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DogMomIrene

DogMomIrene

Joined October 2016

🧩INFJ 🤓Geek ☕️Coffee Lover 👩🏻‍💻https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/dogmomirene 👩🏻‍💻https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5123231-irene-mchugh
review
DogMomIrene
The Bone Bed | Patricia Cornwell
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Mehso-so

Meh. Plot seemed slow. And stretched. Gives off too much “the world revolves around Kay” vibes. And then the character wonders why some people despise her.

Plus the audiobook narrator was not great. She did fine with the voice of Kay, but Lucy sounded like Eyore and I don‘t know what accent she thought she was afflicting Marino with, but it sure wasn‘t a Jersey one, and that‘s a critique from someone who grew up in Jersey.

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DogMomIrene
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☘️💚 Lizzie wishes everyone a belated Happy St. Patrick‘s Day. She was very busy yesterday on her 8th birthday kicking her mommy back into gear. I‘ve been in a funk for a week-ish. Probably watching too much news. I‘m resetting, though, and making sure Lizzie got some agility practice fun on her special day definitely helped.

Photo Cred goes to April, our fabulous Fear-Free Certified Groomer

candc320 Happy belated birthday, Lizzie!! 2d
TheSpineView Awww... so cute! Happy Birthday Lizzie 🎂 🥳 🎉 2d
KellyHamHer Omg, so 🥰 2d
See All 13 Comments
Mollyanna Happy Birthday Lizzie 🐶🎂🐾 2d
Jari-chan Happy Birthday Lizzie ❤️❤️❤️ 2d
Susanita So cute! Happy birthday Lizzie! 2d
Ruthiella Adorable! 🐶❤️🍀 2d
Deblovestoread The cutest ever! 💚🍀💚 2d
MemoirsForMe Omg! Lizzie‘s smiling face made my day! Glad you‘re getting out of your funk and away from the news. 🤗 2d
dabbe #lovelylizzy Lovely seeing your face, too. One day at a time. 💙🩵💙 2d
BethM Beautiful! 2d
Ddzmini Cute 🥰 2d
53 likes13 comments
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DogMomIrene
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#ranttime 🤬 but Tim Barker‘s response is priceless!

Husband interrupted my quiet reading time this morning to share this story of dog abuser Kristi Noem visiting this unique library that sits on the Quebec-VT border. What the actual F🤬? I can‘t find any video online, probably because library patrons/employees don‘t default to cell phone recording. I‘m holding out hope that there‘s maybe security video since the library does sit on border🤞🏼

Librarybelle OMG! Ugh! 2w
Areader2 🤬🤯 2w
Prairiegirl_reading Disgusting 2w
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Tamra Asshat. Seriously an embarrassment. 2w
Susanita @Tamra Asshat is a perfect term. 2w
marleed This infuriates me. This behavior has become so normalized that it will take generations if ever to recover. 2w
Balibee146 Disgusting behaviour....from a disgusting individual. Just as well I'm thousands of miles away as I think I would struggle to restrain myself with twerps like this. 2w
AnnCrystal This is all too crazy 🇨🇦🫂🇺🇸. 2w
Deblovestoread I am running out of words to express my disgust at ALL OF THIS. Where has all the decency gone? 🤬🤬🤬 2w
Traci1 Yeah she's an embarrassment. I assume this is the derby line library? I lived there in the mid 2,000s, and that library was so cool. They weren't computerized then and still used the card catalog. Also there was (is?) a theater in the building where the audience sat in the US, and the stage was in Canada. But apparently it's also a great place to make an ass of yourself and a mockery of your country. 🤷‍♀️ 2w
melissajayne @Traci1 the theatre is still there 2w
melissajayne Just f-off Kristi 2w
AmyG She is an attention whore. 2w
JamieArc I just…don‘t understand why 🤯. As a Michigander, I wish Canada would acquire my state. 2w
42 likes14 comments
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DogMomIrene
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I love these graphics from TSG. I may try to log daily reading progress for March. The hard part will be remembering 😂

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DogMomIrene
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📚 My March list for #ReadYourEbooks and #ReadYourKobo

@CBee

CBee Looks great! 3w
38 likes1 comment
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DogMomIrene
Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 | G Willow Wilson
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Read 3 of my #ReadYourEbooks picks for February. Even if my Ms. Marvel book slot for March isn‘t selected, I suspect I‘ll be continuing with her journey.

@CBee

CBee Woo hoo! 3w
41 likes1 comment
review
DogMomIrene
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Pickpick

Favorite book in this series so far. Some emotional punches in this 6th installment that are actually pretty serious in terms of emotional depth, but then slugs start seeping out of Carl, so right back to the humor I‘ve come to love. Will be interesting to see how Dinniman manages the funny versus the serious as the human crawlers continue to dwindle. Carl keeps repeating, “You will not break me” so I think things may get emotionally real.

Bette ❤️ this series so much…it makes me laugh out loud. 🤣 3w
DogMomIrene @Bette Yes! I‘m holding off on reading book 7. Like I‘m banking guaranteed laughs. 3w
42 likes2 comments
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DogMomIrene
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Pickpick

Covers many years in 99 pages. Lots of typos, though, which was distracting and annoying. Served its purpose to give me a bird‘s eye overview of Canadian history. Definitely piqued my curiosity about certain events and people for future reading.

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DogMomIrene
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Keeping some picks for older prompts from some Reading Challenges on my #bookspinbingo list for March. As an emotional reader, who knows what I‘ll end up choosing😂

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3w
47 likes1 comment
review
DogMomIrene
Ms. Marvel Vol. 1 | G Willow Wilson
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Pickpick

Loved Ms. Marvel, issues 1-5

I think editor Sana Ananat wrote it best when describing this comic and its readers:

“–it was clear that you guys got it. By now you should have realized that this book isn‘t a marketing ploy, nor does it come with political agendas. It‘s just a story about a young girl maneuvering her way to adulthood, who also happens to reflect the changing face of America.”

👊🏾👊🏽👊🏼

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DogMomIrene
The Millionaire Next Door | Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
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🙄🙄🙄

Might get that feeling? That the rich exploit their employees?

😬😬😬

I wish more companies were like Dr. Bronner‘s. They implement a salary cap. The highest paid employee‘s salary is limited to 5x that of the lowest paid employee. Imagine if all companies adopted this model. What a difference that would make in everyone‘s quality of life.

😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

Jari-chan There was a vote in Switzerland a couple of years ago that wanted to do exactly that. Guess how the people voted? 🙄 3w
DogMomIrene @Jari-chan Yeah, that‘s a downer. It never ceases to amaze me how some people think you have to suppress others to succeed😮‍💨 3w
Jari-chan @DogMomIrene Same 🥲 sending hugs of you need some🫂 3w
DogMomIrene @Jari-chan Thank you! Sending hugs right back at you!🤗 3w
Jari-chan @DogMomIrene Thank you 💖 3w
36 likes5 comments
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DogMomIrene
The Millionaire Next Door | Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
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Authors list several characteristics of millionaires. I laughed when I read this one. The good old days of pension plans. Even when I was teaching and money was deducted from my paycheck for state pension, I never relied on them managing that money well.

review
DogMomIrene
The Millionaire Next Door | Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko
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Mehso-so

Meh. Most recent research was from mid-90s to early 2000s, so examples are outdated. In 2025 the authors & the millionaires come across to this Gen Xer as out-of-touch Boomers. Basic concept is live below your means. Stealth wealth. Lots of pages on car buying habits and how to raise kids to become wealthy w/o relying on cash infusions from parents. Nothing really new here. Some of the anecdotes were amusing. #ReadYourEbooks

Suet624 Ugh. Sounds awful. 3w
DogMomIrene @Suet624 Yeah, it was pretty bad. The authors did share the conversations/interactions between an author selling his used Acura & the potential buyers. That was interesting. Some people are really dedicated to the used car buying process. And it was educational to read more about the mindset of some of these millionaires. 3w
38 likes2 comments
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DogMomIrene
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I just followed Reading Faerie‘s instructions on how to use Calibre + DeDRM plugin to strip my Kindle books of Amazon‘s proprietary DRM & convert them to KePubs, but you can choose other formats too. She even explains how to set the KePub up so your Kobo will give you their cool reading stats. Pretty easy to follow instructions:

https://youtu.be/YcBirwJJycg?si=NALGjwVkYs58y9ws

DogMomIrene 👩🏻‍💻 Her instruction are for downloading to a PC. I‘m on a Mac running Sequoia, so I had to make sure I downloaded the DeDRM_tools_10 plugin version. I accidentally downloaded an earlier version of the plugin and it kept crashing Calibre. 4w
TheBookHippie Thank you for this! 4w
DogMomIrene @TheBookHippie You‘re welcome. I watched a few tutorials and I liked her step-by-step approach. 4w
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TheBookHippie @DogMomIrene it‘s my task tonight and tomorrow!!! This was so much easier to follow than what I found. 4w
Deblovestoread Working on the downloading part. Appreciate the post on how to transfer. Thanks! 4w
dabbe I have tried finding the DRDRM plug-in, but what I've seen online, every place says it's no longer being supported. I have a Mac, too, and would love to do this. I already downloaded Calibre. Do you have an exact link that you used for the DRM plug-in? 4w
DogMomIrene @dabbe https://github.com/noDRM/DeDRM_tools/releases/tag/v10.0.9 - Try this link. It‘s the one I used from the YT video. Her alternate link to the plugin links to an earlier version that kept crashing Calibre on my Mac running Sequoia. 4w
DogMomIrene @TheBookHippie Yes! Every BookTuber seems to be covering this topic, but their instructions aren‘t so great. If they even have instructions 😂 4w
DogMomIrene @Deblovestoread You‘re welcome! I think the downloading is the most critical step. I‘d still like to convert the files before 2/26, just in case any are corrupted. But I‘m not sweating that as much. 4w
dabbe @DogMomIrene TY! 🩶💚🩶 4w
Amiable @DogMomIrene What‘s happening on 2/26? 3w
DogMomIrene @Amiable Good old Jeff Bozo took away our ability to download our Kindle books to our desktop or laptop computers. Since the books now only exist in the cloud, they can be removed w/o warning, or edited for content. It‘s really disgusting. I won‘t be purchasing any Kindle books in the future. I‘m 100% Kobo now. 3w
47 likes12 comments
review
DogMomIrene
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Pickpick

Slow burn that picks up the plotting pace about 1/2way through. After climate change, and disease, wipe out The World as it Was, Nonie and her family must survive in the World as it Is. A superstorm hits, so the characters must leave behind the shelter they knew, for higher ground and the chance at living on a farm. The journey is dark, but not as hellish as The Road. Thoughtful commentary throughout on how we build community.

LoverOfLearning Love this cover wow! 3w
58 likes1 stack add1 comment
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DogMomIrene
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#ReadYourKindle #ReadYourKobo #ReadYourEbooks folks might be interested in this development:

https://www.theverge.com/news/612898/amazon-removing-kindle-book-download-transf...

After switching to Kobo, I‘ve been researching if I could switch my Kindle books to Kobo. Can be done by stripping the DRM w/ Calibre, but 1st step is downloading your Kindle books to your desktop. Hence Amazon cracking down on the ability to download books😡

AnnCrystal WOW 🥺...thank you for sharing this, I needed to know about this perspective. (edited) 1mo
AnishaInkspill interesting article, I hadn't realised you could still do this, at one point I had so many problems downloading books over wifi that I was informed by CS this was no longer possible and went through the usual check list: do you have the latest firmware / restart / factory reset, the last one always being the one that gets rolled out when the other two don't work - factory reset, the number of times I have done that 🙄😊 1mo
DogMomIrene @AnishaInkspill So last night I downloaded all my Kindle books to my laptop. I went to the Amazon website to my account settings, chose content library. I was able to download all the files to my laptop. The issue now is stripping those files of the DRM that can only be read by a Kindle or Kindle app. That‘s tonight‘s project: installing Calibre + plugin needed to strip the Amazon DRM. I anticipate watching more than one YouTube tutorial 😂 1mo
41 likes3 comments
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DogMomIrene
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#MentalHealthMonday a bit late🫣 @Kerrbearlib

1. Overwhelmed with projects of my own making🙄
2. Eating right, working out, Calm app, news diet, focusing on things I can control/improve in my life
3. Asking Littens for book recommendations for specific mental health topics

If you‘re reading, I hope you‘re doing well. Consider yourself tagged😊 even though it‘s Tuesday. Just do the time warp again!

Amiable Do you like the Calm app? I've been debating getting it. What do you like/not like about it? 1mo
TheBookHippie I so get number one! 1mo
Blueberry @Amiable I love the Calm app. It has tons of soundscapes, bedtime stories, meditations, body scans, music. I get it free through my Kaiser insurance. I use it almost daily. 1mo
See All 18 Comments
AlaMich @Amiable I have had Calm for a while and find it very helpful. It has something for everyone. I especially find some of the sleep stories put me out pretty quickly. 1mo
Amiable @Blueberry @AlaMich Thanks for your input! Did you consider any other meditation/sleep apps before deciding on Calm? I was also looking at Headspace. (edited) 1mo
AlaMich @Amiable I didn‘t really. It was sort of an impulsive decision. I think the variety was what decided me. And like @Blueberry, I use it almost every day. 1mo
MemoirsForMe @DogMomIrene @Amiable @AlaMich @blueberry I‘ve been on the Insight Timer app for years and really like it. Great meditations for sleep plus you can search for meditations by your favorite gurus and authors: davidji, Sharon Salzburg, Thich Nhat Hahn, Tony Brady. Lots of free meditations too. 1mo
AnishaInkspill I tend to dip into this one, it has a lot of different workouts: mindfulness, breathing, visualisation etc. I like the variety and for reference. 1mo
DogMomIrene @Amiable Freaking love it. I‘ll do the Daily Calm guided meditation after my cool down from workouts, like cool down part 2😊 I need to explore more of the Daily content offerings. My favorite feature is Take a Deep Breath where you can choose a breathing pattern to help you relax, or get energized, or focus,etc. the interface is simple but beautiful, easy to follow. I use it all the time. 1mo
DogMomIrene @Amiable Also, I sync Calm app w/ my Apple ⌚️ so I can see how many mindful minutes I hit every day. Not trying to beat any records but I like seeing that I‘ve got at least some usage every day. I‘ve only tried to listen to 2 sleep stories and I can‘t remember anything about either, so hey, they‘re working so far when I need them🤭😂 I wish I could edit my Home Screen. You can favorite things and create playlists, but I don‘t like their order. 1mo
DogMomIrene @Amiable Finally, for customization, I wish I had more widget options. I use one that rotates through diff content depending on time of day, but I‘d love to have a 2nd widget just for Take A Breath. Like I smash that widget button and I‘m just breathing instead of navigating. Final ick… they‘re real big on “Giving the Gift of Calm.” I see that reminder throughout the app. The whole corporate feel pulls me out of the zen I‘m trying to achieve. 1mo
DogMomIrene @MemoirsForMe I used this one back when it was 100% free. Or at least everything I was using was free. Really loved it! I got a year of Calm for free with a special offer. I think it was through a credit card. I used it a bit, but when I decided to really be consistent with my meditation this year, I just stuck with Calm because… familiar. And some of their design elements are beautiful. 1mo
DogMomIrene @AnishaInkspill You had me at “EasyRead Comfort Edition”. Joking, but not joking. EasyRead is pretty important. I‘ll check this one out. Might be a new activity to add to my “Dopamine Menu”😌😊 1mo
Kerrbearlib Sorry for the late reply! I know how it can be to get overwhelmed with our own projects. Those are great forms of self-care! I should try the Calm app again. A few people have mentioned it. I love the idea of asking Littens for book recommendations for specific mental health topics. Thanks for responding! 1mo
AnishaInkspill @DogMomIrene that's funny and yes, EasyRead is what also spoke to me, I guess all we can do is keep trying, and trying 😊 1mo
DogMomIrene @Kerrbearlib No worries. Sometimes I‘m on Litsy a few times a day and other times a few days will go by before I can sit down with bookish news here. 1mo
MemoirsForMe I keep hearing good things about Calm too. I may have to check it out. Is it a pay-only app or are some meditations free? 1mo
DogMomIrene @MemoirsForMe It‘s all behind a paywall as far as I know. Some insurance plans offer it as a freebie. Might be worth a scan of your insurance. 1mo
53 likes18 comments
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DogMomIrene
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The characters in this book take refuge from floods/tidal waves in their former place of employment, the American Museum of Natural History. One recalls the curators from Leningrad who hid in the Hermitage during WWII to preserve the art. Staying hidden in the museum doesn‘t seem like a long-term strategy in this story, though😬

54 likes1 stack add
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DogMomIrene
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New release library hold is my next read on my Kobo. Hearing lots of mixed reviews on this one, so 🤞🏼🤞🏼🤞🏼

marleed Oh I‘ll be interested in what you think. I have a Libby hold on this, but my books on Libby hold are so great I‘m getting overwhelmed so I almost cancelled my hold on this one to put it back on my TBR tag. 1mo
DogMomIrene @marleed I‘m 11% in and the girl MC flips between narrating events between the present and the past. I‘m liking it so far, but reviews I read said nothing really happens and they‘re disappointed with the resolution. Right now things are happening so 🤷🏻‍♀️🤞🏼 1mo
49 likes2 comments
review
DogMomIrene
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Pickpick

The gothic mansion was literally slipping off the cliff as MC care person tried to figure out who really killed 3 people decades earlier in the same house, and possibly her predecessor. Bananas! That‘s the word to describe the twists and turns. Totally fun popcorn thriller. If you‘re not down with the completely implausible, then you should skip this one.

LoverOfLearning On my list of spooky reads! 3w
DogMomIrene @LoverOfLearning It‘s really fun spooky. Riley Sager is becoming one of those authors for me whose plots are totally unrealistic 🍌🍌🍌, but such a fun ride. I can‘t resist. 3w
LoverOfLearning @DogMomIrene hahahaa I get that! Sometimes we just need that trill ride of a book to soothe our strange brains. 3w
56 likes3 comments
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DogMomIrene
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#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

To Kill a Mockingbird. As a former MS English teacher, I‘ve taught this book multiple times. Each year, I‘d find cool connections between characters, new hints of foreshadowing, and details I hadn‘t seen before. I taught many books, but this one is the one that I think surprised me with revelations every year.

BookmarkTavern I love when a book does that! Thanks for posting! 1mo
dabbe 🩶🩷🩶 1mo
PaperbackPirate It‘s hard to pick a favorite book, but when pressed I say To Kill a Mockingbird. 💙 4w
DogMomIrene @PaperbackPirate It‘s a top five for me. Because yes, who can pick one? 4w
46 likes1 stack add4 comments
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DogMomIrene
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It‘s here! #BookMail and #BlameItOnLitsy selection I saw @TheAromaofBooks post about. I peeked inside at various pages and it‘s gorgeous. May just read in small bites. I‘m not painting any time soon, so I can savor the advice here.

TheAromaofBooks Oh YAY!! I hope you love it!! If nothing else, the book itself is so pretty 😂 1mo
DogMomIrene @TheAromaofBooks It‘s definitely gorgeous! Excited to start reading it. 1mo
49 likes2 comments
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DogMomIrene
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Studying for my 🇨🇦 citizenship test. This book seemed like a good place to start for a timeline overview.

Lots of typos, most of which are incorrect dates. So the Hudson Bay Company didn‘t receive a royal charter in 1970, probably 1670, but who‘s counting?😂

Tamra If it‘s similar in Canada to the U.S., you will know more about Canada than natives do. 😆 I ask my students (post secondary)to peruse the US Citizenship test and most doubt they could pass without study. (edited) 1mo
Jari-chan Same here in Switzerland. And apparently in Denmark as well 😁 1mo
Dilara And France 😑 Other half had to take it - and the language test as well (thank you Brexit!) 1mo
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DogMomIrene @Tamra @Jari-chan @Dilara I haven‘t done a deep dive into this test. But I think it‘s 25 mc questions with 8-9 being super simple, and the rest easy enough to use process of elimination to a passing score. I‘m studying more so I learn more about my new chosen country. 1mo
DogMomIrene @Tamra I taught US Government to 7th graders, and they were usually impressed with how difficult the citizen test was. My favorite lessons were about the Electoral College, especially if the kids figured out how to “break it” during a simulation. No one candidate got to 270? 😲🤯 1mo
LiseWorks Good luck! I believe if a Canadian took this test, they would fail it. 1mo
DogMomIrene @LiseWorks Thanks! I‘m focusing on history right now because my knowledge is US-centered. I‘ve got a few test prep books, so I‘ll get to those too. I really haven‘t looked at what the test covers🤷🏻‍♀️ 1mo
TheKidUpstairs Welcome to Canada, good luck with your studying and test! The Richmond Public Library offers a pretty good online practice test, you can select your province and how many questions you want to practice with: https://www.yourlibrary.ca/citizenship (I just tested it out a couple times with only 5 questions each time, pretty happy to have gotten a consistent 4/5 as a lifelong Canadian, good to know I've been paying some attention!) 4w
DogMomIrene @TheKidUpstairs Sweet! Thank you! I have two different prep and practice books, but I‘ll definitely use this resource. I can‘t remember the pub date on the books, so I‘d wager that the online practice tests are more current. Happy you did well on your questions🙌🏼 4w
46 likes9 comments
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DogMomIrene
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#5JoysFriday @DebinHawaii

1. Separation anxiety training is going well. They‘re resting here on their beds before we head out.
2. Daily reading in my cozy chair
3. 5 episodes left in Castle. Perfect timing for Yellow Jackets premiere next Friday!
4. Got our Peloton set up; 6 rides so far!
5. Daily Calm

AnnCrystal 💝💝💝💝💝. 1mo
mcctrish Oh Castle, why did you have to end 😢 1mo
kspenmoll 💕💕 1mo
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MemoirsForMe ❤️❤️❤️ 1mo
dabbe 🖤🐾🐾🖤 1mo
DogMomIrene @mcctrish I know! The episodes are definitely goofier in this last season. Combining the Locksat and Castles lost time as one plot line has helped hasten those, so I know they‘ll get resolved, but we‘re down to the last 3 episodes😬😢 1mo
52 likes6 comments
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DogMomIrene
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I feel like this observation is old school. Thinking about self-important men these days, I see them beating their chests.

A lot.

tpixie I‘ve just listened to a podcast yesterday mentioning three type of people +0 , 0, -0 - the men described in your post are the 0. The man that beat their chest are the +0 . lol the -0 I can‘t remember!! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bookish-flights-book-recommendations-from-... 1mo
DogMomIrene @tpixie interesting! And those -0s, who needs ‘em😂 1mo
tpixie lol yes! 1mo
42 likes3 comments
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DogMomIrene
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Muh-wah-ha-ha-ha-haaaa!

#ReadYourKindle

review
DogMomIrene
Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese
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Pickpick

Powerful novel. Feels like a memoir. Saul was ripped from his Ojibway family & forced into a Residential School, where he tried to escape trauma by playing hockey. His external & internal journey highlight his rage against racism & prejudice, his fight w/ alcoholism, & his healing. I despise sports, but even the hockey sections were so beautifully written, I was eagerly reading. And the conclusion brought me to tears. #OhCanada

@Jess861

Jess861 Both of his parents are Residential School survivors. Not a memoir but I believe he had a very close attachment to all the points in the book. 1mo
Tamra Agreed, such lyrical prose! 1mo
LiseWorks This was a very good book 1mo
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DogMomIrene @Jess861 Not surprised about his parents😢. I knew it wasn‘t a memoir, but you can definitely feel how closely tied he is to his characters. And his acknowledgements mention a lot of people,not all of whom work at his publisher. 1mo
DogMomIrene @Tamra Especially the opening chapters focused on nature and Ojibway culture. I kept pausing as I read there. 1mo
DogMomIrene @LiseWorks I even liked the hockey section! I was rooting for the Moose and Saul so many times. And I thought that aspect of the story might be difficult for me. Flew through the games. 1mo
61 likes6 comments
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DogMomIrene
All Better Now | Neal Shusterman
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#BookMail from yesterday. Not sure when I‘m going to read this one, but I‘m guessing soonish since Shusterman usually delivers such great YA dystopian badness in the best way.

TracyReadsBooks Very excited to read this one! 1mo
DogMomIrene @TracyReadsBooks He‘s an auto-buy author for me🤓 1mo
Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I‘m number 1 on the library list for this 😁 so exciting 1mo
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DogMomIrene @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage Isn‘t it the best feeling to be the first hold for a library book? 1mo
Ddzmini I just got this yesterday in the mail 👍🏼 1mo
DogMomIrene @Ddzmini Yay! I‘m reading a bunch of books for challenges so I may be reading lots of reviews for this one before I actually read the book. 1mo
Ddzmini @DogMomIrene same ☺️ 1mo
52 likes8 comments
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DogMomIrene
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#ReadYourKindle selections for February. I think I can manage these since they all seem like pretty quick reads. Having a thriller as the first pick should motivate me🤞🏼

@CBee

CBee The Sager is bonkers but I loved it! And Perks is an all time fave. 1mo
Hooked_on_books I‘ll be interested to see what you think of Perks. I read it last year and wasn‘t impressed. But it‘s so beloved! 1mo
DogMomIrene @CBee I‘ve only read one other Sager, but bonkers is right. I‘m good with some fast-paced 🍌🍌🍌 plots when the world is super bonkers! I‘ve been looking forward to Perks-been on the #TBR a long long time. 1mo
DogMomIrene @Hooked_on_books Perks has been on my #TBR for so long. I‘m hoping it lives up to the hype🤞🏼 1mo
51 likes4 comments
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DogMomIrene
Untilted | Autechre
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My February #BookSpinBingo board with plenty of spots for my #ReadYourKindle and #ReadYourKobo selections.

📗📘📕📙📒📓

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DogMomIrene
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Excited to be posting my first ever #ReadYourKindle and #ReadYourKobo list. Thanks @CBee for hosting this challenge. Definitely looking forward to making a nice dent in my ebooks this year.

Anyone else scroll through your collection and wonder, “Why did I buy this one? What mood was I in that day?”

😂😂😂

Butterfinger Some were probably gifts or freebies. I know my tbr shelf includes both. 1mo
CBee I spy some good ones on this list 👏🏻👏🏻 1mo
DogMomIrene @Butterfinger Interesting! I didn‘t know that you could gift Kindle ebooks. Makes total sense, but I know I‘ve bought every one of these😂 If I receive a freebie, I always throw it into iBooks so they‘re all together in an app I rarely access. My collection is 100% my fault🤣 1mo
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DogMomIrene @CBee I was choosing the titles that appealed to me the most, mostly fiction. I have some NF that I must have been in a mood when I bought🤣 1mo
CBee @DogMomIrene been there 😂 1mo
Butterfinger I didn't see the word kindle, but there was a Christmas exchange here on Litsy where we did gift each other kindle books. We shared email addresses that were connected to our Amazon account. I think it was @dariazeoli maybe who coordinated it. 1mo
dariazeoli @Butterfinger great memory! That was #kindlitsy - and it‘s been many years since we did it. I won‘t confess whether I still have some unread gifts on my TBR or not 😬 1mo
DogMomIrene @Butterfinger Oh interesting! Makes sense. I gifted an Audible membership and had to ask my friend for her email with Amazon. She looked a little funny at me😂 1mo
DogMomIrene @dariazeoli We shall speak no more of it😉😂 1mo
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DogMomIrene
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Excited for my #BookSpin choice because it coincides with one of the series I want to complete for #SeriesLove2025 🙌🏼 Technically, my #DoubleSpin was for any graphic novel, but I‘ve been itching to read the graphic adaptation of The Road, so I‘m being specific. Not surprising for this Type A human😂

AnnCrystal The Road! Oh, I don't have the courage to watch the film or read the graphic novel version. I did read the original book. Incredible storytelling. Slow going, yet had a powerful message. I was so very impressed by how this eco-warning tale was so simply told. It has been the only book that has ever made me cry... 1mo
DogMomIrene @AnnCrystal The movie was rough, but I remember thinking the writing hit me even harder. Because it is such a powerful story. I‘m looking forward to the graphic novel because dystopias are my jam, especially in these times. Every image is black & white, so I can already tell it‘s going to be an emotional experience, but I‘d rather hide in this dystopia than deal with reality. 1mo
AnnCrystal @DogMomIrene 🫂📚💝. 1mo
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DogMomIrene
Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese
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The observations about nature within the first chapters of Indian Horse are beautifully expressed. Enough so, that trying to decide what to share was going to be tough, but then Saul‘s grandmother made this statement. Timely words I‘ll be keeping in the back of my mind. #OhCanada

Jess861 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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Love all the stats from the Story Graph. I need to play around with the tags and custom charts.

Anyone else doing anything interesting with your tags there? Do you make any custom charts?

peanutnine I love the custom tags! Some things I track are where a book is sourced from (Libby, hoopla, owned, etc), how it was recommended to me, representation, tropes... 1mo
DogMomIrene @peanutnine Oh, I hadn‘t considered who recommended the book. I usually will tag library books, but I haven‘t started using the owned tag. Thanks! Good ideas to consider. 1mo
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DogMomIrene
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January Wrap Up. Favorite was definitely Mistborn!

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DogMomIrene
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February‘s #BookSpinBingo book list. Kept most of the selections the same while moving ahead with some of the challenges I‘m interested in.

Also, I‘ve renewed The Sequel at least 3x with my library. Just got another notification that the due date is coming up. Not sure they‘ll let me renew again. No one has it on hold, but I keep forgetting that I have it on my pile🤦🏻‍♀️

 @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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My #BookSpinBingo board for January. No Bingos. I didn‘t read as much as I would have liked, but I really liked or loved 4/5 of my books. I skipped my #bookspin pick since several Littens panned Whose Body? and Sayers is not an author I‘ve had a burning desire to read. Did read my #doublespin and knocked another Kindle book into the read column.

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic month!! 2mo
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DogMomIrene
Mistborn: The Final Empire | Brandon Sanderson
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Pickpick

Totally blown away by this fantasy. Such a variety of characters. Loved seeing MC Vin transform in several ways as the story progressed. Plus the magic system is impressive. Sanderson explains its complexities well, and clearly leaves room for expansion. I do wonder what happened to the Venture family‘s kandra. I‘m scared it‘s a spy among our group of heroes. Totally up for 19 more stories + the to-be published ones🤓

#CosmereBuddyRead @JacqMac

JacqMac I stayed up entirely too late finishing this one tonight. But it was so good. Sanderson knows how to work a plot. I can‘t wait for more. 2mo
Meshell1313 Yess! 🙌 Can‘t wait for the next book! 2mo
DogMomIrene @JacqMac I know! I finished Part 4 and had to keep reading. Then I flew through Part 5. So excited to keep exploring. 2mo
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DogMomIrene @Meshell1313 I know! I started The Well of Ascension, but I‘m going slowly. I actually picked up two other books to read before Sanderson sucks me in. 2mo
Meshell1313 @DogMomIrene yes reading his books is definitely a marathon, not a sprint! 🤣 2mo
Jess861 So good so far! I'm hoping to finish it tonight and I'm already looking forward to diving into the next one! 2mo
DogMomIrene @Jess861 Yay! The last part went by so fast for me. The worst part was how much I was biting my nails as the climax action played out😂 2mo
Jess861 @DogMomIrene You know it's a good book if you can't read fast enough! 2mo
DogMomIrene @Jess861 True Facts! 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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Mehso-so

Meh. Read a few pages each day. For sure, there were some pieces of advice that resonated with me and made me think about how I approach some situations or people.

But there were also many quotes that sounded trite or off, to the point I wondered what was the original problem this monk was replying to. Don‘t feel much calmer after reading, but given the times, maybe remaining just okay is saying a lot.

#MidWinterSolace

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DogMomIrene
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Libby is one of the apps that I allow for notifications, so I was super excited to see that one of my libraries obtained this new release. 🙌🏼 Plus the line is short.

The same cannot be said for Beautiful Ugly. I put my hold on that one waaaay too late, so I‘ll be waiting for several months😂

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DogMomIrene
Mistborn: The Final Empire | Brandon Sanderson
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Exploring the Cosmere on this #WhereAreYouMonday

Laundry‘s done. Practiced multiple agility objects with dogs for some indoor exercise. Bread is baking. Black bean burgers are chilling before I bake them. And now I get to escape the second fascist initiation ceremony. Thank you Litten friends for posting positive vibes today and thank you Branden Sanderson and any other authors who help us forget the state of the world, even if just for a while.

Sace Sounds like a productive day! I have read two Sanderson books, but they were shorter and sort of stood alone. I am intimidated by his longer books. 2mo
DogMomIrene @Sace I‘ve only read some of his shorter or YA books too so when @JacqMac started a #CosmereBuddyRead I decided to dive in. I like how his magic system here has consequences. That‘s an aspect of The Name of the Wind that I loved. Makes me like fantasy as much as science-fiction. 2mo
Pogue I know it is not book related but how do you make your black bean burgers? 2mo
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AnnCrystal
😉🫂📚💝🙏🇺🇲🦅🇺🇸.
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DogMomIrene @Pogue I follow the recipe from the How Not To Die Cookbook. I don‘t make the savory seasoning, so I substitute with a no-salt seasoning and another tsp of lemon pepper. I think they‘re yummy and even my dogs follow me around when I make a sandwich😂 2mo
Meshell1313 Yess!!! That‘s why I read fantasy! To escape reality. ❤️ 2mo
Meshell1313 @DogMomIrene Name of the Wind is one of my most favorite books of alll time!!!!! I‘ll wait forever for book 3. 2mo
DogMomIrene @Meshell1313 I‘ll probably wait forever too because I need so many answers! NotW was the first fantasy book I read where magic had consequences so that made the genre heavier, in a good way. More realistic. And when the world feels even more real, it‘s even better to escape to, imho of course😊 2mo
MemoirsForMe Perfect way to escape with fur babies, wonderful food and great books. 🙌🏻 2mo
DogMomIrene @MemoirsForMe Exactly! Wishing you lots of escape time😊 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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From this morning‘s pages out of the #MidWinterSolace book choice.

Really wish 🍑 would internalize this wisdom😮‍💨

dabbe #samehere 🩶🖤🩶 2mo
Aims42 🩵🙏💙 I hope so too!! 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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🧟‍♀️ I gave a lot of weight to the “plucky” descriptor when I considered which book had characters fighting the machine. If you like zombie stories, I highly recommend Mira Grant‘s entire Newsflesh series. The characters are definitely plucky!

#SundayFunday @BookmarkTavern

BookmarkTavern Oh that‘s a good one! I read it for the first time at the very beginning of the pandemic, and haven‘t been able to come back to the series yet. 😂 Thanks for posting! 💚 2mo
DogMomIrene @BookmarkTavern I could totally see why🦠🤢 I wish she‘d write more in this universe, but maybe after a real pandemic she‘s like nah. 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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Pickpick

Perfect for people learning to cook for 1-2 people. I switched to a WFPB diet, so I‘ve been cooking more. Frequently I have leftover veggies that go to waste. Now I‘ve got a much better sense of what I can freeze & how for my next dish, especially soups. Beautiful color photos. Recipes are pretty basic staples. About 1/2 the recipes I can‘t use because they use animal products, but others look yummy.

Bookwormjillk Good idea! 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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Pickpick

Creepy👀 I‘m already conscientious about locking doors at night, but this short story takes any form of vigilance to the next level.

As Mrs. Grayson continued to follow her nightly ritual of locking her doors and windows, I wondered if her obsession was more a sign of her growing short-term memory loss. Was there really a thing outside trying to get in?

I could see how the conclusion could be interpreted more than one way. Made this story a hit!

candc320 Yay!! Glad you liked it! 2mo
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DogMomIrene
Mistborn: The Final Empire | Brandon Sanderson
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Learned something new about my aging self. I prefer reading ebooks over MMPB. For the past 5 or 6 mornings, I cracked open my MMPB copy of Mistborn and didn‘t even finish the prologue😮‍💨 I kept having to reread. Decided to buy the trilogy as an ebook set last night. This morning in less than an hour, I‘ve read the prologue and I‘m into chapter 2 of the first part.

Font size really matters. #CosmereBuddyRead

Ruthiella It really does! Also MMPBs are often too tightly bound to read comfortably. (edited) 2mo
DogMomIrene @Ruthiella Yes! I‘m realizing that I can‘t even remember the last MMPB I‘ve read. Sticking to hardbacks and ebooks in my future. 2mo
Meshell1313 Ooh yay!!! 2mo
Sace I completely agree about font size. I‘ve been preferring hardback and trade paperbacks for quite a while now. 2mo
DogMomIrene @Sace 📚👓🙌🏼 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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Today‘s project: Swapping books from one set of bookcases to another. The husband keeps buying NF books, especially on history and politics. The man hasn‘t met a book on the fall of democracy that he can resist. I‘ve already run out of room for his stacks. Plus I want the board games in the same room as the table. So the work is totally justified.

AnnCrystal 👏🤩📚🧩♟️🎲♥️💝. 2mo
Hooked_on_books They look great! I fell down a political books rabbit hole in 2016, so I get where your hubby is coming from. 2mo
dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 2mo
AnishaInkspill 📚😍😊 2mo
DogMomIrene @Hooked_on_books I want to read most of them too. Seeing more come in each week made me realize I needed a better plan for which shelves I should be using. Need lots more room for growth. 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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Pickpick

How an apocalypse could really happen. When the electricity goes out, Rice doesn‘t focus on chaos in cities. His indigenous characters live in far northern Ontario with some knowing how to live off the land. This community responds to the crisis collectively, staying true to their culture, even when outsiders appear to threaten them. A slow beautiful burn of a book with complex & flawed characters. #FictionalTraveler #SomeplaceCold

@julieclair

Amiable Ooh, this looks interesting. Stacking! 2mo
DogMomIrene @Amiable 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 I‘m going to work the sequel in this year too. 2mo
LiseWorks It was a good book 2mo
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Hooked_on_books I loved this one. It felt so real, especially the lack of really knowing what‘s happened because of breakdown of communications. He really knocked it out of the park. 2mo
DogMomIrene @Hooked_on_books Totally agree. At first, I kept reading because I wanted a reason. Like a news story or something to tell me what happened. But then I was reading because I was so invested in the characters and wanted to see how they‘d survive. 2mo
julieclair Great review. That cover… so stark and desolate… 2mo
DogMomIrene @julieclair They‘re definitely north enough to be alone. Such a great survival story. 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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My Kobo tells me I‘m 86% into this hauntingly realistic apocalyptic story. Finishing it this morning with help from Lizzie who has claimed the ottoman and my legs as her snuggle territory 😂

Tamra Such a good series! I‘m hoping there will be more. But I‘ll read whatever he writes. (edited) 2mo
DogMomIrene @Tamra Ohhh, good to know! I saw that there was a sequel but I didn‘t look at reviews. I can see how the slow burn of this would turn off some readers, but it‘s so freaking realistic! 2mo
Tamra @DogMomIrene yes both novels are slow and I agree it probably causes many readers to bail, unfortunately. I loved them because Rice takes the time to fully develop characters and the setting/atmosphere, as well as integrate their culture. I would have been put off by an apocalyptic action thriller. I especially liked how little is clear about the situation they are facing. Realistic is right! 2mo
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Bookwormjillk Love this book. 2mo
DogMomIrene @Tamra I love apocalyptic/dysopian action and thriller stories, but I also love the stories that treat the end times realistically. Such a mood reader here. You‘re right about how well developed this story and characters are. And I‘m learning a lot about indigenous culture as I look up some info for more context. Have you read 2mo
DogMomIrene @Bookwormjillk It‘s so freaking good! I just got to that part where the hinted gross thing is being investigated. I‘m literally biting my nails. 2mo
Tamra @DogMomIrene no, I‘m stacking it! 😁 2mo
AnnCrystal 😍💕🐕🐾💝. 2mo
tpixie My maltishu has just scooted herself from the ottoman to my lap. When she was younger, she preferred the ottoman and in bed behind my knees. Now that she‘s older, she wants to be up on my lap and up near my chest in bed. 🖤🤍🖤 2mo
dabbe #lovelylizzie 🖤🩶🖤 2mo
DogMomIrene @tpixie Awww, Lizzie likes behind the knees too, and behind me on the sofa, like on the cushion behind me kinda wrapped around my neck. Dogs are funny companions😂 2mo
DogMomIrene @dabbe Lizzie sends oodles of doodle kisses for her personalized hashtag. Going to try to manage her ego now😂 2mo
dabbe @DogMomIrene #theloveliestlizzie Now she'll be over the moon! 🖤🐾🖤 2mo
tpixie 🖤 🐾🖤 2mo
DogMomIrene @dabbe 🐶❤️🐶 2mo
dabbe @DogMomIrene 🩶🖤🩶 2mo
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DogMomIrene
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The male indigenous MC‘s thoughts about his daughter💙

This book is a slow burn, but a captivating slow burn. It‘s depicting how I think an apocalyptic event might occur.