I really hate to criticize this book, since “”1000 Ships” is one of my all time faves, but this one didn‘t do it for me. For a book about Medusa, I felt like there was way too little of her and way too much about the other Olympians. I did audio format for this one, and I love the author‘s voice so much, I would listen to her read anything.

I began this book last weekend on audio, I‘m very much enjoying it so far, although I really don‘t like the flashback scenes to the witch trials, and I think the novel could have stood on its own with just the story of Isobel as she tells it.

This is my second GE novel, I‘m enjoying it in the same ways I enjoyed Adam Bede. GE has this way of drawing characters that are really quite unlikeable but they are so gently and humanly unlikeable that you end up liking them anyway. So far in this novel I really like Celia Brooke, a woman who sees nothing ungodly in enjoying the fine and pleasurable things in this life. Girl, same.

I loved this novel! I did an immersive read and it took so long! And certainly there were parts that were meandering but I loved the story and I felt so much for all the characters! This is my first GE novel, and she is so good at making you feel drawn towards the humanity of her characters, even through their sins and foibles, the compassion of the narrator made for such a gentle and enjoyable read!

I was having a hard time in the audio format keeping track of the characters and storyline. The author‘s style can be a bit meandering, if I might take the liberty of a mild criticism so early in the book. So I‘m now switching to an immersive read, following the audio along with the print, and both formats are available to me through Amazon/Audible for no additional charges. I‘m enjoying it and I‘m glad I did this!

Ok well, I didn‘t know the main characters were sexy Scottish men, so I‘m much more optimistic on this book at the moment. 🍆🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

This book was recommended by Judith Shulevitz on Ezra Klein‘s pod. The discussion was about practicing the Sabbath (highly recommend btw if you aren‘t listening to Ezra Klein you are really missing out) which I subsequently became quite curious about. I will confess to both bailing on Middlemarch and being intimidated by the length of this book, but I am giving it a go as my weekend audio book while I master baking scones. 💜

Enjoyed as much as the first!!!! I am currently waiting for my print copy of the third book, and cannot wait to hear how it all ends!!

“The sum? As they come and go, and I mostly sit very still and tight, yes, I‘m all right.” ❤️

I don‘t usually comment when I bail on a book, but I will in this case because I wish someone had told me this: this is a very violent book, and the violence is so disturbing that I just can‘t stay with it. If you are sensitive to violence as I am, skip it.

This is a dark book, you guys. I like it enough to keep reading, the way the character narrates his experience of past events is quite compelling. I‘m about a third of the way in, and came up with these rather amusing loaves of herb garlic bread while listening today 🤣🪴🏡🥖🧄

This has been on my TBR for ages, finally getting to it for a weekend audio book to keep me company while I bake some bread. I didn‘t realize it was a post apocalypse sort of tale, and I‘m not always a fan of those, but I am enjoying it so far..:

Because who doesn‘t need to dive into a spooky tale after all the love, light and goodwill of Christmas? 😆

I‘ve never actually read this, and it was included in my Audible membership, so I listened while cooking Christmas dinner and I‘m so glad I did! I‘ve seen plenty of film adaptations, but some of the more descriptive language in the actual text is such a delight! Also, narration by Tim Curry is just A+++ another delightful surprise in the audio version!

I didn‘t like this one as much as Hamnet, but it was an enjoyable read.

Another fascinating look at mythological women by a passionate author!

I was just chatting with a friend about this book and realized I hadn‘t put it in Litsy! I LOVED this book. It can be a challenging read! Highly recommend reading it with others. I have not stopped thinking about this book, it‘s one I feel will be with me for a long time. 💜

I can understand the poor reactions to this book, but I personally loved it. I think it‘s useful to reflect on our reactions to such a female protagonist as this, what does our reaction to her say about ourselves? Why are we uncomfortable with a woman having an existential crisis, how is her reception by readers different than, say, the protagonist in The Stranger? Anyway, food for thought,TLDR: I‘m a sucker for a cold hearted bitch ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Stephen King continues to write the same male character (Jake in The Dark Tower, Jack in The Talisman, and now Charlie in this one) and while this book is engaging in a number of ways, I wish the particular trope of modern fairy tales in which “good” is represented by blond hair and blue eyes and “bad” is represented by dark hair, dark eyes and disabilities, wasn‘t hewed to quite as closely as King does in this book.

I just can‘t y‘all. I‘m blaming modern day short attention span, if I‘m being nice…. But really it‘s just kind of a boring book IMHO, just not for me 😆

Ok, it‘s a pick for sure! I am a sucker for fictional tales of ancient Britain, and this one doesn‘t disappoint. It‘s a rather dark tale, with characters that you love and hate simultaneously. I loved the narrator, and the song was so beautifully sung, I listened to it over and over….

The first half of this book was really creepy, but it‘s one of those disappointing books that goes downhill after you‘ve already committed enough to it that you have to finish. It‘s a cliched plot with a deeply unsatisfying “twist”. Getting this sort of plot to work is, IMHO, difficult and rare, I can only think of one movie that I sort of liked that had this kind of plot. Poorly done, it comes off as a cheat, and kind of a stupid one.

My weekend audio book, and it is creepy AF so far, y‘all.

“Anyway, the trick to life is if you don‘t like what is happening, go back to sleep until it stops.” - Olivia the cat

I just want to wholly endorse this sentiment 😂

I enjoyed this audio book, it is read by the author so it often feels like you are sitting down for some cake and tea and hearing the latest royal dish, it‘s quite charming. 💜

The word that describes this book for me is unsatisfying. It was far far FAR too long, a meandering story that just never turns into anything particularly interesting, not even at the end.

I just don‘t know about this y‘all. I am on part 2 and somehow still have 23 hours left. In confusion I thought to check the chapter list because how many parts can a novel have and it has EIGHT PARTS people! And I mean, the story is charming? And the characters lively and entertaining? Still…. Eight parts, man…. That‘s a lot of parts.

I have 28 hours of driving coming up, so I‘m trying Anna Karenina again, I feel like I‘ve tried it before but now I don‘t really remember why I bailed, but if I remember I‘ll be sure to quit on it again, but this time I‘ll record why on here 😆

Probably too long, but nevertheless I can understand why this one endures, what a story!

This book kept me company while putting out these very leggy Spring lettuces. So far no scary ghosts, but I‘m just getting to the costume ball, and everyone knows scary things always happen at costume balls, right?

Started my weekend audio book a bit early! Inspired by The Reading List, I have somehow managed to miss this classic and I am thoroughly enjoying it!

Scored another “skip the line” copy on Libby, with another book I‘m seeing a lot of buzz about! I like it so far!

I enjoyed this audio book, wonderful narration! I did find it a bit too long. Some of the books on the reading list I have already read but committed to re-reading! I‘m even going to give Pride and Prejudice another shot, although when I read it in school I remember sharing Aleisha‘s opinion that it was boring trash, albeit historical boring trash. 😆

My weekend audio book! I picked this up by chance on Libby, and I‘m so glad I did, I am loving it so far! It will be keeping me company digging out garden beds this weekend.

Many cozy cups of tea were consumed along with this lovely audiobook, highly recommend! Katherine May also has a podcast where she talks to guests on the themes of wintering, I enjoy it a lot as well, we can all do with a reminder of the gifts that come when we slow down, when we retreat, when we allow in our wintering.

Delightful things in this book so far:

1: author‘s descriptions of things she is pickling (some of which sound so distasteful to my American ears 😂😂😂)

2: Author‘s Finnish friend scoffing at men “who wear shorts through December as if they are trying to impress someone” and how she would “like to see them pull that shit in Finland” and “all they‘re proving is that it doesn‘t get very cold in England” I‘m still laughing 😂

Beginning this book tucked in tight on my chaise on this cold day towards the end of Winter, when even the most stalwart optimist finds dark corners of doubt in their hearts that it will end. 💜

I am nearly finished with this audio book, I enjoyed it but the story sometimes felt a bit bogged down by new characters and storylines being introduced throughout the book some of which never really get any follow up, it makes it feel disjointed. But overall it was a fun read, I enjoyed it!

My weekend audiobook… this is the second novel I have read by this author, and I do enjoy her, her novels are like a cold fizzy grape soda by the pool 💜

Such an interesting book so far…. I know it is a “dystopian” novel, but it‘s not so dystopian as to be unrecognizable, like it‘s just a click or two up the authoritarian scale from where we are now, causing a creeping sense of dread in me that I can scarcely define. My kids are grown now, but I recall the terror of the big mistakes I made, the pressure and the exhaustion feel so real in the novel that it makes the dystopian parts feel so close.

My weekend audio book, I‘m really looking forward to reading for myself this book everyone seems to be talking about!

Much hooky from work was played along with this fantastic audiobook! I‘m not a Jack the Ripper obsessive or anything but I did also read The Five, which I highly recommend as well! This fictional account of a lower class nurse who finds herself in desperate circumstances and surrounded by dark intrigue was engrossing, I did not want to stop listening!

My weekend audio book, I am just loving it so far! Easy to follow despite multiple timeline switches, the main character is SO interesting! I can‘t remember who recommended this one but I am grateful 😊

Every third sentence of this book is the author telling you something they already told you ten sentences previous, it‘s very tiresome. Every fifth sentence is some version of “her stomach clenched with dread”, the characters are not engaging and the main female character is insufferable.

My weekend audio book, if you‘ve never listened to Sedaris read his own work, it‘s such a joy and I highly recommend it

I had my issues with act 4, and the critiques of it I have seen are valid, but this was overall still a beautiful book about the transcendent power of friendship. I very much enjoyed it.

I‘m on to act 3, a thing I‘m really enjoying about this book is the cultural contrasts and critiques, it‘s really a beautifully diverse set of characters, I both love and hate all of them.

I have twice already laughed until I cried listening to this book, it is really so delicious and I‘m only on act 1. The structure of the novel is delightful, a play that I cannot help but imagine the stage, the lights and what actors would play what characters (confession: nothing will convince my brain that anyone except Yakov Smirnoff should play Sasha). Love this novel so far 💜

My weekend audio book! I spent an audible credit since there was a 10 week library wait and this book is on all the lists and y‘all…. So far it‘s living up to the hype!