Welcome to Litsy!

A solid debut about friendship, rivalry, ego, obsession, set at a small museum/garden in NYC where there is always more going on than anyone really knows. Rejected from every graduate program she applied to, Ann Stilwell is relieved to get a job working at The Cloisters for the summer. When she makes an important discovery, opportunity beckons & she has to decide just how far she‘ll go to get to the top. An entertaining read.

Started this one a couple of days ago…so far it‘s entertaining.

Reading this one today!📖 #scarathlon #teamBOOklovers @Bookwormjillk

Got about 16% in and just couldn't continue. Partly the skeezy dude path, partly the podunk awkward girl idolizing the rich pretty girl cliche, this wasn't for me.

I really enjoyed this! A little twist at the end that I didn‘t see coming at all.

Enchanting with its atmosphere and energy, I was drawn deeply into the magic and dark academia of The Cloisters! The entire novel hummed with a sort of spellbinding trance that matched its themes of oracle, desire, allure, power, and seduction. The steady plot, layers of environment and undertones, and quality environment makes this a perfect read for Fall 🍁🍂

The Cloisters, its artifacts, & all the sensory elements of this space feels like a character in & of itself. No actual character grabbed me- the end I did not foresee, but even that did not evoke any emotion in me.
Any emotion I felt was for the museum itself The novel did asks questions about the role fate, fortune, choice,luck plays in our lives. #TBR #14books14weeks

“ The Cloisters—it wasn‘t like the Metropolitan, where your eyes could rest. The entire space was the work.” —Ann
I visited the Cloisters once when I was in HS. Just reading a few pages of this novel makes me want to return & feast upon it‘s space & treasures.

#Augustreads #2023
I am leaving for Acadia National Park tomorrow & going back to work 8/28 so this is ambitious for me!

I am posting one book per day from my extensive to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new. Don‘t judge me - I have a lot of books. Join in if you want!

#ABookADay2023

Disappointing. When I hear the words Dark Academia, it sets my expectations sky high. Which doesn‘t help. I liked the location but there wasn‘t enough atmosphere or interesting plot for me here. I found the tarot cards stuff frankly boring. At one point, she says that the history of tarot cards is often left out by historians… I think there‘s a reason for that!!! I liked the ending tho, good twist. 👍

This one wasn‘t as good as I‘d hoped it would be. The premise sounded fascinating but it just bumbled along for me. I wound up checking out the audiobook on Libby to get through the last half while harvesting and cleaning onions and garlic so I could get on to something else in a hurry.

Accidental book club strikes again. My friend and I may make it a witchy themed club.

Checked this out yesterday from Libby.

Between so-so and pick. . . . . Wonderful descriptions and setting but I never fully felt the suspense and mystery. I think the characters, especially the narrator, were not developed enough so I didn't end up caring too much about any of them.

Set in The Cloisters of New York this is an atmospheric story of murder, mystery, the occult and academia. There was something missing...not sure whether it was pace, need for more incidents or intrigue but I felt a little deflated with each turning point in the book. There is a lack of drama & the story is delivered at one tone that doesn‘t change as the story progresses. Sadly, it offers a level of dullness like the main character Ann.

Libraries, tarot, botany and mystery. I was always going to love this one!
4 ⭐️

Up next...hope the story is as gorgeous as that cover 😍

#Booklovers #BookNerds #LibraryMouse #InkDrinker #ReadersLiveAThousandLives
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In all honesty, I found parts of this book dull, and other parts fascinating. I loved reading about tarot cards and other forms of fortune telling. I also loved leading about The Cloisters in NYC. Its gardens sound beautiful. I‘m beginning to realize that thrillers aren‘t my go to genre. What thrills some seems to bore me. I do plan on visiting The Cloisters someday.

✨️I loved this book! The fate of a summer spent working at a gothic medieval museum. Renaissance art history, Greek/Roman mythology, poisonous plants, & tarot cards. The New York setting of parks, punk bars, the Adirondacks, and mentions of Tarrytown. This hit a lot of interests for me and gave an ending I wasn't expecting at all! I love a good shock & awe for a conclusion.🌿

The Cloisters was my favorite read this month! Lots of Terry Pratchett too though which was very cozy ✨

I‘ve never been to the Cloisters so I can‘t accurately speak of the atmospheric authenticity here - but this novel made me want to go. ⛪️

That being said though, this plot was snails pace, had little to offer, and wasn‘t even a real spooky mystery despite the ambiance. Even the POV character was a snore.

Photo above was taken at The Met.

So-so instead of pan because a) I live right next to the Cloisters and I enjoyed reading about a setting I know so intimately, and b) the last two pages were really well done.
Otherwise, I found the characters all deeply unlikeable and the central conflict just didn‘t hold enough weight for me. The plot felt really contrived and I skimmed a lot.
Tarot cards are now so mainstream that I also don‘t see how the story hinged on their “darkness.” 🧐

A really fun ride through a young woman‘s journey as she shakes off some dark shadows and finds her feet in the world of art academia. Well researched and beautifully set in the NY Cloisters, it‘s no wonder it‘s been picked up for TV development. At times the story stumbled and fell a bit flat but the overall plot and setting carried it through. Look forward to seeing the adaptation.
(pic from the violet fox)

The third in todays #BookMail is truly beautiful with raised gilding, gorgeous colours & sprayed edges. Not signed(bummer)but still worth it. Set in New York, it‘s about an art historian who moves there after getting a job at the Met. But she‘s assigned to the Cloisters, the Gothic museum & garden arm of the Met, full of medieval & renaissance art. Drawn into the circle there, she finds a once-lost 15thC Italian tarot deck & things heat up.

Mum let me have my books early 💕 I am so addicted to Waterstones Exclusive Editions!!! Aren't they beautiful? 🥰

#endpapers

I enjoyed this book about a woman named Ann who is hired to work at The Cloisters. I really love medieval history as well as tarot so I was pulled into the detail that the author included about the various items as well as the plants from the gardens.

I always love me some dark academia, and although this is no ‘Secret History‘ (what is?) I still really enjoyed this NYC story. The Met Cloisters, a museum specializing in Medieval artifacts, is the perfect eerie setting, and the study at the center of this novel is of divination and historical tarot cards. Secrets are in abundance, a fish is most definitely out of water, and motives are endlessly questionable. Twisty, atmospheric and lots of fun.

Just starting this one…. Trying to catch up on my endless #ARCs ! 🤦‍♀️
Feeling good about this so far… Dark Academia is usually totally my thing. 💕

Lots more than just one #secret here. Not all littens agree, but I'm enthralled so far. It's so fun to read about places you've been. I'm about halfway through, where Ann & Rachel are at the Morgan #Library. Pics are from my visit last March. #JanuaryJazz #NYC @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#ARC #Netgalley #Cloisters

Random words review – Atmospheric, immersive, mesmerising & transporting

Fair warning this is a slow paced character driven story it is not a page turning thriller. This is a book to immerse yourself in and enjoy the scenery as the ride slowly progresses.

Full review here https://thereadersroom.org/2023/01/27/the-cloisters-by-katy-hays/

😳😳😳

Ok, I had to put my puppy Jethro to sleep on Sunday and this book was an affront on every aspect of my life.

I was SO excited to read this book, however, the plot was subpar, the characters were obnoxious (not in a good read way), and the dialect felt like if a 3 year old wrote it. Do not recommend 2⭐️ #botm

Loved this first novel by Katy Hays. Anne gets an internship at the Met in NYC. She is learning how to live away from home and is immersed in the history of tarot cards. I love that I had to look up items that I didn‘t know and the ending is perfect. Fate and fortune are part of life.

This was a quick, interesting - if not overly complicated - audiobook. The characters weren‘t particularly likable and the main character was surprisingly gullible and went along with more than I would think a supposedly super intelligent person would fall for. However it does have a somewhat unique premise and interesting use of tarot cards and kept me listening until the end. 🌟🌟🌟

My sweet friend, thank you for this lovey holiday gift…everything I need to read the fabulous book! Coffee and sugar….you know me too well. 🤣😘 Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful 2023!
@Chrissyreadit

I just finished this dark academia novel and it was a wonderfully crazy ride! There were a few twists I didn't see coming and it was gripping enough that I ended up finishing the audiobook on my couch, because I didn't want to wait until tomorrow.

What other dark academia novels do you love? I'm pretty obsessed with them right now. 🥰

An enjoyable read for anyone that likes #history & #mystery.

#thecloisters is now on my “too visit” list of places.

#tarot #murder #art

My favorite part of this book was the setting. I‘m intrigued by these gardens specifically maintained to grow and cultivate ancient plants - I didn‘t know that was a thing and I really want to visit this place! The mystery part had some fun twists, too.

I really enjoyed this book. It is set at the Cloisters which is part of MOMA, a place I'd love to visit. Ann gets a summer job there where she spends her time researching tarot cards, dating the hot gardener and trying to piece together who murdered her boss.
#WinterReadathon @Andrew65 @GHABI4ROSES @DieAReader #Booked2022 #DarkAcademia @Cinfhen @alisiakae @BarbaraTheBibliophage #WinterCosy @PuddleJumper #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I struggled to get into this book but I kept pushing and managed to finish it. I did enjoy the book once it got my attention and the ending did make up for the struggle at the beginning.

I LOVE dark academia with my whole heart. Sadly, if I had to pick a most disappointing, most anticipated book off of my list, this would be it. While it is DA, whoever decided to compare it to The Secret History and Ninth House should be fired. I felt like there wasn't adequate character development to explain the motives of the characters. Overall, it just fell flat. ⭐⭐💫

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

With a great setting and exquisite vibes, this slow burner (but maybe a little too slow?) assesses ambition, privilege, and fate vs. free will. It definitely has intriguing elements, but it‘s not a “new” story - I wasn‘t really surprised by the direction it took. I also wish some aspects had been developed more. #BOTM

finally was available at the #library! #debut

I‘m nerd‘ing out tonight. I treated myself with a ticket to “Cocktails and Conversation” - a Read with Jenna event. It includes an interview with the author of The Cloisters, a cocktail tutorial, a tarot card reading, and small group book discussions. This whole event is just bringing me such joy. 🤓❤️📚

Jenna‘s production company will be making a tv show based on the book. Wahoo!

This is a wicked, ingenious, and deliciously shocking ride of a story. Great characterizations and and absolutely awful/wonderful/crazy plot. #DarkAcademia at its best. So, so good!

This was an interesting take on a coming off she story in The Big Apple 🍎🍏 I liked it because it was reminiscent of Sweet Bitter only with a gothic spin. It was definitely not a typical thriller but I liked the premise. I want fully engaged in the book though, distracted by Thanksgiving.