Welcome to Litsy!

Current read. Or listen! I got the audiobook, too.

Turns out I miss you all. Who's still here? How are you?

The Hugo nominees were announced yesterday and these are the Best Novel nominees. The full list of nominees can be found at https://locusmag.com/2024/03/2024-hugo-astounding-and-lodestar-awards-finalists/.

I've read Starter Villain and Some Desperate Glory and liked both very much. Is anyone else planning to read the Hugo nominees?

#hugoawards #hugo2024

“How are you so smart?“ I asked, suddenly confronting myself with the fact that a cat was typing and understood theories of class and labor. “No offense, but your brain is the size of a walnut.“

HOW ARE SO MANY HUMANS SO UNINTELLIGENT? Hera typed back. THEY HAVE BRAINS THE SIZE OF SEVERAL WALNUTS.

This was such a good book!! I'm so glad I let Litsy posts influence me to move this one to the top of my TBR stack!

Charlie unexpectedly becomes the heir to his uncle's businesses, both legal and not-so-legal, and unwittingly finds himself in the middle of the criminal organization his uncle was a member of.
#LitsyLoveReads
#ReadAway2024 @Andrew65

This was on some list somewhere and my library had it so here we are! What an absolute unexpected delight of a crazy book!!! I loved every minute of it

Saturday morning #coffeeandabook. I started this the other day and I'm absolutely loving it!!

Saw this on here and I loved the cover and the title! Ending the night with a hot toddy and my next read. I am on the mend, I might have to do something beyond reading in bed tomorrow

My first Scalzi read and what a treat! A quick, funny, full of adventure ride that includes cats in management and dolphins fighting to unionize (I related with this aspect as we are in the same boat at work.) Greedy, wealthy villains and Charlie, an ex-journalist now substitute teacher caught in the middle after his uncle‘s death. Looking forward to rehashing the amusement of the story at book club this week!

Fun and crazy ride about an heir to a super villain and his exploits with sentient cats and dolphins. Plenty of gunfire and adventure, with a heavy does of humor. Loved it!

That's in the running for favourite of the year. Sometimes I forget how important it is to read books that make you laugh, especially those that also have thought and warmth behind them. So grateful for Scalzi putting this kind of energy into the world these days. I recommend knowing as little as possible going in, I didn't know anything and enjoyed all the surprises that resulted.

It's the little things. 🍶

This was a fun read, my first Scalzi. The only reason it‘s not fully a pick for me is my own mood. Normally, I would have enjoyed the snark, the Hitchhiker‘s Guide-ness of it. However, I just haven‘t been in the mood for the light tone that this delivers. Also, I‘m miffed that my own cats haven‘t delivered the way Hera does for Charlie. They haven‘t made it past the plotting stage as far as I‘m aware. Pictured-Jack, mid-plot. #catsoflitsy

Have I mentioned lately, how much I love John Scalzi's writing?

This was a fun little book that took me way too long to finish. I never wanted to give up on it, but it was easy to just read a chapter then put it down. Not a lot happened, but the cast of characters were charming and there were several very funny scenes. 4⭐️

This is also my very belated #bookspin from January. 😏

Wacky, in easy-breezy prose. Potty-mouthed, class-conscious dolphins, typing cats, silly villains. Tension doesn‘t build consistently, established stakes left behind, but fun underdog (undercat?) story. Villains as “professional disrupters: the people who looked at systems and processes; found the weak spots, loopholes, and unintended consequences of each of them; and then exploited them” (P86). 2022

My current view while I wait for a tow truck. My car just lost power as I was driving to work because I think I ran out of gas 😣. Fortunately, I have John Scalzi to entertain me! Thankfully, it is FRIDAY!!! #tgif

Just saw that Paramount has options to turn Starter Villain into a movie! Talking dolphins, controlling cats! I hope they follow through!

Sweet (other than all the murders), clever, and funny. Middle aged man‘s uncle dies leaving him heir to his villain business. I am not entirely sure what to make of this book, but if you have a rainy afternoon free, it‘s might be just the thing to curl up with.

This one was a lot of fun!

This is definitely the earliest I‘ve ever done my #readingwrapup! I had a really strong start with January for my reading but it kinda tapered off. I want my early Jan momentum back for February!

Yardy definitely feels like he is the new boss of the house and has decided that all books should be chew toys!!! Him and I have very different opinions on that! Kittens are so naughty!!!

“We have cats because they amuse us and because otherwise our clothes would lack the texture only cat hair could provide.“

No idea what I‘m getting into with this book, but I like the dedication.

What a wacky, wonderful, bonkers ride of a book! I enjoyed this one from start to finish and want everyone to read it so we can discuss. The story of an average guy, down on his luck, whose distant millionaire relative dies and leaves him something. Great news, right? But what if your relative was an international villain? Hilarity ensues with animals who can communicate, spies, bomb, and the best cats ever. #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This is really fucking funny.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

This is a true #blameitonlitsy - you made me to it! 😄
I had quite a nice time with this audio book. The dolphins made me laugh so hard, I think I enjoyed them even more than the cats. But now I wonder what yours are up to 😉 The story was nice but not a highlight. Still, the audio book was a perfect companion for some hours of working alone.

Wow this was a fun read. And CATS!

I LOVED this book! It might be the first book I‘ve finished by John Scalzi. I loved the cats and the animals. It was kind of funny and I was engaged the whole time. This was already on my TBR because someone reviewed it on a podcast, but thanks to @wanderinglynn to give me the push to read it!

#auldlangspine

When I checked this out, the librarian commented and asked why the cat was in a suit. I told her I didn‘t know yet but I‘d find out. I did

I‘m rating this a soft pick, mostly because I felt like the middle part could have been shortened. It wasn‘t quite as good for me as Kaiju Preservation Society. I did enjoy and appreciate the parts others have mentioned- spy cats, dolphins who want to form a union, and a volcano villain lair.

This book was the best way possible to spend January 1. Hard-on-his-luck laid off business journalist is almost homeless when his rich uncle dies, leaving him the heir of a supervillain empire (managed mostly by cats). From his volcanic lair, Charlie must face down his supervillain compatriots, relying on his disgruntled dolphins to act as security of his island. Taking on the powerful enemies, handling dolphin-labor disputes, and surviving an ⬇️

My first read of 2024 and damn, it was good! What a hysterical romp. The potty-mouthed dolphins? The Zoom call? Pretty much everything from start to finish? What a great way to kick off my reading year.

I read two 5? books in October, the other being The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin, but I have to give the edge to Scalzi's laugh out loud "supervillain" story. From the foul-mouthed dolphins to the cats that run the world, it's a pure delight.
#12Booksof2023 @Andrew65

What a hilarious book, and a great one to start 2024 and to end #wintergames. I just wish the dolphins weren‘t so keen on the f-word. It made for awkward listening around the family and when taking my walk around the neighborhood (not an earplugs person). 😂 Review to come

#Snowangels #WinterGames

@emilymdxn @TheSpineView

Starting this fun new book for the New Year ☺️. Sietje is happy to snooze since it‘s cold outside this morning, so I might read the whole thing today. I think that‘s a pretty great way to begin the year.

Have a great day today!

I read 16 books in December. My favorites were The Narrow Road Between Desires, Starter Vilian, and World War Z 🖤
@Moonprismpower How has your month been?

I loved this book. The sarcasm was fantastic. Imagine your Uncle dying and leaving you his evil empire; complete with spy cats and cussing dolphins plus real archenemies 🖤
#LitsySciFiBookClub @TheSpineView
#GhostsOfXmas #WinterGames
#OutWithTheOldInWithTheNew @Andrew65 #Rushathon @GHABI4ROSES @DieAReader #AToZ @Texreader #ScaryChristmas @Patchshank #LittenListen @aperfectmjk

My next audiobook #LitsySciFiBookClub #Snowangels #WinterGames

@emilymdxn @TheSpineView

I only read 4 books in December. It‘s been busy here between work, and fixing up the house for holiday company, and then actually having the company here. I was looking forward to this week between Christmas and New Year‘s as prime reading time, but I‘ve been listless. I‘m still struggling through A Novel Bookstore (#europacollective) and I haven‘t even started More Than Human (#ClassicLSFBC). Starter Villain was a quick and fun read, though.

Charlie might have been a bit bumbling, but I liked him a lot.
#LMSDec2023 #MainCharacterLove

My first read-a- thon in years. Wish me luck!! @Andrew65

My first read-a-thon in years. Starting with this.,

This was my first book by Scalzi, and I enjoyed it a lot. The humor was right. It didn‘t feel forced. 4 stars. Word search = 810.
#LitsySciFiBookClub @TheSpineView
#AtoZ @Texreader
#PromptMaze @TheAromaofBooks
#Rushathon @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#WinterCosy @PuddleJumper
#RestingGrinchFace @Julsmarshall

Discuss is now open for our December selection, Starter Villian by John Scalzi. Here are a few questions to get us started. Feel free to discuss anything. #LitsySciFiBookClun #LSFBC

@Larkken @Deblovestoread @bnp @ravenlee @Johanna414 @BookmarkTavern @julesG @sebrittainclark @BookBelle84 @Readergrrl @CSeydel @Roary47

Next up!

When an absent uncle leaves Charlie a multibillion dollar company (& his villainous lair in a volcano) what else can Charlie do but listen to those who know more than him? Namely, the cats.

This genuinely made me LOL multiple times. I loved the pokes at organizations that lack diversity. I loved the emphasis on unions (unionized dolphins!). I loved the cats. I loved the twists. A real delight, & I need to add more Scalzi to my TBR. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

#AlltheBooksDec23 #LastReadsDec

A book that does its cover justice. I, too, would want to be a villain if it meant I got to hang out with the cats and dolphins in this book. So much fun.

So much fun. I loved the sentient cats. I had previously read The Kaiju Preservation Society and really enjoyed it. This author writes with a great blend of science fiction and humor.

I know humor is dicy. I hate a lot of stuff others find funny. But John Scalzi has my number! I've loved his last few books that make fun not of people, but of assumptions and actions that IMO fully deserve to be rediculed. And, intelligent cats is a bonus.
#SnowedIn @PuddleJumper

@mcipher Hooray! And thank you for getting me the book I wanted! I am so excited to read this one and eat my chocolate. Great #jolabokaflod swap!!! Merry Christmas, Melanie! 🎄😘

@MaleficentBookDragon