Welcome to Litsy!

#book17of24for2023 #Novemberbookclub

“‘What is a game? Marx said. ‘It‘s tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. It‘s the possibility of infinite rebirth, infinite redemption. The idea that if you keep playing, you could win. No loss is permanent, because nothing is permanent, ever.‘”
#November2023

I finished this book today at lunch and wound up crying like a goofy goober in one of my fave restaurants. I really loved this book with its wonderfully flawed characters and nostalgic bent. It kinda had me with the title before I ever read it because it references one of my favorite Shakespearean passages, and I wasn‘t disappointed. The author once again knocked the wind out of me emotionally- not much else can be said sans spoilers.

#book.16.2023

Rdg grp this week will be a discussion of this bestseller. I am torn as I felt that the story of a childhood friendship emerging from illness into an adult bond that inevitably has highs + lows is a well trodden tale but it was very readable + I liked the characters.Gaming is not something I know much abt so I found the descriptions dull. Certainly worth reading but won't linger long in my memory but an enjoyable read. Should be a gd discussion

20th Oct 2023

Oh this made me read past my bedtime for the last two nights. I just had to know how it ends. First it felt like a warm blanket with the gaming and the 90s. I read so many gaming-books in the actual 90s. Then it shifted and I just had to finish it. Fast.

I‘m not into video games at all, but I still really enjoyed this book, which goes to show how well it‘s written.

Alright, I'm going on the tomorrow train. Wish me luck!
#audiobook

Discussion Question Number Two.

Discussion Question Number One.

Thanks to @Daisey , @SoniaC , and @tpixie for joining me this afternoon to discuss this month‘s book.

Today, we are meeting at 2 pm EST. Please join us to discuss September‘s book. https://msngr.com/dxwqsirutwik

I enjoyed this book, but it didn‘t wow me as it has many readers. I thought the story was told in some interesting ways and I loved the friendships. Additionally, although I‘m not a video game player, I could very much connect to the time in which this story was set and some of the feelings of the characters in relation to that.

#LitsyBookClub #audiobook

Am I squeeze in one more audio book in September? #summerendreadathon

Good storytelling. As someone who loves video games it was fun to have video games intertwined with the story. Overall it's a book about hardship and friendship. People trying to make their way through the world and life pushing against them.

I spy our #LitsyBookClub book! at Carpe Diem Café Librairie in Bayeux, Normandy, France
☕️ + ? = ????
#TomorrowAndTomorrowAndTomorrow
#DemainEtDemainEtDemain

I'm trying to do it all but it seems like I can't do it all. I will strive to get back to writing questions in addition to our monthly Zoom meetings. This month, we are reading Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow. The monthly online meeting will be on Sunday, September 24th at 2 pm EST.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thanks and keep reading! :)

I'm so sorry for all who are part of the Litsy Book Club. I've been an active host since the beginning, one of four. Now, I'm the only host. I work as a circulation senior assistant/page supervisor at a library in my full time, currently am working on my master's degree in Library Science & also work a part time of approximately 15-20 hours weekly

I've been extremely awful at keeping up with the book club other than our monthly Zoom meetings.

It was a complete torture trying to finish this book! I am not a gamer, nor am I a fan of gaming. And 90% of this story are vivid descriptions of the gaming world and characters.

Library card as bookmark?
Seems risky to me.

Book number 2 from my beach reads. Very interesting story about enduring friendship; the kind that ebbs and flows throughout the years whilst dealing with many of life's big battles, including grief and disability. Also, there is an interesting insight into what goes into making video games. Definitely recommend if you are a gamer but also enjoy ( sort of) romance 😊

This novel felt not quite as depressing, but had a lot of darkness and trauma. But was quite interesting. I‘m not a gamer, but enjoyed the journey of this one.

Sitting with this book on my lap now, not ready to admit I‘ve finished. I‘m not sure I remember the last time I read a book that broke my heart like this one. A beautiful book, full of carefully crafted characters, flawed but beautiful. I loved them all. However Marx was one of my all time favourite literary characters. An outstanding book, worth all the hype. I adored it. I‘d give it 6 stars if it was an option.

Excited to start this, have only heard good things.

Just perfection. I read this in big greedy chunks, completely absorbed. When I wasn‘t reading it, I wanted to be reading it. I‘m counting this in with some of my all-time favourite epics - The Goldfinch, Great Circle, A Little Life - high praise indeed.

This book is so good! Best book I have read in a long time.

I took this photo when we were at the beach in NC at the beginning of the month. Everyone in my house loves video games but me (I get headaches from virtual reality or even 3-D). I liked the story, felt that some parts dragged & it probably took me longer to get through. I can see why it got the hype but not my favorite book I‘ve read this year. #bookspin book #14books14weeks (book 5/14).

A different book, but intriguing. There were parts that didn‘t go as I hoped, but that made it more realistic.

Started this but not very far into it. Too busy looking for seaglass when I‘m at the beach!

Not sure how to rate this. Took a while to get into it. Then loved it, then got frustrated with the actions of a couple of the lead characters. Was possibly expecting a bigger ending too. Although I have to say it had me on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster throughout it.

It had some mixed reviews, either brilliant or meh! On balance it was a very enjoyable read that was well written for me and sure will stay with me for some time.

Read this for #TBRTAROT - This is a book I wouldn‘t have picked up were it not for @CBee and looking for a book with “and” in the title. I‘m not a gamer, but I enjoyed this a lot, although I‘m not sure I see it as the best book of 2022. Very happy to have read it though!

Some of this I really loved, the friendships and relationships were really excellent and the characters were well rounded and at times infuriating. I really enjoyed the earlier part of the Sam and Sadie‘s story but didn‘t love how quickly time sped up.

As was the case with The Storied Life of AJ Fikry, Zevin‘s writing style is so engrossing. Definitely kept me reading but was rather dark throughout. A lot of depression. Centers around Sam and Sadie‘s friendship through time. Enjoyed the video game maker and player themes. It ended up not being a book I‘d want to keep but was interesting to read.

I really enjoyed this book, which is for me surprising as I have never ever played video games. The main characters I really liked, the story of their lives and loves I was really invested. A great read.

#bookspinbingo 3
#june2023

June 27, 2023 On April 12, 2023, I picked up this book BUT did not exactly take time to read it. I stopped on page 64 out of 397 which is not even half of the book. I feel like I can continue the book although the author focuses a lot on video games and I am not someone who is into them or even plays them. How did you finish the book if you are were not a video game fan?

What a wonderful novel about love and loss and play. I don‘t know if the writing was good, but it was evocative and very clever.

I‘ve always had a hard time evaluating books, because how do you distill something so complex? It‘s like trying to rank your friends, which is amoral (I think).

That said, I enjoyed every minute spent in this world and deeply connected to the theme, story, and Easter eggs. I have a feeling I‘ll be rereading this one.

This was not my favorite but it was well written so I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

🎧 I enjoyed The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.

I found this book a bit boring & overhyped. Sam & Sadie met in the hospital as kids and spent a lifetime playing & developing video games together. You get a feel for the culture and their growing relationship.

It was an ok story. I expected more. TBF I‘m not a “gamer” & maybe the book would be infinitely more interesting to one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have started this book and am liking it. Which is surprising as I am so not into video games.

I didn‘t really get the hype about this book. I thought it was an interesting story, but so long and too repetitive for me. I didn‘t really love the characters and the further in I got, the less it kept my attention. I just felt like nothing ever really happened. It was just okay for me.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. I liked the story and the character development and relationships was good. I didn‘t find myself attached to the characters though so it was hard for me to buy into. I also felt like parts were tedious to read and the story felt like it was wrapping up numerous times and then would just keep going and going. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

"It wasn't much then. A glimmer of a notion of a whisper of a figment of an idea."

What gorgeous writing.

Today's word learned from reading.