Welcome to Litsy!

#MOvember #IllRemember Another one I need to get to ! Almost the end of the month... feeling emotional here Cindy &
Everyone ... I‘ll remember all the chats & laughs & serious thoughtful posts that have been part of this particular Litsy journey.... 👍🏻❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

"Sense of an Ending" by Barnes, though started for me as an interesting read tickled down at some point. Maybe it was the narrative, or the long dragging way of presenting a story, it really didn't turn out to be as good as I had expected it be. Although some parts of the book had me highlighting lines some parts simply begged to be skipped. Yet, Barnes as an author has an impeccable way of moulding images that remain within the readers mind.

#BFCR4 Final Check In. This round I mostly did well. I met my reading goals and baked several healthy recipes. I started a weight loss program. I worked on myself. But this last week really fell through the cracks. We got a bunch of snow (the above picture is a romantic view of snow - in reality, Ottawa is currently a slushy grimy mess), and I got sick so I had to skip out on my fitness classes. Sadly, I felt that I ended on a really sour note.

This was a book club read. Meh. While I can see some merit in the message behind the writing, the narrative itself bored me to tears. The writing was okay, but seemed pompous and condescending...a reflection of the nature of the protagonist, but still really annoying & obnoxious to read. This absolutely would have been a DNF for me if not for book club. I will never understand how this won the Man Booker--there are so many better books out there.

The book next in my reading list is "The sense of an ending".

Currently just in love with the way it looks, smells, the texture of its pages.

Have any of you already read it? How was it?

One from my TBR pile, that I feel could have a lot of #regret in it

#SoulSeptember @Eggs

A proper bit of highbrow literature this. Pretty short and interesting. It gets quite intriguing halfway through and ends well.

Hmmm
This book was kind of interesting at first but then became very predictable. Sometimes it was engaging then it would verge to dull. A very so so book. And the more I think about the more I thought it was kind of dumb?

This is a book about memory, meaning, and our common responsibility to one another.

These subjects usually fascinate me, but this book is

Incredibly. Dull.

My sense was that I couldn‘t wait for its ending.

Book #18

https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5047773#click=https://t.co/fAVCdSs1G...

Cindy - do we just make our own sense of the ending 🤷‍♀️ I had a feeling it would be something like that, but still can‘t make my mind up!!

Book Club ready!

This book was phenomenal. It takes a re-read (very doable at 163 pages) for the full effect and every sentence is deliberate and satisfying. Memory and time and death and responsibility and guilt and remorse. I got hints of The Secret History as I read, too. Big questions await you if you pick this up: Is suicide the only philosophical question!? What is history? What should we take responsibility for? Ah! So good.

Wait, WHAT?!? Send help!!! That ending!!!! Oh God, so many theories....is that the point of this slim book about memory, perception, stories/lies we tell ourselves. Do we ever know the whole story?! Tony, the narrator is recalling a certain time in his life (part 1) In part 2, past events effect present day, but can Tony‘s truth be accepted as actual truth. Does the film leave you with the same sense of uncertainty?!?

Despite its size this book still leaves plenty of food for thought. #1001books #tbrchallenge2019

So happy to be home 😍! Salad and my new book club pick today as I prepare for school starting up again tomorrow.

I am working on intention lists of “more of” and “less of” for 2019. So far, some things in the “more of” column: reading, cooking + plating beautiful food (mostly vegetables!), self-care and self-compassion, working out, and writing. In the “less of” column I have things like self-doubt, mindless internet usage, and over-scheduling.

Not something I'd usually read, but finished this in the span of a day and I have to say it was quite a good book.

Excellent novel that begs to be read in one sitting. One of my favourite reads this year.

#Adventrecommends Day 5
#Favourites
#1001books

📚The Sense of an Ending 📚Richard Scarry 🎬 Schindler‘s List 🍵soup #manicmonday #letters

This was okay - I think appreciated what he was trying to do more than the book itself. I‘m interested in the themes of memory and how we remember things and justify the past to ourselves, and the history boys-esque beginning, but I‘m a bit sick of books about pretentious men learning about themselves through failing to understand women. The ending didn‘t mean much to me, I had to look it up on Wikipedia as I thought I‘d missed something.

This should be quite a quick read that I‘ve been hoping to get around to for ages for #1001books

Hope it‘s good!

Hi Lauren, This is way too generous.... thankyou ! I love the cards & the bookmark ❤️. I really want to read this ... I just read your review & it will be interesting to compare notes. Thankyou , I hope the wedding preparations are going well ...what to wear will be a big one 😊. I know it can be stressful too , but it‘s happy days 😘 Cathy XX

DISCLAIMER: I really enjoyed this one and gave it a high rating because it's narratively flawless and has a shocking TWIST. However, UGH, I couldn't deal with the narrator. Maybe saying he's a #stupidman is too much, but he's definitely too whiny about his past and about women. Think straight (veeeeeery straight), white, 50+, male. STILL LOVED IT THOUGH. I don't think I sound very convincing 😂

#SeptemberDanes @Kalalalatja @Cinfhen

Today Tony told me that I really couldn't visit London without seeing some of the amasing museums this city has to offer. So we went to The Natural History museum. I mean, just the building was worth the visit, it's stunning! I also got to see fossils, try an earthquake simulator and came face-to-face with animatronic dinosaurus. Excellent! We might just visit another tomorrow as well.

#BackpackEurope
#1001Books
#England 🇬🇧

Of suppressed memories and #subconscious , this book offers an insight into the questions of ageing and memory. Barnes excels in this. 👍
#AugustIsATrip

"This was another of our fears: that Life wouldn't turn out to be like Literature"
- The Sense of an Ending

History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.

I certainly believe we all suffer damage, one way or another. How can we not, except in a world of perfect parents, siblings, neighbours, companions? ... Some admit the damage, & try to mitigate it; some spend their lives trying to help others who are damaged; and then there are those whose main concern is to avoid further damage to themselves, at whatever cost. And those are the ones who are ruthless, and the ones to be careful of.

This was beautifully written. This is not an action-y, plot-driven book, and it is certainly slow-paced, but I believe that's by design. It allows for rich, descriptive language that stayed with me after I finished. Even though it moves slowly, it's just over 100 pages, so it can definitely be finished quickly.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A very interesting read about taking a trip down memory lane. Anthony reflects on his past, questions his memories, questions the young man he once was. It's an entertaining read, and I'm very much looking forward to discussing it tonight at my book club with @Anna40 ;)

It has been a long time since I have read a book in almost one sitting. The underlying question of how reliable our memories are, is intriguing. The story, even though it is actually not what carries the book, is simple and pulled me in. To me, The Sense of an Ending is definitely character driven: Tony is likable and repulsive at the same time - which makes him very human, Veronica is enigmatic and mysterious. I highly recommend it.

Because just as all political and historical change sooner or later disappoints, so does adulthood. So does life. Sometimes I think the purpose of life is to reconcile us to its eventual loss by wearing us down, by proving, however long it takes, that life isn't all it's cracked up to be.

How often do we tell our own life story? How often do we adjust, embellish, make sly cuts? And the longer life goes on, the fewer are those around to challenge our account, to remind us that our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life.

It strikes me that this may be one of the differences between youth and age: when we are young, we invent different futures for ourselves; when we are old, we invent different pasts for others.

History is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.

13| #readingresolutions #bookandflowers

I adored this quiet, unassuming, small book.

#heyjune #heyjude
I was going to go with jude the obscure but i will never get over child hangings and don't plan to reread, and don't get me started on 'a little life'.
So I've gone with Julian, middle age angst and a brilliant novella.
How flawed can a genius be, maybe i should have posted Turgenev because really this song is all about fathers and sons

Interesting with some great insights, but didn‘t blow my mind.

#7favsin7Days ❤️2/7.

“How often do we tell our own life story? How often do we adjust, embellish, make sly cuts? And the longer life goes on, the fewer are those around to challenge our account, to remind us that our life is not our life, merely the story we have told about our life. Told to others, but—mainly—to ourselves.”

Such a great book....

#memory #readingresolutions @Jess7

These are all interesting reads about amnesia, partial and total loss of #memory, and suppressed memory. Recommended.
#readingresolutions

1. Sense of an Ending. Loved both. 2. Nay, but it‘s a business and if a pic of a Hollywood star sells more books, then I get it. 3. I would love to see The Perfect Nanny on film. #tuesdayTidbits @JenlovesJT47

1. 95, but I retired. 😉. 2. 150 3. The Sense of an Ending, The Hate U Give, and Tampa. 4. None! I have too many on my TBR stack as it is. #2018CheckIn

Where do you read? My answer: anywhere and everywhere, including the carwash. 🚘

I'm not really sure how to rate this book but I really really enjoyed reading it! Yes, the narrator is a self-absorbed male and yes the narrative was a bit too poetic but this books is a flawlessly written unreliable narrator looking back on his youth. Imperfect memory and history come together to create an actually thrilling story... Had me on edge at the end - I found it brilliant. Did I 'get' the ending? Is it relevant? I don't know.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

☀️☀️☀️ #currentread

This cover is so bright it actually glows in the photo LOL

My next read :) thoughts?

What can I say about this book?
1. I‘m not sure, no, I AM sure I didn‘t get all the bits in this story.
2. It‘s the kind of book you finish then go back and check things or reread.
3. It‘s not for everyone - there‘s much thought and introspection.
4. Intellectual (most likely why I didn‘t catch everything) therefore thought provoking.
5. My face at the end 🤔😯