Welcome to Litsy!

Wow, this was a multifaceted gem of a book. It‘s so hard to describe, it‘s nuanced, extremely descriptive, spans 1973-2025. A bit haunting. In one day a family of four gets torn apart. There are unanswered questions. Starts out slow and convoluted, but eventually it flows. I enjoyed it. Would make a great book club pick.

This book has sat patiently on my #tbr shelves, gifted to me in an Aussie book swap years ago. The cover is so beautiful, just like this beach (background) I was at yesterday.
The cover belies the contents of this dark read. I found it confusing yet engrossing. Multiple narrators over multiple timelines. Disturbing.

An unusual book in terms of plot and characters.
At times it is a love story then a family background. Then almost mysterious. I'm still contemplating if there was actually an ending.

I‘m posting one book a day from my massive collection. No description, no reason for why I want to read it (some I‘ve had so long I don‘t even remember why!). Feel free to join in!

#ABookADay2024

May 14, 2024

Maybe I will get to it soon 🌸🌼🌻

I felt the quiet ache of these characters as they came to terms with a horrific act of violence (off page) perpetrated by a mother.

Jenny has done the unthinkable and killed her daughter. As she comes to terms with it in prison, her husband, who is slowly slipping into dementia, is cared for by a second wife. This nonlinear, multi-perspective narrative spans decades from Jenny‘s early marriage and her daughters‘ births to her husband‘s death.

Very excited for both of these! I‘m hoping to take Idaho with me when my dad has his biopsy on Friday. I love paperbacks for waiting rooms. And I‘m super excited about Honeybees because @BarbaraBB and @squirrelbrain raved about it! This is the shelf I‘m choosing off now, but I better make room because I have book club picks on the way! 😱 #bookspin #doublespin

Thanks @TheAromaofBooks !! 🤩

Book club last night was the best yet. So much to discuss with this one plus delicious food at Ginger Megs restaurant. I had Peking jack fruit bao & a glass of Malbec plus an excellent chill watermelon margarita. We all agreed we were hooked at the beginning then had no idea where this book was going & are still non the wiser but liked it regardless. Personally I thought that was the point to prove that the narrator had mental health struggles.

Going to love this one I can tell. I originally bought it for the cover. Already trying to guess the ending which I rarely do. It‘s for my Stockton mum‘s book club April? pick. The flowers were bought especially for my Valentine and are still looking great. He has been looking after them though.

A literary character study with beautiful & haunting writing. Constructed in a way that feels real. The lives of the characters are full of heartbreak, certainly not a book to grab if you're looking for something light or uplifting. The plot can be confusing, as it bounces around both in timeline & POV, but this approach works, keeping the reader gripped & questioning. The ending left me a bit unmoored. An impactful work & an emotional one.

Beautiful book but with so much #heartbreak. #ItHadToBeYou @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Another deeply moving book, a beautiful cover hiding a lot of pain.

This is mainly about a man with early onset Alzheimer‘s, but it‘s also about his family. It covers many different timelines and characters.

I loved Anne‘s part the most, as she tries to take care of Wade the best she can, and does her best to be understanding and gentle with him as he fades away. 💔. The last chapter was really special too.

Day 7 of #12booksof2020 is also a review post. @Andrew65

Just finished this one last night and it has upended my whole year. By far the best book I have read in 2020 now. I have a major book hangover.

A book that seems quiet on the surface, but has a lot to think about. The depiction of early onset alzheimer's is heartbreaking yet lovingly done.

I never would have anticipated a book that deals with early onset alzheimer's to be the book that completely shattered my reading slump, but I am flying through this one! I have really struggled to sit still and read a book for more than 20 minutes, most times I only make it 5 minutes before I'm done (regardless of how much I'm enjoying the book.) Idaho has completely broken that though - read almost 100 pages without even realizing it last night.

I wis I had known what to expect from this book before I started it. I thought it was about a crime (which something terrible does happen) so I was initially frustrated with it. I had a hard time getting into it. Once I finally got into the beautiful writing and style of the story, I loved it. This is a book about tragedy, loss, heartache and how people keep moving forward. I kind of want to read it again to fully appreciate it. #MountTBR

The story of a family, a mountain, and an unforgivable act. Dark, beautifully composed, elegantly written. This was difficult to read in places, and so moving in others. #MountTBR

Next up, reading in the hammock 😄

What a ride! This isn't a plot-driven but if you like slow-paced novels that play with timelines and perspectives in order to slowly unveil layers of explored feelings and sentiments, this is it. It's haunting and makes you feel in all the best, worse, comforting and uncomfortable ways.

I just could not put this down until I finished it. Haunting, sad, fascinating. Gorgeous writing. My kind of book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book has been on my shelf for a long time! I hear it‘s good! My beautiful daughter and flowers from her boyfriend! 🌸🌺🥀

#Flower
#ReallyRandomFebruary

The timeline jumped around in a way that threw me off a bit and I was hoping for a smidge more resolution in the end, but it's written beautifully. This has been sitting on my shelf for a really long time, I've been trying to get through some of my backlist!

A wife deals with her husband‘s dementia and the mystery surrounding his first wife who killed their daughter and is now in prison. Their other daughter ran and was never found.
I don‘t mind loose ends, and this book is rife with them, but there were a lot of extraneous scenes and writing for the sake of writing. The writing is very good, but a lot of the chapters read like writing prompts. “Write from the perspective of the bloodhound . . .”

There are no easy answers in this searing story about loss, survival, memory, love & forgiveness. Though I found the pacing off in some sections, the book is a remarkably assured debut. As other Littens have noted, the sense of place is strong & one of the highlights of the book. So too, I think, is the author‘s refusal to explain why & to fill in all the missing pieces. Some acts, some moments defy explanation & some pieces are never found.

My next book is one my mom loaned me thinking I would like it. She generally has good taste in books so I‘m anticipating a good read.

This novel opens by introducing compelling issues about the nature of love and the compromises we make to be in relationship with one another, but it never really delivers. The characters are unrealistically self-reflective and there are several that don't need to be in the story at all. Overall there are just too many words saying too little. Reworked it could be awesome.
@StayCurious @Clwojick @Bookworm54
#WinterGames #TeamNutcracker #TBRRead

Two little girls and their parents are collecting firewood on the mountain. One is killed and the other goes missing. We know throughout this book who killed May but we don‘t know why, and we never find out. This book is slow and quiet and very sad. The writing is beautiful and dreamlike (although I did occasionally get tired of that). I enjoyed it but there was a bit of me wanting a proper whodunnit thriller.

Went to visit my mom, took 4 books with me. I came home with 7! That‘s what happens when two avid readers get together and talk books I suppose. She sent me home with these two as well as Grass Beyond the Mountains. We also had a great conversation about Women Talking. Fun few days hanging with mom, talking books and more.

Day 6: #7days7covers #covercrush

Absolutely breathtaking. When I was reading this I fully stopped being aware of everything else around me. Definitely teared up at times.

I dunno Idaho. This was a beautifully written story, but it‘s just sad, everyday, every year sad. I wanted to change up my fun, light reads so this pick is for my reading experience. Unless you have fluffy kittens and adorable puppies pulling you back to the light, take heed before diving in.

Certainly not the best photo but I went to a library book sale today. And even tho I got there three minutes after it opened resellers had already taken boxes out 😕 but I did find these. Spent 8 dollars. Most excited for Sunburn and Idaho I think, it has such a pretty cover. Anyone read any of these?
#librarybooksale #library #booksale #usedbooks #dvds #graphicnovel #thriller #memoir #fiction #ya #youngadult #dvds #houseofcards #bookhaul #haul

#bookmail ! Big haul and great deals from Book Outlet. I haven‘t bought books in forever snd did a happy dance when I drive up and saw them on the porch. Happy Friday!

There is no doubt that it is a beautifully written book but I like more resolution to stories. Things are hinted at but never fully explored or explained and it was all a bit too vague for me.

I've drunk way too much spirits to be able to try and understand any of this mind boggling book tonight. Die hard 2 it is!!!

Next up. I'm ashamed to say this is the first book I've borrowed from the library in about 2 years 😱 once I stopped working there I stopped going. In a bid to save money, I'm back!

Starkly written, haunting and beautiful, painful and frustrating - all of these words describe Idaho. Told from multiple points of view, the novel addresses and avoids a central act of horrific violence. And much like life, there is no tidy resolution or explanation. And really, I can‘t think of a single reason that would have made it understandable or more palatable. Definitely need a fluffy palate cleanser for my next read.

Final Check-In for round 1 #BFC #bookfitnesschallenge
I've had so much fun! Thanks for all the love and encouragement littens!
Goals:
Books: 7 (38 of 20 total)
Workouts: 6 of 4 yay!
@wanderinglynn

See you for round 2!

Big win! https://bookmarks.reviews/emily-ruskovich-wins-e100000-international-dublin-lite...

I should be getting some cleaning done. I should be going to the gym, or doing the laundry. Instead, I'm enjoying a huge cup of tea and my new library book that I'm super excited about! 😍💕📚 #librarylove

This is a beautifully written story of a family tragedy. It‘s told from various points of and a timeline that jumps around. What really happened? I don‘t know . . .
#ReadingUSA2019 #Idaho

Next up , IDAHO ... 🤞🏻☀️&📖....

Something beyond awful in this book happens #behindthewheel. Through jumps back and forth in time we learn about the events leading up to the episode and the consequences which follow after.

#MayMovieMagic

#ReadingUSA2019 #Idaho. Loved this book.

I stayed up late and got up early to finish this one. I loved it. Such great writing and what a story! #MayMadness #mayScavengerHunt #floweroncover #withadoginit

The writing in this book is beautiful. The descriptions transported me to a secluded, forested area in rural Idaho where the lives of several individuals diverge in many different ways after an unspeakable tragedy occurs.

The book lost me though with the time jumps between past, present, and future. Each storyline never seemed to reach its full potential, which left the book feeling unfinished to me at the end.

#ReadingUSA2019 @Librarybelle

A little bizarre yet strangely appealing. Generations of family members affected by a horrendous crime, each in his or her own way, are presented as vulnerable, caring, manipulative and hateful, depending on the situation. Ending is surprisingly touching if somewhat implausible...but that could be said for many fiction novels, right? 4/5 ⭐️

This book kept me thinking about it long after finishing, and ended up a top read for 2018. On sale today for Kindle for $1.99! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F0ZK7F2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_JoouCbACF711J