Welcome to Litsy!

Not my usual read but it was interesting. A fictional look at Hollywood in the 50s and beyond. Just enough of a mystery to keep me reading and I didn‘t guess it.

This book took me by surprise. Took me by it's bare hands and pinned me with devastation, surprise, anguish, heartbreak and just pure awe at the characters created. I forgot many times that Evelyn Hugo does not exist. That this is not her biography. This is just fiction. Unrelenting, raw, unflinching fiction.

Big, fat op shop haul from just over a week ago. The cards are for #LitsyLove I adore L‘Occitane products so was pleased to score a travel sized bag full for $2. I love having fabric napkins for dinner parties but because they get trashed so easily I only buy them from op shops. They were only $2 too!

While the story was very good it took me a bit to get into it. I agree with another reviewer that it kind of dragged and Monique's narrator sounded to old for her part. But it did pick up and was a very interesting read for me. There is a lot going on but not so much that you will get lost. Evelyn's words were wonderful. Her narrator did a great job and the story that she is telling is both interesting and at times heartbreaking.
Audio version.

I came across so many great quotes while reading this book. Here are a few of my favorites.

No haiku review for this one as I can't even fathom trying to describe this book in less than 20 words, but it's definitely at the top of my reading list this year.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I also just reached my yearly goodreads goal of 120 books!! I've never read this many in a year before, and I'm still going strong! 🎉

⬆️This entire passage⬆️

One of my best friends recommended me this book saying I'd love it so much and she obviously knows me better than I thought because I am loving and relating to so much in a bi/racial/sexual sort of way and I just 😭 am grateful to have friends that know me and love me as I am

"When you're given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn't give things. You take things."

OMG. I am vicariously indulging in every sip of Evelyn Hugo's life tea (so far). I love this relatable(ish) content. Less than 50 pages to go. Let's find out why she really is the monster she claims to be ?
#queerreads #bisexual #biracial #acceptance

I loved how TJR uses the media snippets to tell the “public” side of the story. It contrast so well with the “private” story and makes the reader feel as though they‘re in on all the secrets. I thought TJR brought to life the glamour of Hollywood while still showing the “truths”. Really enjoyed it.

Perfect reflection of not always knowing the exact truth. Some times you never know what someone is hiding!

https://give.thetrevorproject.org/event/taylor-jenkins-reids-fundraiser/e512130

Together, with Taylor Jenkins Reid, you can support our life-saving work. By contributing to Taylor‘s fundraiser, you will receive limited-edition items created by the author herself: previously unpublished letters from Evelyn and Celia, signed copies of the book, and more.

I know I‘m late to this party but I finally read this one! Some great twists and turns and beautiful storytelling. I loved the surprising connection between Evelyn and Monique. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Anyone else trying to get through one last one before #scarathlon?!💚💜🖤🧡🙋🏻‍♀️

4.5⭐️ I enjoyed the book for this #reread. I think it was that I understood the book better than my first reading a few years ago. I can see why people still enjoy this book. #2023 #bookclub #bookreview #lgbtq #bookstagram #historicalfiction #fiction

i loved the way this book was written, i loved how the story played out, and i loved how you could balance a love-hate relationship with the title character as you learn the ins and outs of her life. i liked this new idea of femininity and sexuality vs. sex and how a woman of beauty and intelligence gets far in her career. it was admirable to read about a main character who was incredible and yet had many flaws, like the rest of us.

“When you dig just the tiniest bit beneath the surface, everyone's love life is original and interesting and nuanced and defies any easy definition.”

-Monique, page 380

"People are messy, and love can be ugly. I'm inclined to always err on the side of compassion."

-Evelyn, page 253

“But accepting that something is true isn't the same as thinking that it is just.”

-Evelyn, page 237

“People think that intimacy is about sex.
But intimacy is about truth.”

-Evelyn, page 112

“For a brief moment, I wonder if I would have listened to him if he hadn't died. Would I have clung to his every word so tightly if his advice had felt unlimited?”

-Monique, page 90

“You have to find a job that makes your heart feel big instead of one that makes it feel small.”

-Monique‘s dad, page 89

“When you're given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen. The world doesn't give things, you take things.”

-Evelyn, page 35

#audiocrafting tiny pumpkins. The first completed project made on my CSM (circular sock knitting machine) It took longer to catch all the live stitches and gather them than it did to knit them 😂

Listened to this one for a book group. It was fine, but I care zero about celebrity in general, and have never once wanted to read any TJR. This was the one I didn‘t want to read the least, though, so yay? It was just sad, sad, sad.

Thanks for the tag, @Texreader

1. Evelyn Hugo
2. Gert from the I Hate Fairyland series
3. Sarah Weston from the City of Dark Magic duology

I tried to pick a few who weren't already mentioned.
@dabbe #TLT

I love how comfortable I am with the low level of spiciness in this book. It's enough to tell you what's happening, but subtle enough that you don't have to turn around to make sure no one is reading from the page. (Cringe!)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn‘t put it down. Definitely a page-turner! I am not a fan of Hollywood but I loved reading about all of Evelyn‘s husbands and her one true love.

#Book2Book @ALLDEBOOKS

Open to all who signed up using the form in #AllDeBook's original post. 🤗

@LiteraryinLawrence, @Soubhiville, @Cuilin, @TheBookHippie, @Lizpixie, @Clwojick, @Chrissyreadit, @BookwormAHN, @CSeydel, @julieclair, @Catsandbooks, @bcncookbookclub, @TheAromaofBooks, @Tineke, @Bookish_Gal, @KateReadsYA

It gives me that same sense of glamour that You Must Remember This podcast delivers, partially because blocks of texts read like descriptions of photographs. TJR gives us fantastic scenes illustrating the double-talk and misdirections that make up Evelyn‘s life and star power. It‘s deeper than you‘d expect while not being very deep. Sometimes there are gross missteps: ⬇️

1. Nope. It seems a little scary to me.

2. Tagged

#Two4Tuesday

@Read4life @dabbe @Ruthiella @Eggs

Whew. I inhaled the last half of this today. I woke up and started reading and didn‘t stop until I finished it just now. I have thoughts. But all that can wait for a moment of appreciation and praise for such a captivating reading experience.

I waited nearly a year for this to come into my library and I read it in a matter of hours.

This was immediately captivating. The writing was beautiful and really draws you into both Evelyn's and Monique's lives.

The two characters' lives were woven together in a cohesive way. Both complex in their own way and similar but different which was fascinating to read.

It definitely deserved the hype and I would recommend it to everyone.

#InvolvesDivorce 💔❤️‍🩹 #BookBinge 📚❤️📚

#BookNerd 🤓💙📚

#InvolvesDivorce I feel like most people (including myself) have at least one grandma or auntie who went through 3 or 4 husbands, but 7 partners… well done Evelyn! This is a lady who clearly understands the language of divorce. #BookBinge @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I went into this book having no idea what it was about... a few of my friends recommended I read it.
Well, they were right because I really really enjoyed this book. No spoilers, but I LOVED her 5th husband and the people who were involved. It was really something beautiful.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

07.25.23

Well people kept talking about the twist and how it was shocking and kinda that's what got me into reading this book. But for some reason that didn't happen with me I mean I kinda saw that one coming overall I really enjoyed reading it

Sundays are for restoration, relaxation and reading. There‘s a kindle paperwhite craze and of course I almost traded my seasoned baby for a new one. I backed out on the 11th hour of prime day and decided that new doesn‘t mean better, even though there are some cool cases that will not fit my 6th generation. She has a new slate (thanks mom) and I can‘t wait to decorate her.

“You're safe with me” __ that's intimacy.

The beginning didn‘t capture me as much, but once it all truly started, I got hooked! Loved how Evelyn Hugo and the journalist are “connected”. 4/5 stars✨

Evelyn has me in a chokehold, one that has me gasping for more of who she is and why she‘s this way. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by @tjenkinsreid is a must read. When you‘re given an opportunity to change your life, be ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen.
-Evelyn Hugo

1. No idea! 🤷🏻‍♀️
2. Exiles
3. Symphony of Secrets
4. The Chalice of the Gods
5. Particularly Cats
6. Tagged
7. Kate Khavari
8. Harbinder Kaur
9. Solito
10. To Carnival!
11. Love in the Library
12. All the #ReadingTheAmericas2022 books! (…or not)
#MidYearBookFreakOut

Today‘s lunch setting✨

Wow is really all I can say. There is a reason why this book is so popular. It‘s actually amazing. When my sister first pushed me to read it I was hesitant bc I‘m a snob about popular things blah blah. This book just kept surprising me. The love story was BEAUTIFUL. The drama was SCORCHING. Evelyn Hugo is a GIRLBOSS. I loved how you question why they include so much info about boring Monique and that question gets answered! READ THIS

“Evelyn, you are not capable of giving it up. And you never will be. And it will be the tragedy of my life that I cannot love you enough to make you mine. That you cannot be loved enough to be anyone‘s.”- 268

This was such a fantastic read. So captivating I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know Evelyn's story!

Park reading date✨

Happy middle of the week✨

The characters here are well fleshed out, real, flawed, raw. The plot moves along at a steady pace but above all this book has atmosphere. You can feel the vibe of this book.

Not as all what I was expecting in the best way. I'm officially on the hype train.

Five stars.

4/5 ⭐️
Una splendida storia d'amore di due persone che lottano per amarsi

I've not had a lot of luck lately with the books I've tried. Hopefully this will get me out of a reading slump.

In April our beloved dog developed a horrible immune disorder called IMHA, collapsed despite vet medications and nearly died.... It's been hard to concentrate. Happily after a two week hospital stay and blood transfusions and lots of medications she is currently recovering well and on the road to remission 🤞🤞🤞

Don‘t look at me. I‘m a person fully made of tears, red eyes and the utmost sadness. This book was everything. I am not okay. I spent the last 100 pages in utter agony and I need a hug. A million and one stars ⭐️

🙄

This book was pretty entertaining but lacked depth. I didn‘t connect with with most of the characters. I appreciated Evelyn and I adored Harry;everyone else was very meh. I was ready to be done about 100 pages before it ended. It‘s a good book if you‘re just looking for something to keep you occupied. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5