Welcome to Litsy!

What a rollercoaster! A family of strong, fighting women and at the heart of it a grandmother with incredible energy and love for the world. The story is told from the perspective of Swiv, the granddaughter, and has the grit and charm of a teenager‘s outlook on the world. A book that made me both laugh and cry, absolutely wonderful.

What a read, what a talent, by the author of Women Talking. Funny, clever, memorable story of a girl who‘s been suspended from school and her grandmother and their trip to California. Loved it. Must read everything by this author.

I loved this book! It's funny and heartwarming, told through the voice of 9-year old, Swiv. Swiv lives with her mother and grandmother and is the main caregiver for her lively and eccentric grandmother. The book comes together beautifully at the end, providing meaning to the title, which I was curious about throughout the book.

Being a Grandmother myself with a 9 year old grandchild, this book felt very close. Of course my life is so different from the author and her semi-autobiographical characters and their circumstances and yet… may I be as freewheeling and unafraid as this grandma is. While I laughed through much of this, it‘s the story of three family members moving through some very difficult experiences. Thanks to #bookspin I finally got it off my TBR.

Grandma and I have the same affliction!

A profound and lovely story of three generations.

I wasn‘t a fan of this one. Couldn‘t reconcile the humor with the sad situations. And too many exclamation points!!!!

My first Toews novel but for sure not the last. I read this in two days. Swiv is nine years old and has been suspended for fighting. The book is framed as a letter to Swiv‘s absent father but it‘s really a funny and moving account of Swiv‘s relationships with her crazy yet full of life grandma and her confrontational, pregnant mother. Can‘t wait to read more from this author!

#12Booksof2022

Book 172

I listened to Fight Night by Miriam Toews, the author of Women Talking. The commendable voice acting, done by the author and her sister, gave the dynamic characters more life and enhanced the humor.The "slice of life" story is of three generations of women: one nearing the end of her life, one about to have a new baby, and a teenager, Swiv. Cont'd in comments.

#12Booksof2022 I read one of my favorite books of the year in March - Miriam Toews Fight Night was fantastic and completely unexpected. I had bought it on someone's recommendation, but it probably would have sat on my bookshelf indefinitely if its number hadn't come up on #Bookspin that month. @Andrew65

I quickly fell in love with both 9-year old Swiv (the novel‘s narrator), and with her feisty and loving grandmother. I laughed out loud on multiple occasions reading this, but I also ached for the pain of these women, and all the after effects of trauma they were fighting through. Plenty of beauty amongst the brokenness here.
(TW - especially for suicide)

My sister wants her book back.

Thank you for the lovely swap of goodies @magyklyXdelish ! I‘m really excited to read these books, especially the effects one. I love journals with unlined pages!! They are so hard to find! I use book sleeves to keep my nurse gear organized. Thank you! 😍☺️🤓

#LitsyLoveSummerSwap

June Wrap!
5⭐️s: Counterfeit, The Cherry Robbers, Fight Night, An Olive Grove in Ends
4⭐️s: The Woman in the Library, The Unsinkable Greta James, Lessons in Chemistry, Acceptance, Flying Solo

#junewrap #junewrapup

Book reviews are dangerous places...

#MonthofBookDeferral

I would guess so!! 😃

She makes it sort of difficult for the doctor. Doesn‘t she?! 😂

Just started this new novel by #Canadian author Miriam Toews tonight. It‘s the story of a young girl, her Mom and her #Grandma. The old lady is hilarious! I love this book already.

This is the best book I've read this year! I can't remember the last time a book toyed with my emotions like this 💗💔🤣. I adored the relationships among the women in this story, especially Swiv and her grandma. It's in turns hilarious, tragic, and wise. I loved getting to know this smart, quirky 9 year old and her colorful family! This was my March #Bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not gonna lie - I chose this book for the title; it reminded me of the Gilmore Girls episode title "Friday Night's Alright for Fighting". The voice is well done and convincing - both the voice of the 9yo narrator, and the way she describes the other characters and how they speak. I liked the characters and the family dynamics. There were also some very insightful moments that I was able to connect with, and that really made me interospect.

Miriam Toews is a marvel. Loved this novel full of humor and heart. Also adored her two previous, Women Talking & All My Puny Sorrows.

• Recommended in ModernMrsDarcy.com 2021 Fall Book Preview #MMDBookClub

I couldn‘t enough of this story about three generations of woman in this family from Toronto. Nine-year-loss, Swiv, has been expelled from school for fighting. Mooshie is Swiv's pregnant mother and relies on her mother, Mooshie, to look after Swiv‘s father leaves them. The relationship between these three is absolutely dysfunctional yet, surprisingly, enviable.

I‘m a big Toews fan, and Women Talking is one of my favorite novels. This one didn‘t disappoint. I liked the first half better than the second, but Toews writing is just superb and that trumps all. 🤓📚📖❤️

‘Then at security it took eighty hours to get through with Grandma and all that “rigamarole” which she pronounced like it was Italian pasta with rolling r‘s.‘😏🍝🤌

I LOVE Miriam Toews. She does not get enough love for her fantastic writing. This book about young Swiv dealing with her (crazy) pregnant mom and being homeschooled by her spunky grandmother has me in stitches 😁😎🤩❤️

I read a few reviews that weren‘t keen on this because they didn‘t like the POV/child narrator, I‘m betting they are not fans of Flavia. Precocious tween girls are my jam 🤣🤣 this 3 generation female centric novel had me laughing and sobbing 👍🏻👍🏻

@LeahBergen thank you for the lovely #jolabokaflodswap package. I hope to maybe cozy up to a cup of tea sometime this afternoon, as it is snowing it outside and it just feels right for a cup of tea today.

I‘m not a big fan of plucky survivor from a wacky family memoirs and this one seems to prove that holds for fiction too. It‘s not bad, it‘s just not my thing.

Trying not to race through this and savour it. MT packs a lot into her stories, and a lot of it is heavy and sometimes heartbreaking. It‘s multi-layered, you can read fast and just skim the surface of her words and miss the deeper story underneath. At least that‘s how it feels to me, sometimes I‘m a paragraph or 3 ahead and think “wait, whoa …” as it settles in my brain

Sort of have mixed feelings about this one, but Swiv's sustained voice and her wacky family keep you turning the pages.

Real talk: I did not like the little kid narrating this one. It was super annoying being in her head and listening to her thoughts. I didn‘t find it cute, and her brand of precociousness wore on me. I‘m kind of surprised I finished, but it was short, and #DriveTo500.

I enjoyed listening to the story of three generations of women living, learning, and laughing together.

The story is narrated by Swiv - a 9 year old wiser than her years.

One thing I missed listening to the audio was that the story was written as a letter to her absent father. Not sure how that got by me.

At any rate, another great book by Miriam Toews.

PS - This Costco puzzle is going to take some time...

Loved this in audiobook. Duel narration, one voice for the main character, Shiv another for her grandmother. A wonderful novel full of wisdom and family. #audiobook

This was a delightful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. My only wish is that we could so many books with Swiv at the helm. She just might teach you how to fight.

This was sweet and funny and includes many wise words about living and dying. I loved the memorable characters, especially Grandma. (This was not the cover of my library audio version, but I strongly prefer this cover! STRONGLY. 😬) I really like Toews‘ writing and am so happy to still have backlist of hers to read.

I went for the tagged book (next month‘s book club read) and then I bought Good Girl, Bad Girl and Ari and Dante for my classroom library because: reasons, and The Last House on Needless Street is all y‘all‘s fault. I used Plum points, so this stack was only $20. #sorrynotsorry.

The official Giller shortlist was announced today. My top pick for the winner is Fight Night. What‘s yours?
#shadowgiller2021

The Giller shortlist will be announced tomorrow. These are the five I hope will be on it: Vermette‘s The Strangers; Toews‘s Fight Night; Thúy‘s em; Plett‘s A Dream of a Woman; and Lalonde‘s Glorious, Frazzled Beings. #shadowgiller2021

Very good. It‘s based on her mom, and I think her biographical stories are the best.

https://youtu.be/tYCjcRuGFxw

Thanks @Lindy 💕

Wow! Lots of surprises on the Giller longlist. Four are not yet published, one came out in 2019 then was republished this year (so I didn‘t think it was eligible) and another wasn‘t on the Craving Canlit Giller website, so it wasn‘t on my radar at all. I‘ve only read 4 out of the 12 (and correctly guessed 5 out of 12). Much reading ahead for this shadow juror before the shortlist announcement next month.
https://scotiabankgillerprize.ca

“What makes a tragedy bearable AND unbearable is the same thing—which is that life goes on.” Grandma‘s wisdom & zest for life, together with 8-year-old narrator Swiv‘s voice, make this a perfect novel. The fight is both internal & external: against sadness, self-doubt, lack of courage, the patriarchy & religious dogma. It‘s hilarious—sometimes to the point of slapstick—and it‘s heartbreakingly real. #CanLit #shadowgiller2021

I took the magazine out of the pocket on the seat in front of me and opened it to an ad that said ‘Literally in Love with Jumpsuits.‘ I put it back into the pocket.

(Internet photo)

Do you know Shakespeare‘s tragedies? People like to separate his plays into tragedies & comedies. Well, jeepers creepers! Aren‘t they one & the same? So, King Lear fails to connect with what‘s important in life & loses his mind… who hasn‘t? There is comedy in that, don‘t kid yourself. That‘s life! And life doesn‘t necessarily make sense. We‘re human!

We all have fires inside us, even you. Grandma says you pour so much alcohol on the fire inside you that it‘s guaranteed to never go out.
[this entire novel is structured as a letter by a 8-year-old to her absent father]

Grandma sang let it be, let it be, let it be, lord let it be. I told her lord wasn‘t the right word. The right word was yeah, let it be, not lord, let it be. She‘s right, said Ken. It‘s yeah, not lord. Okaaaaaaay! said Grandma. From the top. She sang it again but used the wrong lyric. She did it on purpose. She just likes opportunities to say lord because it makes her feel like she‘s praying.

Then I woke up and it was still the same day which was the longest day ever because of the time change and almost dying 400 times in water, air and on land. We‘d probably almost die in a fire before bedtime.

[Swiv loves hyperbole. What a kid!]

Lou poured everyone a glass of white wine to toast family. He looked sad and happy at the same time. That‘s a popular adult look because adults are busy and have to do everything at once, even feel things.