Welcome to Litsy!

#Movie2BookRecs @klou
Prompt: The Phantom of the Opera

Slim pickings for #LetterQ. I didn't love this one (too long!) but I liked it better than the the other two Q titles I had on Goodreads. 🤣🤷
#Alpahbetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Glad that I have an actual list for my June wrap up!💜 Reading was such a struggle for awhile, I feel like I'm getting my groove back.💃

#AlmostAChunksterChallenge📚
@TheAromaofBooks
This is a really good long book. I fell in love with Alexander Chee's writing, his descriptions of the MC's dresses alone had me obsessed👗💃. I did feel like the book was wrapping up a few times, then a twist or turn would happen and off we would go to another part of the story. I'm glad I read this book broken up by a few months, I loved extending the experience.

#Bookspinbingo #Bookspin
@TheAromaofBooks
I had the first half of this book as my Bookspin. My slowness in getting through this in no way reflects my enjoyment of this book. It is so good.💙 I'm just taking my time and loving every part of it. I will prioritize getting through the second half in February!

#WeekendReads
@rachelsbrittain 🌺
1. The tagged book, loving it, just taking some to get through.
2. Also the tagged book. I can't believe I waited so long to get to this one.
3. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman, it contains a novela I need to get to for my American Gods series read. 📚

#weekend reads
@rachelsbrittain 🌻
Late, but it's still the weekend. Hope you had a good one too.
1. Queen of the Night(loving it❤) Noor🦿🦾, and listening to The Dating Dare.
2. Got a little bit of snow Friday and pretty warm and sunny Saturday and Sunday. That's Colorado for you though. We get 300 days of sunshine 🌞.
3. I've always been a blanket girl. But stocked up on thick socks and sweatshirts this year. Got microwaveable slippers too.😁🔥

I'm so excited for tomorrow, I scheduled a mental health day. I'm gonna drink my coffee☕️, read my books📚 and work on some Litsylove💌. Maybe bake some muffins🧁 and spend some time adding books to my already ridiculous TBR. 💻 Tomorrow is supposed to be cold and dreary, its gonna be a perfect bookish day!❄️🌨☁️

#weekendreads
@rachelsbrittain ❄️
1. The tagged book and Noor by Nnedi Okorafor.

2. I decided not to set a number reading goal this year. Instead to just focus on quality reading. I usually don't let myself DNF because I need that book for my numbers. Instead I'm just going to focus on trying to read my #Bookspin and doublespin picks, Participate in the #Shesaid reads, and the #Seriesread2022 through Litsy.
3. Not worth mentioning 👎👎👎😖

#weekendreading
@Andrew65 📚
I just started the tagged book last night and will start Noor by Nnedi Okorafor later.

This is a #LMPBC pick so I won‘t go into details. The writing on this one was beautiful but the characters weren‘t for me. Also smooshed together paragraphs with no quotation marks. I preferred the audiobook. I‘ll get it in the mail this week.

@Bookwormjillk #lmpbc going in the mail today.

Full disclosure ladies- this one was too big and wordy for me to get through this month before I leave on vacation. I‘ll be requesting the audio from the library when I get back (crazy long list)- bc it does intrigue me as far as I‘ve gotten.

#groupa #lmpbc

This will be in the mail by Friday! @BethM @Tattooedteacher @Bookwormjillk

Part 1 of #AlphabetTitles #LetterQ & #LetterR.
Queens. Of the night and (not pictured) the Damned I love some books about all kids if queens.
Ready Player One is already a modern sci-fi classic. And Ragtime for one of my favorite genres historical fiction.

While this took me some time to get through (which always gives me TBR anxiety), it was well worth it. It‘s full of DRAMA and INTRIGUE all set against a lush historical Parisian background. I learned a lot about the craft of opera (maybe sometimes a little too much 😅) and high fashion in the 1800s. Overall an incredibly rich and fulfilling tale.

Still going on this one. It says “one” but I‘m on part 5, 423 pages in! Must finish this weekend! And keep #percycat 🐱 in your thoughts, he‘s doing great today but has had some major health issues the last couple weeks. Costing us a fortune but we‘re close to a treatment plan, at least. #catsoflitsy

A little Sunday poolside reading in the sun. Am enjoying this although it‘s not a super quick read. Lots of lush detail about opera and 1800s Parisian fashion. Good to get lost in!

1. This book was operatic in scope; I couldn‘t put it down!

2. 💜💙💚

3. Making a beautiful hat.

4. 👍

@4thhouseontheleft @howjessreads #friyayintro

Can you think in your mind what it would be like if The Phantom of the Opera had a part two, staring the magnificent, malevolent Carlotta? This is not that....but it's pretty darn close. Even as it frustrated me, it delighted me.

It felt like just the right sort of book to be reading in the surreal days that were the last month of my life. Would I recommend it? Maybe not. Would I read it again? Absolutely.

Got my holds before the library closes for three days. 😀

I abandoned this 3 years ago, and decided to try it as an audiobook this time around. I‘m glad I did- I was totally engrossed by Lilliet Berne‘s tale. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks for the tag @kspenmoll and the idea @monalyisha ! My book club would never actually let me pick ... but here are some choices on my Kindle that I‘d really like to read!

#myidealbookclub #ihadathousandoptions #somanybooksolittletime

The descriptions of the costumes in this makes me think Chee moonlights as a fashion designer

#fallisbooked

1) Tagged and While Beauty Slept by Elizabeth Blackwell.
2) I‘m a mood reader, but it‘ll probably be The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead.
3) Bloody Genius by John Sandford- I just 💜 his books!

#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

This one has been on my TBR since I was released and part way through I was deeply disappointed that I had left it this long. Royalty, operas, whores, tangled love stories and the circus. What. A. Ride.

I am having a hell of a week over here and am so happy to see Thursday.

How did I wait so long to read this gorgeous novel? Gobbling it up in every spare second today.

#AlltheBooks!TBR Binge listening to the back episodes of All the Books! and this was clearly a favorite, so I figured I would start here with my growing list of must reads from the show.

Look at me, finishing a BOTM from like 3 years ago already! 😂

This book is full of big: drama, intrigue, opera, romance... I was completely immersed in it and at times thought I never wanted it to end, and then in the last third or so, I decided it was maybe going on a bit too long. Beautiful imagery, strong writing, and a captivating story that did wrap up very nicely.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This was my night-oriented title for #Booked2019. 👍🏻

I thought this book was breathtakingly beautiful. The way the author described every scene, every moment, every breath was surreal in its beauty. I loved it from start to finish but I did feel that it went on a little too long, there was a whole section towards the end that I felt easily could have been removed, I felt it was too many cruelties lined up one after the other. A solidly beautiful book with some caveats.

Four of the divas who have sung the title role. The book was over the top, but then so is opera. 😀 It was a lovely romp, and now the aria is stuck in my head, although the MC actually sang other roles and only performed the title aria once.

And yet, we all want to sing it! #currentlyreading

I‘ll just leave this right here.

I started this one at lunch after bailing on the last few ebooks I sty. I hope it lives up to the hype.

Queen of the Night was my third #newyearwhodis book. Thank you to @amb for putting this on your list! The MC is an orphan from America who makes her way to Paris in the mid to late 1800‘s. The novel covers her remarkable life from circus performer, to courtesan, to royal maid, to opera singer. There‘s love, betrayal, and political intrigue, too. It was a little too long, but that was my only complaint.

4/100 in 2️⃣0️⃣1️⃣9️⃣: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of my reading goals for this year is to actually take a break on my lunch at work. The last semester was a nightmare that involved students having to eat their lunches in our classrooms because of truly unprecedented circumstances. But that meant that we didn‘t get lunch breaks at all for several months. Now that I do have 30 minutes to myself every day, I can actually get some reading done and it‘s pretty nice. #teacherstruggles

#MusicalNewYear I have not read the tagged book, I really want to based solely on the cover(s)❣️❣️#Masquerade 🎭 I‘ve seen mixed reviews and the size has been putting me off. Am I missing out??? Thoughts!?!!!

Good choices!

https://electricliterature.com/get-to-know-alexander-chees-favorite-women-writer...

#Booked2019 Spring
Night-Oriented Title - Can‘t believe I still haven‘t read this!
Cli-Fi - to the South Pole 🐧
Indigenous Author - double dip with Reading Women Challenge
Features a Musician - Punk.Goddess
Social Media Focus - because I‘m probably gonna be publicly shamed one day 😂 I need a manual for what to do.
Food or Beverage on Cover - they‘re small but there. I read her other book set in Paris a few years ago and loved it!

DAY 10: My library‘s fall book sale started today. I nearly #lost my shit a few times because people are annoying (I‘m sure folks thought the same about me😝). But, I snagged this random assortment for only $13, so it was well worth having strangers in my personal space for 15 minutes. 😆

#nofemmeber

📚 The Queen of the Night
🖋 I‘ve only read one book by a Q author 🤷🏼‍♀️
🎥 Quantum of Solace
🍴 Quinoa

#manicmonday #letterq #qisadifficultletter

I know I‘m late to the party on this one, but dang was it good! Sweeping historical fiction set during the 2nd French empire follows an American orphan from rags to riches to rags to riches. There is also a mystery element to it, which I adored though the mystery was answered long before the book was over. The picture it paints of the life of a courtesan as well as every other stage was heartbreaking at times but I‘m sure accurate.

This book was thrilling! I‘m not sure I loved the ending, but I sure enjoyed the ride. Worth the hype!

#bookreview #librarybooks #riotgrams #screamathon

The tagged book is my recommendation, about an opera singer in Second Empire France with a VERY checkered past about to catch up with her! Loved it so much, I have given away literally 20 copies at this point.

Congratulations @DivaDiane on your milestone!!! #2x2giveaway #giveaway

Finally finished this chunkster! This takes place over a long period of time about the life of an opera singer. It was an odd story but very compelling. I did have to really try and keep all the characters straight, but it was worth it. I know this wouldn‘t be for everyone, still I loved it.