Welcome to Litsy!

A bomb goes off on a British school tour bus in northern France and Chief Inspector (on leave) Ortley rushes to the scene, as his daughter is on the bus. I would term this a literary mystery, as it does have a central mystery but the heavy lifting here is the exploration of anti-Middle Eastern racism in British society. It‘s terrific.

It‘s Saturday 😆 but here‘s a #tbt I made after being inspired by @ChaoticMissAdventures but then fell asleep before posting!
This isn‘t life changing, but just a good read that I think isn‘t out there as much as it should be.

Finally completed the @bookriot reading challenge for this year! I‘ve had so much fun doing this one. I‘ll be a few categories off finishing the #popsugar challenge but I‘ve read some fantastic books over the year. Tagged book was my favourite read from this list

Flat arse calm waters today so we motored to a new anchorage and I'm listening to this adult mystery written by YA novelist Melina Marchetta and it's a great book, although I keep thinking it's YA with the adults monopolizing the dialogue 😂
Even so, it's a good read and the poor narrator has to do boys, girls, adults and accents as well, Aussie and Brit. He's struggling at times but doing way better than I could 👏👏

#ReadingOnRoam

What a great read. Now I need to catch up with all my friends so I can force them to read this 😋

Started a new #audiobook this morning. As it happens it is #setonanisland (Britain)and features a disgraced detective giving a #helpinghand in the wake of a bomb blast

#marchintooz #marchinbooks #aussieauthors #awwc

Loved this - it grabbed right from the beginning and I couldn‘t put it down. Great!

I love going to #bookclub and getting books from my friends!
📚Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil, Melina Marchetta;
📚The Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy, Sam Maggs; and
📚Everless, Sara Holland.

#awesomeautumnbooks #day7 - #thrillerthursday

I was so stoked to pick this book up last year on Black Friday. Sadly, it got lost among all my other purchases during the holiday season, and now holds a place of promincence on my #TBR .

A mystery taking place in Britain and France that centers on a bombing of a school bus with a connection to a terrorist attack 13 years prior. I thought the plot was well executed but felt that the long list of characters was sometimes hard to keep track of. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A very interesting take on a fictional terrorist incident where nothing is quite as it seems. The writing was quite good but I did find some aspects a bit predictable or repetitive. It's a solid three and a half stars but I didn't enjoy it as much as some Marchetta's other YA novels.

I'm not much of a breakfast eater and the glorious summer fruits have finished for this year but the oranges are delicious and the coffee is hot. And the reading material is compelling, hopefully I'll finish this book today.

It's a long weekend here but I've hardly had a minute to pick up my book. I promised my kids a trip to Inflatable World so while they run and jump and climb I'm finally going to read. But I should have brought an extra jumper, it's freezing!!

It's a lovely sunny winter's day so I've been out digging weeds in the garden. Now it's time for a classic 60s sitcom and a great #Australianauthor.

Killing time waiting to donate blood. But given recent world events I'm not sure this is the right book to be reading.

Loved this when I came across it in the book!

Can't claim I planned it, but it's Interesting to note, I read all female authors this month. I also want to say how much I appreciate my local library - 6/8 of my books came from there. I must also admit, I've abandoned all 3 reading challenges I started in 2017. I'm just too much of a mood reader I guess and a bit of a rebel - as soon as I'm told I HAVE TO read something (even by myself) it's the last thing I want to read!!!🤓

Many times plot driven books can end up with characters who are cliches and that could have easily happened with this one ... but it didn't, not even close. On this intense and exciting ride of a novel you encounter characters with depth and decency and you can't help but root for them all. I loved it!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not a one ... Not two ... Yes, THREE library holds came in today🤓📚💕

This book was so phenomenal.

I have had really good luck with books this week!! This was another terrific book. It was super suspenseful with a great story.

#FeistyFeb I found 2 books on my shelf written by #AustralianAuthors but I need to give a shoutout to one of my favorite authors who comes from a land down under~ Geraldine Brooks! All three of these women write great fiction, both historical and contemporary 🖤❤️💗

I'm pretty sure I have @Matilda to thank for putting this book on my radar! A ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️thriller with complex layers, moral ambiguity, well developed characters, deftly crafted story lines and a solid mystery! I would try to get your hands on a copy of this book ASAP! #WeekendGoalsAchieved

Saturday is my day to sleep in but this book had me up at 6am because I was half way through and needed to keep reading. This book is a hardcover and I never carry around heavy bulky hardcovers but this book had me tuck it in my purse so I could snatch some reading time at my appointment and running errands. This book is going to be returned late to the library which will result in fines. End result: good book.

A good solid thriller about a potential terrorist bombing of a bus filled with students touring France that takes a hard look at prejudice and how society shapes individuals and colours our judgement.

#bookandbrunch! Monday mornings should always look like this. Making the most of the last day of this CNY long weekend. And here's one of my picks for 2016 titles I missed. I love Melina Marchetta's writing but I haven't read it because I haven't been in the mood for a mystery book.

#readjanuary @RealLifeReading

I won a Goodreads giveaway! Doesn't happen often, but I'm excited!

"In addition to a wonderfully layered plot, you are treated to a shining empathy toward refugees and a condemnation against those who hate them. This championing of refugees and bold anti-xenophobia is a staple of Marchetta‘s work, and it is at its peak here."

#ReadJanuary #RecommendedBy I know my daughter recommended the Slaughter novels and @Matilda definitely recommend Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil ( which I'm saving for this weekends #24in48 readathon) The others were from the many wonderful Littens posts 💕📚💕🙌🏻📚💕

This is my TBR that's stacked inside my closet because I have no more shelf space and I refuse to place my books directly on the floor! My apt is crazzzy dusty😜I have stacks hidden all over the house but that didn't stop me from ordering 5 more books today 😽#BlameLitsy #savethefloorjoists @Liberty

Definitely a page turner and a quick, easy holiday read with a great premise but overall just too long with too many coincidences and unrealistic plot twists to be truly satisfying.

A beautifully written mystery that focuses on family relationships and friendships- I couldn't put this one down. I haven't read any others by Melina Marchetta, but I will be fixing that in the very near future. I hope that we haven't seen the last of troubled Bish and his family. 4.25/5 stars only because I think the story could have been a little shorter. #LitsyAtoZ #TheLetterT

Starting this one tonight for the Letter T! #LitsyAtoZ

⭐️⭐️⭐️Based on others reviews, I so wanted to love this book! I guess it was just too scattered of a story for me. The characters were well developed, the interlocking mysteries of family relationships were difficult to keep up with. Just not the beautiful read I was expecting. Back to the library with it today so someone else can put their eyes on it!

I never would have picked up this book based on synopsis alone but I love Melina Marchetta enough to attempt anything that she writes. She continues to deserve that level of trust because I really enjoyed this one. There were a few moments that did not work for me but on the whole I was completely absorbed.

Book 1/150 for 2017. 4.25/5 stars. A suspenseful mystery with interweaving past & present storylines, featuring a large & interesting cast I'd love to read more about (sequel, please?!). Good narrator on audio, for those considering that format. One of Marchetta's best (although nothing will top Looking For Alibrandi!). Highly recommended.

I love her other books. This one was gripping at times. Unfortunately I wasn't enthralled.

One of the nicest things about finally being past the 6 week "end of NaNoWriMo-birthday season-Christmas-New Years" period is being able to read again for good chunks of time. Other than audiobook reading while doing extensive cooking/baking sessions, I don't think I've read more than 30 minutes at a stretch since mid November. Yesterday I read for just over 2 hours straight without multitasking on other tasks. Pure bliss. I have missed this! ??

I will admit that #ThisMonthsTBR is a bit out of control...here are some of the audio and e-books I am considering for this month, I am also working through a towering stack of not-yet-read physical books & books to read (or re-read) as part of the #birthdaychallenge...so, I have a lot to choose from. This is why one of 2017's goals is to read down my TBR! #readjanuary

"Noor LeBrac is not a babbler. Her pauses are weapons." My inspiration for a 2017 resolution is right there. PAUSE. Perhaps in trendy terms, this will be my 2017 word.

(Former) Chief Inspector Bish Ortley's normal day-to-day existence is rocked by a bus bombing across the Channel. He rushes to the scene, as he learns it's his daughter's bus that has been bombed. This event connects to an event in the past, as officials learn that a convicted bomber's daughter was also on the bus. This doesn't sound like a set up for a touching story, full of emotion and hope, friendship and humor, but that's what this book is.

Laying in bed finishing this one this morning. Took a Litsy break and using my husband as a bookmark. 💗📖🛌
The ending is getting really good, things are coming together and I'm really impressed with the pacing. The characters are nicely developed, and I agree with many reviewers' comments about further books featuring these characters. #librarybook #readinbed

Number 250! Number 250! Thanks to a snow day and in between shoveling, I finished number 250! This was a complex puzzle that you only get answers to in bits and pieces. Even after getting answers, you might not even know if it is right due to race and due to hostilities. Great story, but a bit long at times. Seems British mysteries are a bit longer than American ones, but that is unqualified. I liked it. 250!

I have one book to go to get 250 read for the year. My last record was 160 3 years ago. The great news is there is a predicted snowstorm tomorrow and I have a stack of books! I just started this today, so this might be number 250!

When you go to the library intending to get 5 books at the most and leave with 9.

My day off: books, mimosas, and soft blankets. I would like to request several more days of this.

Really enjoyed. Good book for this time of year. Importance of family and love and perseverance.

🐶🐶🐶🐶 🐶 RUN and read this If you enjoy:
Well developed, complex, likable and memorable characters ✅
Well-written dialogue ✅
The complexity of father-daughter relationships ✅
Suspense ✅
Family drama ✅
Thinking about the impact and the fallout that comes from a tragedy ✅. Reading about timely issues such as immigration, racial profiling, short news cycles, terrorism and social media lynch mobs ✅