Welcome to Litsy!

Huge, funky Jabberywocky Books in Newburyport, MA has a truly awesome used book room! Had fun there and scored a like-new, signed Anna Quindlen novel for half price! Indie bookstore love! #bookhaul #indiebookstores

#BookReport 35/20

Only two books this week, both very good. And I am 2/3 through The Eighth Life 💃

Mimi Miller narrates the story of her life in a place that is bound to disappear, because the government needs it as a reservoir in a water management project and slowly but surely floods it.
What is the biggest fear of most inhabitants turns out to be not that important after all, because so much has changed in the intervening years.
Mimi is a great observer of herself, her family and the community in this quietly, powerful novel.

We had our monthly meeting of the #OmnivorousBookClub tonight 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻! Held at one of our branches, we always get a great turn-out from patrons. Tonight‘s theme was “Books Set in Pennsylvania”! Mine was the tagged book and “Imaginary Friend”, the former set in the eastern part of the state, and the latter set in the western part.

#LitsyLovesLibraries

Fantastic book.
Really really devoured it in chunks as it was such a great book. I liked the way tge story flowed with a combination of past and present but not in a prescriptive way.
Fans of Elizabeth Stroud and Ann Tyler will love!

Loved her book Alternate Side so really looking forward to this.

#7covers7days #covercrush Day 5 #audiobookcovers

#MayMovieMagic #WhenTheLeveeBreaks #BeatleMaynia #CarryThatWeight Mimi Miller is reflecting on her life as she looks back to the year the US government decides to flood her family land creating a diversion that will ultimately become a reservoir. As the river is allowed in, dampening the ground, loosening ties, it seems to drown people little by little forcing secrets to float up to the surface. A quiet but powerful story of home and belonging.

They also managed to incorporate gossip and meanness into their religious tradition...

And now for something different...

Stack 5/12 for the #BlindDateWithABook Display @BookBabe and I are working on. 😁

Have you read any of these?!

#LitsyLovesLibraries #MrBooksDisplays

Finished this just in time for #bookclub tomorrow evening. loved it. It‘s a wonderful story told in a very non-dramatic way. This is Mimi‘s coming of age story, the daughter of a farmer and nurse who live in a valley their ancestors have inhabited for the past 200 years. This valley experiences flooding often and the government intervenes. A story of home, family, perseverance, secrets, and most definitely love. There were tears on my part!

Our newest #bookclub pick is a coming of age tale. It‘s turning out to be a quick read, which is nice for a change since last month‘s book was a difficult read for most of the members to get through.

One thing I would have liked fleshed out was the relationship between Mimi's mother and her sister. There is a plot twist that touches on perhaps why they had a tumultuous relationship, but I felt like this didn't get enough time and development and could've really added to the story, especially in the beginning. A slow burn. Like other reviewers, I found the novel hard to get into because of its pace. Stick with it, you will be glad you did.

Our favorite Half Price Books location closed Sunday. 😢📚 We scored some stuff on a quick trip 7/4–the first day of their 50% off sale. When we went back Saturday, it was a 75% off sale. This is about half our book haul (if you count the three books that got cut off of the bottom; the rest already went onto DH‘s shelves). Tagged book is signed.

Anna Quindlen's fiction writing is so exceptional that you feel like a lovely spell has been cast upon you.
"Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition." -James Baldwin

Easy read about a family whose home will be flooded by the government. Fun to read but not particularly memorable. 4 out of 5.

I'm part of a book club. Her name is Debbie. That's how many people I know who really really REALLY read the books I read. She recommended this and, of course, I loved it.

And with this...#LetterQ is done, and I‘ve officially finished my #LitsyAtoZ!!! With a few hours to spare!

(Really enjoyed this book, about the journey of a woman from childhood to old age. But then, I love Anna Quindlen in general!)

Rereading this one for my book club meeting this Wednesday. I loved it the first time. Here's hoping that I love it just as much this time around.

Well, that was... quiet. This was my first book by Quindlen and, although I don't regret the time I spent reading it, it will likely be my last. Her writing style here was folksy and sort of matter-of-fact. The book focused on a woman reflecting on her life on a farm. Even when something life-changing happened, it came across as mundane. I bet some people would really connect more with the storytelling style than I did.

This is a lovely, quiet, slow-burning story of a small-town girl's life over decades. There are lots of open-ended and incomplete stories, and Quindlen does a lovely job of tackling sex, aging parents, evolving relationships, abortion, and more. It's been a couple months, but already this book is fading from my mind. Still, I enjoyed it and I'd reread it. Full review: https://bookandstitch.wordpress.com/2017/05/16/millers-valley-by-anna-quindlen/

#RockinMay Day 6 This is a quiet story told in first person narration. Mimi Miller has lived in a #smalltown her entire life and she slowly unveils her story spanning several decades. There's births & deaths, illnesses and celebrations, family secrets and shared moments. If you want an "acoustic" read, striped down ~ nothing fancy yet simply refined , you'll enjoy this short meaningful story.

This is a quiet coming of age tale, reminiscent of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. It seemed slow at first, but by the end I was fully enveloped in a way that made me want to hold on to the characters and not let go of the story. Thoughtful storytelling, true to the humanness of everyday life and everyday people.

Loved this!!!

Always enjoyed this author.

For some reason I can't get the screenshot to fit on litsy so I have to add Victoria and the Girl Before to my list. 10 books for February! This is kind of a record for me! And I'm posting early because I know I won't finish another before tonight!

One of two books I'm using the author's last name. #LitsyAtoZ

#LitsyAtoZ #12,13,14 @BookishMarginalia

Good, little book. Very quick read and I enjoyed the story and characters. Checking off pennyslvania in the #unitedstatesofbooks and Q!! on #litsyatoz 😀✔️✔️

Although there isn't a lot of action, I enjoyed this book on audio. The narrator's tone really made this feel like a memoir and it went well with Quindlen's story of the Miller family. #LitsyAtoZ #LetterQ

We have a very rare snow day off in NYC schools (I think we've only had 5 in the 13 years I worked there) so it's a super exciting day around here! Ready to curl up on the couch with this one - next in my #unitedstatesofbooks list - Pennsylvania!

I thought this little book packed so much depth about family, relationships, secrets & heartaches. I didn't realize how much I loved it until I finished it. It's just a wonderfully told story❤️

Winter walk and listening to this audiobook and admiring the artwork #somewhereinmiddleamerica. #omaha

This is a quiet portrayal of a family on the verge of losing their home seen through the eyes of Mary Margaret. As Mary Margaret grows up in the book, the innocence of childhood turns into the reality of grownup life, grown up decisions and family secrets. A sweet coming of age story.

"It was easy to figure out how people ought to behave out in the world if you never went out in the world yourself."

My first Anna Quindlen. Really impressed so far.

It's silly but I was hoping to get to 5000 litfluence before the year was over and I just got it. A silly little Christmas present. (Also used the title for my favorite read of 2016 for this post.)

Such a great family drama. Sad and sweet.

This quiet, uncomplicated, yet satisfying coming of age / family saga and story of small-town life reminded me of a less hard-hitting version of Ann Patchett's Commonwealth with a touch of girl power for good measure. The writing was chock full of wise observations about life. Would make a great gift for mothers, MILs, grandmothers, etc. @penguinrandomhouse

#TheOmnivorousReadersBookClub is meeting tonight ?????! Tonight's theme is thanks-giving. I brought this book and "Lust For Life". Not related to the holiday necessarily, but giving thanks, accepting help from others, and family ties, are major themes in these two selections. Great turnout tonight! Reading any similarly-themed books currently?

This was such a lovely story of the bonds of family and the draw of that place you call home, even when you have been away for so long. My favorite quote: "...no one ever really leaves the town where they grew up, not really, even if they go." Anna Quindlen writes with such realness and depth, and I could identify with so many parts of this family's story. So glad I read this. Now, to start adding more of her novels to my TBR list. ?

My immediate choice for #setinasmalltown. Family saga / bildungsroman with the backdrop of the threat of the government wanting to flood their land to re-route a river. Story of familial duty and love with powerful setting. Liked this way more than I anticipated. My first Anna Quindlen, but not my last. #photoadaynov16

My #firsteverLitsypost was a quote from what remains one of my favorite books of the year. #booktober

I just finished this book and it was wonderful. I feel warm after reading it. Like I just finished a really good dinner with great companions. Feels kind of silly to say that but I just really liked it. Good from start to finish. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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