Welcome to Litsy!

I read The Swimmers by this author a couple months ago and @Hooked_on_books said how much she liked this one so I stacked it.

Otsuka definitely has a signature style! I liked this one more. I think audio is a great way to read these, I was able to absorb it without struggling with the flow.

It‘s told from the first person plural, or “we”. The narrators are Japanese “picture” brides shipped to the states about a century ago.

Takei details his family's internment powerfully. Seeing this history through a child's eyes, the reader feels the depth of fear and uncertainty. There were panels here depicting Takei's mother that made me weep; watching along as parents do all they can to protect their children in the face of absolute injustice only to be shown that it is never enough. But the force of love, care, and community endures, reverberating through generations.

This is a strange little book that‘s quite hard to describe. The first part is about the many people who swim regularly at an underground pool. I almost quit here, as I don‘t love the first person plural. But I stuck with it because it is short, and liked the second half much more. It‘s about Alice, one of the swimmers, who develops dementia.

The writing is unique and someone else said it feels distant, I have to agree.

This one took off in the beginning with a background of the author, foreshadowing of struggles, and a nice hook. But, this fell apart for me…which maybe was the point. Chihaya ends up in inpatient care for her breakdown. She‘s obsessed with books, hyper fixating on reading and struggles with her mental health. The book itself becomes fractured, maybe like her mind in this time. It has buzz and it‘s an interesting concept but didn‘t work for me.

Evening mood
Have added to my collection today, including the tagged.

Short but powerful GN imagining the life of a young Japanese-American woman during WW2.

12 year old Tomi writes “I Am An American”
while being forced into an internment camp, holding tight to loyalty in the face of injustice. ⛺️🔒
but the story leans into hope over anger. It‘s about quiet, perseverance, & belief in a country still stumbling toward its promises.
Note: it‘s a strawberry field not a cherry orchard haha 🤣
#julyjazz #historical #fiction #emotional

I am lucky that my parents are into their 70s and in very good health. But now, my Dad is going through the process to be diagnosed with dementia. My sister & I are doing what we do best - turning to books. These are some of the recs I‘ve received. She has picked up The 36 Hour Day, the Care Giver‘s Guide to Dementia and Dementia With Dignity.
If there are glaring gaps that would help us navigate the coming years, I‘d be grateful to hear them.

Current audiobook… Didn‘t know this was a thing! 😮

#Bibliophile Day 13: This #NewberyWinner is a book about sisters, about the journeys we take to find ‘home‘ (only to discover it within ourselves); it is also about grief and loss and the glittering skies that provide a shining cushion against darkness and pain and overwhelming loneliness. My full review here to find out what kira-kira means: https://wp.me/pDlzr-4Y2