Welcome to Litsy!

#IdiomInsight

The phrase fair and square is an idiom that means “honest, impartial, and without any sort of trickery.” It suggests that something was done in a straightforward manner, without any cheating or underhanded tactics.

In this book in my physical TBR pile (a recent #BOTM selection) there‘s a contest to win the only copy of the latest book from a beloved author. One hopes that when the winner is selected, they won #FairAndSquare ♟️◼️

I'll go with good not great!

⭐️⭐️The Wishing Game did not hit the spot for me. I expected to love it, bc of the reviews & it was recommended by a reading buddy & we normally have same taste. But I found the MC Lucy to be childish & immature, so her drive to win this contest at 26 years old is to adopt a 7 year old child, when she herself behaves like a child & it left me annoyed from the start. I couldn't get over it and thus could not fully vibe with the story.

I was enjoying this for a while, loving the puzzles, games and riddles. But now that I finished it, it feels sort of frustrating, juvenile and potentially damaging. The main character holds grudges and cuts off important people in her life and characters flippantly throw terms like “mom” and “son” around without a lot of regard for the process of found family.

A “look at yourself in the mirror and figure out who you are and what you really want” kind of book. It took me awhile to get into this. I enjoyed the story but I‘m not sure I understand all the hype and why so many people LOVE this book. Book #49 in 2023

Rocco, my incredibly sweet new buddy, helped me start THE WISHING GAME by Meg Shaffer this afternoon. Shaffer is one of my favourite authors (she‘s also written a ton of stuff as Tiffany Reisz), and the first seventy pages reminded me what a great prose stylist she is. I‘m excited to keep going later this evening.

So, as I‘ve mentioned a few days ago, I‘m trying to get back into my reading life/ community. I saw the posts for #bookspin and thought I‘d try. I hope I‘m participating correctly. I post a list of books I‘d like to read for September and then @TheAromaofBooks randomly draws 2 and that‘s the two I read? I get overwhelmed and end up not reading anything, so this seemed like a fun way to deal with that.

This book is a love letter to those who love books and the power they have, no matter how old you are. Beautifully crafted I dove headfirst into the story and didn‘t want to surface!

Cat mom dilemma… I want to read but to do so would disturb my pretty girl!

This book was very good.

If you mixed A Wrinkle in Time, Ready Player One, and Matilda together, you would get this book! A little dark and sad, yet hopeful and magical, it was different than I expected. It felt like the author could have fleshed things out a little more, bringing the story more depth and staying power. But I love the magical feel, the authentic characters, and the focuses on hope and found family (I cried a few times!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

This book hit me in all the right places! The attention given to that spectacular magic we can only get from reading books as children, mixed with the very realistic and often terrifying world so many live in, was so touching. And while there‘s a romantic element of sorts it isn‘t over done or too sappy. This is a bittersweet/sweet and somewhat sappy story and it was exactly what I needed even though I didn‘t know it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The school bell rang at two-thirty, and the usual stampede of little feet followed. #FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

Enjoying some tea while reading a book. What better way to enjoy a after noon. #tealover

Currently reading

A low pick. It was just on the verge of being too sappy for me. But I liked the characters and really was invested in seeing how the game played out.

Maybe it was the audio, but Lucy just seemed really, really whiny and she annoyed me. Seemed to have unrealistic expectations regarding the adoption process and made promises to Christopher that she wasn‘t in a position to keep at the time she made them. The whole thing seemed unrealistic. Wasn‘t nuts about Hugo either. Christopher and Jack were okay. Okay, but not a feel-good read for me.

It's the weekend! I'm starting this #botm.

Finished this while my husband drove through Nashville.
This book was incredible! I laughed, I cried, I loved it!!!

I should be packing for our family vacation, but this book has sucked me in.

DNF at 15%

I couldn‘t get over Lucy promising a little boy she‘d adopt him when it wasn‘t a sure thing. Or why she wouldn‘t get a second, part-time job to help get more money. I didn‘t get far enough in to tell if I‘d like Hugo, but thus far he wasn‘t anything special. On to the next.

This is a retelling of sorts of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I say of sorts because not all follows the original. Instead of kids you have adults playing a game with an author and the prize is his latest children's book. It is the only copy in existence and is worth millions to the right buyer. Outstanding prose and an MC that will steal your heart. 4.5⭐️

#LitsyLoveReads @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl

"Every night, Hugo went for a walk on the Five O'clock Beach, but tonight was the first time in five years his wandering feet spelled out an SOS in the sand."

I loved everything about this book, from the cover, to the acknowledgement. I loved the parallels to Willie Wonka, one of my favorite stories ever! How I‘d love to visit Clock Island someday, and read all of the Clock Island books to my grandkids. This author has an amazing imagination. The biggest compliment I can give a book is to call it magical. I love magic.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I devoured this book! absolutely loved it! Yes you‘ll know right away that this is a bit like Charlie and the chocolate factory and yes you may figure some things out along the way, but it‘s such a wonderful journey you can‘t help but feel good all over and fall in love with it.

I thought the dialogue and writing style was wonderful. Gave me all the feels. Sometimes you have to just read something that makes you smile 😊 📚📖📙👍🏼

4/5 stars.

This is the type of story that will remind you of when you were a kid and first fell in love with reading. I can‘t give a book higher praise than that.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“The Wishing Game” was a cozy and heartwarming read that I absolutely loved. I adored the characters, the plot was incredibly satisfying, and the story made me want to be there with them on Clock Island. My biggest and only complaint with this book was that it was over too soon!

My #botm are here!

Happy Wednesday! Happy July! Everyone is invited to play #wondrouswednesday @Eggs !

1. #bookspin, #doublespin, #bookspinbingo, #pantone, #serieslove, and some readathons

2. Tagged! It was one-of-a-kind, full of heart, clever, emotional 🩷

3. The Women in Black 😕

So behind on reviews! But the tagged was my favorite read of June! It was SO good! I loved it!

However, the 2 king killer chronicle books were up against each other and I liked the 2nd book more than the first in the series. I think because he got out more and explored instead of just being in school.

Let‘s see what the rest of the year brings! #2023ReadingBracket

This book 😍! It was such an unexpected winner for me. It was not great literature by any means, and it read a little like young adult even though it had adult characters. But oh my goodness, it was lovely! And charming, and fun, and heartfelt. I adored it!

It‘s seems every summer I fall into a feel-good story that makes me think about all my childhood insecurities and how fortunate I was to discover mentors, love, and confidence (and books) too help forge a path to adulting. This year, this is that book and I loved the story. …However, huge TW for those from families with a sibling given the lion share of parents‘ attention.

I LOVED this book! 📚🕰️🏝️ After starting & setting it aside a few weeks ago, I picked it back up today & didn‘t want to put it down! As a sort of re-telling of one of my husband‘s favorite book/movie (Charlie/Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) it was just magical & full of young-at-heart glee. Loved the characters & totally teared up multiple times! 💕

I‘m always so impressed when an author is able to vividly imagine an enchanting story within a story, especially along with captivating riddles and whimsical world building. This book is full of inspiration and intrigue (as well as all of the warm feels!) I wanted to pick up a sketch book after I was done reading this love letter to creativity and the power of human kindness. Great beach read! Thank you for letting me borrow it @ICantImReading 🩵

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars

I absolutely ADORED this book. Maybe my favorite book of the year so far, I‘ve already let my mom borrow it to read.

Very sweet, quick read. Run, do not walk, to this book if you want a light summer read 4.5 ⭐️ #botm

I‘m very clearly trying to get through my BOTM backlog, yet still getting more books

Loved this book! I read it in a day. Such a lovely story. I did have some questions, but for the most part it‘s put together very nicely. It did make me emotional in some spots. I also love that the author spoke a bit about the foster system and statistics. My husband was in the foster system as a kid and definitely has PTSD from his upbringing.

I really wish the clock Island books were real, I would read all of them! “Only” 65 books in series 🤣

#unpopularopinion time! I honestly don't see the hype here... I loved the premise of this, but I felt it needed more world-building to bring the setting to life. Also, for some reason I was really uncomfortable with the "God complex" others in the story seemingly gave to Jack, I feel like I needed a bit more substance to make his characterization work for me. But overall this was a light read that's perfect for summer! #botm

Finally a break in the rain. Trying to enjoy some possibly summer weather (it‘s so humid) this afternoon. 🍷📚

Started this one today and am about 75 pages into.

#botm Happy Saturday!

I absolutely loved this book. It was fun, it was a emotional (I had tears, y‘all), and it was hopeful. As I was reading, I was thinking of some series that I‘ve been emotionally invested in throughout my life. Highly recommend 🖤

#AtLastEttaJames #VolumesAndVocals

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Lucy Hart has wished so hard for the chance to be at Jack Masterson‘s Clock Island, and at last her wish has come true. What she doesn‘t know is how the rest of her life will be transformed by the experience…

This is a GEM of a read that captivated me from the very first page! There‘s whimsy, mystery, adventure, and was UNPUTDOWNABLE!
This reminded me a Willy Wonka and the chocolate factory but for adults and with books with an underlying message of hope and the enduring power of literature. It reminds us that books have the ability to heal, connect, and transform lives!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the kind of book that is magical without any actual magic. It felt deeply nostalgic while also being brilliantly new. It made me want to hug my daughter and my own inner child while believing in the power of wishes and bravery and love. I adored every minute! #BOTM

I loved this short book about the power of books read in childhood and the power that comes from facing your fears.

Four people are competing to win the final book in a beloved series. I expected that to be mostly what the book was about, but was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the back stories.

Good stuff!

Review is up! This is a magical tale!

https://reecaspieces.com/2023/06/12/the-wishing-game-by-meg-shaffer-booktwitter-...

#botm I love this bookmark, and I can‘t wait to dive into these!

This was surprisingly great! Read it in 1 sitting. Clever story about the reclusive eccentric Jack Masterson, who authored a best-selling children‘s series about Clock Island many years back. Stories within stories, and characters who are rich and credible and that you want to know more about. BOTM June

#Pantone2023 @Clwojick
#JoyOfJuneReadathon Day 1 @Andrew65

I'm having my gallbladder removed on Thursday. Perfect excuse for rest, reading, and cuddles 😴 📚 😻

Taking a break in the shade to start this one! It really seems like I‘m going to love it! Also bird & butterfly watching as usual. I really want to catalogue all the butterflies I see in the yard this year. I know most of the birds by heart by now. This book has a wonderfully nostalgic dedication, so I‘ll go with that prompt: “To Charlie and to all of us who are still looking for our golden tickets.” #52bookclub23 #abookwithadedication