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Dine and Dish

Food blog with family recipes

September 23, 2012

Connect Through Reading 2012 – 5 Book Reviews

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I’ve been reading up a storm lately but have unfortunately had a few misses since we last chatted about books. I struggle with even sharing some of the bombs as I know a few of these books many of you loved. Make sure to let me know your thoughts in the comments section and definitley please share what you are reading now or might recommend. Here we go…

The History of Love by Nicole Krauss was a big surprise to me because I really did not love it. I feel like maybe I lost something important I should have caught in this book, as so many people have raved about it.  I think the premise of the book is a beautiful one, and the writing was lovely, but I was lost the whole time and had to force myself to keep reading so I could try and figure out why this book was so loved. Maybe I’m not deep enough… or maybe I have too many distractions going on in my life to be able to focus solely on the plot of the book, but at this time I did not love it. I will say this reminds me of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Ordinary Sadness of Lemon Cake because those were two books everyone loved and I really didn’t.

If you want a book that will make you laugh your head off, Bossypants by Tina Fey is the book for you. I actually listened to Bossypants via audio book instead of reading and highly recommend that experience as Tina Fey is the narrator, which makes the book even more fun. I’m not typically a “laugh out loud” person, but I found myself laughing uncontrollably at parts. If you are a mom, a woman, a human being… any or all of those… you will love listening to Tina tell her stories of rising to the top, impersonating Sarah Palin, being a mom, growing up, and more. I gave this one 4 Stars out of 5 on Goodreads.

I have read a few of Elin Hilderbrand’s other books and know I can always turn to her for some good “chick lit”, complex love and relationships kind of reads. The Island fits her style perfectly. The Island is a story about a mom, 2 sisters, and aunt, the men they’ve loved and lost, their support of each other, and their journey to move on with their lives – all while spending some time on a remote island off of Nantucket. I gave this one 3 stars on Goodreads. It wasn’t knock your socks off great, but it was a good, solid book definitley worth reading if you like Hilderbrand’s style.

As the mom of three girls, Dare Me by Megan Abbott, terrifies me. Dare Me is a haunting book about a group of high school cheerleaders and their twisted, tormented, crazy, messed up relationships with each other and their own bodies. Once you start reading it, you hope that the types of relationships these girls are having with their teachers as well as each other is not even close to accurate for how teens are today. Of course, it’s a fiction book, but even with that the story could not be saved for me. I gave this one 2 stars out of 5 on Goodreads.

I’ll start off by saying I love books by Diane Chamberlain. Her cover images always pull me in and her writing style just fits with what I love. Her book, The Midwife’s Confession, is no exception. When midwife, Noelle, suddenly commits suicide, her two best friends set out to uncover what they might have missed in Noelle’s life that could have indicated she was suffering. As they begin digging, they discover that Noelle has a surprising past she kept to herself, full of shocking secrets she’s held onto for many years. Little by little, the two friends discover that Noelle was not the person they knew. She was haunted deep down by a secret she was too afraid to confess. I gave The Midwife’s Confession 4 stars out of 5 on Goodreads.

That’s it for now. Up next on my list to be read are:

By the same author as Gone Girl, I’ve heard Gillian Flynn’s earlier novel Sharp Objects is even better! Since I really enjoyed Gone Girl, I can’t wait to read this book.

The Orchard: a Memoir by Theresa Weir is a book I picked up on a whim at Target. I haven’t heard anything about it, but I always love reading memoir’s so I’m excited to see what this one is all about.

That’s it for now. Make sure to tell me what books you’ve read lately as well as your opinions on any of the ones I shared above. For some of my prior Connect Through Reading posts including more recommendations, click here.

Remember, let’s follow each other on Goodreads so we can continue to share book recommendations with each other! Happy reading!

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Filed Under: Book Review, Previous Tagged With: best seller, book review, books, fiction, memoir, reading

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Crystal @ Crystal's Cozy Kitchen says

    September 23, 2012 at 10:44 pm

    I’ve gotten boring with books… I haven’t read fiction in a while (which is weird for me because that’s all I use to read – maybe I’m growing up!) Lately I’ve been reading 2 books – Raising Depression Free Children (Kathleen Panula Hockey) and Raising Your Spirited Child (Mary Sheedy Kurcinka). The first I’ve read before and since my husband has clinical depression and I have postpartum depression it is pretty much a necessity for us to address this! The second one I recently heard about and describes my 3 year old perfectly! I am only in about a third of the way through it but am loving what I’m learning (not just about my child but about myself and my husband as well!) I’ve found that because I’m learning about why my child acts the way he does it is easier to accept the behavior and not get upset but to work with him. I am excited to finish it so I can more fully understand him and how to help parent my very energetic child.

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:39 pm

      I try to do a mix of fiction and non-fiction, but lately I’ve really wanted reading to be my “get away” time. I’m loving the titles of your books though… I think that being proactive and putting energy into trying to understand your family is so important! Way to go 🙂

  2. Robyn | Add a Pinch says

    September 23, 2012 at 11:01 pm

    I admire how many books you’ve read in such a short time. I have to admit, if a book doesn’t capture me by the second chapter, I stop reading it. I have so many in my Kindle app at 20% or less. I think I should just push through. Maybe.

    I have been reading more non-fiction though. I reread The Happiness Project and am now about to start Happy at Home. And every year about this time, I read Bringing Up Boys. I’m a rereader. Can you tell?

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:39 pm

      Nick snagged up Happier at Home before I could start it. Waiting for him to finish it! We’ll have to chat about it after we’re done!

  3. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says

    September 24, 2012 at 6:49 am

    I haven’t yet met another person who didn’t love The Time Travew!ler’s Wife so whew! I just hated the whole book. I cannot even bring myself to watch the movie. I’m really interested in your thoughts on Sharp Objects. After reading Gone Girl I read Dark Places. I loved it but it was so *dark* that I just needed a break from her intense writing. Does that make sense? So that book is on my list…for later 🙂

    • bridget {bake at 350} says

      September 24, 2012 at 8:27 am

      I didn’t like that book, either!!! I actually stopped reading it. Oh, i feel like I’m in good company now.

      Kristen, thanks for your list. I need some good ones. I’m re-reading some Michael Crichton now to see if it’s ok for kiddo. Ugh…it’s hard when they’re older!

      • Janet says

        September 24, 2012 at 4:32 pm

        We read The Time Travelers Wife for our Bookclub and a few of us didn’t like it. Since then I have read another of her books called Her Fearful Symmetry and although a little (!) strange I really enjoyed it.

        • Kristen says

          September 24, 2012 at 4:40 pm

          Oh good to know! I’ll go check that out.
          I’m glad I’m not the only one who didn’t have the same fascination with TTTW.

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:41 pm

      I totally know what you mean about Gillian Flynn’s writing. That’s one reason Bossypants was read right after Gone Girl. I needed a mental break 🙂 I’ll let you know how I like Sharp Objects. Starting it tonight.

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:42 pm

      and PS – the movie was just as bad!

  4. shelly (cookies and cups) says

    September 24, 2012 at 8:02 am

    Ok, downloading Sharp Objects and The Midwife’s Confession today!

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:42 pm

      Yay!! I’m starting Sharp Objects tonight. Can’t wait!

  5. Naomi says

    September 24, 2012 at 8:23 am

    Am just getting BACK into reading after a forever hiatus. Just finished Boy in the Moon (did NOT love), Leverage (dark sports themed story) and am about to start Dumbing Down Our Kids (why American Children feel good about themselves but can’t read, write or add)

    Sounds appealing, eh?

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:42 pm

      All very interesting! You always have such interesting book choices.

  6. Ali @ Gimme Some Oven says

    September 24, 2012 at 8:23 am

    LOVE Bossypants!!! 🙂

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      Oh me too! Seriously laugh out loud funny!

  7. Amy says

    September 24, 2012 at 8:25 am

    I need to check some of these out and find a quiet place to settle into with a cup of coffee. I need to. Need, I say. 😉

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      Yes, indeed you do! I know just the spot in your house I’d settle in to too.

  8. Kelli Oliver George says

    September 24, 2012 at 9:52 am

    What a fun list! I have had an amazing summer of reading — one after another of great reads, all summer long. (Side note: Did you know about Gillian Flynn’s Kansas City roots? One of my book club members is friends with her and we are hoping to get her for a meeting. I would LOVE to meet the brain that came up with such twisted plotlines . My favorite of Flynn’s was Dark Objects.)

    Anyway, here is a short list of some of my summer reads:

    “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn
    “The Blood of Flowers” by Anita Amirrezvani
    “Salvage the Bones” by Jesmyn Ward
    “Winter’s Bone” by Daniel Woodrell
    “Where the Line Bleeds” by Jesmyn Ward
    “Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn
    “Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
    “The Five People You Meet In Heaven” by Mitch Albom

    I am currently reading Jodi Piccoult’s “Nineteen Minutes” and Wally Lamb’s “She’s Come Undone” — I am enjoying both equally. I am not normally a fan of Piccoult, but I really appreciate how she changed her normal story structure for this particular novel.

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:47 pm

      Oh wow – it would be awesome to meet Gillian Flynn. I keep hoping she’ll come here on book tour or something. Just to hear her speak would be great!

      Thanks for the recommendations. I loved Nineteen Minutes… Piccoult really did do a great job with that book. I read She’s Come Undone 10 years ago or so as part of a book club I belonged too. It was a great read as well.

      You’ve definitley had some winners!

  9. Alison @ Ingredients, Inc. says

    September 24, 2012 at 11:44 am

    fun post! Love to find new books!

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:47 pm

      Thanks Alison! Have you read any good ones lately?

  10. Jen at The Three Little Piglets says

    September 24, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    I hear you on The Tine Traveler’s Wife. I thought it was strange and vastly overrated. I’m bummed to hear you didn’t like The History of Love, as that was on my list…

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:49 pm

      Don’t not read The History of Love because of me… seriously. So many people have raved about it and have even said it’s their favorite book, ever. It just didn’t grab me like I expected.

  11. Cassie says

    September 24, 2012 at 12:55 pm

    I haven’t read any of these so adding a few to my list right now!

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:49 pm

      🙂 Enjoy them!

  12. Rebecca says

    September 24, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    Hi! I just wanted to say that I’ve been looking for some new books to read and I just went through all of your past “connect through reading” posts and put a lot of books on hold at the library so thank you so much for the suggestions!

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:50 pm

      Oh good! I hope you enjoy them! You’ll have to come back and let me know which ones you’ve read and your thoughts. Enjoy!

      • Rebecca says

        September 25, 2012 at 9:07 am

        I definitely will! Also on this post, I’ve already read Bossypants and the Island and thought Bossypants was absolutely hilarious!

  13. Terri Hendricks says

    September 24, 2012 at 1:26 pm

    I always love to hear your thoughts on books. It gives me more to add to my “to read” shelf.

    I’m currently reading (rather listening to) Saving Cece Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman. I’m so glad I chose to listen as the narrator does such a great job with all the different voices. The story is told from the perspective of Cece who, after living with a schizophrenic mom and mostly-absent dad, eventually goes to Savannah to live with her great-aunt. I’m only about half-way through the book and keep looking for excuses to spend time in the car!

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 4:53 pm

      I have wanted to read Saving Cece Honeycutt for quite some time but keep forgetting! I love audio books that are read great so I may go that route. Thanks for the heads up!

  14. Gaby@GabHousewifeChronicles says

    September 24, 2012 at 3:38 pm

    I’m just about to finish “50 shades of grey” and I don’t like it. Let’s see how it gets, but I can’t imagine how will it get any better…

  15. Maria says

    September 24, 2012 at 7:11 pm

    I agree with you on The History of Love and The Ordinary Saddness of Lemon Cake…neither were my favorite. I liked The Language of Flowers and really liked Defending Jacob. I have to say Gone Girl was OK, but not my summer favorite.

    • Kristen says

      September 24, 2012 at 8:01 pm

      So glad I’m not the only one…
      I really liked The Language of Flowers and Defending Jacob too.

      I’ve heard mixed reviews about Gone Girl. I loved it (disliked the ending) but really enjoyed it overall!
      Thanks for sharing 🙂

      • Jimi says

        September 25, 2012 at 9:18 am

        I did like The Time Traveler’s Wife, but I did not enjoy The Ordinary Sadness of Lemon Cake. I thought I would, but it was just not my cup of tea.

  16. Jimi says

    September 25, 2012 at 9:16 am

    I was just thinking the other day that surely it must be time for a Connect through Reading post from you! I am glad when you post both positive and negative reviews. There are so many books to read that I definitely want to know if certain ones can come off my list. 🙂 That said, Dare Me is on my Fall into Reading list that I just posted. Now I’m torn about whether or not to read it.
    I have a lot of non-fiction on my reading list for the fall, but, as always, am more excited about the fiction, including JK Rowling’s new book. I just finished a really fun YA book, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks. It was a super fast read and definitely worth it.
    I’ve heard that Sharp Objects is much darker than Gone Girl. I will wait until I hear what you think to add that one to my list. My book club chose Gone Girl for this next month. Isn’t that a book that it feels a little wrong to read twice? 🙂 Even if I did like it the first time?

  17. Michele says

    September 25, 2012 at 1:49 pm

    I read Gone Girl and loved it. I started reading Sharp Objects but it has yet to draw me in. It’s a little slow. I’m hoping it picks up the way Girl with the Dragon Tattoo did. The first 100 pages of that book were so boring but then it picked up and I couldn’t put it down. Since I gave up on SO I started reading The Boy in the Suitcase. It’s pretty good so far.

  18. nike shox homme says

    September 27, 2012 at 4:22 am

    Some nut milks or rice milks!

  19. hermes taschen says

    January 3, 2013 at 12:06 am

    you will be amazed at how well this bad boy can handle everything like homemade butter

  20. chaussures adidas says

    January 7, 2013 at 1:06 am

    I started reading Sharp Objects but it has yet to draw me in. It’s a little slow. I’m hoping it picks up the way Girl with the Dragon Tattoo did.

Trackbacks

  1. October Reading List!! says:
    October 11, 2012 at 7:11 am

    […] am new to Diane Chamberlain.  I read The Midwife’s Confession on the advice of my friend Kristen, and then found this book while looking for more by the same author.  Breaking the Silence is […]

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New ink inspired by a quote in my friend @andiemmitchell amazing memoir “It Was Me All Along”. 

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Find the recipe and get a peek into her book over on Dine & Dish! (PS I miss you tons, Kelley!)

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Happy birthday @ella.r.doyle 💕💕💕 We love you!
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I want to live in the big city, yet also want to live in the country. I want to live by the beach, yet also want to live in the mountains. I either need multiple lives or multiple homes! 

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I’m officially one step closer to reaching peak plant lady status! 🪴

I’m welcoming these plant cuttings from the Hello Kathy Plant Etsy Shop to my already booming collection. When I saw people rave about her “Mystery Box” of plant cuttings I knew I had to buy one. 2 things I love...mystery boxes and plants!

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Book Lovers Giveaway (read to the end)!!! ⬇️ ⬇️ 

Supporting my local independent bookstore @rainydaybooks looks a lot different than it used to these days. Temporarily gone are the days of lingering in store, browsing the shelves, walking out with an armful of books I didn’t expect to buy. The pandemic has made independent bookstores pivot in ways they’ve never had to before, but I’m so happy to say they are CRUSHING IT! And as we virtually celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on 4/24, I wanted to share a way you too can help keep Independent bookstores afloat now (and in the future).

You know I’m a huge fan of @librofm , the absolute best audiobook alternative that gives money back to the independent bookstore of your choice with your audiobook purchases. Well, to celebrate Independent Bookstore Day on 4/24, they are giving YOU a free audiobook! Here’s what you need to do…

Spend $15 or more at your bookstore between April 24th and 26th. Submit your receipt at libro.fm/ibd and Libro.fm will email you a link to your free audiobook by April 28th! Easy peasy, right?

Wait! There’s more! 🌟 I’d love to give one Dine & Dish follower the chance to win a 3 month @Librofm audiobook membership. To enter, simply tag your favorite independent bookstore here and tell me what you love the most about it! That’s it! Winner will be chosen at random on April 27th. Yay, books!

#indiebookstoreday #indiebookstore #bookstoreshoutout 
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Can’t believe we’re doing the college tour thing already with my second baby! 

So question for any of you who sent your kids to out of state schools or went to out of state schools...how did you do it? She wants to get the heck out of Kansas (I’d like to go with her!). We have money saved, she’ll most likely get a scholarship or two, she’s paying and has money saved as well...but even with that out of state tuition is a beast of an amount. So, did you just assume that student loans were going to be part of that life? And is that worth it to give your kids a shot at a new life outside of your home state? I wish I would have left Kansas for university, and have been here since I was born 😩. I want different for her if that’s what she wants but also just don’t have any experience with how people do out of state college! Any tips?

#collegetour #bestlifenow #outofstate #studentloans #junioryear #kansasstate #adviceneeded
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J is for...jam!
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My friend @wakschmale makes the best strawberry jam...and I completely forgot about a jar she gave me last year until this morning. Which then inspired me to make my favorite buttermilk biscuits. So so good. Are you a jam, honey, just butter or plain biscuit fan? I love biscuits allll the ways, except with gravy. I have super bad memories of biscuits and gravy growing up. 🤢
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I’m still slowly making my way through the alphabet for @kimklassen_innercircle a-z photo challenge. I’m bound and determined to finish. It may just take me a little longer than I originally anticipated 🤗.
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#homemadejam #eatcaptureshare #biscuitsandjam #homemadebiscuits #sundaybaking #easylikesundaymorning #foodphotograph #foodpics #slowsunday #breakfastathome #kimklassen_innercircle
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It took me 2 months to get this Crispy Chickpea Pantry Pasta recipe up on the blog. 🤦‍♀️But it’s there now! You can find the link in my Instagram profile.
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Also, just noticed Instagram took away the like count on posts. I kind of like that...what do you think?
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#pastarecipe #chickpeapasta #dinnerideas #dinnerrecipes #vegetarianrecipe #eatcaptureshare #slowblogging  #totallifechanges
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I is for Inspiration!
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The “long haul” effects of having Covid back in December are really presenting themselves lately. The continuous persistent headaches are taking a toll and the connection between the brain fog and word retrieval function of my brain has been extra challenging. I had no idea a couple months out, the cognitive effects would still be hanging around.
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With that said, when I get a burst of inspiration I’m grabbing on for dear life. I made our favorite chocolate chip cookies recipe yesterday and felt the desire to update the blog post photos from 2007! We make these cookies all the time, so I’m not sure why it’s taken me so many years to give that poor post some new photos.
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If you’re interested in the recipe you can find the link currently in my profile. Enjoy!!
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@kimklassen_innercircle #kimklassen_innercircle #chocolatechipcookie #cookiestagram #foodphotography #feedfeedbaking #plateofcookies #cookiephotography #eatcaptureshare #recipeoftheweek
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H is for...high!
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It was so strange being on a plane again. I’m so thankful I have the antibodies because the flights were full, which seemed wrong, but everyone around me did seem to keep their masks on, so that was good.
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I can’t wait until travel becomes a regular part of life again. I’ve missed it so much!
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 @kimklassen_innercircle @southwestair @windowswap #cloudphotography #cloudsofinstagram #flightview #iflyswa #imisstravelling #skylove #planepics #myviewtoday #beautifulviews
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G is for...oh so grateful!

I flew to South Texas yesterday to visit my parents whom I haven’t seen in 2 years. They live around 17 hours away from us. We typical get to see each other a few times a year but with the pandemic and other health issues it just wasn’t able to happen and I’ve missed them soooo much.

Grateful to have had COVID last month. Although it was not at all fun, it gave me the antibodies to make this trip possible. My dad is having surgery tomorrow so I’m helping with my mom so my dad can recover without having to worry about her.

Kansas is enjoying frigid temperatures and snow. I picked a great week to head south.
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#palmtrees🌴 #palmtreesfordays #blueskiesandsunshine #wintersun #texasskies #kimklassen_innercircle @kimklassen_innercircle #silverlining
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F is for...food photography.
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This time of year especially, food photography (and I guess all photography actually) is a tug of war with time and light. I had planned on making and photographing a delicious pasta recipe, but my grocery delivery ran a couple of hours late because of snowstorm. So, at the eleventh hour I decided to make a cake...that took over an hour to bake and I had about 90 minutes of natural light left...leaving me with about 30 minutes of ok light to work with.
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Anyway, this wouldn't work for a client shoot because the cake, although delicious, didn't turn out looking so great. But it will work great for today's F photo for the @kimklassen_innercircle A-Z photo project:) Lemon Citrus Yogurt Cake from this weeks @cabotcheese newsletter. So good!
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#eatcake #eatcaptureshare #eatcakebehappy #lemoncake #cakecakecakecake #foodiegram #yahoofood #dessertsofinstagram #sweettooth #kimklassen_innercircle #fisforfood
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