Welcome to Litsy!

A tremendously reflective, thought provoking, gentle read about homes and childhoods and what it means to belong, to be grateful, to be loved. Very touching and heart wrenching.

I finished this audiobook today. First finish in 2025! This was a lovely short book, about a child who is temporarily fostered due to family overwhelm and economic circumstances. I read too much true crime, so I kept waiting for something horrible to happen, but it didn‘t. Poignant, though. Restored my faith in good people. I‘m on the waiting list at the library for her other books, and I look forward to them.

What a lovely start to Sunday morning. Brought a wee tear to my eye.

Next Kindle read . . . I am trying to get to 50 reads for the year, so I'm trying to find some quick short reads. Luckily don't have work to get in the way of reading.

I tend to read all over the place and since I do not read many series my authors most read list is always a bit dull.
What is worse is I read 3 Claire Keegans and I honestly don't get it. She is not for me and I cannot see me picking up any more of her books. I might pick up another Jose Saramago to to push her to a solid second 😂

Dive into the captivating 'Foster' by Claire Keegan, narrated from the perspective of a child. Check out Meredith‘s Manuscript Monday recommendation for this insightful book.

https://www.bookinterrupted.com/post/manuscript-monday-foster

#newblogpost #childperspective #bookinterrupted #bookrecommendation #novella #manuscriptmonday #Foster

This was such a good novella and my introduction to Keegan‘s writing. Loved it!

So good! Another novella examining the world of rural Ireland. This follows a young girl who is “fostered out” to extended family when there is not enough resources at home to support her. Gorgeous and heartbreaking.

It is a rare feat to capture the human experience in prose, but to do it in a mere 128 pages is nigh impossible. Claire Keegan is a rare literary gift, offering up another distinctly Irish story while simultaneously is a distinctly human story of birth, death, love, loss, anxiety, calm, family, and acceptance.

I didn‘t know what I wanted to read so a novella from the incomparable Claire Keegan is the perfect remedy.

Her novellas are amazing. I loved this one more than Small Things like These, which was terrific. The girl who goes to the country to stay with relatives, the secrets, the dead son, the impoverished parents with too many kids, all the things unsaid. What a talent.

Claire Keegan is a treasure.

#AboutABook #ShortButPowerful

Two favorites.

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Well. This is my 3rd Keegan "book" and I am still underwhelmed. I am annoyed that each book is so tiny but yet costs as much as if she would have put them all in one collection. I mean get your bag, but it will not be from me.
I am sure the narrative choice to have the child call Edna "the woman" is some choice I just do not understand but it feels misogynist when the husband is called by his own name
Overall just not enough for me in this short

I listened to this on audio while I was painting doors. (We are in the midst of some renovations.) It‘s a novella set in rural Ireland about a little girl sent to live with another family for a summer. She doesn‘t know when she‘ll return home, but finds that this home is full of love, much different from the house she came from. I didn‘t want the story to end, much like the little girl felt at the end of her summer. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

This grid is telling me that I‘m loving books published this year! And yet, the win goes to the tagged - a masterclass in writing.

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

1. Tagged “novella”
2. Hearts in Atlantis- Stephen King
2. The Lottery - Shirley Jackson

#TLT @dabbe

I‘m sure I‘ve never read a story as masterfully told inside of 88 pages as this. My recommendation: Treat yourself to a master class in writing!

….Last month I unexpectedly hosted my IRL bookclub discussion on Small Things Like These. To prepare I watched several 30-90 minute YouTube videos about the book. Often, as much as the speaker liked STLT, they liked Foster even more and I thought, No Way. Then I read it.
…Updated thought, Way!!!

*I have to read every night before sleep in bed
*Smart, helpful, magical Hermoine Granger. Maybe she‘d take pity on me and magically organize my house and garage 😂
*House on the Cerulean Sea and American Gods
*Foster (tagged), Kindred, Handmaid‘s Tale…
*I need reading glasses but am always losing them🤓

#LItsyFoundFamilySwap @KateReadsYA

A young girl from a financially challenged family is dropped off with richer relatives for a stay of unknown duration. This is the way 10 year olds experience life. You are simply swept along in the happening. Her birth parents have made poor choices. Her foster parents have experienced hardships about which they had no choice. This heartbreaking and heartwarming book is about knowing when you have to accept versus when you have to act.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 92 pages of brilliant storytelling.

Foster was my final #auldlangspine read in January from @IndoorDame ‘s list. I definitely saved the best for last. I LOVED this novella. Keegan can do no wrong in my book. Her stories seem like grownup fairy tales without magic. I‘m amazed at Keegan‘s ability to create such atmosphere and character development in so few pages. A girl from a large family spends the summer with a childless couple, past traumas abound. Neglect and hints at abuse.

Novella- sweet, concise,with an open ended ending (if that makes sense). My edition was 92 pages. A little girl is sent off from her family (who have little resources and a lot of kids) to a relative‘s home for the summer. She flourishes in their care. Impactful in its simplicity.#Ireland

Two exceptional stories. So Late In The Day (not shown) is my fave of this author‘s so far.

I am struggling with a bookclub-book, so had to sneak in a short read. This has been on my tbr ever since I read „Small Things Like These“ and when I saw it on @JamieArc #AuldLangSpine list, I was very happy. Claire Keegan manages to built so much with so little words. I like it a lot. @monalyisha

This was lovely and another total win from @Deblovestoread ‘s epic #AuldLangSpine list. I wondered a bit at the ending and enjoyed the thoughts about it and more that Keegan shared in this brief Q&A (with schoolchildren! How sweet.): https://www.juliangirdham.com/blog/claire-keegan-on-foster

This was PERFECT! How can something so short convey so much? I am in awe of Claire Keegan. Her sentences are beautiful but so precise. I am going to gush about her and this book to anyone who will listen. The world needs more foster families like the Kinsella‘s. More humans with heart. Kindness is undervalued in our world but not in this book.
Apparently there is a film adaptation, The quiet girl. Hopefully I can find it to watch.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think this novella was a #blamelitsy pick after seeing it on a number of best-of-2023 lists on here. And it's lovely. Sparse prose where the love can shine clearly through. Love this cover, too.

This was my first book of 2024! Although I‘m just getting around to reviewing. I do like a good novella. The author does a brilliant job of portraying the young protagonists feelings whilst showing us the adults lives and character traits through her. It‘s a soft pick as I didn‘t LOVE it and don‘t think it will stick with me although I appreciate the talent of her writing.

Wow! This beautiful novella packs a punch. Set in Ireland, a girl goes to live with another family and sees how different life can be. Not a word is wasted. It‘s absolutely perfect!

Lovely book and the film that was adapted from it is lovely too

Read for reading prompts

Library book 📖

4/5

Started off 2024 with a reread of a favorite. Happy new year!!

Keegan has a way of conveying so much feeling with so few words. The narrative is spare, but leaves such an impact. Just beautiful.

#12DaysOfChristmas

Like @Deblovestoread this was my January favorite.
Claire Keegan drafts her story so carefully and tenderly. This one is about a little girl that is staying with her uncle and aunt and learns about life, trust and grief. Perfection.

First day of Christmas my favorite book was Foster by Claire Keegan. Small but mighty.

@Andrew65

My #top130f23 is no particular order, like my #top10of23 posted previously. Now my #top23of23 is complete. Dedicated to Cindy.
Any Litttens, please post your pwn picks!!!

Late to the party with this one, and a book I'd probably not have picked up but for the copious favourable comments by Littens, and can only endorse what's already been said about how lovely and poignant a story it is. 5❤️

After finishing the novella ‘Small Things Like These‘ this morning I was left wanting to read more Claire Keegan. I found this short (just over an hour) audiobook on the Libby app and listened this afternoon. The story is about a poor Irish girl taken in by kindly relatives. The writing is once again perfection. Keegan is my favorite ‘new to me‘ writer. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can‘t remember where I saw this novella recommended but I am so glad I stumbled upon it. It was highly enjoyable. #summerendreadathon

Well … that was a beautifully perfect little novella. 💙

This was a simple, quiet short story about a girl from a large family living with very kind relatives for a short time. I understand the praise it‘s gotten, but I think this just isn‘t my genre; I wanted to know a lot more. At some points I felt like I was missing some greater point that other readers picked up on.

❤️❤️

5/5 🌟

What a beautiful and heartwarming book. Perfect Sunday read! ❤️

My second Keegan and damn if I am not just obsessed with her now. This is such a beautiful story of kindness and longing. Keegan's writing is phenomenal and the ending is simultaneously gutting and heartwarming.

(Please forgive the dorky photo, this is how we do currently reading at the bookshop and I didn't have a different pic!)

Claire Keegan‘s beautiful prose says so much in less than 100 pages..about the power of love and kindness. Lovely story.

I really short book, maybe even a short story set in Ireland. A young girl goes to stay with a couple for a while. Her mum is about to give birth, and I presume she needs the eldest child out of the way. She ends up liking to live there. I enjoyed it.

I do like seeing where my just read books are going to go (if I ever manage to get enough shelves to fit proper alpha order!) 🙃😀

12-5 Jul 23
Sitting next to the cash register at my local bookstore last week and I could not resist (despite having a TBR bookcase). And it was as lovely as expected.
A gentle story of a young girl sent to live with relations for an indeterminate time whilst yet another baby is born. Despite her initial trepidation, she comes to cherish her time as an only child receiving full attention and love.
Keegan evokes so much emotion with few words.

A lovely, quiet novella 💚