Welcome to Litsy!

Small book haul. And also my new rubber tree!

#AlphabetGame

I still want to read her other book, Passing.
Another good read for #letterQ is Quennie by Candice Carty-Williams.

#AlphabetGame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Letter Q

A 1928 novella of quiet devastation that reveals some powerful and horrifying truths about racism, fetishisation of Black people and culture, and also the loneliness that comes from feeling like you don't belong.

A partially autobiographical first novel, Quicksand is very raw in its telling of Helga Crane‘s increasingly desperate search for belonging.

Larsen described this short book as “the awful truth”, and whether it‘s Helga or Nella speaking, it‘s gripping and honestly heartrending reading such an articulate woman‘s words on being biracial in the 1920s. I wouldn‘t pick this over Passing, but its powerful ending may haunt me even longer.

In honor of Colson Whitehead‘s upcoming Harlem Shuffle, I chose the Harlem Renaissance for my staycation & @tdrosebud delivered! The books you chose are perfect. That notebook & Zora Neale Hurston quote bookmark are so lovely! The Langston Hughes poem is actually the very first poem that introduced me to him! The candle smells lovely too! Thank you so so much! And special thanks to the amazing @Chrissyreadit for hosting! #StaycationinTimeSwap

I managed to hit all my goals for the #JoyousJanuary readathon. 1. I completed 3 books including most recently the tagged book. 2. I attended a book club discussion this week. 3. I read for at least 24 hours. This was a great week of reading! @Andrew65

I can only do really short books in a day. Loved these three.

#3books #ivereadinaday

Oh it is getting harder. #manicmonday #LetterQ @JoScho

📚 Quicksand by Nella Larsen
✍️Ernesto Quinonez
🍿Queen of the Damned
📺 Queer Eye
🎤 Queen Latifah
🎶 QUEEN by Janelle Monae

This is a bleak story of Helga, of mixed parentage, who cannot find happiness, peace, and contentment wherever she is. Whether in the South, Chicago, Harlem or Copenhagen, she cannot settle down for long, as she feels she does not belong. She becomes dissatisfied, and longs to escape. Helga as a character feels aloof ⬇️

#ReadingEurope2020 #Denmark

This book put me through the emotional wringer. Helga is the child of a white (deceased) mother and an absent black father, and as a young woman doesn‘t feel entirely comfortable among either race. The story follows her in her restless search for belonging and happiness. I never felt like I got to know her intimately, which seems fitting since I don‘t think she ever figures herself out. Beautifully written.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#1001books
#readBlackwomen

Larsen's brilliant novel follows Helga Crane who fails to find fulfillment in Harlem, Copenhagen, or the Deep South. The mixed-raced Helga doesn't fit into the boxes the world provides. Larsen was a rising star during the Harlem Renaissance, until her writing career was ended by accusations of plagiarism.

I was feeling a bit so-so about Helga Crane, but this book is so insightful, it‘s a pick. This was written in the 1920‘s, you guys. Happiness is such a fleeting emotion. Finding true contentment? There‘s the trick. It reminds me of the fable of the bat: neither bird nor beast, so he didn‘t feel he belonged to either. It jumps around a bit time-wise, but overall, this was a good read. #1001Books 153/1,001

Today is my last day of regular classes! Now I can finally read for pleasure! 😄😂 Next week: Finals! 😱😱😱 (So far, I‘m sitting on Straight A‘s. Phew!) I should‘ve been through these two books already but...school...😊

Another great short story from Larsen, she manages to capture in these tales the disillusionment and feeling of never truly belonging to those stuck between two worlds. The soul crushing pressure and depression of not belonging because you‘re not black enough to be black and not white enough be white, forever being in-between two extremes, and never feeling truly at home in either.

This book is quite wonderful and I think that it will only grow in my esteem as time passes. #1001books #audiobook #backpackEurope #Denmark

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2459490577?book_show_action=false&from_rev...

Copenhagen is far prettier than any other city I have visited. I made a stop at Tivoli gardens and saw my first hedge maze! Nella Larsen‘s novella is a lovely accompaniment to my touristy day. #backpackEurope #1001books #audiobook

The wife of Helga's uncle feels very strongly that she does not wish to be the aunt of someone who isn't entirely white, which means that he can't be her uncle either. 😡
But there is another aunt who feels differently.
#aunts #150PnPCoverParty

@CrowCAH @LeahBergen

Read a book, get book recommendations from what the characters are reading. I looked it up and it seems great. Also very out of print. Good thing I'm in Hay. One more book to search for in the morning. (I have a list.) 😂

I read Passing in January and this story in the last couple of days, and I've been trying to decide what I think of them in comparison to each other. This one felt sadder to me overall, but I also think I better understood the feelings of this main character. She spends most of her life searching for a place in which she fits and can be happy.

#1001books

Also, today is apparently Drink Wine Day, so I had wine and red wine chocolate cake. 🍷

The story of Helga's search for her identity as a black girl in the 1920s in the US and Danmark. Although I did not really liked her character, I could follow her thoughts and doubts and think Nella Larsen has well succeeded in bringing Helga to life. #1001books

While Larsen's prose is crisp & elegant, the main character Helga feels elusive & distant. Her thoughts often feel overdetermined & abstract, though in some instances it works well. There's some structural issues due to disjointed time jumps & abrupt shifts. It's still a pick because it's searingly honest about the effects of racism on the psyche & the split consciousness it engenders. It's short & worth reading. #harlemrenaissance #LitsyAtoZ

This is my "Q" book for #LitsyAtoZ and fits today's #startswithQ. I'm reading the Collected Stories ebook and I don't quite like the cover, so I'm using this one instead. I'm almost done with Whatever Happened to Interracial Love and this seems like a good time to get started on Quicksand. #maybookflowers @RealLifeReading

If you're looking for a Q for the #Litsyatoz challenge...

Perfect epigraph for this story. #litsyatoz

Coming back to Nella Larsen since there's so much here.