@BarbaraBB on Litsy

pick

The rain. The incessant rain has submerged much of the land and of the way people live. It adds so much to this atmospheric novel about three sisters dealing with this collapsing world, their father‘s death and their complicated relationships. It is a very engaging read even though I didn‘t understand everything that happened. And that ending?!

RaeLovesToRead This is on my maybe pile to bring to Gladstones. Yay or nay?! 2h

Lesliereadsalot Such an interesting book, right? 💧💧💧 2h

32 likes2 comments

BarbaraBB

Slanting Towards the Sea | Lidija Hilje

#WeeklyForecast 39/25

It is #Gladstones25 week. On Thursday I‘ll be leaving for Gladstone‘s Library in Wales to read and chat and walk and eat cake with other Littens!

Right now I think I‘ll take these books but I keep thinking about it so changes and add-ons are very well possible!

rockpools, Oryx, scripturient, MicheleinPhilly, TrishB, jenniferw88, julesG, Leniverse, squirrelbrain, RaeLovesToRead

scripturient Look forward to seeing you soon!! ❤️ 3d

BarbaraBB @scripturient Yes! Looking forward to seeing you too 💕 3d

squirrelbrain I‘m taking Slanting Towards The Sea and A Language of Limbs too, for our buddy reads! (And about 8 others at the moment!) 🤣 3d

See All 23 Comments

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain you read so fast! You‘ll have finished both of our buddyreads on day one! I don‘t think I can stick to just four book either by the way 😉 3d

Leniverse I have Private Rites on my kindle, so I might join you. I've been meaning to read it for months! 3d

BarbaraBB @Leniverse I just started that one. I hope to finish it before Thursday (so I can choose another book or two to take with me) but if not, we can read it in front of the fireplace 😀 3d

AmyG Have the most wonderful time! Post pictures. Happy Reading! 3d

TrishB See you there 😁 just finished picking my books! 3d

squirrelbrain If I read all my books at the same time, then I won‘t race too far ahead! 😜 3d

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain 🤣🤣 3d

Lesliereadsalot Have the best time! Lucky you with all those good books to read. 🩷 3d

LeahBergen Please post lots of photos! I love seeing all of you having so much fun there! ❤️❤️ 3d

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot @AmyG @LeahBergen I wish you all could come too!! 3d

LeeRHarry I‘m excited you‘ll be reading A Language of Limbs. Have a fantastic time, sad I can‘t be there with you all. 💕 3d

sarahbarnes I hope you love Private Rites! Have fun!! 3d

julesG Looking forward to seeing you!!! 3d

Cathythoughts Exciting 😁 3d

BarbaraBB @LeeRHarry I was sorry to hear you won‘t be there this time! And I am most excited about

Language of Limbs

(edited) 2d

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I have started it already and am enjoying it a lot! 2d

BarbaraBB @julesG Yes! Excited to see you again! 2d

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts Yes! Not too far from Cork I think 😉? Maybe next year?! 2d

Suet624 Such a great group of folks meeting up. 💕 enjoy!! 1d

Lesliereadsalot Really wish I was going with you guys, reading, fireplace, and cake too! Heaven! Send a group picture @BarbaraBB 1d

62 likes23 comments

BarbaraBB

The Feast | Margaret Kennedy

so-so

The novel takes place in Cornwall in 1947 at a coastal hotel. From the opening, the narrator reveals that the hotel will soon fall of a cliff, killing some of its guests. The suspense lies in learning who survives and who doesn‘t.
An interesting premise and a funny stream of characters but there are so many that I couldn‘t really keep track because I had the audiobook.
Maybe I try again in print one day…

Amiable What a gorgeous room! 😍 3d

ImperfectCJ That's really a beautiful location! 3d

Aims42 The premise sounds really good! 3d

BarbaraBB @Amiable @ImperfectCJ It‘s not mine, it‘s a shiatsu studio 🤷🏻‍♀️ (edited) 3d

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BarbaraBB

On the Calculation of Volume (Book IV) | Solvej Balle, Sophia Hersi Smith & Jennifer Russell

pick

This novel cycle is constructed so ingeniously. Everything makes sense, every detail, while in fact nothing makes sense because the main characters are still trapped in November 18. Things are changing though.

I read somewhere that the author lived in exile for 20 years to write this work. I understand that and I can‘t wait to see how the story continues!

Suet624 That‘s crazy! 4d

Lesliereadsalot Wow you got volume 4! Still waiting for 3! 4d

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot I‘ve got 5 too. After that one I need to wait too, 6 and 7 haven‘t been translated in Dutch yet either. 4d

AnneCecilie I didn‘t know about the 20 yrs, but that makes sense 3d

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BarbaraBB

On the Calculation of Volume (Book IV) | Solvej Balle, Sophia Hersi Smith & Jennifer Russell

#FridayHappyReadingHour

Saturday again but who cares. I am having a virgin G&T and am planning to finish this wonderful book today. I started it this morning so it has been a lazy day. Love it!

mcctrish, Aims42, kspenmoll, TheBookHippie, Tamra, Cathythoughts, Ruthiella

Ruthiella It‘s taking the time to relax and adopt the mindset that counts! Cheers!🥂 4d

mcctrish Virgin G&Ts are the BEST of mocktails 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 and I need to get on this series ( I have the 1st two and keep grabbing something else to read) 4d

TheBookHippie Love it!!! And it is so very pretty!! 4d

See All 18 Comments

Aims42 Cheers!! I‘ll be celebrating tonight too, Friday night got too busy 😝 4d

AnneCecilie The 6th book is just out in Denmark so I‘m waiting on the Norwegian translation. Hopefully it won‘t be long 4d

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie That‘s good news! I suppose the Dutch translation will follow soon too 🤞🏽 4d

BarbaraBB @mcctrish I prefer it to the real one! And I hope you‘ll get to the series one day! 4d

BarbaraBB @Ruthiella @TheBookHippie @Aims42 cheers 😘 4d

AnneCecilie @BarbaraBB 🤞 4d

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie And of course I still have the 5th to read first! 4d

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie I just discovered part VI won‘t be published in Dutch until August 2026! So I think I‘ll wait a bit with reading part V 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4d

AnneCecilie @BarbaraBB That‘s long. I had to check the Norwegian publisher and it says coming soon. I hope that‘s right since the Danish version is soon available at the library but I would prefer to read the Norwegian translation. It would just be easier 3d

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie Are Norwegian and Danish so much alike that you can read it or did you learn Danish at school? 3d

AnneCecilie @BarbaraBB They are so alike, after all Norway was in a union with Denmark for 400 yrs, with the capital in Copenhagen 3d

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie I knew that but not that your languages are so similar. What about Swedish? Can you read/understand that to? To me it seems quite different but I might be wrong of course 3d

AnneCecilie @BarbaraBB Yes, I can read Swedish too, after all we where in union for almost 100 yrs. But for som reason it‘s easier for Norwegians to understand Danish and Swedish than it is for the other countries to understand the other languages. Maybe because of all the unions we were in? (edited) 3d

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie Interesting. Thank you for explaining! 3d

AnneCecilie @BarbaraBB Your welcome. It‘s not easy to know how similar and different languages are 3d

65 likes18 comments

BarbaraBB

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This | Omar El Akkad

#WeeklyFavorites I could not NOT choose this one for this week. And it‘s hardly a favorite. I wish it wouldn‘t have been written. That it wouldn‘t have been necessary to write it. But it was necessary and it‘s a cruel world we live in. A must read.

Read4life

sarahbarnes ♥️♥️♥️ 4d

Read4life 💙📚💙 1d

Jeg I‘ve just received it from the library. Reading it because everyone on here has said it‘s “a must read” . 17h

BarbaraBB @Jeg I am curious to see what you‘ll think 16h

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BarbaraBB

Endling | Maria Reva

so-so

#BookerLonglist #6

A highly original novel about 3 Ukrainian women on a road trip with some men they keep captive while Russia invades their country. Also, they are looking for a special kind of snail. I loved the fist half and the part which is an interlude by the author herself. Then however I lost interest a bit. So many super interesting story lines and yet I felt like nothing much happened. A so-so for me.

#ReadTheWorld2025 #28 #Albania

GatheringBooks, AnneCecilie, TheKidUpstairs, Chelsea.Poole, rmaclean4, squirrelbrain, Graywacke, ImperfectCJ, Mattsbookaday

squirrelbrain Yes, I felt like this could have done with some tightening up in the second half. 4d

Graywacke Totally opposite for me. ☺️ Didn‘t like the 1st 100 pages. After the meta, the story could have done anything and I would have loved it. How many more, B? (edited) 4d

BarbaraBB @Graywacke That‘s a wonderful experience! I don‘t have any other nominated books at hand right now. I‘ll wait for the shortlist and continue afterwards. I have read the six books that most appealed to me. 4d

See All 8 Comments

Graywacke @BarbaraBB good plan! 4d

Suet624 Rats! I really liked this one. 23h

BarbaraBB @Suet624 I know. I was surprised I didn‘t like it as much as you did 19h

Suet624 As you know, sometimes it‘s just the timing. I think I had been reading books I really wasn‘t so happy with right before I read Endling and I was just delighted by the composition of the book. 13h

BarbaraBB @Suet624 So true. And I have felt so restless lately that I found it hard to concentrate on that same composition! 6h

72 likes8 comments

BarbaraBB

One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This | Omar El Akkad

pick

@Chelsea.Poole was right. We all should read this. It‘s horrific and it makes me so sad and scared and I really wonder if we will ever be able to return (?) to a place of respect and peace and trying to understand one another. But maybe that‘s me, speaking from out of my bubble. Do read it.

📸 Amersfoort, Netherlands

AmyG Thanks. Just requested this from the library. 1w

CBee Just added to my audiobook list! 1w

Jas16 Agree that this is a must read. 1w

See All 6 Comments

vlwelser I picked this for my October NF book club selection. Totally forcing it on other people. 1w

sarahbarnes I‘m on hold for this one. 1w

Cuilin Agree!! 1w

100 likes7 stack adds6 comments

BarbaraBB

The Horror! The Horror!: Comic Books the Government Didn't Want You To Read (with DVD) | Jim Trombetta

The #ToB crew is hosting a horror pop-up in which 16 classic horror novels will be set up against one another in the usual way.

https://www.tournamentofbooks.com/welcome-to-the-horror-popup

I don‘t think I‘ll participate (too many books too little time) but I do love that tob is alive and kicking and can‘t wait for them to follow up with the #ToB26 longlist!

Ruthiella I did see this and thought it was pretty cool that it is all older titles-classics even! I probably won‘t participate either but I‘ll try to check out the commentary! 1w

ChaoticMissAdventures Ohh that sounds fun!! 1w

Suet624 I thought of you immediately when I saw their notice about this event. I appreciate their efforts. I‘m not someone who tends to like horror stories so I probably won‘t participate, but I‘m happy they‘re trying. 1w

58 likes3 comments

BarbaraBB

Ripeness | Sarah Moss

pick

This was a slow burn for me and I never really got into it, even though I loved the woman Edith has become and admire the girl she was when supporting her sister when she gave birth to a baby. Such an interesting plot and I loved the Irish setting. It‘s really a good book. And yet. It‘s me. A light pick.

📸: Ryan Gander exposition, Museum Beelden aan Zee, The Hague, Netherlands

#FictionalTraveler #EnglishSpeaking

julieclair

Jas16 I have this one my shelves and have been eagerly waiting for the right moment to crack it open. Might lower my expectations a bit now. 1w

CBee Her books seem to be very slow burn-ish. I never finished Summerwater because at that moment in my life I just needed her to speed it up 😂😂 1w

Ruthiella You always take such interesting photos! 🤩 1w

See All 10 Comments

BarbaraBB @CBee I am glad you understand and that I‘m not alone in this 😀 1w

BarbaraBB @Ruthiella Thank you 😊 1w

CBee @BarbaraBB 😘😘 1w

julieclair What a thoughtful review. I have never read a Sarah Moss book, and slow burns usually get on my nerves, but this one looks interesting. Might be a good winter read, when life generally feels slower. 1w

BarbaraBB @julieclair Thank you Julie. You might like it in Winter indeed! 1w

Centique That photo suits the book cover beautifully! 6d

BarbaraBB @Centique Thank you! 5d

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BarbaraBB

Endling | Maria Reva

#WeeklyForecast 38/25

I still haven‘t finished the Sarah Moss but I picked it up again and think I am on the point where I want to finish it! In the mean time I started the El Akkad which is super confrontational and a must read for all of us. Next will be my final Booker for the announcement of the shortlist, which is the tagged one. And I have the fourth On the Calculation of Volume waiting for me!

Suet624 Gee, I hope you like Endling. ❤️ 1w

Hooked_on_books I‘m so envious you have book 4! I‘ve read the first two and can‘t wait for the third to publish here. It‘s such a fascinating story. 1w

sarahbarnes Great reading week. I too am still waiting for Vol III over here. Great work on the Booker longlist! 1w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books @sarahbarnes It‘s a fascinating story that I keep thinking about! 1w

70 likes4 comments

BarbaraBB

Cheri | Jo Ann Beard

pick

A very short and very sad book about a woman dying from cancer who seeks assisted suicide. Apparently euthanasia isn‘t legal in the US although it‘s almost the same as the kind of help this woman gets, but she can‘t be with her loved ones when the moment is there and that broke my heart (no spoiler). What a horrible disease, what a fight.

📸 Antibes, France

Suet624 My therapist tried to be allowed to do assisted suicide due to her declining into dementia. The state wouldn't allow it - even though Vermont allows it for other conditions - and she spent 5 years in a horrible situation. Frightened and out of touch with reality. It was so sad. 2w

BarbaraBB @Suet624 That is so sad and I recognize it. We have legalized euthanisia in cases of ‘unbearable suffering‘. However, in cases of dementia it‘s hard to know or decide if and how much someone is suffering. Many people sign euthanasia declarations on forehand but when they are declining doctors are hesitant and most people with dementia die by natural causes in the end. Often after a horrible situation like the one you mentioned. (edited) 2w

Suet624 It‘s so sad. 2w

See All 12 Comments

JamieArc It‘s legal in Colorado, I know. I had a family member move there and die by assisted suicide. It was a deeply moving experience. 2w

JamieArc Also, this is a great photo! 2w

BarbaraBB @JamieArc Thanks! It must have been deeply moving indeed 🤍 2w

AmyG @JamieArc I didn‘t know that. May I never need it. 2w

JamieArc @AmyG It is if it‘s physician-assisted suicide. His brother was nurse, so I think that‘s how it was legal. 2w

Amiable This photo! 😍 2w

Lesliereadsalot So very sad. I just lived through this very same thing with my best friend‘s brother. He was very courageous but boy did it take a lot out of everyone. 2w

Roary47 Dementia is one of the worst diseases. I looked it up because I remember a woman with an incurable 0% chance of living painful disease was seeking assisted suicide, or death with dignity, and had to move. Right now Washington D.C and 11 states allow it. 😢 I don‘t understand why a person who is going to suffer has to go through that. It‘s so sad. 😞 (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @Roary47 @Lesliereadsalot ❤️‍🩹 1w

74 likes12 comments

BarbaraBB

Strongmen: How They Rise, Why They Succeed, How They Fall | Ruth Ben-Ghiat

#NotBookRelated I am in a taxi in France where someone left a New York Times on the backseat. I enjoy the article about Trump as a bystander while thinking he rules the world but it‘s in fact so sad. European leaders being so weak, Putin doing whatever he likes and Trump, well …

Amiable My head hurts and my heart aches …it‘s all terrible. 😖 2w

sarahbarnes Yes, what @Amiable said. I don‘t read anything very uplifting in the NYT these days. 2w

BarbaraBB @Amiable @sarahbarnes I don‘t often read the NYT of course but it is so spot on and I can‘t imagine what it must be like to be confronted with this reality every day. (edited) 2w

See All 71 Comments

BarbaraBB @Amiable @sarahbarnes the Trump reality I mean. I know all about weak European leadership but somehow I don‘t mind it as much as I mind everything I read about Trump‘s stupidity (edited) 2w

sarahbarnes Yes, he‘s much more dangerous than anything else I‘ve seen here in my lifetime. He has too much power for someone so bent on destroying everything for his own gain. 2w

Amiable @BarbaraBB Weak leaders are frustrating and infuriating, for sure. We‘ve been there in the U.S. A president who is actively trying to overthrow democracy in his own country and turn it into an authoritarian dictatorship is terrifying. That‘s a new reality in this country—one that too many people are still trying to ignore or excuse. 2w

Tamra I keep thinking I‘m going to run out of disgust and outrage, but nope. 2w

AlaMich He terrifies me. 2w

Suet624 We are in serious trouble over here. 2w

ImperfectCJ It feels like we've dropped into an alternate reality. I can't figure out why no one bats an eye at the things this man does when, if anyone else did them, they'd be pilloried. 2w

CBee I would much rather weak European leadership than the absolutely terrifying shit show we have going on here. Every day brings a new worry. 2w

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes @Amiable @Tamra @AlaMich @Suet624 @ImperfectCJ it must be terrifying. From where I live it is horrible as well but somehow abstract - I still can‘t imagine it really happening. I do really hope his age will catch up with him. And that the Democrats will stand up against this all. (edited) 2w

Librarybelle Well said, @CBee . These are horrifying times. 2w

Pigpen_Reads With the last current horrific events, it looks like America is changing. People are finally standing up for what is right and demanding an end to this insanity. Conservatives are coming out strong, loud, and proud. No more fear of what the left can do. Their policies have put us in the situation we are in as a country. 2w

CBee @Pigpen_Reads I‘m sorry, what? 2w

Pigpen_Reads @CBee Our country is a shit show because of the left. After the events this week, people are done. Senseless violence and murder. Enough is enough. I love this book community and I‘ve stayed quiet when everyone talks trash about Trump and conservatives, but I‘m not going to anymore. Why should I be silenced? 2w

Susanita @Pigpen_Reads I don‘t understand what “insanity” you mean or how the “left” contributed to the right on right violence. 2w

Pigpen_Reads @Susanita Iryna was brutally stabbed by a man who should have been locked up, but was out on a cashless bond. The school shooting in Colorado, the shooter was radicalized by liberals. The man that was beheaded in Dallas, was killed by an illegal. Charlie was assassinated by a man that was also radicalized by liberals. (edited) 2w

CBee @Pigpen_Reads I‘m sorry that you believe what you do. I had a whole response typed out, but I doubt it would make a difference. And, on the advice of another Litten whom I cherish very much, I will not clog up sweet Barbara‘s page with arguments. I wish the best to you and hope that you will dig a little deeper for the truth next time. 2w

Pigpen_Reads @CBee I hope the same for you too. 2w

Chrissyreadit I sadly canceled my NYT subscription- i believed they had Journalistic integrity but most recent events have me concerned by news they choose not to cover and the limits in the news they do. How is Journalism in France @BarbaraBB ? 2w

BarbaraBB Thank you @CBee I don‘t agree with you @Pigpen_Reads. I am not American and don‘t know about the people and cases your referring to, I only see a man doing very unresponsible things to the world and very little for the people who voted for him - unless they are billionaires too. 2w

BarbaraBB @Chrissyreadit I live in the Netherlands and things are polarized here too. The media are still neutral and doing the best they can to inform us but there are many people who prefer telegram and weird Facebook groups these days. 2w

Susanita @Pigpen_Reads I can‘t add much to what @cbee says, so I will leave it at that. 2w

Pigpen_Reads @BarbaraBB The media is doing a great job at only showing what they want. Trump did a lot for the lgb community and for people of color, but those went unnoticed. 2w

CBee @BarbaraBB 💚👏🏻 2w

AmyG @Pigpen_Reads They went unnoticed because he didn‘t do anything. I suggest perhaps you watch different media outlets. Learn all sides of a story before making a decision. Knowledge is power. (edited) 2w

Suet624 @Pigpen_Reads Hahaha. Your claims that Trump has done a lot for the groups you speak of is hilarious.
(edited) 2w

dabbe @Pigpen_Reads Nothing for the “t's“ and “q's“ though, right? Interesting. And I'd love to see proof of this. He did a lot of NOTHING for these people. Period. 2w

Chrissyreadit @BarbaraBB I am so sad to hear that. I know that economics has a lot to do with the rise of fascism, and it is devastating that it is hard to share adequate information- so many people believe lies and corrupted information. 2w

Amiable @Pigpen_Reads Oh honey, you drank ALL the kook-aid and then went back for more, didn‘t you? Bless your heart. 🙄 (edited) 2w

Pigpen_Reads @AmyG @dabbe @Amiable You do know that Trump appointed the first openly gay Cabinet member, right? He also created a task force to focus on missing and murdered Indigenous people. He signed the FUTURE act for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. What have liberals done for my people? Nothing except want modern day slavery. 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads You are aware that the current budget will disproportionally have a negative impact on people- including working families, children and individuals with disabilities- all are at a very real risk of losing medicare- including parents who work full time jobs? That financial aid is what made greater percentages of all students able to receive an education- that has also been cut. But billionaires will have tax cuts. Also due process is 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads no longer being followed including for people hear legally- (although to be fair that loophole was put in by Bush). and you are defending a man who openly and gleefully ogled underage girls, was convicted for sexual assault and convicted for felony fraud- all of which was well documented in the 80‘s when he was still a registered democrat. I‘m sorry that we are having this discussion but also not sorry- there are many books in 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads history and science to demonstrate that reducing safety standards, not addressing climate change and not providing for public health via vaccination will result in catastrophic harm for generations because we have science. I‘m surprised that you support HBCU‘s but not Kamala btw. 2w

AmyG

For the United States cabinet, the first openly gay member confirmed by the Senate was Pete Buttigieg, who served as Secretary of Transportation from 2021 to 2025. However, the first openly gay person to serve in a cabinet-level position was Richard Grenell, who served in an acting capacity. 2w

Pigpen_Reads @Chrissyreadit Your last sentence. What do you mean by that? 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads also the First openly gay congressperson was elected in 1983- Gerry Stodds. Franklin Kameny in 1975 was the first openly gay US Congressional Appointee. Pete Buttigieg was our Secretary of Transpotation under Biden and openly gay. Currently the desire to overwhelmingly discriminate against trans rights is a hallmark of this administration. 2w

Chrissyreadit Kamala Harris‘ platform was about supporting everyone- and she was very active as an alumni of an HBCU. Sadly- one of the programs she championed- expanding medicare so that our seniors could receive services that let them live independently with medical support/nursing care in the home- is now a pipe dream. The cuts to medicare will debitaste our seniors who are also disproportionately likely to die from Covid- and that vaccine will be an uphi 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads uphill battle to receive. 2w

AmyG Trump states that we shouldn‘t focus on how bad slavery was at the Smithsonian. He downplays the role od systemic racism. In some red states “gag laws” have been set in place to resist how some teachers talk about slavery and Jim Crow. How does that help? (edited) 2w

AmyG As for the Trans community, MAGA does nothing by VILIFY an entire group of people. 2w

CBee @Pigpen_Reads both of those things - the task force and FUTURE act - happened in 2019. I‘d be interested to hear if those are both still in place. Because everything be is doing now is erasing any “good” he may have done previously. 2w

CBee @Pigpen_Reads have you read what Charlie Kirk said about black people - black women in particular? Not to mention the other minority groups he targeted and vilified. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/11/charlie-kirk-quotes-beliefs 2w

Pigpen_Reads @Chrissyreadit Trump is cutting out the waste and fraud in Medicare. With the OBBB act, PAYGO was triggered and that is where the cuts come from. That act has been around for decades and Congress can waive that. Trump is not looking to cut in the way you think he is. 2w

Suet624 @Pigpen_Reads Hahaha. Again! Hahaha. It's clear this thread disagrees with you. Maybe it's time to move on. Please go ahead and post under your own account. (edited) 2w

AmyG The new bill—formally named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB)—which Trump signed into law on July 4, 2025, includes cuts to Medicaid of almost $1 trillion over the next 10 years. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this means that 11.8 million Americans may lose their health insurance. 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads i‘m sorry you are not recognising that to be incorrect. There are plenty of brilliant economists who recognize that this will be a system that causes harm. unfortunately there will be nothing we can do. I‘m a provider- who will not take medicare because the requirements are so stringent already- it is very difficult to see how there is waste or fraud. Did you know that dental nor vision are covered under medicare? two services that 2w

Chrissyreadit are needed more by aging populations. 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads the pay go you are describing was necessary because of the tax cuts being given to billionaires. we had an expanding population of seniors- who needed more services. honestly, while i am typically not a conspiracy theorist i am wondering if there is a hope all of the most vulnerable-elderly and disabled - will die off because they “cost money” that was just cut. 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads do you think senior citizens should have medical care? housing? what about the disabled? LGBTQ? Single moms? What is your belief of who does not deserve clean water, clean air, healthy food, health in general? 2w

Pigpen_Reads @AmyG As Americans, we all have the same rights and privileges. We‘re all equal. As for the trans community, they have vilified themselves. 2w

CBee @Pigpen_Reads we‘re all equal, unless we are transgender. Is that what you‘re saying? 2w

Pigpen_Reads @CBee That those specific women he was talking about were only in their positions because of affirmative action? Yes, I saw that. Dei was dangerous and annoying, honestly. People put into positions that they didn‘t work hard for, but got because of the color of their skin? 2w

Pigpen_Reads @CBee They are both still active. 2w

Pigpen_Reads @Chrissyreadit Of course senior citizens should have medical care and housing. Disabled too. Single moms have resources to help them, as do the lgbt community. But, single moms and those in the lgbt community can help themselves. Yes, they may need a hand, but they should be helping themselves too. Not rely on the government. I‘m all for helping where it‘s needed. 2w

CBee @Pigpen_Reads well, he just signed it. It‘s not like he wrote it or did any of the work to get there. He just isn‘t that smart. 2w

AmyG Please educate me as to how the Trans community has vilified themselves. I am legitimately curious. 2w

AmyG I know some people who got put into positions that they are not remotely qualified for but got because of the color of their skin i.e. RFK Jr, Pete Hegseth, Doug Burgham, Krisi Noem, Linda McMahon….to name a few. (edited) 2w

AmyG Recent executive orders by Donald Trump, signed since his inauguration in January 2025, have rescinded or weakened federal protections for the transgender community. These orders have affected health care access, military service, housing, prison housing, and identity documents. 2w

Pigpen_Reads @AmyG Push their beliefs on people and children. Incite violence. Demand that we use their improper pronouns. And then you have the men that demand to come into our safe spaces. 2w

AmyG I‘m sorry. You are transphobic. I‘m going to stop now. Everyone have a good evening. 2w

CBee @Pigpen_Reads this is a disgusting and false comment. I‘m stopping now as well. 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads I‘m so sorry that you believe this. I have never been assaulted by any one in the trans community. But i have been assaulted by cis white men- yes plural. I work with children- and btw- the single moms i know (including myself) work incredibly long hours- and do not have many safety nets at all. I am not going to write the book on the amount of ways that women are unfairly harmed. Or that i‘ve observed discrimination…the hate to 2w

Pigpen_Reads @AmyG You asked, I answered. I‘m not transphobic. 2w

Pigpen_Reads @Chrissyreadit I‘ve been assaulted. I‘m speaking from my own experiences. 2w

Chrissyreadit the trans community is intense- because they are so harmless. How do you feel about intersex ? cloacal extrophy? both which are typically when children were assigned a genital specifically vagina because it was easier to form. I WISH i could be lesbian!!!!! I can‘t stand the patriarchy but I cannot control who i am attracted to. Dis you know a disproportionate amount of trans individuals were sexually assaulted as children or adolescents ? 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads approximately 50%- yet you say they are groomers???? they were not assaulted by trans adults… 2w

Chrissyreadit @Pigpen_Reads you were assaulted by a trans person? I am so sorry! 2w

Pigpen_Reads @Chrissyreadit Yes, changed my way of seeing them for sure. 2w

BarbaraBB @Pigpen_Reads I do not agree with you as I said but I appreciate your answering to all questions and I wish we would be in dialogue more than we usually do, each sticking to their own reality and truth. Polarization is scary as hell. 2w

53 likes71 comments

BarbaraBB

Gallows View | Peter Robinson

pick

Thanks to @kspenmoll I started this series and I did enjoy it. This first installment was written in the 1980s and it‘s rather misogynistic but I didn‘t really mind. I liked the characters and the setting and am curious about the second book.

📸 Cannes, France

Bookwormjillk Pretty picture 2w

Lesliereadsalot You‘re on the move! 2w

AlaMich That picture could 💯 be Los Angeles, with the ocean in the background ! 🌴 (edited) 2w

See All 9 Comments

kspenmoll Yes to your comment re Misogynistic, er time5, but improves over in time as series progresses. 2w

BarbaraBB @AlaMich I was surprised to see how much it resembles LA too. Just the Mediterranean instead of the Pacific. I love palm trees 🌴 2w

BarbaraBB @kspenmoll that‘s good to know and honestly I didn‘t really mind, growing up in the 80s myself! 2w

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot I had to be in Cannes for work but have been going there by train from Nice which I think is a much nicer place to stay! 2w

Lesliereadsalot South of France is my dream vacation! 2w

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot Really? Well I hope you‘ll get here one day 💕 (edited) 2w

67 likes2 stack adds9 comments

BarbaraBB

I Want To Go Home But I'm Already There: A darkly funny and maddeningly relatable ghost story set against the backdrop of the rental crisis | R�is�n Lanigan

pan

Don‘t judge a book by its cover. I learned it the hard way. I loved this cover. And the title.

But… the book is about two very boring people living together in a flat that she thinks is haunted. She‘s there all day (doing nothing), he‘s at work and doesn‘t notice how she suffers.
Totally unbelievable that two people who are supposed to be deeply in love never talk to one another.
Okay. On to the next.

📸 Nice, France

Suet624 Sounds tedious! 2w

Lesliereadsalot At least you‘re in Nice! 2w

ChaoticMissAdventures Moving on from bad books did you hear about the girls who missed their flight and told the rebooking agent they needed to go "To Nice" and the agent put them on a plane to Tunis and they didn't realize until they were boarded where they were going? 2w

See All 9 Comments

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot can‘t complain! 2w

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures oh no 😂 that‘s a lot of miscommunication! 2w

squirrelbrain That‘s so funny! @ChaoticMissAdventures 🤦‍♀️ 2w

squirrelbrain I‘ll skip this one then, Barbara! 2w

youneverarrived I finished this recently and agree with all you said! It was hard to believe they loved each other at all. 1w

BarbaraBB @youneverarrived It seemed they hardly knew eachother 1w

75 likes9 comments

BarbaraBB

The Murder House (DCI Matilda Darke Thriller, Book 5) | Michael Wood

#WeeklyForecast 37/25

I am reading both I Want to go Home and Ripeness. The former I bought on a whim because of its title and cover but I‘m unimpressed so far. Ripeness I just started and is very promising.
I‘ll be traveling for work later this week and the tagged book seems a good companion. Cheri is a short one I‘ve meant to read for some time now.

sarahbarnes I‘m starting Ripeness this month too! 2w

Cathythoughts I‘m reading Ripeness now , and loving it so far ❤️ 2w

68 likes2 comments

BarbaraBB

Misinterpretation | Ledia Xhoga

pick

#BookerLonglist #5

Very elegantly written, I became engaged in the book immediately I enjoyed following the narrator‘s struggle to live in NYC while she‘s still strongly rooted in the Albania she left behind. Het empathy for other refugees jeopardizes her mental wellbeing as well as her closest relationships. She moves between this empathy and self-preservation and there seems no closure. An impressive read.

#ReadTheWorld2025 #27 #Albania

GatheringBooks, AnneCecilie, TheKidUpstairs, Chelsea.Poole, rmaclean4, squirrelbrain, Graywacke, ImperfectCJ, Mattsbookaday

sarahbarnes Ah I see you liked it! 3w

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Yes! I did! And I think you will too but reviews are very mixed so I am not sure. And if you have a lot other unread books to read, I wouldn‘t put this one on top! 3w

GatheringBooks Love it! Albania! Nice. 🥰 3w

See All 8 Comments

squirrelbrain Glad you liked it! 3w

Graywacke I liked this one a great too. Nice to see this! 3w

LeeRHarry Good to hear you liked it. This is one of two on the longlist I have on my shelves. I think what initially drew me to this one was the theme of immigration and that sense of where do you call home. 3w

kspenmoll Great review! 2w

youneverarrived Great review. I‘m looking forward to reading it. 1w

87 likes2 stack adds8 comments

BarbaraBB

Read the World | Pushpinder Khaneka

Adding some new countries to #ReadTheWorld2025 in July and August: #NewZealand, #Finland, #Peru, #Pakistan, #SriLanka, #Hungary and #Sweden.

I now have covered 26 countries!

GatheringBooks

GatheringBooks Oh wow! Way to go! Awesome! 3w

Ruthiella Nice work! 👏👏👏 3w

Suet624 Amazing! 3w

51 likes3 comments

BarbaraBB

Someone to Watch Over You | Kumi Kimura

pick

A wonderfully strange story about two lonely people seeking eachother‘s company while the coronavirus spreads across Japan. However, they don‘t become friends, they just live their lonely life in the same house. I can‘t say more, it is so weird. But I loved it.

📸 Amsterdam Castle

Cathythoughts I think I might like this one 👍🏻❤️ 3w

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts I think so too. Same goes for you @sarahbarnes 3w

sarahbarnes This one is on my list! I‘m glad to see you liked it! 3w

72 likes6 stack adds3 comments

BarbaraBB

Mona's Eyes | Thomas Schlesser

After the wonderful job @jlhammar did, @Lesliereadsalot and I are happy to announce the revival of #EuropaCollective. We‘ll read and discuss an Europa Edition every three months. The tagged book will be our October read.
For more details check out Leslie‘s post.
If you want to join us, please say so below and we‘ll keep you posted!

LitsyEvents

JulietteReadsALot Looking forward to it. Just ordered my copy 🙂 3w

BarbaraBB @JulietteReadsALot I just ordered my copy too! 3w

Suet624 I'd like to be included. 3w

See All 9 Comments

BarbaraBB @Suet624 👌🏽 3w

Chelsea.Poole So glad to see this! Thanks for hosting you two -- @barbarabb and @lesliereadsalot 3w

youneverarrived I‘d like to join 🤍 1w

BarbaraBB @youneverarrived Yay 🤍 1w

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I won a copy & am excited to join you! 1w

BarbaraBB @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick That is good news! 1w

53 likes9 comments

BarbaraBB

You Be Mother | Meg Mason

pan

I enjoyed ‘Sorrow and Bliss‘ but this book by Meg Mason was disappointing. Such one demensional characters. A despairing young mother, a piece of shit father, a nasty MiL and a coward of a FiL. All so predictable.
Neighbour Phil, a just widowed woman, makes up for this but her character didn‘t really make sense either.

And yet I wanted to know the ending. It had some good points but was overall too predictable as well.

Cathythoughts Oh dear ! I enjoyed Sorrow and Bliss too. 3w

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts Maybe you‘ll like this one too. I saw many good reviews but I didn‘t enjoy it at all. 3w

sarahbarnes Unstacking 😁 3w

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Yes, don‘t bother! 3w

youneverarrived I liked this for the most part but it did drag on at times. I love your review though 😂 1w

65 likes5 comments

BarbaraBB

August | Judith Rossner

#AugustStats

4.25⭐️
King of ashes
Under the storm

4⭐️
Seascraper

3.75⭐️
The tenderness of wolves

3.5⭐️
The return of Faraz Ali
Silent parade
Thursday night widows

3.25⭐️
I see you‘ve called in dead

3⭐️
Crying in H Mart
Deal breaker
One boat

2.75⭐️
Flesh
The Plot

2⭐️
Nightwatching

58 likes

BarbaraBB

Misinterpretation | Ledia Xhoga

#WeeklyForecast 36/25

I am reading a short Japanese novel (Someone to Watch Over You) ad then am ready for another #Bookerlonglist book, the tagged. I also want to read the new Sarah Moss, that I bought because of @TrishB ‘s review.

squirrelbrain I loved Ripeness too! ❤️ 3w

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I must have missed your review. But now I‘m sure I‘ll love it too 3w

quietlycuriouskate Ooh, a new Sarah Moss! 😍 3w

BarbaraBB @quietlycuriouskate How nice is that?! 3w

56 likes4 comments

BarbaraBB

Under the Storm: A Novel | Christoffer Carlsson

pick

Wow, this is a what you call #NordicNoir! A fire and a murder in a small Swedish village continue to have effect on the village for years to come. A former police officer can‘t let go and neither does the nephew of the man convicted for the crimes.

In the mean time the book sketches a pretty good picture of the political and social circumstances of the country during the 90s and the 00s. ⬇️

#ReadTheWorld2025 #26 #Sweden

GatheringBooks, Cathythoughts

BarbaraBB Also, I learned about the cycloon Gudrun, that hit Sweden in 2005 and took down more than 75 million cubic metres of trees with many implications for the national economy. Recommended! (edited) 3w

Bookwormjillk Sounds good! 3w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk It is, it is! 3w

See All 8 Comments

monalyisha I‘m actually considering trying this! I normally wouldn‘t be drawn to it but I‘ve been trying to find books for my stepdad, who recently started reading (in preparation for his retirement). He‘s a homicide detective with a history as an arson detective. He doesn‘t have a literary bent but I‘m wondering if this is one we *both* might be able to read? Worth “investigating,” anyway! 😉 3w

BarbaraBB @monalyisha I loved it but it‘s not your traditional thriller in the sense that it is real Swedish and rather quiet. I loved that. Not much violence either. But definitely worth investigating 🕵️‍♂️ 3w

Cathythoughts Great review. There‘s feeling and depth and intrigue and thriller … my absolute favourite kind of book. X 3w

GatheringBooks Ooh! Stacked! 3w

CarolynM Sounds great. Stacked. 🙂 3w

70 likes4 stack adds8 comments

BarbaraBB

I, Spy: a Bletchley Park mystery | Rhian Tracey

Another four months of #ISpy2025 (May-August) with lots of my unread books waiting to be a read and having that ✅ added!

Scroll down for an updated Jan-April grid.
I love the spying!

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Fantastic progress!!! 3w

BarbaraBB @TheAromaofBooks Thank you for putting it all together! 3w

TheAromaofBooks I don't know why, but I absolutely love this challenge 😂 3w

BarbaraBB @TheAromaofBooks I‘m obsessed! 3w

58 likes4 comments

BarbaraBB

I, Spy: a Bletchley Park mystery | Rhian Tracey

#ISpy2025 January - April

TheAromaofBooks

Ruthiella Impressive! 👏👏👏 4w

TheAromaofBooks Looking fabulous!!! 3w

youneverarrived 🙌 1w

51 likes3 comments

BarbaraBB

Thursday Night Widows | Claudia Pi�eiro

#WeeklyFavorites

This week‘s choice was good but not memorable as were many of this month‘s books. King of Ashes is my favorites of these, followed closely by Seascraper.

Read4life

Dralex090 I try to send a direct Message to you but I noticed I can only write comments which is not private . Are you on WhatsApp? Or telegram? 4w

BarbaraBB @Dralex090 I am not interested in private messages 4w

53 likes2 comments

BarbaraBB

Thursday Night Widows | Claudia Pi�eiro

pick

Not her best one but this early work by Claudia Piñeiro is still very entertaining. It is set in a gated community outside Buenos Aires where the very wealthy live so far away from reality that strange things can and do happen.

Hooked_on_books I looked at the picture before looking at who posted and said to myself, “this looks like a Barbara picture.” Ha ha! 4w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books I am so predictable 😀 4w

70 likes1 stack add2 comments

BarbaraBB

Winners: A Novel | Danielle Steel

And with the end of #CampLitsy25 we add Wild Dark Shore to the #HallOfFame! These are our winners since 2022.

If you‘ve been camping with us, you know 💕

If you participated for the first time and are impressed by the excellent taste of the campers🤪, you know now what to read next!

If you haven‘t participated and have been wondering what Camp is all about, this is it! You‘re welcome next year.

A big SO to Meg and Helen for co-hosting 💖

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

Bookwormjillk Thank you @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain this was so much fun. 4w

DGRachel I didn‘t attend 2022‘s camp, but I had such bad FOMO I tried in 2023. I think the winner was one of two I read that year! 😂 I bailed on at least one last year, too, but I read all of them this year. This was an amazing year. 4w

AmyG Oh Yay! This year was my favorite. I really enjoyed all the books. (edited) 4w

See All 17 Comments

Meshell1313 Awesome!!!! Thank you @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain for hosting! 4w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Meshell1313 You are very welcome! Would be nothing without you! 4w

BarbaraBB @DGRachel This really was an amazing year, I think so too. We always have some hit or miss books except for this year! 4w

squirrelbrain You‘re welcome @Bookwormjillk @Meshell1313 - we love hosting! 4w

squirrelbrain @DGRachel @AmyG - Audition was *almost* a miss this year, but the thoughtful discussions and comments elevated it for me. But I still agree - best year yet! 4w

AmyG @squirrelbrain Agree. This book and discussion had me thinking! And that‘s why I gave it a pick. 4w

dabbe Thank you, @BarbaraBB @Megabooks and @squirrelbrain for all your hard work in putting this together. I feel off the wagon midway but am definitely going to read the winners! 🩶🤍🖤 4w

yourfavouritemixtape Thank you @barbarabb @megabooks and @squirrelbrain so much for organisig this! It‘s the only „reading challenge“ i took part in this year. And it was - again - really cool! 4w

Daisey Wonderful! I didn‘t read enough of the books to feel like voting, but I did love Wild Dark Shore! 4w

BarbaraBB @dabbe @yourfavouritemixtape @Daisey Thank you! We‘re happy you participated one way or another 😘 4w

DavidDiamond Just saw this and sounds like fun. How does one sign up for next year? Or is there a specific date this starts? Thanks! 4w

BarbaraBB @DavidDiamond I‘ll add you to the taglist and will keep you posted! You‘re very welcome to join us next year 4w

DavidDiamond @BarbaraBB Yay! Thank you! 4w

Suet624 I agree with @squirrelbrain … Audition was a mess until I read all the comments. It‘s still not a book I would recommend, but the commentary certainly made it worthwhile to read. The rest of the books were a real treat. Thank you so much for everything. 4w

78 likes17 comments

BarbaraBB

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

We do have our #CampLitsy25 winner! A majority voted for this fantastic book and I couldn‘t agree more 😉. Woodworking ended on a second place, Tilt ended third.

Helen, Meg and I have enjoyed Camp again so much and want to thank you all for reading and discussing six great books with us. We have loved your thoughts, stories, reviews, insights, puns, etc.

We‘ll be back!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 4w

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @CBee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine 4w

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose 4w

See All 48 Comments

BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @jenniferw88 4w

BarbaraBB @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @Maggie4483 4w

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn 4w

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks 4w

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape @zukeeyah 4w

Kitta Oh wow great winner, wild dark shore was amazing. I loved it although I voted for tilt! So I‘m happy with the result. Thanks so much for hosting. Camp Litsy is my favourite part of the summer and I can‘t believe it‘s over and I have to wait for a whole year for the next one!! 😭 Great book selections I wouldn‘t have read otherwise and great discussion from everyone. ⛺️❤️ @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks (edited) 4w

BarbaraBB @Kitta Thank you! Your contribution has been so much appreciated - as ever! 4w

Kitta @BarbaraBB you guys put in a ton of work for this, it‘s much appreciated!! ❤️ 4w

LeeRHarry Thanks for all your hard work guys! The only book I managed to get to was Wild Dark Shore so I guess I backed a winner! 😊 4w

Bookwormjillk Now the count down begins for 2026 long list… 4w

Chelsea.Poole Thanks hosts! @megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB —great job as always! 4w

BarbaraBB @LeeRHarry As if you knew it ❤️ (edited) 4w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk I was thinking the same! 4w

Lesliereadsalot @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks I just want to tell the three of you what a difference you‘ve made in my life and the lives of many other readers as well. Opening doors for all of us, asking important questions, bringing us all together. So much fun for all of us and so enlightening. Thanks for it all. 🩷🩷🩷 4w

DGRachel Thank you all. Camp Litsy stretches me way beyond my literary comfort zone. I appreciate your thoughtful questions and facilitation of discussion. 💖 4w

BarbaraBB @Chelsea.Poole @Lesliereadsalot @DGRachel you make me blush (and o think @Megabooks and @squirrelbrain too)! Thank you so much but the pleasure is all ours, we love Camp Litsy and couldn‘t have done it without you 💕 4w

JenReadsAlot Thanks ladies and looking forward to next year! @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain 4w

AmyG Thanks to all the book counselors! I loved Camp this year!!! 4w

Kitta @Bookwormjillk totally! I can‘t wait for next year. 4w

Meshell1313 Camp was so fun this year as usual! Thank you! 🎉 4w

Jas16 I had a great time at camp! Thank you to our amazing counselors for the work they put in to make it so amazing and to all of my fellow campers for the insightful discussions. 4w

BkClubCare All winners! 🏆 4w

Ruthiella Thank you @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks for the leadership and organization! 👏👏👏 4w

TrishB Great stuff 👍🏻 would have been happy with any of the final 3 winning! Thanks to the 3 of you @squirrelbrain @Megabooks 4w

CBee It was hard for me to choose between this one and Woodworking so I just flipped a coin in my mind 😂 So glad this won! Well deserved 👏🏻 4w

BarbaraBB @JenReadsAlot @AmyG @Meshell1313 @Jas16 @Ruthiella @TrishB Thank you for making it such an amazing ‘25 edition 💝 4w

squirrelbrain Aw thanks you guys! ☺️ Like Barbara said, we love hosting camp and we couldn‘t do it without you all! @Kitta @LeeRHarry @Chelsea.Poole @Lesliereadsalot @DGRachel @JenReadsAlot @AmyG @Meshell1313 @Jas16 @Ruthiella @TrishB 4w

Suet624 Thanks to the three of you for all of your efforts in making this camp such a delight each summer. 4w

Hooked_on_books @Bookwormjillk Yes! Bring on the longlist! 4w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books @Bookwormjillk When do they announce the longlist? Is it November? 4w

Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB late November/ early December I think 4w

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk That‘s a long time 😬 4w

Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk Yes, usually around US Thanksgiving, which is late November. Right now, I‘m anxious for the National Book Awards longlists, announced in 2 weeks, so that should tide me over for a while. 😆 4w

Bookwormjillk @Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB perhaps someone on Litsy can infiltrate the nomination committee and give us a spoiler? 4w

Hooked_on_books @Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB That would be amazing! 4w

Karisa Amazing line up this summer! I also loved Death of the Author so much… Just fantastic books all around. Thanks for hosting! 4w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books That‘s something to look forward to in the mean time! 4w

BarbaraBB @Karisa thanks for having you 😘 4w

BookwormAHN Thanks for hosting. It was lots of fun 🧡 4w

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN Thank you for making it fun 😘 4w

Gissy Agree! Beautiful book but so sad😭I loved the audiobook, the narrator has a beautiful voice! (edited) 4w

Prairiegirl_reading I just finished this because I needed a long break from this. Wow it‘s bleak! I was thinking it might be my most hated book of the year but then I remembered Audition! LOL!! I‘m super glad so many of you liked it but it was not for me. 2w

BarbaraBB @Prairiegirl_reading Thank you for checking in and for camping with us 😘 2w

Prairiegirl_reading @BarbaraBB thanks again for hosting! It‘s fun even when I have a dissenting opinion. 🤗 2w

BarbaraBB @Prairiegirl_reading It would be so boring if we all liked the same books with little to discuss 💕 2w

101 likes1 stack add48 comments

BarbaraBB

One Boat | Jonathan Buckley

pick

#BookerLonglist #4

Nothing much happens is this meandering novel about a women revisiting the Greek village she went to nine years ago to grieve her mother‘s death. Now she has lost her father. She notices the changes in the village and reacquaints with some of the people she met the first time.
It was nice to spend some time with the narrator yet I am not sure what the books is about or why it is nominated for the Booker Prize. A light pick

AnneCecilie, TheKidUpstairs, Chelsea.Poole, rmaclean4, squirrelbrain, Graywacke, ImperfectCJ, Mattsbookaday

squirrelbrain It meandered rather a lot didn‘t it?! 1mo

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Yes… I got a bit lost in it! 1mo

squirrelbrain I did too but I quite liked that! Still, I can‘t remember much of it now and it won‘t be on my shortlist. 1mo

See All 6 Comments

TheKidUpstairs This is on my “if a library near me gets a copy, I'll read it, but I'm not too bothered“ list 😂 I've been able to read most of what I'm interested in from the Longlist, the only one I haven't is Seascraper, but it was just given a release date for North America so I've got it on pre-order! 1mo

Graywacke Some readers really admire this one. Say it‘s philosophical. I hope to read it soon 1mo

Suet624 Well shoot. That‘s too bad. 1mo

86 likes1 stack add6 comments

BarbaraBB

Thursday Night Widows | Claudia Pi�eiro

#WeeklyForecast 35/25

I am reading One Boat, another Booker nominated book. It‘s short so I‘ll finish it soon. Next will be the tagged book. I have been reading Claudia Piñeiro‘s backlist and it hasn‘t disappointed yet. She‘s a fabulous writer.
The third one was on the ToB longlist once I think. It‘s been sitting in my shelves while I‘ve been wanting to read it for a long time. Now finally its time has come ?

squirrelbrain Sounds like a good week planned! 1mo

Sace The Piñeiro looks interesting. The Spanish kindle edition was only $3.50 so I took advantage I bought it. ? 1mo

BarbaraBB @Sace I hope we‘ll both like it! 1mo

Cathythoughts I loved Under The Storm. I wish I could find more books by this author. 👍🏻❤️ (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts That is very motivating. I remember @batsy loving it too! 1mo

61 likes5 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#CampLitsy25 Question 1

Our final discussion. Summer has flown by and so has Camp. We hope you‘ll stick around for choosing this year‘s winner in the coming days before packing your bags and return to autumn and reality!

We‘ll tag everyone once. Please scroll down to find questions 2 and 3!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 1mo

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @CBee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine 1mo

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose 1mo

See All 46 Comments

BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 1mo

BarbaraBB @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks 1mo

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape @zukeeyah 1mo

TrishB Think I‘m turning into a terrible person! I didn‘t feel sympathy or discomfort….just general annoyance. Every decision they made just made the situations worse… 1mo

Reggie At one point I thought Roman was just gonna kill Dante just to keep him from making more mistakes. But then you find out what happened with their mom. 1mo

DGRachel I‘m with @TrishB on this one. I never felt sympathy, just annoyance for those two. My heart broke for Neveah, but I also wanted to shake her. 1mo

squirrelbrain Yes, I agree @DGRachel - I thought Nevaeh was rather pathetic. 1mo

squirrelbrain They did bring it all on themselves didn‘t they? @TrishB Although I had more sympathy for their actions once we found out about their Mum, @Reggie 1mo

TrishB @squirrelbrain @Reggie you‘d have thought that may mean they would put more thought in to the decisions they were making! 1mo

fredthemoose I‘ll be honest, I got to the scene where they brought Dante‘s friends to the crematorium and now I‘m sort of scared to finish the book. That was a lot and I‘m sure there‘s a lot more where that came from. 🫣 (I‘m not worried about spoilers—i‘m interested in everyone else‘s takes.) 1mo

Chelsea.Poole I can understand the frustrations with the characters‘ decisions. Especially Dante and Roman. But at the end of the day everyone is just lost. Their mother disappearing at such a young age must have really messed with their foundation and they have to cope with her loss—two of them dealing with the guilt of causing her death. Can you imagine what that would do to a child? Plus keeping the secret. I bet I‘d make some questionable decisions too. 1mo

Lesliereadsalot I know I‘m alone in this, but I felt absolutely nothing toward any of these characters. From the opening pages I felt like Roman was as contrived a character as you can get. Of course Dante was who he was and ended up as I thought he would. The mom story was slightly interesting, but that was it for me. 1mo

Amiable I‘ve loved everything Cosby has written, but I struggled a bit with this book. Cosby is a master at creating characters who aren‘t saints, but you root for them despite their faults and failures. But in this one I couldn‘t bring myself to root for anyone, even after finding out the secret about their mother. They were all just a bit too far over the line into unlikable territory for me to care about them. (edited) 1mo

Suet624 I think it's safe to say I felt discomfort all the way through with both Roman and Dante. I really wanted to feel some kind of connection with either of them but neither of the characters had anything I could really hold on to as far as a redeeming feature. 1mo

GatheringBooks @Suet624 agree about the lack of redemptive features. And I still maintain that Cosby did his female characters wrong - it‘s a very male / macho book. That being said, I was glued reading and remained riveted thruout. (edited) 1mo

Suet624 @GatheringBooks Now that I think about it, does Cosby have any female characters in his other books that stand out? I can't remember any. And, yes, I was glued to the story despite everything. 1mo

Bookwormjillk @Lesliereadsalot you‘re not alone. I loved all of Cosby‘s other books but didn‘t really get into this one. Not sure if it was my mood, or wanting something less stressful after Tilt, or maybe because I did audio instead of print, but I didn‘t connect. 1mo

Lesliereadsalot @Bookwormjillk @amiable We‘re a party of three! 🎉🥂🥳 (edited) 1mo

AmyG I agree with @Chelsea.Poole about them being lost. The 3 were so traumatized. I felt sympathy for them in that they lost their mother and their father was pretty much emotionally absent. They were all a very very verynhot mess. With that said, who knows what I would have done if in shoes, having lived their life? People do crazy things. Was this over the top crazy? It just worked for me. 1mo

mcctrish I honestly wanted to kill Dante myself, until we found out what happened to the mom. Then I thought no one does therapy ? How? They were all fucked 1mo

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks I totally agree on the machismo. And yet I loved it. There is one female who stood out to me. Jae, T&T‘s sister @Suet624 (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @mcctrish I was about to say the same in reaction to @Reggie ‘s post. That he couldn‘t understand why his girlfriend must stay out of town drove me craazzzy! But indeed, after their mother‘s death they were both traumatized. You‘ve pointed it out well @Chelsea.Poole (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @fredthemoose That was the most horrible scene of the book I think 😱. I get that you couldn‘t read on. 1mo

Megabooks @reggie @mcctrish I kind of thought Roman would kill Dante, too. But I feel the same way as you, Trish. It became a lot clearer (motivation wise) when we knew what happened to their mom. 1mo

Megabooks @GatheringBooks agree. The female characters were poorly rendered and one-dimensional! 1mo

ImperfectCJ Once we find out what happened to their mom, I felt sympathy for Dante. He ended up seeming like one of the only "good" characters in the story. Neveah, I felt some sympathy for, but her doormat-itude was a little tough for me. And the young kid in T&T's group...I can't remember his name (I'm horrible at remembering character names), but I felt sympathy for him, too. 1mo

Hooked_on_books I‘m with @Chelsea.Poole and @AmyG on this one. I felt a lot of sympathy for them both. From the start they‘re clearly both lost—Roman ran away entirely and Dante ran into drugs. Neveah is the only responsible one. And then they end up in an impossible situation that really doesn‘t have any good potential decisions. It very effectively made me feel dread. 1mo

Texreader @AmyG I‘m with you. It worked for me too 1mo

Texreader @BarbaraBB I liked Jae 1mo

squirrelbrain Love that portmanteau! @ImperfectCJ I‘m going to use that in the future. 1mo

squirrelbrain @GatheringBooks @Suet624 - I can‘t recall that Cosby writes female characters at all…. 🤔 1mo

Kitta So weird I see I‘m tagged but I didn‘t get a notification! 1mo

Kitta @BarbaraBB I liked Jae a lot too, and I feel in the minority here maybe but I really loved this book. I related to both Roman (fixing other peoples problems) and Dante (falling into addiction after trauma). I have lost a lot of friends to addiction and understand how you can lose sight of how what you‘re doing affects others - though I did want to kick him at points. I‘m not as cold as Roman though. I enjoyed reading the violence but damn. 1mo

Jas16 I felt sympathy for them while wanting to throttle them at the same time. They were both very lost and struggling and ultimately not very good people but I still ended up caring about them. 1mo

fredthemoose @BarbaraBB Thank you! I was expecting more where that came from and just didn‘t want worse things rattling around in my head.😬 1mo

vonnie862 @TrishB I'm with you. I was most annoyed with them two. The only discomfort I felt was the description of the people screaming in the ovens. That was too much for me. 1mo

DebinHawaii So, while I‘ve had Razorblade Tears on my TBR for ages, this is my first Crosby book & while I liked it well enough for the action & it kept me in a constant state of dread over what fresh hell Dante was going to bring about through his actions, none of the characters were well drawn, especially the women. I did feel some sympathy for all of the siblings but they also felt wooden to me & as several have said, I just couldn‘t connect with them. 1mo

fredthemoose @vonnie862 I put it down after that and haven‘t been back to it. That was too much for me, too! 1mo

fredthemoose @DebinHawaii I‘ve really like all of the Cosby books I‘ve read before this—I‘m not done with this one, but it feels the weakest to me in terms of character development. I thought Blacktop Wasteland was really good. Also Razorblade Tears. And All the Sinners Bleed! (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Kitta I liked Jae and Roman too. To me he felt like a victim of the circumstances. He really wanted a way out for his family. And I am with you in that minority, I really loved the book! (edited) 1mo

Christine I am so late to this convo and am a bit surprised that loving this book is a minority opinion! 😮 @BarbaraBB @Kitta I certainly loved it, too. And I agree, @Chelsea.Poole , @AmyG , and @Hooked_on_books - I felt for the siblings throughout. 1mo

47 likes46 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#CampLitsy25 Question 2

That was quite the plot twist towards the end of the book, or wasn‘t it? Let‘s talk!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

TrishB I guessed the twist half way through and thought the way they left Neveah live in despair all that time was the truly despicable part of the plot. Go Neveah! 1mo

squirrelbrain You‘re cleverer than me @TrishB - I didn‘t see that coming! 1mo

DGRachel I don‘t know that I‘d call any of it really a twist. I didn‘t know what was going to happen but it didn‘t surprise me when any of it did. It all just felt inevitable. If the boys had just told Neveah what actually happened before the end, she could have been such an ally and maybe Dante wouldn‘t have been such a mess and the whole mess could‘ve been avoided. 1mo

See All 29 Comments

DGRachel As for their father - I had a little more respect for him. He felt more like a father and less like a man who only cared about his business. I can‘t imagine living 15 years under a cloud of suspicion of murdering your spouse. 1mo

Chelsea.Poole I think this reveal was done well. It didn‘t come across as obvious to me throughout but when it came out it made total sense. I agree with @DGRachel that I felt more sympathetic towards their father after learning what happened. 1mo

Suet624 I agree with everyone. I didn't guess the twist but I wasn't surprised by it. I feel very badly for both Neveah and her father. Both of them suffered at the hands of Dante and Roman. 1mo

GatheringBooks I am with @Suet624 and @Chelsea.Poole - there was this growing sense of dread at the pit of my stomach, and yes, it also made total sense that it happened the way it did - and partially explains why people turned out the way they did. However, we still make our own choices despite the hand we‘re dealt with. Cosby could have made Neveah much more wily, clever and pragmatic, rather than a doormat & a victim of her circumstance and ignorance. 1mo

AmyG I didn‘t see this coming either. Good twist. It explained Dante and Roman‘s pain and I, too, felt a bit more respect for the father. As for Neveah…ah, the first born only daughter…she seemed like she carried the weight if the world on her shoulders. I felt that is common for alot of women. Cosby could have written a better woman, better people…..but again, people are who they are…like them or not. 1mo

mcctrish The dad totally changed in my eyes too @DGRachel but trying to protect his baby girl only alienated her from them all and wrecked her just as badly. I wonder how differently the dad would have done things IG he could go back ? 1mo

BarbaraBB I had no idea of what was about to happen but to me it all made sense once it did 1mo

Leniverse I almost shouted, "This is what happens when you don't share information!" Not just Neveah's action but Roman's futile one as well. 1mo

ImperfectCJ After the truth about their mother was revealed, I kind of stopped liking any of them, except maybe Dante. 1mo

Megabooks I was suspicious of the twist, but I try not to think too hard about it when I'm reading mystery/thrillers and concentrate on how the author reveals it. I enjoy seeing how they structure it, and Cosby didn't disappoint. I was a bit surprised about Nevaeh giving her dad the blood thinner. I hated that Cosby never seemed to give her any peace yet I didn't feel I understood her by the end either. 1mo

Hooked_on_books I felt respect for the father that he lived under suspicion rather than allow his kids to be under suspicion, but it doesn‘t change the fact that he emotionally neglected his kids their entire lives. There is a way to build a business but also be present at home. Women have to deal with this every minute of our lives. So I‘m not nearly as ready to just let him off the hook for his neglect. 1mo

DGRachel @Leniverse I wanted to strangle Roman after Neveah killed their father. I know the only one technically responsible for her actions are hers, but she never would have even considered doing it if anyone had shared the truth with her. They had so many opportunities just during the course of the book to come clean. 1mo

Kitta @TrishB I guessed it too, though I thought Dante had caused some sort of accident not Roman 🤷🏻‍♀️ so I was kinda wrong. I did have more respect or something for the father after finding out how he dealt with it and thinking about the suspicion he was under. He was so absent, at least he stepped up in that regard. 1mo

Jas16 I never really thought their father had done it but was surprised when the truth was revealed. I hated what Neveah did. Comparing her actions to Roman‘s and my reactions to them both… They both thought they had justification but but they both turned into what they were fighting against. 1mo

jenniferw88 Just before the reveal, I thought it was going to be one of the kids. BUT I'm going to be in the minority here, but I 100% understand where Neaveh is coming from re going into care homes and think she's probably done the right thing for her Dad (if not for the right reason!) 1mo

vonnie862 I had a feeling that there was more to what happened to the mother. My feelings towards the dad were always neutral. However, I felt for Neaveh. 1mo

DebinHawaii Like @Kitta I guessed wrong & thought it was Dante that accidentally did it. I never thought the father killed her. But okay, I‘m still confused about the cookie jar. The father must have put her ashes in there but it seemed like they were all avoiding the jar. Did he put her ashes in there wanting them to find them or thought they would never open it again? This is pretty macabre of me but I keep thinking “thank God no one opened a pack of ⬇️ 1mo

DebinHawaii … Oreos & dumped them in there!” 😱🤢😳 1mo

Kitta @DebinHawaii oh my gosh!! 🤣 I assumed it was because it was avoided and no one would ever look in there. I can‘t imagine if someone did. 1mo

BarbaraBB @DebinHawaii That cookie jar indeed! How comes that no ever opened that before?! 1mo

BarbaraBB @jenniferw88 That might very well be possible, that she did it out of compassion somehow 1mo

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books Agree!! I was wondering the whole time why he couldn‘t raise his kids and run a business. He‘s not the only single parent 1mo

BarbaraBB @Megabooks I couldn‘t relate to Neveah either, she felt a bit unreal to me. I didn‘t understand the choices she made throughout the book. 1mo

jenniferw88 @BarbaraBB I think Neaveh did it because she truly believed her Dad killed her Mum, but if I'd been in her position (without everything else going on), I'd have done it out of compassion. 1mo

CBee @Leniverse 🙌🏻 1mo

CBee That was not totally unexpected - I just wasn‘t sure what the ending would be. There were two times my jaw dropped in the end - when Roman turned the tables on the BBB and then when Nevaeh found their mother‘s ashes/killed their father. And to think that yes, so much of it could have been avoiding it - like a train wreck that you can‘t look away from. 1mo

43 likes29 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#CampLitsy25 Question 3

To conclude, let‘s discuss Roman, the “King of Ashes”. How do you feel about him?

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

TrishB In a way he got what he didn‘t want 🤷‍♀️ whilst I was reading this book I thought the author (and I‘ve loved his other books!) must have been rushing against a deadline as it felt sloppy and rushed. 1mo

Reggie The end reminded me of the Godfather where Diane Keaton is watching her husband meeting with the mob people while the door closes. Hoping/lying to herself that he‘s not part of that world anymore but of course he is. 1mo

DGRachel @Reggie I didn‘t make that connection but you‘re exactly right, down to Jae peeping into the crematory. I struggle with ends justifying means in any situation. That tends to be an excuse made for inexcusable behavior. He lost his whole family any way. 1mo

See All 29 Comments

Reggie @DGRachel 😁 1mo

Chelsea.Poole Things didn‘t exactly go his way. But now it looks like he‘ll have a new family to fight fire for…does the very end set us up for a follow up with Roman? 1mo

Suet624 @Chelsea.Poole Jeepers, I forgot all about that part at the end. I'm not so sure I want to hang out with Roman in another book. @TrishB I think you're right - it all felt rushed like a deadline was fast approaching. Granted, once I got about halfway through the book I couldn't put it down, but still... it just wasn't like his other books. 1mo

GatheringBooks I can just imagine Roman uttering “I am the danger” ala Breaking Bad. I had a feeling he would end up being the leader of this ragtag gang of sorts. No longer as a means of survival - but to test his boundaries of how far he can go, and clearly he can go veryyyy far. (edited) 1mo

AmyG @GatheringBooks YES….I thought a few times of Walter White while reading this. And @Reggie….great point about The Godfather scene. Doing bad under the guise of good. Doing bad to save the family. Yeah, the ending did come a little fast. (edited) 1mo

mcctrish Roman made the same mistake his father made for the same reason and it‘s going to go just as well. Walk. Away. 1mo

GatheringBooks @AmyG not to mention Ozark with the financial manager thing ala Marty. Lols. 1mo

Leniverse The end really reminded me of Marvel's Luke Cage. You start out with good intentions, trying to protect your family/neighbourhood from gangs. Then you start justifying more extreme acts, and in the end you have become the new villain but you can't even see it - you still think you're doing what is needed. It felt like more of a proper ending than Luke Cage did though. There it just felt like a plot twist and then the show was cancelled. 1mo

ImperfectCJ At the end, I wondered if Roman's philosophy of doing anything to protect his family was just his internal justification for all the work he was doing setting up his new business venture. He's meeting up with and helping T&T's employees from really early on, and I found this curious until the ending. He's obviously adept at lying to himself. 1mo

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole I don't think we'll see a sequel, and if we do, I doubt I'll read it. Definitely not my favorite Cosby. I'll read him again though! @mcctrish Good point! Stop the cycle!! 1mo

AmyG @mcctrish @megabooks Yes…stop the cycle. Alot if this book reminded me of generational trauma in families and a people. How Roman tried to stop it and may think he did….yet just continued it. 1mo

mcctrish @Megabooks I don‘t need to go any further in this hellhole 1mo

Megabooks @AmyG @mcctrish yes, I think Roman felt he could “outsmart” or “outmaneuver” the trauma, but I think he was deeper in by the end of the book. He created more (like I don‘t think Dante and Nevaeh‘s lives were better for his interference). 1mo

Megabooks @mcctrish we were typing at the same time and I agree!! 💯💯 1mo

mcctrish @Megabooks his dad should have sold up and they all moved out of town after the mom died and if not then then when the dad saw Dante spirally into addiction to cope and if not then Nevaeh should have once the dad was hit and if not then then then Roman should have when he came to town 1mo

Hooked_on_books Roman had already leaned into greed and been seduced by power before the narrative started. We all have sides of ourselves, and if we lean into one particular thing, we can find it hard to refind other parts of ourselves, and for me that‘s exactly Roman‘s arc in this book. He‘s stepped so far into the greed and power and can‘t see how into the wilderness he is. I thought it was a really interesting character exploration. 1mo

Megabooks @mcctrish very true. Without hearing from the Dad, we lacked a clear sense of why he continued to stay in JR among all that. Crematoriums are needed everywhere! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1mo

AmyG @Hooked_on_books Exactly. Well said. 1mo

squirrelbrain Yes I agree @Hooked_on_books - I felt Roman was already on the ‘dark side‘ before he came home. Just because it was paper-based rather than physical doesn‘t mean he was any less corrupt. 1mo

Kitta @GatheringBooks oooh good point. I hadn‘t thought about Breaking Bad but « I am the danger » seems very much like something Roman would say. He, like Walter, does stay on past what is necessary because he wants to. God I loved Breaking Bad, so well done. 1mo

Kitta @Hooked_on_books it‘s funny when he talks about T&T‘s weakness being greed because I think it‘s probably Roman‘s weakness too. I‘m sad Jae doesn‘t leave when she realizes he‘s running things in place of her brothers though, she was so vocal about wanting nothing to do with it. 1mo

Jas16 Roman thought he was smarter than them all but in the end he just became the evil he was fighting. 1mo

vonnie862 I was disappointed in him. He became the very thing he was trying to save his family from. 1mo

Hooked_on_books @Kitta Yeah, it‘s a really tough spot for Jae. She really likes Roman and is now pregnant with his child. But how much more is he going to change with the focus on power and greed? I feel like the theme of this book is “no good options,” as no character really seems to have any. 1mo

DebinHawaii As the ending was happening, I kept thinking Roman would set the remaining BBB team up & be able to walk away with Jae but the greed & power were just too much & it‘s only going to get worse. Definitely a Godfather vibe—you can‘t get out. 1mo

BarbaraBB @vonnie862 @DebinHawaii I was so disappointed in Roman, I really thought he would walk away from it all. But @Hooked_on_books is right; he already was tempted by power and greed in his white collar life in Atlanta. 1mo

39 likes29 comments

BarbaraBB

The Plot | Jean Hanff Korelitz

so-so

Called The Plot this book is about the mindblowing plot of a book the narrator wrote and which made him a bestselling author. Until someone accuses him of having stolen that same plot.

Unfortunately the plot of The Plot (are you still there 🤣?) isn‘t that mindblowing. Almost from the start I could predict what would happen and I didn‘t even try that hard. So, another underwhelming read. Not my best month, this one.

📷 Sail Amsterdam

AmyG Well, then get all the crappy books out of the way! 1mo

Lesliereadsalot You made me laugh out loud! 1mo

Ruthiella I agree. The plot of the plot wasn‘t all that and the whole premise is pretty shaky. Generally I liked it but I have a high tolerance for crime fiction weaknesses compared to other genres. 1mo

See All 15 Comments

LeahBergen 😆 Great review! 1mo

squirrelbrain Yeah, I guessed this one from a mile off! 🤷‍♀️ 1mo

AlaMich Yes, I didn‘t understand the hype about this book at all. Meh! 1mo

CarolynM It was pretty obvious. I would have liked it better if it hadn't been structured as a thriller. 1mo

TrishB Agree, this was poor. 1mo

BkClubCare Ok then, guess I will skip. 1mo

Suet624 Great review. 😂 i‘m sorry you‘re hitting a bumpy spot in your reading 1mo

BarbaraBB @BkClubCare Please do! (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Ruthiella I have that tolerance to for crime fiction but this one really was below my standards 😉 1mo

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @AlaMich @CarolynM @TrishB I guess we won‘t read 🤪

The Sequel: A Novel

1mo

CarolynM Nope😆 1mo

AlaMich I‘ll pass. 1mo

68 likes15 comments

BarbaraBB

Nightwatching: A Novel | Tracy Sierra

pan

This book was recommended to me by ChatGPT. Well, they have a lot to learn. I kind of hated it. But I always dislike books about terrified mothers, protecting their children like lionesses. I don‘t know why but it happened before. And then the plot, it is so weak and predictable. A definite pan.

📸 Rotterdam, Netherlands

IriDas Yeah, chat gpt is not really great for that sort of thing. :/ 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I am staunchly anti-AI so this doesn't surprise me. People can code and pay others to boost different books that it will recommend. (It is also using up all of our natural resources like nothing created before). 1mo

shortsarahrose Everything @ChaoticMissAdventures said. ChatGPT cannot replace an actual librarian or bookseller for these kinds of uses. 1mo

See All 7 Comments

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures @shortsarahrose i wholeheartedly agree AI can‘t replace real bookish people. It was for a reading challenge and it proved what I already thought! 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB I love being proved right! 😂 1mo

JuniperWilde I love a well-written pan 1mo

Suet624 Great review though. 😂 1mo

67 likes7 comments

BarbaraBB

Flesh: A Novel | David Szalay

so-so

#BookerLonglist #3

I really liked Szalay‘s other books but I can‘t make much of this one.
István doesn‘t live his life, it just happens to him. He doesn‘t make choices or decisions. He just says okay to everything that is decided for him. There‘s just one time he does takes action, and it changes the course of his life. Yet it doesn‘t have any real impact on him or on me as a reader. So. Not very impressed.

And can someone explain the title?

AnneCecilie, TheKidUpstairs, Chelsea.Poole, rmaclean4, squirrelbrain, Graywacke

squirrelbrain I‘m sad you didn‘t like this more as you were looking forward to it…. I looked up why he‘d chosen the title and he said it was to do with the physicality of the book rather than the cerebral nature of some stories. 🤷‍♀️ 1mo

Graywacke @squirrelbrain make sense. I see the title has highlighting the body‘s unconscious motivations - the sex drive especially, but also other things along those lines. 1mo

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Makes sense indeed. The flesh seems to dominate his decisions, that‘s true @Graywacke 1mo

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks #ReadTheWorld2025 #25 #Hungary (edited) 3w

76 likes1 stack add4 comments

BarbaraBB

The Plot | Jean Hanff Korelitz

#WeeklyForecast 34/25

This week‘s Booker read is Flesh, which is an easy read and I‘ll be finishing later today.
The Plot and The White Lie are from my TBR, I really want to clear some of those shelves before I buy new books!!

JulietteReadsALot I have the same struggle! I keep reading books from the library, and I still buy books, but I don't read my physical copies at home... Need to make space too. 1mo

Suet624 @JulietteReadsALot I‘m exactly the same way. 1mo

63 likes2 comments

BarbaraBB

Pantone: Colors | Pantone

I haven‘t started yet with the winter colours but here are my choices for the books I read and paired with #Pantone25 until now.

Eggs, Lauredhel, julieclair

Suet624 Fantastic! 1mo

Sace What a beautiful post 🎨😍 1mo

Lesliereadsalot Wow! Very cool. 1mo

See All 6 Comments

Eggs Thanks 🙏🏻 1mo

BarbaraBB @Suet624 @Sace @Lesliereadsalot @Eggs ❤️♥️💙🖤💛💚🧡 1mo

youneverarrived Looks fab 💛 1mo

69 likes6 comments

BarbaraBB

Silent Parade | Keigo Higashino

pick

These Japanese thrillers are so addicting. The decency: no cursing, no swearing. Just people talking and eating delicious food and in the mean time solving murder mysteries filled with twists. Quite the comfort read to me!

Tamra Must check out! 1mo

LeahBergen I love good food in books so much 😆 1mo

BarbaraBB @Tamra It‘s a series. If you‘re interested in these quiet atmospheric detective series I would start with

The Devotion of Suspect X: A Detective Galileo Novel

1mo

See All 7 Comments

BarbaraBB @LeahBergen Me too! It really adds something for me 🤣 1mo

Cathythoughts I read The Devotion of Suspect X and loved it. Do I need to read them in order. Stacking. 👍🏻❤️ 1mo

BarbaraBB @Cathythoughts No you don‘t! You can read them separately, it‘s just that detective Galileo is introduced in the first installment 1mo

Tamra @BarbaraBB thanks for the head‘s up! 1mo

69 likes4 stack adds7 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

Welcome to our final #CampLitsy25 book. We hope King of Ashes hasn‘t scared you off because of its violence. There‘s so much more to the book. We are looking forward to your insightful comments.

We‘re discussing the first half of the book (until chapter 19) so please try not to include spoilers about the rest of the book!

As usual, I‘ll only be tagging all of you in this question. Scroll down to find both other questions. Enjoy!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 1mo

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @CBee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose (edited) 1mo

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BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @jenniferw88 1mo

BarbaraBB @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @Maggie4483 (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn (edited) 1mo

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks 1mo

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape @zukeeyah 1mo

Megabooks I think probably to his father it meant burning down their life as poor people and uplifting their status in Jefferson Run by allowing them to move into a better house and have more opportunities for their children, especially Roman.

I think the fire has a different meaning for Neveah because it ties her to think house and this town in a way that has become stifling. It's a barrier encircling her from leaving. 1mo

mcctrish @Megabooks I think the same about Nevaeh- she‘s trapped by the fire ( the job, the responsibility), her dad rose from the ashes ( out of poverty) I feel like Roman is playing with fire with his business and Dante is being consumed by it (edited) 1mo

Megabooks @mcctrish Ooooo...yeah! Good point about Dante. 1mo

JenReadsAlot @mcctrish I love how you said that! 1mo

mcctrish @JenReadsAlot I spend a lot of time in shock reading this book 😱 1mo

AmyG I agree with @Megabooks but I am going to add another side of this….the trauma of their childhood. Rising also from the ashes of that. 1mo

Megabooks @AmyG Another great point!! I feel like Dante is still burning in that, though. He seems like he's always trying to escape reality through drugs and partying. 1mo

AmyG @Megabooks….they all seem to handle things differently. 1mo

GatheringBooks I think the cohesiveness of the narrative is what impressed me the most - fire, as you pointed out, was played out to perfection across various characters - esp the way @mcctrish captured it. One may dismiss the novel as gratuitously violent - yet the masterful way in which it was written, so tight and sparing, yet also powerful - showcases the literary craftsmanship of Cosby. I bought all his other novels that I can find after reading this one. 1mo

mcctrish @GatheringBooks I don‘t even think the violence is what upsets me the most, or unsettles me, it‘s the ‘no rules‘ morally bankruptcy of so many people. It‘s like The Walking Dead without the zombie apocalypse and considering the state of the US right now I‘m getting Margaret Atwood foretelling vibes 1mo

ImperfectCJ Roman's mantra (from their father? I can't remember) is "everything burns," and I think he's expecting more cleansing from fire than perhaps it can provide. Dante runs from it (or perhaps is trying to create an internal fire?) and Neveah seems to be trapped by it but also becoming one with it (how she can take the pan out of the oven bare-handed). There are allusions to fire throughout, like Chauncey's eyes described as "whiskey-soaked embers." 1mo

ImperfectCJ I recently read Long Island Compromise, so I have inherited wealth on my mind, but I'm wondering if fire here is serving a purpose of demonstrating how the second generation (the one after the generation that made the wealth) handles their inheritance. I have to mull that over a bit, though. 1mo

AmyG @ImperfectCJ Yes…everything burns. With what you said….Rome (the burning of Rome) Dante (inferno), Neveah (heaven spelled backward). And the second generation handling inherited wealth, very interesting point. (edited) 1mo

AmyG Also, as a reader, I became numb to the violence….as did the people in the book. I saw much of this a reflection of our country, how we become numb to so many things. Do we have to burn the country to the ground to start anew? Look at the generational trauma in our own country. (edited) 1mo

GatheringBooks @mcctrish Cosby‘s writing is definitely unsettling - that is one way to describe it. I hear you about the “moral bankruptcy” - I see it more as moral ambiguity and I admired how cleverly and realistically this is portrayed. It‘s like when “good” (or at least socially upstanding ones in appearance) people do the bad stuff in order to survive or defend/protect one‘s own, does it make it any less evil? 1mo

mcctrish @GatheringBooks YES, Roman keeps saying ‘it‘s us or them‘ and while that‘s true and T & T shouldn‘t be the winners in this game, can Roman ( all of them) live with the choices they make- Nevaeh is a shell of a person because she has no time for a life outside work, Roman sees a dominatrix to give him what he thinks he deserves and Dante self medicates to the point where he‘s got one foot in the grave 1mo

mcctrish @AmyG Heaven, Earth and Hell - I didn‘t think of Roman as the burning of Rome @ImperfectCJ I said Holy Shit out loud when Nevaeh took the pans out with bare hands - all three kids are desensitized to some kind of pain besides emotional 1mo

Maggie4483 What @mcctrish said! I think it's important to remember all the aspects of literal fire. It gets a bad rap because, yes, it can be incredibly destructive. But it's also necessary to life. I work for a Fire Academy, and we have one of the best Wildland Firefighter training programs in the country. These classes are held at a local nature preserve, and students go out and do prescribed burns in a controlled setting. (1/2) 1mo

Maggie4483 (2/2) By reducing fuel buildup (dead leaves, branches, etc.), prescribed burns can significantly lower the intensity and spread of future wildfires. It's literally fighting fire with fire. Which is exactly what Roman is trying to do. Unfortunately, he's in over his head and things are getting out of control. 1mo

mcctrish Ooo @Maggie4483 fighting fire with fire is a perfect summation of what Roman is doing 🔥🔥🔥 and a lack of funding for prescribed burns in a lot of canada is why we are on fire right now ( and funding has been found to get back in the game 🤞🏻) 1mo

BarbaraBB @mcctrish You‘ve said it so well and I agree with @GatheringBooks the fire metaphor was played out perfectly. You were right to buy his other books too Myra. I read two of them and they were both so good as well. 1mo

BarbaraBB @AmyG your pointing out their names in relation to the fire is excellent. I hadn‘t noticed Neveah as Heaven spelled backwards! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Maggie4483 Yes! Roman is fighting fire with fire. So true! 1mo

BarbaraBB I‘ve also been thinking that fire exposes Roman‘s duality. On one hand, he is the educated financial genius, rational, controlled. On the other, he becomes the very thing he fears: a man who manipulates fire (figuratively and literally). 1mo

Maggie4483 @AmyG - OMG yes! Great catch about the names! 1mo

Jas16 So many great points already. Fire can be dangerous and all consuming but it can also be cleansing depending on how well it is controlled which I think ties into your second nicely. All three of the siblings definitely have different relationships with fire which others have captured beautifully. 1mo

squirrelbrain @ImperfectCJ - interesting thought about Long Island Compromise and how the next generation burns away the legacy of the first. 🤔 1mo

Christine Wow, @AmyG - love that names observation!! 1mo

squirrelbrain @AmyG @BarbaraBB - I knew Neveah was heaven backwards, but hadn‘t thought of it in the context of Heaven being the opposite of fires burning in Hell. 1mo

peaKnit @AmyG I like your insight and sadly agree to wonder do we have to burn it down to cleanse… 1mo

DGRachel I think @mcctrish summed things up perfectly at the beginning of this thread, with fire playing out for each of the siblings. I like the repetition of the phrase “everything burns”. It takes on various meanings depending on where the vocal emphasizes is placed and all of those elements are here - an inevitable “shit happens”, a sad pointlessness, a (potential) cleansing, and a destructive rage. 1mo

peaKnit Interesting point also about Neveah being heaven backwards. I have personal negative feelings about the name from my past career so it just felt right to me in this book, like “of course” for me. What lost souls here. (edited) 1mo

mcctrish @peaKnit I cringed at Heaven backwards, also Patience, Devine, they all mean trouble when they show up at school 1mo

vonnie862 Ooh, many great points mentioned. Fire is not only destructive but also cleansing. 1mo

Hooked_on_books I‘ve been so absorbed by the story that I haven‘t even thought of this aspect. Love the points @mcctrish and @AmyG made about the names and places of each character in relation to fire. 1mo

Kitta @mcctrish I love the way you said that too, how each of them is touched by fire. Roman is definitely playing with fire and Dante is consumed by it. 1mo

Kitta @Maggie4483 yes fire can be cleansing too! And controlled burns are necessary. Reminds me of those seeds that only sprout after there‘s fire. It can be a rebirth. 1mo

AmyG @Kitta Exactly. I viewed it all as burn it to the ground and rebuild….rebirth. 1mo

Chelsea.Poole Great perspective @Maggie4483 —fire can lead to regrowth. I find it fascinating how some plants are “fire responsive”: sprout after a burn. In this book, some of the individuals are born of fire/the trial by fire concept. @AmyG great observation of the names. I‘m impressed by all of these comments as I‘ve finished the book so quickly and barely had time to consider the literary aspects since the plot was plotting so well 🔥 1mo

DebinHawaii @mcctrish @AmyG Love the way you interpreted the fire theme for each sibling & the names—so powerful & well put. 1mo

BarbaraBB @Chelsea.Poole Exactly that 🤣, I raced through the book without taking the time to realize all these awesome details! 1mo

Ruthiella Loving the discussion and insight here! 1mo

Suet624 I got started late in this book. Hoping to have it finished by second week of discussion. 1mo

BarbaraBB @Suet624 There will be a point after which you can‘t stop reading, that is if you‘re enjoying the book. I hope so! 1mo

Suet624 @BarbaraBB You were spot on with that comment. 1mo

Suet624 @mctrish @gatheringbooks Your comments at the beginning of this post were terrific. Thank you for highlighting so much for me. All the comments just added on in such a spectacular way. Such a great comment section! (edited) 1mo

CBee @AmyG amazing explanation of their names!! Didn‘t even think of it 👏🏻 1mo

48 likes55 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#CampLitsy25 Question 2

Rowan thinks he can save his family. After all he is an extremely successful businessman. What do you think?

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

Bookwormjillk These are great questions. But sorry Roman, I don't think you can save them unless they want to be saved. 1mo

TrishB The fact that they never spoke to each other about what was happening meant he was never in control. 1mo

mcctrish Part of me wonders if surviving will be worth it in the end? Initially I thought Roman wouldn‘t be able to handle so much law and moral breaking but then as he called in favours and we learn more about his job in Atlanta I realized he is already morally grey. Nevaeh will put it all together or just get the police further into it and Dante makes me want to scream and yet I‘d be him unable to handle it all 1mo

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Megabooks Roman thinks (incorrectly imo) that controlling his life financially (whether by driving an older Porsche or having offshore investments for later in life) gives him the ultimate control. I think, especially in their initial meeting, Torrent and Tranquil have shown him it's not. It gives him a false sense of security. Dante is so frustrating in his ability to continuously make poor decision after poor decision that Roman has to clean up. 1mo

AmyG How many people do we know….who try to contol things? Roman is the eldest, type A, control freak. I also believe he has a great deal of guilt about his mother‘s disappearance. I think all the kids do. And because Roman is the oldest he feels the need to make things right. But nobody can control everything. One can only try. SO MUCH of what these three are, what they do, is directly related to the mother‘s disappearance and to how the father… (edited) 1mo

AmyG Handled all of it. His absense because of working. He wasn‘t there for them emotionally. 1mo

mcctrish @AmyG absolutely and Dante being the youngest got the least amount of full family time 1mo

GatheringBooks I was rooting for Roman - and his attempts to wrest control over what is no doubt a s**tshow that Dante has left him to clean up. I think Roman is also testing his own boundaries; the entire thing a challenge, a conundrum for him to solve making him feel relevant once again in his siblings‘ lives. Dante is your classic epic loser, needy & oblivious. My only peeve about Cosby is how the female characters in this story are untapped & sidelined. 1mo

ImperfectCJ @Megabooks @AmyG Agreed, and it's like Roman has this idea that there will be some future date when everything will be handled and in control if he just does everything right. I think Dante has this idea, too, he just doesn't have the illusion that he's controlling any of it. 1mo

BarbaraBB Like @Bookwormjillk and @TrishB say, it seemed hopeless from the beginning. Dante destabilizes (pulling Roman into the conflict), Neveah moralizes (demanding truth and accountability, stripping Roman of denial) and Roman himself mediates: but in trying to hold both together—recklessness and righteousness—he is being consumed by the fire as well. 1mo

jenniferw88 Up until chapter 10 I thought Dante had some sort of learning disability because Roman had to explain so much to him, but after that chapter I realised he does understand how much danger he's put the family in. I think Dante is probably quite bright, but the dad couldn't afford to send 2 sons to college, and the eldest would take priority. ⬇️ 1mo

jenniferw88 Dante needed Roman around when growing up, as I think Neaveh was always destined to be working in the family business and so didn't always have time to keep an eye on him. I think if Roman had stayed around, Dante might not have gotten in so deep with no idea on how to get out of it. 1mo

Jas16 Even if Roman were half as smart as he thinks he is there are too many variables for him to have complete control over anything, including himself. His own brother is impossible to control and trying to keep Neveah in the dark isn‘t going to stop her from asking questions. 1mo

DGRachel Roman is absolutely not in control. He may be a shark in Atlanta, and he‘s definitely not soft, no matter what T&T initially think, but he walked into chaos. I don‘t know that he‘s in over his head, Khalil‘s presence suggests he‘s not, but I cannot see this ending well. I just got to chapter 19 today, but phew. 😅 Everything is already burning. 1mo

DGRachel As for the siblings, because they‘re trying to keep Neveah out of it, she‘s making things worse by involving her shady cop “friend” (who is probably my most hated character - I‘d almost be ok if Roman put him in crematorium‘s fire alive). Dante? He‘s an absolute f-up who is desperate for someone to save him, but then has the audacity to be upset about the nature of the help. I have zero compassion for him. (I‘m sorry…what was the question? 😂) (edited) 1mo

peaKnit @DGRachel 🤣 yes what was the question, I‘m onboard with all you say. Dante just keeps doing exactly what is expected of him, like STOP dude. Roman is definitely not in control, who Khalil is and how Roman tied up with him is a little left to imagination. But if you know this guy and what he is capable of your hands are not clean. 1mo

vonnie862 He thinks he can control and fix things. He might make changes but you can only fix things if people want to change. 1mo

Hooked_on_books Lots of good commentary here about the siblings, though I‘m surprised no one‘s mentioned that Dante is clearly an addict. And an addict in the teeth of their addiction is always going to be self-centered, so there‘s no controlling that. But what I immediately thought of when I read the question are T&T. It seems there‘s no line those 2 won‘t cross, which means there‘s no control to be had in this situation. 1mo

AmyG @Hooked_on_books Absolutely. And there will be so much more to discuss next time. 1mo

Kitta @Hooked_on_books I agree, and Dante being an addict makes his behaviour unpredictable and he‘ll be thinking mainly about himself. I don‘t blame him for the drug addiction given what he‘s been through but, from experience, it‘s hard to think straight and be making good decisions while chasing the next high. I keep thinking he‘s going to fuck up somehow and this is going to come crashing down. 1mo

Hooked_on_books @Kitta Yes! His situation (and I empathize with where he is given the family history) is so precarious and could knock all this over so quickly! It‘s what helps build the dread Cosby is so deftly building. 1mo

DebinHawaii @Hooked_on_books So much dread! I literally cringe every time Dante is on the page because he is such the wildcard in the story—just waiting for him to mess up one time too many. 😱 1mo

Hooked_on_books @DebinHawaii I do too! Every time he leaves to go get high, I think, “no! What are going to let slip and endanger yourself and everyone?!?!” Cosby threads the needle so well, because it would be so easy to hate Dante or just be fed up with him and instead he‘s someone you can have empathy for. 1mo

BarbaraBB @DebinHawaii @Hooked_on_books Cosby has created such a great character here. Dante is such a wildcard and still Cosby makes us care for him. How is that even possible?! 1mo

squirrelbrain I was exactly the same @Hooked_on_books @DebinHawaii @Kitta - every time Dante appeared (or disappeared) I had a feeling of dread as to what was going to happen next. 1mo

41 likes25 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#Camplitsy25 Question 3

There is a lot to be said about the setting of the book in Jefferson Run. Let‘s talk about a bit about what it meant to you.

Next week we‘ll finish the book and discuss the second half. See you there!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

Megabooks Because of systemic policies of racism, it has been historically hard for Black people to build generational wealth. I think you see two different sides of how people try to build wealth. Roman has tied himself to the new Atlanta wealthy (music stars, Real Housewives, athletes), but Torrent and Tranquil have gone about protecting their interests financially in a very different way. 1mo

Megabooks Roman is bridging that gap by making risky investments in a more “white collar“ crime way to feed money into Torrent and Tranquil's illegal schemes. But T&T also have their own “legal“ laundering fronts with restaurants and clubs.

Added: And it was the start of the funeral home that supported Roman while he got the education that allowed him to start his investment business. (edited) 1mo

TrishB It does imply that you can only become wealthy by breaking the law and there‘s no other way for certain classes/minorities. 1mo

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AmyG I viewed this story, in large part, as a family story. The Dad trying to create that wealth for his family, Roman trying to create that wealth…..tied to the generational trauma created by the Mom‘s disappearance. But as they work to create that wealth, they have to live in the world that sometimes “forces” them to do less than moral things….as the only way to do this. Yes @Megabooks…the two sides of that. 1mo

AmyG Does the town just symbolize the direction of our country? Capitalism. 1mo

mcctrish @TrishB or the American dream - the robber barons of the Gilded Age down to T & T 1mo

GatheringBooks I don‘t know whether you have also seen the parallels of this story with Ozark. While I was reading the book, I keep seeing Marty, Ruth, Darnell in my head - except this one is African American, which added a layer of intersectionality and twist that is much needed. Characters are not one or the other - they are complex beings, no heroes nor villains, just people trying to protect their families and survive with a semblance of dignity. 1mo

ImperfectCJ This novel takes place geographically near the setting of Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead, and while the plot is quite different, there's a similar feeling of hopelessness, of a system set in place to grind part of the population down. I don't feel like this is new. It's similar to that in any former factory and/or mining region. People make money how they can make money and create a sense of agency from whatever they can. 1mo

BarbaraBB I was sincerely shocked by this reality and kept thinking that towns like Jefferson Run (that, hollowed out by systemic neglect, leave crime as one of the few economic engines) don‘t exist in this extreme way in reality in the US. But I am probably naive. 1mo

Christine Agreed, @TrishB and @BarbaraBB . And yet we have leaders who think we should deny the existence of/do nothing to address systemic racism while also claiming to care a lot about reducing crime... 😖 1mo

DGRachel @AmyG I agree with the family aspect, and the generational trauma elements. Sadly, I don‘t think it‘s indicative of the direction our country is headed. We‘re there. If you look at a lot of the towns where manufacturing or mining were booming and where those mines or factories closed - this is the reality and it‘s been happening for at least 30 years that I can recall. @BarbaraBB I wish this was hyperbole. 😭 1mo

peaKnit Jefferson Run feels like a microcosm of the darker part of what we can imagine a big city to be. You can feel the pockets of poorer areas everywhere but here the bad guys seem to run the town. Or think they do. 1mo

vonnie862 To me, it's not easy to make wealth for certain groups and leading a life crime may seem to be a quick solution for some. 1mo

Hooked_on_books I lived in Detroit from ‘04-‘09 and JR reminds me so much of it. Detroit was once the wealthiest city in the US and when I was there it was the poorest. I‘ve been picturing it in my head while reading this. Much like JR, there were people deeply committed to Detroit, those who were stuck, and those who wanted to exploit whatever they could. The similarities are really striking. 1mo

Hooked_on_books Regarding wealth, I feel like a major theme of the book is that there is no healthy way to strive for wealth. Each example we see here of someone striving for wealth is bad and fraught in its own way. Now if you‘ll excuse me, I need to immediately continue reading! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books please do, kudos for postponing it until now 😘 (edited) 1mo

Kitta @Hooked_on_books it made me think of Detroit too, though I‘ve never been there I‘ve read a lot about it and the turning point to what it is now. Really interesting. 1mo

DebinHawaii I get the Detroit vibe as well. One quote that really struck me & I highlighted was when Roman is at the Save-U-Moore convenience store… “Roman thought when folks talked about a food desert, what they really meant was that the food available wasn‘t any good. Instead of a desert, he thought of it like an ocean. All that water, but if you drank from it, You would die. Little stores like this were the flotsam and jetsam in an ocean of junk.” That ⬇️ 1mo

DebinHawaii …idea & the imagery is so perfectly put—it just struck me. 🤯 (edited) 1mo

39 likes19 comments

BarbaraBB

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens | Shankari Chandran

pick

Set in a fictional Nursing Home in Sydney, this novel follows Sri Lankan immigrants Maya and Zakhir, who transformed the home into a sanctuary where “people will be valued.” Decades later, Maya is a resident, while Zakhir‘s disappearance remains unresolved. The flashbacks to war-torn Sri Lanka do complete the book.

Thanks for sending me this Carolyn🤍

#ReadTheWorld2025 #24 #SriLanka
#fictionaltraveler #someplacehot

GatheringBooks, CarolynM, julieclair

julieclair This sounds fascinating! Stacked. 1mo

Jeg I loved this book and gave it as a gift to several friends . 1mo

BiblioLitten Ah I wish this was in our local library. I suggested it but they said it was not published in Canada. Only Amazon has it. 😑 1mo

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BarbaraBB @BiblioLitten It‘s hard to get a copy where I live too so I was very glad that an Aussie Litten sent it to me ❤️ 1mo

BarbaraBB @Jeg good choice! 1mo

CarolynM Glad you enjoyed😘 Still haven‘t got around to it myself, yet. 1mo

83 likes5 stack adds6 comments

BarbaraBB

Deal Breaker: The First Myron Bolitar Novel | Harlan Coben

so-so

I listened to this one to see if it might be a series I‘d enjoy but I don‘t think so. The plot is good and so are the twists but I didn‘t really warm up to main character Myron Bolitar. Also the sexism of Bolitar and his friends and probably Coben himself as well, was irritating. I know the book was written in the 90s, but is that an excuse?
So I‘m kind of relieved I can let go of these series!
I will try another stand alone Harlan Coben though.

Lesliereadsalot I wish I could remember some good ones, but I can‘t. Could be this style is just not for you. Beach reads, every one of them! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot I enjoyed that stand alone one that I read a few months ago so I will get another one of those! 1mo

Lesliereadsalot The tv series about Myron Bolitars son was horrible! 1mo

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BarbaraBB @Lesliereadsalot his son? Jessica‘s as well? 1mo

Lesliereadsalot @BarbaraBB The mother in the tv series was named Shira. Myron was supposedly dead and Mickey, the kid, was looking for him. I didn‘t watch that much! 1mo

Readerann I‘ve given up on Coben. 1mo

BarbaraBB @Readerann I get why! 1mo

65 likes7 comments

BarbaraBB

Seascraper: A mesmerising portrait of a young man hemmed in by circumstance and class, but dreaming of more | Benjamin Wood

pick

A truly lovely book about a boy who scrapes the sea for shrimp and then meets a man who promises him Hollywood. The setting and scenery are drawn out so well, Thomas Flett is quite a special boy and the ending is… wow. Do visit the website mentioned at the end of the book 🎶

#Bookerlonglist #2

squirrelbrain I‘m glad you loved it too! ❤️ Gorgeous photo! 1mo

Caroline2 Ohh I‘m so intrigued by this book. So glad you liked it. 👍 1mo

BarbaraBB @TheKidUpstairs This seems totally your kind of book! 1mo

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BarbaraBB @Caroline2 Do read it! It‘s short but very powerful! 1mo

Graywacke Sounds lovely! 1mo

BarbaraBB @Graywacke I hear mixed things about this year‘s longlist but this one is definitely worth reading! 1mo

TheKidUpstairs I think it is! I think I'll have to put in an order from Blackwell's for this one. I'm being slightly more selective with my Booker reading this year, but everything I've picked up so far has been really good. 1mo

ImperfectCJ I can't get this one here yet, but I did put another by Benjamin Wood on hold at the library 1mo

ImperfectCJ @TheKidUpstairs Thanks for mentioning Blackwell's! I totally forgot about ordering from them! 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures I have been having a hard time getting ahold of this one in the States, going to see if I can nab an English copy next month when I am in Czech. 1mo

BarbaraBB @ChaoticMissAdventures How cool you are going to Czech! If you can‘t find it over there, let me know. I‘ll send you my copy. It‘s your kind of book too 1mo

Lesliereadsalot Sounds so good! Will look for it. 1mo

Graywacke @BarbaraBB so far I‘m smitten with this year‘s list. Love the variety and the fun and literary play 1mo

BarbaraBB @Graywacke that is good to know! I only read this one and Audition so far and both are at least memorable! 1mo

Cathythoughts Great review! I‘m just starting it. 👍🏻 1mo

Chelsea.Poole I think this‘ll be right up my alley. It‘s one of the ones not available here at the moment. Something to look forward to 😊 1mo

CarolynM Stacked! 1mo

82 likes10 stack adds17 comments

BarbaraBB

Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens | Shankari Chandran

#WeeklyForecast 33/25

I‘m about to start my first (well I read Audition of course) #Bookerlonglist book, which is Seascraper. Afterwards I‘ll read the tagged one.
And I hope to start another Keigo Higashino.

squirrelbrain Seascraper is top of my Booker list so far - enjoy! 1mo

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain That‘s good to know! 1mo

CarolynM I still haven‘t read Chai Time🤦🏻‍♀️ I hope you like it, I‘ll have to get to it soon. 1mo

BarbaraBB @CarolynM I‘ll keep you posted 1mo

66 likes4 comments

BarbaraBB

The Tenderness of Wolves: A Novel | Stef Penney

pick

This had been on my TBR since 2009 but I am glad I finally picked it up. It‘s a great read, set in Canada in a historical setting of empty landscapes, trackers, hunters, etc. A man is murdered and a boy is missing. What follows is a journey across the winter landscape with lots of pov‘s and storylines.

You were right Soubhi, it is a good read!

Soubhiville

Soubhiville I‘m glad you liked it too ☺️ 1mo

BkClubCare Cool pic 📷 1mo

Caroline2 I really enjoyed this one too. 👍 1mo

BarbaraBB @Caroline2 I was pleasantly surprised, it had been on my shelves for so long but it‘s great story! 1mo

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BarbaraBB

Tilt | Emma Pattee

#CampLitsy25 question 1

Today we‘re discussing part two of Tilt.
As usual, I‘ll only be tagging all of you in this question. Scroll down to find both other questions. Enjoy!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @CBee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine (edited) 2mo

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 2mo

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose (edited) 2mo

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BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 2mo

BarbaraBB @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 (edited) 2mo

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn (edited) 2mo

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks 2mo

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape @zukeeyah 2mo

Kitta For me it was the children. The boy trapped in ikea, the one she gives the caterpillar too, the daughter they‘re searching for in the school. I think because Annie is pregnant, her descriptions were extra heartbreaking. 2mo

Jas16 The parents searching for their children at their school. Even trying to imagine myself in their situation… 2mo

mcctrish The children 😭I liked that at least one reunion could be made. It struck me that one had to make split second decisions on whether to trust or not and it could go either way fast adding another horrible level of stress to survival and coping 2mo

AmyG The woman from IKEA looking for her daughter at the school. As a mother, I just couldn‘t imagine. That part made me so anxious. (edited) 2mo

DGRachel I guess since I don‘t have kids, they had less of an impact. For me, if was the clerk at IKEA who pulls Annie from the wreckage and who later reconnects with her. I don‘t think Annie would have made it as far as she did without the other woman by her side. 2mo

Butterfinger The parents. When the woman from IKEA decided to crawl in the tunnel, and she was probably still there during the aftershock. OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS! Secondly, the girl who knocked Annie off the bicycle. 2mo

ImperfectCJ Taylor definitely stands out for me, how Annie's impression of her goes from an annoyed (annoying) employee to mom driven to get to her child. Also the teens at the end are particularly puzzling/disturbing to me, and the creepy guy in the van who she doesn't get a ride with. Still not sure if he was legit or a predator. 2mo

Zuhkeeyah Taylor stood out because we were able to hear and see her full story while others were passing moments along the side of the road. Also, the love for her daughter was a strong contrast to Annie's lukewarm excitement about becoming a mom. 2mo

BkClubCare And the creepy guy who walks with her for a bit; described as soulless. Annie‘s hackles up but she plays along until he finally leaves. But that was what provoked her need to get the razor blades (which I admit I was baffled by until we saw why) 2mo

BkClubCare And the married couple out for a bike ride - heartbreaking 💔 Her wanting to help but needing to survive. That scene hurt me. 2mo

BarbaraBB Oh so interesting we all mention other characters. I‘ll add one too, that stuck with me the most: I keep thinking of that man who offers her a ride in his van, and how she argues“Men aren‘t necessarily bad… Every man was once a baby… nobody wants to hurt a pregnant woman,” yet she still turns away, frozen. ❤️‍🩹 2mo

squirrelbrain I agree @ImperfectCJ @Zuhkeeyah - we could see the full trajectory (almost) of Taylor‘s story. But the snippets of all the other people she encountered were valuable too. 2mo

vonnie862 Oh my gosh, the children! 2mo

Deblovestoread Definitely Taylor‘s journey with that desperate need to get the her child. 2mo

yourfavouritemixtape For me it was Taylor too, being a parent, the scenes at the school were what hit me the hardest. 2mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @DGRachel I agree, I also think since she spent so much time with Taylor stands out the most to me. But honestly I keep thinking about the military men. The guys who are blocking Annie's only way to her husband (maybe, if he is still in the west side) and I agree with @Butterfinger the girl who knocked her off the bike is just horrifying. Nature is going to do what it does, but it was the bad actor people who really threw me. 2mo

GatheringBooks I echo what everyone else is saying about Taylor - hers is the most enfleshed narrative, I thought, and there was also a full circle kind of twist in the end when they found each other after all they have experienced. 2mo

Megabooks Taylor, of course. I read this the first time months ago, and I've thought at least a few times a week about her crawling into that school since then. I'm not a parent, but I can feel her desperation.

The man on the bike whose wife is obviously dead. That moment when everyone deserts her because they have to survive themselves. Those decisions made me grapple with my own humanity and how I'd feel as any of those people. 2mo

Lesliereadsalot Whoever stole her water bottle really pissed me off! 2mo

willaful Taylor's story is excruciating... they each saved each other, but Annie may never know what happened to her and her daughter. 2mo

CBee Definitely Taylor - I wish we‘d had more resolution with that part 💔 2mo

Hooked_on_books I read this book back in March, so reading all the comments are refreshing the details in my head. But before reading the comments, the person I remember most is the pickup driver with a load of people who stopped for her. When someone is worried for their own safety and people yet stops for a stranger, that‘s humanity at its best. 2mo

TEArificbooks Well, like everyone, Taylor‘s story and the bike riders and the children really moved me. So I‘m going to add the mother at the school that found her child had died and how Taylor and Annie held her through the Initial trauma and grief. They had their own people they were searching for and time was of the essence but they both stopped to see that woman through for a few minutes. 2mo

BarbaraJean Like so many others, Taylor stood out because Annie‘s with her the longest. @ImperfectCJ Yes—how quickly the dynamic shifted between them once the earthquake hit! I loved how the annoyed employee & customer end up keeping each other going. I appreciated the realism of how many people Annie encounters and never sees again, so the reader never finds out what happens to them, either. But I also REALLY wanted to know what happened with Taylor. 2mo

BarbaraJean I also appreciated the range of encounters we saw: the best and worst of people, as well as everything in between. @Megabooks That man and his dying wife really haunted me. Everyone leaving felt so callous at first, but I kept thinking: what else could they have done? The teens at the end really shocked me, though. 2mo

Megabooks @BarbaraJean I think there were so many slices of humanity at its most desperate in this book. The teens did not shock me. I think with the brain development level, there's a finer line between being taken over to violence or negativity. It seemed that one girl was really egging the other teens on, but she also could've been turning them against others to protect herself. 2mo

Suet624 @Hooked_on_books I love that you brought up the pickup driver. You‘re so right… 2mo

Suet624 Taylor - needing Annie to go with her to the school but then, once there, being brave and desperate enough to go inside the school on her own - was the character that we knew more about and so it makes sense that‘s the character we focus on. But I appreciated how many other possibilities we encountered along the way- those who help, those who hinder, and those that hurt. 2mo

MeganAnn @Hooked_on_books yes, the pickup driver stood out to me as well and also the people in the back of the truck who helped lift Annie into it and find her space to sit. 2mo

MeganAnn I loved how the characters she meets along the way each seem to show another side of humanity. We see good and bad and in between and I think it makes her journey through the disaster of the city more realistic. Of course Taylor is memorable since we get to know more about her with Annie, but I also think the brief moments with all these other people are just as important. 2mo

Chelsea.Poole Great question! Those side characters really did pack a punch. I‘m with everyone who mentioned Taylor. I‘d be crawling into that brick pile that used to be a school too, searching for my child by any means necessary. An aside in the next comment [with a spoiler] that doesn‘t have to do with the book but happened while I was reading it and related to this scene mentioned above. 2mo

Chelsea.Poole My second grade teacher‘s grown son (late 40s) went missing in our area while I was reading this book. He‘s a brilliant man but dealt with mental illness throughout his life. He left home around a boat ramp and the search party gathered there. I‘ll never get the image of his mother sitting there day after day at his last known location. Tragically, he was located deceased after a week. It brought to mind Taylor‘s reaction to her missing child. 2mo

Chelsea.Poole Also, the husband and wife bikers really hit hard. Annie showed such a kindness to them both. 2mo

CBee @Chelsea.Poole that‘s just horrible 💔 1mo

Maggie4483 Maybe it‘s my “Murderino/Crime Junkie” side coming out, but the potentially or explicitly dangerous characters (guy in van, guy near bridge, teens) that stuck with me the most. It reminded me of The Walking Dead, where you think the villain in the story is going to be one thing (zombies there, earthquake here), but it‘s the people that you have to watch out for. The zombies and/or tectonic plates are just doing what comes naturally to them… 1mo

Maggie4483 When there is a big natural disaster like this, I think the news tends to show only the best of humanity-people providing medical aid, helping clear rubble, handing out food and water-but there will always be those who take advantage in these situations. 1mo

Chelsea.Poole @Maggie4483 excellent point! Also makes me think of The Last of Us. 1mo

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Joined June 2017