Welcome to Litsy!

Another bright spot to today: my library finally restarted their discards sale! It hurts my heart to think of how many books they must‘ve just binned during their big lockdown collection purge. Going by the ones that still appear as Not Currently Available in the catalogue, I would‘ve loved the chance to buy a fair number of them. 😔

I didn‘t see anything I wanted to own today, but you can bet I‘ll check back every time I‘m there.

Jamie Ford writes beautiful stories. Ernest is a young boy who is raffled off at the Seattle World‘s Fair in 1909 to a woman who runs a high-class brothel. He connects with her daughter Maisie and a maid named Fahn. In a later timeline, Ernest is coping with his wife‘s poor health and his adult daughters during the 1962 Seattle World‘s Fair. I did enjoy the 2 timelines and how they came together at the end.

Oldies but goodies! Some of my favorite reads!

This is a bad picture of a darn good book. A bit darker than his previous books (or what I can remember of the others I‘ve read) but still an interesting mix of race, Asian-American history, and historical fiction set in Seattle. Content warning for female infanticide and for sexual assault.

“But fresh humanity, that is still the ultimate commodity.”

I loved Ford‘s other two books and was looking forward to this one but I didn‘t really connect with it like the others. Taking place mostly in 1909 and 1962, both timelines centered around the 2 Seattle World‘s Fairs but the subject matter was pretty heavy. There was nothing wrong with the book-just not for me I guess.

Finally starting this one …

Loved the setting and point in history—Seattle from the early 1900s into the 60s—but just a so-so read.

A book club pick. I love the history setting. Seattle in 1909 and in 1960s…and the plot line of a Chinese immigrant boy who comes to America under difficult circumstances and gets auctioned off at the 1909 World‘s Fair. But some of the writing is not grabbing me…switching between print and audio. Oh, and the narrator is grating on me…she is trying too hard to mimic different character voices.

Ooh y‘all. There are so many good reviews for this book, but I just cannot read about abandoned children, a baby being buried alive, & a child literally being bought at a fair right now.
Even though I‘m sure there is redemption in the end & Ford is an amazing writer, I‘m just not willing to put myself through it. Maybe one day I‘ll come back to this one.
@TheAromaofBooks this was my October #bookspin book

I was so thrilled when I received this book as I had recently read Jamie Ford‘s “Songs of Willow Frost”, which I had picked up at a local library used book sale, and absolutely loved it. So, chances were good that I would love this one too and it did not disappoint!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3544837152?book_show_action=false&from_rev...
#LoveAndOtherConsolationPrizes
#JamieFord
#BallantineBooks
#Seattle
#WorldsFair
#Adoption

Book One (!) for #15Books15Weeks (Better late than never!).

Ford has a wonderful way of conveying heartbreaking history into a lovely story, with likable characters. Ernest remembers his past living in Seattle‘s Red Light District in 1909, along with the two girls he loved. The dual timeline switches between 1909 and 1962 as Ernest reconstructs his past for his daughter. Though a few years old, this is a timely read.

#Vladimir #catsoflitsy

Happy Saturday 📚

I‘m about to polish off my March #bookspin read. Talk about an interesting historical fiction book! Now that everything is cancelled for the rest of the month, I‘m rethinking my March TBR list...anyone else changing up their reading? @TheAromaofBooks Thank you for hosting and giving me a nudge to pluck this book off my shelves!

Our bookclub was lucky enough to hear Jamie Ford speak last year...he was so charming! Finally cracking this one open for my March #bookspin selection! @TheAromaofBooks

My March TBR, including my #bookspin pick, Love and Other Consolation Prizes. The Awakening and The Tell-Tale Heart are for my Classics challenge and The Nickel Boys and Harry‘s Trees have been on my bedside table WAY too long. Excited for a great reading month! #theplanningbutlerreads

Really enjoyed this beautiful story of love and healing from a traumatic childhood. I loved Earnest his strength and hope throughout this story was beautiful. I received this book in my once upon book club in the Advent calendar for December. I highly recommend it.

Once Upon A Book Club Advent Edition
Day #4

Its another book! 😍

When Jamie Ford visits your local library, you grab your book club and go! #hotelonthecornerofbitterandsweet #jamieford #loveandotherconsolationprizes #lovelakeland #lknd #lakelandpubliclibrary

Good book.

3.65/5. HF from Jamie Ford. Setting is Washington State, the site of two Worlds Fairs—one in 1909 (Alaska-Yukon-Pacific) and one in 1962 (Century 21 Expo).

💗 YA, HF, Memoir
💙 Kristin Hannah
💗 Elegance of the Hedgehog
💙 hardcore sci-fi and dystopian
💗 tagged, surprised to find on Libby!
#hellothursday @wanderinglynn

This was a solid three star read. I enjoyed it while I was reading it but probably won‘t think much more about it in the weeks to come. The first few opening chapters were really captivating and I enjoyed the 1902/1909 storyline much more than the 1962 storyline. It‘s the story of a young Chinese immigrant sold to a brothel as a houseboy. The 1909 Seattle World‘s Fair is the backdrop to the novel, which was really fascinating.

#SundayReads I‘m liking this one 🤩 interesting history about the 1909 & 1962 Seattle World‘s Fair🎪I kind of wish I had the opportunity to attend a World‘s Fair ~ my parents told me they went on a date to the Flushing Meadow‘s World Fair in 1964❤️

“There are people in our lives whom we love, and lose, and forever long for. They orbit our hearts like Halley‘s Comet, crossing into our universe only once, or if we are lucky twice in a lifetime. And when the do, they affect our gravity.” Read the review...Love and Other Consolation Prizes. https://www.bluestockingreviews.com/blog/love-and-other-consolation-prizes

I love Jamie Ford‘s books. They‘re always such a perfect balance of bitter and sweet; light and dark. This story follows Ernest Young, a Chinese-American who is raffled off at the 1909 world fair to the owner of Seattle‘s most famous brothel. Now, many years later at the 1962 World Fair, Ernest and his wife must reconcile their past with the present. Certainly worth the read.

Isn‘t this a lovely turn of phrase? “...loitering in the shadow of the future.” I‘m in love with this book already.

If anyone‘s wondering why I‘m posting all of a sudden, it‘s because I‘m on winter break from school, and actually have time to read things now 😅
#vacationreads

This ebook is on sale for $2.99 today on Kindle. It is absolutely fabulous and one of the best books I read this year. I rate it up there with The Alice Network. Get it if this is your genre or you are looking for something new

#kindledeal #kindledeals #ebooksale

I liked the cover with the ferris wheel better, wish they hadn't changed it.

This book was just so good. A young boy is raffled off at the World Fair and ends up growing up in a house of prostitutes. In present time, he is also dealing with his wife not being able to remember her past. It's heartbreaking and intriguing.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Love can be found in many unusual places and in different ways..
This is the story of Ernest, in his youth with Masie and Fahn, and fifty years later with his wife Gracie. It's a story about overcoming struggles and what it feels like to finally have control on your own destiny.

I'm driving around my father for some errands.. and now I've been waiting for more than 1 hour!
Thank God, I always have my ereader with me 😉 #alwaysreading

next up ? book 3 for #MakeMeReadIt

I'm reading the italian edition, with a title translated as "the secret aroma/flavour of tea" ???
(the cover is beautiful!! ❤)

@TheReadingMermaid

I was expecting something nauseating a lá Nicholas Sparks however this historical fiction is the perfect mix of heartache and happiness (minus excess syrupy sweetness) to make it a really great read.

“I wonder if the best thing any of us can hope for in life is a soft place to land.”

😭❣️😭

What a beautifully written historical novel based on a true story! An intriguing storyline, captivating characters, emotional nostalgia, and sweet romance enveloped me from the start and pulled me in. Ford created his characters in such a talented way that it was easy to feel the emotion and yearn to read on. This is definitely a story that will stay with me and I highly recommend it.

#READINGRESOLUTIONS
@Jess7

🌸🌸🌸HAPPY MOTHER‘S DAY!!🌸🌸🌸

Leaving your mother at age five, going with a stranger, and living in the bowels of a boat to America was not something anyone would wish for a child.

LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES is another marvelous, stunning, beautifully told story by Jamie Ford with characters that will steal your heart.

https://silversolara.blogspot.com/2017/09/love-and-other-consolation-prizes-by.h...

This was amazing!!!! All these authors were fantastic. I wasn‘t familiar with Jaime Ford and he was BOMB! Absolutely hilarious. Each one of them was fascinating and I just want to read or re-read all their books. #tfob2018

Most excited to visit the 1909 World‘s Fair with Jamie Ford. Her Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet was a top-notch read for me. I hope this is the same! And I‘d love to toast Friday with my fellow Litsy friends! Cheers to all! 🍻🥂😃

Another great read from Jamie Ford. I love when writers take actual events and base characters and stories on them. He does this so well. His characters are well-written and relatable. I look forward to reading more of his work.

I had high expectations for this book because I enjoyed The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet so much. Unfortunately, this book did not hold my attention as well as the former. 3/5 stars

I wanted to love this because the setting and content was right up my alley and people seem to really love this author. While it was fine, it just didn‘t resonate as much as I wanted.

3/5
It was a sweet and sad with historical references and history that I enjoyed. But, I didn‘t connect to it as emotionally as I thought I would (since orphans, hard immigrant stories usually leave me in tears). Overall, it was a little better than “okay” so I would recommend it to the right person, but honestly I was expecting more...

Snow day reading and watching snow coverage (and my daughter eating breakfast in the background!). Maybe I‘ll actually finish this book one day!! I don‘t actually get a “snow day” but I chose to stay home instead of risking an accident. Snow is coming down so fast that as soon as I finished shoveling I needed to do it again. Everyone in the path of snow: Stay safe and warm!

I sense an owl theme today! I was able to get a little reading in yesterday, and hopefully will get a little more in today.

❤️❤️

I‘m starting to think I‘ll never be able to read again. I‘ve been dragging this book around with me for a month and I‘m only on page 41!

Now that the chaos of Christmas is mostly behind us (Christmas with my parents and sister is happening on the 29th) I may actually get some reading and knitting time in again! I‘ve had this book out from the library forever. I would like to read it before I need to renew it again!

What I needed after a very long week... a so-far great book, some Christmas spirit and a Fishers Island Lemonade (or two!😉)! Happy Friday!