Welcome to Litsy!

This is my first ever Butler! It was a lot more YA than I was expecting but I did enjoy the world building. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Is the sequel any good? What‘s your favorite Butler novel that I should pick up? I‘m very willing to read more of her work that isn‘t as YA. Thanks for any suggestions!

Describing the 2025 elections and I'm like, too true 😵😱

Beautifully written, intense, terrifying, relevant. John Green said it pairs well with 1984 and the Handmaid‘s Tale and I agree. Being a West Coaster, this hit home even more. Octavia Butler was a master storyteller.

1. It‘s so hot out that it made me think of this one Dehydration, people!
2. Cheetos may literally be my favorite food and I love them in all their forms.Most recently I ate jalapeño ones, which are crunchy.
3. Sunset. If I see sunrise, it‘s because I stayed up.
4. Books, jewelry, clothes, kitchen appliances
5. I liked all of them but fourth when I had a true monster of a teacher who I still talk about to my therapist.
#friyayintro @howjessreads

Can‘t believe I‘ve never read any Butler. Time to fix that.

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

1. Tagged book and Dan Brown‘s Origin
2. Sangria! Or mojitos.
3. “The fresco was Giaquinto‘s grand masterpiece - Religion Protected by Spain”

Tonight‘s view while listening - my baby Tungsten enjoying and evening stroll (we tend to do mid day) just as I started listening to a new audiobook: Parable of the Sower.

Octavia Butler has long been on my list of Favorite Authors I Haven‘t Actually Read Yet. 😜 This, gladly, didn‘t disappoint! It‘s a brutal story, but the terrific writing and characters make the rough reading journey worthwhile. I switched between this paperback and a spellbinding audio version narrated by the phenomenal Lynne Thigpen. ❤️ I‘ll definitely read more of this series, and more Butler beyond.

Aging strawberries in the fridge + the latest Smitten Kitchen post = impulse #audiobaking (with a delicious result!). Recipe: http://smittenkitchen.com/2019/06/strawberry-summer-sheet-cake/

A late tribute to one of my absolute favorite authors of all time. It was her birthday over the weekend, but I finally got to write down my thoughts on her role in my life. My #bujo says it all 💕 rest in power, dear sweet Octavia. You are dearly missed.

"I wonder what you have to do to become a cop. I wonder what a badge is, other than a license to steal."

"He shook his head. “These things frighten people. It‘s best not to talk about them.” “But, Dad, that‘s like…like ignoring a fire in the living room because we‘re all in the kitchen, and, besides, house fires are too scary to talk about.”"
??

#unpopularopinion #triggerwarning #animalviolence

I started this today. While the writing was captivating and the story is terrifyingly real for dystopian science fiction, something happens on page 44 which I‘ll put in a spoiler comment, and I‘m out. It‘s my line in the sand. The rest of the story was already making me uncomfortable and this was the last straw.

Wow. This is a deep, poignant, and thought-provoking story. I was looking for depth and drowned in emotional prose and thoughtful philosophy. Highly recommend!

I'm not the religious sort. But I love this ideology.

Excuse me. Yes, I'm trying to read here. This dog. I've given up on personal space. 😂

I just rescued her Friday and already I'm her seat.

New printing of Parable of the Sower came out today. It has a new foreword by N.K. Jemisin (who I love). Lovely cover art. Parable of the Talents will be released in October. ❤️

I haven't read Kindred yet but when ever I think about Octavia Butler, I remember the Parable books. The thing that's fascinating is how it was written a while ago, and yet seems to be almost talking about today. In some aspects, I found that frightening! Make America great again is in this book!!

@ShyBookOwl
#bookvolley

I am struggling to get through this book. While on one hand I am interested in what happens to the main character, I think it‘s hitting too close to home - the bleak future of a parched Southern California with (more) exaggerated class divisions leading to rampant violence seems an all too real and not too distant possibility. The extreme violence and rape she describes are also getting to me. Anyone else have a similar experience with this book?

My reading life has taken a hit over the past weeks, but I finally was able to spend some time on me. This book story centers around a unique protagonist, Lauren Olamina. Although only a teenager, she sees the coming demise of her world clearer than any adult and begins to prepare for an uncertain, dangerous future in an America that has collapsed into chaos. The storytelling is compelling and disturbing. I highly recommend this.

A little Saturday morning reading with/on Miss Kitty.

To one of the greatest, most influential sci-fi writers of all time. Octavia Butler, you have touched me with your novels - each character unique and memorable as the last. Each story incredibly woven, exploring difficult human (and non-human) relationships and uncomfortable topics like race, power, and gender... I'm so grateful for your strength and creativity. #restinpower #internationalwomensday

#friyayintro @howjessreads

1. Already left the house and won‘t be back so here‘s my train station! If you ever wanted to see a v average British station...

2. I feel too old to live w my parents, and living outside London and having to commute & not being able to stay late is really taxing. My trains are so expensive.

3. ⬆️

4. My commute and the evenings

5. Visiting friends in oxford to go to my favourite American/soul food place

@EchoLogical ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
#blitsy

@EchoLogical these are so beautiful! I love the books and ALL THE CANDY! The T-shirt is super cute and I love the pins! Thank you so much. I‘m excited for all of these. I‘m especially happy about How Long Til Black Future Month bc I bought it for my sister for Christmas but I really wanted to keep it lol. Thank you thank you! ❤️❤️❤️ Happy Black History Month! #blitsy

Well this just moved up on my TBR.

12 inches last night on top of the 6 we already had. The Interstate is closed down and the county has pulled the snowplows off the roads due to blizzard conditions. Upper right picture shows the doors to my school 😯 Just came in from digging our vehicles out of the drifts, and now I'm in front of the fire trying to thaw. Rest of the day/night = a fire and a good book. ❄❄#snowmaggedon

I‘d never really ‘got‘ distopian fiction before, I didn‘t get much from 1984, Fahrenheit 451 or brave new world, but I finally feel I understand why distopias can be important. This was probably the best sci fi ive ever read. A lot of them just feel like shocking thought experiments with no purpose but this inspired me and taught me a lot. Earthseed was breathtaking as an idea and the bleakness felt important to me rather than just ‘I‘m so edgy‘

The philisophy/religion elements went a little over my head at times, although I did think the ideas of how people rely on or seek out a larger meaning during troubling times was interesting. Excellent dystopian - dark, grim. I'm looking forward to reading the next one. #readsoullit

Next up for #blackhistorymonth #readblackwomen

I adored kindred so much and the first few minutes of this one have really impressed me! Might this be the first dystopian novel I actually enjoy reading??

"All that you touch / You change. // All that you Change / Changes you. // The only lasting truth / Is Change. // God is Change." •••• I feel a little guilty choosing this as our first book club reading, as it is brilliant and timely (still) but full of horrible things happening to the most vulnerable of society, specifically children. But there's no lie here. That's the power and challenge of Octavia Butler's writing.

Books on my nightstand this January.

This is, perhaps, the most realistic feeling dystopian novel I‘ve read. For that reason, it can feel profoundly scary. However, it also somehow succeeds in feeling hopeful.

Bleak but ultimately hopeful, I can see why Octavia E. Butler has been long revered in science fiction circles. Reading this and watching The Bird Box in the same weekend might not be recommended.

This book is "required reading" for those that love dystopian fiction. I'm jumping right into the sequel because I need to know what happens next for the inspiring central character. ?

For this apocalyptic world of Butler's 2025, the pairing choices would mostly be grim. I'll stick to the more positive choices of oranges and acorn bread. 🍊🍞

#11thHourReadathon

@EclecticReaders

Been on my #tbr list forever, and I am loving it. Creepy to go between this and Twitter/the news though. . .

Octavia E. Butler was an amazing treasure and gone way too soon.

Four #heroes from the year‘s reading.

Kitty Weeks from A Front Page Affair)
Vasya from the Winternight trilogy
Circe
Lauren Olamina from Parable of the Sower which was also a #reread

#BookishRewind2018

Thank you, @BethM ! I'm so excited to read Parable of the Sower, and the malted milk balls, Lindt chocolates, and hot chocolate...gah! Thanks, @MaleficentBookDragon for organizing this fun #jolabokaflodswap ! Merry Christmas, all!

My first by Octavia Butler and I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the realness to this dystopian novel. It didn't feel magical or like you would want to live in this disaster. There were parts that were hard to read but it was so spot on to what would probably realistically happen if an apocalyptic situation were to occur in our society. I enjoyed the large cast of characters and the main protagonist Lauren's strength was admirable. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anyone who has read this will get the acorn motif. Here is the link to my gr review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2616730668.

Not great, a dystopian that has too many unanswered questions at the end.

I am looking forward to this one. I checked it out from the meeting house library.

I want to read Octavia Butler. What‘s the best one to start with? Parable of the Sower? Or another one?

How about a scary future of #California , or America (or the world)? Where the government has collapsed, robbery and rape are rampant, the average middle class live in walled communities, the wealthy control the necessities like water and electricity, and firefighters respond when they‘re paid? 😱😰This is a fantastic dystopian read and I recommend, even if you rarely read the genre. I still need to read the sequel.

#NoFemmeber

📖 Parable of the Sower

🖋 Marisha Pessl

🎞 The Princess Bride

🍊 Pomelo

#manicmonday @JoScho

1. Also the first book I finished this year, I think.
2. 34, though a few were quite short.
3. My daughter's medical conditions have greatly improved.
4. Progress with the twins' potty training. Any. Progress. At. All. #WhatAmIDoingWrong
5. Hi
#hellothursday @wanderinglynn

“Most people have given up on politicians. After all, politicians have been promising to return us to the glory, wealth, and order of the twentieth century ever since I can remember. That‘s what the space program is about these days, at least for politicians. Hey, we can run a space station, a station on the moon, and soon, a colony on Mars. That proves we‘re still a great, forward-looking, powerful nation, right?”