Welcome to Litsy!

Here you go @merelybookish this is the very colourful childrens author Margaret Mahy who wrote over 100 picture books as well as a couple of dozen novels. She was also a librarian and dedicated to growing young readers. She would be the most well know author in NZ because everyone (around my age at least) grew up reading her books.

I don't know how I first learned about this 1986 YA novel by NZ author Margaret Mahy but it's been on my Goodreads TBR since 2016.
And it's fantastic!
Middle daughter Harry (real name Ariadne) is a quiet bookish middle daughter in a bustling family. At their summer house for Xmas holidays, three young men crash the party. And it's unclear who or what they are. Did Harry conjure them through her writing?
The story is weird & complex 👇

That was intense!
I expected a certain level of teen drama, but didn't realize there were lethal stakes and existential crises looming, which, don't get me wrong, just meant I ended up reading it faster because I had to know how things would end. 😅 1/?

#BookReport for July

The Axeman‘s Carnival was my favourite. Woodworking, Fundamentally & Better Days were all terrific too & I wouldn‘t be surprised if they all feature in my best of 2025.

I picked this up because I love Singh‘s romances, but I was a bit disappointed. The characters weren‘t as rich and deep as I‘m used to from her, and I couldn‘t connect with them in a way that engaged me with the story. The plot was okay, for a mystery thriller, but no real surprises in it, either. The romance element felt forced and ultimately unnecessary. I guess, you could tell it was a first foray into this genre, and I just wasn‘t sold on it.

I adored this - one of my faves of the year so far. I think it‘s one worth listening to on audio, although I now can‘t get the bird out of my head! Miaow.

Tama, a magpie, is rescued by Marnie and becomes a social media star as he can talk. Marnie‘s husband is the local celebrated ‘axeman‘ but is also an angry man and takes it out on Marnie.

It was quite obvious where the story was going but, OMG, it was still so tense towards the end.

My #bookspinbingo list for August

Tama is a magpie, adopted by a couple who turn him into a social media hype. Because Tama can talk, which means repeating things he‘s heard and remembers. The things he says are so funny (you recognize them from earlier conversations and they come up at the most awkward moments) and in combination with the sadness of the couple‘s daily life, it makes a book unlike any other. Brilliant.

#ReadTheWorld2025 book 21 #NewZealand

The talking magpie narrator explaining the ways of birds and people is an appealing hook that frequently had me laughing out loud and is also an effective counterpoint to the harshness of conditions of the human characters. What could have been very bleak became much more palatable, but no less powerful. I loved it. A definite contender for my book of the year so far. #NZfiction
Have you read this one @Centique ?

The Last Secret Agent: My Life As A Spy Behind Nazi Lines by Pippa Latour and Jude Dobson
Genre: Non-fiction
POV: Author Pippa Latour
Location: Early years: South Africa and years in World War II: France
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved this book! Pippa Latour was the last secret agent in WWII. Yes she was a woman. Yes there were women secret agents behind enemy lines in France and were in many dangerous situations. This is an absolute Must Read.