Welcome to Litsy!

I loved this book. Ann Patchett is amazing.

Reading for Litsy Markup Postal Book Club (#LMPBC) Round 7 - Group L.

I can safely say that my love/hate relationship with Ann Patchett has turned into a love affair. I absolutely adored this book. It‘s probably one of the top 10 books I read this year. You would have to understand what I was going through while reading this book to understand how it changed my heart.

Liked this one but didn‘t love it as much as I hoped I would. Maybe too much hype about it.

Give me a messed up family saga any day, but written by Ann Patchett, and I will devour it.

#LMPBC Round 7 - #GroupL
@suvata @sprainedbrain @Chili @thebluestocking

So sorry ladies but I am going to be late I‘m mailing this book out late.I had a Total hip replacement last week and I had no idea how long the recuperation time would be. I have every intention of getting it in the mail by the end of this week.

I was really surprised that I like this. I really did not like Commonwealth. I don't know if it's because of the setting was near where I live, or it was just a better story I love but it kept my attention.

Photo is of Lynwood Hall in Elkins Park, PA

I really enjoyed this family saga that centers around a house. The characters were developed and nuanced-I was invested right from the start in Danny and Maeve‘s lives. The story follows them as they grow into adults and the plot was satisfying right up to the end without being trite or superficial. I am an Ann Patchett fan. I think her writing is beautiful and her stories powerful, and this book did not disappoint.

This was a good, if kind of sad, story. None of the characters seemed to ever be particularly happy or satisfied and no one was particularly likable. There did seem to be some work towards reconciliations but it so often seemed too late. I will say that I LOVED Tom Hanks as a narrator 😍. And the writing was compelling. 🌟🌟🌟

Such a great book! Written in the character driven style of John Irving, Anne Tyler and now Ann Patchett, this is certainly my cup of tea. About families and forgiveness, in the end. I enjoyed it enough to give it all the stars.

#LibraryHoldsForTheWin #finally

Happy Thanksgiving! 🦃🍁

Our first storm day...so I get to stay in my pjs and finish The Dutch House, which we will be discussing at tonight‘s book club meeting. #happysigh

I was really drawn to the cover of this one and the fact it was narrated by Tom Hanks, so I went in not knowing much about it but I soon got immersed in the family dynamics. It‘s very well thought out and takes you right into the story. An enjoyable listen. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #booked2019 #newin2019

Ann Patchett does it again. A beautiful book with interesting, deep, and real characters that stay with you. Maeve and Danny are siblings that grow up in a beautiful mansion, only to be thrown out by their stepmother shortly after the death of their father. This is also the story of their mother, who is mostly absent through the book, but her choices leave marks on everyone she loves.
Highly recommend this one!

Flew through this audiobook. I had not even read the description going in, so I was pleasantly surprised. A family saga, but also focuses on what the meaning of home and family are.

Well that was extraordinary. Probably my favorite Patchett. My only quibble is that this gorgeous edition was rife with typos. 😒 Still it did not detract from my immense appreciation for this beautiful story. 5⭐️

Meandering and kind of without plot I was still absolutely hooked. My first Ann Patchett not my last

Loving this book so much! I bought it a while ago but hadn't gotten to it yet. That TBR pile is huge 😁 I'd forgotten that I had the audiobook on hold at the library.When it came in, I gave a quick listen and was hooked. Narrator is Tom Hanks! Does anyone else like to have print and audiobooks at the same time? I love the versatility of the audio for bedtime and when I'm on the move,so I don't have to take breaks from a great story 🤓📚

I've got a mug of tea and about an hour left in this audiobook. Time to make some progress on this blanket #audiocrocheting

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 I flew through this book - one of the best I‘ve read this year. The dynamics of this dysfunctional family were so interesting. I think it would be a good book club read. I definitely recommend this and want to pick up more of her books.

DAY 19 #Masterpiece | Per Parnassus Books on IG, the original artwork for The Dutch House is currently on display in the book shop. 😍 The painting and novel are both masterpieces. One of my favorite reads of the year!

#MOvember
@Cinfhen

This book was not even on my radar, but then I saw that the audiobook was performed by Tom Hanks...YES PLEASE! ❤️

Been coming down with something all day, sore throat, headache, coughing!! That‘s my excuse for sitting on the couch and reading all afternoon.
I loved this one ❤️ dysfunctional family interactions, written wonderfully. A great read.

I finished this by my fireside today. And I loved it .... at times I thought :
.”...Oh c‘mon Ann Patchett , I‘m not so sure about all this....... “
But then , with the next sentence , she had me again.
Such a good story ❤️👍🏻

Current reads . I expect to devour The Dutch House tomorrow. I hear it is fabulous.

Others have summarized the plot, so I will simply say that this character driven novel was compelling. There were characters that I was pulling for and ones that I disliked. The sense of place was very strong, and the lives described were complicated, as lives are. 🤓

Oh my goodness, this book! I'm trying to decide how I feel. Is it fantastic? Yes! Should it be read? Absolutely! I just have so many things to say and process about the ending. I need a book club discussion. 😊
Ann Patchett is just so good. Her writing is so smooth and simple but the stories/emotions/relationships are so complex!
No matter what, her storytelling is stellar. Loved this book.
Letter D for #LitsyAtoZ2019
@BookishMarginalia

4.5 ⭐ Patchett writing was excellent. This story revolves around the family dynamics influenced by living in the mansion built by a rich Dutch family. Maeve and Danny are brother and sister and when their mother disappears they grow up with an absent father and the hired help. I loved the interplay of the characters, and the way the Dutch house is perceived by each person. Recommend

My goodness, this book is good...🤓

I adored this modern day fairy tale and Ann Patchett‘s gorgeous prose. It was made all the more enjoyable due to Tom Hanks‘ narration.

🎧 I loved & recommend this audiobook. I would never have read it. This reminds me of Daisy Jones & a few other books. The audiobook was amazing but the book was ... meh. Tom Hanks sells this book. The story was maybe 3-star. The narration brings it to life & makes it a compelling story that spans a lifetime, 3 parents, 5 kids, servants and the house that changed all of their lives. The story revolves around the 2 oldest kids. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️2/3

A morning fireside read with a good cup of coffee. It‘s hard to beat that. I‘m really enjoying this book! So much so that it‘s hard to put down.

"The story of my sister was the only one I was ever meant to tell."⠀
⠀
I read a lot of REALLY good books, but I don't know the last book that has captured me as quickly or as completely as Ann Patchett's The Dutch House. (I should look back at my Goodreads account to tell you which one it was, but I'm just basking in the glory of this one right now.) (continued in comments)

Second 3x3 grid completed for #BFCr4. 4.5 and above falls in my A range and the tagged 5* toppled my Top6Reads of 2019.

5* = Loved It, want non-reader IRL friends to read. I do/will own a physical copy. A+
4*= Liked it a lot, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Average C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

Excellent. Gorgeous cover which I appreciate even more so now that I've finished the novel and realize the connection. I loved the #audiobook narrated by Tom Hanks ♥️
I didn't love Bel Canto as much as I should have but loved Patchett's other two novels and this one may be my favorite yet. Beautiful writing and sibling love story for the ages.

I listened to the audiobook of this novel, narrated fantastically by Tom Hanks. The writing is descriptive and flowing with great character to the dialogue. This is not a book for those bothered by a shifting and non-linear timeline in a plot. For me, it added another layer of complexity that helped to keep the book interesting and to develop the plot in small strokes as the chapters moved on. This is a beautiful sweeping family drama.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘m a Patchett skeptic. I loathed Bel Canto, but liked Commonwealth, so I wasn‘t sure how this would go, but I freaking loved it! Beautifully painful yet painfully beautiful. It‘s a family saga that feels so real it could be anyone, anywhere. I thought it was going to follow the evil stepmother trope, but it‘s much more complex. It‘s about Danny and Maeve and how they rely on each other and navigate the shit show that is life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Dutch House
This Is How It Always Is
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trust Exercise
Holy Envy
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Haben
The Parking Lot Attendant 🎧
Drama
That Would Be Enough
⭐️⭐️
Recursion 🎧

#OctoberReads #ReadHarder

My newest listen is Ann Patchett read by Tom Hanks!! Perfection 🏡 #audiobook

I loved this story so much that my #Top6Reads for 2019 needs adjusting. Based on Litsy input I experienced the Tom Hanks narration. This sibling relationship is beautifully written, and I completely understand how a house, the good and the bad of it, is a living breathing member of a family. ...You know how judges on singing competitions describe a vocalist by their ability to sing a phone book? Well, Tom Hanks can narrate a phone book!

I saw Ann Patchett this morning. No pictures as she still isn‘t feeling well. However, she did sign my books and my library #outofprint tote!

#24B4MONDAY is complete. I don‘t have many stats to share other than I completed 24 hours and 2 books. I am deep into two others. It was a good time. Thanks!

I love when our local indie bookstore has events at the college where I work because I can volunteer to usher. Ann Patchett was delightful and made it worth it to go to work on a Sunday. It‘s the only book event I‘ve been to that promoted other authors‘ books as much as her own. Plus I got to catch up with @Graciouswarriorprincess A fun Sunday for sure.

Today I saw Ann Patchett. She is funny, brilliant and I could listen to her stories for hours. Unfortunately, she was ill so I didn‘t get my books signed.

LOVED this book. Ann Patchett is such a lovely writer. Her writing is lyrical.

MINE MINE MINE... waiting on my libraries “Lucky Day” table. Indeed! #24BMONDAY.

Y'all. Can you read that fine print? Look who is narrating Ann Patchett's newest! Guess who just put it on reserve at her library?!? 😁😁😁 (My Nashville Littens get me, right @britt_brooke? 😉)

Maeve and Danny are siblings raised is a unique mansion. The story follows their relationship over decades. Through Danny‘s eyes we see their lives carry forward even when they can‘t help but fixate on the past. This book is a reminder that the plot matters very little in the hands of a gifted writer. Patchett has an incredible skill for building flawed characters that resonate deeply. Even though the action seems mundane, I couldn‘t put it down.

I love reading Patchett. Once again, she delivers on a character driven, engaging book with relatable, flawed, funny characters. Told by Danny, this book focuses on a sibling relationship that spans decades. I don‘t agree with every decision the characters made nor Patchett‘s decisions as an author, but I love her style and technique that I will read every book she writes😁.

The Dutch House is ultimately the story of two siblings. First 2/3 of the book was fantastic but I was a little disappointed with the last part. Still a good read but wished the ending was more satisfying. Still a pick and I‘m easily a fan of Ann Patchett 💗