Welcome to Litsy!

A novel to be studied, and pondered over, and theorized about. I often had no idea what I was reading or where things were headed…but I think that‘s by design. The reader is meant to feel as uncertain and as unmoored as possible — because *that‘s* adolescence. Honestly, that‘s being a person at any age if you get too bogged down inside your own head and fail to connect with others long enough to make things feel real. 👇🏻

“Imagine, always pretending to run a world. Always imitating the sort of people they think they might be if the world were the sort of world it isn‘t. Pretending to be words like “normal” and “wholesome” and “honest” and “decent” and “self-respecting” and all the rest, when even the words aren‘t real. Imagine, being people.”

“Why [Natalie] thought almost hysterically, why don‘t I just *scream?* and knew with humor that she did not know how; screaming was in itself an act perfected by few, a sort of coloratura not given to the many; screaming was not something the Natalies might do unprepared.”

Ruth Franklin gained access to previously private letters and conducted interviews to compile this comprehensive biography of the renowned horror author, Shirley Jackson. This book chronicles Shirley‘s life, starting with her upbringing and her tumultuous relationship with her mother. She met her husband, Stanley Hyman, while in college. They raised four kids.

Full review abookandadog.com/blog/shirley-jackson-a-rather-haunted-life

Another from my favourite, Shirley Jackson! As usual, it was brilliant. But it is a difficult one to explain. I would class this more as a psychological thriller than horror, which some people class it as. It follows a young woman, Natalie, as she moves away from her family and to college. Essentially it charts a descent of a tortured soul, a little like The Bell Jar, but with classic Shirley Jackson eeriness and crippling loneliness.(cont. 👇🏻)

My current reads 📚📚

✨ Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life by Ruth Franklin is an absorbing cradle-to-grave bio of the writer. I am loving it.

✨ Hunters of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J Anderson is book 7 of the Dune series, the first that was not written by Frank Herbert. While it‘s nice for me to be back in the world of Dune, the writing and plot are terribly mid. I‘ll probably finish it, but I‘m not sure that I‘ll move on to book 8.

This novel is set in upstate New York. The characters are quite interesting & mostly well liked. Holly is a struggling playwright. Holly, her girlfriend Nisa, and two other friends travel to the Mansion outside a small village. The house appears to be haunted with a reputation of someone from each group of renters going missing. The author adds an edge of fairies into the mix adding a magical element to the novel. 4/5

#12booksof2024 Thanks @Andrew65 , I enjoyed going back over the reading year.
I have to say this might have been my favourite booker shortlist for a while, and in November, I enjoyed this story of a woman retreating from life to an Australian priory.
And for December, a book by a traditionally dark writer whose memoir had me laughing out loud, although Emmeline came close to being pickef

In last weeks irl grp we read this memoir by Shirley Jackson of bringing up her 3 very young children. I laughed from the opening chapter and continued to chuckle throughout as the author manages to rise above the madness. Wonderful writing this was a joyful treat from a writer who normally has me listening out for creaks on the stairs as I pull the duvet up around me.

Finishing this book makes me want to cry. It‘s like losing a friend.