Welcome to Litsy!

#43 of 2025! Office December Book Club Selection.
Started: 12/3/25

This is a beautifully written bittersweet story of a middle aged couple trying to make their way in Alaska and the found family the find along the way. There are some possible fantastical elements, but overall it does a great job of demonstrating the harsh reality of early 20th century Alaska. It was not perfect for me though. The last third of the book really annoyed me and felt unnecessary.⬇️

Faina, a surprise arrival in the snow, didn‘t capture my attention like she did her adopters (and perhaps creators) Jack and Mabel. Faina‘s mere presence, a kind of miracle in their lonely lives, is the event but the somewhat blank girl doesn‘t do much beyond showing up and—as we humans often can‘t resist—leaving. Most of the characters in the book take a hike, to discover who they are and can be.

I fell in love with this novel. It was a beautiful story of love, grief, adventure, family and joy. Set in the harsh conditions of Alaska, the descriptions of the seasons the wilds of mountains, rivers, and farming in the early 1920s were remarkably wonderful. The main characters Jack & Mabel, Faina, George, Esther and Garrett are perfect for this tale. The book was hard to put down. 5🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love this book! I didn‘t expect the ending and it definitely made me sad—though I don‘t think it was a bad one, just unexpected. This is a beautiful story about love, grief, finding community, nature, and perseverance. Definitely recommend and I‘m glad I started this year with such a warm book.

#25Alive @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
#SnowOnCover

This book is truly magical. It‘s set in Alaska, a place I long to visit. It‘s based on a children‘s book in which an older couple longed for a child that they could not have. Along came a magical snow child who could only survive in the cold. I love the description of the coat that Mabel made for the snow child in the version I read. I also loved the descriptions of the Alaska wilderness.I don‘t know that I could survive an Alaskan winter though

1. Hot chocolate, fuzzy blankets and candles
2. Tagged - so good! Excited for her new book coming out this year!
Thanks @TheSpineView @Kshakal @peaKnit #two4tuesday

Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView

1. Curling up under a fuzzy blanket, in front of a fire, with a good book!
2. Tagged

@BethM @peaKnit @JenReadsAlot

#SnowedIn
Swamped this week, so a bit late posting my review. This book was the perfect read at the perfect time. A quietly mournful tale of two people building a life on the frontier when their familiar life becomes unbearable. I didn‘t mind the magical realism and elements of ambiguity around the child. I loved that the story centered on the female experience, contrasting Mabel, Esther, and Faina‘s relationships with society, but also ⬇️

This author! I‘ve now read two of her books and I‘m a big fan. A sad, older couple want a child so badly. So when they build a darling little snow girl and wrap her in a red scarf, is it any wonder when they “imagine” her alive? In deep winter in Alaska, a little girl with striking blond hair starts to visit their homestead and in her own way helps them survive their first harsh winter there. But she refuses to stay with them; how can she ⬇️

Still trying to finish my cards so I can send for #naturalLitsy and #litsylove cards!! Audiocrafting to the last two hours of this book

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious #ChristmasAtoZ #letterS #littenlisten @aperfectmjk #snowedin @CSeydel @PuddleJumper @TheBookHippie @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TieDyeDude

An homage to an old Russian fairy tale. In 1920, a man and woman, grieving over their stillborn baby, move to a remote outpost in the Alaska Territory to start anew. Making a snow child one snowy night and finding it gone the next morning, the woman soon suspects the snow figure has come to life, after spotting a lone girl in the woods.

1. Remote cabin with snow

2. The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey. Not specifically Christmas-drawing a blank there, book wise-but has the mountains, snow, and Alaska. A favorite book by a favorite author. 🙂❤️🏔️

#Two4Tuesday

My next audiobook

#wintergames #teamchacha @StayCurious #ChristmasAtoZ #letterS #littenlisten @aperfectmjk #snowedin @CSeydel @PuddleJumper

#sundayfunday @BookmarkTavern

I live the winter vibes this book has!!

My mom read this, liked but didn‘t love it, and then passed it on to me. It‘ll be interesting to see if I agree with her assessment.

#AboutABook
#FairyTaleRetell
@Eggs
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Originally from Russia, with love. 🩵💙🩵

#snowstorm #storysettings @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

#setinsnow/ice #springskies @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

A very sweet story about a middle-aged couple who move to Alaska in 1920 to make their way. As the snow starts to fall, they start seeing a little girl running through the trees. This was a beautifully written story with complex characters and the right mix of magical realism.

Last book read in January. Magical realism is not at all my thing🤷🏽‍♀️But I wanted to read this book because I heard amazing things about this author writing style and comments were correct. Besides the magical realism there are so many other things happening in this story beautifully written: about love, friendship, second chances for Mabel and Jack, family dynamics full with love and respect, love to nature, parenting relations.⬇️

1. @wildalaskabibliophile and I are doing our first Sip & Paint Wednesday, and I am giving my first blood donation in about 6 months. Blood Bank of Alaska just opened a new location minutes from work (vs. hours away in Anchorage).

2. Tagged. It is excellent, but it has been a slow month for reading.

3. Curious and adaptive

#motivationalmonday @cupcake12 @cuilin

#NewYearNewBooks Day 22 #TitleBeginsWithS

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“I see that life itself is often more fantastic and terrible than the stories we believed as children, and that perhaps there is no harm in finding magic among the trees.”

What a wonderful, wintry read to start out the year! The Alaskan setting sparkles and the characters jump off the page. I would recommend this to anyone looking for an atmospheric and emotionally resonant story with a touch of a mystical, snowy fairytale. 🎧

Little late with my December pick, but it was my winter games team buddy read The Snow Child!

#12BooksOf2023

I really enjoyed our #TeamRead for #RestingGrinchFace

Based on the story of the snow maiden or snow girl, an old couple who wanted children but were unable to have them build a child out of snow. After this a child appears every winter and leaves with the summer.
I enjoyed the setting of this one, making their way in Alaska. I found the characters to be quite likeable (which isn‘t always the way in a retelling!)

#WinterGames

@TheDaysGoBy Thank you so much! I have been meaning to get to this book and look forward to reading it. I love peppermint bark, it will be the perfect snack while reading.
Thank you for organizing @MaleficentBookDragon ! #jolabokaflodswap

#WGDPC #Winter
@Clwojick @StayCurious

Weirdly my #kindle has reverted back to the original cover I had for this while I'm reading it.

Does anyone know why it does this as it seems so random and is there a way to set your preferred digital cover?

Another book that's been sitting on my #kindle for years that I'm finally getting to.

I know it's shallow but I hate it when Kindle updates to a different cover and it's rubbish lol 😜

I loved this book! And it has my favorite animal on the cover…love foxes! 🦊

#wintergames #photochallenge #wildlife #candycanecrushers

This was very hard to choose, so I went with my #BookSpinBingo list.
#LittleMissStar2023 #BookYouLove
#RestingGrinchFace

One of my favorite books! #snow #dailyphotochallenge #teamwreathitandweep @StayCurious

#snow #wintergameaphotochallenge - Dec4 such an excellent book
#gangstawrappers #wintergames @Bookwormjillk

I absolutely love The Snow Child… it is so beautifully written!!

#bookspin #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

4 ⭐️ I love this author‘s writing. She lives in Alaska, which is evident in the magical and realistic way she writes about it. I recommend this to book for readers who appreciate an atmospheric, seasonal story with a touch of magic. Both joyful and sorrowful, this book had me guessing all the way to the last page about how it would end. I devoured it! Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4521295629

Welcome to Team #RestingGrinchFace and #Wintergames. If you are tagged on this post, you‘re on my team. I‘m so excited to be leading a team this year, we are going to have a blast! Our buddy reads are listed above and, if you choose to read them (totally optional) are worth 50 points. I hope you have a great time and stay tuned for more info to come! @Airykah13 @katiekat311 @Bookworm54 @AmandaBlaze @tdrosebud @Coueriamb @Sarahreadstoomuch

Here's why I read (and reread) all those holiday books in September! 🎄📚❄️ My second column for the Grand Traverse Scene is now out! It is part of their first holiday edition since the pandemic began.

Revisiting this book via audio. Finding it just as lovely as the first time I read it! ❄️❄️💙💙❄️❄️

I enjoyed this #palatecleanser. This book was one of the first I ever stacked when I joined Litsy. I got hold of a secondhand copy and it‘s been waiting patiently for the mood to take me.
It‘s been cold & windy here in Perth, Western Australia (although nothing like Alaska of course ❄️😆) and so it seemed a good time to get into it.

My new fur baby Harper Lee would probably make a great “snow child”. Instead, we‘ll just share the couch while I read about one. She‘s on Instagram under the username harperlee.sd if anyone would like to follow our new life together as service dog and handler.

#BookSpin for April!

I really enjoyed this novel, and wasn‘t really expecting the ending. It was sad, yet beautiful all at the same time. I lost a bit of steam towards the middle of the book, but then it picked back up and I couldn‘t seem to put it down. An indulging winter novel at its finest.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark I can do. Bleak‘s another matter, and I found THE SNOW CHILD bleak on every level. The characters‘ emotional states; their living situation; the landscape; Ivey‘s prose style. I might‘ve been able to keep going if I‘d tried it in summer, but it‘s all too much here, in winter‘s heart, and the reviews I read to see if I should continue indicate there‘s a fair bit more of it ahead. I finished Part I and stepped away. 😔

Outstanding! It starts off kind of sad, but then it picks up. I would describe the book as mystical realism, BUT others have had a different perspective. Read and tell me. The author does a fantastic job of describing the landscape and people.

I‘m really enjoying this beautiful book so far. It‘s such an appropriate book for winter, but also heartbreaking at times. I‘m reading this slowly, and savoring each word. ❄️

I loved everything about this book, the story, the characters, the wintery atmosphere and the cosy vibes. It‘s one of those stories where you want to read slowly and savour every moment of it. This was a joy from start to finish
4 ⭐️