@CSeydel on Litsy

Charles | Shirley Jackson

@dabbe !!! I love love love short stories!!! Choosing 3 favorites is - impossible! Ask me on a different day and you‘ll get a different answer. #threelistthursday #TLT

Here are 3 that I find myself frequently referencing in conversation, because they are so insightful and observant about human psychology:

Shirley Jackson, Charles
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Dr. Heidegger‘s Experiment
Steve Martin, Hissy Fit

CSeydel “Charles” - https://loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/static/pdf/Jackson_Charles.pdf 1mo

CSeydel “Dr. Heidegger‘s Experiment” - https://loa-shared.s3.amazonaws.com/static/pdf/Hawthorne_Heidegger.pdf 1mo

CSeydel “Hissy Fit” is available in the collection

Pure Drivel

1mo

TieDyeDude Pure Drivel is available on audio through Hoopla! I'll keep an ear out for Hissy Fit 😁 1mo

dabbe I love them, too, and I loved teaching them! Love “Charles“ and “Heidegger“--those were such fun to teach! You've given me some new ones for my TBR, too! Thanks for sharing. 💚💙💚
1mo

34 likes5 comments

CSeydel

Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America | Jonathan Gould

#HyggeHourReadathon

Just drinking cold water tonight because I‘m feeling warm. Still drinking out of my snowflake mug, though, which I refuse to give up until March 20!

Reading this biography of the Beatles tonight and it‘s really well written. The author includes a lot of historical context for what was going on in the culture at large, very interesting so far!

TheBookHippie, jenniferw88, Chrissyreadit, AllDebooks

TheBookHippie ♥️ 1mo

AllDebooks Sounds interesting x 1mo

Chrissyreadit 💛💛💛💛 1mo

50 likes1 stack add3 comments

CSeydel

Paul McCartney: A Life | Peter Ames Carlin

Sick again (or still?) so taking a slow day today. Been listening to Paul McCartney‘s underrated 2005 solo album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. Highlights for me are Friends to Go, Promise to You Girl, and the haunting Riding to Vanity Fair:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-2i5vBJed2w&list=OLAK5uy_lTjpalcx2wY_wX40c2TfpEiNl...

TieDyeDude

CSeydel #tuesdaytunes 1mo

TieDyeDude Thanks for the recommendation! 1mo

TieDyeDude Our local independent radio station is big on the Beatles and played “Fine Line“ a lot when it was released. I hadn't listened to the rest before. I like “Too Much Rain“ and “Riding to Vanity Fair“. 1mo

CSeydel @TieDyeDude Oh, nice! I do like Fine Line as the album opener, but yeah Riding to Vanity Fair is probably my favorite. Too Much Rain is beautiful also. 1mo

40 likes4 comments

CSeydel

The Art Thief | Michael Finkel

I‘m so ready for the #hyggehour readathon this week. No photos because I‘m sick 😫 The worst of it was yesterday, so tonight I‘m in my jammies at 8 pm but feeling better enough to get some reading in.

TheBookHippie, jenniferw88, Chrissyreadit, AllDebooks

Lreads I hope you feel better soon! 💕 2mo

CSeydel @Lreads Thanks! Me too 🤧 2mo

AllDebooks Wishing you a speedy recovery x 2mo

See All 7 Comments

Librarybelle Hope you feel better soon! 2mo

Chrissyreadit Hope you feel better soon 💛 2mo

KathyWheeler Feel better! 2mo

TheBookHippie Hope you‘re feeling tip top soon!!! 2mo

44 likes7 comments

CSeydel

Killers of a Certain Age | Deanna Raybourn

February #wrapup

True Diary - in person book club - 4⭐️
The Burden - #MaryWestmacottBookClub - 3.5⭐️
The Postcard - #EuropaCollective - 4.5⭐️
Housekeepers - 3.5⭐️
Killers - #AuldLangSpine - 4⭐️

48 likes

CSeydel

Forget the Lottery, Play March Madness! | Earl Underwood

March #bookspin roster. Feels a bit cheeky because I‘m so behind on my January and February selections, but March is going to be the month that I get caught up. Yeah, that‘s the ticket…

37 likes

CSeydel

The Burden | writing as Mary Westmacott, Agatha Christie

#westmakittens #LMWBR #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead

@ruthiella @KathyWheeler @quietjenn @Librarybelle @kspenmoll @BarbaraJean @peanutnine @Roary47 @willaful @batsy @rubyslippersreads

CSeydel Here we go again with the “interfering always backfires.” I think she‘s right, but I also think it can be taken too far. 2mo

CSeydel I‘m also interested in what you all thought of the discussion between Llewellyn and Wilding about human nature. Wilding says, “To believe the best of someone is to call the best into being. People respond to one‘s belief in them.” Llewellyn disagrees: “To keep up being what someone expect you to be is to live under a great strain. Too great a strain leads eventually to collapse.” Which do you believe? Can they both be right? (edited) 2mo

Ruthiella Sure, they can both be right. I think everyone needs both, but in different doses and o 100% of one or the other would be harmful. The rehashing of previous themes wearied me a bit in this one, but maybe because we‘ve read them all back to back now. 2mo

See All 8 Comments

BarbaraJean I appreciate what Christie was trying to do here, but I don't think it was executed well. Her insight into human nature is masterful, but the plot elements just didn't work together coherently for me. I agree with the “interfering always backfires,“ to a point, but wasn't the opposite the problem in A Daughter's a Daughter? I don't think it's a universal rule, and I think Christie knows it. She had a hard time communicating that complexity here. 2mo

BarbaraJean @CSeydel @Ruthiella Yes, I do think Llewellyn and Wilding can both be right about this. It depends a whole lot on who the person is who's being “believed in.“ Some people will rise to the best that is believed of them, others will collapse under the expectations, and still others will resent and therefore want to go against those expectations. I agree about the repetition of themes--but it's also clear this was the first of these novels she wrote! 2mo

quietjenn I agree with what others have said - both can be true to an extent and the balance is the key here, as it is with so many things. Very often, interfering gets you nowhere, but Not Interfering is sometimes easier said than done. I wouldn't say that this book resonated with me particularly. It's probably one of my least favorites and I'm glad it was short. 😅 And I really liked Baldock. 2mo

CSeydel @BarbaraJean @quietjenn @ruthiella Great observations! 2mo

Librarybelle Yes, I think both can be right about their human nature observations. And, I agree that this one seems to be the weakest of her non-mystery novels. I‘ve not read all of them as of yet - I plan to read those I missed this year! - but this one seemed not as polished, if that makes sense. @BarbaraJean is right that Christie had a hard time communicating the complexity of interference. @CSeydel @Ruthiella @quietjenn 2mo

36 likes8 comments

CSeydel

The Burden | writing as Mary Westmacott, Agatha Christie

#westmakittens #LMWBR #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead

@ruthiella @KathyWheeler @quietjenn @Librarybelle @kspenmoll @BarbaraJean @peanutnine @Roary47 @willaful @batsy @rubyslippersreads

CSeydel Llewellyn and his visions were so strange to me. I‘m still ruminating on what he represents. I thought the religious overtones of Shirley “paying the price” for Laura‘s sin was discomfiting, but perhaps that was the intention. 2mo

CSeydel In this one she weaves in a religious dimension, using the story of Job to drive home the point that God has God‘s plan and we are really not capable of understanding God‘s priorities and purposes, only human ones. I think her point here is that when we “try to help” we inevitably fail because we only see from our perspective, not that of the recipient of the help. What do you think? 2mo

Ruthiella I think it was in interesting decision to include such a mystical character. I don‘t agree with his interpretation of Laura‘s actions or their results, personally. The story of Job makes me think more of Greek gods, toying with humans for their own amusement. 2mo

See All 12 Comments

BarbaraJean Other than providing a deus ex machina for Laura at the end of the book, and giving us an outside perspective of Shirley and Richard, I didn't think Llewellyn added much to the novel. I felt that last third of the book would have been better from Shirley or even Richard's perspective. I was troubled by the implications of the religious aspect: both Shirley “paying the price“ for Laura's sin, or our helplessness to understand higher purposes. 2mo

BarbaraJean I think the idea that help/interference is misguided, because we cannot understand another's perspective, isn't well-supported by the narrative. Mainly because I don't think the problem was Laura “helping,“ it was Henry being an ass, and with Richard, it was Shirley not understanding herself or what she needed. Maybe the problem was the plot Christie chose to explore these ideas! Overall, I thought the message was muddled. 2mo

quietjenn It was ... odd? I honestly found the book, overall, a bit disjointed and I definitely was not expecting a televangelist who has had visions of Laura his entire life swooping in to show her what love is! 2mo

CSeydel @BarbaraJean I was thinking of Laura killing Henry as her trying to help Shirley be happy, but it backfired. The premise seemed to me to be that Shirley would have been better off continuing to be unhappy caring for Henry rather than the soft, comfortable life she had with Wilding. It was definitely a hard message to accept. 2mo

CSeydel @quietjenn Definitely threw me for a loop as well. Not sure if it was just a device to allow a 3rd-party, objective view of Shirley‘s later life, but the visions went over my head - I didn‘t understand why that was necessary 2mo

CSeydel @BarbaraJean I agree, the religious angle in this one didn‘t sit well with me either 2mo

Librarybelle I was a bit confused as to Llewellyn‘s purpose. It seems to come out of nowhere, unless you consider Laura‘s prayers at the beginning of the novel. I‘m puzzled why Christie chose a religious discussion - it‘s a little out of character for her novels, at least to me. @CSeydel @Ruthiella @BarbaraJean @quietjenn 2mo

Ruthiella @Librarybelle It seemed out of character to me too. In her mystery novels, the few times spiritualism or the mystical comes up, it is always debunked. 2mo

Librarybelle @Ruthiella Yes! She gives many pages to the religious discussion in this one rather than her mysteries, except maybe Hallowe‘en Party (though I‘ve not read that one yet. I‘ve only seen the new Poirot movie very loosely based on it). 2mo

25 likes12 comments

CSeydel

The Burden | writing as Mary Westmacott, Agatha Christie

#westmakittens #LMWBR

Our final selection for the #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead ! Who‘s up for discussion? What did you think? I‘ll put my question under a spoiler tag in case anyone hasn‘t read it yet.

@ruthiella @KathyWheeler @quietjenn @Librarybelle @kspenmoll @BarbaraJean @peanutnine @Roary47 @willaful @batsy @rubyslippersreads

CSeydel Laura longs to be loved throughout the book, and it‘s only at the end that she feels “the burden” settle on her shoulders - the burden of someone else‘s love. Do you think that‘s a fair description of love? How do you think the burden of Laura‘s love ultimately harmed Shirley? 2mo

CSeydel This was not as painful as A Daughter‘s a Daughter, but I still found it a fairly bleak representation of family relationships. 2mo

Ruthiella I think the burden goes both ways: the burden of loving and the responsibility of that care and of being loved and the expectations that come with that. I agree it‘s not as bleak as A Daughter‘s a Daughter, but it comes close. However, I think that many, many humans would see love as a privilege and an honor. I wonder how things would have turned out differently if Laura hadn‘t been saddled with a parental role at such a young age. (edited) 2mo

See All 8 Comments

BarbaraJean I'm not sure if I agree with this description of love--I think it's problematic as a description of healthy love! I do think it's a fair description when it's an unequal relationship. And honestly, I don't think the novel does a good job of bearing out the “burden of love“ as a thesis. Shirley supposedly bears the burden of Laura's love, but she doesn't seem stifled by it. She does seem stifled under the burden of Richard's love, but ⬇ 2mo

BarbaraJean (Cont'd) I think that burden is due to her own choices & lack of self-knowledge, not Laura's actions. Shirley didn't understand herself well enough to know what she needed when she turned to Richard. Shirley wasn't old enough/experienced enough to gauge Henry's character—I don't think that situation would have turned out any differently regardless of how Laura handled it. And I don't think Shirley would have been better off if Henry had lived! 2mo

willaful Sorry, I couldn't find a copy and participate. :-( 2mo

quietjenn Love is complicated and I do think that, even in the best of relationships, there are times when it can feel burdensome - especially in those moments that it feels unequal, as others have pointed out. But I think that's only a small part of it, and I think to define it just by that quality is an unfortunate and limited view of things. 2mo

Librarybelle This was definitely a bleak representation of family relationships, @CSeydel ! Love as a burden seems to be a pretty strong statement by Christie, but Laura‘s idea of love is a bit shady given what she went through at a young age. @BarbaraJean @quietjenn @Ruthiella 2mo

21 likes8 comments

CSeydel

The Bell Jar | Sylvia Plath

My #Tuesdaytunes is “Cemetery Somewhere” by John Muirhead.

Sylvia Plath wrote:
“I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet.”

TieDyeDude

CSeydel Reimagining that theme, “Cemetery Somewhere” by John Muirhead describes the cemetery of abandoned dreams, a mourning for all the lives that could have been. I can‘t stop listening to this song; it is simple, compelling and beautiful. 2mo

CSeydel Song link: https://youtu.be/S_XF2Mvu37Q?si=a_IWUol2fkI7xyEy 2mo

TheBookHippie Love this! 2mo

See All 6 Comments

TieDyeDude A lovely song. Thanks for sharing! Have you heard Jason Isbell "If We Were Vampires"? 2mo

CSeydel @TieDyeDude I haven‘t - I‘ll check it out! 2mo

CSeydel @TieDyeDude Turns out I actually have heard it, I just didn‘t realize - I‘ve heard the Noah Kahan version 2mo

43 likes6 comments

CSeydel

Hygge: Cozy Winter Notebook Writing Journal Composition Book, Wide Ruled, (8. 5 X 11 Large) | Joy Tree Journals Staff

#HyggeHourReadathon #HyggeHour

TheBookHippie, jenniferw88, Chrissyreadit, AllDebooks

Chrissyreadit 🤍 2mo

TheBookHippie 💚 2mo

AllDebooks Perfect x 2mo

kspenmoll Love your mug! 2mo

36 likes4 comments

CSeydel

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian | Sherman Alexie

#weekendreads

Reading Part-Time Indian for my “Banned Book Club,” but in the end I didn‘t have the energy to go to the meeting this afternoon. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Great book, though I understand why some parents would be bothered by it.

Reading The Postcard for #europacollective

rachelsbrittain

42 likes

CSeydel

First Aid Manual: The Authorised Manual of St. John Ambulance, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association, and the British Red Cross | British Red Cross Society

#TuesdayTunes I love it!

My current hyperfixation is the band First Aid Kit, two Swedish sisters who sing this achingly beautiful folk rock Americana music. Gorgeous harmonies, contemplative lyrics and lively arrangements make this album emotionally stimulating and just so fun to listen to.

Bonus points from this SoCal listener for their song “29 Palms Highway” 🤩

https://youtu.be/q0QROxhsggA?si=O1W67r5eNz06gY7k

TieDyeDude

RaeLovesToRead 💕💕💕 2mo

TieDyeDude Yes, I love their harmonies! 2mo

TheKidUpstairs Love First Aid Kit! I don't know why the Scandinavians really seem to do Americana so well... 2mo

See All 10 Comments

Deblovestoread So good! 💜💜💜 2mo

merelybookish Love them! Was obsessed with their song Emmylou for a while! 2mo

vivastory Love First Aid Kit! 2mo

BarbaraBB Yes, I love them too! Great choice!! 2mo

CSeydel @RaeLovesToRead @TieDyeDude @TheKidUpstairs @Deblovestoread @vivastory @BarbaraBB @merelybookish Wow! I have found my people! You guys have great taste in music 2mo

Bookwomble @TieDyeDude Dammit, Andrew! First Beth Gibbons alert from @BarbaraBB , now First Aid Kit from @CSeydel ! This is going to be an expensive hashtag for me! 😄 2mo

TieDyeDude @thekidsupstairs They are a little north of Scandinavia, but do you know Of Monsters and Men? 2mo

51 likes10 comments

CSeydel

Neuromancer | William Gibson

#HyggeHour #AuldLangSpine

Thought I could read this during the game, but it requires intense concentration. Giving myself an hour to really get immersed. I think the plot is picking up and hopefully I‘ll start to understand more of what‘s going on as I become more invested.

TheBookHippie, jenniferw88, Chrissyreadit, AllDebooks

CSeydel Update: well, I read one paragraph before I was lassoed to help with homework. While I was helping with homework, kid 2 reported that all the rain last week had caused a major leak in his room that he hadn‘t noticed until now, so I spent the next hour blow drying books and setting up fans to try to dry out the carpet 😩😖 2mo

AllDebooks Oh no. Reschedule for tonight x 2mo

Chrissyreadit ugh!!! I hope everything is dry now 🩵 2mo

CSeydel @AllDebooks I like the way you think! @Chrissyreadit I hope so too! I haven‘t been out there yet today. (His “room” is a little out-building behind our house). 2mo

46 likes4 comments

CSeydel

The Postcard | Anne Berest

#weekendreads

Still struggling through Neuromancer 😩 #AuldLangSpine

Also reading The Postcard for #EuropaCollective - starting it a little early because it came in on Libby

rachelsbrittain

37 likes

CSeydel

Beatlesongs | William J. Dowlding

#BigFabBeatles

Today‘s the day! On Feb 9, 1964 the Beatles performed on the Ed Sullivan Show, watched by 73 million viewers. I‘m celebrating the 60th anniversary with Beatles book bingo! Each square has a Beatles song title. You can fit a book to each square however you want to - be creative and just have fun with it. I‘ll give some examples ⬇️

CSeydel “Yesterday” - can be a book set in the past, a book published in the past, a book that uses flashbacks as a narrative device, etc
“Eleanor Rigby” - a character named Eleanor, author has initials E & R, theme of loneliness, main character is an older woman, etc.
Any way you want to tie it in is fine! This is meant to be casual and fun. 3mo

willaful How fun! 3mo

LiseWorks It's amazing with each title I actually sing the song. 3mo

41 likes3 comments

CSeydel

Weekly Forecast | Thomas Gibson Inc

#weeklyforecast

Where did all these books come from??

38 likes

CSeydel

Neuromancer | William Gibson

#HyggeHour

Today is certainly the perfect day for #hygge — I‘m in Southern California in the path of the “atmospheric river” bringing major storms. Rain and more rain! All day the phone has been buzzing with weather alerts, flood warnings and advisories to stay off the freeways.

I‘m in my new LLBean flannel pajamas that I got for Christmas 😍 and sipping candy cane green tea. And not thinking about how we‘re going to get to school tomorrow…

TheBookHippie, Chrissyreadit, AllDebooks

CSeydel @jenniferw88 3mo

TheBookHippie Oy. I‘m glad you‘re safe and dry for now! I totally get the getting to school safely. 3mo

CSeydel @TheBookHippie The university is going online tomorrow - I don‘t know why the high schools don‘t do that also! My daughter‘s school always floods! 3mo

See All 6 Comments

TheBookHippie @CSeydel we‘ve had that with ice,fog, snow … it‘s so easy to go online! Ughhh 3mo

Amiable I got flannel PJs from LL Bean for Christmas, too! They‘re the bomb. 😍 3mo

Chrissyreadit 🤍🤍🤍🤍 3mo

54 likes6 comments

CSeydel

Beatlesongs | William J. Dowlding

February 2024 is here! Thank you all for joining me in the #bigfabbeatles 12-month reading challenge! This month marks the 60th anniversary (!!!) of the Beatles first appearance on the Ed Sullivan show, kicking off Beatlemania in the US. Since everyone loves BINGO I decided to do a Beatles Bingo this month to cap off our challenge. Stay tuned … 2/9/24 🎶🤩🎶🎸

44 likes

CSeydel

Happy Litsyversary! | Special Events

My 6-year Litsyversary?!?!? Time flies!
#litsyversary @HappyLitsyversary

Thank you all for making this the kindest, most fun, most intellectually stimulating corner of the internet!
Littens 4-ever

LeahBergen Happy Litsyversary! 🎉 3mo

Birdsong28 Happy Litsyversary 🎊🎉📚📖 3mo

BarbaraBB Glad to have met you here 🤍 3mo

See All 20 Comments

Amiable Woot woot! Congrats! 🎊🍾🎈 3mo

quietlycuriouskate Happy Litsyversary! 📚📚📚 3mo

JessClark78 Happy Litsyversary! 🎊📚🎉 3mo

Chrissyreadit 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 3mo

IndoorDame Happy Litsyversary!!!! 3mo

Librarybelle Happy Litsyversary! 3mo

La_Cori 🥳📚🎉 Happy Litsyversary!! 🎉📚🥳 3mo

TheSpineView Happy Litsyversary! 🥳 🥳🥳 3mo

Jas16 Happy Litsyversary!🎉📚🙌🏽 3mo

TheBookgeekFrau Happy Litsyversary!! 🎉🎊 3mo

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Happy Litsyversary 🩷🎉🎈🎊📚🙌🏻 3mo

Ruthiella Happy Litsyversary! 🥳🥳🥳 3mo

mrp27 Happy Litsyversary!! 🎉📚🎉📚 3mo

Deblovestoread Happy Litsyversary 🎉 3mo

dabbe HL! 🖤🩶🖤 3mo

CSeydel @LeahBergen @Birdsong28 @BarbaraBB @Amiable @quietlycuriouskate @JessClark78 @Chrissyreadit @IndoorDame @Librarybelle @La_Cori @TheSpineView @Jas16 @TheBookgeekFrau @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Ruthiella @mrp27 @Deblovestoread @dabbe Thank you! 🩷💕📚😊 3mo

Ddzmini Welcome all 😊📚 3mo

58 likes20 comments

CSeydel

Neuromancer | William Gibson

rachelsbrittain

42 likes

CSeydel

Other Birds: A Novel | Sarah Addison Allen

pick

My third #AuldLangSpine book of January! This was a charming story of the residents of a strange little condo on a touristy island in South Carolina. All of the residents (both living and ghostly) had terrible, tragic childhoods, and the story follows their journey to love and healing.

monalyisha

49 likes

CSeydel

The Burden | writing as Mary Westmacott, Agatha Christie

Happy February, #westmakittens! This month we read the sixth and final Mary Westmacott novel. I haven‘t read this one yet and I‘m looking forward to discussing it with you all. I‘ve really enjoyed reading everyone‘s reviews and the good discussions! Thank you for going on this journey with me.
#MaryWestmacottBuddyRead

CSeydel
@Ruthiella @KathyWheeler @quietjenn @Librarybelle @kspenmoll @BarbaraJean @peanutnine @Roary47 @willaful @batsy @rubyslippersreads #LMWBR 3mo

Librarybelle Got my copy ready to go! 3mo

CSeydel @Librarybelle Awesome! 3mo

See All 10 Comments

CSeydel @Ruthiella @KathyWheeler @quietjenn @Librarybelle @kspenmoll @BarbaraJean @peanutnine @Roary47 @willaful @batsy @rubyslippersreads #LMWBR 3mo

Ruthiella The last one! 3mo

CSeydel I don‘t know what‘s going on with my tag list 🤔 At first it didn‘t work. Now it looks like it showed up twice? Smh 3mo

CSeydel @Ruthiella Woohoo! 3mo

willaful I don't think I have this one. :-( 3mo

rubyslippersreads Looking forward to this. I‘ve enjoyed them all so much, I‘m going to go back and read any I‘ve missed. 3mo

BarbaraJean Thank you for organizing and leading this! I have enjoyed all of these so much. Looking forward to this final read and discussion! 3mo

40 likes10 comments

CSeydel

I Hated, Hated, Hated This Movie | Roger Ebert

By request! Here you go, @Littlewolf1 - a bracket to nominate the worst books you read this year.

CBee Omg LOVE 3mo

dabbe 🤩😂🤩 3mo

CSeydel 😆😂🤣🙃 3mo

See All 18 Comments

Chelsea.Poole lol!! 😂 3mo

Laughterhp 💚🤣😆 3mo

vonnie862 Love it! 3mo

TheSpineView 😂😂😂 3mo

willaful Where has this been all my life?! 🤣 3mo

Littlewolf1 😆 I love it… this is so awesome 3mo

AmyG The is is GREAT. Ha! 3mo

5feet.of.fury Oh yay 😂😂that‘s so funny 3mo

DieAReader 🤣❤️‍🔥Omg I love this! @CoverToCoverGirl maybe you‘d like this too?😉 3mo

AnnR 🤓😂🙂 3mo

BarbaraBB So fun! 3mo

julesG I'm going to do this! 3mo

Meshell1313 Fun!!! 3mo

CoverToCoverGirl What fun! 3mo

Roary47 Doing this! 🤣 2mo

57 likes18 comments

CSeydel

The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune

pick

Soft pick. I was hoping for a little more depth from this one. It starts off strong with a British-y, Roald Dahl/JK Rowling vibe, and lots of promising characters, but the plot never really gains any momentum. A sweet, feel-good story of a man who lives his life as a cog in the machine of society waking up to new possibilities and allowing himself to love and be loved. It was pleasant to read, but ultimately a bit treacly. #auldlangspine

TheIntrovertedDodoBird I love TJ Klune! You should check out some of his adult fiction if you're looking for a more gritty read! 😊 2mo

CSeydel @TheIntrovertedDodoBird I‘ve heard good things ☺️ is there one you particularly recommend? 2mo

TheIntrovertedDodoBird @CSeydel I highly recommend Into This River I Drown and Murmuration. Both are dark and gritty. Also, the Greencreek series and the Immemorial Year duology are absolutely incredible! Then, if you're looking for something entirely different, try How To Be A Normal Person. It's honestly hilarious 😊. I've pretty much read everything he's ever written now 😂. 2mo

CSeydel @TheIntrovertedDodoBird Thanks! 2mo

53 likes4 comments

CSeydel

Untitled | Unknown

#bookreport #europacollective #auldlangspine #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead

Reviews incoming, but here‘s the summary:

The Hate U Give - 4.5⭐️
A Daughter‘s a Daughter - 4⭐️
The Thursday Murder Club - 4⭐️
After That Night (Will Trent, 11) - 3.5⭐️
Other Birds - 3.5⭐️
The House in the Cerulean Sea - 3⭐️
A Novel Bookstore - 2.5⭐️
Ether Day - (not finished yet)

48 likes

CSeydel

The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas

I read this for my local “Banned Book Club” and I‘m glad I did. I wasn‘t expecting to like it, but since my daughter is home from college, I invited her to read it too and come to the meeting. I thought it was really well written and not nearly as heavy-handed as I expected. Complex issues of family, race, culture, and policing are handled with nuance and insight. Plus, it was entertaining and compelling as a story. 4.5⭐️

37 likes

CSeydel

The Hate U Give | Angie Thomas

The Hate U Give was the best book I read in January, although if I‘m being honest about my /favorite/ book this month, The Thursday Murder Club was more fun to read. Both of these books surprised me by how well-written they were.

Most looking forward to Neuromancer next month
#Two4Tuesday

TheSpineView

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I loved

the hate you give

3mo

TheSpineView Thanks for playing! 3mo

29 likes2 comments

CSeydel

Master Spinners Use Spin Master, Metal Spinning Equipment: Catalog | Haag Machine Company

February #bookspin

@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 3mo

39 likes1 comment

CSeydel

A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott

Happy Saturday #westmakittens! Sorry I‘ve dragged my feet on the discussion for this book. I have to share that I find this one incredibly painful for various reasons. I quite relate to Ann and her preference for self-sacrifice over conflict. Re-reading this book now that I‘m older, it strikes me how many of my worst regrets can be traced back to this tendency.

What about you? What did you see in these characters?
#LMWBR #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead

CSeydel @Ruthiella @KathyWheeler @quietjenn @Librarybelle @kspenmoll @BarbaraJean @peanutnine @Roary47 @willaful @batsy @rubyslippersreads 3mo

CSeydel I fiercely hated Sarah and her selfish, bratty behavior. But this time around, reading it as a mother of adult children, I felt more of the blame lay with Richard for forcing a confrontation rather than being patient, and with Ann for not working on Sarah in private to communicate her feelings and try to lessen to conflict or at least get to the real source of it. 3mo

Librarybelle I felt so bad for Ann, sacrificing so much. Sarah and Richard were terrible. They put Ann in a terrible position, and as someone who also tries to keep everyone happy, I can relate to the strain Ann felt as she tried to “referee.” 3mo

See All 14 Comments

rubyslippersreads @CSeydel Sarah was a brat, but Richard was the adult in the situation and could have behaved better. And Ann was an adult too, and could have communicated better, as you pointed out. An interesting book, but not a comfortable one. 3mo

willaful @CSeydel It was definitely different for me too, reading as the mother of an adult child now. A&R could have done a lot more to defuse the situation.

Personally, I think it was very wrong of Ann to make a sacrifice that she couldn't do without bitterness and anger. It wasn't a reasoned choice, but a desperate one and she really did it more for herself than Sarah, and then took it out on her. For years. (Not that Sarah wasn't cruel & awful.) 3mo

quietjenn If like to think that I couldn't really relate to any of them 😅, although that might be denying my worst tendencies. I think they all handled the situation terribly and deserved some blame. 3mo

Ruthiella Dame Laura! The reader can intuit where the plot is going but is powerless to prevent anything. 3mo

willaful @Ruthiella Yes, Dame Laura is a good audience stand-in. She sees it all but no one listens to her. 3mo

CSeydel @willaful she‘s dead-set against giving advice as well 3mo

BarbaraJean @Ruthiella @willaful Yes, I definitely related to Dame Laura as well. She could see all sides, and the inevitability of how it would play out. @CSeydel What did you think of her determination to NOT give advice? I could see why that was her approach, but it also frustrated me that she was so completely hands-off. I wondered how things would have gone with Ann if Laura hadn‘t been away for so long, and/or if she‘d have offered some direction. 3mo

BarbaraJean I unfortunately related to Ann a lot as well. The avoidance of conflict is strong for me!! But there was more going on there than just avoiding conflict. The lack of self-knowledge/failure to understand each other was universal! Sarah was awful, but her selfishness & lack of consideration for others stemmed from immaturity & inexperience. Neither adult seemed able to see her behavior for what it was. Richard‘s behavior was just as bad as Sarah‘s⤵️ 3mo

BarbaraJean I felt he was more culpable, as an adult who should have considered both the source of Sarah‘s behavior as well as how his own actions were exacerbating the situation. Then Ann needed to take responsibility for the choice she made—recognizing her bitterness and resentment and dealing with it rather than burying herself in the constant social whirl. Which is another kind of avoidance, I guess! 3mo

CSeydel @BarbaraJean Yes, I found myself getting very frustrated with Dame Laura! Even Ann was getting frustrated with her refusal to get involved! I agreed with her general principle about not giving advice - people don‘t want to hear it, even if they think they do - but I wish she had been a little less cryptic with Ann and Sarah when she was sharing her thoughts. Or a lot less. 3mo

CSeydel @BarbaraJean And yes, this time around, I felt much more annoyed with Richard for his lack of patience and perspicacity. 3mo

31 likes14 comments

CSeydel

A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott

#LMWBR #MaryWestmacottBuddyRead

Hey #westmakittens I have unfortunately been under the weather this week and I don‘t have questions prepared. But I wanted to go ahead and make a post for people to share their thoughts about the book. I found this one a very hard read. What did you think of Ann and Sarah‘s relationship?

CSeydel @Ruthiella @KathyWheeler @quietjenn @Librarybelle @kspenmoll @BarbaraJean @peanutnine @Roary47 @willaful @batsy @rubyslippersreads 3mo

Ruthiella Sorry you have been feeling unwell. ❤️ I‘m only 1/4 of the way in, but I‘m afraid for Ann. 😬 (edited) 3mo

CSeydel @Ruthiella you are not wrong to feel afraid. I‘m looking forward to your review when you finish! 3mo

See All 7 Comments

Librarybelle Hope you feel better soon! I‘m still reading this and will hopefully post my thoughts this weekend! 3mo

quietjenn Sorry you aren't feeling well! Hope you improve soon. I've finished and for sure have Thoughts, but will save since others are still reading. 3mo

willaful I have a feeling this book has lurked in my subconscious for decades, because I have a disabled adult child, which has a large impact on my life, but I try to never let myself to get to the point of resenting her for my choices.

3mo

rubyslippersreads I just finished this, and it struck me that, although Christie is synonymous with murder, some of her Westmacott characters can be as cruel as murderers. 3mo

34 likes2 stack adds7 comments

CSeydel

The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune

I‘ve never related to anything so hard in my life 😆

LiteraryinLawrence Yessssss 4mo

Ruthiella 😂😂😂 4mo

DHill 🤣🤣🤣 4mo

See All 6 Comments

dabbe 😂 4mo

Leftcoastzen 👏😂 4mo

julesG 🤣🤣🤣 3mo

61 likes6 comments

CSeydel

Master Spinners Use Spin Master, Metal Spinning Equipment: Catalog | Haag Machine Company

Can you tell I‘m procrastinating? Here‘s my #bookspin wrap-up for 2023. I read 20 out of 24; bailed on one book, and carried three others over to this year. Not too bad 💅🏻

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Fantastic year!!! 4mo

43 likes1 comment

CSeydel

A Novel Bookstore | Laurence Cosse

so-so

I found this pretty dull, unfortunately. It began well, with a series of mysterious, menacing acts. The bulk of the story concerns the events leading up to the attacks: the birth of the bookstore and a tepid love triangle.

I didn‘t mind the slow build, but it frustrated me that the book never grapples directly with its central question: why are popular books not necessarily quality books? Can there be an objective definition of “a good novel”?

CSeydel #EuropaCollective 4mo

AnnR That's a great question but unfortunately, I'm not sure how to answer it, especially when it comes to historical fiction. It's like The Nightingale vs Wolf Hall. I've probably just offended some readers and I apologize, but arguably one is a better quality historical book overall. Not that there is anything wrong with liking K. Hannah historical fiction. Read what you love. Reading diversity is what it's all about here on Litsy. 4mo

CSeydel Found this line in a review and it definitely reflects how I felt reading this: “Though A Novel Bookstore is charming and compelling and very readable, it has neither the depth nor the beauty of the great books that it dedicates itself to. It makes one wonder if the time might not be better spent reading the greats themselves, rather than this tribute.” 4mo

CSeydel @AnnR I don‘t know how to answer it either. I think the “soil” of my mental & emotional state and my life situation deeply affects how I receive any given book. For instance, I am certain I got a lot more out of The Thursday Murder Club because I happened to read it right after Being Mortal. I was emotionally primed to connect with the elderly characters on a deeper level. A Novel Bookstore treats books as finite objects rather than ideas. 4mo

AnnR @CSeydel I understand what you are saying and very much agree. My emotional, physical state and even age, definitely influences my reaction to a story. I suspect that's true of most readers. 4mo

55 likes5 comments

CSeydel

The House in the Cerulean Sea | T.J. Klune

I couldn‘t decide which #AuldLangSpine selection to read first, so I ranked them by their average rating on GR (yes, yes; an imperfect system, but 🤷🏻‍♀️).

The top three are:
The House in the Cerulean Sea
After That Night (Will Trent #11)
DUNE

A nice mix! Can‘t wait to get reading! (Yes I spent too long making this graphic 😂)

Lizpixie, monalyisha

monalyisha Bold of you to read Dune; it‘s so long! I‘m full of admiration. 4mo

CSeydel @monalyisha I definitely won‘t finish it in January, but I‘ve been meaning to read it for years, so this is the perfect opportunity. Everyone says it‘s so good! 4mo

45 likes2 comments

CSeydel

Thursday Murder Club | Richard Osman

pick

Agatha Christie meets Carl Hiaasen in this fun little mystery which manages to be extremely British and extremely cozy while also populated by a zany cast, including crooked developers, mysterious priests, ex-prize fighters, and drug dealers gone straight (unless…?) I avoided this for a long time, but the mystery felt well plotted and the interactions among the various characters tapped into honest emotion that exceeded my expectations. Very fun.

BarbaraBB Great photo 🥰 4mo

Smarkies This also took me by surprise. I am now reading the rest of the series. 4mo

Ruthiella These books just get better and better. 4mo

66 likes2 stack adds3 comments

CSeydel

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End | Atul Gawande

“Our most cruel failure in how we treat the sick and the aged is the failure to recognize that they have priorities beyond merely being safe and living longer.”

45 likes1 stack add

CSeydel

Buzz Books 2023: Spring/Summer | Publishers Lunch

#Top23of23

It was so tough to choose. Every time I do this, it comes out different!

Cinfhen, BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB Great list! I notice a few favorites of mine and will screenshot the rest! 4mo

46 likes1 comment

CSeydel

A Daughter's a Daughter | Mary Westmacott

Happy new year, #westmakittens! Great discussion last month about the Rose and the Yew Tree. I appreciated reading everyone‘s responses even though I didn‘t always acknowledge them when I did not have anything more to add. Our book for January is A Daughter‘s a Daughter. I‘ll try to post some prompts for discussion on Jan 20!

CSeydel #LMWBR @Ruthiella @KathyWheeler @quietjenn @Librarybelle @kspenmoll @BarbaraJean @peanutnine @Roary47 @willaful @batsy @rubyslippersreads 4mo

Librarybelle Yay!! 4mo

BarbaraJean Looking forward to it! 4mo

See All 9 Comments

Ruthiella I‘m on it. I read somewhere that Christie‘s daughter was uncomfortable with this one because she felt it was about her (and maybe not flattering…we‘ll find out!) 4mo

CSeydel @Ruthiella oh no! I hope it isn‘t too close to the truth - it is definitely NOT flattering. The first time I read it, I was emotionally wrecked. I‘m kind of not looking forward to revisiting it, but I‘m also curious what will come across different this time. 4mo

willaful @Cseydel I also remember it as an upsetting read. And I didn't even have a daughter then. 👀 4mo

quietjenn @CSeydel @Ruthiella @willaful interesting! I shipped last month because December was busy and I'd read that one before, but looking forward to diving into this one, with all is unflattering bits 4mo

CSeydel @quietjenn Yay! There will certainly be a lot to discuss. 4mo

rubyslippersreads @Ruthiella 😳 3mo

35 likes9 comments

CSeydel

Demon Copperhead: A Novel | Barbara Kingsolver

Turns out I‘m pretty sparing with the 5-⭐️ ratings.

A Christmas Carol
Demon Copperhead
So Many Steves
Giant‘s Bread
Absent in the Spring

Here‘s to a great 2024 of books!

willaful I had 8, of which 3 were rereads of old favs, so basically the same. 4mo

40 likes1 comment

CSeydel

Untitled | Unknown

For 2024, I made myself a bracket with spaces for one bonus book each quarter. This serves not only to even up the matches by starting with 16 contenders instead of 12, but it also provides for months with more than one 4-5 star book. I decided to post it just in case anyone else feels the same way - help yourself! #readingbracket2024

hes7 ooh, good idea! 4mo

dabbe OMG; I love it and stole it! Thanks! 🤩😍😘 4mo

Meshell1313 Love! Thanks for sharing!! 4mo

See All 26 Comments

AnnR Wow! Thanks for sharing. 4mo

DieAReader Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing❤️‍🔥 @TheSpineView I came across this & thought you might be interested😉 4mo

TheSpineView @DieAReader Yes! Thank you! 4mo

DieAReader @TheSpineView 😏❤️‍🔥 4mo

CSeydel @DieAReader @TheSpineView enjoy! ☺️ 4mo

DieAReader @CSeydel Absolutely!🤓📚 4mo

CoffeeNBooks Thank you so much for doing this! 4mo

Soubhiville Thank you, I love the idea of bonus books! @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm would you be interested in using this? 4mo

Deblovestoread Fantastic! Thank you! 4mo

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Soubhiville This is PERFECT! Thank you for remembering! 🥰 4mo

rachelsbrittain I love this!! Definitely gonna use it for a bracket this year 4mo

peanutnine Oooh love the idea of bonus books! Thanks for sharing! ☺️ 4mo

Amiable Yay! So glad to see this! Thank you! So the bonus books are like wild card slots? (edited) 3mo

CSeydel @Amiable haha, you are correct, I should have kept in the tournament theme! Wild card slots is exactly what they are. Any month that it feels too difficult to pick a clear winner, you can use the bonus book/wild card slot to include an extra title. 3mo

Catsandbooks @LitsyEvents 3mo

CSeydel @Catsandbooks I like how you arranged the months on your bracket - so Jan doesn‘t compete with Feb, etc. I thought about doing that, but by the time I had all the boxes where I wanted them, I forgot to change the month labels 🙃 3mo

Catsandbooks @CSeydel thanks! I totally didn't even see your bracket until I had posted mine or I probably wouldn't have even made one cause yours is great! I like all the bonus books! 3mo

CSeydel @Catsandbooks Aw thanks! Can‘t have too many bracket templates - it‘s nice to have options ☺️ 3mo

Catsandbooks @CSeydel Absolutely! 📚🩷 3mo

BookwormAHN Thank you 🩷 3mo

CSeydel @BookwormAHN 🩷 3mo

monalyisha Just adding my voice to the chorus of those who appreciate the option of adding bonus books! 🙌🏻 3mo

CSeydel @monalyisha Thanks! Glad you like it! 3mo

52 likes26 comments

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books

CSeydel

Joined February 2018