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@brandidb.bsky.social

Retired American school librarian currently living in the French Riviera. Be brave enough to enjoy your life.

39 Followers  |  30 Following  |  21 Posts  |  Joined: 13.01.2025
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Posts by (@brandidb.bsky.social)

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The romances carried November, particularly Carley Fortune. I also enjoyed the nature nonfictions this month, and I’m still reading a memoir written by a β€œMoonie” who now lives in Nice.
#BookSkyπŸ“šπŸ’™

30.11.2025 20:42 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

On the other hand, it’s safe to say I completely missed my β€œTwilight” eraβ€”I probably would have liked it more when I was in high schoolβ€”but I’m finishing the series because that’s how I roll.

01.11.2025 12:56 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

But I also really enjoyed Annabel Monaghan’s writing style and settings. Kate Pearsall’s mysteries incorporated rural Appalachian mythical creatures, which was interesting, and the T. Kingfisher was a retelling of Snow White with a twisting plot and strong, frank voice.

01.11.2025 12:56 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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October was a whopper reading month, filled with all new-to-me authors.
My favorite book overall was β€œEvery Summer After” by Carley Fortune; her characters were instantly engaging.
#BookSkyπŸ“šπŸ’™

01.11.2025 12:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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Superb reading this September. It’s difficult to choose, but I think β€œThe Island of Missing Trees” by Elif Shafak is my favorite.
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01.10.2025 18:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Everything I read in August was enjoyable, but the most memorable has to be β€œParable of the Sower” by Octavia E. Butler.
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31.08.2025 19:59 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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My favorite book from July was Fredrik Backman’s, My Friends.
In a rare occurrence, I chose to stop reading one of these books. Can you guess which one?
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31.07.2025 08:05 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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5🌟 Fredrik Backman can tell a story like no one else. I love the repeated phrases that become inside jokes, the depth of the characters and their love for each other, and the themes of art, childhood, friendship, and loyalty. If you've never read one of his books, start with this one.
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18.07.2025 19:05 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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My favorite book from this month is β€œAtmosphere” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It’s a love story and then some, featuring astronauts, the inner workings of NASA, women in science and leadership, family dynamics, and boundary-pushing in general.
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30.06.2025 19:50 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Reading wrap up for May:
My favorites were the Aristotle and Dante duology.
#BookSky πŸ“šπŸ’™

01.06.2025 22:27 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Book cover of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire SΓ‘enz. A red pickup truck at lower left underneath a starry sky. Silver foil title and symbols.

Book cover of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire SΓ‘enz. A red pickup truck at lower left underneath a starry sky. Silver foil title and symbols.

Ari lives in the shadows of his own emotional walls. He's a good kid, but a loner, struggling through the final years of high school. Everything changes when he meets Dante, whose love for life bubbles forth with the confidence of being a cherished only child of loving, stable parents.
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20.05.2025 11:06 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Great reading month for me. My favorite was β€œBeneath a Scarlet Sky” by Mark Sullivan. The book is based on a real man, Pino Lella, and his activities during the last years of WW2 in Italy as an undercover informant.
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30.04.2025 20:38 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Two wicker baskets and one black bucket of lemons.

Two wicker baskets and one black bucket of lemons.

First lemon harvest of the year. All this from one tree!

10.03.2025 12:02 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.
Two intriguing characters from religious mythology try to blend in to tenement life in turn of the century NYC. A beautiful story of figuring out what it means to be human, as well as how monstrous humans can be.
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09.03.2025 17:01 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

No. It's enough to have just a general idea of Huck Finn. James stands on its own.

23.02.2025 14:44 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Beautiful hike today to Notre-Dame d'Afrique.

15.02.2025 16:27 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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β€œThe Water Dancer” by Ta-Nehisi Coats
Hiram Walker has an infallible memory, with one exception: his mother. She was sold away from their home in Virginia when Hi was still young. But stories are powerful, and Hiram learns to use the power of Conduction to liberate Tasked people.
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05.02.2025 19:06 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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My favorite read for January 2025 was Starling House by Alix E. Harrow.
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31.01.2025 14:55 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Book cover of The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones. A forest green background with irregular leaf patterns, and a large, gold colored dagger with animal carvings. The book title overlays all this in white text.

Book cover of The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones. A forest green background with irregular leaf patterns, and a large, gold colored dagger with animal carvings. The book title overlays all this in white text.

Having successfully avoided the news today, it's time to make progress on my current read, The Wild Huntress by Emily Lloyd-Jones.
#BookSkyπŸ’™πŸ“š

20.01.2025 19:44 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Cover of Starling House book by Alix E. Harrow. Night sky background with white title centered. Several starling birds fly with purple and blue wings, some holding gold skeleton keys and one holding an orange flower.

Cover of Starling House book by Alix E. Harrow. Night sky background with white title centered. Several starling birds fly with purple and blue wings, some holding gold skeleton keys and one holding an orange flower.

5 books into 2025 and I have my first 5β˜†
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Gothic vibe, orphans, found family, dreams/nightmares.
Between work and parenting her brother, Opal dreams of a house she’s never seen and beasts with too many limbs and oddly angled joints. Starling House calls.
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14.01.2025 16:36 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

New year. Time to meet that insurance deductible again.

14.01.2025 15:09 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0