Welcome to Litsy!

Set on an unnamed Caribbean island, this story came alive to me as I read it while in St. Lucia and could imagine it here. The short chapters and constantly changing story worked for me. I almost couldn‘t put it down. This story is about so many things, and a lot was packed in to the last 50+ pages. Some editing could have been done. Overall, I really enjoyed being with each of the characters and learning how the story unfolded. #LiteraryCrew

Checkin time for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! I‘ve seen some mixed reviews on this one from those who have finished. Any thoughts to share with the group at this point?

Discussion questions will be posted on the 31st!

Whew! What a read.

Reading with Poe. #edgarallanpoe #blackcake #literarycrew #catsoflitsy

“He should have know it would come to this.”

#firstlinefridays #literarycrew

Library hold picked up today, already enjoying it.

Mini trip to Toronto to see 2 plays and our youngest who‘s here going to uni. I loved this book, all the twists as we uncover Covey‘s story, the swimming and surfing, the black cake ( an unexpected example of colonialism), family. it‘s set in 2 time lines, present day and the 50‘s #literarycrew #buddyread

I really enjoyed this multigenerational debut novel although the ending lost me a bit. Looking forward to the #LiteraryCrew discussion at the end of the month.

My teensy March Break #bookhaul. I mean, does it even count?

Two estranged siblings reunite after their mother has died, where they are faced with her final bequest: a tape she has left them explaining a painful family secret. The story moves quickly, on multiple timelines, and I enjoyed the different points of view.

#UnpopularOpinion I just found this book so difficult to follow- multiple timelines, dozens of characters, so many side stories- it was just too messy for me 🤷🏼‍♀️curious to see what the #LiteraryCrew has to say about this one!! This was also on @MallenNC #ALSpine list - sorry I didn‘t love it as much as you did, Melyssa! I enjoyed the author‘s notes & im interested to see what she writes next. #ReadingTheAmericas23 #Jamaica

Another February read that also happened to be a January #BookSpin was Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson. I LOVED this book! I typically love family dramas and really enjoy seeing this explored in other cultures. This was as good as other readers have said!

Happy International Women‘s Day Littens ❤️❤️❤️

This is a very intricate, and well-written story. All of the loose ends get tied up, so it is satisfying to finish. The non-chronological style of writing can be a tad confusing if you struggle keeping track of smaller details, but it all makes sense at the end. A very good read.

Still packing - thank goodness for audiobooks 💕🙌🏻

#titlestartswithB #MarchMagic #TBR #BOTM

Repost for @Librarybelle:

New month, new book for #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead !

We‘re reading Black Cake this month. Read at your own pace, and I will post periodic check ins throughout the month. Discussion is on the 31st!

All are welcome! Tagging those who have expressed interest; comment below if you would also like to be tagged!

original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2557054

New month, new book for #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead !

We‘re reading Black Cake this month. Read at your own pace, and I will post periodic check ins throughout the month. Discussion is on the 31st!

All are welcome! Tagging those who have expressed interest; comment below if you would also like to be tagged!

1. Learning new things, experiencing different perspectives, and retaining my sanity.
2. Several, tagged one the most!
3. Hard question, Trish Dollar I think.

1. Learning about different worlds,cultures,ideas. Characters to aspire to,role models.laughing, crying, feeling frustrated.
2.Black Cake
3. The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar,historical fiction
The Pyramid (Kurt Wallander Series)
by Henning Mankell, mystery
#wondrouswednesday
Anyone can play!

A pair of estranged siblings come together after their mother‘s death and are surprised to discover that their family history is full of never before told secrets. Great book about family loyalty, identity, and forgiveness. Enjoyed it a lot.

My March #BookspinBingo list. Messy, but done :) March will be exciting, I‘ll be starting a new job and celebrating my birthday with a couple of weekend trips. I hope to fit in a good bit of reading too! @TheAromaofBooks

The #literarycrew Buddy read for March is the tagged book. Let @librarybelle know if you are interested in joining in.

I loved the characters, the storyline, and learning about this family‘s journey. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I‘m very excited to say March‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book - it‘s been on my tbr list since it was published, and I‘m so glad it was recommended for this year‘s list!

Read at your own pace in March. I will post periodic check ins, with discussion questions posted on the 31st.

Tagging those who have previously expressed interest. All are welcome! If you would like tagged in posts, comment below!

#BlackHistoryMonth recommendations
Day 21 Fiction
I suggest reading the afterwards first. It gives a rich history of race in the Caribbean and how Asian and British cultures have influenced the area. It gives context to this well written and in depth family drama. If you like family stories with betrayal, mysteries, and the pull of family you should read this.

Fantastic!!!
When Eleanor dies, she leaves a recoding for her two children, Byron and Benny, bringing them back together after 9 years apart. The recording reveals family secrets from Eleanor‘s past that shock B and B but allow them to reconnect as they come to terms with who their mother actually was.

A book, a cat, and socks with books and cats 😄

Finished this family saga last night and totally understand why it was one of the Book of the Year picks.

Multi-generations and lots of secrets.

I appreciated the short chapters and liked how it bounced from past to present but was still easy to keep up with.

4 out of 5

This was a reread for my library book club this month. There is so much about this book that I love, but even in this second read I still feel like the author tried to put too much in the story. I truly appreciate all the topics she addresses, but it made it difficult for some of them to become fully developed in such an already complex novel.

It's a great book for reading with others though because it gives you so many things to talk about.

Three matches! #pantone2023

So good! Two estranged siblings come together after their mother‘s death to settle her estate. Their mother left them a recording in which she tells them the truth about herself and their family, bringing many secrets to light. The story is told in a non-linear timeline and in many POVs, but it‘s not confusing at all.

#bookspinbingo
#20in4
#jumpstart2023
#pop23 - book with a color in the title
#botm

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B093YSHS99/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?ie=UTF8&qid=16750...

Beautifully written.

Multigenerational novel, spanning locations from Caribbean island origins to UK, Italy, Cali. Estranged siblings learn their deceased mother‘s secrets. Short chapters, straightforward prose. Inheritance, tradition, discrimination, recipes, adoption, culture, identity. Maybe a few TOO many twists? Felt like unending revelations. Refrain: “What are you willing to do? And is it worth it?” P166 “The beauty of a thing justified its plunder.” 2022

“Black Cake” by Charmaine Wilkerson is a beautiful, multi-generational story of a family that will both tear your heart apart but will also make you say, “everything happens for a reason”. 🥹♥️ My first five star read of 2023 🙌

I enjoyed the book, I reflected a lot about my family generational traditions, recipes and culture. How our journey even as siblings differs. I enjoyed the different twist and turns, apart from the ending 🫣

This is a story of a mother who left behind the true story of her life to her children. The mother had told her children that she was an orphan but her story is so much more complicated and heartbreaking. The novel is an easy read. 4/5

The tagged was my choice for #BOTY. It was the only one I had any interest in. Anyone read it? I loved the author of the other book, A Flicker in the Dark so I gave her another chance to wow more!!

What were your choices?!

Can you believe that 2022 is almost over?!?! I can‘t!!! 💜💜💜💜💜

My #BotM #BookMail showed up this morning! I finished the last reading challenge and got my Shelf Slayer prize, picked Black Cake as my Book of the Year reward (it sounds so good!), and chose two books that I know I'll enjoy. Plus they sent cute holiday stickers! 🥰

My #BOTM pick (somehow I always pick the thriller) and my #BOTY pick.

I really enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham so I‘m hoping this one will be good!

Black Cake is my BOTY choice…

What did you choose?!
#BOTM

I listened to the audiobook, and the narration is excellent. An estranged brother and sister meet after the death of their mother to settle her estate. They find that their mother has left a recording for them. She reveals the origins of their family and exposes many secrets. This is a lovely novel of family, love, heartbreak, and survival. I highly recommend!

I love this book. Lots of back and forth in time periods and different people's perspectives but not confusing at all. I couldn't put the book down. Nice easy read as the chapters are short. My book also came with the black cake recipe 😋

I liked this book although there was a lot of going back & forth between different people. For me it flowed & made a good story. I enjoyed the history of Jamaica that the author used. It was a good story but I feel that the author tried to cram in as much history as possible into one story (i. e., Eleanor had the most inconceivable amount of bad luck for one person). I almost wished she had written two separate stories to cover all she wanted to.

9-22 Oct 22 (audiobook)
Family secrets told to an estranged brother and sister posthumously through the reading of their mother‘s will. Twists and turns but ultimately this fulfilled the hopeless romantic in me, although it is definitely not a romance.
Not sure whether the narrative voice or just the narrator‘s voice rang through with the cadences of the Caribbean, but that was the highlight for me.
A good story from Obama‘s recommendations.

“Question yourself, yes, but don‘t doubt yourself. There‘s a difference.” This Boot was simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful. I enjoyed the writing and the story immensely. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I don't know how I feel about these being #BOTM's top 5 for Book of the Year, but I'm glad to see Black Cake among them since that's the one I was hoping to get as my freebie 😆

Friday has left building and it‘s time to prep for the week but my weekend was All Booked, what about yours? Drop your title in the comments. #weekendreads #allbooked #blackcake

I've been hesitating to pick this up because it's gotten such a buzz around it and I've found myself underwhelmed by recent buzzy books but this one didn't disappoint. Wilkerson had such good pacing to keep you turning pages and the story was crafted so wonderfully. Eleanor's story was so compelling and bittersweet - and learning it alongside her children as they grieved was a beautiful way for it to unfold.