Welcome to Litsy!

This book was recommended to me by one of my favorite former professors from college. So I had to give it a listen! It definitely grew on me. It skips around between all the family members, telling snippets of their story, so sometimes I had a hard time keeping track of the characters. That‘s normally a recipe for me to get annoyed. But the writing was just so dang good, I could get swept up into it regardless. I would recommend!!

Big Angel is about to die but before he goes he wants one last birthday celebration with the family he has presided over as patriarch for years. He is loved by many but knows he has not always been a good father, husband, or brother. As the family gathers we get to know their complicated history and relationships and all of the love and pain that come with both. A celebration of an imperfect man and imperfect families. #booked2021 #latinxauthor

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sprawling family dramas aren‘t usually my jam, but Urrea envelops with such lush details. Such vulnerable characters; everyone with something to prove. This is a Mexican-American immigrant story, but at the core, it‘s about familial connection and unconditional love. It‘s easy to see that Big Angel is based on Urrea‘s own brother. Thoughtful, and at times funny, this novel has the aura of a true story.

Was googling something about my son‘s school and stumbled upon its notable alumni on Wikipedia. I‘ve been wanting to read Urrea (in general, and these two books in particular) for years but had no idea he once lived in our little suburbs-ish neighborhood! Cool. (Interesting entry below him...also did not know that. Another published author, I suppose! 😉)

I had a hard time getting into this book, but once I did I absolutely LOVED it. So beautiful and painful and joyful all at the same time. Anyone who loves mult-generational stories should give this one a try.

Highly recommend the tagged book. A great multigenerational Mexican-American family story. I will be looking for more from this author. #integrateyourshelf

1. Tagged book. I‘m laughing. I‘m crying. It‘s good.
2. Last book I finished in 2020 was Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch
3. Same as last year, 52. No challenges or themes, just making my way through what‘s on my wee TBR cart.
#weekendreads

“Our Lord and Savior demands a sacrifice! Sacrifice your favorite television programs.”
“Chingado,” Big Angel said, looking around at his family. “There goes Ice Road Truckers.”

Feeling a bit muddled right now, so not much to say, but I did quite enjoy this. Urrea does family relationships and dynamics so well, and the examination of the end of one‘s life and taking stock of everything was very poignant. The multi POV style was a little messy and shifted too often and too quickly, and the voices weren‘t always super distinct. But this was very moving at times and beautifully written. 4/5 ⭐️

There is a minute in the day, a minute for everyone, though most everyone is too distracted to notice its arrival.

They were just two pale souls in the dark of the world, quiet in their refuge. As if everything was well. As if the night held no terror. And the stars circled silent and icy all around them.

I‘ve read 75 books so far this year, and only 9 were by men. And 6 of those were Shakespeare plays, so really I‘ve only read 4 dudes. I just generally prefer to read from people other than cis men. When they write men, we get grossness & penis thoughts, and when they write women, we get stereotypes, vapidity, & WAY more thoughts about their own breasts than most breast-havers actually have. But Urrea is a longtime fave who tends to avoid that BS.

Day 12: For fun, I am going to post 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 the fun if you want. #bookstoread #tbrpile @StaceyKondla

#booked2020 #covercrush

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was my first Urrea and I loved it. A multigenerational Mexican/American family celebrates both life and death with just a hint of magic realism, eccentric family members and crazy stories about life on both sides of the border. Despite the library stickers I love this bright floral cover.

1. This portrait of Jane Seymour done by a friend‘s kid. Love Tudors! Talented kid! 😊💜 And it fits my plan to start The Mirror and the Light this month, right where that book picks up!
2. Tagged
3. Working my side hustle, chores, and reading. The husband‘s calendar is suddenly not so busy with all his events being canceled.
#FriyayIntro @4thhouseontheleft @howjessreads

I didn't post a #bookspin list this month, but going by last months list and today's winning number (#20), this is the book I would have been reading. I might read it anyway if I finish my Eleanor Roosevelt autobio from last month because it's been on my library revolving hold list waaaaay too long!

@TheAromaofBooks

No better way to spend a Friday night than with my current read, favorite sweet treat and #litsypartyofone

#hollyjollyreading #angel

I've been wanting to read this one for ages. I recently saw this beautiful cover while out shopping. I didn't get it, next time.

My favorite post every year-- my top reads!! I'm bringing you my Top 6 favs of 2019. The first three are the outstanding, best-of-the-best!
•
🧡 The House of Broken Angels- Luis Alberto Urrea
🧡 Rules of Civility- Amor Towles
🧡 Commonwealth- Ann Patchett
•
💙 Half of a Yellow Sun- Adichie
💙 The Guernsey Literary & PPPS- Barrows & Shaffer
💙 Home Fire- Kamila Shamsie
•
Best series- Shadow and Bone- Bardugo
•
See any of your favorites??

#NamasteNovember #angelsandsaints
One read, the other not read.

This was one of those unfortunate instances where I‘ve been distracted but forced a book on myself anyway. I didn‘t love this book, but maybe it would‘ve been a better reading experience. The writing was wonderful, deftly flowing through and weaving together characters of the De La Cruz family in this Mexican American family saga. It‘s a story of crossing boundaries of countries, life/death, familial, & personal growth.

"All we do, mija, is love. Love is the answer. Nothing stops it. Not borders. Not death." 

Beautiful story of family, death, life. Big Angel has just buried his mother and is about to celebrate his last birthday with family. He and others reflect on his life, what makes family, how one lives with the past while moving forward. https://cannonballread.com/2019/11/the-house-of-broken-angels-a-novel-elcicco/

"if only the dominant culture could see these small moments, they would see their own human lives reflected in the other.”

Several 5⭐️ or almost 5⭐️ reads this month! Unusual for me as I‘m usually a star-grinch. Pictured are the top three that I highly recommend.

The pic of the smiling gnome in sunglasses is of my mother-in-law at a graduation party in WI and it makes me laugh every time I see it so thought I‘d share 🤣

#JuneWrapUp

Such a fantastic story of life. The good and bad, the messiness of it. And how in the end, it comes down to the relationships we have with one another, in all their imperfection. Great summer read. #LitsyAtoZ

I had a #SneakySuspicion we'd wind up at City Lights bookstore at least one more time this trip; it's definitely a #happy place for us. Here's the #U section, for your entertainment! #30JuneBooks #SongsOfSummer #JazzyJune #citylights
@howjessreads @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620 @Eggs

This book 💔 *insert dramatic sigh*

Word origami. I don‘t know how else to describe how effortlessly Urrea creates his characters, sets the tone, constructs the plot and draws you in to the world of this Mexican American family. Initially I was skeptical as to how the author would make such a culture relatable in my eyes. Not only do I find this family relatable...but I will be expecting them for Thanksgiving.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🤣🤣🤣 I found this far too funny 🤣🤣🤣

I gotta say, there‘s some wisdom in this attitude! 🤔

#LibraryHaul

A family saga set on two days, encompassing so much more. Big Angel is dying, but he wants one last, huge birthday party; his mother manages to die just ahead of him, so the book comprises the day of her funeral, and, one day later, his 70th birthday party. Funny, hard, sad, alarming, and filled with great characters and moments. Vivid about La Paz, about San Diego, and so much more. 4.5 ⭐️ ⬇️

She stared up at him. “Yo no,” she said, shaking her head. “No more cook!” She waved her hands in front of herself. In Spanish, she said, “I was a cook for everybody for 50 years. I had to. Now I won‘t have to cook for anybody ever again. Oh no, Gabriel. I am a refugee from the apron.”
It had never occurred to Little Angel that cooking masterpieces every day had been a chore. “Get me coffee,” she said. “Sí?”
Off he went.
“I eat hamburrgurrs now!”

“Big Angel stood, drifted to the middle of the room, and invited every memory to come to him and clothe him in beauty.”

😳 Dang, this line is so great my eyebrows are still all the way up. 😮😍

This book is due at 3:47 pm tomorrow, and I am NOT EVEN HALFWAY through, and I have French class tonight after work, soooo WE SHALL SEE. I'm liking it though!

I love following Luis and his wife on Twitter, and I have enjoyed his books, both nonfiction and novels. I was bummed this was not in at the library while the #ToB2019 was going on. 🧐 But cool cool, I can‘t read every book on time, I guess. (FOMO is so real with books tho, which is why I had to institute an alternating-month-owned-book-not-library-books-TBR-pile rule😂.) ANYWAY, here we go!

Book club + birthday celebration tonight with some of my favorite girlfriends. I am so lucky to be able to share a love of books and reading with such fantastic women.

This book was highly rated by all of us. It‘s about love & family, being Mexican, borders & how we create distance/closeness w/ people different than us. And death (a favorite topic of mine). It‘s poetic. It‘s reflective. It‘s funny and sad. Urrea has a glaring gift for writing.

I‘m so glad I found this after reading @BarbaraBB ‘s glowing review of it. I think I would have liked it better in print, so it would be easier to keep track of all the characters, but Urrea was a great audio narrator. It gave me “This is Where I Leave You”-vibes, with its focus on family relationships, the uncovering of secrets and its humour. This was darker, though, but definitely a great book!

I normally don‘t read much literary fiction (I‘m a plot-driven novel type of person). But I heard Urrea speak about this book at TFOB this year. His story of how his brother‘s final birthday party just before his death inspired him (Urrea) to write it, and how it truly was the only time in his life he ever kissed his brother was so touching that I cried during the panel. #howjessreadsin2019

Excellent storytelling, although I did have a little trouble keeping track of the characters. I recommend the audiobook, read by the author. #ToB #audiobook

My stack for Dewey‘s Readathon tomorrow! (Hey, a girl has to have options for every mood.) 😁 I already started the two on the right, which I may or may not try to finish tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing everyone‘s stacks/updates! 📚📚📚🤓😍 #readathon @DeweysReadathon

A brightly colored book for a grey, rainy Sunday under the covers! #weekendreads

My favorite versus my least favorite in the #ToB2019 today. Come on, Angels!

My next #bookclub book came in yesterday. I have to have it read by Thursday, which should be doable.🤞I've seen good things about this one on Litsy, so I'm excited to dive in.
#bookmail

I liked this boisterous and sad book about a large Mexican-American family and their dying patriarch. While it was sometimes hard to keep the characters and their relationships to each other straight due to the jumping narrative, it added up to be greater than the sum of its parts. The audio, read by Urrea, was excellent.

Last night a few of us from Book Club went to see Luis Alberto Urrea speak. I had never heard of this author before picking up this title, and I was BLOWN AWAY. Damn is he a storyteller. The kind you could sit dumbstruck in front of for hours as your heart expands and you realize just how much love and sorrow this world can hold.

He reads the audiobook and I will definitely be picking that up.

P.S. He‘s smiling for the camera!

I was at Antigone Books today and had to have the paperback edition of HoBA that includes the family tree. ❤️ #tob2019

I‘m enjoying this, but I‘m struggling to keep up with the many characters from many generations. Does anyone have a hard copy? Does it have a family tree chart in it?

One of my all time favs. Amazingly clear portraits of people‘s lives in two days. He a magician with dialogue. I could picture every scene. Love.

I really enjoyed this book. Urrea focuses on end of the life of Big Angel as he buries his mother and prepares for his own imminent death. The story encompasses both his entire family--broadening to include his parents, his siblings, his wife and her siblings, his children and grandchildren--and his past. (continued in comments)