Welcome to Litsy!

I bailed on this book 9 years ago! (It just wasn‘t the right time and I didn‘t have the patience) but I heard a podcast about it last week and thought it was time to give it another go. Boy am I glad I did! I absolutely loved it. One of the best books I‘ve read in a long time. Now to get the next three books…

Embarrassingly, I looked up what made this book critically acclaimed wondering, what was I missing? That tension of young friendship that seesaws between desperate longing and cutting jealousy? That, I recognised but no longer felt. Perhaps the “grown up” version I‘m shying away from is when you act but do so with an awareness of how you will be perceived by that one person you can‘t help but want to impress. Or worse, you act in spite of them.

How about “Buddy Read” rivalry? A friend and I had this plan to read “The Alexander Quartet” by Elena Ferrante and I got sidetracked with #READLESMIS I was upfront with her about it. Not a cheater. 🤣 We had already read and discussed Book One: My Brilliant Friend. I checked back with her yesterday and she has finished all 4 books. She said she could not wait for me. 😳 (I typically read one book at a time but I guess I need to change up)

This was another #buddyread with my bestie. The first in a trilogy about two friends. This first book was about their childhood and growing up together. Overall, it was a soft pick for me. The characters were fleshed out well and unique, but there truly wasn‘t as much in the way of friendship for the girls as I expected

🫤

This book! My goodness! I usually don‘t reread but I am glad I did. I still can‘t figure out these two. Gladly, there‘s 3 more books in the series.

I‘m starting to read this again while waiting for my new edition of Les Miserables to come. I asked a friend to Buddy Read it with me because the characters and story are so different (best word ) that I have been longing to talk to someone about it. #ReadLesMis

NYT named this the #1 book of the century. Hmmm. Am I missing something? I mean, it was interesting, but I didn‘t love it like some people and I am going to say many of my book club pals aren‘t going to singing its praises either.
Back to work tomorrow. 😭

Yes, I adored MY BRILLIANT FRIEND.

“I would have done anything for her, on that morning of reconciliation: run away from home, leave the neighborhood, sleep in farmhouses, feed on roots, descend into the sewers through the grates, never turn back, not even if it was cold, not even if it rained.“ This is the quote that sold me on the book; Elena Ferrante capturing a type of relationship that I can't recall seeing so viscerally written before.

5/5 ❤️

After all these years, re-reading this series has solidified it as my all-time favourite! The characters of Elena and Lila and their intense friendship are so real, raw, and honest, making it all incredibly relatable. The writing is simply brilliant! ❤️

Reread
Ferrante's writing is excellent, it transports us to another time and place, making us invisible observers of the life and culture of a Neapolitan neighborhood. We grow attached to the different characters, we get to know their good and bad sides, their aspirations too.
Definitely recommend it.

Bailing at 19%. I heard so much praise for this author but I can‘t stand the characters and don‘t want to spend more time following their stories.

New episode just posted! This week we are discussing the much praised, and beloved novel, “My Brilliant Friend“ by Elena Ferrante. We delve into Ferrante's mysterious identity and discuss criticism in the modern age. But mostly we discuss this brilliant, personal, and captivating novel. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3CKVxGb3QEHJCWTDjwNTYe

Having fun preparing for this episode. Does anyone know what came of the rumor that Ferrante was really Domenico Starnone? People talked like there was conclusive evidence years ago but I can't find anything recent.

2-6 Sep 24 (audiobook)
A re-read on audio following it coming it at number 1 of the NYT books of this century so far.
I loved revisiting Lila‘s tempestuous nature and Elena‘s jealousy, the limited options for women and prevalence of violence in 1950s Naples and the power of education, even if this is not always recognised by Elena. Did it deserve the number one spot? I am not sure but I do appreciate that the place was taken by a ‘woman‘s novel‘.

Thanks to a Gift Article, I was able to get into the arguably 100 best books of the 21st century (very Western-centric, as expected - hardly any Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, Aussie, African novels, which again is the crux as to why most things are going wrong with the world). Among the 13 I plan to read - most are in my bookshelves, save for around five titles I have yet to find. Still much to go with my reading. How about you?

Read 21 and 6 I still want to read

And just as many on my TBR from this list.

I didn't even like all 9 of the ones I've read. Not a fan of the list, in general. Obviously, I've only read a small portion, so I can't say they aren't good books, but I don't think multiple books from the same series should've been included (even if the whole Neapolitan series is amazing). No Lorrie Moore, Per Petterson, Mieko Kawakami, or Lauren Groff?

NYT's 100 best books of the 21st century intrigued me. I've read 22 and have several others on my TBR list.

Joining in on the fun 😁 Thanks to @jlhammar for the link ❤️

I've met a lot more authors I've read, but not the listed books 😅

#nytbest100 I‘ve read 32 and I have to say their number 1 is not my favourite on any list 🤣🤣🤣 and I know I‘m in a minority. I have 7 in my crazy stacks around the house to read and many more on my wishful thinking TBR. It is odd that there are repeats by some authors and categories of books are missing

🌹Assorted #authoramonth authors past and future: Zadie Smith, Shirley Jackson, Ray Bradbury, Sarah Waters
🌼 Tagged
🌺 In high school I read a couple James Michener chunksters, and I think that sparked my interest in historical fiction.
#wondrouswednesday

This is a superb, beautifully written novel. It follows the intense and complicated friendship of Lila and Lenu through their childhood and adolescence in post war Naples. It depicts the poverty and violence, and the complex social dynamics, vividly. I'm really looking forward to reading the next book in the quartet.

This is the first of 4 books following the lives of 2 girls - this one is based in Naples in the 1950‘s - I loved it , it captures all the drama, grittiness and glamour of Italian life in Naples as 2 young girls evolve into women .

Just in case you haven't had enough of me going on about Italy, here is 20 mins of RAE IN ITALY CONTENT.

https://youtu.be/UYysTjNgmY8?feature=shared

Badly spliced holiday footage? YES
Dreadful holiday apartment audio? YES
Book ranting? YES
Excessively large notebook shopping? YES

This video has it all.

The last 5 mins is me reviewing My Brilliant Friend and The Enchanted April. #booktube

This was fantastic, but doesn't stand alone. Finishing it feels only like finishing the end of a chapter.

My Brilliant Friend is about two girls growing up in a neighbourhood in Naples. It rings true in a way that is either very clever, or based largely on the author's own personal experiences. Essentially, it has a biographical feel to it.

I will reserve final judgement until I've completed the quartet, but this book was immensely readable.

Next up. My husband got me the Neapolitan novels for my birthday cos we're hoping to go to Naples this year.

Aw. Andy got me the Neapolitan novels as pre holiday reading for my birthday.

M for A to Z challenge!

#ItTakesAllKinds Day 21: These Elena Ferrante novels are #WithEyes. Found in a bookstore in Bologna.

I enjoyed this first book in an Italian series about friendship.

1. Can I celebrate Galentine's Day instead? Lol. But I will always take chocolate
2. Tagged - I really enjoyed that series
Thanks @Kshakal @TheSpineView #two4Tuesday

1. The hubs and I don't participate in Valentine's Day, but I *do* love Galentine's Day! And I would love to get a book or bookish accessory for Galentine's Day. (I'm giving bookmarks with my little bundles!) 😍
2. My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante is an excellent example of platonic love between 2 friends. The book is just a great read, as well.

Happy Tuesday!

#LuckyInLove
Day 1: holding hands
👰🤝🤵 This is the first cover that has come to my mind, even though we can't see the hands clearly behind the veil..

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Mio libro preferito

A coming of age story about two young girls in Naples and a social commentary on masculinity & social dynamics of the working class in the 1960s. The writing is rich and characters beautifully crafted. Lots to think about. I immediately bought the next book in the series.

Upsides of work travel are kindle dates with myself 💯

I loved this novel. I found it subtle and beautiful; I missed it when it wasn't in my hands.

I've been worse 😉

#MayMontage Day 9: #InvolvesAWedding - my friend took this photo of tagged book I gifted to her while she was in Brussels. Bought it for her when we spent a week together in Madrid since she was dating an Italian-American guy at the time - now the father of her child. 💕

#TemptingTitles #WithMeOrMy I have read the first two of four …. #badatseries 🙄😁

March #BookSpinBingo 🙌 Am not thinking strategically enough to get a line clearly😂 I read the #DoubleSpin for the month too - N. P. 🌟

Just about to write my list for April!!😁 Of course won't look at the bingo board until I have written my list

@TheAromaofBooks

The relationship between the 2 mains in this is fascinating and I'm very much intrigued enough to want to read the rest of the series. Quite repetitive to me in parts but on the whole p good!

I reread this old favourite partly as a distraction from masters work and partly because my friend @moll just started reading it for the first time and I wanted a refresher. I might have loved it even more than ever. I don‘t normally think of books as relatable for me or even want them to be, but Lenu is the one exception to that. I ache for her so hard I feel like she IS me. I was worried rereading that I‘d feel it less but I think I felt it more

Next up!

#WeekendReads
1. Listening to tagged and reading an ARC of The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart
2. Nora Roberts, R.F. Kuang, Robin Hobb, Rebecca Roanhorse, Patricia Briggs to name just a few!
3. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot - fascinating and heartbreaking