Jessica's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 17 Apr 2025 16:12:48 -0700 60 Jessica's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg A Fire Story 40816175 A Fire Storyand posted it online. It immediately went viral. He is now expanding his original web-comic to include environmental insight and the fire stories of his neighbors and others in his community.A Fire Storyis an honest account of the wildfires that left homes destroyed, families broken, and a community determined to rebuild.ձ> 154 Brian Fies 1419735853 Jessica 4 4.20 2019 A Fire Story
author: Brian Fies
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/17
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]]> <![CDATA[War is Boring: Bored Stiff, Scared to Death in the World's Worst War Zones]]> 7494986
The war memoir as graphic novel-an utterly unforgettable and highly original look at war in the 21st century.

Street battles with spears and arrows in sweltering East Timor. Bone- jarring artillery duels in Afghanistan's mountains. Long patrols on the sandy wastes of southern Iraq. For four years, war was life for David Axe. He was alternately bored out of his mind and completely terrified. It was strangely addictive.

As a correspondent for The Washington Times , C-SPAN and BBC Radio, Axe flew from conflict to conflict, reveling in death, danger, and destruction abroad while, back in D.C., his apartment gathered dust, his plants died, and his relationships withered. War reporting was physically, emotionally, and financially draining-and disillusioning. Loosely based on the web comic of the same name, with extensive new material, War Is Boring takes us to Lebanon and Somalia; to arms bazaars across the United States; to Detroit, as David tries to reconnect with his family-and to Chad, as David attempts to bring attention to the Darfur genocide. Watch a Video]]> 144 David Axe 0451230116 Jessica 2 2.84 2010 War is Boring: Bored Stiff, Scared to Death in the World's Worst War Zones
author: David Axe
name: Jessica
average rating: 2.84
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/06
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]]> Die for You 6555224 Top Book Pick by the Today Show, Good Morning America, Parade and Good Housekeeping.Isabel Raine thought she had everything--a successful career, a supportive family, and a happy marriage to the man she loved. Then one ordinary morning, her husband, Marcus, picks up his briefcase, kisses her good-bye, and simply vanishes.That day, all her calls to him go straight to voice mail; the messages she leaves at his office go unreturned, too. Panicking after finally receiving a call from his cell phone in which all she can hear is a man's terrified cry, Isabel calls the police. But they aren't interested. Men leave, they tell her. They leave all the time. Desperate to find her husband, Isabel races to his office. But instead of finding him, she finds herself in the middle of an FBI raid. Hours later, she awakens in the hospital with a severe concussion and a homicide detective by her bedside waiting to question her aboutMarcus Raine-the real Marcus Raine.Now the only thing Isabel knows for sure is that her husband of five years is gone. Where is he and who is he are questions no one seems able to answer. But Isabel will not rest until she discovers the truth about the man she loves, even if it means risking everything--including her own life.New York Times bestselling master of suspense Lisa Unger takes us on a nightmarish journey from bustling, glamorous New York City to the twisted streets of Prague, seeking an answer to one bone-chilling What if the man you love, the one sleeping beside you, is a stranger?]]> 368 Lisa Unger Jessica 3 3.98 2008 Die for You
author: Lisa Unger
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2008
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Save It for Later: Promises, Protest, and Parenthood]]> 54776156
In seven interwoven comics essays, author and graphic novelist Nate Powell addresses living in an era of what he calls “necessary protest.� Save It for Later: Promises, Parenthood, and the Urgency of Protest is Powell’s reflection on witnessing the collapse of discourse in real time while drawing the award-winning trilogy March, written by Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, this generation’s preeminent historical account of nonviolent revolution in the civil rights movement. Powell highlights both the danger of normalized paramilitary presence symbols in consumer pop culture, and the roles we play individually as we interact with our communities, families, and society at large.
Each essay tracks Powell’s journey from the night of the election—promising his four-year-old daughter that Trump will never win, to the reality of the authoritarian presidency, protesting the administration’s policies, and navigating the complications of teaching his children how to raise their own voices in a world that is becoming increasingly dangerous and more and more polarized. While six of the seven essays are new, unpublished work, Powell has also included “About Face,� a comics essay first published by Popula Online that swiftly went viral and inspired him to expand his work on Save It for Later. The seventh and final essay will contextualize the myriad events of 2020 with the previous four years—from the COVID-19 pandemic to global protests in the wake of George Floyd’s murder to the 2020 presidential election itself—highlighting both the consistencies and inversions of widely shared experiences and observations amidst a massive social upheaval.
As Powell moves between subjective and objective experiences raising his children—depicted in their childhood innocence as imaginary anthropomorphic animals—he reveals the electrifying sense of trust and connection with neighbors and strangers in protest. He also explores how to equip young people with tools to best make their own noise as they grow up and help shape the direction and future of this country.
ձ> 160 Nate Powell 1419749129 Jessica 4 4.02 2021 Save It for Later: Promises, Protest, and Parenthood
author: Nate Powell
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/22
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]]> <![CDATA[Still Alive: Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System]]> 57834651
Interweaving journalism, history and autobiography, Still Alive is an intensely personal indictment of Australia’s refugee detention policies and procedures. It is also a searching reflection on the redemptive power of art. And death metal.

Safdar Ahmed won a Walkley Award in 2015 for his web comic Villawood: Notes from an immigration detention centre.]]> 234 Safdar Ahmed 0980593735 Jessica 4 4.67 Still Alive: Notes from Australia’s Immigration Detention System
author: Safdar Ahmed
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.67
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
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]]> Šoba: une histoire de Bosnie 1167168 41 Joe Sacco 2878270398 Jessica 0 to-read 3.78 1998 Šoba: une histoire de Bosnie
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.78
book published: 1998
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> War Junkie 268094 Book by Sacco, Joe 136 Joe Sacco 1560971703 Jessica 0 to-read 3.88 1997 War Junkie
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1997
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
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]]> But I Like It 85578
The Gaza strip? No problem! Deepest Serbia? A cakewalk. Those were easy. But now the time has come to follow award-winning cartoon journalist Joe Sacco on one of the most dangerous beats (and we mean "beats" literally) of all... namely the world of rock 'n' roll.

The centerpiece of the book is "In the Company of Long Hair," the early '90s graphic novelette Sacco created on the subject of his raucous European tour with the punk band the Miracle Workers. Although already published in other Sacco collections, "Long Hair" appears here for the first time in an expanded version with an added 15-page section of his original sketches and notes, and a bound-in CD featuring songs from the Miracle Workers' live shows of the timeincluding a blasting version of the Iggy Pop classic "I Got a Right."

As for the rest of the book: In a series of hilarious and sharply observed vignettes, Sacco turns his pitiless pen on all strata of Rock 'n' Roll, from old rockers ("The Stones and Me," a diehard fan's lament, and its sequel, "Suffering for the Stones") to new (the abovementioned Miracle Workers); from salacious gossip ("Who's Sleeping With Who") to how-to ("Woodstock in your Own Home"), from portraits of typical rock creatures ("Record Producer," "The Musician Who Wanted to Save the World," "The Rock Journalist") to self-deprecating autobiographical stories ("Why I Let my Hair Grow" and "So You Want to Meet a Rock 'n' Roll Star.") None of these have been collected before, and several, done for German magazines and papers while Sacco was living in Berlin, have actually never been published at all in English and are being translated for this edition!

The book is rounded off with some more recent, serious works such as "The Rude Blues," a full-color strip about Mississippi bluesmen done for Details magazine in 1999, and a piece about Lightnin' Hopkins done in 2005 for the Oxford American...as well as a treasure trove of rock posters, record and CD covers, T-shirt designs, and other "assorted rubbish" from Sacco's European years, all wryly annotated by the author.]]> 120 Joe Sacco 1560977299 Jessica 0 to-read 3.34 2006 But I Like It
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.34
book published: 2006
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Bumf 1: I Buggered The Kaiser (BUMF GN)]]> 18444226 64 Joe Sacco 1606997483 Jessica 0 to-read 3.32 2014 Bumf 1: I Buggered The Kaiser (BUMF GN)
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> War on Gaza 220337076 A timely satirical broadside on Israel's genocidal campaign against Gaza by the most acclaimed comics journalist working today.

Joe Sacco is well known as an unflinching chronicler of the injustice inflicted on the Palestinian people (Palestine, 1993; Footnotes in Gaza, 2010). He continues this mission with War on Gaza, a series of graphic commentaries on Israel’s rampage that began more than a year ago and continues relentlessly today.
Published in installments on The Comics Journal’s website, War on Gaza is a series of comics and single-panel illustrations that lay bare the naked immorality of the “war� itself and its dire and tragic consequences. Employing his trademark combination of honesty, compassion, and dark humor, Sacco’s War on Gaza is an uncompromising critique of Israel’s genocide and the complicity of President Joe Biden and the United States.

Black-and-white illustrations throughout.]]> 32 Joe Sacco Jessica 0 to-read 4.43 2024 War on Gaza
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Palestine, Vol. 2: In the Gaza Strip]]> 85579 144 Joe Sacco 1560973005 Jessica 0 to-read 4.35 1995 Palestine, Vol. 2: In the Gaza Strip
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1995
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Fixer and Other Stories 7082420

THE COMPLETE SOFTCOVER COLLECTION OF BOSNIAN WAR SHORT STORIES FROM THE AUTHOR OF PALESTINE AND SAFE AREA GORAŽDE

Using old-fashioned pen and paper, the award-winning cartoonist Joe Sacco reports from the sidelines of wars around the world. The Fixer and Other Stories is a new softcover that collects Sacco’s landmark short stories on the Bosnian War that previously comprised the hardcover editions of The Fixer and War’s End.

]]> 216 Joe Sacco 1897299907 Jessica 0 to-read 4.00 2009 The Fixer and Other Stories
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
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]]> Notes From a Defeatist 785370
The centerpieces in Notes from a Defeatist are a triptych of war stories: "When Good Bombs Happen to Bad People," a history of aerial bombing that specifically targets civilian populations; "More Women, More Children, More Quickly," in which Sacco relates his mother's harrowing experiences during World War II in Malta; and, most personally (and closest to Sacco's later work), "How I Loved the War," Sacco's impassioned but sardonic reflection on the Gulf War, the surrounding propaganda and media circus, and his own ambivalent feelings as both a spectator and commentator: The book derives its title from this sequence, which has acquired a painful new relevance in the past half-year. Notes from a Defeatist also includes a roadie's-eye view of an American punk band's eventful European tour, a reminiscence of an awful season spent in his native Malta, and much more. Notes from a Defeatist is a fantastic primer to Sacco's work.

Sacco's previous two books, Safe Area Gorazde and Palestine , have earned international acclaim and accolades from such sources as Edward W. Said, Christopher Hitchens, Time, The New York Times Book Review , and The Washington Post . Black-and-white comics throughout]]> 216 Joe Sacco 1560975105 Jessica 0 to-read 3.45 2003 Notes From a Defeatist
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[War's End: Profiles from Bosnia, 1995-1996]]> 82862
How does an artist reconcile being forced to go to the front line of a brutal conflict that will change his life and homeland forever? What happens when a reporter finally comes face-to-face with an evil war criminal? Before his groundbreaking graphic novels Safe Area Gorazde and The Fixer , Palestinian author Joe Sacco created two short stories with characters from each side of the crossfire. Collected for the first time in War's Profiles from Bosnia 1995�1996 are the acclaimed Soba and Christmas with Karadzic . In Soba , Sacco captures the internal torment of the romanticized Sarajevo artist-warrior who captivated the Western media with his guitar and hard-partying ways. In Christmas with Karadzic , Sacco gives the reader an inside peek at the darkly humorous news process that doesn't make the headlines back home as he chases after one of the most hated and sought-after Bosnian Serb leaders and war criminals.]]> 80 Joe Sacco 1896597920 Jessica 0 to-read 3.86 2005 War's End: Profiles from Bosnia, 1995-1996
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2005
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme]]> 17573665 From “the heir to R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman� (Economist) comes a monumental, wordless depiction of the most infamous day of World War I.

Launched on July 1, 1916, the Battle of the Somme has come to epitomize the madness of the First World War. Almost 20,000 British soldiers were killed and another 40,000 were wounded that first day, and there were more than one million casualties by the time the offensive halted. In The Great War, acclaimed cartoon journalist Joe Sacco depicts the events of that day in an extraordinary, 24-foot- long panorama: from General Douglas Haig and the massive artillery positions behind the trench lines to the legions of soldiers going “over the top� and getting cut down in no-man’s-land, to the tens of thousands of wounded soldiers retreating and the dead being buried en masse. Printed on fine accordion-fold paper and packaged in a deluxe slipcase with a 16-page booklet, The Great War is a landmark in Sacco’s illustrious career and allows us to see the War to End All Wars as we’ve never seen it before.]]> 54 Joe Sacco 0393088804 Jessica 0 to-read 4.31 2013 The Great War: July 1, 1916: The First Day of the Battle of the Somme
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> Journalism 12160809 A first for the world's greatest cartoon reporter, a collection of journalism, including articles on the American military in Iraq that have never been published in the United States Over the past decade, Joe Sacco, "our moral draughtsman" (Christopher Hitchens), has increasingly turned to short-form comics journalism to report from the sidelines of wars around the world. Collected here for the first time, Sacco's darkly funny, revealing reportage confirms his standing as one of the foremost war correspondents working today.In "The Unwanted," Sacco chronicles the detention of Saharan refugees who have washed up on the shores of Malta; "Chechen War, Chechen Women" documents the trial without end of widows in the Caucasus; and "Kushinagar" goes deep into the lives of India's untouchables, who are hanging "onto the planet by their fingernails." Other pieces take Sacco to the smuggling tunnels of Gaza; the trial of Milan Kovacevic, Bosnian warlord, in The Hague; and the darkest chapter in recent American history, Abu Ghraib. And on a mission with American troops—pieces never published in the United States—he confronts the misery and absurdity of the war in Iraq.Among Sacco's most mature, accomplished work, Journalism demonstrates the power of our premier cartoonist to chronicle human experience with a force that often eludes other media.]]> 208 Joe Sacco 0805094865 Jessica 0 to-read 4.26 2011 Journalism
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Palestine, Vol. 1: A Nation Occupied]]> 442251
O livro é fruto de uma extensa pesquisa e mais de 100 entrevistas com palestinos e judeus, realizadas no início dos anos 1990, durante diversas visitas à região da Faixa de Gaza e Cisjordânia. Com uma narrativa dinâmica e um talento para reproduzir os diálogos, Sacco apresenta um testemunho humano comovente, mas também um panorama histórico do conflito que continua fazendo inúmeras vítimas.

Esta edição reúne todos os volumes da obra, o prefácio original do crítico literário Edward Said e textos do jornalista José Arbex Jr., além de fotos, desenhos e comentários de Joe Sacco a respeito da produção.]]> 144 Joe Sacco 1560971509 Jessica 0 to-read 4.18 1993 Palestine, Vol. 1: A Nation Occupied
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.18
book published: 1993
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The Fixer: A Story from Sarajevo]]> 307448
It's dangerous, a little amoral and a lot desperate.

Award-winning comix-journalist Joe Sacco goes behind the scene of war correspondence to reveal the anatomy of the big scoop. He begins by returning us to the dying days of Balkan conflict and introduces us to his own fixer; a man looking to squeeze the last bit of profit from Bosnia before the reconstruction begins. Thanks to a complex relationship with the fixer Joe discovers the crimes of opportunistic warlords and gangsters who run the countryside in times of war. But the west is interested in a different spin on the stories coming out of Bosnia. Almost ten years later, Joe meets up with his fixer and sees how the new Bosnian government has "dealt" with these criminals and Joe ponders who is holding the reins of power these days...]]> 105 Joe Sacco 1896597602 Jessica 0 to-read 3.89 2003 The Fixer: A Story from Sarajevo
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Safe Area Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia, 1992-1995]]> 82861 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781560974703

Safe Area Gorazde is the long-awaited and highly sought after 240-page look at war in the former Yugoslavia. Sacco (the critically-acclaimed author of Palestine) spent five months in Bosnia in 1996, immersing himself in the human side of life during wartime, researching stories that are rarely found in conventional news coverage. The book focuses on the Muslim-held enclave of Gorazde, which was besieged by Bosnian Serbs during the war. Sacco lived for a month in Gorazde, entering before the Muslims trapped inside had access to the outside world, electricity or running water. Safe Area Gorazde is Sacco's magnum opus and with it he is poised too become one of America's most noted journalists. The book features an introduction by Christopher Hitchens, political columnist for The Nation and Vanity Fair.]]> 240 Joe Sacco Jessica 0 to-read 4.27 2000 Safe Area Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia, 1992-1995
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2000
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> Footnotes in Gaza 6796708 From the great cartoonist-reporter, a sweeping, original investigation of a forgotten crime in the most vexed of places

Rafah, a town at the bottommost tip of the Gaza Strip, is a squalid place. Raw concrete buildings front trash-strewn alleys. The narrow streets are crowded with young children and unemployed men. On the border with Egypt, swaths of Rafah have been bulldozed to rubble. Rafah is today and has always been a notorious flashpoint in this bitterest of conflicts.

Buried deep in the archives is one bloody incident in 1956, that left 111 Palestinians dead, shot by Israeli soldiers. Seemingly a footnote to a long history of killing, that day in Rafah—cold-blooded massacre or dreadful mistake—reveals the competing truths that have come to define an intractable war. In a quest to get to the heart of what happened, Joe Sacco immerses himself in daily life of Rafah and the neighboring town of Khan Younis, uncovering Gaza past and present. Spanning fifty years, moving fluidly between one war and the next, alive with the voices of fugitives and schoolchildren, widows and sheikhs, Footnotes in Gaza captures the essence of a tragedy.

As in Palestine and Safe Area Goražde, Sacco’s unique visual journalism has rendered a contested landscape in brilliant, meticulous detail. Footnotes in Gaza, his most ambitious work to date, transforms a critical conflict of our age into an intimate and immediate experience.

]]> 432 Joe Sacco 0805073477 Jessica 0 to-read 4.34 2009 Footnotes in Gaza
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2009
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> Paying the Land 52079617
In Paying the Land, Joe Sacco travels the frozen North to reveal a people in conflict over the costs and benefits of development. Sacco recounts the shattering impact of a residential school system that aimed to “remove the Indian from the child�; the destructive process that drove the Dene from the bush into settlements and turned them into wage laborers; the government land claims stacked against the Dene Nation; and their uphill efforts to revive a wounded culture.]]> 272 Joe Sacco 1627799036 Jessica 4 4.37 2020 Paying the Land
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/18
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]]> Palimpsest 29969441
Palimpsest is a critical confrontation with a corrupt adoption industry that is depicted through a difficult-to-navigate and at times tumultuous search for roots, and the reflections and heavy memories that are brought to life in the process.]]> 154 Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom Jessica 4 4.23 2016 Palimpsest
author: Lisa Wool-Rim Sjöblom
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209668781 Discover the instant #1 New York Times bestseller! TV series now in development at MGM Amazon Studios with Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society.

Accolades for Fourth Wing
Amazon Best Books of the Year, #4 � Apple Best Books of the Year 2023 � Barnes & Noble Best Fantasy Book of 2023 � NPR "Books We Love" 2023 � Audible Best Books of 2023 � Hudson Book of the Year � Google Play Best Books of 2023 � Indigo Best Books of 2023 � Waterstones Book of the Year finalist � ŷ Choice Award Winner � Newsweek Staffers� Favorite Books of 2023 � Paste Magazine’s Best Books of 2023 � TikTok Book Awards UK and Ireland Book of the Year (International) 2024

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.

The Empyrean series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Fourth Wing
Book #2 Iron Flame
Book #3 Onyx Storm]]> 758 Rebecca Yarros 1649376944 Jessica 4 4.42 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
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]]> Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) 90202302 “The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.� —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders� capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.]]> 623 Rebecca Yarros 1649374178 Jessica 5 4.33 2023 Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/01/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)]]> 63219094 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.]]> 665 Rebecca Yarros Jessica 5 4.74 2023 Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)]]> 61215384
The inspiration for the upcoming original series on Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The Return of the King is the third part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure The Lord of the Rings.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

The Dark Lord has risen, and as he unleashes hordes of Orcs to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggle deep into his realm in Mordor.

To defeat Sauron, the One Ring must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way is impossibly hard, and Frodo is weakening. The Ring corrupts all who bear it and Frodo’s time is running out.

Will Sam and Frodo succeed, or will the Dark Lord rule Middle-earth once more?]]> 432 J.R.R. Tolkien Jessica 0 4.67 1955 The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.67
book published: 1955
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
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]]> Palestine 769712 Safe Area Gorazde: The War In Eastern Bosnia 1992-1995—Joe Sacco's breakthrough novel of graphic journalism—the acclaimed author was best known for Palestine, a two-volume graphic novel that won an American Book Award in 1996.

Fantagraphics Books is pleased to present the first single-volume collection of this landmark of journalism and the art form of comics.

Based on several months of research and an extended visit to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the early 1990s (where he conducted over 100 interviews with Palestinians and Jews), Palestine was the first major comics work of political and historical nonfiction by Sacco, whose name has since become synonymous with this graphic form of New Journalism. Like Safe Area Gorazde, Palestine has been favorably compared to Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning Maus for its ability to brilliantly navigate such socially and politically sensitive subject matter within the confines of the comic book medium.

Sacco has often been called the first comic book journalist, and he is certainly the best. This edition of Palestine also features an introduction from renowned author, critic, and historian Edward Said (Peace and Its Discontents and The Question of Palestine), one of the world's most respected authorities on the Middle Eastern conflict.

]]> 288 Joe Sacco 156097432X Jessica 4 4.23 1996 Palestine
author: Joe Sacco
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1996
rating: 4
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]]> The Waiting 56269286 The story begins with a mother's confession... sisters permanently separated by a border during the Korean War.

Keum Suk Gendry-Kim was an adult when her mother revealed a family secret: She had been separated from her sister during the Korean War. It's not an uncommon story—the peninsula was split across the 38th parallel, dividing one country into two. As many fled violence in the north, not everyone was able to make it south. Her mother's story inspired Gendry-Kim to begin interviewing her and other Koreans separated by the war; that research fueled a deeply resonant graphic novel.

The Waiting is the fictional story of Gwija, told by her novelist daughter Jina. When Gwija was 17 years old, after hearing that the Japanese were seizing unmarried girls, her family married her in a hurry to a man she didn't know. Japan fell, Korea gained its independence, and the couple started a family. But peace didn't come. The young family of four fled south. On the road, while breastfeeding and changing her daughter, Gwija was separated from her husband and son.

Then seventy years passed. Seventy years of waiting. Gwija is now an elderly woman and Jina can't stop thinking about the promise she made to help find her brother.

Expertly translated from the Korean by the award-winning translator Janet Hong, The Waiting is the devastating followup to Gendry-Kim's Grass, which appeared on best of the year lists from the New York Times, The Guardian, Library Journal, and more.]]> 248 Keum Suk Gendry-Kim 1770464573 Jessica 0 to-read 4.37 2020 The Waiting
author: Keum Suk Gendry-Kim
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea]]> 80834
Guy Delisle was born in Quebec City in 1966 and has spent the last decade living and working in the South of France with his wife and son. Delisle has spent ten years, mostly in Europe, working in animation, an experience that taught him about movement and drawing. He is now currently focusing on his cartooning. Delisle has written and drawn six graphic novels, including "Pyongyang," his first graphic novel in English.]]> 192 Guy Delisle 1897299214 Jessica 0 3.89 2003 Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea
author: Guy Delisle
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2003
rating: 0
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]]> Seoul Before Sunrise 196019356
Longtime friends Seong-ji and Ji-won are excited to begin university in Seoul, swearing to stay close in the big city, but from the moment they arrive, they begin to drift apart.

Her focus split between her rigorous accounting program and her overnight job at a grocery store, Seong-ji tries to make peace with the loss. It’s during her overnight shifts that she encounters an enigmatic young woman who spends her nights entering the empty homes of other people to paint and photograph these places. Now, the normally rational Seong-ji finds herself swept up in a dreamlike otherworld, made up of freedom and creativity. As she explores these quiet places, she uncovers not only an intimate portrait of strangers, but perhaps even herself.

But as the nocturnal walks reveal the possibilities of the future, they also force her to relive the pain of her lost friendship with Ji-won…]]> 144 Samir Dahmani 1643379682 Jessica 0 to-read 3.27 2024 Seoul Before Sunrise
author: Samir Dahmani
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/27
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]]> Woman, Life, Freedom 199469832
Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis , returns to graphic art with this collaboration of over 20 activists, artists, journalists, and academics working together to depict the historic uprising, in solidarity with the Iranian people and in defense of feminism.

On September 13th 2022, a young Iranian student, Mahsa Amini, was arrested by the religious police in Tehran. Her only crime was that she wasn’t properly wearing the headscarf required for women by the Islamic Republic. At the police station, she was beaten so badly she had to be taken to the hospital, where she fell into a deep coma. She died three days later.

A wave of protests soon spread through the whole country, and crowds adopted the slogan “Woman, Life, Freedom”—words that have been chanted around the world during solidarity rallies.

In order to tell the story of this major revolution happening in her homeland, Marjane Satrapi has gathered together an array of journalists, activists, academics, artists, and writers from around the world to create this powerful collection of full-color, graphic-novel-style essays and perspectives that bear



Woman, Life, Freedom demonstrates that this is not an unexpected movement, but a major uprising in a long history of women who have wanted to affirm their rights. It will continue.]]> 272 Marjane Satrapi 1644214059 Jessica 0 to-read 4.43 2023 Woman, Life, Freedom
author: Marjane Satrapi
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> Burma Chronicles 5596923 272 Guy Delisle 0224087711 Jessica 0 to-read 4.01 2007 Burma Chronicles
author: Guy Delisle
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2007
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Above the Dreamless Dead: World War I in Poetry and Comics]]> 20696439
The marriage of poetry and comics is a deeply fruitful combination, as evidenced by this collection. In stark black and white, the words of the Trench Poets find dramatic expression and reinterpretation through the minds and pens of some of the greatest cartoonists working today.

With New York Times bestselling editor Chris Duffy (Nursery Rhyme Comics, Fairy Tale Comics) at the helm, Above the Dreamless Dead is a moving and illuminating tribute to those who fought and died in World War I. Twenty poems are interpreted in comics form by twenty of today's leading cartoonists, including Eddie Campbell, Kevin Huizenga, George Pratt, and many others.ձ> 144 Chris Duffy 1626720657 Jessica 0 to-read 3.95 2014 Above the Dreamless Dead: World War I in Poetry and Comics
author: Chris Duffy
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq]]> 28116811
As the crew works their way through Turkey, Iraq, and Syria, Glidden observes the reporters as they ask civilians, refugees, and officials, “Who are you?� Everyone has a story to tell: the Iranian blogger, the United Nations refugee administrator, a taxi driver, the Iraqi refugee deported from the US, the Iraqis seeking refuge in Syria, and even the American Marine.

Glidden (How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less) records all that she encounters with a sympathetic and searching eye. Painted in her trademark soft, muted watercolors and written with a self-effacing humor, Rolling Blackouts cements Glidden’s place as one of today’s most original nonfiction voices.]]> 298 Sarah Glidden 1770462554 Jessica 0 to-read 4.03 2016 Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq
author: Sarah Glidden
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less]]> 7941986
At the same time, ISRAEL is a sensitive, deeply thoughtful and personal examination of a highly charged issue, an account of a journey Sarah never expected to take. Her experience clashes with her preconceived notions again and again, particularly when she tries to take a non-chaperoned excursion into the West Bank. As she struggles to "understand Israel," Sarah is forced to question first her beliefs, then ultimately her own identity.

Sarah Glidden won the prestigious Ignatz Award for "Most Promising New Talent" as well as the Masie Kukoc Award for Comics Inspiration. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies.]]> 208 Sarah Glidden 1401222331 Jessica 4 3.72 2010 How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less
author: Sarah Glidden
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2010
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/27
date added: 2024/11/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Spring Rain: A Graphic Memoir of Love, Madness, and Revolutions]]> 45046655 An intimate graphic memoir by a New York Times-bestselling writer about his semester abroad in Beirut as he grows close to a crowd of mostly LGBTQ students, and suffers a mental breakdown while the city erupts into revolution.



An evocative memoir --Joe Sacco

In 2005 Andy Warner travelled to Lebanon to study literature in Beirut, one of the world's most cosmopolitan and storied cities. Twenty-one years old and recently broken up from his girlfriend, Warner feels his life is both intense and directionless. Immersing himself in the vibrant and diverse city, he quickly befriends a group of LGBT students, many of whom are ex-pats straddling different cultures and embracing the freedoms of the multicultural city. Warner and his friends party, do drugs, and hook up, even as violence breaks out in the city--the scars of a fifteen-year civil war reopening with a series of political assassinations and bombings. As the city descends into chaos and violence, Warner feels his grasp on reality slowly begin to slip as he confronts traumas in his past and anxiety over his future.

Illustrated in beautiful and intricate detail, Spring Rain is an absorbing and poignant graphic memoir of a young man's attempt to gain control over his life as well as a portrait of a city and a nation's violent struggle to define its future.]]> 208 Andy Warner 1250165970 Jessica 4 3.45 Spring Rain: A Graphic Memoir of Love, Madness, and Revolutions
author: Andy Warner
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.45
book published:
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Andy Warner's Oddball Histories: Pests and Pets (Andy Warner's Oddball Histories, 1)]]> 56620830 The bestselling author of Brief History of Everyday Objects explores the animals we love, the ones we make use of, and the ones that make use of us in this hilarious, informative mix of storytelling and factbook. Did you know that 32 pigeons have received medals for wartime valor? And a dog named Laika was the very first creature in space? Did you know that there is an island in Japan entirely overrun by bunnies? And -- for a brief time -- rats adorned with ribbons were a popular lap pet in upper-class London?

In Andy Warner's Oddball Histories: Pests and Pets, you can find out more than you ever thought possible about creatures both cute and weird, both large and small, while discovering new stories about human history from the perspective of our animal companions.

Did you know that bees communicate with each other using special dances? Or that a popular anime called Rascal the Racoon may be largely responsible for Japan's huge raccoon population? Packed with incredible facts and charming stories like these,this is the perfect book for curious readers.ձ> 192 Andy Warner 0316463388 Jessica 0 to-read 4.34 Andy Warner's Oddball Histories: Pests and Pets (Andy Warner's Oddball Histories, 1)
author: Andy Warner
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.34
book published:
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[This Land is My Land: A Graphic History of Big Dreams, Micronations, and Other Self-Made States]]> 41188314 The stories of 30 self-made places around the world: Tired of your country's bad politics? Feeling powerless to change things? Start your own utopia instead! This nonfiction graphic novel collects the stories of 30 self-made places around the world built with a dream of utopia, whether a safe haven, an inspiring structure, or a better-run country. These are the empowering and eccentric visions of creators who struck out against the laws of their homelands, the approval of their peers, and even nature itself to reshape the world around them.
Travel around the globe, from the Gay and Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands to the Indian rock garden of Nek Chand, the micronation of Sealand to the pirate-founded, anti-slavery community of Libertatia.
Organized into 5 chapters: intentional communities, micronations, failed utopias, visionary environments, and strange dreams.

Fans of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis and Bryan Caplan's Open Borders will love the graphic novel This Land is My Land.

The hope that tomorrow will be better than today is shared universally and depicted through the stories of people who were dissatisfied with the status quo, so they chose to build something better. ]]> 160 Andy Warner 1452170185 Jessica 0 to-read 3.87 2019 This Land is My Land: A Graphic History of Big Dreams, Micronations, and Other Self-Made States
author: Andy Warner
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Brief Histories of Everyday Objects]]> 27840859 NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Hilarious, entertaining, and illustrated histories behind some of life's most common and underappreciated objects - from the paperclip and the toothbrush to the sports bra and roller skates

Brief Histories of Everyday Objects is a graphic tour through the unusual creation of some of the mundane items that surround us in our daily lives. Chapters are peppered with ballpoint pen riots, cowboy wars, and really bad Victorian practical jokes.

Structured around the different locations in our home and daily life—the kitchen, the bathroom, the office, and the grocery store—award-nominated illustrator Andy Warner traces the often surprising and sometimes complex histories behind the items we often take for granted. Readers learn how Velcro was created after a Swiss engineer took his dog for a walk; how a naval engineer invented the Slinky; a German housewife, the coffee filter; and a radical feminist and anti-capitalist, the game Monopoly.

This is both a book of histories and a book about histories. It explores how lies become legends, trade routes spring up, and empires rise and fall—all from the perspective of your toothbrush or toilet.]]> 211 Andy Warner 1250078652 Jessica 0 to-read 3.96 2016 Brief Histories of Everyday Objects
author: Andy Warner
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/25
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]]> <![CDATA[The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)]]> 61215372
The inspiration for the upcoming original series on Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The Two Towers is the second part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure The Lord of the Rings.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.]]> 448 J.R.R. Tolkien Jessica 0 4.60 1954 The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.60
book published: 1954
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/24
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]]> Boys Weekend 63249715 The Nib, a hilarious trans-"final girl" horror graphic novel about a bachelor party gone very, very wrong.

Newly-out trans artist’s assistant Sammie is invited to an old friend’s bachelor weekend in El Campo, a hedonistic wonderland of a city floating in the Atlantic Ocean's international waters—think Las Vegas with even fewer rules. Though they have not identified as a man for over a year, Sammie’s college buddies haven't quite gotten the message—as evidenced bytheir formerly closest friend Adam asking them to be his “best man.�

Arriving at the swanky hotel, Sammie immediately questions their decision to come. Bad enough that they have to suffer through a torrent of passive-aggressive comments from the groom's pals—all met with zero pushback from supposed "nice guy" Adam. But also, they seem to be the only one who's noticed the mysterious cult that's also staying at the hotel, and is ritually dismembering guests and demanding fealty to their bloodthirsty god.

Part satire, part horror, Boys Weekend explores what it’s like to exist as a transfemme person in a man’s world, the difficulty of maintaining friendships through transition, and the more cult-like effects of masculinity, “hustle� culture, and capitalism—all through the vibrant lens of a surreal, scary, and immensely imaginative romp.]]> 232 Mattie Lubchansky 0593316711 Jessica 4 4.00 2023 Boys Weekend
author: Mattie Lubchansky
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/11/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)]]> 34
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkeness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, The Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.
--back cover]]> 398 J.R.R. Tolkien 0618346252 Jessica 5 4.36 1954 The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1954
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/28
date added: 2024/09/27
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]]> The Red Hunter 40744537 What is the difference between justice and revenge? In this “heart-stopping thriller� (Publishers Weekly) with “plenty of action� (Kirkus Reviews) by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger, two wronged women on very different paths find themselves in the same dark place�

Claudia Bishop’s perfect life fell apart when the aftermath of a brutal assault left her with a crumbling marriage, a newborn daughter, and a constant sense of anxiety about the world around her. Now, looking for a fresh start with a home restoration project and growing blog, Claudia takes on a crumbling old house—one that unbeknownst to her has an ugly history and may hide long buried secrets.

For Zoey Drake the defining moment of her childhood was the horrific home invasion murder of her parents. Years later, she has embraced the rage that fuels her. Training in the martial arts has made her strong and ready to face the demons from the past—and within.

Strangers to each other, and walking very different paths in the wake of trauma, these two women are on a collision course—because Zoey’s past nightmare and Claudia’s dreams for her future take place in the very same house. As Zoey seeks justice, and Claudia seeks peace, both will confront the monsters at the door that are the most frightening of all.

�The Red Hunter succeeds as a suspense novel on every level. It has a meticulously-woven plot, multi-layered characters, and the irony most desired by storytellers: Where the reader can’t wait to see how it ends, but then is remorseful when it does.� —Sandra Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author]]> 448 Lisa Unger 1501101714 Jessica 4 3.83 2006 The Red Hunter
author: Lisa Unger
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2024/09/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2)]]> 62848145 As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can't risk losing this job � not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe . . .

It's hard to find an employer who doesn't ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It's almost perfect. But I still haven't met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I'm sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I'm doing laundry. And one day I can't help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything...

That's when I make a promise. After all, I've done this before. I can protect Mrs. Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe. Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It's simply a question of how far I'm willing to go...]]> 318 Freida McFadden 1837901317 Jessica 3 4.21 2023 The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2)
author: Freida McFadden
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/09
date added: 2024/09/22
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]]> <![CDATA[The Housemaid Is Watching (The Housemaid, #3)]]> 199235727
I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes.

But her cold stare gives me chills�

The Lowells� maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?]]> 364 Freida McFadden 1464223319 Jessica 2 3.79 2024 The Housemaid Is Watching (The Housemaid, #3)
author: Freida McFadden
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/07/10
date added: 2024/09/22
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This series was such a disappointment. Book 1 was great, had me flying through the pages to see what happened next, book 2 wasn’t quite as good but still entertaining, and book 3 was just unnecessary - this time I was flying through the pages to finish it and move onto a new book.
]]> Good Girls Lie 43193837 J.T. Ellison’s pulse-pounding new psychological thriller examines the tenuous bonds of friendship, the power of lies and the desperate lengths people will go to in order to protect their secrets.

Goode girls don’t lie�

Perched atop a hill in the tiny town of Marchburg, Virginia, The Goode School is a prestigious prep school known as a Silent Ivy. The boarding school of choice for daughters of the rich and influential, it accepts only the best and the brightest. Its elite status, long-held traditions and honor code are ideal for preparing exceptional young women for brilliant futures at Ivy League universities and beyond.

But a stranger has come to Goode, and this ivy has turned poisonous.

In a world where appearances are everything, as long as students pretend to follow the rules, no one questions the cruelties of the secret societies or the dubious behavior of the privileged young women who expect to get away with murder.

When a popular student is found dead, the truth cannot be ignored. Rumors suggest she was struggling with a secret that drove her to suicide.

But look closely� because there are truths and there are lies, and then there is everything that really happened.]]> 387 J.T. Ellison 1488023565 Jessica 4 3.81 2019 Good Girls Lie
author: J.T. Ellison
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/05
date added: 2024/09/21
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]]> Cul-de-sac 57388917
� Cul-de-sac proves once again that Joy Fielding is an ingenious master of domestic suspense.”—Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 national bestselling author of Woman on the Edge

Someone on this quiet, unassuming cul-de-sac will be shot dead in the middle of a sultry July night.

Will it be Maggie, the perfectionist wife, or Craig, the husband who can’t quite live up to her expectations? They’ve packed up their two children and fled their life in California, hoping for a fresh start in Florida, only to find the demons of the past hovering on their doorstep.

Maybe it will be Nick, a highly respected oncologist, or his wife, Dani, a successful dentist, both with well-kept secrets of their own.

Or perhaps the victim will beJulia, an elderly widow, whose troubled grandson has recently moved in with her, introducing unsavory habits and even more unsavory acquaintances into her formerly quiet existence.

Then there’s Olivia and her husband, Sean. Having lost his job at a prestigious advertising agency, Sean is depressed, resentful of his working wife, and drinking heavily. He is also prone to increasingly violent fantasies.

And what of the newlyweds, Aiden and Heidi, whose marriage is already on the rocks, due to Aiden’s reluctance to stand up to his intrusive mother? Matters aren’t helped when Heidi befriends Julia’s grandson, setting the stage for a major blowup.

A diverse group of neighbors, to be sure. Yet all harbor secrets. All bear scars. And all have access to guns.

Not all will survive the night.]]> 369 Joy Fielding 1984820257 Jessica 5 3.84 2021 Cul-de-sac
author: Joy Fielding
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/04
date added: 2024/07/07
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]]> <![CDATA[The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)]]> 60556912
Every day I clean the Winchesters� beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out� and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of�

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!]]> 329 Freida McFadden 1803144378 Jessica 5 4.31 2022 The Housemaid (The Housemaid, #1)
author: Freida McFadden
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/07
date added: 2024/07/07
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]]> <![CDATA[The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1)]]> 34814099 NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Library Journal | Vulture | The Verge | SYFYWire

Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty perfect for fans of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and Uprooted, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.

On the streets of eighteenth-century Cairo, Nahri is a con woman of unsurpassed skill. She makes her living swindling Ottoman nobles, hoping to one day earn enough to change her fortunes. But when Nahri accidentally summons Dara, an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior, during one of her cons, she learns that even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

Forced to flee Cairo, Dara and Nahri journey together across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire and rivers where the mythical marid sleep, past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises and mountains where the circling birds of prey are more than what they seem, to Daevabad, the legendary city of brass.

It’s a city steeped in magic and fire, where blood can be as dangerous as any spell; a city where old resentments run deep and the royal court rules with a tenuous grip; a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound—and where her very presence threatens to ignite a war that has been simmering for centuries.

*Finalist for the World Fantasy Award: Best Novel

*Nominated for the Locus Award: Best First Novel

*Finalist for the British Fantasy Award: Best Newcomer

Featuring a stepback and extra content including a bonus scene and an excerpt from The Kingdom of Copper.]]> 569 S.A. Chakraborty Jessica 0 currently-reading 4.27 2017 The City of Brass (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1)
author: S.A. Chakraborty
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/01
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]]> <![CDATA[Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol]]> 51082896 USA TODAY BESTSELLER � The founder of a female-focused recovery program offers a radical new path to sobriety.

“You don’t know how much you need this book, or maybe you do. Either way, it will save your life.”—Melissa Hartwig Urban, Whole30 co-founder and CEO

We live in a world obsessed with drinking. We drink at baby showers and work events, brunch and book club, graduations and funerals. Yet no one ever questions alcohol’s ubiquity—in fact, the only thing ever questioned is why someone DZ’t drink. It is a qualifier for belonging and if you don’t imbibe, you are considered an anomaly. As a society, we are obsessed with health and wellness, yet we uphold alcohol as some kind of magic elixir, though it is anything but.

When Holly Whitaker decided to seek help after one too many benders, she embarked on a journey that led not only to her own sobriety, but revealed the insidious role alcohol plays in our society and in the lives of women in particular. What’s more, she could not ignore the ways that alcohol companies were targeting women, just as the tobacco industry had successfully done generations before. Fueled by her own emerging feminism, she also realized that the predominant systems of recovery are archaic, patriarchal, and ineffective for the unique needs of women and other historically oppressed people—who don’t need to lose their egos and surrender to a male concept of God, as the tenets of Alcoholics Anonymous state, but who need to cultivate a deeper understanding of their own identities and take control of their lives. When Holly found an alternate way out of her own addiction, she felt a calling to create a sober community with resources for anyone questioning their relationship with drinking, so that they might find their way as well. Her resultant feminine-centric recovery program focuses on getting at the root causes that lead people to overindulge and provides the tools necessary to break the cycle of addiction, showing us what is possible when we remove alcohol and destroy our belief system around it.

Written in a relatable voice that is honest and witty, Quit Like a Woman is at once a groundbreaking look at drinking culture and a road map to cutting out alcohol in order to live our best lives without the crutch of intoxication. You will never look at drinking the same way again.]]> 386 Holly Whitaker 1984825062 Jessica 0 currently-reading 4.12 2019 Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol
author: Holly Whitaker
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2019
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]]> <![CDATA[House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)]]> 123247704
Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders.]]> 852 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 4 4.40 2024 House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/23
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]]> <![CDATA[House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)]]> 57941596
The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels� plans, the choice becomes stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

In this sexy, action-packed sequel to the #1 bestseller House of Earth and Blood, Sarah J. Maas weaves a captivating story of a world about to explode―and the people who will do anything to save it.]]> 807 Sarah J. Maas 1635574080 Jessica 5 4.57 2022 House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/30
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]]> <![CDATA[House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)]]> 44797223 #1 ​New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas launches her brand-new CRESCENT CITY series with House of Earth and Blood: the story of half-Fae and half-human Bryce Quinlan as she seeks revenge in a contemporary fantasy world of magic, danger, and searing romance.

Half-Fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan loves her life. By day, she works for an antiquities dealer, selling barely legal magical artifacts, and by night, she parties with her friends, savoring every pleasure Lunathion—otherwise known as Crescent City—has to offer. But it all comes crumbling down when a ruthless murder shakes the very foundations of the city—and Bryce’s world.

Two years later, her job has become a dead end, and she now seeks only blissful oblivion in the city’s most notorious nightclubs. But when the murderer attacks again, Bryce finds herself dragged into the investigation and paired with an infamous Fallen angel whose own brutal past haunts his every step.

Hunt Athalar, personal assassin for the Archangels, wants nothing to do with Bryce Quinlan, despite being ordered to protect her. She stands for everything he once rebelled against and seems more interested in partying than solving the murder, no matter how close to home it might hit. But Hunt soon realizes there’s far more to Bryce than meets the eye—and that he’s going to have to find a way to work with her if they want to solve this case.

As Bryce and Hunt race to untangle the mystery, they have no way of knowing the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents, and down to the darkest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir�

With unforgettable characters and page-turning suspense, this richly inventive new fantasy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas delves into the heartache of loss, the price of freedom—and the power of love.]]> 874 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 3 4.58 2020 House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2020
rating: 3
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]]> <![CDATA[Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)]]> 123004998 Together they will rise. Or together they will fall.

Aelin Galathynius has vowed to save her people-but at a tremendous cost. Locked in an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. The knowledge that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, but her resolve unravels with each passing day.

With Aelin captured, her friends and allies have scattered. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever. But as destinies weave together at last, all must stand together if Erilea is to have any hope of salvation.

Sarah J. Maas's #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an explosive conclusion as Aelin fights for her life, her people, and the promise of a better world.]]> 988 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 4.79 2018 Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass, #7)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.79
book published: 2018
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6)]]> 32802697
His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica-the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both-and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined.]]> 668 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 4 4.46 2017 Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2017
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)]]> 126060933
As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?]]> 704 Sarah J. Maas 1619636085 Jessica 5 4.72 2016 Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass, #5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.72
book published: 2016
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)]]> 126060012 Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.]]> 576 Sarah J. Maas 1619636050 Jessica 4 4.72 2015 Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass, #4)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.72
book published: 2015
rating: 4
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]]> <![CDATA[The Hobbit, or There and Back Again]]> 5907 Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).]]> 366 J.R.R. Tolkien Jessica 0 4.29 1937 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
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average rating: 4.29
book published: 1937
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)]]> 15881
And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls� bathroom. But then the real trouble begins � someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects� Harry Potter himself!]]> 352 J.K. Rowling Jessica 0 4.42 1998 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2)
author: J.K. Rowling
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average rating: 4.42
book published: 1998
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)]]> 1 652 J.K. Rowling Jessica 0 4.57 2005 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter, #6)
author: J.K. Rowling
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average rating: 4.57
book published: 2005
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)]]> 6 734 J.K. Rowling 0439139597 Jessica 0 4.56 2000 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter, #4)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2000
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]]> The Road 6288
A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,� are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.]]> 241 Cormac McCarthy 0307265439 Jessica 0 3.99 2006 The Road
author: Cormac McCarthy
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2006
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]]> A Clockwork Orange 41817486 A Clockwork Orange is a frightening fable about good and evil and the meaning of human freedom. This edition includes the controversial last chapter not published in the first edition, and Burgess’s introduction, “A Clockwork Orange Resucked.”]]> 240 Anthony Burgess 0393341763 Jessica 0 4.04 1962 A Clockwork Orange
author: Anthony Burgess
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1962
rating: 0
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]]> A Tree Grows in Brooklyn 14891 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a poignant and moving tale filled with compassion and cruelty, laughter and heartache, crowded with life and people and incident. The story of young, sensitive, and idealistic Francie Nolan and her bittersweet formative years in the slums of Williamsburg has enchanted and inspired millions of readers for more than sixty years. By turns overwhelming, sublime, heartbreaking, and uplifting, the daily experiences of the unforgettable Nolans are raw with honesty and tenderly threaded with family connectedness -- in a work of literary art that brilliantly captures a unique time and place as well as incredibly rich moments of universal experience.]]> 496 Betty Smith 0061120073 Jessica 0 4.29 1943 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
author: Betty Smith
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1943
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]]> <![CDATA[One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest]]> 332613 9780451163967

Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of electric shock therapy. But her regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy � the swaggering, fun-loving trickster with a devilish grin who resolves to oppose her rules on behalf of his fellow inmates. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned. Ken Kesey's extraordinary first novel is an exuberant, ribald and devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness.]]> 325 Ken Kesey Jessica 0 to-read 4.20 1962 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
author: Ken Kesey
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.20
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]]> <![CDATA[The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)]]> 5043 Ken Follett is known worldwide as the master of split-second suspense, but his most beloved and bestselling book tells the magnificent tale of a twelfth-century monk driven to do the seemingly impossible: build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has ever known.

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time the twelfth century; the place feudal England; and the subject the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape.

Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.

The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

For the TV tie-in edition with the same ISBN go to this Alternate Cover Edition
]]> 976 Ken Follett 045122213X Jessica 0 to-read 4.34 1989 The Pillars of the Earth (Kingsbridge, #1)
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average rating: 4.34
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)]]> 5 435 J.K. Rowling 043965548X Jessica 0 4.57 1999 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1999
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]]> Slaughterhouse-Five 4981 Slaughterhouse-Five, an American classic, is one of the world’s great antiwar books. Centering on the infamous World War II firebombing of Dresden, the novel is the result of what Kurt Vonnegut described as a twenty-three-year struggle to write a book about what he had witnessed as an American prisoner of war. It combines historical fiction, science fiction, autobiography, and satire in an account of the life of Billy Pilgrim, a barber’s son turned draftee turned optometrist turned alien abductee. As Vonnegut had, Billy experiences the destruction of Dresden as a POW. Unlike Vonnegut, he experiences time travel, or coming “unstuck in time.�

An instant bestseller, Slaughterhouse-Five made Kurt Vonnegut a cult hero in American literature, a reputation that only strengthened over time, despite his being banned and censored by some libraries and schools for content and language. But it was precisely those elements of Vonnegut’s writing—the political edginess, the genre-bending inventiveness, the frank violence, the transgressive wit—that have inspired generations of readers not just to look differently at the world around them but to find the confidence to say something about it.

Fifty years after its initial publication at the height of the Vietnam War, Vonnegut's portrayal of political disillusionment, PTSD, and postwar anxiety feels as relevant, darkly humorous, and profoundly affecting as ever, an enduring beacon through our own era’s uncertainties.]]> 275 Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Jessica 0 4.10 1969 Slaughterhouse-Five
author: Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1969
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 42844155 An alternative cover for this ASIN can be found here

"Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'."

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!]]> 333 J.K. Rowling Jessica 0 4.47 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)]]> 136251
In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited.]]> 759 J.K. Rowling Jessica 0 4.61 2007 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter, #7)
author: J.K. Rowling
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average rating: 4.61
book published: 2007
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]]> 1984 40961427 Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmarish vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life—the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language—and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.]]> 298 George Orwell Jessica 0 4.24 1949 1984
author: George Orwell
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1949
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)]]> 13496
Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.]]> 835 George R.R. Martin 0553588486 Jessica 0 4.44 1996 A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1996
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]]> The Picture of Dorian Gray 5297
In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.]]> 272 Oscar Wilde Jessica 0 to-read 4.13 1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1890
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]]> Animal Farm 170448 Librarian's note: There is an Alternate Cover Edition for this edition of this book here.

A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. Thus the stage is set for one of the most telling satiric fables ever penned –a razor-edged fairy tale for grown-ups that records the evolution from revolution against tyranny to a totalitarianism just as terrible.
When Animal Farm was first published, Stalinist Russia was seen as its target. Today it is devastatingly clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of George Orwell’s masterpiece have a meaning and message still ferociously fresh.]]> 141 George Orwell 0451526341 Jessica 0 4.07 1945 Animal Farm
author: George Orwell
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.07
book published: 1945
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]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)]]> 2
Harry has had enough. He is beginning to think he must do something, anything, to change his situation, when the summer holidays come to an end in a very dramatic fashion. What Harry is about to discover in his new year at Hogwarts will turn his world upside down...]]> 912 J.K. Rowling Jessica 0 4.50 2003 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter, #5)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2003
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]]> The Nineties 58082714 The Nineties: a wise and funny reckoning with the decade that gave us slacker/grunge irony about the sin of trying too hard, during the greatest shift in human consciousness of any decade in American history.

It was long ago, but not as long as it seems: The Berlin Wall fell and the Twin Towers collapsed. In between, one presidential election was allegedly decided by Ross Perot while another was plausibly decided by Ralph Nader. In the beginning, almost every name and address was listed in a phone book, and everyone answered their landlines because you didn't know who it was. By the end, exposing someone's address was an act of emotional violence, and nobody picked up their new cell phone if they didn't know who it was. The '90s brought about a revolution in the human condition we're still groping to understand. Happily, Chuck Klosterman is more than up to the job.

Beyond epiphenomena like Cop Killer and Titanic and Zima, there were wholesale shifts in how society was perceived: the rise of the internet, pre-9/11 politics, and the paradoxical belief that nothing was more humiliating than trying too hard. Pop culture accelerated without the aid of a machine that remembered everything, generating an odd comfort in never being certain about anything. On a '90s Thursday night, more people watched any random episode of Seinfeld than the finale of Game of Thrones. But nobody thought that was important; if you missed it, you simply missed it. It was the last era that held to the idea of a true, hegemonic mainstream before it all began to fracture, whether you found a home in it or defined yourself against it.

In The Nineties, Chuck Klosterman makes a home in all of it: the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the politics, the changes regarding race and class and sexuality, the yin/yang of Oprah and Alan Greenspan. In perhaps no other book ever written would a sentence like, "The video for 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' was not more consequential than the reunification of Germany" make complete sense. Chuck Klosterman has written a multi-dimensional masterpiece, a work of synthesis so smart and delightful that future historians might well refer to this entire period as Klostermanian.]]> 370 Chuck Klosterman 0735217955 Jessica 0 to-read 3.86 2022 The Nineties
author: Chuck Klosterman
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.86
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]]> <![CDATA[Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In]]> 45046838 For anyone who has ever felt like they don't belong, Sigh, Gone shares an irreverent, funny, and moving tale of displacement and assimilation woven together with poignant themes from beloved works of classic literature.

In 1975, during the fall of Saigon, Phuc Tran immigrates to America along with his family. By sheer chance they land in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, a small town where the Trans struggle to assimilate into their new life. In this coming-of-age memoir told through the themes of great books such as The Metamorphosis, The Scarlet Letter, The Iliad, and more, Tran navigates the push and pull of finding and accepting himself despite the challenges of immigration, feelings of isolation, and teenage rebellion, all while attempting to meet the rigid expectations set by his immigrant parents.

Appealing to fans of coming-of-age memoirs such as Fresh Off the Boat, Running with Scissors, or tales of assimilation like Viet Thanh Nguyen's The Displaced and The Refugees, Sigh, Gone explores one man’s bewildering experiences of abuse, racism, and tragedy and reveals redemption and connection in books and punk rock. Against the hairspray-and-synthesizer backdrop of the �80s, he finds solace and kinship in the wisdom of classic literature, and in the subculture of punk rock, he finds affirmation and echoes of his disaffection. In his journey for self-discovery Tran ultimately finds refuge and inspiration in the art that shapes—and ultimately saves—him.]]> 320 Phuc Tran 1250194717 Jessica 0 to-read 4.29 2020 Sigh, Gone: A Misfit's Memoir of Great Books, Punk Rock, and the Fight to Fit In
author: Phuc Tran
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1)]]> 60784546 After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again�

All eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow wants to do is hold her family together. With a brother on the frontline forced to fight on behalf of the Gods now missing from the frontline and a mother drowning her sorrows, Iris’s best bet is winning the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

But when Iris’s letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands � that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper � an unlikely magical connection forms.

Expelled into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind and, most importantly, love?

An epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.]]> 357 Rebecca Ross 1250857430 Jessica 0 to-read 4.14 2023 Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1)
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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]]> Untamed 52129515 Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanizing wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is the story of navigating divorce, forming a new blended family, and discovering that the brokenness or wholeness of a family depends not on its structure but on each member’s ability to bring her full self to the table. And it is the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts so that we become women who can finally look at ourselves and say: There She Is.]]> 333 Glennon Doyle 1984801252 Jessica 0 3.98 2020 Untamed
author: Glennon Doyle
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> <![CDATA[The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)]]> 51901147
The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.]]> 541 Suzanne Collins Jessica 0 to-read 3.99 2020 The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (The Hunger Games, #0)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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]]> The Woman in Me 63133205 The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.]]> 288 Britney Spears 1668009048 Jessica 0 to-read 3.83 2023 The Woman in Me
author: Britney Spears
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/02/29
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]]> <![CDATA[The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)]]> 176623687 Discover where Celaena Sardothien's thrilling saga began.

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no-one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn's orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn's clutches—and if they fail, they'll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives...

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers listeners a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire]]> 451 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 4.25 2014 The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2014
rating: 5
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]]> <![CDATA[Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)]]> 123004761 The heir of ash and fire bows to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak, but now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth. That truth could change her life-and her future-forever.

Meanwhile, monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena will need the strength not only to fight the evil that is about to be unleashed but also to harness her inner demons. If she is to win this battle, she must find the courage to face her destiny-and burn brighter than ever before.

The third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series continues Celaena's epic journey from woman to warrior.]]> 583 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 4.49 2014 Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/26
date added: 2024/02/26
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]]> <![CDATA[A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea]]> 35404398
Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian.

In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit]]> 174 Masaji Ishikawa 1542097193 Jessica 0 4.34 2000 A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea
author: Masaji Ishikawa
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2000
rating: 0
read at: 2018/01/31
date added: 2024/02/23
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]]> <![CDATA[Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)]]> 126059485 But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown � a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?]]> 336 Sarah J. Maas 161963063X Jessica 5 4.51 2013 Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/23
date added: 2024/02/23
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]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)]]> 59007345 Meet Celaena Sardothien.
Beautiful. Deadly. Destined for greatness.

In the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier, an eighteen-year-old girl is serving a life sentence. She is a trained assassin, the best of her kind, but she made a fatal mistake: she got caught.

Young Captain Westfall offers her a deal: her freedom in return for one huge sacrifice. Celaena must represent the prince in a to-the-death tournament—fighting the most gifted thieves and assassins in the land. Live or die, Celaena will be free. Win or lose, she is about to discover her true destiny. But will her assassin’s heart be melted?]]> 415 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 4.26 2012 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/18
date added: 2024/02/18
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]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)]]> 54479197
فردی که بیش از دیگران اعصاب او را تحریک می‌کند� کسی نیست جز کاسین، این جنگجوی زخم‌خورد� که موقعیتش در دربار ریسند و فیرا او را مدام در نزدیکی نستا نگه می­دارد؛ اما خشم نستا تنها چیزی نیست که در حضور کاسین تحریک می­‌شو�. آتشی که بین آن­‌ه� شعله می­‌کش� غیرقابل‌انکا� است و وقتی ناچار به زندگی باهم در یک خانه می­شوند، بیش‌ازپی� حرارت می‌گیر�.

دراین‌بین� ملکه‌­ها� انسان خائن نیز که طی جنگ اخیر به قلمرو خود بازگشته‌ان� متحدی جدید و خطرناک یافته‌ان� که حضورش صلح شکننده حاکم بر دیگر قلمروها را تهدید می‌کند� و کلید بازداشتن این تهدید جدید در دست کاسین و نستاست که باید با گذشته­ی شوم خود روبه‌ر� شوند.

نستا و کاسین در دنیایی غرق در جنگ، در دنیایی که عدم اطمینان و بی­ثباتی آن را فراگرفته با هیولاهایی بیرون و درون وجود خود روبه‌ر� شده و به دنبال بهبود و پذیرش در آغوش یکدیگر می‌گردن�.]]> 757 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 4.61 2021 A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/15
date added: 2024/02/15
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]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)]]> 36156268
Feyre, Rhysand, and their friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly altered world beyond, recovering from the war that changed everything. But Winter Solstice is finally approaching, and with it, the joy of a hard-earned reprieve.

Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, her concern for those dearest to her deepens. They have more wounds than she anticipated-scars that will have a far-reaching impact on the future of their court.
Bridging the events of A Court of Wings and Ruin with the later books in the series, A Court of Frost and Starlight explores the far-reaching effects of a devastating war and the fierce love between friends.]]> 272 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 3.97 2019 A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/15
date added: 2024/02/15
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]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)]]> 57060202 New York Times bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's maneuverings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit-and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.

As war bears down upon them all, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords-and hunt for allies in unexpected places.

In this thrilling third book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series from Sarah J. Maas, the earth will be painted red as mighty armies grapple for power over the one thing that could destroy them all.]]> 719 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 4.61 2017 A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #3)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/20
date added: 2024/01/20
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]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)]]> 57019034
Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.]]> 641 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 4.73 2016 A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.73
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/14
date added: 2024/01/14
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]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)]]> 54386622 A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!]]> 433 Sarah J. Maas Jessica 5 4.35 2015 A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/08
date added: 2024/01/08
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]]> <![CDATA[Something Wicked This Way Comes]]> 34466883
For those who still dream and remember, for those yet to experience the hypnotic power of its dark poetry, step inside. The show is about to begin. Cooger & Dark’s Pandemonium Shadow Show has come to Green Town, Illinois, to destroy every life touched by its strange and sinister mystery. The carnival rolls in sometime after midnight, ushering in Halloween a week early. A calliope’s shrill siren song beckons to all with a seductive promise of dreams and youth regained. Two boys will discover the secret of its smoke, mazes, and mirrors; two friends who will soon know all too well the heavy cost of wishes…and the stuff of nightmares.

Few novels have endured in the heart and memory as has Ray Bradbury’s unparalleled literary masterpiece Something Wicked This Way Comes . Scary and suspenseful, it is a timeless classic in the American canon.]]> 337 Ray Bradbury 1501167715 Jessica 0 to-read 3.85 1962 Something Wicked This Way Comes
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.85
book published: 1962
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/10/18
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]]> <![CDATA[Blood of Elves (The Witcher, #1)]]> 40603669 Andrzej Sapkowski’s New York Times bestselling Witcher series has inspired the hit Netflix show and multiple blockbuster video games, and has transported millions of fans around the globe to an epic, unforgettable world of magic and adventure. Now, for the first time, enjoy the full series in stunning new hardcover editions, featuring cover art by 8 different award-winning artists!

For over a century, humans, dwarves, gnomes, and elves have lived together in relative peace. But that peace has now come to an end.

Geralt of Rivia, the hunter known as the Witcher, has been waiting for the birth of a prophesied child. The one who has the power to change the world for good—or for evil.

As the threat of war hangs over the land and the child is pursued for her extraordinary powers, it will become Geralt’s responsibility to protect them all. And the Witcher never accepts defeat.

Join Geralt of Rivia; his beloved ward and the child of prophecy, Ciri; and his ally and love, the powerful sorceress Yennefer as they battle monsters, demons, and prejudices alike in Blood of Elves, the first novel of The Witcher Saga.


Witcher story collections
The Last Wish
Sword of Destiny

Witcher novels
Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of Swallows
Lady of the Lake
Season of Storms(stand alone)

Hussite Trilogy
The Tower of Fools
Warriors of God
Light Perpetual

Translated from original Polish by Danusia Stok]]> 324 Andrzej Sapkowski Jessica 0 4.15 1994 Blood of Elves (The Witcher, #1)
author: Andrzej Sapkowski
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1994
rating: 0
read at: 2023/05/25
date added: 2023/05/25
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]]> <![CDATA[Sword of Destiny (The Witcher, #0.7)]]> 25454056
This is a collection of short stories, following the adventures of the hit collection THE LAST WISH. Join Geralt as he battles monsters, demons and prejudices alike...]]> 405 Andrzej Sapkowski Jessica 0 4.25 1992 Sword of Destiny (The Witcher, #0.7)
author: Andrzej Sapkowski
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at: 2023/05/20
date added: 2023/05/20
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]]> <![CDATA[The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5)]]> 51633549 Alternate cover for this ASIN can be found here

Geralt of Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin. And a cold-blooded killer. His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good... and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

A collection of short stories introducing Geralt of Rivia, to be followed by the first novel in the actual series, The Blood of Elves. Note that, while The Last Wish was published after The Sword of Destiny, the stories contained in The Last Wish take place first chronologically, and many of the individual stories were published before The Sword of Destiny.]]> 292 Andrzej Sapkowski Jessica 5 4.21 1993 The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5)
author: Andrzej Sapkowski
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1993
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/19
date added: 2023/05/19
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]]> Where the Crawdads Sing 42421761
But Kya is not what they say. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life's lessons from the land, learning the real ways of the world from the dishonest signals of fireflies. But while she has the skills to live in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world–until the unthinkable happens.

In Where the Crawdads Sing, Owens juxtaposes an exquisite ode to the natural world against a profound coming of age story and haunting mystery. Thought-provoking, wise, and deeply moving, Owens’s debut novel reminds us that we are forever shaped by the child within us, while also subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

The story asks how isolation influences the behavior of a young woman, who like all of us, has the genetic propensity to belong to a group. The clues to the mystery are brushed into the lush habitat and natural histories of its wild creatures.]]> 370 Delia Owens Jessica 5 4.60 2018 Where the Crawdads Sing
author: Delia Owens
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/02
date added: 2022/08/02
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]]> Amsterdam 9281621
On a chilly February day, two old friends meet in the throng outside a London crematorium to pay their last respects to Molly Lane. Both Clive Linley and Vernon Halliday had been Molly's lovers in the days before they reached their current Clive is Britain's most successful modern composer, and Vernon is a newspaper editor. Gorgeous, feisty Molly had other lovers, too, notably Julian Garmony, Foreign Secretary, a notorious right-winger tipped to be the next prime minister. In the days that follow Molly's funeral, Clive and Vernon will make a pact with consequences that neither could have foreseen�

Don’t miss Ian McEwan’s new novel, Lessons .]]> 210 Ian McEwan Jessica 4 3.73 1998 Amsterdam
author: Ian McEwan
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1998
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/23
date added: 2021/01/23
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]]> Animal Farm and 1984 9304969
PRAISE FOR ANIMAL FARM

"A wise, compassionate, and illuminating fable." -- The New York Times

"Absolutely first-rate . . . comparable to Voltaire and Swift." -- The New Yorker

"There are no replacements for a George Orwell, just as there are no replacements for a Bernard Shaw or a Mark Twain. . . . he pricked, provoked and badgered lazy minds, delighted those who enjoyed watching an orginal intelligence at work." -- Time

PRAISE FOR 1984

"1984 is a profound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating book. It is a fantasy of the political future, and like any such fantasy, serves its author as a magnifying device for an examination of the present." -- Lionel Trilling 1949

"The most solid, the most brilliant, thing George Orwell has done." -- V.S. Pritchett]]> 389 George Orwell 0547504187 Jessica 5 4.43 1949 Animal Farm and 1984
author: George Orwell
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.43
book published: 1949
rating: 5
read at: 2021/01/22
date added: 2021/01/22
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]]> Brave New World Revisited 22475939 146 Aldous Huxley 0062368249 Jessica 4 4.12 1958 Brave New World Revisited
author: Aldous Huxley
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1958
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/22
date added: 2021/01/22
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]]> Brave New World 55084329 Brave New World is a searching vision of an unequal, technologically-advanced future where humans are genetically bred, socially indoctrinated, and pharmaceutically anesthetized to passively uphold an authoritarian ruling order–all at the cost of our freedom, full humanity, and perhaps also our souls. “A genius [who] who spent his life decrying the onward march of the Machine� (The New Yorker), Huxley was a man of incomparable talents: equally an artist, a spiritual seeker, and one of history’s keenest observers of human nature and civilization. Brave New World, his masterpiece, has enthralled and terrified millions of readers, and retains its urgent relevance to this day as both a warning to be heeded as we head into tomorrow and as thought-provoking, satisfying work of literature. Written in the shadow of the rise of fascism during the 1930s, Brave New Worldd likewise speaks to a 21st-century world dominated by mass-entertainment, technology, medicine and pharmaceuticals, the arts of persuasion, and the hidden influence of elites.

"Aldous Huxley is the greatest 20th century writer in English." —Chicago Tribune]]> 239 Aldous Huxley Jessica 5 3.98 1932 Brave New World
author: Aldous Huxley
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1932
rating: 5
read at: 2021/01/21
date added: 2021/01/21
shelves:
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]]>