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Allie & Sadie

@speakingof.books

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Your fav reader & wanna be author
Toddler mom #toddlertuesdays
📚54/125
📖The Children
🎧Tapestry of Fate

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Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat 🐈 in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano 🌋 lair) to Charlie.

This is the wildly fun and fast moving plot from the book Starter Villain by John Scalzi which I discuss with this week’s guest, Allie Speakmon!

Allie is a book reviewer and content creator based in the New Braunfels, 📍Texas area. She runs @speakingof.books across Instagram, TikTok, and her website speakingof.org where she reviews mysteries, thrillers, romantasy, and contemporary fiction with honest takes and a full glass of wine 🍷 She’s a project manager by day, a mom of 3 under 4 including twins, and a self-proclaimed Type C reader who reads by vibes and ignores her TBR pile 📚She’s been in the bookstagram community for 9 years, reads 100+ books a year, and recently founded The Quarterly Bookclub in New Braunfels for busy women who love books but think monthly is too much commitment. 🙌

Thank you so much to @gimletsandgardens 🪴🍸for crafting the perfect cocktail for this: the Villain Cocktail! Cheers!🥂

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@speakingof.books gives her TOP 5 books of the year, she’s read so far ❤️ have yall read any of these? Check out the FULL meet a mom interview pinned at the top of the page, and if you missed @thequarterlybookclub this go around- they have selected the book for next quarter!!!

#sanantoniomoms #sanantoniobookclub #bookclub #meetamom

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When I woke to Allie from @speakingof.books we got to talking about her “lore” if you will, and she has been running her blog for almost a DECADE! Check out speakingof.org and the whole interview is pinged the the page!

#sanantoniomoms #satx #speakingofbooks #meetamom #sanantonio

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Hearing Allie’s story from @speakingof.books was such an inspiration! As a mom of three kids under 4, she somehow kept her love of reading alive, and even turned it into a thriving book blog. This year she took it a step further by launching @thequarterlybookclub , which is the perfect way to reconnect with reading alongside like-minded locals. If you’ve been wanting to get back into books, this is your sign! I hope you loved this interview as much as I did. 📚✨
#sanantonio #satxmoms #sanantoniomoms #localbookclub #booklovers

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Thriller Thursday (not really)

Who Knew the Ridpath Girl
by Stacy John

I originally grabbed this title because I am fascinated by mystery podcasts. I loved the Good Girl's Guide to Murder book series. I adore the Only Murders in the Building show.

I soon realized, however, that while this book does focus on a podcast, its focus isn't on the mystery but on the healing journeys of the characters. (TW: suicide ideation and attempts)

I'm glad I had seen earlier reviews to know what exactly I was wading into. (Thanks @speakingof.books for yours!) This isn't a thriller, although there are all the elements and trappings of such. It's an exploration of grief and how dealing with trauma informs the lives of the main characters. If you see this as the core of the plot, it makes the slower pace easier to accept.

There's no rush here.

Just slow acceptance of the past.

"Does the world really almost end a hundred times a day?"

I appreciated Gracen, who sees his little sister in his own daughter. I think as parents we can't help but do that sometimes. And I think finding clarity makes a difference.

"Then hang that picture up on the wall of memory and walk away."

QOTD: How has a book surprised you?

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What scares this reader?

Not having time to read.

That's it.

Bring me all the genres, all the tropes, all the books.

Just give me time to read them.

Loving this trend!

Thanks @letstalkaboutbooksbaybee @speakingof.books for the inspiration!

QOTD: What're your bookish fears?

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How many followers would 𝐲𝐨𝐮 like to reach by end of day?

Sharing some 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 Bookish accounts above, 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 how many followers you’d like to reach by the 𝐞𝐧𝐝 of the 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 🫶🏻

Here’s mine…. 𝟓𝟎𝟎 🤞🏻

#bookishlove🧡 #bookishaccounts #bookcommunity #smallaccountlove #sharethelove

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I highly recommend having a Wuthering Heights book club tea party with your friends from high school.

And of course we watched the movie afterwards ♥️

#wutheringheights #bookclub #bookgram #emeraldfennell

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Do you have a favorite kids lit creator? What is your favorite children’s book?

These creators share incredible, diverse, and inclusive books for young readers. If you have a child in your life, check them out! @speakingof.books @kindcorner_lit @the_inclusive_bookshelf @mini.midnight.reads

As a teacher with my BA in English and my MA in Literacy, I love sharing literature with my students, my daughter, and my niece and nephews. I love supporting new or struggling readers, and seeing that spark when a child finds the book they love.

#childrensliterature #booksaremirrorsandwindows #bookmail #youngreaders

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Watching little ones slow down and play together like this is always special 🤍

Just two kids exploring, sharing toys, and getting completely into their own little world.

Moments like this are what intentional play is all about.

Browse the age-perfect PlayPacks they’re playing with at playpalstoys.com

#Playpals #MindfulParenting #MontessoriPlay #ClutterFreeHome #RelovedToys

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Write me for you…my thoughts.

Well, we all know if we need a good cry, Tillie Cole is your go to and this one is no different but equally as special, it’s easily my favourite yet.

June and Jesse meet in the most tragic of circumstances, at a last chance clinical trial ranch. They both know that this is their last shot of a life beyond their teens but neither of them thought this would be the place they fall in love.

June has always wanted to be a true love author, but she worries her stories lack depth never having been in love. Now that she is, her stories take flight and the lines between reality and love blur in the most perfect way. It’s a two way story, one to break you and one to uplift you…I love how the end of this works. I’ve actually read the end a couple of times (very unusual for me) and each time it has spoken to me with a different outcome.

If you love strong characters you’ll love everyone in this one. June and Jesse are strong on their own but together they are something else. Friends, Chris and Emma bring a light and joy into the story, whereas the parent’s perspectives were deep in a wholesome way…and one that will require tissues, on more than one occasion.

I paired it with this beautifully pale Côtes du Provence Rosé, as pale as the colour is, the flavours are strong which is a perfect representation of each of the young people in Write me for you. Although it’s a rosé, it’s a dry and yet smooth, from a home of hot dry summers and cooler evenings; perfect for an evening on a balcony.
From some of the oldest vineyards in France, the picture perfect landscape matches the ranch perfectly and I can see it so clearly in my mind. With flavours of ripe fruits, rich spices and radiant flowers, it’s like well-being in a glass.
This one is from @aldi and is well worth stocking up for the spring summer months, that finally seem to be making something of an appearance!

Fun fact, a sneak insight of a beautiful scene with this invitation; that actually happens to be a wedding invite of ours that I’ve saved.

Do you have a memory box to collage special keepsakes?

#readingwithwine #writemeforyou #tilliecole #cotesduprovence #aldi

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✨️Book Mail✨️ Today, received Brimstone, Finding Grace and a surprise Christmas card with bookmarks and the cutest bookish stickers in the mail! I'm so thankful for this community and the connections I've made this year! Thank you all!

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