Welcome to Litsy!

I enjoyed this story about storytelling once I stopped worrying about following the plot and instead just savoured the beautiful writing.

This was my third and final book finished for #NovelNovember. Thanks to @Andrew65 for hosting the readathon!

Review 🌊 The Starless Sea 🌊 Erin Morgenstern

https://rebrand.ly/starlesssea/literrohde

“[I feel like] I‘m losing my mind but in a slow, achingly beautiful sort of way.”

That quote sums up what it is like to read this book. The plot is ridiculous, the narrative frames are bonkers, the prose is beautiful, and the experience is wonderful - unless it isn‘t.

(More in comments 👇🏻)

I had NO idea what to expect from this book. It felt magical, it felt real. I was encapsulated by the story and the writing was beautifully done. The entire book was a journey from start to finish. The characters draw you in and make you feel. Even though it took me longer than expected😅 what a great October #bookspin read! @TheAromaofBooks

Picked up a package from the lease office, expecting my Halloween swap, and it‘s my #sliceofsummer swap. 😜

I thought it was stolen but I guess it was bouncing around in the Amazon Shipping Ether. Thank you @BarkingMadRun lol it was like Christmas in October when I read the label.

Sick days make me feeling guilty when sunshine and a book is involved. Although my October TBR doesn‘t show it, I love spooky season! Starting off with one of my #bookspin books!

I don't really know what to say about this book, except that I love it. It's slow going, and not much happens, but I loved the characters, the setting and the writing. There's an underground library, lots of stories within the story and the starless sea itself. And the ending, it's very open, but I still found it satisfying. It's definetely my favourite book of the year. 💖💖💖🐝

Fall snacks are all comfort foods, often baked, with coffee on the side. I love making waffles and smothering them with whipped cream on lazy fall and winter mornings… or a brownie and some milk with a comfort book at night. The tagged book has become a recent comfort read or listen for me, but I‘d take recs for other recent pubs that folks find comforting in the prose and/or story!
#littensdressedinblood #comfortreads

This book is rly a bunch of stories rolled into one main story about…stories lol. It‘s very meta, and it‘s a bit confusing since it‘s non linear, but I didn‘t care at all because it was SO BEAUTIFUL. Like omg, the words were all gorgeous, the narrative was refreshing, everything fit, the syntax was perfect. I listened to the book on speed 1 which is rare for me... While the plot was interesting, I just wanted to enjoy the process

#2021

I'm late to the party on this one. So let me just say that this #audiobook is wonderful. It has Bahni Turpin and Dion Graham among others. If Dion Graham read the dictionary, I would listen to it, despite the lack of plot. He has a very smooth and soothing voice.

I did definitely love this book. 🐝🗝🗡🌝

#BookSpinBingo free space
@TheAromaofBooks

There is a pirate in the basement.

(I'm enjoying taking my time with this one, instead of racing through it.)

#firstlinefridays
@ShyBookOwl

I had to end on page 169 as this is a library book and do back Saturday will have to read the rest if I find it cheap somewhere

Zachary didn't open a magic portal as a little boy but now as an adult he is given another chance when he discovers a book in a university library that tells the story of his missed opportunity.

I'm not sure I managed to connect all the dots in this one as intertwined stories unfurled not always in chronological order. Still it was quite a ride. Xtra kudos to the author for making Zachary gay without it being the focus of the story, he just was.

I've wanted a reading nook for as long as I can remember, but I always thought I would need way more money and space, a house of my own. A friend recently made one work in her bedroom, and I recently left a job that crushed my soul and negatively impacted nearly every area of my life for seven years, so I felt inspired to create a reading nook in the corner of my living room. I love it already and can't wait to read all the things here 🥺📚☕😍

Having a physical response to lack of book is not unusual.

There is a pirate in the basement.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

#sunlightwellness #siblinglove #mycover

Book #31: The language/writing in this book was so wonderful and felt so relatable. It gave me an indescribable, hopeful feeling while reading. Romantic. I did this as a beach read but I would have preferred it as a winter read. Made me want to get a tattoo of a sword.

Leila you have spoiled me! The booksleeve has foxes! The books look great, I can't wait to try the tea, and you have fed my key lime addiction. I've been looking for that kit kat flavor with no luck. Thank you so much!
#sliceofsummerswap @Catsandbooks

This isn't a book to read. It is a whole experience.

My new Starless Sea inspired sweatshirt from Illumicrate's lifestyle collection 🐝

My #bookhaul from my birthday yesterday! We leave for vacation in two weeks and I no longer have to worry about which books I should bring!

Books I've gathered for the summer. This doesn't include the ebooks I'll read on my phone while I'm away.

#CuriousCovers Day 15 #Star

I went with the title for this one. I want to move it up closer to the top of Mt. TBR.

I am posting 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.
This is day 203
#BooksToRead #TBRPile #TBRMountain

Todays thrift store finds.

I picked a favorite for the #CuriousCovers gray prompt. I love the look of these silver ribbons snaking about between keys.

Ms. Morgenstern‘s writing is always love & precisely my cup of tea. She does atmosphere better than damn near anybody, and this book was as stunningly and relentlessly immersive as The Night Circus...yet also so distinct that comparing them, even in favorable delight, feels unfair. This novel is a fairytale... & a towering puzzle with secret compartments... & a love letter to stories, & to all those who hold them sacred. ❤️

This book is not for everyone. There is a lot going on, the storyline and characters are confusing. But it is beautiful & flowing & imaginative. You cannot only picture the story, you can smell & taste it too. It is about the story of Time and Fate falling in love. I have so many questions that will never get answered. But it was an interesting, maybe even fun, read.

Not too hard to read, but need to keep your wits about you to recall characters introduced. I'm still not sure that I fully understood the story though and found the last 50 odd pages hard to get through. I recently read a comment to compare the story to that of a video game which may help to better understand the story line.

Oh my GOSH. It has been a long time since I read a book that was THIS GOOD. This is the ultimate book for people who love books. The characters, the story (all the stories, if you know you know). Amazing.

I'm posting one book per day from the ever growing unread stacks in my personal library. No description or explanation, just books I own and plan to read. #tbr

Day 62 (Audible edition)

THE STARLESS SEA is a unique and creative fairy tale of worlds within worlds and stories within stories. Check out my review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ https://www.bluestockingreviews.com/post/the-starless-sea

I loved the language of this book, and the beautiful and whimsical descriptions. Such a fun story that I could barely keep track of! Took me 5 weeks to read it, and totally worth it. Be warned, it is very non-linear.

This has all the escapism that I want out of a novel right now, and the writing is lush and exquisite. I had a lovely time with this, though I do understand why people wouldn‘t. Check out my full review: https://amysbookreviews.com/2021/04/23/the-starless-sea-by-erin-morgenstern-revi...

My next endeavor! Curious to see if this lives up to the hype and how it‘ll compare to The Night Circus, which I loved.

Strange, isn‘t it? To love a book. When the words on the pages become so precious that they feel like part of your own history because they are.

Zachary Ezra Rawlins, I'll follow you anywhere, anytime. 🐝 🗝 🗡

There is telling a story and then there is being immersed into the very essence of what stories are. A beautiful decent into some of the most visceral experiences that we have all had with stories. Sometimes you cannot put a story on paper, sometimes you can taste a story and know it and feel it down to your bones.(story mints were my favorite). Parts of this story left me wanting. But I plan to return to the starless again and again.

“Reading a novel, he supposes, is like playing a game where all the choices have been made for you ahead of time by someone who is much better at this particular game.”

This book is intoxicating. I want to read it forever. I am only on 300 out of 500 and I just never want it to end. It‘s like nothinggggg I‘ve ever read before.

This book feels difficult to pin down. I really like it though. Some points when I wasn‘t paying close attention I got lost although I did catch up easily.
Morgenstern has an interesting imagination and I love it.

I‘m enjoying this so far. I‘m a little more than halfway through.

I finished this early last night but still don‘t know how to review it. Not sure how I feel, but I know I have questions. An interesting & strange story—I kept reading because I wanted to know what happens, & I enjoyed the characters. All the meandering finally made sense, mostly.

This was a reread for me. The 1st time around I loved the wandering story with its elaborate descriptions & crisscrossing characters‘ lives. This time I was a bit more critical of the emphasis on world-building & lack of forward movement. I still love it but think it‘s best read at a leisurely pace & w/an open mind. That being said, I'd still chose a layered book that pulls me completely into its world over a clear, straight-forward plot any day.

I read The Starless Sea twice last month because it was *that* good. What an incredible novel. It inspired me to reread The Night Circus for probably the 10th time.

These are my favorite fantasy books/series!

Thanks to the lovely @Chrissyreadit for the tag! 😘

Like taking a literary ecstasy pill. A whirlpooling world of stories in stories, books within books, characters reading about themselves in someone else‘s novels. I didn‘t want it to stop, while needing it to end if just to see how it could.