Welcome to Litsy!

What an incredible way to start 2022 @staci.reads ! Both of these books have been on my TBR and now I have the perfect push to prioritize them! And I love coffee and toffee and the apple jam sounds amazing. The socks seem so cozy and since we supposed to get down to 14° in Arkansas tonight they're going to come in very handy. Thank you so so much! And thank you @candority for organizing this wonderful #Bestof2021 swap 😄

#12Booksof2021 A standout from January. Such a good audiobook. Listened while on some long, snowy walks.

#top21of21 part 1
Not pictured: Deacon King Kong-J. McBride

I have had this on my TBR since It was included on Obama‘s list of best books 2020. Since then I have heard nothing but good things about this!

#Two4Tuesday @TheSpineView lovely prompts!
1.So many!Shakespeare and Co,John Sandoe Books,Politics and Prose,Citylights,Book Book in Greenwich Village!My dad's been to all of these so I have books from there,but would love to visit in person!
2.i have a huge list I keep adding to,as you can see from the photo!Even if I don't find these I always find something I want though.

October reads were pretty darn good!

This book wasn‘t really about one thing. It was about the times, the place, and the people in this particular neighborhood of Brooklyn in the late 60‘s and how one event ties them all together. It‘s about neighbors, family, friendships, camaraderie and cheese?! Cultures and people make this story. This was a lovely read with fascinating characters. The audio was great but I may pick up a physical copy to reread at some point.

So much good reading in September—31 books and lots of comics (which I‘ve stopped counting because there are just so many). It was hard to pick my favorites but if I had to, it would probably be these. Looking forward to diving into some spooky reads this month! 🖤🎃📖🧙‍♀️👻🖤

I started this book two other times. Finally, it was the right time and I loved this crazy story. This one went on a road trip with me and my son returning to college. We both loved it. The characters, neighborhood and setting were so incredible. I recommend the book and the audio-or a little bit of both!

Little nature audio walk with the pooch this afternoon. ❤️

#TBRPile 📚 “Deacon Cuffy Lambkin of Five Ends Baptist Church became a dead man walking on a cloudy September afternoon in 1969.”

What a fun, interesting read! The humor and connections entwined throughout the weaving character storylines made this even more of an enjoyable experience. Life is hard in the Cause, and Sportcoat doesn‘t realize how much of a mess he is truly in, but friendship, faith, and redemption, despite the difficulties of life, make these characters and the story a worthy read.

Loved, loved, loved this book & loved spending time with these characters. McBride‘s story about life in the projects in 1969 South Brooklyn is a delightful & effervescent romp through the ridiculous, mundane, sublime, otherworldly, dangerous, hopeful, & implausible ups and downs of daily life. It‘s a story about love, a desire to belong, & to be happy. You‘ll find yourself rooting for everyone to get their happy ending. I know I was. Recommended.

This month‘s #bookclub pick reminded me of The Wire…except with more heart and humor, thanks to a cast of deeply flawed but mostly still likable (or at least sympathetic) characters. Sportcoat is a mess, and life for everybody in the Cause is hard, but the love and friendship, the faith and cheese, they share throughout the story helps make it a tale as much about redemption as anything else.

This was absolutely fantastic - perfect book club read.

Reading this one for book club. It‘s the first McBride book I‘ve read but I can already tell, one chapter in, that it won‘t be the last. Love the writing.

There was so much to love about this book! It had me laughing in some places and brought tears to my eyes in others.These characters were so believable and I loved the ending.
🧡💚🧡💚
Great pick @staci.reads sending this your way Monday @LiteraryinLawrence
#lmpbc #catsoflitsy

I‘m sure someday I‘ll be able to walk into a bookstore and not walk out with a book but today was not that day…I DID limit myself to one! ☺️

29 Jun-18 Jul 2021
I understand why this was on so many recommended lists last year. McBride creates a group of engaging characters living in the Brooklyn Housing estates at the end of the 60s at a time of transition - it deals with drugs, organised crime and substance abuse but is saved from being bleak by its humour and focus on conmunity. I look forward to reading his earlier novels.

I loved this book. I adored the characters and their relationships. The story was woven together so well as their lives and pasts connected. McBride's writing is lovely. I am interested in reading more of his work if anyone has suggestions. #LMPBC #GroupV, I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one. It'll be headed your way next week, Heather! @Mynameisacolour @LiteraryinLititz @Hestapleton

Starting a much-needed 10-day vacation from work 😌 This is my whole plan for day 1 😊

Book 73

Deacon King Kong is a book that reminds you how good writing can be. The characters and story are rich and meaty. Set in Brooklyn, it's a story about a community--a story of immigration, poverty, and substance abuse. It's not an easy read, but it's hopeful. 4.5 stars

Hello #GroupV! Here are the books I'm considering for this round of #LMPBC. Let me know if you've already read any and what looks most interesting to you. Looking forward to this round! @Hestapleton @LiteraryinLititz @Mynameisacolour

Shouting out another thanks to @DebinHawaii for this excellent gift back in February for #blitsyswap. McBride crafts a wonderfully entertaining story and the characters! Everyone gets such humane treatment no matter their faults. Glad to see there are other books by the author for me to read.

As you can see my dog also enjoyed this book for different reasons. Been a long time since he pilfered a book to chew on!

#dogsoflitsy

Deacon Cuffy Lambkin of Five Ends Baptist Church became a walking dead man on a cloudy September afternoon in 1969.

#FirstLineFridays, @ShyBookOwl

So far enjoying all of the characters in this Brooklyn neighborhood. I can feel that all the pieces are being placed for something big.

Wow, what an immersive novel! The setting and these characters jumped right off the page. I listened to the audiobook and did have trouble following who-was-who for a bit in the first half. As many reviews mention, a clear focus emerges as events and people begin coming together, which was what I enjoyed most. Ol‘ Sportcoat and the Elephant Man are just 2 of the interesting souls you‘ll meet during this journey! I highly recommend the #audiobook.

Written in a language I‘m not used to, but once I got in it I LOVED it. Also the Italian and Irish characters act as a way for certain phrases or expressions to be translated. Good view into inter generational trauma and grief. But funny and filled with love

Good Old Sportcoat! Curious to see where he‘s taking me.

This was the most delightfully entertaining storytelling about a community within the blocks surrounding a housing project in Brooklyn in 1960s. There are the church ladies from 5 Ends Baptist Church, an Irish cop, an Italian mob family, a baseball playing drug dealer, and old drunkard, Sportcoat, who spends his days doing odd jobs and talking to his dead wife Hattie. It‘s amusing and heartwarming and I just loved it.

I somehow never posted about the lovely package @Jee_HookedOnBookz sent me for my birthday. This book was at the top of of my TBR so I started it almost right away (which is unheard of for me). The first half had me wondering why it had received so much praise but then it all came together in the second half and I was suddenly looking at a much more complex and heartfelt story about a community.

My cheese loving self feels seen.

Thank you all for filling out the form in time for the start of the quarterfinals. Today's match is the only one in which the #LitsyToB21 consists of the same contenders as the #ToB2. We are in agreement about the outcome too: Deacon is today's winner. I'm not too thrilled about that myself but 9 of us voted for it so I am a minority. See you on Monday!

Image: Brooklyn, 1960s

Fabulous book set in a predominantly Black Brooklyn community. There's a shooting and a group of elderly church members get caught up in a turf battle between drug dealers. But there's so much more to this story than that, a sweet romance as well as slapstick moments. Beautiful writing about an era long gone.

Highly recommended.

Three words to describe Deacon King Kong: Surprising. Funny. Community. 📚 #deaconkingkong #jamesmcbride #booksbrewsandbooze Thank you for the tag, @Mavey !

it occurred to him that maybe she remembered him because she had been watching him, sitting outside the bar with his friends listening to the bitter soldiers of the IRA swear at the British and complain about the neighborhood going down because the Negro and the Spanish had arrived with their civil rights nonsense, taking the sub way jobs, the janitor jobs, the doorman jobs, fighting for the scraps...

My brain was not really in this but even through my dog I can appreciate the complexity of this story. The characters are vividly drawn and the intermingled story lines are interesting and engaging. I do think I enjoyed Good Lord Bird more just because it was easier to follow, but this is a solid 4⭐ read.

Teeshirt #2 for #ToB #ToB21 #LitsyToB21 HUZZAH FOR Deacon King Kong likely my heart‘s favorite in the tournament. My feelings for McBride influenced my enjoyment. I felt safe to enjoy whatever he was trying to do and thankfully, it succeeded. It was very good, it was my kind of people. Someone in the commentary called it sprawling but I managed to follow each and every delightful character and it didn‘t seem long nor boring. I am pleased it won.

Today the judges chose Deacon over Tender in the #ToB21. So did we. This is one out of just two matches we were very much in unison about: in our #LitsyToB21 only @Cinfhen @vivastory and I voted for Tender. Thoughts?

Reading Envy Podcast Episode 215: Lovely Pile with Lola @Lola

Lola talks about her life as a "serial book clubber" and shares books she's read and loved lately.

Listen and subscribe:
https://tinyurl.com/ReadingEnvy215

Loved this book! Why did I wait to read it? I wasn‘t crazy about the title or the cover! Well that was just stupid! I loved this story, the characters, the setting. I‘m going to read all of his books. I should always trust Oprah‘s book choices.😎

This book is phenomenal. McBride juggles multiple plots and many characters with the perfect amount of complexity and depth without making it feel overwhelming. He then weaves the storylines together beautifully. It‘s just masterfully crafted and has great humor woven through. Plus, the audiobook is A+!

Great read! This glorious, funny, and quirky story of Brooklyn in 1969 is filled with a memorable cast of characters that keep you turning the pages. The plot was a little difficult to follow in places but it is all worth it in the end! This was my February #Bookspin book, thanks for the encouragement @TheAromaofBooks , #BookspinBingo keeps me reading!

I'm posting one book per day from the ever growing unread stacks in my personal library. No description or explanation, just books I own and plan to read. #tbr

Day 4