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Gissy
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Mehso-so

February 2025 Book #8 (last book read this month)

😬Another unpopular opinion🤷🏽‍♀️What is the purpose of this book? Margo tried to manage her dysfunctional parents by establishing emotional barriers. I still think she underestimate what happened with this professor. She tried to stand alone for herself and son by creating an “ethical kick-ass pimps of all time..” where “sex work can be a legitimate profession…then why not being a pimp?”⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) “an ethical pimp?🤔I thought there are other appropriate ways for persons who are sex workers and not depend on a “pimp”. Maybe I didn‘t understand Margo wonderful, unique work industry😏2⭐️ 2d
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 2d
BarbaraBB How cool you are reading the #LitsyToB25 books! I liked this one but not as much as many other participants so I get your so-so! 2d
TheAromaofBooks Another one off the list!! 1d
36 likes5 comments
review
Gissy
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Mehso-so

February 2025 Book #7

Sorry, unpopular opinion here. I think this book was overhyped for me. That situation at the hotel was so unrealistic to me. Then, we have a character not only with suicidal ideation but also a plan to do it and it was ignored? I have read books with morbid humor like Hagman by Maya Binyam but from the beginning you see the absurd tone. I didn‘t see that in this novel. It was tragic so sad her situation but ignored⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) There were some funny scenes but in general, it didn‘t work for me. At the end we see a growth in some characters which gives hope to the characters.

Maybe the book was so well commented with great reviews and a rating of more that 4 stars in GR that I expected a stronger story🤷🏽‍♀️ 3⭐️
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Prairiegirl_reading I finished this recently and was also underwhelmed. 2d
DieAReader #Next 👋🏻👋🏻 2d
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 1d
41 likes5 comments
review
Gissy
Martyr!: A novel | Kaveh Akbar
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Pickpick

February 2025 Book #5

I really enjoyed this book but I understand is not for everyone because is slow, maybe story was dragged a little bit and some convenient actions present that helped that ending. I usually don‘t like or enjoy stories about addictions, maybe too close to work, but there was something in the writing style that I loved, how author described the characters, that self talking, reflection, so deep, so many wonderful quotes⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) It is a depressed, sad story but with hope. A drama but it was deep and beautiful written. I did care for Cyrus and that fríendship/romance was just beautiful. I will like to try another book by this author. This book really worked for me 4/4.5⭐️

Also recommended by YouTuber Eric
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Gissy #BookSpinBingo #3 (buddy read) #ISpyBingo (vest-male wearing some kind of a vest looks like a vest😜) @TheAromaOfBooos
#toB2025 @BarbaraBB
#GoodReadsAroundTheYear #ATY prompt #9 (book listed in tournament llst of any year) from by GoodReads shelf #BooksIWantToRead2025
(edited) 2d
39 likes2 comments
review
Gissy
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Mehso-so

February 2025 Book #4

Maybe I expected more from this book since it was recommended by YouTubers with I follow their recommendations, but not always we have the same taste in books, and this is an example. Loved and intrigued by the premise. But I felt disconnected with characters. I thought Irena was arrogant and thinks everyone needed to please her. Some of the translators invited to this event in Ireba‘s house had infatuated feelings 🙄⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) with the author. The ending? Which I was supposed to understand this collective vs individual feelings between author/translator narrator/author whatever…I never felt moved for anything discussed. Maybe I didn‘t get along with Irene‘s personality and these translators dependent personalities 🤷🏽‍♀️3⭐️ 2d
TheAromaofBooks At least it's off the shelf!! 2d
Ruthiella I‘m so curious about this one too! So many strong opinions. 2d
Gissy @Ruthiella Try it, mine is an unpopular opinion. One of the YouTubers that I follow she strongly recommended it (Britta Bohler). I will keep my copy in case I try to re-read it🤷🏽‍♀️ 2d
34 likes5 comments
review
Gissy
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Pickpick

February 2025 Book #3

A contemporary chick lit where Felicia, an unsecured, immature character constantly take bad decisions that jeopardized her marriage, her emotional and physical security…and you, as a reader, will feel frustrated and mad during all this drama. Male figures here are terrible, abusive. Sexual abuse was minimized by family. Maybe the ending was a small step for Felicia start to grow up. Maybe this was the part that I liked⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) This is not a great story and a lower rating (so-so) would be more adequate. But maybe I saw it from a mental health perspective where I saw Felicia as a woman who didn‘t healed her trauma in an appropriate way, she didn‘t have support and just continue life but that scar was open. If you didn‘t like Queenie, you are not going to like this one and I think in Queenie this trauma part was better developed and worked. 3⭐️ 3d
Gissy #BookSpinBingo #11 (book from swap) #ISpyBingo (window) @TheAromaOfBooks
#Readathon #Read2025 @DieAReader
#AcquiredViaLitsy2025 @MatchlessMarie book acquired from #BlitsySwap 2023 Thank you @Chelleo

#NationalBlackHistoryMonth (February) even though these celebration/commemorative dates/months are not longer in Google 🙁
The explanation why it was removed is absurd
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TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 2d
DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 2d
38 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
Gissy
All Yours | Claudia Pi�eiro
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Pickpick

February 2025 Book #2 (book 1 in this duology)

I still think my favorite book is Elena Knows but this one was a great story. A thriller involving a triangle relationship. Only 162 pages and it was amazing of how many twists it has. Unlikable characters but so well described. I really like Claudia‘s writing style, how she develops these characters. However, there were some actions in our main character that I found unrealistic or too convenient⬇️

Gissy (Cont.) Don‘t want to say much because this is a short book. 3.8/4 ⭐️4 because I love the writing style 3.8 because of those unrealistic parts

#BookSpinBingo #17 (book in Spanish) #ISpyBingo (lowercase letters on spine) @TheAromaofBooks
#ReadaAThon #Read2025 @DieAReader
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BarbaraBB I loved this one too. 3d
See All 6 Comments
DieAReader 💖💖💖 2d
39 likes6 comments
review
Gissy
Spinning Silver | Naomi Novik
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Pickpick

February 2025 Book read #1 😳😬🫣

I started this book inJanuary but finished it in February for in memory of @sharread #Sharreadathon @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Book was picked from her litsy list.

I liked this book, the world and character. A Rumplestiltskin retelling. However, didn‘t like much the ending, maybe I was expecting something more dramatic and dark due to the story. But still I liked it. 3.8/4 ⭐️

Gissy #BookSpinBingo #DoubleSpin #10 (subscription-received this book in Uppercase subscription which is not longer open). Have it since 2018😳signed copy
#ISpyBingo (phrase “author of” on cover) @TheAromaofBooks
#ReadAThon #Read2025 @DieAReader
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DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 3d
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2d
40 likes4 comments
review
TheAromaofBooks
Rilla of Ingleside | L.M. Montgomery
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Pickpick

This is one of my all-time favorite books and I have read it probably 25-30 times over my lifetime. The characters, the setting, the fact that a few of the moments in this book still make me choke up even after all these rereads - this book is close to perfect to me.

SO IT WAS A COMPLETE SHOCK to find out that in the 1940s random sentences/paragraphs were edited out!!! The edition I grew up reading, despite clearly saying it was “unabridged“ ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) was, in fact, abridged! As was virtually every edition published from 1942-2010! But in 2010 a restored text was published. Since I didn't know it existed, I didn't seek it out, but I just so happened to purchase this edition a couple of years ago as my old faithful Bantam paperback is wearing out and I love this cover. Turns out, it's the 2010 text. So obviously I didn't read the two editions side by side noting every passage I could ⬇ 2w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) find that had been removed, because that would be ridiculous. But if I did, the note in the picture indicates how heavily each chapter was edited - ✔is unabridged, - is only a couple words or a sentence, + is several sentences, and ++ is multiple paragraphs.

I'm still completely befuddled as to why these passages were removed. It's true, nothing vital was taken out, but there are moments of humor, depth, and character, that were cut. ⬇
2w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) A lot of the editing were various speeches of Susan's, so maybe they just decided they didn't like her character...???? But other moments, like Rilla clinging to hope so as to not 'break faith' with Walter, Anne recounting the hair-dying episode of her youth, or more details of how Dog Monday settled in at the station, seemed so arbitrary to remove.

So it was kind of fun to do a little treasure hunt and discover that there is even more ⬇
2w
See All 17 Comments
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) of a favorite book than I thought!!

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead @BarbaraJean
#192025 - 1921 @Librarybelle (I only have 5 years left to find so I think I may actually complete this challenge!!!)
#100YearsofBooks
#ISpyBingo - Cake, Stars, Train, Silhouette, Heart
#BookSpinBingo
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swynn Ridiculous? I don't know, reading the two editions side by side noting every passage that had been removed or altered sounds perfectly reasonable to me. How else would you know? Thanks for sharing your research! (edited) 2w
Librarybelle That‘s incredible! 5 years left…way to go!!! 2w
rubyslippersreads My copy is from 1921, so I think I‘m safe. 😊 Have you heard of this book? 2w
Kristin_Reads That‘s amazing! I would have never guessed! 2w
CSeydel Wow! 2w
BooksandCoffee4Me I‘ve never heard of it, but I want to read it. Hope I can find a true version. 2w
BarbaraJean And obviously I'm not going to go through your handy notes and check out all the differences between the two versions... and I'm also not reading the original unaltered edition in the ebook with my print versions at hand so I can check anything that doesn't sound familiar... 😆

It absolutely IS like a treasure hunt!! I love your perspective that it's like finding out there's MORE to love. I've been feeling betrayed by my old faithful Bantams!!
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TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads - OOoo a first edition, so fun!! I have a few Anne books from the 1930s, but not Rilla. I hadn't heard of that book, but definitely want to check it out!! 2w
TheAromaofBooks @BarbaraJean - You can let me know if you find anything in the chapters I thought were intact - sometimes it would just be even a word. For instance, one time Rilla is cuddling Jims and says something like “I hope your poor little mother knows you're safe.“ Except in the original it's “poor little white mother“ and they cut the word white - which I feel like in this instance is more a reference to her being frail/sick rather than her actual race?⬇ 2w
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) But I have also felt rather betrayed by my old Bantams that I grew up reading!! So crazy!! 2w
Daisey I also love this book, but I didn‘t have time for a close comparison on this reread. I appreciate your notes! 1w
kspenmoll Happy Litsyversary!🎉🎉 (edited) 5d
TheAromaofBooks @kspenmoll - Thank you!!!! 5d
67 likes2 stack adds17 comments
review
TheAromaofBooks
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Pickpick

The fourth Dolittle book is set back in England. As usual (because of his generous nature) Dolittle is broke, so the pushmi-pullyu agrees to travel with a circus to raise some funds. So the entire household sets off together. This book was a lot about the importance of animal comfort and care and was definitely ahead of its time in calling out circuses and the like for their treatment of animals. There were some fun moments (Dolittle getting ⬇

TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) arrested AGAIN 😂). The ending was quite abrupt, but it appears that book 5 is going to pick up right where this one left off.

#DolittleDiscussion @Roary47
#ISpyBingo - Horn/Antler, Feather, Boot
#GottaCatchEmAll - Character with Horns @PuddleJumper
#BookSpinBingo
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Roary47 Oh man I need to catch up. I got two weeks of grading and I‘m out for the summer. I‘ll catch up soon! 2w
TheAromaofBooks @Roary47 - I use a complicated number generator method to choose my next book, and somehow two Dolittle books got picked almost back to back! 😂 So no rush!! 1w
53 likes3 comments
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willaful
Bad Reputation | Emma Barry
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A soft pick. I really enjoyed the details of intimacy coordination work and the characters reinventing themselves, but the slow burn romance fizzled out instead of blazing.

(Can't complain about three #ISpyBingo squares for my first book of the month though!)