm getting a new one going and wanted to check. Thanks! 🤗 7y
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Soubhiville Hi @erinreads ! In the group I'm part of as well as the ones I organized, each member sends to the same person each month. I'm happy to help if you have any more questions! And if you are looking for members I'd be happy to post for you, too 😊 7y
erinreads @Soubhiville Thank you! I was definitely overthinking it yesterday. I only need one more person and I might have someone, but if I need an extra boost, I'll let you know. Thanks for offering to post! 👌🏻 7y
Soubhiville You bet! If it's helpful I could send you my intro email. You can email me at magicbelly@gmail.com if you'd like. @MrBook can give some great advice too! 7y
66 likes6 comments
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nosferatoos
This post contains spoilers
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Mehso-so

🔆🔆⭕️⭕️⭕️ // the concept of this book was perfectly in my wheelhouse. I love the concept of alternative and chosen families. The story itself was quick and funny and compelling, but there were some cringy tropes employed by the male author that seemed unnecessary. It's hard not to side eye the decision for Izzy/Preston to end up together. Not only did it feel forced, but it brought down and otherwise enjoyable story. #lastsentence

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nosferatoos
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I have some conflicting opinions and feelings about the Izzy as a character and her romantic decisions as written by a male author. But this was such a satisfying moment 😂bye David 🖕🖕

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nosferatoos
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When books mention my hometown I get irrationally excited. But, no offense, if you're not from Memphis you're not going to school anyone at Memphis in May at How To Barbecue 😒😒😒 #memphis

8 likes1 stack add
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nosferatoos
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I started this a while back and then got caught up with other reading so I'm diving back in! #botm #tennesseebook

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BooksForEmpathy
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Lunch and the last few pages of this read 😍.

90 likes1 stack add
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BooksForEmpathy
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Homemade pozole verde tonight! Topped with some avocado, cotija, and pickled red onion. Hominy is so delicious. Also, sunflowers 🌻!

Almost finished with this read. Right in time for book club tomorrow night! The premise is so intriguing. How many of you have dreamed about alternative ways of living, raising a family, etc.?

Soubhiville Sounds really interesting. I've toyed with the idea of off the grid living, but never went farther than considering it. 7y
117 likes1 stack add1 comment