Thank you so much Jessie for these two books 😘😘 I appreciate your kindness in sending them onto me. I‘ve been wanting to read Atonement for ages and I really enjoyed McManus‘ first book. I had to include a picture of the wrapping paper because I love it ♥️♥️ #litsymail

I had no idea about Capote and his ‘swans‘ & how he betrayed them after years of being their friend and confidante, by writing an article detailing their secrets etc. It was kind of sad how he basically self destructed after that. Such an intriguing person though. I don‘t think I would have enjoyed it as much in print form but the audio was perfect, the narrator did an excellent job. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1. So good on audio
2. We had some sun ☀️
3. Indian probably
4. 8
5. Will do 💗

#friyayintro

Bit reading time on the train back to Newcastle. Actually going to be sociable tonight 😩😂

This book is so fascinating! It‘s dense with information & it‘s not always easy to keep the names in order but I don‘t want to put it down. I loved her other book on Cleopatra, too.

@Libby1 it‘s like you know me! Coffee flavoured chocolate is my absolute fave 😋

Thank you so much 😘 I love the little Eiffel Tower bookmark too 💕💕 #mhroundrobin

Kingsolver has a way of writing characters that are completely brought to life. I can‘t fault her writing. The climate change aspect of it was fascinating and the setting of a small community generally always makes for a decent story. Only thing that let it down was the end; it felt a bit rushed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #booked2019 #clifi

So I really loved this, more than I was expecting. It‘s sad but in some ways hopeful and it made me laugh. The writing is amazing. I wanted to keep reading but at the same time just savor it. I can‘t wait to discuss it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #nyrbbookclub

Thank you so much @kaysworld1 for gifting this on to me. It‘s been on my tbr for years!! 🧛‍♀️ appreciate it 😘😘 #jbuk

Let‘s see what the other twin has to say. I stopped reading at this point a few days ago but it‘s still been on my mind. #nyrbbookclub

How fab is this display for Normal People in Waterstones storefront 😍

1. No kids or pets yet 😔
2. Moon Tiger
3. Walks, out for a meal & read
4. Raining today ☔️
5. Curry

#friyayintro

Claudia is full of flaws; therefore ultimately human and relatable. What makes it more brilliant is that she is looking back at her past from her own eyes, but also we get to see glimpses from the perspective of her daughter, lovers & brother. How history & human lives connect & converge is what I got from this novel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #nightorientedtitle #booked2019

In bed early with a cuppa so I can start reading this for #nyrbbookclub 🧡🧡

1. Girl, Interrupted
2. Wuthering Heights
3. Goodreads
4. Marina & the Diamonds 💙
5. @Cathythoughts @Emilymdxn

Thanks for the tag @julesG & @Centique 😘 #wondrouswednesday

I liked the style of this one; the small, episodic chapters that quickly build a picture of Alina, her family and communist Romania. I thought the magical elements might put me off but they worked. A different and interesting way of telling a story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

All bar one were women‘s prize reads for me this month. Tagged book & Ghost Wall were my favourites. #aprilwrapup

So disappointed Freshwater didn‘t make it to the shortlist 😒

Milkman is my winner from these but I liked all three of the bottom books. I‘m surprised Ordinary People made it. Would have liked to have seen Ghost Wall & Normal People in there too. #womensprize

Evocative, brutal and atmospheric. It‘s got a lot going on for such a small book; misogyny, nationalism, domestic and child abuse. It has its moments of lightness, too. The ending was a shocker, not what I was expecting. I think it easily could have been made into a full length novel but maybe then the impact would be lessened? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

I really liked this. From the description I was expecting more about the women & less about the men but it‘s almost as much Achilles story as it is Briseis. However it does powerfully describe how women were treated. Briseis fear & strength is written vividly and her character is well drawn, and it‘s a lot more focused & direct than Circe. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

I wish this had stayed with Romys perspective. It started off really strong but then I didn‘t think the chapters from Doc or Gordon added anything at all. I love that it shows how effed up the prison system in the US is & the themes of choices, crime etc. but there was a disconnect for me in that I felt barely anything for the characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

Thanks @howjessreads for using my question 🥰 I‘m off to read everyone‘s answers after posting this. #friyayintro

1. Sabrina the Teenage Witch @BarbaraTheBibliophage

2. Visit America which I will be doing in October 😀 @Melissa_J

3. Usually by mood @emtobiasz

4. Harry Potter. I still haven‘t finished the series (got 3 left) but if it wasn‘t for my children‘s lit course I don‘t think I would have ever read it.

5. Favourite bookstore?

You know some books you just HAVE to keep reading even though you‘re tired or busy etc...well this was the opposite of that. I don‘t know how many times I fell asleep reading it 🤭

Some parts I enjoyed more than others. I liked Circe as a character & it was interesting to learn a bit about Greek mythology & the setting was portrayed very well but I was a bit underwhelmed, really. Maybe the hype had me expecting too much. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

The first half of this I absolutely loved but then when it shifted to the son‘s narration it kind of lost me. There‘s stories within stories. It‘s well written & the idea is brilliant but it almost felt like it was trying to do too much. Not a very memorable read for me. I did like the ending though. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

I had no idea ritual servitude (basically a form of slavery) existed. I appreciate this book for bringing it to light. It‘s a fast paced read, as it‘s a relatively short book & a lot happens in it. At times it felt like it was a bit overly rushed & I feel like it could have dug a little deeper, but I think it would make a good book club read. It‘s a harrowing subject and a heartbreaking story but with sparks of hope in it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

I wouldn‘t have read this if it wasn‘t longlisted for the #womensprize. It just didn‘t appeal to me & I was right in thinking that. I didn‘t hate reading it and I liked the humour, but Lucy annoyed the hell out of me & I just didn‘t get the whole merman thing. I think I get what the author was aiming for but it didn‘t work for me. The more I think about it the more I dislike it 😂🤷‍♀️

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I think this is the strongest written novel I‘ve read this year. I felt like I was completely in the mindset of the narrator, and felt almost drained from the constant monitoring, paranoia, gossip etc. that is felt in the community. What a talent to be able to write a novel like this. Interesting and new (for me) setting & background, with a massively vivid sense of character. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

Everything good said about this short novel is true. It‘s funny, smart and fresh. I loved the sisters. Can‘t wait to see what she comes up with next. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

The kindness of this community always amazes me ♥️ thank you so much for this book Kate, I can‘t wait to read it. You‘ve cheered up my morning 😘 #jbuk

I don‘t know about this one. I finished it yesterday and I‘m already feeling like it‘s not very memorable. I did enjoy reading it. It was a quick, fast paced read and well written. I think maybe I was just expecting a bit more depth to it. I never connected to the characters. It was like I was observing rather than being a part of the story, which isn‘t necessarily a bad thing when you just want a quick read but I think it could have been more. 👇

Brilliant. I had no expectations going in & knew little of what the book was about but I loved it. Very strong sense of time, place and character. It unfolds at a steady pace that keeps you wanting to read on. Spring‘s grown up son is in a coma in the hospital & she is telling him the history of his and her family so he can ‘make his way home‘. It‘s about slavery, the past and family. Also, how stunning is the cover! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #womensprize

No five star reads this month. Tagged book was my favourite 💙 #marchwrapup

A pretty bleak portrait of unhappy lives & relationships/marriages. If you like plot based books then this might not be for you as it‘s really character based. I very much liked the first half of the book but then it just got a bit samey and a little bit dull, unfortunately. I appreciate that it‘s true to life and I think a lot of people could relate to the feelings of loneliness in marriage,👇

First quarter of #booked2019 complete ✔️

👮‍♀️ Female detective - Her Final Breath
🧚‍♀️ Fairytale retelling - Uprooted
🎧 Related to a podcast - Mentors
📚 Happy place - Books, Baguettes & Bedbugs
🇮🇪 Irish author - The Lesser Bohemians
📖 New to you author - Slow Days, Fast Company

These ten short stories, or vignettes, are all set in and around L.A in the 1970s & are a blend of fiction and memoir. It‘s got such an evocative sense of time and place. The imagery and the way she describes the characters is spot on. An easy, often funny read that captures a mood. 💕 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #newtoyouauthor #booked2019

I‘m going to try and read all of the #womensprize longlist. These are all from the library and have some of the others reserved. Milkman, Circe & My Sister, the Serial Killer I have on kindle.

Read Freshwater & Normal People last year and loved them both ♥️

So surprised with how much I liked this but it just took on a life of its own for me. One of those where you think about the characters when you aren‘t reading it and after you‘ve finished it. Very real. There‘s a lot of sex, especially in the first half, but it was never just for the sake of it. It takes a dark turn, just over halfway, that gives more depth to the characters. I think essentially it‘s about love, relationships...👇👇

Fascinating book about the reasons why depression, anxiety and other mental disorders are prevalent in us humans even after millions of years of evolution. He looks at how low mood etc. can be helpful but how in excess leads to mental illness. It‘s quite a broad scope but I learned a lot from it and it got me really thinking! So complex and he obviously advocates for more research in evolutionary psychology. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The way this is written drew me in from the start. It‘s not the most interesting story but I‘m absolutely loving reading it. And I seen someone today at work that fit the image in my head of what the main male character looks like .. if that doesn‘t make me sound too weird 😂

I wasn‘t a big fan of her other novel so wasn‘t expecting to like this one so much. #booked2019 #irishauthor

This took a little while to get going but then once it hit I was all in. It‘s about halfway before the trauma of what the narrator went through is revealed but you know from the start that something has happened to him. I really liked the writing and the narrator. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Some photos from my walks this week 💚 #litsywalkers

I‘m a big fan of Girl on the Train but this didn‘t captivate me as much. I liked the development of the characters and it did keep me intrigued, but not to the point where I couldn‘t wait to pick it up again. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Been out and about all morning so having a bit reading time before I get on with the housework. ☕️🥞📚

Did lots of walking today. Went to Byland Abbey & Rievaulx Abbey. I think I‘ve found a new fascination with learning about monks and monasteries 😆 #litsywalkers #old

I genuinely enjoyed every single one of my reads in Feb. The tagged book is my only five star read but the others, besides from the last two, are four stars. #februarywrapup

I love Russell Brand and everything he says. He makes so much sense to me. I relate to a lot of what he has to say. This book is kind of an extension of Recovery - he writes about the people that helped him along the way, through and out of addiction and what it means to be mentored and to be a mentor. He clearly loves words and language as this is pretty wordy, but in a good way. A short, interesting listen. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #relatedtoapodcast #booked2019

So beautifully & powerfully written. It‘s opened my eyes to a world that is far from my own. I finished Invisible Man this month too, and I feel like I‘ve learned a lot about race in America from these two books. It‘s vivid and emotive. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I could not put this one down. It‘s throughly researched and detailed. It blew my mind and broke my heart at the same time. Reading about what happened in Jonestown is absolutely harrowing but it also explains why and how so many people joined Peoples Temple. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Went to the library and wandered around town (which was super busy!) for a couple of hours. Gorgeous day for a walk ☀️☀️ #litsywalkers #sunshine

I really enjoyed this 😁 It captures the essence of Shakespeare & Co. It‘s full of stories and anecdotes about the people that lived in the bookshop with him and filtered with little bits of info about the owner and the history of the shop. Hopefully get to visit in June 🤞 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #booked2019 #remindsyouofyourhappyplace

I‘m glad I listened to the audio but I think I‘ll be purchasing a copy of the book too. Some essays resonated more than others but every single one is important, heartbreaking and infuriating 😔 Something needs to change and soon. The last essay just says it all.

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