Welcome to Litsy!

Read in August 2024...
19 BOOKS

Six 5-Star reads this month:
• The House Of Special Purpose
• The Waste Land
• Paradise
• Daughters of Olympus
• The True Story of Hansel and Gretel
• What Is a Woman?

#Goodreads #Bookstagram #OUABC #Litsy
#Libby #Everand #Audible #Kindle

5 Stars • Two words told me this was the book for me. #Romanov #JohnBoyne

"The House of Special Purpose" by John Boyne is a historical novel that intertwines the personal story of protagonist Georgy Jachmenev with the tumultuous backdrop of the Russian Revolution. Set in the early 20th century, the narrative follows Georgy, a young peasant boy who inadvertently saves the life of the Tsar's uncle ⬇️

#12Booksof2022 I love a good spin on the Anastasia story, and that, combined with Boyne's beautiful prose, made this one a winner for me last April. @Andrew65

Boyne is such an amazing story teller. Being a kid in the 90s, I‘ve always been fascinated by Anastasia Romanov. Accidentally, I also listened to an episode of the nonfiction podcast You‘re Wrong About about her which was actually a good companion to Boyne‘s fictional story.

#bookmoods #royalty

Boyne is a favorite author.

#Booked2022 #Spring

7) The Romanovs 4.5 🌟
8) The Troubles 4.5 🌟
9) Born in Ghana 4🌟
10) A classic 4 🌟
11) Criminal Transport England to Australia 4 🌟
12) #6 in a great cozy mystery series 4🌟

Sorry, I just realized my graphic is out of order. 😩

This was fantastic! I loved The Heart's Invisible Furies and wasn't as crazy about Ladder to the Sky, so I'm thrilled this was another hit. Read this for #AuthorAMonth and will definitely revisit John Boyne! @Soubhiville

Thanks so much, @AmyG ! I am ensured a wonderful Christmas Eve with your excellent gifts! I haven‘t read John Boyne yet but he‘s been on my radar for quite some time. Your recommendation convinces me that I need to move him up the list and get acquainted with his writing. The little notebook is too cute, and the quality chocolate is not long for this world! 😁 Thanks again, and Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁
#jolabokaflodswap

I am posting one book per day from my to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it. Some will be old, some will be new - don't judge me, I have a lot of books.

Day 138th

Join the fun if you want!

#tbrpile

“THE HOUSE OF SPECIAL PURPOSE illuminates the final days of czarist Russia.”

FULL POST: https://tinyurl.com/56wpkjkb

@johnboynewriter
@otherpress

@Cosmos_Moon
1. Virtual learning with my 1st grader
2. My work from home job!

On the 6th day of Christmas, I‘m picking this one for #12BooksOf2020.

I love John Boyne‘s writing style, and if you‘re the least but interested in the last Romanovs, you might enjoy this lovely, sad story. It may be easy to see where things are going, but it‘s still a wonderful journey to get there. ❤️

A take on the story of Anastasia Romanov. A bit trite and gimmicky.

John Boyne really has a way with words!

Read it few times. Loved it, would recommend to anyone who is intrerested in Romanov royal family.

Any book that can move me to tears demands a review. A beautiful moving story that intertwines love & tragedy so elegantly. A novel that touches sublimely on the struggles of a man, a class, a society & a nation wracked in hostilities & whispered grievances. Highlights the fundamental inability/ unwillingness of people to see things plainly & broadly. Narrates historic events in Russia without weighing too heavily in any regard.

My Russia book for #ReadingEurope2020, but until I got started I had no idea it was about THAT period in Russian history and the last of the Romanovs.

Yes, I saw where it was going early, but that didn‘t stop me loving every second of it. Boyne‘s usual beautiful writing, epic historical fiction with romance and tragedy, and a fantastic narrator in Georgy, whose long life we get to experience in alternating timelines.

Just perfect. ❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I picked this as we‘re watching The Last Czars on Netflix. I was fascinated by the fate of the Romanovs when I was at school but I‘ve lost touch with the details. This historical fiction is told by Georgy, the bodyguard of the young Tsarvich Alexei, with a shifting timeline that enables Georgy to reflect on his past as well as his present, which was beautifully done. Yes, at heart it‘s a slightly soppy love story but I loved every bit of it 👇

So good! Story of Georgy and Zoya from the time of the Romanovs through their long lives. Russia to France to England. Enchanting story, well told! 💕John Boyne‘s storytelling 🤓

The book cover could have been better! 🙄

Well, that was a lucky surprise for St. Patrick‘s Day. I need to read this for #booked2019 #irishauthor and finally have the spot in my “reading schedule.” Imagine my surprise when I pulled it off my shelf and found this. (I might have let an “f-bomb” fly.) Inscribed by the author—and to someone named Barbara. I am gobsmacked, because this was a book sale find. I‘ll bet I paid $1 for it. ☘️☘️

#signedsunday #gobsmacked #needtobuyalotteryticket

I love history. I am loving this one...❤️🤓

I enjoyed this book and am so thankful for Litsy for putting Boyne on my radar. Each chapter delved more into the characterization and I can't wait till my next book from Boyne.

#PopSugar2019 (14/50) The Loving Spirit - du Maurier's debut. Claude and Camille - novel based on a true story.
#Booked2019 6/24
#AtoZLitsy 12/26 finished Nellie by Cynthia Woolf
@BookishMarginalia

@Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft

#Booked2019 All winter prompts complete (6/24)
Female Detective - The Hidden Child
Fairy Tale Retelling - The Bear and the Nightingale
Happy Place - The Healing Hills
Podcast - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Irish author - The House of Special Purpose John Boyne
New to me - A Man Called Ove Fredrick Bachman

I have high hopes for this one...

Home sick in bed today. Sabrina is making me smile though, along with a new book to start-yay!! 😪❤️🐶🤓

Meh, this was a bit soapy & predictable for me! I loved the Russian Revolution timeline but the second modern day strand was really depressing. The final ‘revelation‘ about Zoya‘s identity was obvious for page 1 and kinda made my eyes roll! 🙄 like that! #authoramonth #monthofBoyne

Loved this one. The alternating timeline was an interesting way to experience the life of Georgy. Both timelines came together quite perfectly in the end. The book was fast paced and an easy read (or listen, as I did). 4/5 Stars.

I've managed 4 hours and 36 minutes so far for #24b4Monday by listening to the tagged book while cleaning, organizing, running errands and eating lunch. Currently at the car wash getting the junk off my car before picking up kids at school - then my free reading time will be seriously diminished until they go to bed.

@TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65

I am loving this book! I was in a weird place this past week and couldn't quite focus in whenever I picked up a book to read. I don't know if listening instead of reading is making the difference, but I'm out of the funk and totally engrossed in the story.

Also, tbh I'm kinda sad about having to work tomorrow and not staying home to listen more. Too bad I'm a preschool teacher so headphones at work is a big no-no!

Does John Boyne write anything less than 5⭐️? Loved it, and so well researched and written. Russian history, The Romanovs, and a love story. Another one to stack! #excellent #MonthofBoyne

My library hold came today. Continuing my love affair with John Boyne‘s writing. This is historical fiction about the last Tsar of Russia/Romanovs, and a couple who fled Russia.

Wonderfully written historical fiction about a Russian couple and how their lives are entwined with the Russian revolution and the fate of the Romanovs. I was especially intrigued by how Boyne tells the story chronologically--but backwards in time. Since it starts at the end, you'd think you would have it figured out--but you don't. This is the 5th Boyne novel I've read in a few months. I'm starting to think he is incapable of writing a bad book.

Found the title! 👍🏼👍🏼

I think I‘ve picked my Winter books for #Booked2019. I think. Until I change them! 🤪

1. Woman detective: The Eyre Affair (from a series for Reading Women)
2. Fairy tale retelling: Hiddensee
3. Reminds me of my happy place: Molokai (Hawaii)
4. Podcast: The Road to Jonestown (religion other then your own for RW)
5. Irish Author/Location: The House of Special Purpose (historical fiction for RW)
6. New to you Author: Circe (myth retelling for RW)

After four months a prolonged kitty nap pushed me to finish this historical-inspired romance. Boyne writes well and tells a compelling tale while playing faster and looser with history than I would‘ve liked.

My afternoon reading view makes my heart so happy

Afternoon plans

I‘m not working until this afternoon and my sister is taking the kids to school on this rainy grey morning #stolenmoments

Pre-bedtime reading view #disdain #catsofLitsy #May

Well, I loved this one. And it‘s official: John Boyne could write a phone book and I‘d still read the shit out of it. And then cry about it for at least twenty minutes after finishing it. 😭 #reviewofchampions #sorry

So while this book isn‘t ENTIRELY about the Romanovs, they are prominent characters that the main character has a lot of interactions with. And now I‘m intrigued and want to explore more about them. Does anyone have any good fiction or nonfiction recommendations about the family?

I like taking creepy pictures of my husband without him knowing. 😂

I never read another Boyne novel after The Heart‘s Invisible Furies, so I‘m going in. This will be a completely different story, but I‘m hoping I love it just as much. 🤞🏻 Sometimes it‘s nice to have books from the library because they make choosing my next book a lot easier when playing the “What in the world do I read next?” game!

I have finished ALL of my book club reads for May and shall foolishly attempt to cram as many of these books as possible into my busy life before the next batch arrive #seatosea #moosemoose #steepedinstories #screamsbymail #theCanadiantour #RussellBooks

Book and Baileys on the back deck

Life‘s been too damn busy to read much which makes me feel all pent up in reality. So I‘m up at 5am trying to rectify the situation. Thankfully my husband got up early too to make the coffee #itsthelittlethings

Me gustó muchísimo este libro! De lo mejor que he leído este año. Lo recomiendo!

Day 2 of #febinbooks18 is your new auto-buy authors. I only have one new one of late and that is John Boyne.