Welcome to Litsy!

I thought this was a good read. It provided a good overview of the Pacific Theater of WW2. While the U.S. and Japan were the primary focus, other countries involved (such as Australia and Britain) were included as well. Besides major battles and campaigns, other topics include some political aspects, as well as some personal dynamics, like the rivalry between the army and navy. Definitely recommend.

This book contains 2 stories: Kitchen & Moonlight Shadow. I loved them both. Yoshimoto writes about losing loved ones, that unbearable pain that consumes us, unlike anyone I‘ve ever read before. These stories are beautiful and melancholy and they make my chest tremble as I let it ache for all those I‘ve loved and lost. Contender for best 2025 read.

I don't normally share personal photos on here, but at our recent library fundraiser, I got to meet author Amanda Churchill. She was so friendly and gave a great talk about her debut novel, The Turtle House. This isn't normally the type of book I read, but I really enjoyed it, and after listening to her talk about it, I like it even more now. 💚🐢

Okay, I somewhat enjoyed this one. The stories were creepy, but a little far fetched. It felt like a giant riddle which I wasn‘t too crazy about. The ending felt like too many explanations

And my 34th consecutive Readathon kicks off with this second book about food detectives in Kyoto. I wish I could be happier about it, but my cold is still going strong AND it‘s spread to my eyes, which I didn‘t know could happen. I won‘t inflict the physical details on you, but it‘s basically my personal nightmare and it‘s left me depressed. Gonna try to distract myself with books today. #deweyapril #readathon

I had to read Shogun to understand the
"Whys?" of the series. I loved it. Although, it was Japanese historical fiction through the eyes of a white man. I need to read Musashi, written by Murakami, about the same time period. The penny dreadfuls pop out - Dracula, Frankenstein (I remember being so surprised at this-I had been influenced way too much by Hollywood), and The Picture of Dorian Grey. #TLT @dabbe

Didn‘t like the new lady cat. Even less of a plot. Yes, still cute.

Certainly cute but almost…awkward? Like it seemed sexualized somehow. Certainly highlights the ways in which cats are good for your health. No plot, really. Just cuteness overload.

Ah, I revisited this read because of a reading challenge my cousin gave me to reread a book I hated in HS. How could I possibly have understood this book when I was 14 or 15?! And my god, I love it now. It was incredibly well researched, the writing was brilliant, and the storytelling style was original and fresh. It‘s a contender for best read of 2025.

Rich family saga spanning 1910-1989. I didn‘t know much about Korea and Japan during this time—so interesting!