The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Pre-Reading Thoughts

[Sheri]

Hi everyone, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue won the poll for the next read, by a pretty significant margin!

Here is the place to put your pre-reading thoughts. Are you excited about it? Don't care? Don't really want to read it? Let us know!

(No spoilers for anyone who has read already!)

[Megan]

"Excited" might be a slight overstatement - but I like V.E. Schwab, so I am looking forward to reading it. I have no idea what it's about, which is how I like to go into books for any kind of discussion group, so I'm not planning on doing a lot of digging about it before my hold comes in. :)

[Jen W.]

I'm really looking forward to this one! Similar to Jemisin, I've had Schwab on my radar for years but I have not actually gotten around to reading her books (yet) even though I've had numerous people tell me I'd love them.

Unfortunately, there's a projected 7-week wait time at my library on the eBook. Unless I cave in and buy the eBook, it might be a while!

[Daniele]

I only read the blurb here on GR, but it sounds like something I would enjoy.

Like Jennifer, though, the wait time at my library is 9 weeks for the audiobook and over 6 months (!!!) for the ebook. I added my hold to the list, but I don't have much confidence I'll get my hands on it before the holidays roll around.

[Shel]

I've never read anything by Schwab either. I'm intrigued by the description and looking forward to it! But I, too, am on a long wait list at the library. Hopefully it won't be too long.

[Sheri]

I had this on my radar since I heard about it. I think I recommended it digitally before it actually came out (popular authors tend to be added to the system early). So when you recommend something and they buy it, you’re automatically on the wait list. I like VE Schwab. I wouldn’t say she’s an absolute favorite, but I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by her enough to give the rest of her catalogue a chance.

[Susan]

I placed a hold at the library. It says there are 7 of 52 copies available but somewhere else I saw 102 holds. But then I didn't see that again. So I will see when it comes in.

[Kassia]

This was my first book by VE Schwab and I’m pretty excited for y’all to read it! I have been recommending it at work and trying not to tell people much about what happens so they are intrigued enough to buy it and I don’t spoil the fun of reading it. My copy was an ARC (advanced reader copy for those who don’t work in a bookstore/library) so I’m curious to see if it changed significantly with publication. I also enjoyed her writing enough that I read “A Darker Shade of Magic” after I finished “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.”

[Megan]

For everyone who is also waiting for library copies (as I am) - I can't speak for every library system, but I see every time I log in that my library has been acquiring additional copies almost every day - so some of these wait times might drop once the new copies hit the system.

[Sheri]

Mine still only has one copy. I've been #1 for over a week, still claims I have two weeks left. Hopefully it comes soon so I can get it read and questions going!

[Sheri]

Oh haha, i just got notice it's up! I guess i know what i'm reading next!

[Sarah]

That explains it--I'd been wondering why the wait time was now 4 weeks instead of 8! I thought maybe people were more organized than me and return as soon as they're done reading but this makes more sense 😄.

[Daniele]

My hold on the audiobook came in, so I'll be listening to it in coming days. And I'm using it for a "borrowed from a friend" prompt - I'm twisting it into "borrowed it from the library on the recommendation of my online friends"!

[Sheri]

Daniele, that seems fair considering the circumstances. Really i don't like specific prompts like that anyhow. In the past I think popsugar's used just "borrowed" which kept it open enough that library is legit without any stretching. Not everyone has bookish friends/family with extensive libraries and even bookish friends might not be eager to lend out their books willy nilly.

[Shel]

Arghh I just got my loan in...and I accidentally requested the audiobook. I don't like fiction on audio and there's no way I'll have the time to listen to the whole thing in two weeks. Just put in a request for both ebook and paper copy, so we'll see which one comes in first or if I just get impatient and buy it!

[Sheri]

oh bummer! My library sometimes ends up buying the audio before the ebook, so I cave and get it. I ended up doing the Glass Hotel on audio instead of ebook because my hold was already up on it by the time I realized they got the ebook and that had a huge wait. I think I would have enjoyed it SO much better reading it, the timelines jumping around got really confusing. I'll probably get the ebook next year once things calm down.

[Shel]

My ebook loan came in! Yay! Starting it tonight!

[Susan]

I just got this a couple days ago from my library hold. Starting it!

[Katie]

started it yesterday:)

[Kathy]

Finally got it this week-7 months to make it to the top of my library's request list. That means I'm counting it as being on the top of my TBR list for book nerds.

[Megan]

Kathy wins the perseverance award. :) Maybe we should have a fundraiser to buy your library a second copy?

[Kathy]

Just checked-still 233 requests on 18 copies. Must be a lot of fans in our town. :)

[Sheri]

Glad I requested early! Not sure AA is in the same system I am in or not. (I requested before book actually came out, let me recommend it ahead of time and put me on the list automatically)

[Megan]

It's weird - based on everyone here (and also common sense and sales figures), you would think that it would have taken forever for me to get it from my library system, but it took about a week - I just looked and there are 201 print copies, 31 large print copies, 14 audio CD copies, 170 ebook copies, and 103 digital audio copies, so clearly there is some level of interest around here, too - but all versions have copies available right now. The much-maligned November 9, on the other hand...I think I waited longer for that than you've waited for Addie! Right now all 26 print copies are checked out with an additional 22 holds, the one CD copy is out with another hold, and it is months of wait time for the 13 ebook and 5 digital audio copies. Neither book has any particular connection to my city, nor does either author, so I have no theories about why we became Colleen Hoover country - but it's just interesting how it can be so different from one place to another within the same country!