Welcome to Litsy!

I was absolutely captivated from page one. Eels are strange creatures that we know surprisingly little about. I had no idea how mysterious they actually were

I‘m on a roll… Had to go clothes shopping which I detest. This book made it bearable. It‘s very interesting and I loved all the facts.

@AllDebooks Thanks for making me read an interesting book. Finally got to finish my first #Naturalitsy read, I really enjoyed it, learned a lot not only about eels but also marine research, Rachel Carson, Swedish society and more. Very interesting idea to alternate chapters about eels with writer's personal life. A pick!

@TheAromaOfBooks Finally ready now with my March #BingoSpin list.

I really loved how this book braided in narrative of the authors relationship with his father. There were some moments where the eel facts got dense but otherwise I enjoyed it. It did take me longer to read it then I expected though.

A mix of memoir and science. The author describes the connection eels have to his bond with his father while explaining what is known of the life of eels. I never thought I would find eels fascinating, but they are. I don't think I would have read this without #NaturaListy @AllDebooks

This was surprising, compelling, and thoughtful book. A little slow in places and gross in others but kept me reading and I enjoyed the conversation about it with the #naturalitsy folks. One of those “did you know” books where you share facts with anyone who happens to be nearby. The bits when he shares his relationship with his dad were my favorite. #Pantone2023 #skylight @Clwojick @AllDebooks #NonFiction2023 #RollingintheDeep

3.5/5

This book is as much about the author's father as it is about the fascinating mystery that is the eel. It's both informative and contemplative as for the author the eels is tied up with his relationship with his father. It's not a book I would have picked up if not for #naturalitsy, but I'm glad to know a bit more about eels.

#NaturaLitsy

Well, this short book is such a revelation about the enigmatic and intriguing European eel, Anguilla Anguilla. Svensson disperses the science, culture and myth of the eel through the centuries with short chapters detailing his experiences of eel fishing with his father in Sweden. Some of the science stories are absolutely mindblowing. I knew nothing of eels before.
⬇

Finished up the #NaturaLitsy buddy read a bit early. A great read that encouraged me to think about the desire humans have to find out everything possible, to leave no mysteries of the natural world. Though we‘ve tried for many years, including some great minds, no one has quite “conquered”/discovered everything about the mysterious little eel. Loved it!

This was a fascinating book to read- but it also was challenging. As a vegan - who stated out as vegetarian 33 years ago due to climate change concerns and now recognize animal sentience and human greed as an incompatible struggle- parts of this book literally had me crying. Both over human ignorance and animal intelligence. I do highly recommend it to read and suspect everyone took something different away from it. #naturalitsy

I couldn't decide how I should rate this book. While the author does a great job of mixing a memoir with the science and culture of the Eel - some sections fell flat for me. With so little known about the Eel it felt like some of the book was just filler. I was particularly fascinated to learn about the culture of Eel fishing and the history behind it. It is also quite amazing how elusive the Eel has managed to be throughout history.

This book was fascinating. It was mix of memoir and biology lesson on eels. Eels are really interesting creatures but I think Svensson's father may have been the real star, especially with his way of finding worms 🪱
#Naturalitsy @AllDebooks #NaturalitsyBingo2023 #water #Pantone2023 #Skylight @Clwojick #ReadySetRead #newtoyouauthor

This is a soft pick. There are many things I loved about the book - the readability, the combination of memoir and narrative nonfiction, how fascinating and mysterious the eel is. But honestly, I just don‘t care about eels enough and it felt like the whole book was just saying the same thing over and over (we don‘t know Jack about eels). I would definitely read another book by the author. Read for #naturallitsy @AllDebooks

My new tradition is to make myself a lunch for work so I can sit in my office during lunch and take 30 minutes to read. So far, so good! Going to get in a few pages of this fascinating book on Eels today.

#Naturalitsy #Eels #Nonfiction #LunchTimeReading

This book is an attempt to balance nature writing with a memoir, taking the reader through the scientific history of the eel with memories of fishing with his father. Unfortunately, there isn't enough known about the eel to write an entire book, and so there are rather a lot of extraneous bits only marginally connected to eels.

Book 4 for #joyousjanuary
Described by balance for #booked2023
#naturalitsy

#Naturalitsy

Week 3 reading schedule- Chapters 11 - 14.

A discussion thread will be posted on Saturday. Happy reading & have a great week. 📚 😊

Discussion thread will be posted tomorrow. (Saturday 1/7)

#naturalitsy, @AllDebooks

Loving this book about a creature I‘ve rarely considered. Looking forward to the first #NaturaLitsy discussion on this one tomorrow. Spent some of the day reading and relaxing fireside 🥰

The phrase "slippery as an eel" has taken on a whole new meaning. Super interesting read, though. We apparently know very little about eels for certain.

#naturalitsy

@AllDebooks

#12Booksof2022 On the twelfth day of Christmas, my reading gave to me...a tale of the mysteries of the sea.

I was engaged and fascinated by this one from the very start Svensson's ability to craft a narrative around the life of the European Eel was impressive. Science, nature, history, and a personal family story all came together. And now I love eels! Who knew?

@Andrew65

Went to the library with the little guy this evening and picked out some books. He was able to get a couple of books on prehistoric ice age animals (he was been bugging us to learn more about them), his favourite - a Komodo Dragon and an animal battle book.

I was able to pick up a book for #naturalitsy and #AutherAMonth . I'm excited to dig into these books!

#LibraryHaul #NonFiction #KidsBooks

I listened to the audio for the upcoming #naturalitsy read. Since it was from the library I couldn‘t read along with the weekly schedule.

I have only seen a wild eel once that I can remember- fishing with my dad in Vermont when I was little, and he caught it accidentally. He released it after letting me get a good look at it 🙂. It was always important to him that I got to see unusual creatures so I wouldn‘t be afraid of them.

I learned so ⬇️

Starting next month's #naturalitsy book early because I don't know how busy I will be in the coming weeks. So far so good.

@AllDebooks

Picture from https://www.mes-ballades.com/16/faune-de-la-charente-16-en-region-nouvelle-aquit...

Repost for @AllDebooks

#Naturalitsy

Here's our reading schedule for our 1st chosen book of 2023. 🎉🙌 Please note, this is also published as The gospel of eels in some areas.

Start date - Monday 2nd January.
Weekly reminder of the schedule on Mondays Discussion thread on Saturdays.

Thank you all for helping me build our amazing nature-lover's community.

Wow. I have to say I wasn't expecting quite so much from this book, but it was absolutely wonderful. It is, of course, about eels (which are completely fascinating). But also nature, scientific exploration, striving to understand the world in which we live, and also embracing the mysteries of the unknowable. It is about brilliant scientists seeking answers, and about a father and son bonding stream-side on summer nights. 👇

Christmas Eve quiet time, I'm hiding out under a duvet while the frosty winds blow. My #Caturday companions are enjoying the coziness, and I am LOVING this book!

My plans for the first reads of 2023 and my last #libraryhaul of 2022!
Three from @TheKidUpstairs and one for the #naturalitsy buddy read — Eels. 📚

Repost for @AllDebooks

#NaturaLitsy Jan/Feb reads
Jan - the tagged (also published as The gospel of eels) (256p)
Feb - Poseiden's steed - Helen Scale (272p)

All welcome to join in
Original post
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2518890

#Naturalitsy

Just received my copy of the tagged, reviewing our schedule for Jan/Feb. This book is only 235 pages. As we had such a close run on top titles, how would you feel about reading 1 of the runner ups in February?
The draw of the sea by Wyl Menmuir (301 p)
Poseiden's steed by Helen Scales (220 p)

Please do let me know your thoughts. Many thanks
Debs x

Repost for @AllDebooks

The chosen Jan/Feb read for #NaturaLitsy has been announced. See original post for more details

https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2512466

#NaturaLitsy folks -- stumbled across this list from GoodReads! I am loving these titles, though it was published in 2021:

https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2076-green-party-the-recent-rise-of-nature-b...

Part memoir, part science, part literary and cultural analysis. A fascinating and moving read! (Yes, a book about eels made me cry!)

This is a good one: part memoir, part nature journalism, part cultural history, all eel. And y'all, those critters turn out to be surprisingly fascinating. (Also critically endangered. What in the world is wrong with us?)

This is how the birth of the eel comes about: it takes place in a region of the northwest Atlantic Ocean called the Sargasso Sea, a place that is in every respect suitable for the creation of eels.

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

This genre-defying work merges the story of the scientific search to understand eels throughout history with a son‘s memoir of fishing for eels with his late father, but it also verges on the metaphysical, making a moving argument for the place of mystery in our understanding of the universe, our connection to the natural world, and in our most intimate relationships. If you weren‘t fascinated with these enigmatic creatures before, you will be.

Wow! This is such a special book! Svensson serves writing at the highest level! He weaves a magical tale intertwining memoir, history, environment, philosophy, food, and science that left me breathless. This is a really a very special book that stares into the unknowable, inscrutable depths of living.

A qualified pick: trigger warning for vegetarians—vivid descriptions of harm to eels prior to eating them. I loved learning about eels & the memoir parts were okay too—father & son eel fishing—but sprinkles of Christian rhetoric gave me pause. Also the English subtitle is over the top. Exactly how many people have had an “enduring fascination” with eels? Translation by Agnes Broomé; #audiobook read by Alex Wyndham.

Road trip #audiobook.

This is a terrific book. If, like me, you love nonfiction that hits that sweet intersection between nature writing and memoir, this book is for you. It‘s a book to be savored; to be read slowly. And you‘ll learn so much about the mysterious, fascinating eel. Aristotle studied it. So did Freud. The book alternates between scientific rumination and memoir in a rather dreamless state. Highly recommended.

Good morning from very snowy Michigan! We estimate a foot of new snow. I fed the birds and am now back in bed with all the necessities (pictured). I WILL finish Eels today. It‘s mesmerizing but it‘s holding me back. I can‘t read anything else until it‘s finished. Stay warm, everyone!

My stack for #FabulousFebruary! I WILL finish Eels. Ah, it‘s a beautiful book, but one that takes time to ingest. Then it‘s on to the two Robinson books that precede my #DoubleSpin (Past Reason Hated). Then The Way You Hold Me, my #BookSpin. Mrs Christie is in demand at the library: better get it read! I LOVE Ann Cleeves, so on the list it goes. Finally, one of my #Booked2021 choices, The Future of Ice. Seems fitting right now in Michigan!

I‘m so in for #FabulousFebruary! I was pretty abysmal in the last readathon, but you know, that‘s okay. It‘s a new reading day! Or evening, as the case may be. I‘ll post my TBR stack shortly. It‘s ambitious! But not being ambitious doesn‘t mean I‘ll read more, so WTH. My Friday evening plans: the Australian Open on the teevee while I read in bed. Vamos Rafa! Go Ash!

Really looking forward to this new readathon that @Andrew65 is hosting! It will be a good weekend to spend with my nose in a book. And finishing the tagged book, my #doublespin, at long last!

I need to get back into my reading mode! And I need to finish my #doublespin, i.e., the tagged book. It‘s a really lovely read, but it‘s best consumed in small chunks as opposed to being devoured.

But we have sunshine in Michigan today! Cold but lovely. My husband is picking up my holds at the library later and I‘m working on a February list for #bookspin.

And I‘ll feed the birds. For now, ☕️. Goals.

I‘m SO READY for @Andrew65 ‘s monthly readathon. Been a slog lately to concentrate on reading. Too much of the world these days, and the ugly convulsions therein. But books are healing, and my goal is to finish my #BookSpins and get a bingo. Maybe even get a book read for #Booked2021!

My first swap! I, too, had swap envy this Christmas. Excited to take part!

In other news, I‘m loving the tagged book. It‘s a love letter to eels, to memory, and to nature. Really beautiful.

@candority

Toasting some of my favourite books of 2020! #12bestof2020 #12booksof2020

I discovered Litsy in March of this year, and it‘s been such a fun journey. One of my goals for the new year is to participate in yearlong readathons, so I‘m in for #Booked2021 and #Nonfiction2021. Both sound like terrific fun. Much thanks to the hosts as always! @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

I learned a lot about eels. And a lot about the history of people studying eels. Most importantly the book was a reminder that mystery can be magical - whether it‘s in the unspoken silences between a father and son or teams of scientists wanting to find eels in the Sargasso Sea. A truly great book.