,

Women like books. We know this. We know it from the statistics -- according to an often cited study by the publishing research firm Bowker, women bought 64 percent of all books sold in 2009 -- from the runaway popularity of female book clubs, and from our own lives. Try just mentioning one of your favorite books the next time you're with a group of female friends. Whether it's "Little Women," "The Bell Jar," or your favorite Judy Blume, someone in the group is almost guaranteed to recognize it and say something along the lines of "god, I looooved that boooook." Which may devolve -- no, evolve -- into a conversation about all the books you've mutually loved and when you read them and why they moved you at that time in your life. It'll be an instant "love, loss and what I read" party. Please do try this at home.

If you play this game for long enough, a few titles will probably emerge as books every woman would benefit from reading. That's what happened in our office this week. Inspired by the Frisky's list of "22 Books Every Woman Needs To Read," we asked the female staff of the Huffington Post which books they consider essential reading for women. Flip through our choices below. They're not in any order, and this is not meant to be a comprehensive list. Instead we hope you'll help us round it out. If you have a suggestion of your own, please email the title and why women should read it to women@huffingtonpost.com.
1

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4.26 avg rating — 6,761,123 ratings
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2

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4.29 avg rating — 4,700,827 ratings
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3

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4.47 avg rating — 2,984,087 ratings
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4

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4.17 avg rating — 2,418,220 ratings
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5

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3.71 avg rating — 368,447 ratings
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6

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3.95 avg rating — 253,705 ratings
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7

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4.30 avg rating — 504,858 ratings
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8

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3.86 avg rating — 2,448,620 ratings
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9

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3.99 avg rating — 381,187 ratings
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10

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3.48 avg rating — 23,204 ratings
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11

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4.05 avg rating — 1,181,834 ratings
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12

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3.84 avg rating — 145,992 ratings
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13

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4.20 avg rating — 4,119,058 ratings
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14

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4.11 avg rating — 1,268,272 ratings
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15

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4.19 avg rating — 800,101 ratings
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16

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3.69 avg rating — 224,473 ratings
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17

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4.22 avg rating — 252,128 ratings
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18

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1,080,307 ratings
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19

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4.31 avg rating — 1,249,766 ratings
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20

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4.10 avg rating — 1,343,848 ratings
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21

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3.96 avg rating — 1,047,162 ratings
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22

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3.81 avg rating — 88,031 ratings
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23

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4.31 avg rating — 13 ratings
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24

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4.16 avg rating — 616,496 ratings
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25

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4.32 avg rating — 1,340,181 ratings
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26

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4.25 avg rating — 709,458 ratings
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27

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4.08 avg rating — 209,018 ratings
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28

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4.28 avg rating — 55,542 ratings
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29

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3.60 avg rating — 4,674 ratings
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30

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3.65 avg rating — 194,909 ratings
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31

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4.45 avg rating — 1,704,170 ratings
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32

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3.73 avg rating — 43,327 ratings
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33

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3.73 avg rating — 33,541 ratings
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34

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4.13 avg rating — 794,226 ratings
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34

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3.97 avg rating — 340 ratings
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36

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4.15 avg rating — 125,367 ratings
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37

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3.62 avg rating — 66,846 ratings
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38

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4.05 avg rating — 9,273 ratings
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39

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4.24 avg rating — 8,585 ratings
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39

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3.96 avg rating — 237,240 ratings
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41

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3.81 avg rating — 57,879 ratings
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42

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4.29 avg rating — 35 ratings
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43

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3.95 avg rating — 111 ratings
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44

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4.28 avg rating — 29 ratings
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44

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4.45 avg rating — 29 ratings
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46

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4.34 avg rating — 187 ratings
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46

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4.17 avg rating — 3,406,518 ratings
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48

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4.02 avg rating — 88 ratings
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48

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4.48 avg rating — 17,322 ratings
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50

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4.05 avg rating — 125,860 ratings
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50

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3.56 avg rating — 76,710 ratings
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52

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4.10 avg rating — 92,315 ratings
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53

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3.71 avg rating — 1,947 ratings
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54

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4.18 avg rating — 1,766 ratings
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55

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4.21 avg rating — 1,708 ratings
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56

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3.87 avg rating — 30,533 ratings
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57

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4.33 avg rating — 12,847 ratings
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58

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3.62 avg rating — 892 ratings
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59

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3.73 avg rating — 90,977 ratings
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60

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3.99 avg rating — 9,336 ratings
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61

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3.79 avg rating — 17,886 ratings
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62

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3.95 avg rating — 21 ratings
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62

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3.95 avg rating — 1,152 ratings
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62

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3.89 avg rating — 150 ratings
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62

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3.69 avg rating — 87 ratings
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62

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3.86 avg rating — 58 ratings
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62

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4.05 avg rating — 41 ratings
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62

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating
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62

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4.61 avg rating — 23 ratings
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62

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3.82 avg rating — 11 ratings
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62

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4.18 avg rating — 444 ratings
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62

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4.38 avg rating — 42 ratings
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62

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really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 59 ratings
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62

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4.23 avg rating — 48 ratings
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62

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4.01 avg rating — 116 ratings
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62

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3.98 avg rating — 365 ratings
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62

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4.18 avg rating — 45 ratings
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62

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 ratings
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62

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4.53 avg rating — 17 ratings
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62

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3.95 avg rating — 44 ratings
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62

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4.50 avg rating — 20 ratings
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62

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4.42 avg rating — 45 ratings
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83

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4.83 avg rating — 24 ratings
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83

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4.07 avg rating — 8,209 ratings
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83

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3.98 avg rating — 343 ratings
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83

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3.98 avg rating — 365 ratings
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83

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4.39 avg rating — 49 ratings
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83

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3.71 avg rating — 1,947 ratings
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83

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4.42 avg rating — 45 ratings
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90

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4.67 avg rating — 21 ratings
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91

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3.98 avg rating — 123,207 ratings
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92

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3.63 avg rating — 23,425 ratings
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93

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4.09 avg rating — 195 ratings
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94

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3.87 avg rating — 1,291 ratings
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95

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3.67 avg rating — 10,206 ratings
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95

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4.26 avg rating — 977,664 ratings
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97

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4.24 avg rating — 770,251 ratings
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98

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4.20 avg rating — 63,920 ratings
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99

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3.31 avg rating — 288,563 ratings
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100

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3.59 avg rating — 4,235 ratings
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112 books · 84 voters · list created April 29th, 2014 by Leah (votes) .
45 likes · 
Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.


Leah 859 books
48 friends
Teresa 2372 books
107 friends
Michelle 290 books
11 friends
Susanna - Censored by GoodReads 3385 books
853 friends
Eva-Joy 1580 books
34 friends
Mariah 410 books
35 friends
Misha 22356 books
539 friends
Mary 1238 books
0 friends

More voters…


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kelly What? No Red Tent by Anita Diamant? Heresy.


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