Welcome to Litsy!

Y‘all, I started this book in January and I finally finished it. I‘ve just taken a lot of breaks, but I finally got so tired of it on my shelf I pushed to finish it. It wasn‘t a DNF because the writing itself is so good. As in, the words, description, and style. The book is really hard to get through. The story is confusing and convoluted. There are too many characters. The magical realism doesn‘t quite land. Overall, great writing, but hard book.

3.5 out of 5

Have started off the #20in4 Readathon by reading this book which is a reimagining of the birth of #Liberia. Ideal for #ReadingAfrica2022

This book follows 3 different characters who come together and break apart as they are a part of #Liberia coming to be. Parts were great—there‘s some lovely prose, the characters are interesting, and at times I was riveting by the story, but ultimately it didn‘t quite come together for me. I feel like there were too many disparate pieces in too small a space.

#ReadingAfrica2022
#doublespin

Mix feelings with this novel. There are three different stories that are interconnected as a way to explain the creation of Liberia. I loved the story and the beautiful writing style narrated by the author who has a pleasant, soft voice and was amazing to understand each character. Love Gbessa, the witch. But the use of magical realism in the story in my opinion took some beauty away from the story, was like reading a superhero story😬3.75/3.8��

Myth, magical realism & history all blend in this reimagining story about the formation of #Liberia #ReadingAfrica22
Told through the eyes of three indigenous ancestors, each possessing a special power.
It‘s beautifully written and parts really touched me, however there were too many parts of the story I didn‘t really understand.
Maybe it‘s end of the month burnout but this was a difficult read, even though it was less than 6 hours.

#CallingToMe #ReadingAfrica22 #Liberia @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle #Audio

As metaphors, these characters work. As people, I have my doubts, but I also recognize that my experiences and theirs are in no way similar, so it could just be my perspective. #literaryfiction #magicalrealism

I loved this story of a witch from Liberia. This was a great story following three main characters and their fight for what it meant to be free. I am interested in learning more about Liberia.

Book 113

She Would Be King is a mythical story about the creation of Liberia. It's well-written with three, unequally-strong, characters. It started out compelling, but when I returned to reading after taking several days off (ggrrrr...work!!), it was hard to get back into. 3.5 🌟 s

Received this and started for #lmpbc round 11. Last one in this historical fiction group. Not sure what to think. It‘s a setting (West Africa) I‘m not at all familiar with so my brain is struggling to connect. I‘m away from my list, so hopefully I tagged the right peeps.

This book was sad and depressing so I can‘t say I liked it, but it was so well written it is a pick. I have so much to think about after reading this book, and I will definitely be reading more about the history of Liberia. #LMPBC

2.75 ��

I thought I would LOVE this book. I adore historical fiction & have been trying to branch out from Regency era titles. There are too many trigger warnings to keep count.

I enjoyed Gbessa's transformation as she became more confident & secure. The synopsis makes it sound like the 3 stories would unite once their back stories were told, so I was disappointed after Book One. I think this read will stick with me, but in a frustrating way...

Hey #LMPBC #GroupX! Here are four from my shelves that I was thinking about. Let me know your thoughts/ feelings and if you've read any!

#UnintentionalBlueTheme

@StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego @KatieB @Read-y_Picker

Omg Catie, not only are you literally saving lives on the front lines of Covid, you found time to send me this book! You are so incredibly thoughtful! Just yesterday I was thinking, “I want to read more from the African diaspora,� so now I can check Liberia off. And a beautiful edition, too! 💜💜 Seriously, thank you. #litsylove #bookfriendsarethebestfriends

I'm so excited that my library is open again and offering curbside! I plan to read this and then her memoir, The Dragons, the Giant, the Women.

#SheWouldbeKing #WayetuMoore

The first third and the last third of this book were wonderful. The story got bogged down in the middle and I started to lose interest but I'm glad I stuck with it. The three MCs were fantastic and I learned a lot. It's full of heartbreak and hope. Overall its a pick.

The separate elements of this story are all ones that usually intrigue me, but combining them all in one kind of lessened the impact of each. The writing is often beautiful and the author conveyed the pain and emotions of the characters quite well. I liked learning about Liberia‘s history too. But it was a bit choppy and disjointed, and I just wish that it had been a little more narrowly focused. Still a good read overall though. 3/5 â­�ï¸�

The separate elements of this story are all ones that usually intrigue me, but combining them all in one kind of lessened the impact of each. The writing is often beautiful and the author conveyed the pain and emotions of the characters quite well. I liked learning about Liberia‘s history too. But it was a bit choppy and disjointed, and I just wish that it had been a little more narrowly focused. Still a good read overall though. 3/5 â­�ï¸�

Why does it seem like every other damn book I pick up lately has animal cruelty in it?? The opening scene in this one is about an old woman who beats a cat to death with a broom. The cat‘s ghost comes back and causes her house to collapse on her, so it got revenge, at least. But JFC. Wish I‘d known about it before I started reading. But I‘ll keep going with it because the story sounds intriguing. #nowreading

Toilet Paper Would Be King!

I‘m glad I was reading so slowly I had to summon Audible. The author‘s narration was gorgeous and full.

Today‘s pick for #bookquotewednesday comes from She Would Be King

This stuck out to me because it reminded me of all of the Black historical figures I never learned about in school and am just now finding through either newly published books or movies.

While its awful that such rich history is either glossed over, edited or just never mentioned, I‘m grateful to be able to learn these things on my own with new resources.

“I lived at Emerson before. And that year, you would come outside to find the wind so deep in her feelings that she knocked over buckets full of water from the wash tables and stole clothes from the hanging lines before they hardened.� -pg.41 #wayetumoore

Three chapters in and WOW! This is a wonderful story and beautifully crafted! I think I will be staying up into the early hours of morning reading more of this fascinating tale.

Books I‘ve picked up at Women and Children First in the past week or so

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

1. I'm about to start The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee, I'm also reading Between a Rock and a Hard Place by George Zelt
2. She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore
3. Teeth in the Mist by Dawn Kurtagich and The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Wow. This was truly compelling. I‘m not sure how to classify this one. Historical magical realism maybe? It was a fascinating mix of mythology and history and legend. Some tough subject matter for sure, but was beautiful written. Powerful.

I did some #AudioBaking today. Brownies with chocolate chips, pecans, and Nutella. I‘ve got a cold glass of milk, and a couple of jealous dogs. 😋😋😋

I did some #AudioCrafting the other day while listening to the tagged book. It‘s hard to get a good picture of them, but these are the mini #FunkoPops in their Weasley sweaters from the advent calendar last Christmas. I made them into ornaments. 😊🎄â�¤ï¸�âš¡ï¸� #PotterHead

I was doing some #AudioCleaning and organizing in my craft room tonight. Arya likes to keep me company by laying on top of the cedar chest and look out the window. 💖
#DogsOfLitsy

Fun fact: The striped background I chose here is actually an example of Liberian 'country cloth' which is a heavy cotton that is hand-spun and hand-woven before being hand dyed in colors like blues and tans, cut into strips and sewn together to create the striped pattern.

Today's library haul! A refresh was needed after the weekends reading. Which ones have you read?

1.Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
2.The Bride Test by Helen Hoang
3.The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
4.A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A Fletcher
5.The Philospher's War by Tom Miller
6.She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore

I was expecting an historical fiction about the formation of Liberia and found myself in a Fantasy super hero tale. Gbessa, our MC, is a wonderful character whose life unfolds in unexpected ways. The other characters were not as well formed but I liked the idea of them. Good first outing for this author. #sjp #bookclubcentral #liberia #readingaroundtheworld

This was an odd read, but I really enjoyed it. I‘m not usually one for anything focused on modern history, but by blending African-American history with mystical tales of witches and curses, Moore managed to have me hooked from the start. The only thing that I think may have added to the book is more detail on each of the characters - I found I just didn‘t develop any strong attachments to these characters. Overall though, a pretty great read ðŸ‘�ðŸ�¼

“If she was not a girl or if she was not a woman... She would be kingâ€�. - Wayétu Moore, ‘She Would Be King‘

Of all the lines in this wonderful book, this resonated with me the most. ��?

Keen to make a start on this baby and what better way to do that than with a coffee in hand? Yay for Saturday mornings 📖☕�

This book is a retelling of the creation of the nation of Liberia and is the most recent book I‘ve read that is set in #Africa. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by the author. I really liked her reading style. #LetsTravelJuly

I didn't know "She Would be King" was historical fiction about Liberia when I first started reading, and ended up being pleasantly surprised. I loved Norman Aragon, June Dey, and especially Gbessa. I wanted them to win; to get through all hurdles that came their way. This is a book I'd come back to.

I wanted to read this because I thought the title was dope... I didn't know what I was about to get into, and it's been a pleasant surprise. When I have time to read, I have a hard time putting it down.
#SheWouldBeKing #HappyFriday #books

I enjoyed this book, which was recommended for me by @bookriot through their Tailored Book Recommendations (TBR) program. I listened to it and that made me a little confused at times about what was going on, but overall I enjoyed it. There's magical realism in this story, which is something I don't usually read. What I liked best were the strong women characters. I also liked hearing the author read her own work.

"They told us we had no history but darkness, so they kept the books away for fear we might understand the truth better, and thus find those lost selves"

I had a tough time getting into this book in the beginning, but really starting enjoying it about a third of the way through. I loved learning the history of the founding of Liberia. For once, I actually feel like this story would be stronger portrayed on screen than as a novel.

My current audiobook. I‘m just starting to get a good idea of what‘s happening but I like it. The author does the narration and she is great.

I'm glad I got to read this book. Despite a difficult beginning (quite fuzzy), I was able to really enter into the story. It reads well, I liked the use of magical realism which here looks more like tales & legends. It was a very interesting book to read, I just wished it had been more detailed so the characters would have been more developed. It's between so-so and pick...

💛💛💛 So glad I ended up buying the audiobook instead of going with the physical book from the library, thus I could binge listen. So good. So, so good. Probably my favorite book so far this year. #audiobook

This book is intense already 😧

Editor-in-Chief Katie Rainey is reading Wayetu Moore‘s She Would Be King with her 9th graders this year â�¤ï¸�
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#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #amwriting #amreading #writerslife #writingcommunity #writersofinstagram #readingseries

I‘m a but disappointed with myself for not paying more attention during the first half of the book. I thought these were short stories at first, then when I realized they weren‘t I also realized that I should have figured that out earlier 🤦â€�♀ï¸� Great book though!

6/10 Struggled to keep track of the characters and story line. Stopped a 1/3 way in, may try to read again at a later date