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Bethanne Patrick

@thebookmaven.bsky.social
5.2K followers 1.9K following 936 posts

SUBSTACK: The Book Maven Unbound thebookmavenunbound.substack.com Critic @LATimesBooks LIFE B memoir: bookshop.org/p/books/life-b-overcom… linktr.ee/bookmaven

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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
I’m moving over to @bethannepatrick.bsky.social — will keep this account open for a bit longer, but please follow me there if you like.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Mitch McConnell, the Schrodinger’s Cat of 2026.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
As an experiment, I generated 3K words in AI. I then ran it through one of those AI checkers. The checker said 16% of the text seemed like AI. It's just convincing me that the only writing worth a damn is the writing that comes straight from a person's brain through their fingers.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
#5Things: 1. Getting a new, larger desk today. #writerly 2. Ready for college besties, visiting this week. 3. Going to see "The Invite" this afternoon. 4. Erling Haaland's hair elastics. 5. Discovering Hazel & Alice b/c Alice is a pal's godmother. #folkmusic #hazelandalice #alicegerrard
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
#5Things: 1. Looking forward to a morning Zoom with a friend and colleague. 2. Sunshine after two days of gloomy weather. 3. Movie date with spouse today! 4. My word-puzzle text group, all ride-or-dies. 5. A truly unexpected compliment.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
#5Things: 1. A happy, gabby lunch w/a bestie. 2. A fun, quiet hour shopping at Sephora. 3. A delightful video call w/book publicists. Who are THE BEST. All of you. #bookpr #bookpublicists 4. A great salad recipe turning up at just the right time. 5. A welcome cancellation.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
A new Inspector Gamache ARE has arrived: MISS WOLCOTT’s GHOST. Please hold my calls and clear the schedule for the next two days. #louisepenny #inspectorgamache #threepines
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
#5Things: 1. Putting the house back together, EASILY, after a wonderful week with family. 2. Rain and thunderstorms. Grateful. 3. Connecting with a friend who has had very tough news. 4. I need a larger desk and my wonderful spouse got one for me in the sales. 5. BLACK DOVES Season 2 is coming!
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
#5Things: 1. Ina Garten’s marinade for London broil. 2. Encouragement, which was sorely needed. 3. SWITZY by Emma Cline. Look out for it. A very tough read but excellent. 4. Remembering to do a Duolingo lesson just in time, lol. 5. Sidestroke. It feels elegant.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
#5Things: 1. A dream re-connecting me to my high-school self (looking at you, @rhenry.bsky.social). 2. Going out on a boat today. Dolphins? 3. DEAD STILL on Acorn is quite an unexpected show! 4. Do read Rose Tremain's THE HOUSEKEEPR before movie release. 5. Parking both cars in garage at last.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
#5Things: 1. Volunteer work. 2. Therapy. 3. Meeting deadlines. 4. Bald eagles at the pond behind our house. 5. An opportunity.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
#5Things: 1. An unexpected lunch w/dear ones and ocean views. 2. After 2 weeks w/o wifi, catching up on "Widow's Bay." 3. Sending daughter to Il Papiro in Florence. 4. Video of Emmylou Harris singing "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" last week at Wolftrap's John Prine tribute. 5. Ice-cream cones.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
My spouse is bribing me with dinner out so I'll attend an al fresco concert with him. Please pray that the new Sallye Anders insect repellent I bought works (on the pests, NOT on my spouse LOL).
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
#5Things: 1. Everyone, get out and swim: My BP is 118/52. 2. THE CODE OF THE WOOSTERS. Comfort reading. 3. Had a bad day but moved through it. 4. Friends and family in Greece, France, Italy, Portugal this week. Virtual vacays via photos! 5. A new light fixture from neighbors. #freecycle
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
#5Things: 1. More swimming. 2. A long phone call with a writer friend. THE BEST. 3. A great meal last night at The Blue Hen in Rehoboth. Get the lobster toast. 4. Happily reading the final Flavia de Luce mystery. RIP, Alan Bradley, and thanks for your wonderful books. 5. Thriving houseplants.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
#5Things: 1. Getting properly caught up with work. 2. Swimming laps outdoors for the first time this season. 3. Watching a pod of dolphins with two babies. 4. My dear friend's incredible lobster mac-and-cheese. 5. Widow's Bay.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
#5Things: 1. Blue skies/sunshine for the 4th day in a row. 2. Last of the @smittenkitchen.bsky.social Strawberry Summer Cake, mmm. 3. After a brief trip, NO travel or guests thru 6/28. 4. Huge light bulb re WIP. 5. Binge-watching "Amandaland" which is no "Motherland" but still excellent.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
Memorial Day. Two weeks ago we attended a meaningful interment ceremony at the West Point Cemetery. I may never reconcile my life as a military spouse with my life as a creative writer. It may be why I haven't written very much. But on this day, I honor our fallen. May they rest in peace.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
#5Things: 1. Being rested, clean, dressed, caffeinated, and fed. 2. Looking back on a wonderful visit with longtime friends. 3. Visiting a new-to-me indie bookstore. 4. We have a granddog, her name is Pepper! 5. Episodes of "Would I Lie to You?" (British game show).
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
#5Things: 1. A truly glorious spring day. 2. The key to no hangnails: Getting a mani w/a Dremel. 3. Meeting a kindred spirit. 4. Taking a trip to be there for a friend. 5. Storm King Arts Center visit. My favorite cathedral.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
I'm probably going to delete this account soon and show up again under some version of my real name. I'll be sure to post when I do. Time to kill The Book Maven. . . I promise, it's a mercy killing.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
#5Things: 1. A soft-shell crab on my salad, mmmmm. 2. Talking with @annabellegurwitch.bsky.social at the Annapolis Book Fest. Read her new one, THE END OF MY LIFE IS KILLING ME! 3. Fun dinner in Rehoboth w/friends. 4. Loving a novel assigned to me for review. 5. Quiet, careful, appropriate praise.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
#5Things: 1. Having a recent passport so I don't have to worry about getting the upcoming version. 2. Remembering to write a thank-you note. #betterlatethannever 3. Singing in the car. 4. Closing a door to open a window. 5. Making a coffee date with a new friend.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
#5Things: 1. An unexpectedly delicious lunch. 2. A dear friend's voice at the right time. 3. Discovering a just-silly-enough sitcom. 4. A fresh answer to a tired interview question. 5. Lime/mint seltzer.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
#5Things: 1. Blue skies and sunshine. 2. Gave the dog a much-needed bath. 3. Working through a disappointment, mindfully. 4. Listening to The Beautiful South. 5. Crossplay. Even though it’s frustrating.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Back in NYC (well, in Hoboken for the moment). Dragged huzz to "Operation Mincemeat" and he *loved* it and it was fantastic to see it again and I'd go back a third time. Heading to @authorsguild.org gala this evening and expect I will be more than a little starstruck there.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
What's your favorite bible verse (wrong answers only) "Your silence will not protect you." -- Audre Lorde
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Reposted by Bethanne Patrick
Ken Burnside @kenburnside.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
What's your favorite Bible verse (wrong answers only) "And his mind is not for rent. To any God or Government." -- The Gospel of Dubois
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
#5Things: 1. Getting our first annual beach pass here in Delaware. 2. "Persuasion" duet by Richard and Teddy Thompson. 3. Remembering that decluttering is a process. 4. Anything Rao's, but especially their jarred sauces. 5. A much-needed mani/pedi.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
#5Things: 1. Really good raspberries. On sale. 2. Patricia Lockwood on Willa Cather in @lrb.co.uk (hope she will read Melissa Homestead re Cather’s relationship w/Edith Lewis). 3. Screened-porch weather. 4. Bonfire on the beach tonight! 5. Finally reading Hermione Lee’s bio of P. Fitzgerald.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Everyone said it would take us about six months to move in to our new home. We had all of our rooms organized and decorated within two months. I thought: HA! But "everyone" was correct. I'm finally feeling settled in instead of simply moved in, and the difference is palpable. Phew.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
In Denver. Blossoms and blue skies. We were helping our daughter move today and didn’t make it to a #NoKings rally but posts from friends who did have lifted my spirits. Thank you all!
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
This “Important Cog” (IYKYK) of the literary world is laughing so hard listening to Ophira Eisenberg open the @pw.org gala.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
In NYC for a few days. "Oh, Mary" tickets, check. "Operation Mincemeat" tickets, check. Outfit for @pw.org gala, check. Lunch with @minjinlee.bsky.social, check. Black western boots, check (they're the ultimate walking shoe, at least for me). View of the GW Bridge, check.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
A stormy day, outside my windows *and* inside my head.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Last weekend in Florida I played pickleball for the first time, mahjong for the first time, and swam with manatees. Mahjong might not be my thing, but pickleball has possibilities. As for manatees? I'll join them any old time I can.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Yours truly quoted herein: www.theguardian.com/books/2026/f...
theguardian.com
‘We’re losing accessibility’: America says goodbye to the mass-market paperback
The so-called ‘pocket book’ sold in supermarkets is being phased out across the US, the latest sign of an ongoing shift in how people are choosing to read
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Finally filed my Anthropic claim and now completely convinced I've done it wrong. Impostor Syndrome got me allllll the way.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
A particularly brutal truth about my relationship to writing today in my morning pages. Brutal, but not insurmountable. And so we write on. . .
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
And yes of course it's Tuesday GAH In my defense, I slept away most of yesterday after a horrible drive home pre-blizzard.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Let's all head into Monday like Johannes Klaebo hits the last hill, every time. #klaeboinspo
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Might make #ShroveTuesday pancakes for dinner. #lapsedwhiskypalian
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
Last week someone -- WHO WAS PITCHING ME -- told me I am "a cog, an important cog" in the literary world. It might be time for me to apply to law school.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
I may not see the "Wuthering Heights" movie, but I'll always share the earworm. . . www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
latimes.com
Essay: The other Kate Bush banger that deserves a comeback right now
With a new 'Wuthering Heights' film in theaters, it’s time to revisit the Kate Bush classic that out-sparked SparkNotes — and the other legendary songs inspired by literature.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Criticism, yes, should be part of the cultural conversation. Perhaps that's the real loss, here -- not book reviews/coverage themselves, but people's ability to understand that books aren't simply products to be sold. They're tools to help us unlock ideas, arguments, fantasies, and deep meaning.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Over @latimes.com I have a new dual review up, of CANTICLE by Janet Rich Edwards and SKYLARK by Paula McLain. Behind a paywall, alas. . . will see what I can do about finding a gift link! www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
latimes.com
Review: Two new novels ask why a woman with a secret is always a threat to Western civilization
From 13th-century anchorites to the French Resistance, authors Janet Rich Edwards and Paula McLain trace the enduring power of two fascinating female characters.
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Book publicists signing up for Substack like it's Rose's raft from "Titanic."
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Bethanne Patrick @thebookmaven.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Given the media news, I’ve decided it is time to start my own book-review publication. With the budget I currently have that will mean it’s handwritten and reproduced on vintage carbon paper, distributed via the local seagulls.
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Reposted by Bethanne Patrick
Sam Thielmonster @samthielman.com · 04/02/2026
The guy who owns Amazon shutting down the books section of the Washington Post is beyond parody
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