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oliver

@oliverbear.bsky.social
205 followers 114 following 1.8K posts

In a world where you can be anything, be kind. I'm a bear who's well read, sort of well traveled, cheerful, and friendly. Hugs freely given. DO NOT WET!

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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Human got four (paper) tins of Quality Street chocolates. But she's rationing them out and we can't just eat the whole tin at once! She's even decanted them into an old tin and has put that on the top shelf under other tins!
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Thank you to everyone for coming to this month's discussion. Next month, we'll be talking about Agatha Christie's Lord Edgeware Dies, which I know will be fun. Everyone really enjoys a Poirot mystery! #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
That's perfectly okay! #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I thought it was an interesting plot point and, from what I understand, a rather true one. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
What did everyone think about the Indian vs. British of the characters and the plot? #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This was a re-read for me, but even then I didn't have the murderer until Detective Sandilands figured it out. I remembered it had something to do with the lover, but not the details. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Yes. There are 4 in India, and the rest are in the UK. At the beginning of this book, Detective Sandilands was preparing to return to the UK. His return got delayed by this investigation (and others). #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Next, did anyone pick the murderer? #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I really liked that some of the characters were British and some were Indian, even if they were British. I thought that was a really good depiction of the history. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I didn't think to do that. But I know only the first four in the series are set in India, so it might be that the author had reached the extent of her research and moved back to the UK for easier writing purposes. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I thought so too. Even as are-read, I found it hard to put down. I read most of it on my lunch breaks, and it was hard to drag myself away from it to go back to work when my half hour was up. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Yes. I took a chance on it years ago, thinking it looked interesting and different. At least the setting did. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It was! The descriptions of the area really make it feel different from other mysteries I read. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The series is very good, I've read several of them. And while I like the character, I wish more of them were set in India. Only the first four are in India, then Detective Sandilands returns to England. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It was a re-read from years ago for me and I found I remembered some things, but not enough to figure it all out before the detective. So overall, it was a fun re-read. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
First, did everyone enjoy the book? #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Hello! Perfectly okay to pop in and out. Everyone is busy these days. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Hello! How are you today? #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Hello! How are you today? It's warmer today here, heading for a high of 21C. But it's going to be muggy and drippy the next few days. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Hello and Welcome to this month's #FurryTails #FurryReaders discussion. We're talking about The Last Kashmiri Rose by Barbara Cleverly today.
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
The Last Kashmiri Rose by Barbara Cleverly #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It's Fat Bear Week! explore.org/fat-bear-wee... Hop on over and vote for your favorite Fat Bears!
explore.org
Fat Bear Week 2026 - Explore.org
Explore.org is the world's leading philanthropic live nature cam network and documentary film channel. Our mission is to champion the selfless acts of others, create a portal into the soul of humanity...
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Shana Tova to all who celebrate!
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Thanks for coming! #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Ahh, ever the hucksters! Nothing really ever changes, does it? #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I know this book was a bit different, but it seems readers found some parts they could enjoy. Next month we're back to fiction, though based in history, with The Last Kashmiri Rose by Barbara Cleverly. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Water has always been a precious resource. And there will always be fights over access to water. But I had forgotten the water discussions in the book. I guess I thought with Lake Michigan right there, it really would not have been an issue. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Yes, but an organized eclectic collection. It's really worthwhile to visit. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
That may have been the case though. I think Holmes chose his victims well and for the reason that they would not suspect anything until it was too late. Larson indicates that several people felt Holmes was just "off," so I don't think he was as clever as he thought he was. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
It's such a fantastic place to visit! So much to see and do, and so much more than just the Air & Space and cultural history part. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I kind of got that idea. But DC in July was a horrid place to have something like that. New Orleans in the 80s was hot enough! Our favorite place to go was the mist fountains where we could play in the water and not be so hot! #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Well, the fire at the refrigeration building was responsible for a few. But was that the architect's fault or the builders who didn't follow the plan? #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Ohh, I'm sure he would have been all over the book for mentions of him. But I think that's part of the psyche of serial killers. Not that I know very much about that. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I can see that. I think most people read the serial killer part, but would prefer the more innocent discussions of the architecture. It's less confronting. Though even then the architecture parts couldn't avoid discussing the deaths of workers that occurred at the fair. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Yes. I think the made-up aspect of fictional murders makes them a bit easier to take. The reality of the true ones is somehow much scarier and much more disturbing. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
(Just as an aside, if you've followed the Mushroom Murder here in Australia, the murderer is appealing the sentence. I know that made true crime podcasts around the world. #FurryTails #FurryReaders)
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Actually, the book made me a bit nostalgic for my own visits to the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans. I could see the excitement of the visit and all the wonders in the visitors to Chicago from my own experience. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Definitely less germane, but it did "finish" his story and I think that was important as well. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
It was different. I hadn't read anything by Larson before, but I had read The Destiny of the republic about the assassination of President Garfield. I saw echoes of that in the discussion of Pendergast and the Mayor. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I did find the discussion of Holmes disturbing, but I think that was the point. He was a disturbed individual. I had to be careful not to read the book in bed because some of the discussion was so vivid as to be the stuff of nightmares. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Interesting. I had vaguely heard about H.H. Holmes, but hadn't really delved too deeply into the tale. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Thank you! #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
It absolutely was. It was interesting how the author wove together the three stories...the Fair architects, the serial killer, and the assassination of the Mayor. (Hope those aren't spoilers for anyone.) #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
It would be! We looked up what was still there from the Fair and found that Jackson Park is home ot the newly opened Obama Presidential Center, which we feel is a perfect use for the former World's Fair site. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Indeed. We're supposed to get up to 18 today, which is a lovely day for me! #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Actually some of the orange cider sounds great. And can I get a box of Cracker Jack for later? Don't want to get the keyboard sticky. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
That is totally okay. I branched out this year from our usual picks and kind of stretched the definition of "mystery" for a couple of the picks. It was quite disturbing in parts. No problem whatsoever about not finishing. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
I enjoyed the book, but thought the discussions of the architecture could have been edited a bit. I admit to only skimming some of those parts. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Good morning! We're a bit chilly. Weather widgets says it's 9C outside right now. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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oliver @oliverbear.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
First off, as usual, what did everyone think about the book? I know it was a departure from our usual reads. #FurryTails #FurryReaders
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