Welcome to Litsy!

I‘m not going to say much because I hate to trash a book, especially when so many other people enjoyed it. But I will say that it was a terrible choice for me. I can hardly believe someone published it. 😵‍💫

Sometimes, all I need is reading under the moonlight, sitting by my best buddy, and listening to the wind chimes being tickled by the wind.

This is such a fun idea! My May selections for #TitlesandTunes #IslandVibes are Black Cake and It‘s 5 o‘Clock Somewhere (either version - Jimmy Buffet or Alan Jackson). I don‘t think the book has anything to do with the song, but that song just says “island vacay” to me!
@Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

Bank holiday weekend sorted. Already half way through Black Cake which I put on my TBR pile a while back after it was recommended by the Obamas. Unfollow is my pick for book club this month, after being challenged to pick a non-fiction book. Have read good reviews so hopefully it doesn‘t disappoint.

Sometimes I get afraid of intergenerational stories because I‘m worried they‘ll be so heavy and pain filled and not paced well. That was not this. There are painful moments (check CW) but overall this book is skillfully engaging and entertaining as it spans times and perspectives. It‘s the story of children learning who their parents really are through an audio recording and unraveling the untruths, finding their way forward. Beautiful!

A book I feel I should really have loved, as this is normally my type of book; a family saga spanning years, with mysteries and secrets at its heart only told when Byron and Benny‘s mother dies, leaving them a recording of her life story. Yet something was holding me back from completely falling for it and I‘m not sure why…

This book is a remarkable debut novel! With short chapters from multiple perspectives and varying timelines, a story about family, love, sacrifice, and secrets emerges. It‘s an unique look at racism in the Caribbean, as well as a raw dive into grief and sorrow for things lost and for the hurdles life places in the way. A five star read for me. #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead #ABookAboutSecrets #52BookClub23

A story of secrets, of identity, of heritage, and of love. Thoroughly enjoyed. Read for #literarycrew

It is time for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead discussion! I posted 8 questions under the spoiler - you can find these in my feed, the book‘s feed, or searching the hashtags.

Any other thoughts to share? Thanks for joining in for another great month of reading!

Sadly, this book was just okay for me. I felt like I was being told everything and it jumped around so much I never felt attached to any of the characters or even as though I knew them. Should be an interesting book club discussion tonight, though. (Although I have already been told we will not be having any black cake.)

This magnificent and beautifully written family story spans decades and is full of love, betrayal, and mystery. The adult children of a complicated woman must come to terms with their inheritance on many levels: history, race, food, secrets and, ultimately, redemption. I loved so much about this book and it‘s unique perspective and I highly recommend it! #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks #Pantone2023 @Clwojick #IcedMango #SummerSon

My reading buddy is not being very helpful this morning 🤣

Black cake is a multi-generational story of heartbreak with touches of joy & whimsy.Eleanor,a legendary swimmer,is forced to flee her island under suspicion of murder.
At its core is the Caribbean Black Cake,whose most vital ingredient is love.After her death,her children receive a legacy in a series of recordings that reveal family secrets.Themes explored: Identity,resilience, forgiveness,risk taking,& the ability to reinvent oneself. Beautiful!

I LOVED this. Shorter chapters, so many stories, a lot of characters to keep track of, but it worked well for me and I just love how the author connected it all. Can‘t wait to discuss! #literarycrew #pantone2023 #vanillacream #fieryred @Clwojick @Librarybelle

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