Welcome to Litsy!

Here we are for another brief edition of ‘be glad your mother volunteers in a used bookshop‘.

What to say about my #bookspin read? It was vague. I kept waiting for more explanation that never came. It had the makings of a good story, but just left me too much in the dark to love it.
@TheAromaofBooks

My February #BookSpin is a rec from my boss (aka Library Director) and my #doublespin is another is the series introduced to me by @BarbaraJean via #AuldLangSpine

@TheAromaofBooks

I was kind of disappointed. The writing is beautiful, the premise is interesting, but the execution of the plot is messy and confusing. https://cannonballread.com/2022/08/the-maker-of-swans-a-novel-elcicco/

Not my cup of tea but if you like gothic with a touch of supernatural fever dream, you will like it!

There were bits of this where I thought I knew what was going on, but definitely not as much of it as I could hope 😕 Not for me in the end; although I‘m told his second novel is a little more straightforward so I don‘t rule out reading more.

I‘ll be the first to admit this was a very slow starting book for me. The language seemed unspeakably precious, especially for a book set in the... 60s? 70s? The poncy faux-Jeeves butler was not endearing either (or believable given he‘s apparently meant to have a rough, seedy past). That being said, I‘m halfway through and enjoying it much more.

There is a ghormengast quality to this book. Fascinating characters whose motivations are opaque. You read on hoping for the fog to lift and it never really does. My gut reaction is ambivalent, but I prefer a book to be over my head than not and I know that for others this will be a pick.

The writing is beautiful, and glorious. Clara is a young girl who lives with the mysterious master of a faded estate, Mr. Crowe, and his attentive butler Eustace. Crowe kills a man, and the secret society Crowe belongs to sends emissaries for justice.Clara has special gifts. The back stories are tremendous; I felt the author was deliberately holding back on revealing the meaning of all the hints-frustrating-but worth it. Ready for his next�

I couldn't get into it during the #Readathon, so of course I can now. It opens with a gun fight in a rich dudes front yard!

This is the rest of my #Readathon pile. I'm going to start with The Maker of Swans. So excited!!