246 lines
7.9 KiB
HTML
246 lines
7.9 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE html>
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<html>
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<head>
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<title>Emilia Allison</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/books.css">
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<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1">
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</head>
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<body class="no-overflow">
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<div id="overlay">
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</div>
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<main class="offset-grid--top--wide--column side-a">
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<div>
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<h1>
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Books
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</h1>
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<h3 class="padding-none-top padding-low-bottom">primarily those that I've read</h3>
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<p>
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I wouldn't say that I read a lot.
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This page exists because I am generally dissatisfied with Goodreads
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and its competitors.
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My commentary may or may not include spoilers (clearly marked).
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The contents are placed here in no particular order.
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</p>
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<h1 class="padding-mid-top">
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the books
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</h1>
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<!-- Book Template
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> TITLE </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> BOOK AUTHOR </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> PUBLICATION YEAR </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> SCORE OUT OF 10 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments"> COMMENTARY
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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-->
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<div class="book-entry-container">
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<!-- Put books below -->
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> The Message </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> Ta-Nehisi Coates </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 2024 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 8 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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I really enjoyed the prose in this book;
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the elegance of the author's descriptions
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served, in my opinion, to enhance the message
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of one of the core themes.
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I do indeed find myself haunted by this book,
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for which I am glad.
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> Cowboy, Cross My Heart </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> Donna Grant </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 2018 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 3 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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I did not read this book voluntarily,
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and I will not elaborate on this fact.
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While I can mostly certainly appreciate the allure of a good cowboy,
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especially one with new stainless steel appliances and a ranch,
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the inciting incident of the plot is a bit too goofy for my taste.
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<span class=spoiler>There's like a rodeo pageant sexual harassment
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scheme being run by an evil cabal of anti-cowboys?</span>
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2>Dune</h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author">Frank Herbert</p>
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<p class="book-entry__year">1965</p>
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<p class="book-entry__score">8</p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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I read the first Dune book without having seen the
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune_(1984_film)">Lynch film</a>
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and before the new movie was released.
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Unfortunately, I found that, in addition to the typical suspension of disbelief
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required by this genre, it was necessary to look past many <em>interesting</em>
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opinions Frank had regarding women (see: Heretics of Dune).
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> Dune Messiah </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> Frank Herbert </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 1969 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 8 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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Messiah is more philosophical than Dune.
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Herbert's anti-theocracy and anti-autocracy messaging is far stronger here.
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One might say that Herbert's rejection of charismatically driven tyranny
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was prescient.
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> Children of Dune </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> Frank Herbert </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 1976 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 6 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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In my mind, Children of Dune exists almost solely to set up its sequel.
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This book has some very uncomfortable moments
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(although by no means the worst this series has to offer)
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arising from Herbert's use of children characters with adult memories.
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> God Emperor of Dune </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> Frank Herbert </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 1981 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 9 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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A common criticism of GEoD is heavy use of monologue;
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I quite enjoyed the Worm's lengthy expositions.
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Philosophy aside, I enjoy this book for the absurdity of
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its premise:
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<span class=spoiler> a giant worm has near-complete control over
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the entirety of humanity. </span>
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> Heretics of Dune </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> Frank Herbert </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 1984 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 5 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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How I adore Herbert's writing of women.
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There are many interesting ideas in Heretics,
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but this is in large part overshadowed by the more objectionable content.
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<span class=spoiler>
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As far as I can tell, Duncan is thirteen in this book.
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Fine, he reacquires his old memories, but the Bene Gesserit
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were planning to imprint him <em>before</em> that.
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The idea of imprinting is revolting on its own,
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but the pairing with an underage character is more so.
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</span>
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> Neuromancer </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> William Gibson </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 1984 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 5 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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Although I found it hard to follow at times,
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Neuromancer's numerous contributions (if not outright creation of) to the genre
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cannot be dismissed.
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I found Gibson's writing of women characters to be lackluster;
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I personally can do without unexpected smut.
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The sequel, Count Zero, leaned this direction so quickly as to
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prompt my abandonment of the trilogy.
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> Be More Chill </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> Ned Vizzini </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 2004 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 3 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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I have little to say about this entry.
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YA is not typically my preference, and this book did little to change that.
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<section class="book-entry">
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<details>
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<summary><h2> To Kill a Mockingbird </h2></summary>
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<div>
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<p class="book-entry__author"> Harper Lee </p>
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<p class="book-entry__year"> 1960 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__score"> 10 </p>
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<p class="book-entry__comments">
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Everybody has read this book, I just think it's quite good
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and wanted to include it here despite that.
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</p>
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</div>
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</details>
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</section>
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<!-- Stop putting books here -->
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</div>
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</div>
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<a href="./">
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</a>
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<div class="side-a__main-content-cover"></div>
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</main>
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<footer class="lock-bottom">
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<p><a href="./">Return</a></p>
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