Welcome to Litsy!

I made it about 60% of the way through before I called it quits. The story was interesting initially, but I wasn‘t a huge fan of Jack and Hazel‘s characters and the “love story” was very sudden and didn‘t really start until halfway through the book. I had higher hopes for this one, but I can‘t see myself finishing this one.

Book Bracket 2023 winner… Anatomy!
Honestly I loved this book. Whether it was due to the characters, the vibes, or the fact that this book got me out of a major reading slump but it was definitely a huge hit for me #2023reading #bookbracket #favbookof23

October Wrap Up 🥰
Only three books read but 3 is better than 0!

A twisted tale of medicine, royalty, and love all set in a period where the plague was very dangerous and real. Hazel Sinnett will drag you into her life and make you wait for even more juice details of her adventures!
#romance #spookybooks #octoberreads

This book has drug me into a depth that I fear I will never return…. The pages won‘t turn quick enough

Pleasure is fleeting. Science, the information you can gather, the things you can learn -thesr are what last. These are what make a legacy.

"Morte magis metuenda senectus"

Lovely - feminist and empowering and romantic and historic :)

This one was a little too dense for me. A lot of scientific terms and information to keep up with plus the time period made it a little difficult for me to stay engaged. While I really respect the amount of research that went into this book to maintain the time and setting and details about anatomy, I found this one a bit tough to get through.

I judged this book before reading simply because it says "a love story" on the cover. This YA historical fiction was great though.

Hazel is such a strong female character. She wants to be a surgeon in a world that refuses to let her. I loved the experiments, and that Hazel wasn't just portrayed as some fainting girl at the sight of blood.

This book has mystery, science, social/class injustices, and a budding young love that didn't annoy me. ?

I didn't realize that some of my current reads all share a similar color scheme until I saw them stacked up together! 😂 It's pretty! 💕🤍

"Perhaps you could take only one book with you to read at the gardens. After all, you'll only be there for the afternoon."

Hazel choked on her tea. "One book? ONE book? Now you're being absurd. What if I finish it? What am I supposed to read if I either complete the book I brought or I otherwise discover it to be unreadable? Someone could spill tea on it. There. Think of that!"

I can really relate to Hazel! ???

Yay! Finished my #BookSpin book. This was good, not quite a pick but definitely better than so-so. I have a request in for the sequel Immortality.

Book 29/100 of the year.

I thoroughly enjoyed this gloomy story set in 19th century Edinburgh. Think feminism meets Burke & Hare. Loved it.

A recent haul I got from a library sale. I spent 20 bucks. I was really excited to find some of these.

This Goodreads Choice award nominee is a story about a young woman, living in the early 1800s, who dreams of becoming a surgeon. That, of course, is not an acceptable endeavor for a lady and it‘s going to take extraordinary effort & help from an unlikely friend if she is going to realize her dreams. There‘s romance, danger, sickness, sexism, and more in this entertaining YA gothic novel. I believe a sequel might be in the works too.

A great Gothic feel!!!

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It was available to listen to immediately on Libby, so I decided to listen to it on a whim. Definitely not just a love story between two people, but a love story between the main character and medical science. A love story to Edinburgh, which is always a fantastic character in its own right. Bonus discussion between the author & narrator at the end gave more background. The narration was excellent.

Star-crossed lovers, grave robbing and subverting gender norms in 19th century Scotland?? Binged this book in a day or two. Unsurprisingly, I loved it! 🫀

#grave #scarathlondailyprompts #teamslaughter

Next book

I was a bit hesitant on this read after going through some previous reviews on it. However after listening to it on audio I actually really enjoyed this story! The narrator did amazing and I was very drawn to listening to it. Early 19th century Scottish setting about a young woman‘s ambitions to become a surgeon working with a Resurrection Man to study the human body.

Hazel wants to be a surgeon in 1800s Scotland. Jack robs graves of bodies to sell for medical research. Jack gets bodies for Hazel to learn on. an old disease comes back & Hazel wants to cure it. When Jack brings her a body that died from the disease, it‘s clear that‘s not the cause of death &all the missing people may be something else. Loved the idea of the plot &relationship, it all felt underdeveloped tho. did not like the end plot twist

I dunno if I was overly impressed with this one. I loved Hazel and Jack and especially Hazel's determination to become a physician, but the Bernard twist at the end felt forced, and the instalove between Jack and Hazel was...a lot. Not the worst book I've ever read, but also not the best. #yalit #yahistoricalfiction

Thanks for the tag @wanderinglynn 😺
Anatomy by Dana Schwartz
Richard Adams
Andor, it may not be out yet but I have feeling I'm going to love it.
Bryan Adams
Alive by Pearl Jam
#ManicMonday #LetterA @CBee

The cover and synopsis had me starry eyed, but I feel like it fell short. I had such high hopes for it. I liked the characters and the story line, I just felt like there wasn't . I feel like it was written well enough, maybe it's just me being selfish and wanting more. I'll gladly read the sequel, but it's not the heart throb I expected it to be.

I really wanted to love this book, but ultimately it was just okay. Most obviously inspired by Frankenstein, the plot was kind of underbaked and had a fantasy/supernatural element I wasn‘t expecting that I think it would have been better without. The romance was sweet, but a bit underdeveloped; somehow they did make a gravedigging make out scene work. 2.5 ⭐️ just for the book, but an extra 1/2 star for a fabulous cover. 3⭐️ final, mild pick.

Started this new YA about being female and not having the rights to study to be a surgeon in the 1800‘s.. it‘s gothic, you have cadavers and a love story!!! #danaschwartz #gothiclovestory #summerreads #beachreads

I liked this book, but didn't love it. It was a quick read that I finished in two sittings. I read the reviews before reading the novel. It seemed like we were reading a different book entirely. Yes, there is a love story, but it's not main focus of the novel. There were gothic elements, but I didn't find the eeriness that is prevalent in other novels. I chose it as a pick because it was well-written. It just wasn't the book I thought it would be.

Hmm, nope.
Didn't know much about this when I picked it up, I just liked the cover.
Ending was abrupt and dissatisfying.
Not gonna read the sequel (if there'd be one).

Kindle edition: found a couple of typos so far.

This is a fun YA fantasy/historical fiction. It is nothing like Frankenstein IMO. Just throwing that out there. And the cover is gorgeous. This was a runner up pick for book club. So I read it on my own. TBH I'm a little glad they didn't pick this. Not sure this goes with the group vibe.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Quote + Blurb

I've already reached my reading goal this year! 🥳

Still going to read, of course. But with a challenge! Will try to do it monthly.

This month: only read books by new-to-me authors.

I finished this today, and it was an enjoyable read. Set in Edinburgh in 1817, Hazel wants to be a doctor unfortunately in this time, women are not allowed to study. She makes a deal with a Dr Beecham who will let her study if she passes an entrance exam. But she needs bodies to learn from, in cones Jack who robs bodies from their graves. It's a gory, some supernatural elements and a romance.

I liked this book but I wasn‘t blown away by this book. The attitudes of 19th century men regarding female intelligence are incredibly frustrating. Hazel is smart, determined, and spoiled. Not spoiled in a terrible person way. More like she‘s so used to things working in her favor, she‘s too trusting. The ending was not my favorite. I don‘t need roses and a bow, but it felt abrupt and not quite in keeping with the rest of the book.

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

“The frog was dead, there was no doubt about that.”

Love this book already!!! I checked it out at the high school where I teach, but I might have to own this book because the cover is so gorgeous.

#anatomy #romance #mystery #readKY #gothic #beautifulcover #springbreak #rainyday

A few years back I devoured David Oshinsky's Bellevue: Three Centuries of Medicine and Mayhem at America's Most Storied Hospital for the way it made me think about the history of cleanliness and ethical practices in an ever changing world of medical advances. This YA book transported me back into those feelings and across the ocean through time to spin a story both gothic yet stitched together with real historical events and other figments....

This book was an impulse buy for me because I absolutely love the cover. The story was enjoyable as well, not really the ending I was hoping for but I'm not sure what would have made me happy. I loved how strong Hazel was, the resurrection men and setting were greatly entertaining. I would read more if this became a series. #pantone2022

Book number 10. 📚

A Reese's Witherspoon book club pick. 😃

This is a ya Gothic about Hazel, a girl who wants to be a surgeon & Jack, a boy who works as a resurrection man. They team up to help Hazel pass her exam. There is the somewhat predictable ya element with them & the supernatural element is rather farfetched but still an enjoyable tale 🫀
#Pantene2022 #GossamerPink @Clwojick
#NoShameReadathon #yaromance @Nessavamusic
#RoaringWolf #history @Roary47 @Littlewolf1
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

First of all, this cover is awesome. I didn‘t even notice the woman at first, just the heart. This is a Frankenstein-inspired book about a privileged young woman in 1817 who wants to be a doctor. It started a little slow but overall I liked this. There is mystery and a bit of romance but the love in the subtitle is of Hazel and medicine/science. Plus that whole Frankenstein thing!

This book was amazing. I could NOT walk away. A bit of Frankenstein, a bit Dickens, a bit Sherlock Holmes, Anatomy is Gothic, Victorian, & mysterious with a strong female protagonist. The writing is excellent & the pacing just flies. The narrative is gritty & awesome. Hazel is a badass female character & I freaking adored her. Not for the squeamish. Dark, gory, & weird. Potential sequel coming, which makes sense based on the ending. LOVED THIS!!

With a stunning cover, I have been looking forward to reading this one since I first saw it! This YA fantasy features a likable and intelligent heroine, Hazel, who is more interested in books and medicine than participating in society events or becoming officially betrothed. Hazel aspires more than to be a wife- and her encounters with a resurrection man, changes her life. The unresolved ending spoiled this for me- it just leaves so much hanging!

I forgot to post this when I got it. I was so looking forward to this when I heard about it on the Noble Blood podcast. The ending was so disappointing and left me completely unsatisfied. She‘s writing a sequel so I hope she ties up the loose ends and elaborates on an event that happened in this one. I still recommend it but not as excitedly as before.