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Nic

@theoriginalbookchook

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Books 💛🌼🌻 Aotearoa 🌿
LR: || switzy + murder in Paris ‘68
CR: || story of a life

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I'm so happy it's finally the weekend - & a long weekend too which means I get a whole two days off rather than my usual one 🤗

and of course I will be spending as much of those 2 days reading & trying to avoid all the other things I actually need to do 🙃

I'm also going to try to catch up on all things Bookstagram - starting with a post of my own (stories seem to be the only thing I can fit in lately 🤪) & then catching up on all your fabulous posts......I'll try to anyway 🫠

So here's a #lastnownext & I've tagged some of you to share yours too - I love seeing these kind of posts - they always make me excited to read more (not particularly hard to do 🤭).

L A S T 》》 Peck & Peck by @bonnie_garmus_author - I loved this one so much - a madcap adventure/coming of age filled with the best characters - I feel like they could all have their own spin off stories which I would read immediately - & the most original storyline - I had no idea how it was all going to come together but it did & brilliantly so!! Highly recommend this one!

N O W 》》 The Starving Bride by @catherinechidgey - I am INHALING this one - I can not put it down & will most likely finish it today - I'll share all my thoughts soon!

N E X T 》》 In One Brief Moment all Eternity by @shafakelif I am so excited to start this one - the writing alone will be incredible & the premise sounds fantastic!

Let me know if you've read any of these or just what you've been reading or hope to read soon!

Have a fabulous day everyone 😘

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📣 Group Read Announcement

It’s time for group read number six in our journey through the Baillie Gifford Non-Fiction Longlist! 📚 Another opportunity to dive into a fascinating real-world story, learn something new and share our thoughts along the way.

Who’s joining us for the next chapter of this reading adventure?

DM or reply below.

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📣 Group Read Announcement.

We are up to book five in our journey to read the longlist of the Baillie Gifford Award for Non Fiction.

Do you feel like reading some non fiction? Do you fancy changing up your reading palate for a little while? This is your opportunity particularly if you’ve always had an interest in the Cold War.

If you’d like to join us in the group read, please respond to this post or message @theoriginalbookchook or myself directly.

Happy Reading!

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📣 Group Read Announcement

Murder in Paris 68’: A True Story of Death & Glamour by Edward Chisholm is our next seletion in our group read of the Bailie Gifford Award. Murder in Paris 68’ has featured prominently on bookstagram. If you have been tossing up reading this popular book now is your chance.

If you are a fan of Patrick Radden Keefe, David Grann and Philippe Sands, this should be a book that appeals to your tastes!

If you would like to participate in the group read, either comment below or DM @theoriginalbookchook or myself.

Thanks
Nic & Kate

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📣 Group Read Announcement

Hotel Exile - Paris In The Shadow of War by Jane Rogoyska is our next selection in our group read of the Baillie Gifford Award. Hotel Exile also featured on the Non Fiction list for the Women’s Prize earlier this year.

We will be starting Friday the 18th of September.

Described as “A masterpiece of empathy and concision, Jane Rogoyska’s extraordinary new book offers us a vision of individual human beings desperately trying to find a path through some of the twentieth century’s most devastating events”.

If you would like to participate in the group read, either comment below or DM @theoriginalbookchook or myself and we will add you to the chat.

Thanks,

Nic and Kate

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📣 Group Read Announcement

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe is the first selection in our group read of the Baillie Gifford Award. We will be starting Saturday the 12th of September.

Described as a powerful and suspenseful journey into the lives of parents trying to solve their sons’ death whilst delving deep into the dangerous underground of London to do so. Swipe to read more about the book 👉

If you’d like to join us for this one, either comment below or DM Nic or I and we will add you to the chat.

Thanks

Nic and Kate

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“I really should read more non-fiction books”

Well……… we have the solution for you! A non-fiction group read

This is an open invitation to anyone who, like us wants to read more non-fiction.

Nic and I are specifically tackling the Bailie Gifford Non Fiction Prize. We will be creating groups to read the individual books and chat about the experience as we go.

The Bailie Gifford Prize celebrates contemporary non fiction, dabbling in current affairs, history, politics, autobiography and many more. A lot of variety and something on the list for everyone.

Join us for one, a couple or the entire list – it is completely up to you!

We will be posting upcoming reads as we progress through the list in advance of our grid/stories.

Nic & Kate

@theoriginalbookchook
@diaryofabookstagrammer

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Happy Monday everyone 🙃

(how is it already Monday again.......?)

Pilates ✅️
Read, coffee, (fall asleep 😴)
Work......& hopefully a day with no dramas 🤞

Two questions this morning

》What are you currently reading?
》》and what is your go to drink to start the day?

》📖 Understory by Chloe Benjamin
🎧 House of Flame & Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

》》Hot water......then coffee (black) ☕️

Have a fabulous day everyone 😘
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#Bookstagram #coffeeandcurrentlyreading
#crescentcity #readingtime #Mondays

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new month, new book club 📚✨

reading brings so much into my life; joy, happiness, sadness, lovers, tragedies, forgotten worlds, unique characters, perspectives and opinions

what makes books even more enjoyable is the ability to discuss them with others

thank you @framesandfiction__ for organizing this group read of The Story of a Life ❤️

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Book 62 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good Things Come and Go by Josie Shapiro

After the death of their young daughter, Penny Whittaker and Adam Riggs are struggling. Penny’s lifelong dream of becoming a successful artist has stalled, and Riggs, battling an addiction to prescription painkillers, is coming to grips with the end of his gliffering professional skateboarding career. When Penny is unexpectedly offered a chance to exhibit her work at an Auckland gallery, she accepts, despite her reservations.

At the same time, Jamie Flannery suddenly finds himself out of work and out of options. To recuperate, he moves to his uncle’s abandoned bach on the Coromandel, and when his childhood friend Riggs calls out of the blue the three friends reunite.

At first, being together feels just like old times. But secrets from their shared past threaten their newfound peace, forcing them to reckon with their history and themselves.

_______________________________________________

I was halfway through this book when we left for our holiday in America. I decided it would replace the physical book I had originally selected to take with me, and I’d leave it on the bookshelf of the accommodation I happened to finish it in. It ended up joining a delicious pile of books in a cute wee Airbnb in Longview, Washington.

Shapiro’s debut novel, Everything is Beautiful and Everything Hurts was one of my top reads of 2024. Being a runner, it really resonated with me, and I was completely swept away by the story. In this book, the characters are skateboarders and artists. Given that the one time (fairly recently) that I gave skateboarding a go I ended up on my butt, it’s fair to say I had to work a bit harder with the content. It certainly didn’t captivate me as much, but I did enjoy Penny, Adam, and Jamie’s stories.

We get to know the three characters, who have known each other since their childhood/adolescence on Waiheke Island, as Penny approaches her 40th birthday. Their shared history involves a lot of trauma, grief, bitterness and secrets. Good things come and good things go. How will things go when the trio reconnect?

Good Things Come and Go • Josie Shapiro • skateboarding • art

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The Booker Prize Longlong list read – Number 1

All Them Dogs

Djamel White

As I begin working through this year’s Booker Prize Longlist with @theoriginalbookchook and others, I have a better understanding of what I’m looking for from this years’ list of books.

I’m after books that stay with me long after I’ve finished it, gives me plenty to discuss with others, and brings a sense of originality, whether through its language, its plot, or its characters. I want to be dazzled with new experiences and left wowed by impressive prose.

Lets start with “All Them Dogs”

A gritty Dublin crime novel told in a thick Irish vernacular. The story follows a man returning home after years immersed in criminality, only to discover that the past is impossible to leave behind. He slides back into familiar patterns with alarming ease. But things have changed, his best friend has changed his ways and gone straight and his mentor has died. The opening sections are crowded with characters and connections, to the point where a family tree or organisational chart would be useful, but this confusion gradually gives way to a richly interconnected portrait of a violent underworld.

While Wild Houses and All Them Dogs share a similar gritty atmosphere and unflinching portrayal of violence, each novel feels entirely its own because of its unique voice. For me, one of the book’s greatest strengths was the relationship between Tony and Flute. The relationship between them offers a striking contrast to the darkness surrounding them, creating a balance that prevents the novel from becoming relentlessly bleak.

This was an enjoyable read, and I particularly appreciated the consistency of both the setting and the narrative voice throughout the novel. My opinion of Tony evolved as the story progressed, which speaks to the depth of his characterisation.That said, I’m not convinced the book offered anything I hadn’t encountered before, either in its themes or its approach to crime writing in Ireland. Whilst it was engaging in the moment, I didn’t find there was a great deal to unpack or debate once I had finished it. A solid read & well worth an investment of your time

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🔎 GIVEAWAY! 🔎

Calling all mystery lovers - this one’s for you! 🕵️‍♀️

I’ve put together a little Agatha Christie prize pack for one lucky reader, including:

📖 An Agatha Christie book
📋 An Agatha Christie reading tracker
🔖 Some gorgeous Agatha Christie bookmarks

Basically, everything you need for a little Christie-inspired reading adventure.

To enter:

📚 Follow @anotherbooktoread & @paperplusbarrington
❤️ Like & save this post
👯‍♀️ Tag some fellow mystery lovers (1tag = 1 entry)
💬 Tell me your favourite Agatha Christie mystery (or one your would love to read!)

For an extra entry, share this post to your stories and tag me so I can see it!

🇳🇿 NZ only.

Good luck! 🔎📚

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