Welcome to Litsy!

An old favorite.

I spent my book token at #FiveLeaves independent bookshop (Nottingham, UK) 😍😍😍

#coversthatpullyouin

Subversive and hilarious, I adored this one. Sometimes the best way to express fear and anxiety really is with sharp humor.

Day 13: #highwaytohell #marchintothe70s

@Lizpixie @Cinfhen

“The Master and Margarita” by Mikhail Bulgakov is another reminder that we are all, in the words of George Eliot, “struggling, erring human creatures.” I loved the book and learned a lot about Soviet Russia thanks to the detailed notes sprinkled throughout. Read more: https://pickingbooks.com/blog/two-reasons-youll-love-the-master-and-margarita #bookreview

I‘m usually not one for super complex story lines so two of the three story lines kind of went over my head. I know what happened but it took me until he very end to understand why these three seemingly random plots were happening in one book. Especially when the third, the only one I really understood completely, didn‘t start until part two! But I‘m a hopeless romantic so that‘s why I understood Margarita‘s story line better than the other two.

One of the first (maybe the first) magic realism novels in Russian literature. Forbidden to print for decades, it was first published in Russian language in 90‘s, and immediately became a cult novel. I‘m reading it second time, after 20 years, and it reads differently. I think I feel Master‘s anguish more, and Margarita‘s terrible loneliness. But will see.. Only half way through.

I‘m going to be honest—nothing about the synopsis of this book makes me want to read it. I don‘t think I‘d enjoy it in the slightest. But the cover makes me wish I would.

#musicalnewyear #masquerade

This one has been in my #MtTBR for almost a decade, so I was excited to dust it off for this month‘s #ReadAroundTheWorld in #Russia. But I have to admit that I think my hopes were too high for this... while I loved some parts, and the translation felt smooth, I guess I just expected something else... I think it would be a great read for a discussion group though! @JenP

Went crazy unpacking boxes today. Here‘s a sliver of my TBR.

Loved the characters and the plot! What a ride! Read this quite some time ago but still thinking of Margarita and Woland's retinue! #themasterandmargarita #mikhailbulgakov

I confess: I was so intimidated by this. I ended up loving it! It's impossible to describe and I think I understood about 1/3 of it, but the ride is wonderful.

#1001bookswap #litsyatoz #booked2018 #blameitonlitsy @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft #pop18 #bookthatisalsoastageplayormusical #readharder #booksetinoraboutoneofthefivebricscountries @bookriot #readingwomenchallenge #booksetinrussiaorbyarussianauthor @thereadingwomen

Two from my library with #blackcats on the cover and in starring roles. #blackcatchallenge @Clwojick

Not as much as I was hoping since I kept falling asleep today, but not bad either. Thanks for a fun #24b4Monday, @TheReadingMermaid!

I‘ve got a bonus day off today and my little buddy apparently doesn‘t want me to spend all morning reading! I feel like I‘m crawling with this book, but it‘s so crazy and all over the place, it requires my full attention! #lennox #catsoflitsy

We had a few hours to spare before dinner and a concert tonight, so I found a used bookstore nearby. The signage they had was pretty awesome. 😱

I‘m impressed I limited myself to only two books.

The last two #fivestarredbooks I‘ve read. #readingresolutions @Jess7

1. Tagged book. I thought it was hilarious.
2. May
3. No kids
4. Cheetos
5. Happy September Birthdays: @Suelizbeth @kezzlou85 @Tiyas7 @Insearchofbooks @Suzze @ephemeralwaltz @vicgreentoriafield @Melissa_J @CoffeeK8 @cinann @covertocover @Traci1 @LadyChristy @sunflowers @Mitch @TommieMarie74 @Bostonmomx2 @robinb @readordierachel @jmtrivera @jhod @lidia @CoffeeCatsBooks @Astroneman @AlaMich @abbsinwonderland

I didn‘t finish as many books as usual this month, but I am still reading The Brothers Karamazov, so it‘s not that I didn‘t read. 😀 Tagged Book was probably the best. #augustisatrip #augustwrapup #stats #austeninaugust #auguststats #readingresolutions @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88 @Crinoline_Laphroaig @Jess7

I‘m just under 100 pages in, but think it‘s safe to say that this might be one of the strangest books I‘ve ever read. I am totally down for the wild ride!! Bowie, however, seems to be very bored. Maybe he‘s jealous it‘s a black cat featured in the story. #LitsyAtoZ #M #readharder2018 #bowie #catsoflitsy #caturday

I‘m giving this a pick, because it is somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for me, and I did really enjoy its weirdness! But... I could have done without the Pontius Pilate chapters, and I would have loved a bit more focus on Margarita. In spite of this, I still had a lot of fun while reading in, and Bulgakov is one of the more readable Russian writers, once you get into his style 👍

I‘m all set for a night home alone, and I‘m hoping to finish this book tonight. My enjoyment level is pretty high since the introduction of Margarita and the change of pace in the story. It is still pretty weird, though 😄👌

#currentlyreading #chunkstersummer

This is definitely one of the weirder books I have read this year, if not ever, but I‘m pretty sure I like it 😄😄

#currentlyreading #chunkstersummer

I have been eyeing this on my shelf for a couple of days now, and I‘m finally going in! 👏

#currentlyreading

I loved this wild ride of a novel. My advice, save analysis for after you finish, don‘t worry about allegory or symbolism, just read it. All will become clear; if not, then you can Google for answers. But enjoy the crazy story for itself. (And you‘ll have to finish it to understand the photo. 😉 )

“in order to convince yourself that Dostoyevsky is a writer, must you ask to see his identification card? Why, take any five pages from any of his novels and you will see without any cards that you are dealing with a writer.” (gratuitous picture of Balthazar, who is no Behemoth!) #myvodkabromance #whenworldscollide #dostoyevsky #littenkitten

1. The Sound of Music? It‘s been a while since I was 10!
2.Fries;
3. Broadway and classical;
4. Also The Brothers Karamazov, Maisie Dobbs, and Richard II;
5. Already done. 😀
#friyayintro @jesshowbooks

Nonsense. Brilliant nonsense!

I loved listening to this book. I know this isn't much of a review, but everyone should read it.

“And if the sturgeon is of the second freshness, that means it is rancid.” #fresh #quotsyaug18 @TK-421

“Love caught us suddenly, leaped at us like a murderer appearing from out of nowhere in an alley, and struck us both down at once.”
I‘m enjoying the crazy ride that is this novel!

I quite like books set in #Russia especially classics. I have read the bottom two and enjoyed them, and plan on reading the tagge book soon-ish 🤞

#AugustisaTrip

“He was personally on Pontius Pilate‘s balcony—that is beyond all doubt. And how can such things be allowed?”
I‘m feeling a stylistic similarity to The Satanic Verses with this book. Has anyone else felt that way?

Balthazar ponders my next book choice. #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #1001essentialnovels

Eerily brilliant. Literature at its best.

It‘s 11:23am here in St. John‘s, Newfoundland and the temperature is already 26C. A beautiful day to read outside on the deck! ☀️🌵
#24in48

Annual pilgrimage to London Review Bookshop for books and tea with my literary love, @ladyclassics 💕

Thanks @LadyChristy for posting this quiz. Perhaps I need to re-read this now. I remember loving it long ago. https://bookriot.com/?p=162528

Can‘t say anyone would be surprised by this 😈
Which literary cat are you? https://bookriot.com/2018/07/03/literary-cat-quiz/
#catsoflitsy

Oh this totally fits me! 😂🖤 I got the link from @julesG https://bookriot.com/2018/07/03/literary-cat-quiz/

I haven't been posting a lot this summer because I've been busy reading and working! I will probably start posting more often once the school year starts up again. But here is what I have read this summer so far and my current read. Hopefully will review each of these this upcoming school year once I think about them more

Congrats on your milestone!
This is definitely a pretty cover and weird book!
(Disclaimer - I don't actually "own" this book.... I only have it as part of a postal book club! ?)
Congrats @ErinSueG and thanks for the giveaway!

#2kgiveaway

Normally 11.99, on sale for 1.99 today. :) I haven't read it, but it is on the #RoryGilmoreReadingchallenge so I thought I'd get it.

#kindledeal #kindledeals

Hmmm... In this bizarre and grimly comic tale, anyone who catches Woland's and his gang's eye tends to end up an assortment of defunct, decapitated, undressed, unhoused and upset. I was curious during the first half but when the master and Margarita themselves finally put in an appearance halfway through, I couldn't fathom why I should give a damn about them. I just wanted the nonsense to stop. (I liked the evil cat, though!)
#unpopularopinion

The master doesn't put in an appearance until halfway through the book and then speaks like a total arse to Ivan. ?

(Although I must admit, Ivan's declaring his poetry "stupendous" does indeed throw a sizeable obstacle in the path of my instincts towards poet-solidarity.)

Looking back to this old friend before my trip!

Oh dear, poor Ivan Nikolayich! He's not very good at "guessing what normal is", is he? To be fair, I don't think he's had a lot of practice up to this point.

Behemoth is the #pet from hell. (Literally)
#Litsyclassics
#Maylovesclassics
@Sarah83 @Bambolina_81