Welcome to Litsy!

I finally finished my February #foodandlit pick. OMG what a wild ride this thriller is! Thank you for picking New Zealand so I had to get my ass in gear and get this off my TBR

Ooooo this is villainous through and through! Loved how Catton used the points of view to create the tragic misunderstandings and devil-in-the-details confusion, both of which allowed for psychotic manipulation and more innocent yet misguided motivations of character which made this so fun to read!

I keep forgetting about New Zealand. I‘m going to try and get this read before February ends so I can start my South Korea read. These prompts are helping me knock some books off my TBR 😘😘😘 #foodandlit

Godd grief, epic and exciting and totally gripping.
Unpredictable.
Brilliant!

Ah-ha! The villain amongst us!

Another one for this month‘s #foodandlit Had this on my TBR for quite some time. It felt a bit like cheating, though, as I started an audiobook which turned out to be an abridged version. I only noticed when I was already too deep into the story to start again.

With the snow here in Vancouver, I‘ve been tearing through books. Started this one on Saturday expecting it to last the week, but I quite simply couldn‘t put it down. The reviews calling it a Shakespearean thriller are spot on. So so good.

(More gratuitous summer holiday photos!)
I had low expectations for this book. I loved The Luminaries and the idea this was a thriller didnt thrill me. Well gosh darn and blimey, i loved this too!
Catton skewers and dissects a number of people‘s ideologies and political discourse as she builds her characters backgrounds - not in a dismissive “theyre totally wrong” way i felt - more as if challenging everyone to go deeper, to debate ⬇️

I found the first part slow, bogged down by the characters‘ backgrounds, motivations and philosophical ideals, which I later understood were essential to the story. It required much concentration; such long sentences, and I was out of air by the end of most paragraphs. I almost bailed out, but I was determined not to, on my first read of the year. Chapter 2 onwards it shifted full gear..it was tense and I was at the edge of my seat…⬇️

Apparently we are at day #6.

#12Booksof2023 @Andrew65

#12daysofchristmas #12booksof2023

My favorite book of April. I have already spend many words on it. I know reviews are very mixed but to me this was really such an outstanding eco thriller and much more than that.

@AmyG ... you said I could open this now or wait, and my husband said, “NOW!“ so I opened it. Thank you, dear friend. This book has been high on my radar and will be my 1st read once #WinterGames is over. I love the notepad, too. Do you think it will help me stay organized? 🤔 I hope so! I know you have the Christmas advent calendar, yet I also with you a heartfelt Happy Hanukkah! 💜🕎💜

Interesting book set in New Zealand with worlds colliding (an American billionaire meets an eco-farming collective meets an aristocrat). This book has elements of techno-thriller (drones tracking every move) and lots of political philosophizing (a la Ayn Rand).

The first part was a bit dry. Then the story really got going. Then it went off the rails and landed in batshit crazytown. Can‘t say that I loved it or hated it, but it kept my attention!

Well written! Not how I imagined the ending, but considered another way, I don‘t know if a different ending would have been better. The nature of the tale is so big, that to blow everything up seems right. The scary and strange view into the super rich and powerful was unsettling

Camille is a little judgy about the fact that it's taking me months to read this book (or maybe she just wants me to put down my phone and pet her already, what does a cat have to do to get a little ear scratch around here?).

Forgot to take a photo of this one before it went back to the library but wow what a ride - it started off fairly slow as we‘re introduced to the characters and then it went somewhere I wasn‘t expecting. I would have loved to have discussed this one with #camplitsy as there‘s a lot to it. Really enjoyed it.

Like, no one ever actually knows what the right thing to do is. I mean, you can think that you know what‘s right, and you can tell yourself that you know, but at the point that you make your choice, like, in the moment, you‘re never really certain. You just hope. 🌱🍄🌲

Currently reading.

I have been SUCH a good girl about not buying books but no one is perfect.

Well that escalated! (I mean, guerilla gardening collective + (apparent) billionaire prepper was never going to = sunshine and lollipops... but, holy crap!) This doesn't have the intriguing convolutions of "The Luminaries" but then it's a much quicker read. It's dark and tense and really rather good.

An environmentalist action group and a wealthy and paranoid developer clash at a nearly inaccessible New Zealand farm. Well-written as always but I did not love it as much as The Luminaries.

A right ripping tale awash with politics, psychotic billionaires, virtue signaling conservationists and kiwi identity. It has humour, pace and wonderful character development. Such a fun (and sadly on point) read, I look forward to seeing this developed for the screen.

#libraryhaul ?

I'd reserved "Birnam Wood". The others just flew into my arms as I was passing.

I finally figured out why I haven't been able to find Birnam Wood on audio. I can see not allowing it to be purchased from elsewhere, but not in libraries either? Not cool at all.

Mira is looking for a likely patch of land for her gardening collective, Birnam Wood, to sow crops when she encounters secretive American billionaire Robert Lemoine. Unbeknownst to most of its members, Birnam Wood becomes entwined in the plots and plans of a man who shares exactly none of their values. A good reminder not to leave the world's fate in the hands of billionaires, and an ending that's all too Shakespearean.

I enjoyed this. I bought the print copy, read half as print and then lost the print copy and since I had lots of audible credits, I finished it as an audio book. I find Catton to be a brilliant writer and I enjoy her style. This book was more action packed than her prior books but similarly dense with some interesting political/philosophical discussions. It‘s on my Booker prediction list

Holy 💩!!!

That ending was NOT what I was expecting from a book about guerrilla gardeners!

🤯

Slowly making my way through this #camplitsy pick! Glad I‘m getting to it, even if I couldn‘t participate in the conversations!

This ecological novel about a guerrilla gardening group that falls in with a billionaire is a scathing look at morality, capitalism, and what it means to “do good.” Both thriller and satire, Catton weaves a smart, character-driven novel with a lot to say. A bit slow to start, but the tension and plot ramp up in the remaining 2/3. The characters are insufferable, but her wit and pacing compels you to see this through to the cliffhanger ending. 4⭐️

Not much reading happening around here lately, but I did manage to update my first line journal. I'm having a lot of trouble getting into the tagged novel. I've picked it up and put it down dozens of times over the past month plus, and I really suspect that if I had a block of two uninterrupted hours, it would click for me. Alas, two uninterrupted hours is a rare and precious commodity these days.

1.Tagged Book
2. Haven‘t read one
3. Yellowface
4. The Vaster Wilds - Lauren Groff
5. Fifty Words for Rain
6. Remarkably Bright Creatures
7. For me…Claire Keegan (Foster)
8. Patrick…the Guncle
9. Foster
10. The Guncle
11. Foster
12. Kristen Lavransdattar Book 3

#MidYearBookFreakout

Come play! Thanks for the tag @Bklover

July is my month of read-alongs and playing catch-up! While I enjoyed/needed a couple weeks of mindless comfort binging (apparently) I am also happy to be back in good graces with the library, who finally delivered Birnam Wood for me to read on Friday (excited to see what everyone else thought of it anyway, lol - #camplitsy is always a fun book discussion and I‘m sure BW won‘t disappoint!).
#bookspin #roll100 #sundaybudyread #juneofarc

The second book for #CampLitsy23 . A leftist collective in New Zealand becomes entangled with a US capitalist billionaire. Misadventure ensues. What is this really about? Overweening ambition? Left vs Right wing politics? The end of humanity at the hands of humanity? I‘m not sure. Catton is a really smart writer, IMO. I think I like her because she is like a 21st century version of the Victorian author - so much detail and social commentary.

9-28 Jun 23
Took a while to get into, but I flew through the last two thirds. Helps to have finished work and be relaxing by a pool in Bali.
None of the characters were likeable but they were well-written and interesting, and I enjoyed their many flaws. Everyone has their price.
If it had been otherwise, I would have been hoping for an alternate ending. I have read some reviews suggesting it was a tragedy but I saw the ending as more of a farce.

Intriguing story. You are never quite sure where the story is headed. If I say more I will spoil it

Read for #CampLitsy23 June, Book 2. I‘m giving it a soft pick. The beginning was a bit of a slog for me, but the ending, while not completely satisfying, still slapped with how shocking it was & it had me staying up late to read the last 150 pages or so in one sitting as I couldn‘t put it down at that point. I need to reread Macbeth as it‘s been decades & I didn‘t get many of the references & also I like (okay *NEED*) chapters-preferably short ⬇️

I just finished this so I wasn‘t able to join in the discussion for #CampLitsy23. It started out slow and that seemed to last for at least the first quarter of the book. It got more interesting after that. I was really surprised at the ending. It was satisfying and unsatisfying. I‘m not sure exactly what I mean when I say that. I guess I‘m going to have to give that a lot more thought.

#bookreport @Cinfhen

Finished BW and I Am What I Am
Started and finished Galatea
Continued Count (17 issues left!)
Hibernated Redcoat
Started The New Climate War

😲🤯😳☹️ My face during the second half of this book. Have to work this morning, so will read through the #camplitsy23 discussions as soon as I can. But this book. I don‘t even know where to begin. I couldn‘t really root for any of the characters to be the one to come out on top. I didn‘t really like the ending. It just left me overall dissatisfied. But it was interesting, well written, and kept a good pace. So… 🤷🏻‍♀️

Question 3 of 3

With this question we‘re finishing our June reads. We‘ll get back to you later today to vote for your favorite #CampLitsy2023 read in June! Stay tuned 😀

Question 2 of 3

Question 1 of 3

I am on edge about what‘s happening in Russia right now, so frightening. Escaping into #CampLitsy23 might be just what we need. Let‘s discuss that explosive ending of Birnam Wood explosion 💥
Here we go again, enjoy!

Once I slogged through the initial character development at the beginning, this one took off! One of those books that has both plot and strong characters. The clash of the young, idealists from the “guerrilla gardening” collective and the billionaire with his sniveling hanger-on was brilliance. The New Zealand setting was believable. There‘s drones and scary tech, plus politics. This book is so original and I loved it! #camplitsy23 let‘s go!

Carton is a bit too smart for me, so I wasn‘t that keen to read this one. BUT it ended up being more readable than anticipated. In The Luminaries, I was frustrated that I didn‘t understand the chapter title symbols, and here - no chapters at all! 🤣. My thoughts are all over the place on this one, and I tend to agree with others‘ reviews. *Definitely* look forward to our discussion. #CampLitsy23

#VolumesAndVocals Day 22: Very #BadRomanceLGaga between the billionaire and the main character here. Cannot wait to discuss soon for #CampLitsy23.

Will save further comment for the #CampLitsy23 convos this weekend, but I really liked this (from start to finish! Was into the characters/setting/tone/writing right away, and in general plot/action are just unnecessary but fun bonuses for me as a reader. 😁).

#camplitsy2023 Low pick/high so-so @Megabooks

#bookeveryonehasread #52bookclub2023 @Cinfhen @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB @Deblovestoread @RaeLovesToRead @squirrelbrain @LeeRHarry @Bluebird @MissHel @AshleyHoss820

#setinmountainregion #booked23 @alisiakae @BarbaraTheBibliophage

The whole time I‘m reading I‘m asking myself, “This is a Thriller?” That being said, I did love it- as a regular book in the Fiction section. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I thought the relationships between the characters was interesting and I loved the exploration of the contrast between the natural world and big tech. And that ending right? Can‘t wait to discuss that in #camplitsy23 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️