Welcome to Litsy!

What a gorgeous, enchanting, extraordinary, heartbreaking, joyous book! Col. and Mrs Forrester‘s diaries and other ephemera tell the story of his travels through Alaska territory in 1885, and her life while she awaited his return. A 19th century travelogue of sorts, and an equally enchanting story of the descendant who inherited the Forrester diaries and artifacts. If only they had really lived, I‘d fly to see the museum of their collections! 5⭐️

Book coincidence! This from the tagged book, while the mc in How to Stop Time talked about playing Greensleeves on his lute, and its inappropriate subject matter. I had to google it to understand the alleged vulgarity. And my innocence is shot: I always thought it a sweet lovely song and especially the Christmas song to the same tune. Now I cannot hear it without thinking why someone‘s sleeves might be green. 😊

I found this map illustrated for the tagged book on the internet. It is a fictional map based on the story. I cannot wait to get the book (in addition to the ebook I‘m reading now), so I can see all of the illustrations and photos, etc other than on my small screen.

Postcard. Hope it‘s not foreshadowing

I love the mc Sophie Forrester in the book and I would feel the same way she does, anger at how many of the officers‘ wives are treated this way by their husbands! I get angry just thinking about it. 😡

Excerpted from the tagged book on how to avoid miscarriage.

Could this possibly be truly from a 1743 book??

This is such a cool ebook, with photos and maps and told from diaries, letters, newspaper clippings etc. I‘m loving it. I wonder if the IRL version is as stunning as I guess it to be. I think an investigatory trip to a bookstore is in order. I may have to get a real version if it‘s what I expect.

Set in 1885, Col. Allen‘s wife is thrilled to be going on the first part of her husband‘s expedition in Alaska but her fellow officer wives don‘t agree.

“Leave it to the men to throw themselves off the face of the earth. They are quite adept at it by themselves.”

Sorry guys but this was hilarious. 🤣

This is the next ebook I‘ve chosen to read having had some breathing room since finishing Still Alice. It‘s long been on my tbr list and looks amazing.

Eowyn Ivey really knows how to capture a #WinterTheme with her evocative and atmospheric novels ❄️☃️❄️☃️ I absolutely loved the tagged book!!! A story of love and isolation set in the Alaskan wilderness. #NamasteNovember

Well this is a no-brainer. I‘m buying this one!

Lovely read about a couple and an Alaskan expedition. The expedition is based on true events and it's written in partially epistolary form, which I love. Great imagery and lovely writing; I recommend this read.

Current read; I like it so far! Exploring Alaska will be fun!

Excellent book!
Alaska, late 1800s, correspondence/diary entries between Col Allen Forrester, on expedition in Alaska, and his pregnant wife, Sophie, who‘s back at the Vancouver barracks.
I listened to the audio, which is very well done, but be sure to look at the book as well as it has illustrations and photographs. ❤️❤️❤️

#audioknitting !!
Trying to get this scarf done for my daughter before she leaves for Alaska.
And this audiobook is perfect!

Historical adventure set in 1885 Alaska and present day with an old timer passing along a trunk of goods and a diary passed down through the family. He sends the diary to a tiny museum in Alaska hoping to find a home for it and the other items. He and the museum curator a native of the area correspond as they read their way through the wilds of Alaska that were set down in the diary.

Finished early hours this morning as I couldn‘t get to sleep!! Great read, enjoyed the history, place and characters 👍🏻 lovely read.
Work now, on no sleep 😔

Currently reading thanks to @Cinfhen I would have finished today but my son just surprised me with a visit for a couple of days, so it‘s catch up time ❤️💜
The book is great!

1. We are going to Dublin, TX for their annual celebration and parade! Planning to go tour an artisanal cheese factory, and Dublin Bottle Works.
2. I‘m gonna be cliche and say how lucky I am to be married to my best friend.
3. I really enjoyed the tagged book!
4. 🤷‍♀️
5. 🍀 ☘️ 🍀 ☘️
#friyayintro @howjessreads

Y‘all. I loved, loved, loved it! Such a neat way to tell the story. I wanted to know more, I was engaged and now I really want to visit Alaska. ❤️

#MarchIntoThe70s I love epistolary novels because they tend to feel very intimate and personal. This book uses letters, photographs & diary entries to chronicle the years that separate newlyweds Lt. Allen Forrester & his younger bride Sophie. There is a true sense of #WishYouWereHere as you turn the pages of this lush evocative story. Beautiful and illuminating. Loved it❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

So cold out. Best to stay inside to read about it, not feel it. Plus, toast!

Does she understand we are to go over the mountains? We will travel quick & light, I said, so it will be no easy journey. —I‘ll #hazard she knows better than us what we‘re getting into, Tillman said. #QuotsyJan19

The current read.

Book haul #3. The last of the books I ordered over Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Littens! Show me your Christmas book hauls!

I thought this wintry season was the perfect time to read this historical fiction based on a real expedition into Alaska in the late 19th century. I loved the epistolary format—letters, diary entries, etc. The relationship between Lieutenant Colonel Forrester and Sophie is sweet and moving even through hardship. There is some commentary on the treatment of the Alaska natives and I loved how Ivey incorporated some of their folklore into the story.

I received these two books in the mail today in a plain Amazon package. I thought it was something that I had ordered, and there was no information about who sent these. I‘m guessing it might be #SantaThing? I had never heard of the tag book before, and it looks great. #librarything

#WinterWonderland #FreezeFrame Loved this book, set in the wilderness of Alaska when it was still uncharted territory. Told through letters, journals, photos and other mixed media is the romance between Colonel Allen Forrester & his new bride,Sophie who is pregnant and unable to journey with her husband. Sophie is interested in photography and it‘s her main focus while her husband is away. This book is based on real people. Really fascinating.

#NoFemmeber "We could change the whole story of love./Same old play I'm getting tired of." You don't see many good examples of #unconditionallove in fiction, and maybe Esperanza Spalding is right that a narrative change is needed. The tagged book is a good example: Alaskan explorer Col. Allen Forrester and his wife Sofie exchange letters that convey a deep respect for each other, depicting their love with more depth than a focus on passion alone.

#alaska #augustisatrip #tbr

I love group chats with my friends. Leads me to find so many more books that I need to read! We were talking about The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society book and movie, and then that got us talking about Epistolary novels and our mutual hatred of Hey Ladies! and a strong recommendation for the tagged book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had high expectations for this book, and unfortunately it didn‘t live up to them. While I did appreciate some nuggets in the story, overall I found the writing to be stilted and I didn‘t really care about any of the characters. Even the expedition/adventure aspect felt anticlimactic.

“... but I‘m sending them anyways.” As a museum professional: THIS IS NEVER OK!! Unsolicited gifts make things incredible difficult for us. I was so excited about this book until I read this opening passage, and now I‘m totally turned off. Trying to get past it and give the book a chance...

The mix of history, science and magic in this book is just amazing. I loved it! And it made me miss Alaska - I had to go back and look at the pictures from my trip a few years ago 😀

This book is so enchanting. LOVED!

Recommend the audio for this one - the 3 narrative voices brought the characters to life.

This is a sweet story set in the late 1800‘s as an Army colonel leads an expedition through uncharted territory in Alaska, reluctantly leaving his new wife behind. It is told through journal entries and letters with intermittently dispersed pictures (I felt like a giddy kid reading a picture book whenever I saw one😊) It also has a touch of a supernatural element to it in the vein of Native American folklore. I‘m glad I read this.

Vinny, Jeff, Nadine, AmyB, and Carol Ann join Jenny at the table in the corner of the Reading Envy pub to discuss our latest readalong: To the Bright Edge of the World by Eowyn Ivey.
https://tinyurl.com/ReadingEnvy118
@Billypar @BestDogDad @nadine @Bookchipmunk

📚 42
📚 My Goodreads goal is 60, but it looks like I‘ll exceed that easily this year.
📚 To the Bright Edge of the World is probably my favorite book of the year so far.
📚 Right now, I‘m most looking forward to the release of Florida, by Lauren Geoff.
#2018checkin

#bookmail bought this second hand from amazon for just over Qd and it was signed ❤️?

Fun #readingenvyreadalong discussion today, and the episode will post in about a month in case you missed it.

@BestDogDad @Billypar @Bookchipmunk
@Booksndogs (is this you N?)

TODAY WE RIDE!
Hey, if you've read this book and want to discuss it, even if you read it before the #readingenvyreadalong, we will have an online chat Sunday, April 8, at 12 pm EST. https://furman.zoom.us/j/354263313

Only three books read in March. Granted, the Banks book was a beast. Looking forward to the snow to melt so I can get patio furniture out and read outside. #Marchwrapup #dogsoflitsy

This book, about a journey into the Alaskan wilds, has received good reviews from Littens. Look forward to read it soonish. Quick question: do I need to read The Snow Child first? Is this a sequel?
#readingresolutions #wilderness

Hey, if you've read this book and want to discuss it, even if you read it before the #readingenvyreadalong, we will have an online chat Sunday, April 8, at 12 pm EST. https://furman.zoom.us/j/354263313

#marchreads
My favorites this month were To the Bright Edge of the World and Just Mercy, but I enjoyed all of them.

I feel like this has something for everyone- an adventure tale for one half of the narrative and an introspective chronicle of finding your own passion in a society that doesn't make it easy. I like the magical elements- whether or not you take it literally, it nicely contrasts the awe and grandeur of the wilderness of 1885 with modern day Alaska. Love the photographs, though the found-letter structure limited the narrative possibilities a bit.

#readingenvyreadalong