Welcome to Litsy!

#CoverLove

There is more than one #Snake on the cover of our current read for #SheSaid 🐍

Hello #SheSaid! How are you this weekend? The story is moving along quickly now…thoughts? We know where it‘s headed really…but I want more.

@Smrloomis @KathyWheeler @Bookwormjillk @bibliobliss @JenlovesJT47 @Karisa @fredthemoose @Christine @mandarchy @rjsthumbelina @Tera66 @Megabooks @BookBosomed1 @MoonWitch94 @sabyym @ncsufoxes @Readergrrl @wanderinglynn @TheKidUpstairs @charl08 @CatLass007 🤞 please post….

The narrative structure in this book is very different, and there are quite a number of different points of view. At different points, even crows and olive trees provided input on the story. I really enjoyed it. Thanks #SheSaid — I might not have read it otherwise. It was actually in the high 70s after the rain today, so I got to walk outside. Continued with Possession after I finished Stone Blind. #byattbuddyread #audiowalk

Perseus is an idiot; I totally get why Athena is annoyed by him. I‘m not sure what I think about the alphabet sisters telling the story of his approach to Medusa. The olive trees narrating part of the story is an interesting technique. #audiowalk

Hello #SheSaid!

How are you doing this weekend?

Thoughts on this week‘s section?

See you in the comments!

I love the crow in this book; he‘s hysterical! Poseidon is probably the most petulant god in this book, and that‘s saying a lot. The rec center is nice later in the evening — not as many people there. #audiowalk #SheSaid

#SheSaid #ReadAway2024 I enjoy the way the author turns the Greek myths we all know, which primarily are centered around masculine heroes, into something new and exciting. Are the male characters truly heroic? Are those characters who are considered monsters really all that monstrous? Are outward appearances really important? The Olympians are considered gods. Olympians care little about mortals and are in constant competition with each (cont)⬇️

Hello #SheSaid!

How are you all doing this week?

Liking the new book, it‘s a definitely a shift from our last book and normal non-fiction, but I‘m enjoying it…I‘ve always liked mythology, so for me it‘s a fun read. I was hoping for more of a Circe-type deep dive, but we are still at the beginning.

See you in the comments!

I think this is going to be my first July bail. I read The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Haynes last year. It was brutal. I picked this up completely forgetting what was coming. After at least two mostly-off-page rapes in just parts one and two, and knowing what‘s to come…I‘m just not in the right headspace for this #shesaid read. Haynes‘s writing is great. This bail is all me, not a reflection on the book or author.

I‘m reading this for #SheSaid. I love mythology, and there are some takes on the characters that I really like, but I just cannot get behind the depiction of Athena. She‘s the goddess of wisdom, but she‘s a real brat. I had to walk outside this evening because the rec center was closed; at least it was only 86° at 7:00pm and there was a breeze. #audiowalk

Up Next for #SheSaid
Pick up your library book and put in your interlibrary loans!

Via @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Check out her post for more details
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2749389

Up Next #SheSaid!

Up Next for #SheSaid

Pick up your library book and put in your interlibrary loans!

Mythology has never been my jam, but I've read a handful of great feminist retellings lately, so I gave this one a go. It had some parts that were enjoyable, but it covered too many characters and stories and, therefore, felt disjointed. Medusa ended up being in just a fraction of the book. Overall, I was underwhelmed.
Also, I'm way behind on posting finished books, so here come a bunch of May/June patio and porch reads!

1) I don‘t have a specific memory, but I loved the Bookmobile as a kid. Our main library was about 15 minutes away, so we often visited the Bookmobile on Saturdays. I would still go if they had one.
2) bookstore & library, Amazon occasionally for my kindle
3) Tagged
@Eggs #wondrouswednesday

I listened to this one over audio, read by the author. I have loved listening to Haynes re-examination of Greek myths. This one makes you feel more compassionate for Medusa, not as the monster she is always portrayed. Athene comes off as a bit of a, honestly a b@tch. I was also listening to Stephen Fry‘s Heroes at the same time & the slight differences are interesting in how they both tell their version of the story. April review #bookspjn

Medusa was not a monster. Perseus was not a hero. The gods are cruel and the myths ring of injustice.

None of this was news to me, yet this retelling — which weaves together opposing narrators and pulls in context from adjacent tales — feels fresh, even though I know where it‘s all headed. (Pun intended?)

Maybe not an instant classic like the last two book club picks, but still a great read that I‘m looking forward to discussing. 🐍

#ItTakesAllKinds

A #Mythical Medusa retelling in my TBR, part of my #AuldLangSpine list from @Itchyfeetreader Hoping to get to it in the next month or so.🐍

“They will defend her, if they can,” said Athene quickly. “She is much loved.”
“Why would they love a monster?” asked Perseus.
“Who are you to decide who is worthy of love?” said Hermes….”and who are you to decide who is a monster?”
“She called them monsters” said Perseus, pointing at Athene.
“No, I didn‘t, I called them dangerous creatures…You‘re the one who thinks anything that doesn‘t look like you must be a monster.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Just starting this title, a retelling of the story of Medusa…definitely seems promising! 📖

New book obsession! If Madeline Miller went feminist wry and rageful instead of making toxic masculinity gay and beautiful? Still workshopping the mashup/elevator pitch 😏 Listening to the author read the cast of characters, I paused the audiobook so I could go pick up a hard copy. This one‘s gonna get marked UP.

#99ponkindle #ukkindledeal

I read 257 books in 2023, here are my favorites!

Can‘t believe I forgot to add this to my list! I‘ve always been a huge fan of Greek mythology, and have thoroughly enjoyed the retelling of many stories from a female perspective. This book is written by Natalie Haynes; English writer, broadcaster, classicist, and comedian - she is frakking brilliant and cannot write books fast enough to sate my appetite! Even more, listen to her podcast, Natalie Haynes Stands Up For the Classics.

This is the story of Medusa, in all of its mythological complexity. It also delves into Athena's motivation for cursing her with a head of snakes, Perseus's motivation for beheading her, and what happened to her head following said event, which some readers seem to take exception to because those parts aren't about Medusa ... but they do enrich this story. My favorite part was the chapter told by snakes 🤘

There are many women associated with the story of Medusa. This is the chance for all of them to speak.

I wish I liked this more. I did really enjoy turning the story around, & I liked some of the different POVs, but there just ended up being too many other stories woven in. & I was constantly thrown with classic storytelling combined with modern sounding dialogue. I‘ll give Haynes another try, but this just wasn‘t what I was expecting. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

Wasn't too sure about this one. Much better female centric greek myth adaptations available. Agree with other reviewers that Medusa is hardly in this story. Too much emphasis on forcing the reader to understand that Perseus and the Gods are the monsters, not the Gorgon's. I think most women who read classics and retellings already understand this.

🌟🌟disappointing! If you want good stories read Circe or Ariadne. Medusa was hardly in this. I didn‘t like the modern tone to the language or the portrayal of Perseus. Skip this one.

Her book covers are gorgeous. 😍

Loved this retelling of Medusa. Love the writing, love the cover. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

“You aren‘t monsters Medusa said.
Neither are you. Who decides what is a monster?
I don‘t know said Medusa. Men I suppose.
So to mortal men we are monsters.
Because of our teeth, our flight, our strength they fear us so they call us monsters.”

This was . . . fine? It just never rose to the heights of Madeline Miller's Circe, and suffered in comparison.

Starting this today; hope it lives up to the possibilities.

🏺

This, much like her other books, was a necessary retelling of established myth. Really enjoyed

There were aspects of this novel that I really enjoyed, most notably Haynes's perspective on Perseus, the love of the Gorgons for their sister, and the huge blind spots immortals have when it comes to understanding mortals, so I liked this book even though I was a little fatigued trying to keep track of the army of characters and all of the events that took place.

Loved it! 🐍🐍Gobbled up the drama. The gods acting like two year olds (actually my two year olds were better behaved) and flawed humans at their mercy.

“I see you. I see all those who men call monsters.

“And I see the men who call them that. Call themselves heroes, of course.

“I only see them for an instant. Then they're gone.“

#FridayReads #FirstLineFriday

Breakfast to a chorus of birds, toads, crickets, etc. 😌 (Rhubarb scone)

Love love loving Haynes!

In my opinion, Natalie Haynes can do no wrong. I really enjoyed hearing from Medusa's viewpoint instead of from Perseus.

The story of Medusa very well retold from the points of view of a variety of characters.

Excellent! This might be my favourite female-centred Greek retelling so far. I laughed out loud many times and was surprised and moved in other places. Highly recommended.

I love a good retelling of a classic myth, and Stone Blind hit the spot. Very much in the vein of many recent retellings that place female characters at the centre of the narratives. Read with spirit by the author on audio- I think this format really enhanced the voicing of characters.

“He‘s just a bag of meat wandering round, irritating people.”
I can think of others who match this description 🤣🤣🤣

As a kid reading the Greek myths, I always related on some level to Athene, but boy do I feel especially seen in this description of Athene as having the expression “of someone lacking patience but trying to hide it” 😬😅😜 (Athene sometimes doesn‘t come off very well in these new retellings, which is a bit awkward 😂)

Athene wants a thing like all the other gods have.
“Does Aphrodite have something?”
“Aphrodite has everything she wants,” Athene snapped. “Whenever she wants it.”
Zeus nodded again. That did sound like Aphrodite.
😂😂😂

I really love Greek mythology and especially when it comes to Medusas story. So I was happy to see a book on her story. Which it was. But it also was about other people's stories as well. I wish it would have just focused on Medusa and her story, not being the prelude to someone else's story. Also, there were a lot of freek goddesses and gods' names thrown around. You need a pretty good handle on the mythology before going into this one. 3.5/5

I love these retellings

I‘ve really enjoyed all the Greek myth retellings that have been appearing lately, and this one did not disappoint. It was humorous and brought up some good themes. Recommended! #womensprize