Welcome to Litsy!

Quirky ✨
I learned stuff; about Thorstein Veblen, squirrels 🐿️ , many vocabulary words… I think it would be a great discussion book with only your quirkiest friends maybe 🤔 I guess I enjoyed it? #Nov2025 Book107

And OH! How APPROPRIATE to post this on THE most capitalistic kind of day!😂😢 (Veblen coined the term “conspicuous consumption”. Also, the Veblen Effect: the more expensive an item, the more the hordes want to buy it.)

“Just then, a squirrel 🐿️ spiraled down the heavy trunk of the magnolia, nattering across the spotty lawn in fitful myoclonic jerks.”

had to look up myoclonic and I‘m now wondering if fitful & myoclonic together are redundant.

I‘ve been invited to attend the Board meeting of the Friends of the Library as a guest. Found this in our donations. 😊 It is going to find a spot on my read-someday shelf.

If you're looking for a feel good read that doesn't take itself too seriously (which I was since I'm on vacation) than I think you will enjoy this. Yes, it's silly but at the same time refreshing

I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!

#ABookADay2023

The Dog of the North wasn‘t in, so I borrowed Veblen (named after the iconoclastic economist Thorstein Veblen, who coined the term “conspicuous consumption” by her hypochondriac mother and institutionalized father.) A whirlwind romance with Paul (scientist scooped up by industrial pharma, hoping to make big bucks on the backs of IED damaged soldiers + the DoD) leads to a lot of interesting situations. And a number of squirrels. Very witty!

Honestly, this was just too...silly for me. I think the oddness was supposed to be quirky and charming but it just fell flat. E characters speak like twelve-year-olds and l every interaction grates horribly. The juxtaposition of more serious topics (pharmaceutical profiteering, war injuries, mental illness) in this childish context felt insincere and in poor taste. I'm frankly astounded it was shortlisted for the Women's Prize

Saw this in a bookshop in Whitby and had to have it... On the blurb Ursula K. Le Guin said ‘...the squirreliest novel I ever read. I enjoyed it completely‘

It sounds a bit weird actually, but I couldn‘t not. Also featured is my new squirrel friend, bought from a rock/gem shop in Robin Hood‘s Bay.

This month has been difficult in trying to read. Working more, I'll, and then three books I abandoned. Just started this and it's intriguing.

Somewhat disappointing. The vapid conversations, the childish voice of the narrator, and the immature behavior of the characters was off putting. I was probably bothered by this more than most.

"I want to meet muckrakers, carousers, the sweet-toothed, and the lion-hearted, and you don't know it yet, but you are all of these."

Loved it; it reminded me a lot of “Eleanor Oliphant,” and let‘s be honest, I‘m bound to love anything where an adorable, sassy lil‘ squirrel plays a part. But truly, an original, lovely little novel. It‘s a pick. 🤷🏻‍♀️🐿💖 #theportableveblen #elizabethmckenzie

So, so close to being done with this! I couldn‘t possibly be more grateful than I am for the fact that I‘ve gotten to spend the last two hours pretty much completely alone at work, reading, in blessed silence. #theportableveblen #elizabethmckenzie

Just hanging out with my own little woodland creature buddy while I read. It‘s too hot to do anything else! #theportableveblen #elizabethmckenzie

This feels a little bit like “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine,” so even though it‘s a little slow-moving, I‘m sticking with it. Plus, there‘s a squirrel. 🤷🏻‍♀️🐿💖 #theportableveblen #elizabethmckenzie

#24in48 #hour42challenge #bestcoverworstcover

4/5🐿.This books was a great end to 2017 (unless I can squeeze one more in). An odd couple looking to marry after four months of dating find themselves struggling to control the world from spinning out of control. Paul, a neurologist, tries erase his past, while Veblen tries to embrace everything about herself. And she really likes squirrels. Would highly recommend.

I may have just bought 18 books because of Book Outlet‘s Boxing Day sale. They were only $55 so I don‘t feel too guilty. And here‘s a bonus picture of two of my babies! #littenkitten #catsoflitsy

I didn‘t get any books 📚 for Christmas 😟
However, my son gave me a heating blanket (squeal with excitement). Guess my Christmas 🎄 books will have to come from me 😁🎄🎄🎄🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🤪

If you like books about quirky characters and dysfunctional families that still touch on serious subjects (like brain injuries, medical industry, and mental illness), then you might enjoy this read. Overall, I enjoyed the reading experience -- but at times it felt like it lost focus and wandered a bit.

You can't go wrong with a chapter title like this.

If October was dedicated to spooky reads, and November was all about non-fiction, then December is going to be my "finish what you started" month, where I try to finish next in series that I haven't read, reading goals from the beginning of the year (That's you, Dr Zhivago), and books I started, but got distracted before I finished. These are my top priorities.

@lnicole34 I love everything you sent me. I can‘t wait to read the books you picked. All of the extra goodies are wonderful and I will be digging into the Swedish Fish and Sour Patch candies tomorrow. #halloweengoespostal

I hope you have a happy and fun Halloween, Laura! 👻🎃

This was on my #tbr list forever! Finally got around to it and I‘m glad I did. The quirk in this book is unlike anything I‘ve ever encountered in a novel before. Loved it! There are images throughout the text, a squirrel who may(?) communicate with humans, and two dysfunctional families. Though there is quirk galore, it is totally readable and serious on the commentary on current affairs and American politics and environmentalism. 🐿

It‘s Autumn! The person, but also the season, and I have some recommended seasonal reads up on the blog. Check it out and let me know what your favorite autumn reads are in the comments. 👇
////
#thereadingwomen #ontheblog #autumnreads #fallreads #autumn

https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/blog/2017/10/6/fall-reading-recs

I read a sample of this while putting my baby boy to bed this evening. I quickly discovered that I must check it out and read the whole thing!! I missed this one last year when it was new, so it‘s new to me now. 🐿 also, squirrels!! #libby #ebook

Interesting book. The story of a woman with a dysfunctional family dating a man with just as much of a dysfunctional family. She talks to squirrels and understands them and they understand her, they have a special bond. The narration could have been better it was whiny. Over all good.

Soccer practice! #audiomomming ⚽️🥅

I'm kind of giggly at the moment. Not even sure how she saw the post I didn't tag her 🤓

Not book related, but I HELD A BABY SQUIRREL TODAY!

Starting this one today.

Fantastically nutty, heart and soul charming with so many truths that a squirrel understands.

Day 26: #ReadingWomenMonth I'll admit this was tons of fun to put together. What a beautiful and diverse collection of reads. #🌈
P.S. Am I the only one who has very few green books? - A

#Riotgrams #day21 #AnimalCovers These are a few "animal covers" that I don't think I've shown before for any photo prompt. See, this is why I have to keep buying books, so I don't bore you guys with the same titles over & over. (Wonder if the Hubby'll buy that!) These books are seriously pretty, especially the foxes, and the squirrel on The Portable Veblen is just too damn cute! All but The Flame In The Mist are @Liberty recommendations.

It's the time of year when squirrels come out to melt on my fence, which makes me think of THE PORTABLE VEBLEN, of course.

Last April, I was at a literary event with Elizabeth McKenzie & other authors. A woman came up to me & started gushing about my book – how much she loved it, how often she's recommended it to her friends...

So I said thank you, that meant a lot to me, then she said: "yes, I think of you every time I see a squirrel!"

oh, yeah. Elizabeth McKenzie's over there.

So – I just reread this phenomenal novel & now I think of her every time I see a...

Here's my #RiotGrams #shelfie — I do love to style a bookcase.

I have book ADD in that not only do I read several at a time, I have a habit of getting a new book and reading that one immediately pushing the back catalog back. I am trying a new system. These will be the books I will read in the next 1-2 weeks. A mix of just got, Christmas, and last year. This will work! (no it won't) I have some eBooks listed too, but no pic of them

This was the most readable book I've come across in a while, with its balance of characters you want to hug and ones you want to smack. This story is about so many things including the invisible scars our families can leave on us, finding one's place in the world, and, yes, conversing with squirrels. I'd love to read about the next stage of Veblen's life.

When your old workplace shows up in your current read...

Me, cat, book.

#catsoflitsy #petsoflitsy

I was finding myself in a reading slump where I kept abandoning books, but I am now so caught up in this quirky, squirrel-enhanced story that the pages seem to fly by. 🐿️

What better way to celebrate the last day of Squirrel Week than with this quirky and endearing book about a woman who believes she can chat with a neighborhood squirrel.

Woo #bingo!

I definitely judged this one by the cover. Who doesn't love a book about squirrels?

#litsybingo #litsyreadingchallenge2017 #judgebythecover

I was really excited to read this and maybe I hyped it up too much, it just was a bit meh.

Here's Nala helping me read! #catsoflitsy #littenkitten

Prawns and squirrels

A thoroughly enjoyable read! I'll be honest, it was a bit of a slow start, but once I got into it the characters were all very entertaining. Quirky, fun and at times, moving. It would probably help if you like squirrels -
They really do feature quite prominently!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this modern story of love, imperfect families, scientific endeavor and squirrels.
Some of it was overly simplistic, especially the Hutmacher caricature, but my enjoyment of it was saved by Veblen. I loved her sympathy for Lima beans and nutkinista fantasies, interspersed with radical socialist rankings from the original Veblen.
A perfect light read!