The Basic Critic

Sister Sunday book haul 📚⁣
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My sister and I went to a dog friendly coffee shop, as well as a Barnes walkthrough. In me fashion…I found books lol. ⁣
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Picked up two anticipated reads of mine! ⁣
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Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke⁣
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby⁣
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What did you do this weekend? Have you read either of these or are they also on your TBR?

The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak⁣
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BLURB: Estranged father attends daughter’s wedding to wealthy family, only to uncover sinister secrets behind the lavish celebration. ⁣
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MY THOUGHTS: First off, I want to say I dislike basically every character in this story, aside from, like, two of them. ⁣
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However, the story is a page-turner if you get past the complainer of a narrator. I see where the author was going, coming from a father’s perspective, but I think he made it more over-the-top than it should have been.⁣
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Some twists were good, some I didn’t see coming. There’s some tropes in this I wasn’t a fan of, and was grossed out by, but the plot kept getting good! ⁣
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HOW I READ IT: physical 📕 ⁣
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RATING: 3.5 🌟 ⁣
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Have you picked this one up? Would you attend a wedding of an estranged family member?

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi ⁣
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BLURB: “A mysterious stranger named Theo arrives in Golden and begins buying portraits from a coffeehouse, returning them to their subjects while weaving stories and changing lives.”⁣
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MY THOUGHTS: The story of an old man from Portugal is not one that I thought would get me like it did. Allen Levi has a masterpiece on his hands as a debut novel, that is for sure! ⁣
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The character growth within this story is touching, and seeing everyone lives through the lenses of a stranger, to a town and through the eyes of the character themselves, I just can’t put it into words, honestly. ⁣
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Sprinkling in discussions of faith, life and how to treat others with love and kindness gave me hope for more stories like this to come into our bookish lives. ⁣
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This is one I absolutely recommend! No matter where you are in your life’s journey, please think about picking this one up! ⁣
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HOW I READ IT: physical book 📖 ⁣
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RATING: 5 🌟

Fiction Book Haul 📚 ⁣
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Did you think I’d come back from vacation without any fiction reads? 😆⁣
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The last little haul from the last week, I picked up some thrillers and some historical fiction/general fiction books that have been on my radar for a while. ⁣
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“Amity” by Nathan Harris and “Vigil” by George Saunders kept grabbing my eye and I took that as a sign from the universe to take these home with me. ⁣
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“The Rose Code” by Kate Quinn, is a greatly recommended historical fiction that has been on my list for a long time, and it had to be put into my bag. ⁣
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Of course, for this one, I am soooo behind on the popularity, but I picked up the Housemaid trilogy (and no, I haven’t seen the film yet lol). ⁣
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Finally, “Mona’s Eyes” by Thomas Schlesser. The synopsis is so unique and I know this one is going to have me sob, and it’s through art and a relationship between a granddaughter and grandfather. 😮‍💨 ⁣
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Have you read any of these books from my haul? Which of these are on your TBR?

Am I about to get my heart ripped out reading this? ⁣
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Probably, but at least I have my emotional support 7Brew with me.⁣
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☀️ How’s your weekend going? ⁣
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CR: Theo of Golden by Allen Levi⁣
CC (Current Coffee): Iced white mocha with strawberry and chocolate drizzle from

Non-Fiction Book Haul 📚 ⁣
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Visiting South Dakota, we did many stops that related to the history of the area, and some of the national landmarks and parks. ⁣
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I picked up three non-fiction reads: 1 from our visit to Devils Tower, 1 that coincides with one of the faces on Mount Rushmore, Abraham Lincoln. The other, is one that sparked my interest in a bookstore during a day trip to Rapid City. ⁣
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📕 The Children’s Blizzard by David Laskin - a heartbreaking account of the 1888 blizzard that hit the Northwestern Plains without warning. ⁣
📕 Lincoln’s Spies by Douglas Waller ⁣
📕 Devils Tower: Stories in Stone by Mary Alice Gunderson ⁣
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What non-fiction topic/topics are you interested in?

Who doesn’t love visiting small business bookstores while on vacation? ⁣
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The last week, my boyfriend and I ventured out to South Dakota and a little bit of Wyoming for vacation. As always, I love looking up bookstores that are near to where we will be. in Spearfish, SD was that store! ⁣
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The ambiance and even the community outreach this bookstore does, allowing anybody to come through their doors for new and used books. It was beautiful. ⁣
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I picked up “Vigil” by George Saunders. It’s been a book that has been showing up in my eyesight in nearly every store I was going in to. ⁣
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When traveling, is it a must to stop into a bookstore?

We've lost a legend. RIP Chuck. Read more: https://trib.al/uSmC36F

The Monsters We Make by Rachel Corbett⁣
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BLURB: “Explores the history and effectiveness of criminal profiling through five key cases, including Jack the Ripper and Ted Bundy, examining the thin line between those who harm and those who stop them.” ⁣
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MY THOUGHTS: This study of criminals throughout the centuries is what drew me to this book based off the synopsis. What I think made this less enjoyable was the choosing criminals that we all know and I feel like if it were about people not as “well-known” I think it would’ve drawn me in more. There is a personal connection to the book about the author, and while grim I feel like it was a well-done touch despite the topic (I hope that makes sense). ⁣
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The study would probably be more interesting for someone who is just dipping their toe into the topic. The audiobook is narrated by the author, which I always enjoy. ⁣
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HOW I READ IT: physical 📖/ audio 🎧 ⁣
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RATING: 3 🌟 ⁣
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❓Are you in to true crime?

Sunday Funday recap with my built-in best friend 👯‍♀️⁣
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I spent International Women’s Day with my sister enjoying brunch at , plant shopping at , and perusing The Meadows in Lake Saint Louis. ⁣
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We finally got to visit .bookshop, and snagged “Theo of Golden” to add to my shelves. ⁣
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Beautiful weather and a solid dose of serotonin! ⁣
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❓What is your idea of a perfect day?