Welcome to Litsy!

Billy Brennan is carrying the physical weight of 400 lbs and the emotional weight of his son‘s suicide #carrythatweight #beatlemaynia

Sorry it took so long for me to finish this, it was a more serious read at times so I had to pace myself. Even so it was well written and I enjoyed it. I'll send it out either today or Sat. to you @Beatlefan129 . #lmpbc group g @EliNeedsMoreShelves @rjsthumbelina

Read for #lmpbcround4 #groupq I liked this book more than I expected to! Found it to be a heartfelt look at trying to grieve and move on with life, but some of the weight loss stuff bothered me. It seemed to lean a little toward #fatshaming. But worth the read for the rest of it, I think. @Shadowfat this will be headed your way this week! @EliNeedsMoreShelves @Beatlefan129

Okay my LMPBC group members - I have some books I'm contemplating for our upcoming round. Does anyone have any thoughts? I'm excited to get started! #LMPBC #GroupQ @Shadowfat @Beatlefan129 @rjsthumbelina

This is a rather quiet, slow moving story of suicide, obesity, grief and family. I enjoyed the second half more than the beginning, definitely appreciated it, but unfortunately didn't love it.

More book mail because honestly, if Barnes & Noble sends me a coupon, I can't imagine not using it! And then, I can't seem to use it on just ONE thing! 😱🤓

I‘ve been on a bit of a reading hiatus these last few months, and I finally felt the urge to pick something up. I started this one last night, and I‘m already loving it... a very heavy subject, but beautifully written.

This was a good read. Inspirational and very sad. Realistic fiction about loss, profound grief and moving on.

Bought myself some exciting reads to make it through what I already know is going to be a crappy week at work. Thinks are looking pretty good now 😉

This actually very short book has taken me weeks to read because it‘s made me so cross each time I‘ve picked it up again yet somehow I hoped it would pick up. Nope. This is a tale of a man who after his sons suicide decides to loose half his 400 pound weight to make a statement and amends. Many people will love it. I found it moralistic and manipulative.

This book tackles, and does justice to, the major topics of suicide and obesity. It is an emotional read that explores the two main themes through relationships between family members and life in a rural, contemporary Irish community.

It's almost time to announce the Reading Women Award non-fiction shortlist, but before we do, here's another pick from the fiction shortlist. We were both pleasantly surprised by THE WEIGHT OF HIM by Ethel Rohan. She's a wonderful writer. ⠀

“It‘s not often that you find a novel that addresses weighty topics like teen suicide and obesity with such poise and tenderness. ”⠀

What an amazing book. The author really conveys the anxiety and guilt that survivors face. If you are looking for a happy ending this is not the book for you. Some people in my book club had a problem with the way the book ended, but I don't think there was any other way to end this one.

In case you hadn't heard, @thereadingwomen curated a box for @quarterlane! @autumnprivett and I each chose 1 fiction and 1 nonfiction book. If you've ever wanted a group of books that represented our personalities, this is it. Reading Women perfection. ❤️ Find out more info over on #quarterlane's website.

https://www.quarterlanebooks.com

We had the chance to chat with the lovely Ethel Rohan about her novel THE WEIGHT OF HIM. It's by far one of my favorite reads of the year and we loved getting to ask her about the story's origins and the process of writing about suicide. Download it wherever you get your podcasts or listen online.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/reading-women/id1118019442?mt=2&i=1000390327...

Here's a sneak peek at our next author interview for @thereadingwomen. Stay tuned!! 🤓📚🎧 #podcast #comingsoon #authorinterview #ethelrohan #theweightofhim

Rohan tackles some really tough subjects in this one --suicide, food addiction, the struggle to live up to our perceptions of other's expectations and the difficulty of connecting emotionally when life seems to fall apart. Rohan managed to pull off a novel that was both touching and heartbreaking without feeling exploitive or over the top. I appreciated that she left loose ends and complexities and didn't tie it all up with a bow at the end.

Day 21: #ReadingWomenMonth We have a new episode! In Ep. 24, we discuss THE WEIGHT OF HIM by @ethelrohan and THE ESSEX SERPENT by Sarah Perry. THE WEIGHT OF HIM is a compelling read about Billy, who has lost his teenage son to suicide and decides to lose half his body weight (200lb) as a way to raise money/awareness for suicide prevention. It's beautifully written and definitely in my top favorite books of the year. - A https://goo.gl/Vm8Rwn

This book is one of the best surprises of the year. It's the story of Billy, who decides to lose half of his body weight after his son commits suicide. But it's so much more than that. This book is beautifully and thoughtfully written. All the stars.

One of my favorite reads this year is THE WEIGHT OF HIM by Ethel Rohan. It's such a meaningful book that's perfect for #summerreading. I won't say too much here; @autumnprivett and I discuss this book on @thereadingwomen podcast as one of our selections for June. Check it out!
#ReadingWomenMonth #BeachReads #Podcast

https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/blog/2017/6/7/ep-23-the-clay-girls-of-the-cl...

Kendra and Autumn totally sold me on this novel in this week's episode of @thereadingwomen podcast. I was walking while listening and so I'm not 100% sure but I think they're discussing it on an upcoming episode.

#bookmail Looks interesting but not my thing. It will probably go in my stack for the next library conference.

"Blame, the truth, it was something you had to feel for yourself."

"It would never grow old, this kind of ecstatic descent." (losing weight)

"He wasn't just suffering the physical pain of hunger, either. There was something more. He felt what he could only describe as a grief for food . . ."

"The fast food pushed against Billy's stomach, bloating, hurting. He thought about bursting wide open and how good that would feel."

#TBRtemptation post! A highly acclaimed recent release. 400-lb. Billy Brennan loves his food. Then his son commits suicide, & he sets out to make a difference in his son's memory, & undergoes public weight-loss campaigning to raise funds for suicide awareness. His family wants their privacy, but he finds allies: his community, a co-worker, a filmmaker, & the sub-quality toys he brings home from work. Inspirational. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Listen in as Ethel Rohan talks about The Weight of Him with me! Carolineleavittville.blogspot.com

Grief, body issues, family -- set in Ireland (a weakness of mine). Worth adding to your list.