Welcome to Litsy!

Just finished this one for #EuropaCollective. Our narrator Rosa is always trying to better her life in Russia, from a nicer apartment to getting hard-to-find food to making sure her daughter grows up well. She‘s a riot, always criticizing others, but never anything but wonderful things to say about herself. But she always wants a good life for her daughter and then her granddaughter and will go any lengths to achieve that goal. ⬇️

Happy "Gotcha" Day to these reading buddies who joined our family on January 6, 2021. They are adorable agents of chaos who have never once tried to subvert the democratic process through violence (although they once stole a chicken breast off the stove, and Camille's body language suggests she's nurturing a grievance about what she perceives as the surveillance state (me taking pictures of her when I should be petting her)).

#majicmonday

My 3 favourite reads this year were probably:
- The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig;
- Deep Rivers by José María Arguedas;
- and a non-fiction book: the extensive and very readable Le monde nazi: 1919-1945 by Johann Chapoutot, Nicolas Patin and Christian Ingrao.

If I could add a 4th, it would be Fanchon the Cricket by George Sand 😁
Thank you for the question, @Eggs

Rosa is independent, confident, pragmatic, judging and funny. Most of all, she‘s one of the most unreliable narrators I‘ve ever met! It would have been a totally different story from the POV of her daughter or granddaughter.
The book is about life in the USSR, leaving the country for Germany, trying to make the most of it under all circumstances.
It‘s quite unique and I can‘t wait to discuss it with the #EuropaCollective.

#europacollective my 1st book for 2026 is a gem!!! We should all have the self confidence and fearlessness of Rosa Achmetowna! She is outrageous and single minded in her drive for what she feels is right, most people and consequences be damned, but what a story and what a life ❤️❤️❤️ I can‘t wait to talk about this with the hive

December wrap up, 12 books read:

3 Nora Roberts books for #authoramonth
1 chunkster for #foodandlit #Italy #Jubilee
2 books for #whattheDickens
1 for the #LitsyIrregulars
1 last book to finish #litsyatoz #letterV
1 book narrated by our very own @ImperfectCJ

Best book of the month tagged.

#happyfridayreadinghour just got home from driving oldest son to airport in Toronto to fly back to Thunder Bay for school. He got dumped over the holidays and he was very emotional going back (she‘s there in same program) he loves his classes but dreads seeing her - she blindsided him liking him and then blindsided him with the dumping 💔 he‘s full of should haves and I‘m all “she should have left you alone!”

repost for @BarbaraBB

We‘ll kick off 2026 with our next #EuropaCollective #buddyread. If you want to join, read the book in your own pace, share your thoughts at Litsy with the above hashtag and join @Lesliereadsalot and me on January 25 when we will discuss the book on this thread. Looking forward to it!

We‘ll kick off 2026 with our next #EuropaCollective buddyread. If you want to join, read the book in your own pace, share your thoughts at Litsy with the above hashtag and join @Lesliereadsalot and me on January 25 when we will discuss the book on this thread. Looking forward to it!

#europe #normandavies #europeanhistory #history #motto