mina
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Post by mina on Nov 4, 2023 15:36:14 GMT
I just finished Britney Spears' book and wow. I bought it because I wanted to support her in making and keeping her own money. I'm around her age and was never a big fan but was part of the generation that was; her music was always in the background of my life. When I heard her talking to the judge in 2021 my heart broke for her. To hear her own perspective of everything thing was happening to her and around her was heartbreaking; I cried several times during this book. I'm honestly surprised she's still alive. I hope she can find peace and some happiness in life and her parents and "handlers" should be in jail. Lou Taylor, if you go down that rabbit hole, is creepy and an outright predator. Thanks for sharing. The ladies on T he View said it is fabulous, and contrary to what was said over in the Celebrity Gossip section, apparently she shows Justin a lot of grace. I'm going to give it a whirl. When I think of Brit, I immediately think of her on The Today Show. Katie Couric would vocalize to Brit that she didn't want her to grow up too fast and Brit would reassure her that she was doing well. I think/I know Katie understood the industry and she was more or less warning Brit of what Brit couldn't yet foresee. Always admired that about Katie. I'm going to get a copy of Being Henry: The Fonz... and Beyond. Such a sweet and uplifting man. He's my go-to on Twitter for positivity. She never says anything bad about Justin; she's just telling what happened. She hasn't said anything about him for 20 years while he kinda built his early solo career on things he alluded to her doing in the relationship. It's obvious in the book that she did love him and loved his family and found love and belonging when they were together; the breakup had a majorly negative effect on her and is a big trigger in her life to the start of some mental health issues and depression. It was huge trauma to her after growing up in trauma. She really did make a lot of mistakes in life, but she also had no one really in her corner ever- her family just saw her as a way to escape poverty and be their ATM. It's not a well written book, she isn't the most educated person and I think her mind was negatively affected with the medications they forced her to take, but her pain and feelings come across. It shows her generational trauma and explains sorta why she is the way she is. I honestly hope her sons read it and it opens up a new path for them to get to know her and to understand why she was so ill equipped at life.
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Post by Critical on Nov 5, 2023 20:53:15 GMT
She never says anything bad about Justin; she's just telling what happened. She hasn't said anything about him for 20 years while he kinda built his early solo career on things he alluded to her doing in the relationship. It's obvious in the book that she did love him and loved his family and found love and belonging when they were together; t he breakup had a majorly negative effect on her and is a big trigger in her life to the start of some mental health issues and depression. It was huge trauma to her after growing up in trauma. She really did make a lot of mistakes in life, but she also had no one really in her corner ever- her family just saw her as a way to escape poverty and be their ATM. It's not a well written book, she isn't the most educated person and I think her mind was negatively affected with the medications they forced her to take, but her pain and feelings come across. It shows her generational trauma and explains sorta why she is the way she is. I honestly hope her sons read it and it opens up a new path for them to get to know her and to understand why she was so ill equipped at life. Also though, that is the age when young people often start experiencing mental health problems stemming from chemical imbalances. It's super common in young people who go away to college. Maybe the life change triggers something, but it's also hormonal/chemical changes that occur in the body at that age.
Funny that you say it's not well written, since she didn't write it. Surprising that the ghost writer (I'm assuming they weren't credited on the cover) couldn't do a good job. They keep comparing her book to Prince Harry's, with respect to sales, and I think his book was well-written, also by a ghost writer.
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mina
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Post by mina on Nov 6, 2023 0:26:57 GMT
Yes.....I know she had a ghost writer. What I mean by it not being well written is that it's very casual and has lots of colloquialisms, like "bless his heart". I had not seen anyone compare it to harry's book. I'd compare it more to Jeanette mccurdy's memoir, "I'm glad my mother died". I do think that one is well written. I believe her trauma is real. She experienced it her whole life. By not just her account, I don't think her parents were good parents to any of their children. Her account of her time with justin is mostly remembered with fondness. She loved him and it was the first time she had some normalcy and saw a regular loving family with his family. The end of that was traumatic to her and just brought out a lot of things in her. She said she went back home to an alcoholic parent and another parent lost in pills. She stayed silent and justin did radio shows to promote himself, bragging that he slept with her. It was very public . She did a diane Sawyer interview around that time where Sawyer asked really tasteless questions about her virginity and told her that a governor's wife said she wanted to shoot her because she wasn't a good role model. I think it was probably a lot for a 20 year old and that she did have some sort of breakdown over what was happening not to mention she had an abortion that she didn't really seem to completely want. That could mess any woman up.
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Post by AZChristian on Nov 8, 2023 13:33:49 GMT
I'm always impressed by the variety - and quantity - of the books so many of you read. I'm just in a "settled in my ways" stage of reading (and life!). I got the Kindle version of Michael Connelly's latest: "Resurrection Walk." It features Harry Bosch AND his half-brother, Mickey Haller (the Lincoln Lawyer). Only a few pages in, and I'm already choking up.
ETA: "Resurrection Walk" is one of Connelly's BEST!!!
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Post by Cuddles on Nov 12, 2023 14:41:34 GMT
I agree, AZC, it is fun to see what books interest others. I think I’ve mentioned this before but my favorites are those that are written using letters (epistolary).
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Post by AZChristian on Nov 12, 2023 18:46:28 GMT
I agree, AZC, it is fun to see what books interest others. I think I’ve mentioned this before but my favorites are those that are written using letters (epistolary). I love those as well: 86 Charing Cross Road was a favorite. We even have a picture of me under the plaque on a McDonald's wall in London where the actual bookstore was located.
And, of course, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society was another favorite. We've been to Guernsey, and it made the characters and the places in the book seem real.
ETA: I'm currently reading The Bone Collector. I'd read it about 100 years ago, and forgot how much of a page-turner it is. I think I'll stick with Jeffrey Deaver for a while.
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Post by Critical on Nov 19, 2023 5:20:56 GMT
A friend recommended the most interesting book (and I mean that in a good way!) - The Facemaker by Lindsey Fitzharris. I listened to the audio book this week. It's about a doctor who helped pioneer facial reconstruction surgeries during WWI. Probably not for the faint of heart, but absolutely fascinating.
The doctor's name was Harold Gillies and the narrator is his 3rd great grandson, Daniel Gillies, who played Elijah on The Vampire Diaries and then The Originals. It's funny, because his voice is SO familiar to me. It's felt like a sexy, brooding vampire was telling me all about surgical procedures and military history ![:lol](//storage.proboards.com/6943657/images/kZvKcZukVaJcAqJidzda.gif)
Now I'm listening to Anderson Cooper's latest, Astor, about the wealthy NY family. Also really interesting and a quick one - maybe 8 hours.
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Post by Eastcoastmom on Jan 7, 2024 23:19:38 GMT
I'm about 1/4 through Absolution by Alice McDermott. I'm enjoying it so far; it's different from her other books. From Goodreads:
"A riveting account of women’s lives on the margins of the Vietnam War.
In Saigon in 1963, two young American wives form a wary alliance. Tricia is a starry-eyed newlywed, married to a rising oil engineer “on loan” to US Navy Intelligence. Charlene is a practiced corporate spouse and mother of three, a talented hostess and determined altruist, on a mission to relieve the “wretchedness” she sees all around her."
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Post by Critical on Feb 25, 2024 22:49:18 GMT
I'm listening to Boy George's new memoir, Karma. I wouldn't say I love it. It's not really a memoir; more like a series of observations and memories. It feels like a reaction to his last book, which triggered at least one lawsuit. In this one, he'll say something catty about someone and then follow it with, "But I love her." Maybe he's working on his karma ![:lol](//storage.proboards.com/6943657/images/kZvKcZukVaJcAqJidzda.gif)
I'm reading Ilyon Woo's Master Slave Husband Wife and it is excellent. It's a true story, and so gripping that, even though I know roughly how the story turned out, I'm still on the edge of my seat!
Before the Boy George memoir, I listened to Cuckoo's Calling the first of Robert Galbraith's (JK Rowling) CB Strike series. I've seen the TV series, so I already knew who the killer was, but still enjoyed it. I've got the second book in series in the on-deck circle for after I'm finished with Boy George.
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Post by AZChristian on Mar 23, 2024 16:27:35 GMT
Big fan of the CB Strike books (except one of them).
Hubby and I have been working our way through Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme (Bone Collector) series. We both read on our individual tablets and sometimes discuss at the end of each chapter. We were both close to page 400 of the 500-page "The Burial Hour") book, and the plot veered off into a "totally makes no sense and is no longer interesting" territory.
So we returned it to the digital library and are now working on the next book. I believe in the electronic world this is referred to as "DNF" (Did Not Finish).
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mina
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Post by mina on Mar 26, 2024 23:17:03 GMT
I'm reading "A Bend in the Stars" . I got it at Dollar Tree of all places. It's a beautiful book about a woman surgeon in imperial Russia and her scientist brother who is trying to make sense of the theory of relativity and be published before Albert Einstein.
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Post by Critical on Mar 28, 2024 21:49:22 GMT
Big fan of the CB Strike books (except one of them). Hubby and I have been working our way through Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme (Bone Collector) series. We both read on our individual tablets and sometimes discuss at the end of each chapter. We were both close to page 400 of the 500-page "The Burial Hour") book, and the plot veered off into a "totally makes no sense and is no longer interesting" territory. So we returned it to the digital library and are now working on the next book. I believe in the electronic world this is referred to as "DNF" (Did Not Finish). Dare I ask which one?
I'm listening to #3 - Career of Evil. I really like the narrator, Robert Glenister, who actually had a role in the series' adaptation of book #4 Lethal White.
I finished listening to Kristin Hannah's The Women a few days ago. I read it in galley form last year, but my favorite narrator, Julie Whelan, read it, so I wanted to listen to it as well. She and Kristin Hannah did a speaking engagement at a venue near my parents' home - it's where were saw Amy Tan a while back - and my mom and I really wanted to go. They only had accessible seats left and since my mom has a handicapped placard, I could have made an argument for that, but it was also on the night of a hideously bad storm. I could have dealt with it. but my mom was too nervous about the logistics of getting to and from, as well as into and out of the venue. Super sad to have missed it!
I just started Jeffrey Deaver's The Rule of Threes, which is billed as a novella, but is 261 pages. That's a good bit longer than any novella I've ever read.
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Post by AZChristian on Mar 28, 2024 22:04:45 GMT
Big fan of the CB Strike books (except one of them). Hubby and I have been working our way through Jeffrey Deaver's Lincoln Rhyme (Bone Collector) series. We both read on our individual tablets and sometimes discuss at the end of each chapter. We were both close to page 400 of the 500-page "The Burial Hour") book, and the plot veered off into a "totally makes no sense and is no longer interesting" territory. So we returned it to the digital library and are now working on the next book. I believe in the electronic world this is referred to as "DNF" (Did Not Finish). Dare I ask which one?
The Ink Black Heart. Plot centers around a bunch of video gamers and includes entire pages of threads of private messages. Some of the gamers have multiple screen names, and I found the whole thing kind of difficult to follow.
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Post by Critical on Mar 28, 2024 23:18:29 GMT
The Ink Black Heart. Plot centers around a bunch of video gamers and includes entire pages of threads of private messages. Some of the gamers have multiple screen names, and I found the whole thing kind of difficult to follow. I just read an article about the new season that just started filming last month, and that's the book it'll be based on. Maybe it would be easier to follow that stuff in that format vs. the book ![:shrug](//storage.proboards.com/6943657/images/UjEYIawKr0DSmqWzXgnU.gif) I love the TV series, so I'll keep watching, but I'm enjoying the books too, even though I mostly remember what happens.
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Post by AZChristian on Mar 29, 2024 2:56:00 GMT
The latest book, The Running Grave, has been my favorite book so far. I read the whole thing on my tablet, switching back and forth to Google Maps, and felt like I was right there throughout the story.
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Post by Navybelle on Mar 30, 2024 4:17:11 GMT
I finished "American Dirt" today. It's long, but kept me interested the whole time. There's been some controversy about it: the accuracy and the POV, but I still think it was good, and I learned a lot from it.
It's about a Mexican woman and her young son having to escape because of a cartel, and their journey to cross the border.
Very interesting. Not exactly a fun read, but engrossing for sure.
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Post by Critical on Apr 7, 2024 22:13:13 GMT
The latest book, The Running Grave, has been my favorite book so far. I read the whole thing on my tablet, switching back and forth to Google Maps, and felt like I was right there throughout the story. I'm listening to Lethal White right now. The narrator - Robert Glenister - is SO good and he played Jasper Chiswell in the TV series adaptation of this book.
I have to say, I've been listening to audiobooks for a year or so and these are the longest ones I've ever done. This one is upwards of 23 hours long! Luckily, I can listen when I work. I also listen when I putter around the house (yay for Bluetooth ear buds!), when I'm driving, and when I'm just playing games on my phone or tablet. I'm about 45% through this one and I started it on Wednesday. Thank GOD for our public library system and their massive digital collection!
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Post by Critical on Apr 14, 2024 23:42:45 GMT
I finished "American Dirt" today. It's long, but kept me interested the whole time. There's been some controversy about it: the accuracy and the POV, but I still think it was good, and I learned a lot from it. It's about a Mexican woman and her young son having to escape because of a cartel, and their journey to cross the border. Very interesting. Not exactly a fun read, but engrossing for sure. I read that one as a galley and the publishing rep had asked me to promote it to my book club customers and on social media....and then that controversy hit ![:mmm](//storage.proboards.com/6943657/images/QxfPxRBkrEyYiEYGMjDg.gif) I understood where people were coming from, but felt like they could have gone about it in a more productive way. Instead of just slamming the author and trying to bury the book, maybe suggest Latinx authors that people should be reading instead. IIRC, Oprah had Jeannine Cummins on a special where they had an actual discussion and that felt like a better approach than just full-on canceling her and her book.
For the record, I think the book was a 4-star (out of 5) read for me. I had no way of knowing if the cultural stuff was authentic or not, but I found the story gripping and was moved by the mother-son relationship.
I got a galley of Dean Butler's upcoming memoir, Prairie Man and am enjoying it. I think he's the first male actor from Little House on the Prairie to write a memoir. I don't know if it will surpass Alison Arngrim's Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, which I LOVED, but it's enjoyable.
I finished listening to a audio-galley of Sally Hepworth's upcoming Darling Girls this morning. I enjoyed the narrator and the story. Since I listen while I work, it's nice to have some not-so-serious stories to entertain me. Now I've moved on to Octavia Butlers, The Parable of the Sower. The narrator is Lynne Thigpen, an actress I loved on All My Children (among others). She passed over 20 years ago, but I still recognized her voice almost instantly.
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Post by Navybelle on Apr 15, 2024 2:55:35 GMT
I finished Tom Lake this afternoon and it was excellent. The book was pretty great to begin with, but Meryl narrating really pushed it into a whole 'nother category.
Now I'm listening to Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale. So far, excellent. I'm a KH fan and this one isn't disappointing.
I just finished Tom Lake this weekend, and I agree about Meryl Streep! As the book described a character as such a great actress, being a natural, I couldn't help but think of how Meryl fit that bill too. It was a great story, and I liked how there was a story being told within the story.
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Post by stargazer161 on Apr 16, 2024 20:07:25 GMT
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (just got it yesterday) I will start it tonight!
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Post by Critical on Apr 18, 2024 21:48:30 GMT
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (just got it yesterday) I will start it tonight! Did you watch Quiet on Set on max? I think there's A LOT that people who were involved with Nick and with Dan Schneider productions can't say because they have no way of proving some of the terrible rumors I've heard. Without proof, they can be sued. That doc let him off easy.
I read Jeanette McCurdy's book and boy, if I had kids, they would never be in show business. I mean, I felt that way before reading her book. I grew up performing and some of the kids in my various groups were actually in TV and stage (and movie) productions. The stuff I heard made me never want to be in the business. I was really impressed with JM's strength. Kudos to her for taking back her power.
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Post by stargazer161 on Apr 19, 2024 0:28:45 GMT
Oh yeah I watched the documentary! It's saddening. And downright disgusting what these pedophiles did!
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Post by AZChristian on May 5, 2024 15:40:52 GMT
We just finished Holmes, Marple and Poe. It's by James Patterson and one of his posse of co-writers.
I loved the concept of a private investigation firm with this name. The modern-day characters had some of the same weaknesses as those whose names they carry.
About 2 chapters before the end, the plot took a twist that I didn't like. So no more HM&P books for me.
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Post by Kao on May 22, 2024 17:29:12 GMT
I've decided to start reading regularly again to get away from screens and help with my concentration and attention span. I picked up “Half of a Yellow Sun” at the library during the middle of the pandemic and never got around to reading it, but finally decided to start it today. It's absolutely delightful; this book is like reading sunlight. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a way with words where you can instantly visualize exactly what she’s saying that’s amazing, and I’m invested in the characters so far. It’s really a wonderful read.
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Post by Critical on May 23, 2024 4:04:29 GMT
I've decided to start reading regularly again to get away from screens and help with my concentration and attention span. I picked up “Half of a Yellow Sun” at the library during the middle of the pandemic and never got around to reading it, but finally decided to start it today. It's absolutely delightful; this book is like reading sunlight. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has a way with words where you can instantly visualize exactly what she’s saying that’s amazing, and I’m invested in the characters so far. It’s really a wonderful read. I haven't read that one, but I love her writing. Americanah was incredible!
I've been trying to catch up on my Goodreads reading challenge for the year. I fell behind in probably February and am still playing catch up. Plus, I have at least 11 books in my "currently reading" folder on Goodreads. I started borrowing them in audiobook form from the library, thinking maybe I didn't finish them because I needed them in a different format. I've finished two so far. Neither were 5-star reads for me, so maybe there's a reason I didn't finish them in print. I'm currently listening to Troubled Blood - book 5 in the CB Strike series - and it's 32 hours long ![:thud](//storage.proboards.com/6943657/images/YkPZXAi0LazAmUTAOLEp.gif) Luckily, I'm super busy in the studio right now, and am putting in long days, so I'm already a third of the way through it.
I'm reading book 2 of the Bridgerton series, The Viscount Who Loved Me. I feel like I'm not enjoying this one any more than I enjoyed season 2 of the series, ie. I liked it, but I didn't LOVE it.
Yeah, so it's all about book series at the moment.
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Post by Critical on May 27, 2024 8:05:32 GMT
Okay, AZChristian , I just started listening to Ink Black Heart! I'll let you know if the issues you had with it exist in audiobook form. I have to say, I LOVE Robert Glenister, the narrator. He's incredible. I liked him from the beginning, but he seems to get better with every book. He's certainly getting lots of practice. Troubled Blood was, I think, 32 hours and Ink Black Heart is 34 hours! I hope he's paid very well for all that work. Luckily, I've got a big art show coming up next weekend, so I'm working long hours in the studio. I finished Troubled Blood in less than 4 days.
So, where do you stand with the "should they or shouldn't they?" with respect to Robin and Strike? I'm on the fence. There's so much longing and I love that, but I also want them to be happy together.
I'm also blowing thorough the Bridgerton books, waiting for the second half of season 3. The first three are on Kindle Unlimited, but then book 4 (which is Colin and Penelope - ie. season 3's couple) is not. There's something like a 17-week wait at the library, so I broke down and bought it in print (I hate paying more than about $1.99 for Kindle books). I tried SO hard to ignore it, because I know I won't be able to put it down and I really need to be working ALL the time, but I did start it a bit ago. I'm addicted! ![:lol](//storage.proboards.com/6943657/images/kZvKcZukVaJcAqJidzda.gif)
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Post by Critical on May 28, 2024 22:27:28 GMT
I'm about a quarter of the way through Ink Black Heart and I totally get why you had issues with this book AZChristian . It took me several chapters to get used to the way those messages are formatted. It's still not grabbing me the way the rest of the series has, but I'm sticking with it for the rest of the book that doesn't have to do with that specific case. I just got to the part where Robin {Spoiler} realizes she's in love with Strike.
So much for my best laid plans about the 4th Bridgerton book. The night I started it, I read until probably 3 in the morning. I woke up at 6 to find the lamp on my nightstand still on and the book lying there next to me without a bookmark in it (why Kindles are better in bed!). I ended up finishing the book in one go and getting out of bed around 11. It was like I fell into a vortex!
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Post by Critical on Jun 15, 2024 3:37:20 GMT
OMG, I'm STILL listening to The Ink Black Heart! After taking maybe 4 days to listen to the previous book in the series, this one is taking me forever and it's only an hour longer. My loan expires on Sunday, so I have to decide if I'm going to power through the book tomorrow or borrow it again. I've got about 6 hours left and I do want to finish, but I definitely think I'll be taking a break from the series for a while.
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Post by Critical on Jun 28, 2024 2:10:08 GMT
I finally finished The Ink Black Heart and, although I'm glad I did. *WOOF*, it was rough. OTOH, I finished the next book in the series, The Running Grave, in about 6 days. It's 34 hours long. Because the next book isn't available yet, this one, OF COURSE, ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. Now the wait begins for the next book in the series!
I finished Travis Baldree's Legends and Lattes in a few days. If you've heard of comfy mysteries, this was comfy fantasy. Very popular on BookTok. I didn't love it, but it was cute.
Now I'm listening to Karin Slaughter's Triptych, the first of the Will Trent novels. Love that show, so I was curious about the book.
I'm also reading a galley of Madeline Martin's The Booklover's Library. She wrote The Last Bookshop in London, which I loved. I'm enjoying this one as well.
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Post by Kao on Jul 16, 2024 15:10:03 GMT
My partner an d I are Harlan Ellison fans and in anticipation of the new anthology release in the fall of "The Last Dangerous Visions" we picked up "Dangerous Visions" (the first in the series) and I can't wait to read it.
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