Welcome to Litsy!

We‘re shaking things up a little for #SundayFunday ! I was going through some things, and I found the @bookriot LitChat deck. So I thought we could answer some of the questions on the cards!

Here‘s the first one! I picked one of McGuire‘s novellas. It‘s a ghost story with quite a few laughs, but also an emotional beat that I really enjoyed.

Make your own post, tag your choice, and remember to tag me so I can see your responses!

"Dead is the change you can't take back, dead is the mistake that can't be unmade."
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Y‘all I finally picked it up from my local books shop and I read the whole thing in an evening. I completely adore Seanan and the way the words dance for her and this book was no exception. It‘s full of sorrow and love and the kind of understanding and care I wish more people could live by before they‘re passed by.

“New York has ghosts. Las Vegas is a haunting shaped like a city, and one day there‘s going to be an exorcism. Sometimes I wonder whether there‘s anything real under all the shadows cast by the dead.”
Y‘all I just love the way Seanan McGuire makes words dance.

This has a neat plot, but it felt really rushed towards the end and the antagonist‘s motives were only weakly explored. Basically, I think the story wanted to be longer than the author let it and that a lot of confusion arises from how superficially all of the ideas are explored.

While overall I would say I enjoyed this novella, the devil is in the details and at times it left me confused. I was left wanting more of an understanding of how ghosts actually come to be, how they haunt and what‘s up with the magic system. I usually love Seanan McGuire‘s work, but this one just wasn‘t my cup of tea.

#fiction #fantasy #2020ReadingGoals

Loved it! So much more than a book about ghosts and witches and magic, and more than just about love and loss and life. I knew it will be special starting with the dedication: “For everyone who has been tempted to go, and has found the strength to stay. I will see you all tomorrow.“ and indeed it is great writing, words are so beautifully placed together in beautiful phrases. I will start another of her books soon. Thanks @ozma.of.oz for the recs.

“... thinking this is probably what Heaven will be like, warm air and cloudy skies and the feeling of absolute contentment that comes only from coffee and pie and knowing your place in the world.”

1. Tagged! Dinosaur ghosts. 🦖 *snickers*
2. How to Be a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery

#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

🎧 So theres multiple types of witches ... corn witches ... ghosts. Ghosts that can give & take time from human lives. Ghosts that can be trapped in mirrors. Ghosts that solidify. Very inventive story. Possibly not long enough. A girl who goes off the deep end after her sister dies and accidentally kills herself within a year then becomes able to appear corporeal working for a Suicide hotline 40 years later. Great narrator! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The ghosts of Manhattan have disappeared. Only Jenna is left, a ghost who died too soon, earning the time she should have lived by working a suicide hotline.

I love McGuire‘s ghost stories. It‘s always such an interesting take on what causes ghosts. I love how she intertwines more domestic magics, like corn witches. And I liked Jenna a lot.

I just wanted more, and not specifically of this story. Just of this world she‘s established. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

*snerk* I love McGuire‘s sense of humor!

I enjoyed this one. The premise is very interesting.

BONUS POINTS for anyone who can say this title 10 time‘s fast without tripping up!!

I don't know what has gotten into me today, but I finished this novella this morning too! Whatever it is, I'm happy to have read this heart-filled tale of a ghost earning her way to the other side. A mystery takes her on an adventure with a witch - but can she trust her?

This is the dedication for this book, and I absolutely love it.

Seanan McGuire comes through for me every time. This novella is a ghost story from the point of view of the ghost. A ghost with a conscience, a ghost who is a good person. She volunteers at a suicide hotline.

If you enjoy the Wayward Children series, I bet you‘ll like this one too. I‘m glad I found it in my library‘s shelves.

Another sharp little novella from Tor.com, most of the book focuses on the premise that some people die before their time, those people become ghosts, and those ghosts can take years off a human's age, add it to their own, and cross over when they reach the age they were destined to die. But this exchange can go both ways, and ghosts can be trapped and forced to take years against their will. It's a pretty cool idea, but I would have liked more.

@TheReadingMermaid you are one of the most thoughtful people I've ever known. Thank you for this surprise package of #LitsyLOVE!
I've been coveting this book. I love all the goodies and now I know how to stuff my book for the #Mysterymessageswap 😀
Its such a lovely idea.
I really loved your poem, the colorings and drawings, and the bookmark. Everything. This came at a perfect time as I was sick AGAIN this week. Thank you for your kindness.

I got tagged by the lovely @Eggs 💕🤗💕

📗 Tagged
📖 Still trying to get through The Bird Eater by Ania ahlborn
📘 The Fourth Courier by Timothy Jay Smith

I tag @HOTPock3tt
#ReadingCheckIn

OMG you guys.... I finished a book!!! I ACTUALLY FINISHED AN ENTIRE BOOK!!! 😲😲😲 This is the first book I've read since being released from the hospital and I couldn't be happier!!!!
This book was the epitome of short and sweet. It had horror elements but was not scary at all. Perfect for a quick read for anyone who enjoys dark fantasy.
🖤🖤🖤👻🖤🖤🖤

I really enjoyed this one by Seanan McGuire. I listened to the audiobook version and it was well done like her Wayward Children series. I liked the world the author built and how the story came together.

Enjoying the beautiful day outside before it gets colder again tonight. Hanging out on the hammock while listening to the audiobook of Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day

I think this should have been expanded into a larger body of work. The reader is left playing catch up with the witch. It‘s a nice story though.

And look what arrived today, back from its world tour. Thanks again, #groupj. I really enjoyed reading with you all. #lmpbc

And that's a wrap on #LMPBC! I know you guys didn't love this one but I quite enjoyed it. I'm sad that this is the last book, but this experience has been a joy. Thank you all for the adventure! @wanderinglynn @thebluestocking @reggie

Despite the cover blurb by Charlaine Harris and the interesting premise, this book didn‘t really work for me. A few problems that made it meh. Full review on GR:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2543080816

It‘ll be on its way to you soon @OddBookishBee 😀 #lmpbc #groupj

#SundaySurvey
1. Urban fantasy, fantasy, or sci-fi - I usually reread a fave, like HHGTTG
2. Strictly mood-reading
3. I played piano ages 5-18 and flute & piccolo ages 10-18. Since a piano is too hard to move, I‘ve since picked up the guitar, although I don‘t practice as I should. 😎
4. Kiss Me by Ed Sheeran

@thebluestocking Thank you so much for the bookmark!! It‘s amazing. The book....Just fair warning @wanderinglynn @OddBookishBee some of my comments are a little cynical, so please forgive. I think this book would have been a better 6-700 page book where she really expounds on every character mentioned in this book. It almost felt preachy to me. Mixed in with tell not show did not make for my favorite Seanan McGuire. #LMPBCGROUPJ.

Currently reading. Ghosts are everywhere.

It was an okay read. Not as great as the other three books I have read by Seanan McGuire, but it was still good. I was able to pick this one up yesterday, and finish it the same day.

I loved the world building and the characters but the story didn‘t completely work for me. There was a lot to be left desired from this novella. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was intrigued by the premise of this book: people who die sooner than they were meant to must stay on earth as quasi-humans until they reach their dying day. But I never quite got a firm grasp on the world and its rules, and the plot and characters were underdeveloped. This was one of those rare cases where I wished the book was longer.

I finished up my book for #lmpbc round 3. This is headed your way a little early, @Reggie! #groupj

Round 3 of the #LMPBC starts today. I‘m so excited to read with #GroupJ this time! @wanderinglynn @OddBookishBee @Reggie

Another work day, another lunchtime read.

Definitely not my favorite from this author, but a good read - and a refreshing take on ghost stories.

Library haul!

#marchmadnesschallenge @JenP
What a fun ghost story with a different twist.
The ghosts of NYC have disappeared, and a ghost & a witch team up to solve the mystery. It‘s thin, and the villain isn‘t developed at all. But for 180 pages and 2 hours of your life, it‘s a fun ride.

Another problem for my bracket 😥

Arizona is taken for by Buffalo so our number 4 seed is out and Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day moves on.
#marchMadnessChallenge

Who picked this one correctly?

#Marchmadnesschallenge
This nominee in our bracket was a 2017 goodreads choice award nominee for horror. After accidentally dying in the wake of her big sister‘s suicide, native Kentuckian Jenna decides that she must earn the right to pass on. Ghosts, haunting, and adventure.

Does this sound like a book you‘d enjoy? Have you read it? Why should we rate it highly? You can vote in our survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BH523YL

1. Tagged! All the feels! Kinda wish it was a series.
2. 6
3. Ants on one side, auhnts the other, and even a few aunties
4. Homemade bagels
5. 🤲🏻 on the lookout!
(It's bugging me that the thumbs are on the wrong side 😅)
#friyayintro @jesshowbooks

I just realized how behind I am posting my recent reads, so I apologize for the spam while I get caught up. I really loved this novella. The way ghosts and witches worked was different and interesting, and the main character was wonderful, though sad.

We never leave our home behind

Tea break 😁☕📚

Seanan McGuire manages to pack so much story into so few pages. It always amazes me. Loved this unique little ghost story. Packs a punch!

"Magic is real. Once magic is real, nothing is entirely out of the question."

A wonderful short novel from one of my favorite authors. Jenna is a ghost who works at a suicide hotline in Manhattan, where she's resided for 40 years since her death in small town Kentucky. When the ghosts of Manhattan go missing, she must uncover what has happened & why.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5 • #novella

Another weekend, another book checked off the #TBRbingo card. 📖✔️

Heads up, I'm about to post several reviews I've been too busy to get to until now. Apologies in advance for flooding your feed!

My favorite thing about Saturday mornings is the opportunity to slow down the start of my day/weekend so I can enjoy a quiet & unhurried #bookandbreakfast. 🍞🍵📖 #shhimtryingtoread