Welcome to Litsy!

#MayMoms Day 3: I know it is easy to be #Judgmental when one sees the stack of books I just purchased from the recent Big Bad Wolf Booksale here in Dubai. More here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-ohW

#ReadingAsia2021 🇮🇱

The novel begins with the disappearance of Epstein, a rixh Jewish-American in his sixties who one day, after giving away all his earthly possessions, disappears in #Israel.The passages about Epstein are interspersed with chapters in which we follow a female writer. Plagued by a writer's block and her disintegrating marriage, she too travels to Israel, looking for inspiration. ⬇️⬇️

#WeeklyForecast 04/20

Look at these beauties! I am in the midst of 2 #ReadingAsia2021 books. I‘m having a hard time connecting to Nicole Krauss, I‘m sorry to say Cindy. I know you warned me when you sent it. The Tale of Aypi, set in Turkmenistan, is lovely.
And then, finally, The Group, for our #Galentine #BestBuddyread on February 7. I hear good things, yet keep postponing. This will be the week however! And if time allows, another #ToB21 book.

Just stumbled upon a few quotes from Forest Dark in my old notebook, and this was one. There are several passages of a similar poetic quality in the book. So if not for the story then these lovely sentences may make it worth your read.

Bought this in the Hong Kong airport. A parallel tale of two people who go to Israel: one a young mom/author, maybe searching for her next book, the other an older retired lawyer, searching for meaning or something. It was ok but had I had anything I liked better, I would have probably ditched. The parallel stories never joined, odd.

Between vacation, my birthday, and discovering a book warehouse, October has been a very good book haul month for me! 😍

I loved Jonathan Safran Foer‘s novel Here I Am, which is based on his divorce from Nicole Krauss.
According to @Cinfhen this book tells Krauss‘s side of the story. I am eager to find out. Thank you so much for sending it to me Cindy 💕😘

Somewhere between a pan & a so-so...there were several beautiful passages and some moments of enlightenment/ enjoyment but overall this book was a self serving, cathartic waste of time. I‘m still not sure of the intended audience for this book, it‘s VERY “Jewish” in theme & content and even I, was not fully on board. BUT, I DID enjoy my Hippeas❣️❣️❣️❣️super yum & fully on board for those chickpea puffs😋

#BeachDay 🧡☀️🏖seems surreal to be reading about the Tel-Aviv Hilton while on the beach with the Tel-Aviv Hilton behind me. This book is shaping up to be VERY INTROSPECTIVE ~ it‘s odd and I‘m not sure if Nicole Krauss wrote this novel solely for Nicole Krauss. And the cute sculpture reminds me of Kafka, who according to this book secretly immigrated to Israel at the end of his life.

#BackPackEurope I‘m finally home!!!! Reading my last book ~ fun challenge but I‘m a homebody at heart. This book has mixed reviews and I totally get it but so far I‘m engaged. It‘s pretty amusing that Nicole Krauss choose to mirror her real life divorce and disintegration of her marriage in this novel. Last year I read JSF novel, Here I Am, which incidentally highlighted the breakup of a marriage too. Both books read as semi-autobiographic.

Library book haul! Hoping for the best even tho the reviews weren't too positive for the tagged book 🤷🏻‍♀️ #LitsyAtoZ

The book is about two characters-a retired businessman and a female writer undergoing a divorce from her husband, who was also an author *cough* Wondering what parts of the author‘s story was autobiographical was the most interesting part of the book for me, because I am apparently a petty gossip.

The stories of these two people mirror each other, but they never interact. I wanted to like this book, but I didn‘t care. About any of it. 😓

I really wanted to like this book. there are many beautifully written sections. I wrote down a ton of quotes from the 1st half that I read. It was a library loan & I renewed it once and couldn‘t bring myself to renew it again. I just didn‘t care enough about the characters. She took so long to develop them. I also find it interesting that her ex-husband also took on a Jewish family in turmoil in Israel in his latest novel & I read his 1st

I didn‘t like it as in: it did not move me at all. It did nothing. I have no problems with novels that feel like reading an essay, but it needs a better author to make it fascinating. Nothing wrong with the writing. Just boring.
This being said: I disliked the parallels between her life and that of one of the MC. Getting even with an ex, who is also a famous writer, has no place in a novel.

Still not sure quite yet what to make of this book, but there are beautiful nuggets like this one throughout 🙌

Slowly working my way through my TBR list!

A difficult read. In general, an exploration of aging, or possibly midlife crises, for two protagonists—one a writer and the other a wealthy businessman. Both pursue their identities within the context of Judaism, and their homeland Israel. I think I could‘ve liked this book more at a different time. Just not resonating right now.

I raided the library.

I was a little disappointed by this interconnected set of shaggy dog stories, but more than a little delighted to hear Ms Krauss read from it tonight at the Jerusalem launch of the book‘s Hebrew edition.

After hearing about this "experimental novel on NPR, I chose it for my book club. Without spoilers, the story switches between an old man who gives away much of his earthly possessions and travels to Israel. Simultaneously, a woman writer also travels to her homeland with the intention of writing her next book. I suppose it's experimental in that it included a lot of historical and literary references. I enjoyed it!

A deeply involving story. It followed two characters, both Americans, both in Israel. Their stories don‘t interact but they do mirror.

I'm jumping ship after listening to 2/3 of this audiobook. These characters do not move me, nor can I tell where the story is going. I loved both the author's previous books, but I do not feel moved by this one.

Up next

Library haul from yesterday. I also saw two copies of John Greens Turtles All the Way Down but didn‘t get them because my pre order was supposed to be waiting at home for me. Nope. My mail lady just didn‘t bother to deliver it and it probably won‘t be delivered until after five 😢 Off day ruined. Good thing I have a ton of other books to read.

This book is full of these gut-punch lines.

#Bookmail !!! #Goodreadsgiveaway it‘s a rainy day off work.... perfect for reading in bed.

I was just offered a half-price ticket to an author event with Alice Hoffman & Nicole Krauss (be still my heart) -- but I'm WORKING! Ugh! Trying to finagle something. Cross fingers & wish me luck. 🤞🏻🍀

Loving the writing in this book. I really wish that I could take my thoughts and thinking and write like this author does

I am a huge fan of Krauss's writing - thoughtful, empathic, soft yet sharp. This was a deeply philosophical story but also one when I felt very connected to the characters and their outcomes.

About halfway through. So far, like Phillip Roth, I am full of admiration.
UPDATE: Finished! I really liked this book. Krauss nailed it.

Being bad never felt so good.... ? #bookhaul

So this is an accumulation from the author events I've gone to the past two weeks. (I'm going back to my ban...)

The Rebecca Solnit and "Weird in a World That's Not" I've had waiting on my Amazon Saved for Later list for awhile.

Refuge and Forest Dark are both signed.

And it felt wrong to leave Emma Straub's store without another of her books and I hadn't read Celeste Ng's other book so... ?

#TBRtemptation post 1! Just released. 68-year-old Jules is undergoing a metamorphosis: his parents have just died, he's gotten a divorce after a 30-year marriage, and he retires from his NYC law firm. Then he sells his possessions and goes to Israel to honor his parents in some way. There's also a young, popular Brooklyn novelist who heads to Tel Aviv to break her writer's block. What they do will change everything. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎

Not for me.

Book talk Tuesday!!! I just finished reading The History of Love, and now I'm here for her new release!

Taken a while to warm up, but intrigued now...

I am going to blame the creepy tone of my #spinepoetry on my #24in48 lack of sleep😛Forest Dark Give the Girl a Knife Life Among the Savages See What I Have Done

With parallel narratives of an Upper East Side retired lawyer and a Brooklyn writer and mom, Krauss tackles the existential questions that plague two drifting souls. With her insightful, original prose, she weaves a tale of longing, regret, and hope, using the energetic New York City and the magical land of Israel as backdrops. A book that makes you think deeply!

Most excited about these! 😍📖😍

Nicole Krauss is hands down one of my favorite novelists. I'm in awe of her brilliance and talent. Her intelligence seems otherworldly. Take this novel for instance: she embeds Kafka references and religious history into the fabric of the story. It's a subtle, beautiful novel with Krauss's trademark wit and humor. It's not my favorite of Krauss's work, but it's notable for its quiet strength and utter brilliance.

This is happening.

Evening reading. 💛