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Red Side Story
Red Side Story: The long-awaited sequel to Jasper Fforde's bestselling Shades of Grey | Jasper Fforde
21 posts | 15 read | 9 to read
Imagine a world where your position in society depended on what bit of the colour spectrum you could see. This is the world inhabited by Eddie Russett (red, middle-level) and Jane Grey (monochromatic, lowest in society). Eddie and Jane must negotiate the delicate Chromatic politics of society to find out what the 'Something that Happened' actually was, how society got to be this way, and crucially, is there Somewhere Else beyond their borders - and if there is, could there be Someone Else, too, someone whose unseen hand has been guiding the fortunes and misfortunes of the nation for the past 500 years? It's a tale of a young couple's thirst for justice and answers in an implacably rigid society, where the prisoners are also the guards, and cages of convention bind the citizens to only one way of thinking - or suffer the consequences. . ..
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

I definitely should have reread the first book. Because it has been a long time. But that didn't really diminish my enjoyment of this second book. I love this author. He's a must read for me. There are very few men on my must read list.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3mo
35 likes1 comment
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BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

This long-awaited sequel (it‘s been fifteen years!!) picked up right where the first book left off and took us deeper into the world of Cromatacia, where there‘s a strict social hierarchy based on color perception. It‘s every bit as weird, offbeat, and sinister as Shades of Grey. I re-read the first book to refresh my memory and was glad I did, since there was so much I‘d forgotten. Fforde excels at creating quirky dystopian worlds that somehow ⤵️

BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) …feel both lighthearted and disturbing at the same time. The jokey bits and the satire balance out the unnerving revelations that Eddie and Jane stumble upon. So much of this is a spot-on send-up of bureaucracy & power, arbitrary rules and their sycophantic enforcers. I‘m fascinated by what was revealed here, and although I could reconcile myself to this book being the last in the series, I‘m eager for a 3rd installment⤵️ 4mo
BarbaraJean (Cont‘d) —I want more development and follow-up on several things! As long as it doesn‘t take another 15 years to get a third book… 4mo
AlaMich I‘m excited to read this, but do you feel it‘s necessary to reread the first book? I‘m terrible about rereading, but I could just skim, I suppose. 4mo
BarbaraJean @AlaMich I don't know that it's necessary, especially if you're not a big re-reader! Fforde does a little bit of re-establishing the world in the first couple of chapters, so that should be helpful. Or you could always look up the plot summary for the first book on Wikipedia 😁 (edited) 4mo
AlaMich @BarbaraJean Looking up a plot summary sounds good. 😊 4mo
36 likes5 comments
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vlwelser
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Switched back to this. Should have reread the first book but whatever.

36 likes1 stack add
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Jen2
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Pickpick

Really good.

49 likes1 stack add
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Mccall0113
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Long awaited sequel was totally with it! I need to choose series that are completely published because I'm so impatient!

43 likes2 stack adds
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Deblovestoread
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#WeeklyFavorites

Best of the month: Red Side Story

@Read4life

Read4life Fantastic books. I‘ve stacked Red Side Story. 🤓 5mo
RamsFan1963 Me too!! Red Side Story was definitely worth the wait. My favorite book of 2024 (so far) 5mo
47 likes1 stack add2 comments
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RamsFan1963
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Pickpick

69/150 I think this will be my favorite book of 2024. It's hard to believe it's been 15 years since Shades of Grey was published, because this picks up perfectly where the last one left off, answering some questions, asking a lot more. I hope there will be a third book and I don't have to wait 15 years to read it. 5 🌟 giant stars!!
69th book finished for #Readaway2024 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES @Andrew65

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 5mo
62 likes1 comment
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JoieFatale
Pickpick

15 years later and I finally got to see what Eddie and Jane have gotten up to in the Chromogencia!

I‘m a genuine Fforde Ffanatic, and started with Thursday Next‘s series, and have read everything I can get my hands on by one Fforde. But the wait for RSS was too long (though as a Nana fan, I should really stfu about waiting lol).
I may have shed a single tear at the end of the book (a big fat juicy tear). Very pleased…and hopeful for a third lol!

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Deblovestoread
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#WeeklyFavorites

Tagged is the long awaited sequel to Shades of Grey.

@Read4life

Read4life 💙💙💙 5mo
46 likes1 comment
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Deblovestoread
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Pickpick

Jasper Fforde is bonkers, in the best possible way. It might have helped to reread Shades of Grey first but it wasn‘t too many pages before I was all in. The world building is complete and the characters fully fleshed out. Tackling themes of race and class in a dystopian world striving for Utopia, Fforde tells the story of Eddie (a high quality red) and Jane (a lowly grey) working together to change their fate.

TY #NetGalley for this book!

AvidReader25 I loved the first book, so I‘m thrilled that there‘s finally a sequel! 6mo
AlaMich @AvidReader25 Same here! I‘d given up hope that he would ever write a sequel. 6mo
LiteraryinPA Did you know this was coming out @BennettBookworm ? 6mo
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BennettBookworm @LiteraryinLawrence I did! I‘m relieved to hear it‘s a good sequel! 6mo
RamsFan1963 I'm waiting for my library hold. I'm like 4th in line. 6mo
AvidReader25 @AlaMich seriously! I feel like I should reread the first. 5mo
71 likes6 comments
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julesG
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Pickpick

For those of you, who've been waiting for over a decade for this: it's worth the wait.

Story picks up shortly after where Shades of Grey ended. I don't want to accidentally spoil anything. So 🤐

Jasper Fforde reads the information preceding each chapter. #audiobook

Deblovestoread Listening to it now 😁 6mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag I‘m hanging out for the third Nursery Crimes book… Glad to see he‘s back to publishing more frequently - it gives me hope! 6mo
See All 10 Comments
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage, I saw him on his Early Riser book tour and he did promise that it was coming! He‘s just very strict with himself and commits fully to one writing project at a time - so if that derails (he had writers block with Early Riser) then everything gets pushed back. 6mo
julesG @thegirlwiththelibrarybag that's a good strategy, concentrating on one project at a time. Wish I could do that. 😁 6mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag @julesG, one writing project at a time - I suspect he may have gotten a little distracted by photography and other endeavours. 6mo
julesG @thegirlwiththelibrarybag It's all part of the creative process. 😉 6mo
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage @thegirlwiththelibrarybag thanks! That makes sense and I admire his dedication. 6mo
TheSpineView Well done! 6mo
64 likes2 stack adds10 comments
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bookandbedandtea
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Oh wow! I read his Shades Of Grey a million years ago, it feels like, and long ago gave up hoping for a sequel but now there is one! Of course, other than knowing I really liked it, I can't quite remember the story. 🤔 I'll have to see if I can dig it back up for a reread.

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage Even though the sequel picks up right where the last one left off, I felt there was enough catch up to be able to follow along without a reread 😁 and I read the first one in 2019. 6mo
bookandbedandtea @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage That is very good to hear! Thank you! 6mo
31 likes2 comments
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Decalino
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Pickpick

It was a true delight to be back in the uniquely dystopian world of Chromotacia, where your ability to perceive color determines your place in life. No time has passed since the events of Shades of Grey; Eddie & Jane face being sent to the Green Room for the fatal results of their journey. A fascinating read that offers more clues about the nature of their world, and promises to reveal even more in book three. Hopefully sooner rather than later!

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JoyBlue
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Pickpick

I've been waiting a dozen years for this dystopian science fiction/fantasy sequel! Was it worth the wait? Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#red-side-story-shades-of-grey-2

North American publication was May 7.

#NetGalley #RBMedia #RedSideStory

Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes My copy came this week! 6mo
julesG I just read the first book. Ordered the second. I'm glad I held out reading the first book for so long. 😉 6mo
JoyBlue @julesG You're so clever! 😍 6mo
38 likes1 stack add4 comments
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Decalino
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My name is Eddie Russett, but only for another two hours and nine minutes.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

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Decalino
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It's here!!!! I try not to have high expectations, but I have been waiting for this book for *years* and it's finally out. Plus, it arrived in that brief window between books, so the timing is perfect!

RamsFan1963 I'm very jealous, I need to get this ASAP!! 6mo
15 likes1 comment
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Booksblanketsandahotbeverage
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Just a little excited to find this in my mailbox today. I couldn‘t wait for May (U.S. edition), so I ordered from Blackwell‘s…

RamsFan1963 I'm SO jealous!!! 9mo
AlaMich Cool! I really enjoyed the first one. 9mo
AlaMich Have you see the American cover? It‘s quite something 9mo
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JoyBlue I could‘t wait for US release either, so I ordered it from Waterstones! 😍 9mo
29 likes3 stack adds6 comments
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Decalino
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Okay, I literally shrieked and hit the pre-order button when I saw that this book is coming out in May. I *loved* Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey (nor to be confused with...you know). I had given up on ever getting a sequel but it's finally happening! It may be time to re-read Shades of Grey, although I'm not normally prone to revisiting books. Hooray!

BennettBookworm WOAH!! FINALLY!! 9mo
RamsFan1963 Are you kidding me?!?! Its about friggin time!! I've been waiting for a sequel to Shades of Grey for years!! I'm so excited!! 9mo
23 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Teresereading
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Red Side Story
Congratulations Barbara @BarbaraBB - isn‘t Litsy great?
#BBGiveaway
@BooksandCats @wanderinglynn

BarbaraBB I love Fforde! Thanks for entering the giveaway! 14mo
wanderinglynn Thanks for the tag! 14mo
thegirlwiththelibrarybag I love Jasper Fforde - glad he‘s gotten over his writers block 14mo
15 likes3 comments
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Booksblanketsandahotbeverage
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Jasper Fforde posted about this on his FB!

https://www.facebook.com/100063700870521/posts/pfbid02nbBNtVjE32QGUFpXuGLfG7wPL4...

I‘d have copied and pasted, but it was too long to fit. And it has the first sentence of the sequel (which was also too long to fit.) Basically he‘s done writing it and is in the middle of editing.