pickI thoroughly enjoyed this absurd but affectionate novel set amongst the night-time streets and characters of Lviv. As someone who spends way too much time on seagull-related matters, I laughed a lot.
However, if you were to ask me what this book is about, I‘m not sure I could tell you. The storylines were a little disjointed, yet the conclusion didn‘t feel surprising or original – I guess I just wanted more. I
pickThis is such an unusual mix of topics, and I‘m so glad this book exists.
When Harriet Shawcross was 13, she stopped speaking at school. Years later, as she prepares to say I Do at her wedding, she revisits this time, and explores ‘not speaking‘ in a huge range of contexts.
She looks at selective mutism, taboos around women‘s bodies, domestic violence, the setting up of the Samaritans, talking therapies (or not) and their
OK @AllDebooks , I‘m in.
Given how I am with any kind of challenge, buddy read or organised reading right now, this should go well! 😬
Just one goal - start August with 68% NG rating (I‘m on 60 now, and confess I‘ve never actually reached the heady heights of 80%).
This would mean reviewing 7 books. I‘ve already read 3 of those, so it‘s theoretically possible. Providing I continue to resist the new Kate Mosse… even if it does have pirates.
Current audiobook. The story of a servant and educated former slave accused of killing her mistress. It flicks between the trial, her life growing up on the plantation, helping her ‘master‘ with his ‘experiments‘,
and her life in London.
It‘s got a lot going for it, an interesting perspective, and is a very stark reminder of the impact of colonialism, and how it‘s fed into ongoing racism.
However, it‘s also really quite slow…
My current non-fiction read is one of those mixtures of memoir and social history that I seem to be drawn to. This one looks at ‘not talking‘, whether through #selectivemutism or the impact of McCarthyism, knowing the dangers speaking will bring.
It‘s quite an unusual mix of topics, and I‘m not sure where it‘ll go next - I think (eventually) into the realms of silence as power. But I‘ve found the first part hugely affecting so far.
Afternoon Litsy! I‘ve been a bit of a disaster with reviews recently, so I‘m admitting defeat on everything I‘ve not updated over the last few months. (Although the NetGalley ones will put in an appearance at some point). Also quietly disappearing all the books that I have ‘in progress‘ but are actually in hibernation (ie started but never to be seen again).
Nice blank page, let‘s start again with the books I‘m actually reading!
Librarian action figure, anyone? She comes with her own book trolley!
https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2023/05/council-workers-assemble-everyday...
Afraid this post is lacking books today. Sorry!
In a moment of mid-life-crisis, I signed up for Race for Life a couple of weeks back. 5K run to raise funds for Cancer Research. If anyone wants to sponsor this daft endeavour, thank you! https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/rachel-runs-race-for-life-2023
I have the BEST place for ‘training‘ (walking a bit, despairing of the fact this will take forever, walking a bit more, bit of a run…)
bailedA parent‘s ‘warts & all‘ experience of having a child with PDA and the resulting challenges. It may be helpful if you‘re in that situation, looking to hear the experience of others who have struggled- but it felt very much like a chronicle of everything Mollie had ever done wrong, and could maybe have benefited from a little distance. Not what I was looking for.
On the bright side, 7 years later a Mollie Sherwin illustrated the tagged book.
pickBrilliant. In a challenging, uncomfortable kind of way.
Written by an autistic PDA adult and the parent of a daughter with PDA (pathological demand avoidance), this story takes you inside the head of Ariana, a PDA child/teen, showing just how scary a place the world can be.
Illustrations by Mollie Sherwin.
A really engaging little book.
pickAs we all know, the first rule of book club… And the second rule… Oh well - let‘s break all of them!
A thoroughly entertaining tale of misogyny and murder, full of dark humour, great characters and the daily expectations of being a woman in India. I went in with low expectations, but I really liked this.
I‘m so pleased it‘s up for Camp Litsy next month as well. Obviously the Women‘s Prize judges were wrong! (Not that I‘ve read any of the others)
pickWell worth a read if you find yourself needing to learn about #selectivemutism. Geared towards professionals and parents, this book walks a wiggly line between academic and parent-focused in style, as it summarises the research on SM and gives numerous case studies from both professional and individual viewpoints. It‘s positive and inspiring, if a little all over the place, and gives confidence that children can successfully move through SM.
pickThat was tense. And woah - twist!
I‘m really enjoying this series, each book set on a different island on Scilly. This time St Agnes, the most remote of the inhabited islands. A body is found as the annual fireworks display begins. All signs point to an islander with a grudge against incomers… but who?
It‘s played very straight - little let-up from ‘all a bit
Huh. It‘s going to be like *that* is it? And the first page was going so well…
I‘m loving seeing all of these #TitlesAndTunes suggestions! Put your warmest raincoat on though - I‘m afraid my #IslandVibes never get as far as the tropics.
Armorel of Lyonesse is a late c19th romance (maybe) novel set on the Isles of Scilly (26 miles off the SW of England), which I‘ve meant to read forever… But I seem to have started Burnt Island, book 3 of Kate Rhodes‘moody crime series also set on Scilly. A body
Guess who just accidentally permanently deleted all of her work-related emails from 6 years of (now ended) self-employment? 🤦🏻♀️ Hope there was nothing vital in there. Guess I‘ll find out. Probably when HMRC come querying something.
For some reason I‘m not finding this pretty minimal white screen as calming as I maybe could. 🙀
I‘d quite like my ‘home‘ mailbox to look like this tho…
Happy Saturday Litsy!
I‘ve just had a week off work, but am still RIDICULOUSLY happy for a 3-day-weekend. Also, I will get back into writing reviews… one day.
#BookReport This week has been a delightful jumble of STUFF. I accidentally subscribed to a second month of Scribd, so I‘m cramming audiobooks (next up Fire Rush), plus ‘homework‘ on PDA, Bandit Queens is a delight, and London is taking ages simply because print isn‘t happening right now.
pickA decent-if-basic introduction to pathological demand avoidance, partly told from the perspective of an 11-yr old with the syndrome. The second part gives lots of suggestions and hints on how to work with a child with PDA.
If your child has recently been diagnosed, you‘ll want something more in depth. However, for friends/family or those just trying to figure out strategies/what‘s ado, this is a useful, practical and quick intro to the topic.
Today‘s train reading, brought to you by ‘I am never using this train company again‘. Ugh!
Afraid I‘m starting early on next month‘s #NaturalLitsy selection on audio, alternating with Bandit Queens for #Gladstonerds on Kobo.
Loving Bandit Queens, undecided on Butterflies yet, but the proportion of annoying people on this train-that-thinks-it‘s-a-plane (and not in a good way) mean audio is a necessity. But at least I have coffee.
pickTodays train reading- really quite fun. When her father dies, Johanna, feisty independent granddaughter of Marco Polo, needs to get away from a wicked stepmother - and she‘s always dreamed of going West to the edge of the world, travelling on horseback with her uncle‘s caravan along the silk routes.
It did feel like there was a lot of set-up for the rest of the series, but I‘m up for the next one. Completely different to Stabenow‘s crime series!
I‘ve given it WAY too much thought, and come up with this for my #booketlist @RaeLovesToRead
It‘s a mixture of books that have been on my shelves FOREVER, but I haven‘t read because I‘m saving them for best (!?), some non-fiction that I‘ve always wanted to read, but had to go out and buy first (thank you 🙃) a couple (or 4) that i‘d started/loved, but disappeared into my overwhelm and disorganisation, and Armorel of Lyonesse because why not?
It‘s real then! I‘d heard the rumours. A Penguin vending machine in the main foyer of the station, between the ticket machines and Starbucks.
What I didn‘t know was that profits are shared with the local indie bookshop, which is great!
https://amp.theguardian.com/books/2023/mar/27/train-tomes-exeter-st-davids-stati...
so-soObvious statement of the day: I am NOT the target audience. But Adam Blade seems to be The Author(s) amongst some of our younger readers (next up:Daisy Meadows 🤨), so I needed to know. I still need to go back & read a couple of BeastQuest (there are 100s of the things!)
So let‘s focus on the fun bits
- The space stallion is fab fun🤠 (Howdy pardner!)
- Nice friendship between Harry & Ava
- Cool gadgety stuff
- Mad monsters - 3-headed droid dog
Evening!
For the first (& possibly last) time EVER, I‘ve read all of the books on the #InternationalBookerPrize2023 shortlist. I have, however, been spectacularly rubbish at leaving reviews here recently, so here are my short thoughts.
Gospel: By Maryse Condé, but I really didn‘t get it at all. Probable winner, then.
Standing Heavy: The most enjoyable. The inner lives of immigrant security guards in Paris. Fab.
Boulder: Readable but…
1. Gaaaah! (Actually it might be fine. There should be at least one picture book I can return. Don‘t ask.)
2. What have you done to me? I don‘t read fantasy, I don‘t read chunksters, and I‘m rubbish at series. And yet here we are. And it‘s not even May. I hold you all entirely responsible for this peculiar behaviour.
3. How many hours? Bit scared to look….
so-soI‘m a rubbish reader of series. Triple that for cosy mysteries.
There‘s a lot to like about this, not least the setting (a needlecraft shop in Minnesota) & the mystery itself, which was a tad different.
But 3 is enough for me. More potential perpetrators would‘ve been good. And possibly the timing is off - it‘s old enough to feel dated (in technologies/attitudes) but not old enough to be charming.
So just ok. But I may yet come back for book 4
Once upon a time, many years ago, we had our very first UK Litsy meet-up in London, met some amazing people, and received this in the swap.
These days Stella Duffy is one of the patrons of the library charity I work for, and falls into the awesome human being category.
No excuses for not reading this sooner, but this is my train reading for today, and I‘m loving it. Also - look! Sunshine!
🤯
pickI really do like this series!
Historical crime, set on Romney Marsh in 1797, with smugglers, Customs, and the possibility of French invasion. When Rev. Hardcastle opens the rectory door one night, to find a man has just been shot, and is warned off from investigating by The Church, he (of course) needs to know more.
It‘s atmospheric, well-researched and full of smart, capable women. And smugglers. Plus a touch of economic history.? Loads of fun!
pickOh, OK then. It is very, very sweet and charming. Despite being an old grump, I will be reading volume 2 (if I can catch it before it flies out of the door at work at any point).
It‘s the only book I‘ve had someone physically jumping up and down with excitement when it‘s been on the shelf for them.
I am love love loving this book. It is FASCINATING. And also challenging a huge amount I studied at uni (OK, that was a while back).
Very much looking forward to the discussion on Saturday for #naturalitsy
Morning all! How are things? Hope you‘re having a good weekend.
I‘m really not doing a good job of posting/reviewing atm, but here‘s what I‘m on this week. #bookreport
Wilding 🐦 : AWESOME. So that‘s good.
Ninth Building 🏢: My surprise of the IBP so far. Short-stories-memoiry stuff growing up thro the cultural revolution. But that cover??
A stitch in time 🪡: Monica Ferris -always reliable cozy on audio, if a little dated/middle class in places
Happy Sunday!
I thought I‘d get some predictions in for the #InternationalBookerPrize2023. And then put them on a ridiculously cheerful springlike not-remotely-dark backdrop - because obviously that‘s what IBP books call for.
The longlist lands on Tuesday, when we‘ll discover
1. I‘m wildly wrong about everything
2. I‘ve read none
3. The list is way grimmer than mine
4. And has least 3 chunksters!
Anyone else attempting the longlist this year?
I mean…
Title ☑️
Cover ☑️
Author ☑️
I really need to write some reviews! In the meantime, here‘s my beautifully coordinated #bookreport for this week.
I finished 3 whole books 🎉
If the River is Hidden: gorgeous nonfiction/poetry/travel/stuff, along Northern Ireland‘s River Bann
A Three Dog Problem: Yeah. Meh.
Whale: I really hope this makes the International Booker Prize longlist, simply because I want someone else‘s views on it. In the words of StoryGraph, It‘s
so-soHmm, I‘m not too sure.
On one hand, the Queen discretely solving murders, with the help of her young assistant private secretary, is still a lot of fun. The author loves (some of) her royals! And who doesn‘t like a bit of art crime?
On the other 😕lots of things. The plot got more than a little convoluted. A whole host of heavy themes were in here, not all of them managed well. And it needed more dogs!
I *may* or may not read the next one!
Gorgeous morning here. Worth the trip to the other side of the river for a GP appointment. Yes, that is the ferry I got home.
Then started The River is Hidden (not in database), which was in my Republic of Consciousness Prize sub - a poetry-prose walk along the length of the River Bann, Northern Ireland, written by two authors with complicated relationships with English/Irish/Northern Irish identities.
I wonder if I could walk *this* river 🤔
In this week‘s #bookreport:
I finished
🧙♀️ A sweet witchy children‘s story, about a little witch who doesn‘t speak
🐰 Based on the author‘s story, a young Jewish girl leaves Germany just in time. So well done.
Still going with:
🐺Hobb. Going to have to switch to print now, but it‘s Fab.
👑 And enjoying being back at the palace with her majesty and her sleuthing. An entertaining read.
As for the #weeklyforecast
pickIn my ongoing hunt for pre-school appropriate books about #selectivemutism, I stumbled across this at work. An accepting story about a little witch whose words get stuck, making friends & saying what‘s important when she really needs to. A dragon is involved.
Things to note:
1. Written by a Speech & Language Therapist
2. Pictures are gorgeous
3. Wanda‘s ‘condition‘ is never named, so could cover many things
4. Nosy Crow are awesome publishers.
Libby ate my book. And I have to wait a whole month to get it back. I‘m feeling quite bereft. 🙁
Morning, Litsy. #BookReport
I wasn‘t crazy-keen on the books I was reading this week, so I switched things up a little with a jumble of children‘s lit and translated wotnots. MUCH better.
🎶 Tenement Kid. Bit of an effort tbh.
📚 Librarian. Fine, but not fab.
🐳 Whale. If I get through this I‘ll have lots to say. It could‘ve been brilliant. But instead, uck. Enough now.
pickI‘ve spent LOADS of time this week being told how funny Captain Underpants is, by enthusiastic young readers. Or ordering in different titles for children who have read everything Underpants we have. Or just hunting for Dav Pilkey books, cos they refuse to stay on the shelf.
So this evening I decided to actually read one… Turns out they are quite fun. And I did like the Flip-E-Rama section. I might even be up for reading more.
Tra-La-Laaa!
Another excellent read from @Mitch ‘s #AuldLangSpine list.
Morland finds a copy of Berger‘s A Fortunate Man, the life of a rural doctor and his patients - and discovers it‘s set in the valley in which she lives. She approaches the current GP, to see if she‘d be interested in working with her on a modern-day version… and here it is.
pickNOT what I was expecting. And all the better for it.
The author is 59. Her youngest daughter is leaving home, her banana tree is part of the family, & the chances of her acquiring the grand house she‘s always planned are receding. So what Real Estate does she have? Or Un-Real Estate, come to that?
A surprisingly funny, wise, relatable, comfort-ready memoir-of-a-year in-essays type-thing. I will read her novels.
Audio read by Julia Stevenson👍
It‘s my day off. The books I‘m reading are not necessarily the books I want to be reading right now.
Obvious solution (I really wish this wasn‘t the obvious solution!) - start something else. This is the preface. Ok!
#BookReport #WeeklyForecast
Afternoon all! This is what my reading‘s looking like at the moment. I‘ll be honest - it‘s a slightly odd combination, and it really is all about the audio at the moment. I‘m being a bit grinchy, and a bit lurgy (AGAIN) so take everything I say with a large pinch of salt. Unless it relates to Robin Hobb. And I am SO far behind with reviews, this might just turn into an extended essay 🙁
On the hunt for a #QuietYA book for #Booked2023, I thought I‘d give this a go. Korean-American Frank falls for a white girl. His parents have already disowned his sister, for falling for a black guy. So he needs a plan…
It‘a titled as a predictable romance, but this isn‘t where it goes. It‘s much more about feeling you fall between worlds, working out your identity, friendships & getting to know your parents. Sad & funny. Narrator was excellent.
pickI loved loved loved this book.
A series of essays stemming from the North Sea coast of Denmark, where the author explores the environment, home, history, belonging, the city, art, the sea, the seafarers, and all sorts, with a dry humour.
With gorgeous illustrations by her friend Signe Parkins, this was a quite lovely read, and it may be time to renew my passport and get exploring again.
pickA complete surprise, combining a memoir of the author and his father, whose ‘together‘ activity was eel fishing, with a natural/social history of the eel, and what we don‘t know about them. I went in (honestly?) indifferent to eels, and came out with respect and fascination for these stubborn, elusive creatures. Great stuff!
Thanks for prompting this read #naturalitsy! #NonFiction2023 #RollingInTheDeep #NaturalitsyBingo #Water
Happy Weekend, Litsy!
So this week I finished my first Robin Hobb, and was very tempted to dive straight into the next book. But at 29 hours, I‘d best go for a break in between times!
Lots of nonfiction, thanks to #AuldLangSpine and #NaturalLitsy. And why have I not read Dorthe Nors‘s fiction yet?
And started Frankly in Love as an attempt at QuietYA for #Booked2023. I had no idea about David and Nicola Yoon‘s story.
![[tagged book]](https://image.librarything.com/pics/litsy_webpics/icon_taggedBook@3x.png){kind=icon}
Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for providing an E-ARC for review. 6d