Welcome to Litsy!

I just finished, what must be, one of the greatest books I've read this year. Wow, wow and wow again! The author has done an incredible job of describing the beautiful culture and history of Korea in this book. What a fantastic story!

Painful, brutal, beautiful, touching, and at times funny, this story had so many layers that it's hard to do it justice in a few words of review. The history, the buried truths of years of unbelievable torment endured by the inhabitants of the island, and the decimation of their culture, comes through the story of two inseparable girls who are eventually torn apart from the atrocities they lived through.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Very excited to start this book. It's my first book by this author as well.

Heartbreaking and beautiful.

Fascinating historical fiction book about the matrifocal society on the island of Jeju (Korea). The female sea divers, known as haenyeo, dive while holding their breath in order to harvest various forms of sea life which they sell to support their families.

I was presenting at a Behavioral Health Town Hall this morning an hour away from my office and finished my audiobook on the drive out, so I‘m downloading my book for the drive home now!

“As the Korean saying goes, do the work of the dead in the land of the living”.

“Every woman who enters the sea carries a coffin on her back. In this world, the undersea world, we tow the burdens of a hard life”.

Women harvest together, sort together, and sell together. The sea itself is communal.

#librarybooks #reading #booksthatstaywithyou #books #read #lisalee #reviews #femaleauthors

Wow! This was an amazing story filled with dynamic characters, heartfelt themes, and incredible history. I would definitely recommend!

Now for something completely different I'm going to read a book book rather than an audiobook or a ebook. Been years since I read one of this author's books but not because I don't normally love them!! Just because I haven't

#7Days7Covers #CoverCrush #Day1

Post a cover each day for seven days with no explanation. @4thhouseontheleft if you‘ve not done it. Anyone else can join in.

I love it when my #bookmail shows how diverse my reading taste are as a product of the wonderful world of litsy! #blameitonlitsy

Looks good!

Today was our monthly meeting of the illustrious #ThePoconoBookClub 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! It was a great meeting with a bunch of new members in attendance, WOOHOO 🕺! Most folks really enjoyed the selection, some not so much. My accompaniment: bacon mac ‘n cheese with bacon, and unsweetened iced tea. MMMmmmm 😋! It was excellent!

This is my August wrap up. Several mysteries and only one nonfiction! I listened to Whisper Network, The Way You Make Me Feel, and The Bookshop on the Shore. Overall a good month as I liked all of these. I‘m picking the tagged book as my top book of the month even though it was very sad.

This book has a lot of sadness but I so enjoyed being immersed in a different world and culture, where women work as divers and men take care of children. The book covers nearly a lifetime and main character went through so much! I first learned about the women divers in Korea from reading White Chrysanthemum, and I learned a lot more about their diving skills from this book. I‘ve read other books by Lisa See but this one was the best.

This takes place on Jeju Island, South Korea. Great cultural story but even more interesting from a historical viewpoint.🦐

This was a recommendation. Audiobook on loan from Hoopla. I shamefully admit that this was almost a DNF! This is not my genre and I had a difficult time finishing it BUT it was worth finishing because it‘s a really good book! Story covers friendship, family secrets, generations, all female diving collective, a small Korean island. I really enjoyed the character interaction. Well done! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/4! (Only halfway through The Silent Patient)

I‘ve read this author before and loved her other books. Because I‘ve read most of her books, I know how this author writes and I was pleasantly surprised that she changed her formula! It was still very authentic, I love how she describes the food and the culture. But the history was a completely added level and so well done!!! I learned so much...all while enjoying the story. #greatreads

1. Anything with milk chocolate. I avoid it as long as I can, but then I break out like a 16 year old n
2. After over 60 years, I finally found some clothing I like and am replacing my whole wardrobe piece by piece.
3. Tagged. Time period that I hate to read about but a sociology I‘m completely interested in.
4. Thanks @KarenUK for the tag. Now, let‘s see if @Taichichick is paying attention.
@Eggs #wondrouswednesdy one of my favorite prompts.

This book introduced me to the Korean island of Jeju and to its female divers called Haenyeo. It takes place during the Japanese invasion of Korea. I had no idea that there was a matrifocal culture where the women were the ones who made the money and provided for their families. It‘s about family, friendship, love, and betrayal; but it was also very educational. I learned so much about the history of Korea and it was truly fascinating.

I wish I could select Pick three times to indicate how much I love this book. It‘s beautiful and tragic and forgiving. It‘s a history lesson that makes me want know more. I want to send prayers of love across the sea on April 3 of each year.
Jeju, your matrifocal culture, your sea women (haenyeo), your beauty - It was so nice to meet you!

My July audible wrap up. Check it out! https://reecaspieces.com/2019/08/02/july-audible-reads-audiblebooks-audioreads-w...

Surf‘s up, reading‘s down. I‘ve been spending more time in the ocean, which means less time reading. Only 7 books this month, most of them being in/around/near the water 🌊🏖
1 🎧 audio
1 🖥 ebook
5 📚physical books
Fiction: 6
Nonfiction/essays/memoirs: 1
From my shelf: 0
#monthlywrapup #julystats

I felt immersed in the culture. Her best book yet.

We've checked into our hotel in Palm Springs and I'm about to collapse into bed but, first, my review:
This was very painful at times but it was beautifully written and very engaging. It also prompted me to dip a little research about a part of the world I know very little about. A definite win.

Here I go! Hoping to finish the tagged book and start The Bride Test on the plane. 😊🏜

Another terrific book by this author, reminding me that I know next to nothing about Korea. Loved it.

Lisa See is an author I've been hearing about on litsy all year and I loved experiencing her writing for the first time. This quiet, heartbreaking read explored a little piece of history I knew nothing about. A powerful female voice I look forward to reading more from.

It was so nice outside this morning. I could not resist! I finished this read while getting my workout in! Loved it! #teamflow #bfc #bfcr2 @wanderinglynn @Moony @CocoReads @julesG @LibrarianJen @imabusybee @laurenslibrary @britt_brooke

The heat finally broke enough for some #audiocooking this morning! so I'm making mini crust-less quiches for breakfast this week.
#bfc #BFCr2 @wanderinglynn @Hestapleton #bookdragons

A little fishing and started a new read 💙💙💙💙💙

Women are the providers in this culture yet a woman without a son has failed as apparently only males can worship their ancestors. #ThatsABummer Was hoping the women would get more appreciation. But I'm still in the early chapters so 🤞.

On another note, it was 104 on my drive home per my car (99 officially) so, despite having A/C, The Hubs and I have introduced a noisy fan to the bedroom. #DreamingOfWinter

Not a typical summer read. . . I went into this book knowing next to nothing about this place (the island of Jeju, Korea) or its matriarchal culture. It's a fascinating place that is so different than any other. Themes of friendship, overcoming tragedy, and preserving culture in the face of modernity dominate in this well researched historical fiction. The story is sad and achingly beautiful.

I LOVED this book! Beautiful, evocative, full of strong women, it‘s a story of 2 friends who are part of a women‘s collective of divers in a matriarchal society on the island of Jeju, South Korea in the 1940s onward and the impact of war and cultural & personal perceptions on their relationship. Anyone who‘s looking for a solidly good + beachy read should pick this up.

Putting a pin in it (at least) at 14% (1:53:01 in). Not in the mood.

Starting this tonight. #CurrentRead

Chaplin and I have started the new Lisa See book today and so far it's excellent! One of my favorite aspects of living a bookish life is that through books you can travel to just about anywhere- in this case a Korean island! Happy Friday, littens! 😁😸💕📚 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten

Read this one straight through yesterday. I ugly cried a couple of times.

I can‘t settle on one book so I‘m reading both 😜#BookNerdProblems

This story has so many aspects to it, colonalism traditional ideas and beliefs that get in the way of change, internal and external conflict. A beautiful and heartbreaking friendship.

The story of two women and their friendship and the tragidies they experiance together is a beautiful story. In listening to it as an American there was an undeniable truth that Americans have caused harm to so many countries in the name of "Freedom"

Loved this book! It was a bit slow at first and the writing was a bit straightforward but it worked and really sped up toward the end. So much interesting history and a beautiful story of friendship. Great read!

Water reads and beach books for July‘s #tbr 🌊🏖

My first Litsy post! These are some of the books I‘ve read so far this year as part of the #readingwomenchallenge2019 #readingwomen #diversereading #diverseauthors #readingchallenge

Summer‘s were made for reading by a pool! We took our 10 year old to the pool bc he was guilt tripping us for not taking him swimming yet this summer. Oops. But I allowed me to get through a big chunk of this book. I‘m loving it!

I enjoy books that teach me something while telling their story. This one was exceptional. The heonyeo of Jeju Island are truly a dying breed. This book chronicles the life of two friends who survived not only a dangerous diving lifestyle, but wars and other evils throughout Korea‘s volatile political history. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Listened to Chapters 6 - 10.
Kicked major ass today in the walking department!
Read chapters 7 and 8 of Fatal Grace.

More tomorrow
#BFC #BookFitnessChallenge
#TeamBookNerdHerd

I started reading this book, and it is such a beautiful tale.

I have took 13k steps and I got my fitbit!

I have also started. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny and found out today that my boss also likes her books so thats cool.

Up next! I felt lucky to be the first to grab this off the new release shelf at my library.

it was a good book by Lisa See. I wish that I had Read it instead of audio. I think I would have been able to follow it a little bit more, but definitely recommend it.

This beautiful, thoughtful novel illuminates a world turned upside down, one where the women are in charge, engaging in dangerous physical work, and the men take care of the children. A classic Lisa See story—one of women‘s friendships and the larger forces that shape them—The Island of Sea Women introduces readers to the fierce and unforgettable female divers of Jeju Island and the history that shaped their lives. #islandinthesun #songsofsummer