Welcome to Litsy!

@booksnbowls and I do a monthly book swap from our shelves, and this is her pick for November for me to read! I'm definitely annotating and excited to finally read a book by this author. 🩵

Read this while very sick and helped me have a reason to cry. Though not extremely original, (most of) the characters were allowed the time needed to grow and become rounded and juicy. Isabelle was my favorite character for a large part of the story, but its place was slowly taken by that of Vianne. Perhaps tragedy does make one more flexible.

“What did you do in the war, Mom?”

“I survived,” I say quietly.

They couldn‘t touch my heart. They couldn‘t change who I was inside. My body … they broke that in the first days, but not my heart, V. Whatever he did, it was to your body, and your body will heal

I am a mother and mothers don‘t have the luxury of falling apart in front of their children, even when they are afraid, even when their children are adults.

She knew now that no one could be neutral—not anymore—and as afraid as she was of risking Sophie‘s life, she was suddenly more afraid of letting her daughter grow up in a world where good people did nothing to stop evil, where a good woman could turn her back on a friend in need. She reached for the toddler, took him in her arms.

How could you hold on to ideals when you were sick and cold and starving?

“We are all fragile, Isabelle. It‘s the thing we learn in war.”

“I think, as this war goes on, we will all have to look more deeply. These questions are not about them, but about us.”

Vianne felt tears sting her eyes. “I don‘t know what to do anymore. Antoine always took care of everything. The Wehrmacht and the Gestapo are more than I can handle.”

“Don‘t think about who they are. Think about who you are and what sacrifices you can live with and what will break you.”

“Tante Isabelle says it‘s better to be bold than meek. She says if you jump off a cliff at least you‘ll fly before you fall.”

“Ah, yes. That sounds like Isabelle. Perhaps you should ask her about the time she broke her wrist jumping from a tree she shouldn‘t have been climbing in the first place. Come on, let‘s go to school.”

“I would have killed myself before I let one of them move into my house,” Hélène said.
“Would you, Hélène? Would you really?” Vianne said. “And would you kill your children first or throw them out into the street to survive on their own?”

My most favourite part of the book was when Captain Beck billet at Vianne‘s home. Somehow, he took care of Vianne and was a pleasant man. They probably had feelings for each other.

My least favourite part of the book was when Vianne had to part with a certain someone.

What I will remember most about this book was when Vianne tied strings to the tree at the front of her house to symbolize each person who was important in her life and had left.

Now I know why this was a highly rated book. When the ending revealed itself, I was surprised! It wasn‘t who I thought it was! This is by far the best read for me this year! I‘m so glad to finally read it and I‘m having a book withdrawal syndrome 😅 I‘ve rated this 5/5 😘 If you haven‘t yet, go read this now!
My #bookspin read for August! #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Such a beautifully written book, you really invest in the characters. A recommended read.

I had this on my shelf for years & finally decided 2 read it bc it was selected as March‘s Reese‘s Book Club pick! I‘m so glad I read this book!! It took me a while. Not because it was a difficult read, but simply because I did not want it to end. You‘ll fall in love with Isabelle & Vianne & appreciate what they did during WWII. It‘s supposed to be a movie. I‘d be eager to see it! I highly recommend this one for everyone!

The story of Isabel and Vianne Rossignol during WW2 during the German occupation of France 🇫🇷. Both women were #GoodHeartedWomen for their heroism in sheltering Jewish children (Vianne), and Isabel created an escape route from France for rescued downed airmen, as her way of fighting the enemy (at great personal cost).

#VolumesAndVocals @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Great novel of two sisters in France who were heroes and from a broken family. Sort of long but worthwhile.

Half way or so and Isabelle has made it to Spain for the first time with 4 escaped Allied airmen.

I am starting this which is about something I like to read about: France and WW2.

So many people recommended this book to me and when Reese Witherspoon picked it as her book club pick this month I had to go ahead and dive in! I‘m not usually a big fan of historical fiction but I was immediately drawn into this story and I was in tears by the end. This book was so amazing.

🥰Reading some and listening some. Loving these voices!🎧☕️📖

❤️Decided to move this one up to March reads…since everyone is reading it now #Reesebookclub
I love historical fiction and this one is my jam. Don‘t know why it took me so long to pick it up!

"Men always think war is about them." But women know what a real war is - its difficulties & struggles which are not always in the battlefield.

Wonderfully written??
#WWII #sisters #historical #recommends

Absolutely magnificent book, went straight to my list of favourite books. So gripping, heart-wrenching, and emotional story of love and family during WW2. Definitely recommend this book!

4½⭐
After I finished this, I went on GR and read some reviews for it and found a scathing one where she tore this entire story apart and realized that she made some valid points; so much so, that I reconfigured my rating. Although, I only shaved a half star off my original five stars because, despite its inconsistencies, I was really engaged throughout. I think that in the end, KH had the best intentions with the story and I was there for it.

“Love. It was the beginning and end of everything, the foundation and the ceiling and the air in between.”

#InQuotes
#Love

❤️❤️❤️

Oh man, what can I say. Her writing is so good. I cried multiple times as I followed the story of two sisters fighting the Nazis in their own ways.

These two (Dakota and Elle Fanning) are starring in The Nightingale based on Kristin Hannah‘s book! I hope they do it justice!!!

I am looking for some great reads in 2023! Please share with me your favorite of 2022! Give me a post and tag with your favorite or favorites of the year. Happy reading in 2023! #mybookoftheyear!

#12booksin2022 I have two great books in February but this might have been the best books I read this year, so I had to choose this! The Firekeeper‘s Daughter was a close second.

I‘ve read some criticisms about the accuracy of this book and I understand the point but I still really enjoyed it. Some of the language was a bit cheesy and dramatic but it still got me choked up at numerous points. 2 sisters in France during WWII, one battling home life in a occupied village and the other joining the resistance. The characters were really deep and complex and flawed.

Girl power

📚 tagged!
📚Nicholas Sparks
📚National Treasure
📚Nelly
📚Night Train by Jason Aldean

I‘m all over the place 😂

#ManicMonday
#LetterN

#manicmonday #LetterN @CBee

📖 The Nightingale by Hannah
🖋 Nora Roberts
🎥 Now You See Me
📺 The Neighborhood
🎤 NKOTB, No Doubt
🎶 Never Say Goodbye by Bon Jovi, Need You Now by Lady A

Stack of books that I have high expectations based on hype but I'm too afraid to touch because I don't want to kill the illusion. I asked a book club which one I should read first, popular response was The nightingale.
#tbr #books

A very compelling book tracing the Holocaust‘s impact on France and the bravery of the women who gave up everything to save hundreds of innocent lives. A must listen.

Kristen is a genius writer and Polly is a phenomenal performer. :)

This was historical fiction done right! I really enjoyed it. The storytelling was beautiful and raw. Not an easy read but it wasn‘t an easy time. Truly beautiful and captivating story.

Finally read this one. It told an interesting story of two sisters and their roles in Occupied France during WWII. As historical fiction this was quite good and very emotional at the end.

Wow, a truly phenomenal book on World War 2, particularly the women‘s war. It‘s so heart wrenching with incredible characters, a riveting story line, and incredible research. An absolute must-read.

This is a hard one because a lot of the time it depends on the person you are recommending the book and the situation, but if I had to choose three to recommend, I would choose:
1) The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
2) The Five by Hallie Rubenhold
3) The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

#littenswanttoknow

This is a story of a family in France during the 2nd World War, with emphasis on the 2 sisters and the hardships and horrors they experienced. It is also a tale of bravery and love.

I finished this book yesterday and I reread the last chapter when I woke up. I thought about it throughout the night. It was an excellent book. It was haunting, but most books based on traumatic horrifying moments in history are. Both times I read the last chapter I was crying; Tears of sadness and love. My grandmother suggested this book. It will stay with me. I love the line in the end of the book “Men tell stories.” “Women get on with it.”

#AlphabetGame #LetterN

Kristin Hannah will appear several times for me during #AlphabetGame
This is one of my favorites by her.

Loved this one! Also good are:
Nothing to See Here
The Night Circus
The Nickel Boys

#letterN #alphabetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This #lettern is Hannah‘s finest work! A great gateway historical fiction for those unsure about the genre.

#AlphabetGame
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I loved this book the first time I read it; the back and forth was so engrossing that it had me guessing until the very end of the book. As I was finishing the book, the first time, I was bawling my eyes out as I was listening to the audio and hence I couldn‘t quite focus on the page as I read it. #lettern #alphabetgame

BOOK MAIL! This is my favorite Kristin Hannah novel, and possibly one of my top 5 all time favorite novels. Had to have a signed copy of this one. Bummer it's not a first edition. I do own a first edition. To keep them both or not? 🤔

#suckerforsignedcopies #bookmail

Seriously so amazing. Read the whole book in one day. Wow!!! Everyone needs to read this.

1. Tagged. TMI but I was in the middle of miscarriage and this book had me sobbing several times.
2. Historical Fiction. You get different perspectives of the past, often through the eyes of the oppressed.
3. Too many…Fountains of Silence, the Nightingale & the Four Winds.