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| 9798885789967
| B0BYCFMBQD
| 3.42
| 74,162
| May 23, 2023
| Jun 28, 2023
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liked it
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This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed that I forgot to put in my currently reading pile. Where do I begin? Let me start with this next qu This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed that I forgot to put in my currently reading pile. Where do I begin? Let me start with this next question. How do you get in to a story where none of the characters are likable? Do you continue reading and hope that they change? That maybe something good comes out of their character? The book starts with a young boy finding a dead body. Who is it? Who did it? And, that is when all the characters enter the story. Gossips. Cheaters. Hypocrites. Of course, any one of them, right? The problem for readers is that with so many objectionable characters, who really cares who died or who did it? The author considered her work, “social satire, with a sprinkling of mystery and a dash of White Lotus escapism.” (For those who are not familiar, White Lotus was a series on HBO. It was described as a ‘platonic ideal of the island getaway. A portal to a pristine, natural world, where you can forget your cares and where you can get pineapple at McDonald’s.’) For me this book was anything but…shallow. Boring. Little substance. Difficult to connect to because of unlikable characters. Maybe other readers will feel differently. I may be an outlier. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Sep 12, 2024
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Sep 12, 2024
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Library Binding
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| 9780373787814
| unknown
| 3.96
| 766
| Mar 01, 2009
| Jun 2013
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liked it
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This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed featuring a forensic geologist, so I thought it might be an interesting read to try out. Unfortunat This was a donation to my Little Free Library Shed featuring a forensic geologist, so I thought it might be an interesting read to try out. Unfortunately, this is book 2, so I was a bit at a disadvantage. I don’t know if there was more to learn about the main protagonist, Special Agent Raleigh Harmon from book 1, but I had a hard time connecting to her character in this story. She seemed hard to reach emotionally. It was if her character was so barren, she came across flat. She was dogged in her pursuit of justice, which I could appreciate, but her interaction with others was robotic, for lack of a better description. She is involved in a missing persons case in which her supporting team isn’t quite supportive, thus not making it easy for her and causing her to be frustrated and overwhelmed. And, perhaps that was the only time emotion was observed from her character. The pace of the story was slow. And, there was a side story with her Dad, which didn’t seem to be worked through by the end of this novel. Based on everything shared here, it is hard to feel energized about pursuing interest in the series. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 05, 2024
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Sep 15, 2024
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Sep 05, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1538756773
| 9781538756775
| 1538756773
| 3.37
| 14,928
| unknown
| May 07, 2024
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liked it
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So, apparently this was an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller according to some headlines about it. Why do you think that was? Did it hav
So, apparently this was an instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller according to some headlines about it. Why do you think that was? Did it have to do with the author’s ability to write, or her own celebrity? For anyone who isn’t aware of who this author is, she is a former Bachelorette of “The Bachelor” series. She also went on to be one of the ‘celebrity’ dancers on “Dancing with the Stars,” and won her season with professional dancer, Alan Bersten. I would imagine that many who follow ‘Bachelor Nation’ or ‘Dancing with the Stars’ may have ‘known of’ her, and thus wanted to read her book. And, to be honest, curiosity was what made me pick this one up, too. But would it be a good read? Premise: Emma and Finn use to be a thing. Something happens, and now they are not, and yet they are reunited for a mutual friend’s wedding. With all these unresolved feelings what do readers think is going to happen? Road trip. With these two. Will they resolve their baggage, have fun and heal, flirt, get in trouble, or resume a romance? Typical rom-com with predictable will-they-or-won’t-they tension. But for this reader, the romance fell a bit flat. Overall, the story plotline had potential, but it didn’t meet up to mine. I may be an outlier, so please check other reviews. ...more |
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not set
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Sep 02, 2024
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Sep 02, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 0802161405
| 9780802161406
| 0802161405
| 3.49
| 787
| Jan 09, 2024
| Jan 09, 2024
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liked it
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I love my neighbors. Without them, I probably wouldn’t read some of the books that I do. So many books that are dropped off at my Little Free Library
I love my neighbors. Without them, I probably wouldn’t read some of the books that I do. So many books that are dropped off at my Little Free Library Shed are books I never would have considered reading hadn’t they have been donated. One of my neighbors is an actor, director, producer who also is part of a local theatre group. So, anytime there is a book with a theatrical theme she is all in, and is always happy to donate it to my LFL when she is done. Such is the case, with this book. Premise: So, what really happened all those years ago? And, why is it so important for Joni to reveal it now? Does this story have a feel for the #MeTooMovement in Hollywood? The book will follow Joni, a previously successful filmmaker who stepped away from her career to raise her children. But 25 years later readers can feel her unhappiness with her successful husband Paul who is the head of a major production studio in New York. What did Joni sacrifice to put him in his position? As Joni attempts to rekindle a friendship with Val, what secret from her past will she have to face? I really wanted to love this book. There was so much about it that had a contemporary story worth following, but overall, it was slow moving, chaotic storytelling, and it was hard to connect to the characters. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 31, 2024
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Aug 11, 2024
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Jul 31, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 006327907X
| 9780063279070
| 3.87
| 41,542
| Oct 17, 2023
| Jan 30, 2024
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liked it
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I have a love/hate relationship with this author. Well, maybe that is a bit extreme. I enjoyed his debut novel, “Trust me when I lie,” but I only thou
I have a love/hate relationship with this author. Well, maybe that is a bit extreme. I enjoyed his debut novel, “Trust me when I lie,” but I only thought his “Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone” was okay. I didn’t think it was bad, and it was not enough to stop me from picking up this book. But let me just say, I wasn’t chomping at the bit to read it, either. This is a story about a mystery writer taking a train trip with other mystery writers on their way to a mystery writers festival in Australia. And, one of the mystery writers is our “reliable narrator.” Let’s just say there are a lot of mystery writers in this story. And, as I was reading it, I actually found myself putting it down a few times and reading other books in-between. Why? Because I also found myself bored. Why? Because as much as I love a train trip storyline, (especially one that will give a scenic view across the desert of Australia) {which I have never been and would love to go}, the author, plays a supposedly “reliable narrator” that was much too talkative, offering way too many characters to keep track of, and his “fair-play mystery” just became a bit too much for me. Phew! I know, quite the run-on sentence! I realize I am probably an outlier here. I get it. There are a lot of Benjamin Stevenson fans out there. So, please take in other reviews. Don’t just rely on me. I can appreciate that he utilizes his “reliable narrator” voice to give us some relevant clues like… “It’s a staple of mystery novels that, just before the murder happens, certain conversations are overheard in the deep of night. This is to be the case here.” And… “This may be a surprise, but everyone survives the night.” Oh goodie. We got a reprieve. We are 108 pages into a murder mystery with no murder. Those of us who are waiting for this murder we keep reading about…well, where is it?! “And then he died.” Well, there you have it. Page 111. Is that a spoiler? Shame on me, if so. But I don’t think so. The author has been leading us to this point all along from the beginning. A murder was eventually going to occur. But goodness, so anticlimactic? Or is that the author’s intention? And the joke is on readers? Of course, we don’t know the perpetrator. Or the motive? Will our “reliable narrator” reveal that to us eventually, too? Or, will he take us down twisty, dark aisles on this train ride through relentless conversations with other eccentric and conceited mystery authors, too? And, to add to readers “pleasure” will more authors die? And/or, will there be a surprise twist at the ending? I leave it to readers to decide if you want to take this train ride to find out! 3.5 stars rounded down. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 31, 2024
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Aug 10, 2024
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Jul 31, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 9798212182843
| B0CCK3XKYK
| 3.85
| 117,355
| Apr 30, 2024
| Apr 30, 2024
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liked it
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You would think I was obsessed with death. Is it my lifelong love of murder mysteries, or my recent diagnosis of cancer that has me ruminating about i
You would think I was obsessed with death. Is it my lifelong love of murder mysteries, or my recent diagnosis of cancer that has me ruminating about it these days? I don’t know. I actually feel quite calm and hopeful and grateful that living in the moment brings such a love of life to me. Still, there is something to be said about this kind of a book that gets one wondering about how one contemplates death and living in the moment, in the same breath. Especially when the first line declares… “Nothing brings people together better than death.…Death reminds us that life isn’t infinite and that one day, our time will come, too.” If nothing else about this story appeals to readers, please know this…I really loved that line in this book. What exactly is in store for readers between these pages? Maybe we should take the title of this book literally?! Let us start with Mom Laura who passes away and leaves her things to her adult children who have been rather estranged from each other. She after all is one of the POV’s. The other POV’s are the daughters, Beth and Nicole. As they are going through those things, what should they discover but an old VCR tape which reveals more than they had ever expected to learn about their mother and their “missing” father who had “supposedly” left many years earlier without any explanation. “They say the truth will set you free, but they don’t tell you it can set you free in the same way death does.” So, what really happened in this story? What is the big reveal? (No spoilers from me.) To be honest, the premise of this book was promising, but as it progressed it was hard to enjoy. The characters weren’t particularly likable and the plot became rather predictable. And, to top it off, the end was anticlimactic. All and all…Family dynamics at its worst. 3.5 stars rounded down ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 26, 2024
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Aug 03, 2024
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Jul 26, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 1668000229
| 9781668000229
| 1668000229
| 3.53
| 20,727
| Jul 18, 2023
| Jul 18, 2023
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liked it
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To be honest, I wouldn’t have given this book a second look hadn’t I been reading an article in my local newspaper about it. Fantasy isn’t really my g
To be honest, I wouldn’t have given this book a second look hadn’t I been reading an article in my local newspaper about it. Fantasy isn’t really my genre, even if I love magical realism, this isn’t the way I love to read it or see it play out. But it shared that this book was based on ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. I recently re-visited that one earlier this year and loved it. My review is here:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... So, here I am. Attempting to make sense of it. But as I read it, I was wondering where the similarity was to Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. I could definitely see the fantasy retelling of Antony and Cleopatra. Was that supposed to be it? I believe fantasy lovers will enjoy this plot. It is fast paced with a competition that is key to the plot. (Think Hunger Games.) Still, if readers are interested in getting information, it is slow to be revealed leading to many twists along the way. In many fantasy realms, power and abuse of power is key, as well as what characters will do to gain it. So, what characters are willing to do, will be the moral question of the day in a story like this. And, as I mentioned, this is not my thing, so I found myself bored, uninterested, disappointed, and ready to close this book and be done. I believe, I am an outlier. Please read other reviews in which fantasy lovers will most likely feel more engaged with the plot. Like my Goodreads friend, Sara Machado and her beautiful review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jul 26, 2024
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Aug 08, 2024
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Jul 26, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 1538757583
| 9781538757581
| 1538757583
| 3.26
| 21,503
| Jun 04, 2024
| Jun 04, 2024
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liked it
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“If you know wilderness in the way you know love, you would be unwilling to let it go.” – Terry Tempest Williams Ellery is an emotional mess. She is su “If you know wilderness in the way you know love, you would be unwilling to let it go.” – Terry Tempest Williams Ellery is an emotional mess. She is supposed to be at this resort vacation as an anniversary celebration, not because her husband divorced her and she didn’t want to lose the deposit. How is she going to get through this self-imposed “vacation” without her kids? How is she supposed to get over her heartbreak and loss of her marriage to Luke? How about finding a dead body in a pool, will that help? And thus, the adventure begins for readers as they watch Ellery navigate her experience through wedding guests, making “friends,” and figuring out who and why this person was murdered. And, hoping no more bodies show up along the way. “Don’t you read anything? Have you ever watched a murder mystery? There’s never one body.” Okay, so there is more than one. Body. So, why? How will Ellery, the emotional mess be able to find her way through this? Especially when all the guests get stuck because of the insistent rain, and the washed-out roads leading to the resort? And, nobody else is able to get in! Including the police. (If anybody knows Big Sur, CA, this is not an uncommon occurrence. And, this is the setting for this mystery drama.) Would Ellery make it home to her kids? And/or, maybe find some strength along the way? How will Ellery’s past trauma play into this story? The plot moved slowly. Although the setting was beautiful and scenic, the story felt convoluted and the character development was lacking. It was hard to enjoy Ellery as the main protagonist. Her emotional grief, although it could feel real, seemed over-indulged by the author. And, the ending was not satisfying. It felt abrupt and under-whelming. I may be an outlier. Consider other reviews of this Reese’s Book Club pick. 3.5 stars rounded down. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Sep 07, 2024
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Sep 12, 2024
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Jul 18, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 1501121545
| 9781501121548
| 1501121545
| 3.29
| 2,937
| Jul 12, 2016
| Jul 12, 2016
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it was ok
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Catching up… I remember how much I enjoyed this author’s book, “The Coincidence of Coconut Cake,” so much so I asked my husband if he would be willing Catching up… I remember how much I enjoyed this author’s book, “The Coincidence of Coconut Cake,” so much so I asked my husband if he would be willing to make her actual recipe coconut cake. He did. After all, he is the baker in our family. And, it actually was very good. So, when I received this book as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, I was hopeful that maybe this one may also be a delicious addition. Of course, it did have recipes, Anniversary pie (lemon), lemon syrup and whipped cream. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Jun 15, 2024
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Jun 15, 2024
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Paperback
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| 0063382628
| 9780063382626
| 0063382628
| 3.27
| 2,927
| May 14, 2024
| May 14, 2024
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liked it
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Do you ever wonder where a story is going and then when it finally gets there, you weren’t sure you should have waited around to see? When it takes tha Do you ever wonder where a story is going and then when it finally gets there, you weren’t sure you should have waited around to see? When it takes that much discussion to see who did what and why – and then that many flips and flops as to why about the why so that we as readers are supposed to be satisfied about the why? Hmmm… should we be satisfied with the final outcome? So, should I have started with the end here? Kiki didn’t love Jamie enough to marry him, so she broke up with him. And, then she sees him at a book launch for a mutual friend of theirs. He says he is doing fine. But afterwards she discovers he has supposedly committed suicide. Kiki doesn’t believe he has, even though the police are convinced. Now, what does this have to do with the murder of a girl that happened 4 years earlier? There is an unknown narrator here, too to provide more confusion. So, Kiki may be an engaging main character who wants to believe that Jamie didn’t kill himself, and that he didn’t kill this girl 4 years ago. And, she will do everything to figure this out. Even putting herself in danger. Isn’t that typically what amateur sleuths do in murder mysteries? And, that is what leads me to all those questions above. Maybe others may find this an intriguing and complex psychological thriller. I found it a bit messy needing too much explanation to make it plausible. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 12, 2024
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Jun 15, 2024
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Jun 12, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 0062444220
| 9780062444226
| 0062444220
| 3.85
| 3,089
| Oct 25, 2016
| Oct 25, 2016
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liked it
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Catching Up… This is a family that typically evokes a lot of curiosity amongst people. A lot of tragedy and drama has been associated to the Kennedy fa Catching Up… This is a family that typically evokes a lot of curiosity amongst people. A lot of tragedy and drama has been associated to the Kennedy family because for the most part they have lived their lives in the spotlight. Mostly by choice because they are a prominent well-known all-American family. Civic-minded, politically active. And, many have earned our gratitude for the contributions they have made as positive public servants. But there have also been the black sheep. So, through the years, I personally have enjoyed reading anything I could get my hands on, about the Kennedys. This book popped up on my reader list early on when my local library displayed it. When it showed up as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed recently, well, you know what that meant… My review… Jean Kennedy Smith was the 8th child of Joseph and Rose Kennedy. Which meant that her brothers were the infamous, Jack (John F.), Bobby and Teddy. Besides a few more kids. Her father, Joe made a name for himself as a banker and a Hollywood financier. In Jean’s eyes, he was devoted, and would make sure that his kids knew everything that they needed to know about world events. In reality, he was hardly home or devoted. But Jean chose to see life with her father through rose-tinted glasses. Other examples about her father, included Jean sharing her experience of moving to London at age 10, when President Roosevelt appointed Kennedy as Ambassador. Of course, she doesn’t explain why Roosevelt ended his Ambassadorship. If anyone remembers history well, we know that Kennedy’s closeness to Hitler didn’t bode well with Roosevelt. There is also the lobotomy that Joe put upon his daughter Rosemary. It isn’t until the epilogue that Jean recognized how “tragically wrong” the experience was for her. Jean ends this story book on Jack’s presidency, after introducing her college roommate Ethel to Bobby. It isn’t really until the epilogue that we read about almost everything else…, i.e., the assassinations, her father’s devastating stroke, Chappaquiddick, Jean’s son William’s rape trail, Teddy’s brain cancer, her sister Patricia Lawford’s fight with cancer and more. In many ways, it seemed like this story book was a bunch of fluff and pictures. Was Jean living in la-la land and we were supposed to believe in her Camelot, too? I suppose she had every right to tell her story in the way she chose. It just didn’t feel “real,” compelling or engaging, to me. It was almost like Jean was writing a child-like dream of something maybe she would have preferred to have lived, as opposed to what it was really like living under the rule of a self-absorbed, isolationist, antisemitic, patronizing, unfaithful patriarch. What about the TRUE effect of living under her father, and the REAL impact it had on HER? Now, that kind of story might have made for an interesting read. Still, I can’t begrudge her the life she lived. This is the father she loved. This is the memory she chose to cherish of him. This story was published in 2016. Jean Kennedy Smith died on June 17, 2020 at the age of 92. She was the final surviving, and longest-lived of the 9 Kennedy children. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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May 31, 2024
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May 31, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 0751537470
| 9780751537475
| 0751537470
| 3.23
| 5,662
| 2005
| Aug 03, 2006
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liked it
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Catching up… I remember how excited I was when this came out a few years back, because I am a big fan of Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes. So, I was curio Catching up… I remember how excited I was when this came out a few years back, because I am a big fan of Conan Doyle – Sherlock Holmes. So, I was curious about how any other author would interpret him. Carr is another author who had been commissioned by the Conan Doyle estate to write a Holmes short story, which then grew to novel length. Interestingly enough, it almost feels like there are more authors out there writing Sherlock Holmes stories than Conan Doyle actually wrote. (He managed 4 novels and 60 short stories.) I won’t try and count the many authors at this point, but those of you who are Conan Doyle fans, know what I am talking about, right? And, now that nobody needs permission from the estate (effective 2022), anybody can use the famous detective character in a story. So, who knows how many more authors will incorporate Sherlock Holmes into their storyline. Back to this one. As a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, it was another opportunity for me to re-visit this long ago read, and write my review. What Carr does is keep Holmes and Dr. Watson in London and Scotland during the time of Queen Victoria, same time period, more or less as Conan Doyle. This story imagines an assassination attempt on Queen Victoria. With 9 failed attempts on her life, Mycroft, Holmes, brother, is quite concerned what the German and Scottish nationalists might be up to next. Are they attempting to maneuver a war against England? There are some parts of this book that are hard to read, because the author chooses to write as people may speak – like – “…we’ll nae let ye muhrder more Scots patriots…” I wanted this to be purely Holmes and Dr. Watson doing simple detecting work. But it didn’t feel that way. It just fell flat. Have I been spoiled by the original Conan Doyle, and the many television actors who successfully played Sherlock and/or Dr. Watson, i.e., Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Dr. Watson)? I was even charmed by actors Jeremy Brett (Sherlock) and Basil Rathbone (Sherlock). I know I am dating myself, but they really did know how to pull off a good Sherlock. Getting back to the book, and my attempts to stay focused (here on my review and with my reading), I think Carr’s problem was trying too hard to keep in the spirit of the original, but still trying to find opportunities for invention. I am not sure, in my opinion, he was able to meet it. At least for me. ...more |
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1
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not set
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May 29, 2024
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May 29, 2024
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Paperback
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| 1250178630
| 9781250178633
| 4.63
| 682,534
| Feb 06, 2024
| Feb 06, 2024
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liked it
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Okay, where do I begin? I have to admit first that I am going to be an outlier here. You probably could tell by my 3 star rating, right? But you have a Okay, where do I begin? I have to admit first that I am going to be an outlier here. You probably could tell by my 3 star rating, right? But you have a right to know why. So, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to tell you why. I didn’t include this book in my “currently reading” when I received it several weeks ago. Probably because I wasn’t convinced, I wanted to read it. I felt some level of excitement about receiving it as a donation to my Little Free Library Shed, because I knew my neighbors would be thrilled about having it available to them because this book is on the “hotlist” at our local public library. Which means if you are interested in reading this book, you are probably #467 on the list before the book will be available for you to check out from our library. That is how popular this book is right now. Also, every time I receive a donation of a Kristin Hannah book, it comes and goes almost as fast as any Petersen, Connelly, Grisham, Picoult, or Baldacci book. But I am not always a Kristin Hannah fan. And, the subject matter of this book, is not my favorite, so I wasn’t particularly anxious about reading this book. So, when it was donated, I wasn’t all happy hooray ready about entering the pages. Which leads me back to again why it wasn’t on my “currently reading” list of books here. Thus, it took me awhile to make a decision to read it. Are you still wondering if I am going to offer a review? Thank you, if you are still reading this! When I finally did begin to read, it wasn’t a nostalgia I was necessarily happy to return home to, as this book is filled with… despair – addiction – war – disrespect to soldiers – inadequate training for them – snipers – PTSD – Agent Orange. Yes, the author does a somewhat convincing job of creating the historical scenery descriptions by taking us back to Viet Nam. But her writing wasn’t connecting me to her story. It wasn’t capturing me. It wasn’t holding me. I didn’t feel emotionally vested. I felt as a reader we were awkwardly stumbling a long trying to keep up. The plot twists seemed so strained. I just didn’t feel as engaged as I would have liked to have been. The only thing that seemed to feel somewhat genuine was the way Hannah included women in the experience, especially nurses. Through her writing, she tried to show, their conviction and importance to the war story. Women – the real, unsung heroes. And since that was the title of her book, perhaps the author’s passion was met. As she shared in her author’s note, she was honored to tell their story. It just didn’t work for me. ...more |
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1
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not set
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May 26, 2024
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May 26, 2024
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 0525557431
| 9780525557432
| 0525557431
| 3.17
| 798
| Feb 19, 2019
| Feb 19, 2019
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liked it
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Catching up… Communication. I believe, we can agree that communication is important to a marriage. And when it doesn’t exist within a marriage, the rel Catching up… Communication. I believe, we can agree that communication is important to a marriage. And when it doesn’t exist within a marriage, the relationship will suffer. In this case, this book emphasizes the crisis that exists within the relationship/marriage between Ivan and Prue because of their lack of communication. And for university professors, especially the fact that Prue is in the emerging field of biolinguistics, which emphasizes the study of the evolution of language, how could she do so poorly with her own husband? Even though it appears that they sustain their marriage adequately, Ivan does feel the distance. He knows that Prue talks more to his father-in-law, Frank, than to him. So, what will help change things? To gain insight, we as readers would need to feel connected to the characters. The author does her best to show the missteps in communication, and a fairly good job in developing Ivan and Frank’s characters. But for this reader, Prue was hard to get close to and feel any sense of emotional closeness. And considering she was the one who was most responsible for the evolution of language, the limitations of interpersonal communication became too blatantly uncomfortable. Making this story fall a bit flat for me. ...more |
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1
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not set
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May 19, 2024
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May 19, 2024
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Hardcover
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| 3.71
| 3,448
| Jun 08, 2023
| Jan 09, 2024
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it was ok
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Let me start this review by saying I believe I am going to be an outlier when it comes to this book. So, please feel free to look at other reviews. Ve Let me start this review by saying I believe I am going to be an outlier when it comes to this book. So, please feel free to look at other reviews. Very pregnant Alice and her boyfriend Joe decide to leave London and move to the suburbs where they think they will have an easier lifestyle. No sooner does Alice settle into her prenatal class, than all the mothers-to-be are setting out to solve the murder of the proprietor of the business. This leads them to a commune, more death, far-right politicians and some other hinky individuals and secrets to be revealed. What will Alice learn about Joe along this journey? In my opinion, the beginning of the story tried too hard to be funny, the middle moved quite slowly, but the last third of the book, went a tad better. Still, the story felt a bit disjointed, and took too long to get to the point, and there were way too many characters. So, the soap opera-ish drama took away from the clean-up ending conclusion. Oh, and in due course everyone had their babies. I think. I lost track of who’s who and eventually lost interest, too. But, I did love the dog, Helen. 2.5 stars rounded down ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 16, 2024
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May 19, 2024
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May 16, 2024
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||||
| 0812996585
| 9780812996586
| 0812996585
| 3.50
| 5,010
| Feb 08, 2024
| Feb 13, 2024
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did not like it
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I love Thursdays. They are my day to go to my local public library to pick up books. I feel like a young kid going into an ice cream store ready to pi
I love Thursdays. They are my day to go to my local public library to pick up books. I feel like a young kid going into an ice cream store ready to pick out my favorite ice cream. What flavor should I choose today? When I saw this book, I was intrigued. I have never read this author before, and according to the side flap it sounded like magical realism, one of my favorite genres. When I went to check my books out, the librarian said, “oh you must read this book first, there is already someone who is waiting to read this one right after you.” Which means I only get 3 weeks to finish it! So, with my large pile of books, I put this one at the top of my reading pile to begin reading first. So, I did. Begin. To read it. First. Well, where do I begin? What I understand is that this is the author’s first novel. She has typically written contemporary short stories fiction. So, as a first novel, she decided to make this a 600-page story. Now, after having the experience of “The Covenant of Water” by Abraham Verghese, I have been more willing to venture into larger novels, as long as I have felt the story had meaning and purpose. But where was this one going? I felt confused, and…well, it was strange. And I was having difficulty finding my way through the pages. There appeared to be some drama, and grief, and resilience, and a supernatural presence which seemed menacing, and wanted the characters to explore what it truly means to be alive. But it was really hard to understand how to connect to the characters when I didn’t really know what their purpose was for being. Are they dead or presumed dead? Are they missing or are they not? Are they on a mission or in some alternate reality? Where am I as the reader? I felt so off balance I am sorry to say that I had to abandon the book when one character said, “do you want to be dead, because I don’t. I want to avoid being dead for as long as possible.” What? Maybe it would have been easier for me to understand had this been a short story? Then maybe the author could have gotten to the point sooner. Well, I hope the next reader who is so anxiously waiting for this book from my local public library, will be excited to get it earlier when I drop it off today. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 09, 2024
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May 10, 2024
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May 09, 2024
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 1542027470
| 9781542027472
| 1542027470
| 3.78
| 17,395
| Sep 01, 2021
| Sep 01, 2021
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liked it
|
I didn’t do well with this author’s series featuring Homicide Detective Elouise Norton, recently reviewed in “Land of Shadows.” And, because I felt so
I didn’t do well with this author’s series featuring Homicide Detective Elouise Norton, recently reviewed in “Land of Shadows.” And, because I felt somewhat like an outlier, I thought I would go ahead and try one of her stand-alone books to see if I might feel differently about her as a writer. So, I ordered this book from my local library. Besides, the premise sounded fairly interesting. Michaela (Mickie) Lambert is a digital archaeologist who pieces together a person’s life story from artifacts that are important to them. She will find them in any way possible whether it is through social media or home movies or art or whatever suits the client. Her talent is to bring it all together for her clients. Her latest client, Nadia is obsessed with memorabilia – collecting and selling and hoarding it. And she wants a record of her life before her memories slip away. This is a perfect assignment for Mickie to help distract her from the train wreck of a personal life she is experiencing currently. Unfortunately, her client, Nadia is found dead with a suicide note nearby, which doesn’t go along with what Mickie understands with her recent assignment given to her by her client. So, she can’t help but wonder…was it really suicide? In the meantime, there is a serial killer on the loose. So many secrets. So much to unravel. And danger around every corner while Mickie decides to still continue to complete her already paid for assignment. Will it be enough to keep this mystery interesting? And…will all that is going on be enough to make this story turn into an intriguing, riveting, page-turning pleasure read so that all the pieces will eventually fit together? ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 25, 2024
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Apr 27, 2024
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Apr 25, 2024
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Hardcover
| ||||||||||||||
| 0385549288
| 9780385549288
| 4.22
| 1,629
| Dec 05, 2023
| Dec 05, 2023
|
did not like it
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I was originally looking forward to reading this story, especially with its 1947 post-war New York setting. Its premise sounded interesting and the se
I was originally looking forward to reading this story, especially with its 1947 post-war New York setting. Its premise sounded interesting and the series sounded like it had potential with two Holmesian-type detectives searching for a missing woman. And then I opened its pages and the author had provided two pages worth for a “cast of characters.” We were not off to a good start. Of course, as I shared, this is a series, and if you aren’t familiar with the characters, it doesn’t help that it doesn’t read like a stand-alone, so readers who haven’t read the earlier books, will feel like a fish out of water. So, I tried, and hoped for the best in understanding these humanly-flawed protagonists. But then the author delivered something that spoiled everything for me. (And forgive the spoiler, for which I don’t typically offer.) A cliffhanger. And to me, that is the worst sin of an author. In his acknowledgments, the author says, “I know – a cliffhanger. Please don’t hate me. There was no other way to do it. The stakes are about to get raised for our heroines, and I hope you’ll stick around for the ride.” Well, I disagree! There are other ways to do it. In my opinion, stories should have a beginning, a middle and an end. There is absolutely no excuse for a cliffhanger with a book. To leave readers suspended this way, I feel, is detestable. And for when we come into a series in the middle (yes, I know we shouldn’t), the least an author can do is catch us up with a few lines within the current story. And, I don’t think it should be in the list of the cast of characters where all the nuances attached to the character’s name should give readers all the clues about who they are and how we should know them. Yes, I realize we should read the series from the beginning, but when our library doesn’t have the first books, we would appreciate at least a little help in this way from authors. I also realize not everyone may agree with what I share here – I am obviously an outlier. I get it. This is not an author/series I will be following. So, for anyone who is interested in this series, or who has rated it higher, this is my reason for not. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 25, 2024
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Apr 30, 2024
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Apr 25, 2024
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Hardcover
| |||||||||||||||
| 1913419657
| 9781913419653
| 1913419657
| 3.97
| 785,246
| Jul 13, 2020
| Jul 13, 2020
|
it was ok
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Catching up… I always appreciate the donations that are provided by my neighbors to my Little Free Library Shed. They also serve as a reminder for me t Catching up… I always appreciate the donations that are provided by my neighbors to my Little Free Library Shed. They also serve as a reminder for me to re-visit books that I have read in my recent past so that I can bring my reviews to Goodreads. Here is the premise of this story in question form that the book asks…would you defend your husband (she is an attorney) if he was accused of killing his mistress? Can a book be really, really good at the beginning and the end and but fall flat in the middle? Which means it frustrates the reader to not be sure they want to even reach the end? And what if a story has so many questions but not enough answers – does that make it a good read, or an ineffective plot? And what if a plot feels so unrealistic as a reader you find yourself shaking your head and wondering, did I read that right? Or, should I have read this, at all? And then by the time we get to the rushed conclusion, did it really connect to the whole story? Was I satisfied with this story or did I feel it was a convoluted plot trying to be a good mystery? ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Apr 24, 2024
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Apr 24, 2024
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Paperback
| ||||||||||||||
| 0861546458
| 9780861546459
| 0861546458
| 4.09
| 46,484
| Aug 24, 2023
| Aug 24, 2023
|
The author won the Booker Prize for 2023 for this story. But does that mean he won my heart for best book to read? This book was prominently displayed The author won the Booker Prize for 2023 for this story. But does that mean he won my heart for best book to read? This book was prominently displayed in my local library as I perused the bookshelves. On the cover it said, “The Booker Prize 2023 Winner.” Now, to be honest, being a book award winner has never impressed me. Leading a Library Book Discussion group for 12 years, we have often read and discussed Pulitzer and Booker Prize winners, and at the same time wondered what those committee members were thinking when they selected some of those books! Still, that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to take this book down off the shelf, in the hurry I was in, and add it to my pile of books to check out. So here I am, ready to discuss this book with you. First, for those who aren’t aware, the Booker Prize is an award given every year to the best English-language fiction published in the United Kingdom and Ireland in a given year. And, second, since it is considered one of the literary world’s most prestigious awards, this is quite the accomplishment even to make the shortlist! But even after sharing all that, it was interesting to note, before opening one page of this book, that not all reviewers were kind. Especially since this is somewhat of a dystopian novel. Not my favorite genre. I’m being honest. So, after I opened the book for myself to read, will I be kind? The story is set in contemporary Dublin, Ireland. There is a reference to a “virus” to set the tone for the story about a pandemic as a backdrop. We get the sense of a free society with a constitution and a rule of law, but there is a chaos descending created by a “political” crisis. But the fight between who and what is rather vague. There is also a moral ambiguity. And then there is more frustration that comes up for this reader. Dialogue is not punctuated with quotation marks. How am I to know the difference between a thing said and a thing thought? This brings on headaches for me. The book continues into chaos. The story, and my attempt to read it. There are also no paragraphs, only continuous sentences that refused to find an ending – barely. This reader/reviewer did what I could only do…I turned my last page about half way through and DNF’d it. Booker Prize? Oy! What were they thinking? ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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not set
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Apr 14, 2024
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Apr 14, 2024
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Hardcover
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my rating |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 3.42
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liked it
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Sep 12, 2024
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Sep 12, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.96
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liked it
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Sep 15, 2024
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Sep 05, 2024
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| 3.37
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liked it
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Sep 02, 2024
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Sep 02, 2024
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| 3.49
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liked it
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Aug 11, 2024
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Jul 31, 2024
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| 3.87
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liked it
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Aug 10, 2024
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Jul 31, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.85
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liked it
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Aug 03, 2024
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Jul 26, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.53
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liked it
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Aug 08, 2024
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Jul 26, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.26
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liked it
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Sep 12, 2024
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Jul 18, 2024
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| 3.29
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it was ok
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Jun 15, 2024
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Jun 15, 2024
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| 3.27
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liked it
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Jun 15, 2024
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Jun 12, 2024
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| 3.85
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liked it
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May 31, 2024
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May 31, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.23
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liked it
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May 29, 2024
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May 29, 2024
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| 4.63
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liked it
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May 26, 2024
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May 26, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.17
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liked it
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May 19, 2024
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May 19, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.71
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it was ok
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May 19, 2024
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May 16, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.50
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did not like it
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May 10, 2024
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May 09, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.78
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liked it
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Apr 27, 2024
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Apr 25, 2024
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|||||
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| 4.22
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did not like it
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Apr 30, 2024
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Apr 25, 2024
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|||||
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| 3.97
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it was ok
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Apr 24, 2024
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Apr 24, 2024
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|||||
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| 4.09
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Apr 14, 2024
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Apr 14, 2024
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