Welcome to Litsy!

August wrap. Much goodness here! Diaz‘s book was probably my favorite. It is now time for #scienceSeptember! #Augustwrapup

In the Distance will end up being one of my 2019 top reads. I love melancholy fiction and this is one of the best I've read. The plot has its starts and stops, but the story never gets stale or boring. The writing is wonderful; particularly the descriptions of the changing landscapes, flora, fauna, and Håkan himself as his journey wears him down mentally and physically. It was a book that was hard to put down and will take a while to get over.

Deep! I‘ve always wondered this. Why due humans bury themselves in a casket within a vault (in the US, anyway). I want my atoms out there, becoming something else!

This is wonderful! This book is exceeding my expectations.

Håkan is a young boy when he‘s sent to America with his older brother. Almost immediately they‘re separated and Håkan, who was supposed to land in New York, finds himself in San Francisco at the height of the Gold Rush. He traverses the US in search of his brother, crossing paths with strange people and finding himself in nightmarish situations. Reading this felt like being trapped in a fever dream. Some of the imagery will never leave me!

It‘s hard to place this book in a single box. It‘s a quasi western with some parts myth other fantasy. Hakan departs Sweden headed to NY but an unexpected instant alters his course & destiny. There are elements of Mary Shelly‘s Frankenstein as Hakan is a stranger in an unfamiliar land.
I found this story very bleak & at times unspeakable. This book is not for the faint hearted nor for one seeking action. This is slow & contemplative. 3 stars

Not sure what exactly I‘m reading and I‘m not sure why I made this an #ImpulseBuy on #KindleDailyDeal 🤷‍♀️It‘s really odd. Have you read this one @Reggie ?? Anyone?!?!

This book is so strange. It's a western - but it isn't. It's about America(s?) and the civil war, and about hopelessness and fear and loneliness. The characters are colourful but blunt-edged in a way that I found myself flipping pages back and forth to search for the essential metaphor that I must have missed because all the painstaking detail seems irrelevant otherwise.

#MusicalNewYear #onmyown the tagged book is a solitary journey of one man , very good book.
The pics , on the left , my daughter in Queenstown today , a pic of just her , but I know that smile & she is visiting one of her best friends & he makes her laugh in a way that no one else can.
Pic on the right is of me & hubbys spin to west cork today .... solitary , silent , beautiful country ♥️

This isn‘t going to be for everyone but if you like Frankenstein, westerns, epic journeys, and a sort of harsh dreamy narration, this is for you. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2018/10/review-in-distance-by-hernan-diaz.html

I can‘t quite believe this was a debut. Diaz‘s take on the Western is alien, spare and haunting. Håkan leaves his native Sweden in 1850 with his brother Linus, heading for New York. They are separated almost immediately and Håkan must walk the breadth of America to find him. His detached narration belies the depth of feeling that lurks beneath his imposing demeanour, and the result is an intense meditation on loneliness, home and friendship.

#OctoberXFiles #FeedMyFrankenstein I read this book a few months ago. About a man called The Hawk. Meant to be like Frankenstein, a solitary , lonely soul. Very good book 👍🏻❤️

I'm really glad I read this on vacation, because I couldn't put it down. This is the most engaging book I have read in ages. A man travels alone in the wild west, becoming a legend in the process. Great storytelling, even when there were long lulls in the action.

I'm overwhelmed, I teared up even. @BookNAround went above and beyond with generosity! I'm beside myself, I don't often have the money to buy bookish things, so this is a real treat for me and I'm so so so thankful 😍😍😍

You have a special place in my heart @BookNAround THANK YOUUUUU!!!

Small presses sometimes publish the most interesting books. This is from Coffeehouse Press and so far, it‘s really good. I don‘t usually like Western set novels but I am enjoying this historical fiction about a young Swedish immigrant trying to make his way from California to New York to find his brother.

#HeatofJuly #Alone This haunting book is the first one that came to mind for #alone 💔. And it‘s the end of the month !!!

Thankyou for hosting a great month 🙏🏻

I picked up this book randomly, only to find it a page turner that kept me up late last night & up early this morning to finish it. Hakans journey is an awesome one. I will be haunted by the image of him ( an incredible sight) , this legendary man , as he journeyed across America. His inner & outer landscapes mirroring each other. Arriving as a boy from Sweden at the time of the gold rush in the American west. My heart went out to this man. 👇🏻

The river is shimmering in the sunlight today. I think I‘ll give this book a go , I picked it up fairly randomly at the shop yesterday. 💙

A fascinating and thought-provoking western! There is much to ponder and I‘m still wondering if I like the ending, but that‘s a good thing. (Pro tip: Read Frankenstein first! The author draws on a lot of Mary Shelley‘s images and themes.)

Perfect audiobook for a road trip west! 🏜🚙

I just read this is a Pulitzer finalist! That‘s awesome! From the New York Times: A Debut Novel. A Tiny Press. A Pulitzer Finalist. https://nyti.ms/2HKPICI

In a month I won‘t remember the name of this book, but I‘ll remember the scenes and events that took place. In the 1800‘s the MC goes in search of his brother, spending his life trying to get from the west to the east coast. It‘s a story of loneliness, resourcefulness, brutal weather, despair, love and loss. It‘s not uplifting (can you tell?) but it‘s quite the journey. At times I had to nudge myself to keep going, but I‘m glad I made the effort.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a little gem hidden away in the ToB longlist.

This is a novel of solitude. A Western very much from the point of view of an "outsider" or at least one who see's himself as other. I don't think I have read another book that conveys so well being in a country where you don't speak the language.
This would be great on film. Two hours of mostly just a man riding through a desert but still it could work as a subversive Western.

Only 7 books and 1500 pages this month. However, I have also been working on 3 longer reads, 1 and maybe 2 of which I will finish in March. Fave is tagged. A great month for #1001books. #februaryreads

This novel tells the story of a very original character, Hakan Soderstrom. When he is 13? 14? He and his older brother Linus (16?) are sent from Sweden to NY via Portsmouth—their parents could only afford 2 tix. He loses Linus in Portsmouth, and decides to look for him on ship. And ends up in SF. From there he tries to get to NY, having many accidental adventures. Very good and really quite sad. Reminded me of Patrick DeWitt‘s novels a bit.

Next up for current fiction! I am loving this cover.

My coworker recommended this book and I wasn‘t sure about it until I got to this page. Woah, Hernan Diaz is brilliant. Not only is he a master of lists, he‘s a master of language, and this paragraph is a perfect example. This book is one that‘s meant to be read slowly and take its time, but it‘s definitely worth it

Went to the library to pick up a crochet book on hold. Had to wait in line next to the new fiction. Came home with these. I am feeling cocky with 11 days left in January and just over 200 pages in January reads to go. 😜

I was pleasantly surprised by how much of Western this book actually was. The novel was deeply existential and introverted in a way that really made me cherish the pages. However, to be clear, the story was brutal in illustrating the indifference of a nation to an immigrant, of nature to a man. My only complaint is that the conclusion felt wrapped up a bit too neatly and quickly. Otherwise, a great read.

Loved this quick thought on language.

Tombolo, a new pop up book shop in down town St. Pete. So well curated. I got In the Distance by Hernan Diaz there. I'm really enjoying it and I'm not sure if I would have taken the chance on it if I hadn't stopped by this shop.