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Lucky Day
Chuck Tingle
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Summer 2026 Readalong
Read at least 1 book in the Summer 2026 Readalong.
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I picked this book up a few months ago and put it down because I wasn’t in the right headspace to fully understand the prose. I am so glad I came back to it though.
Wow, what a feat by Vo to write such a powerful story in 150 or so pages (ebook version). You spend such little time on paper with Sukai and Phoung yet the fates they meet punch you right in the heart. And the ending was one I was not expecting but was so satisfying and such a reward.
I feel like I have so many takeaways from this story that have stuck with me but I need time to parse through and feel them fully. Highly recommend reading this story and giving it the space and time it deserves despite being short fiction.
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Read at least 1 book in the Summer 2026 Readalong.
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The Empress of Salt and Fortune
Nghi Vo
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Rabbit’s repeated question, “Do you understand?” has become one of my favorite parts of this book. The more stories she tells, the more it feels like she’s asking something much bigger than whether Chih is following along.
At this point it feels like understanding isn’t about knowing the facts. Chih can record names, events, and objects, but Rabbit seems to be asking whether they understand the people behind them. The sacrifices, grief, love, anger, and survival that history often leaves out.
I also love how the question keeps turning back on me as a reader. Every time Rabbit asks it, my answer is the same as Chih’s: I understand a little more than before, but not completely. And maybe that’s the point.
Me whenever she asks that question:

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The River Has Roots
Amal El-Mohtar
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East of Eden
John Steinbeck
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The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Alix E. Harrow
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The River Has Roots
Amal El-Mohtar
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The Empress of Salt and Fortune
Nghi Vo
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Vampires of El Norte
Isabel Cañas
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The Lies of Locke Lamora
Scott Lynch
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The Book of Azrael (Gods and Monsters, #1)
Amber V. Nicole
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Dungeon Crawler Carl
Matt Dinniman