Welcome to Litsy!

Usually, I'm not a fan of feel good books as they tend to be very cheesy. But this one I very much liked. I enjoyed how Libby Page writes about time passing. It's a book filled with nostalgia which also talks about what a community is made of. Well written, she's definitely written about what she knew, and it helped her staying away from clichés.

My current read ;)

Still have a lot of pages to read for my book club tomorrow morning... But with a warm chai, I should be able to make it.

And you, what is your current read?

Read in one afternoon at the beach. Sweet and uplifting but at times predictable. Nevertheless had me sobbing multiple times, so it did manage to hit the right snares!

This beautiful book is a love story on multiple levels- that of life-long partners, of friends new and old, and love of a community. Mostly it made me reflect on how lucky I am to have my own local lido (pictured here closed for cold weather). Detroit's Brennan Pool opened in the 1920s, and was the site of the US swimming Olympic trials in the 1950s. Now I get to spend my sunny days here, and I'm reminded not to take that for granted.

Rosemary is an 86 year old woman who has spent her whole life swimming at her local lido. Kate is a young journalist trying to find herself and take control of her recurring panic attacks. The two form a friendship as they fight to keep the lido from being closed to make way for an expensive new apartment complex. I loved their relationship and the community involvement in trying to save the lido. A great beach read, perfect for the pool too!

It might be warm out but the pool isn‘t open yet.

I thought this was lovely! Likeable, relatable characters, a heartwarming plot, a little weepy bit or two - what a delight!! This was recommended to me so much, so I‘m really glad I finally had a chance to get stuck in! And reading about the sunshine was delightful in a week of nothing but rain!!

I loved the premise of this story; a lido in Brixton facing closure to make way for luxury flats, and the community who rallies to try and save it. However the writing wasn‘t for me, I found it a little too sweet and cliched and wanted more depth from the characters. Still, a quick easy summer read and I love the cover (also lucky enough to be reading it by the side of an actual lido 🏊‍♂️)

This is the book I needed right now. I have been missing swimming laps so much and this was the next best thing. It had all the things I love: intergenerational friendship among women, a strong sense of community, well done side characters, thoughtful observations and beautiful sentences, all centered around a pool. It made me feel all the feelings and it‘s a rare book I would read again. #BookSpin pick finished.

Swimming is my Prozac. With all the public pools closed right now, it‘s rough. So this book is speaking to my soul. It‘s just what I needed if I can‘t have the real thing ❤️