Welcome to Litsy!

Given the events over the last few years, this one hits close to home. It is a post-apocalyptic world after a nuclear war and a deadly virus kills a large portion of humanity. Those that have survived struggle to live in this new world. In addition, there are those that still try to rule the world. Chilling glimpse of a very possible future. The descriptive prose of the Canadian wilderness was mesmerizing. The characters and great plot draw you⬇️

Generic dystopian novel. Take one war, add a pandemic, then mix it together with a generic evil org trying to “save the world.” In a 300-page book, it took 150 pgs to get to an actual plot. Lazy writing, poor pacing, weak plot.

Also, the MC, a 23-year-old female, reads more like a one-dimensional 13-year-old male. I‘m not sure this author has actually ever spoken to a woman.

The only good thing I can say is at least he didn‘t kill the dog.

#weekendreads

1. Tagged. I‘m in between audiobooks.

2. I read Snapped by Alexa Martin at the beginning of the month.

3. I just added Shine Bright: A Very Personal History of Black Women in Pop and I have Twice As Hard sitting on my TBR Shelf.

It‘s been a good reading month so far.

#weekendreading
Up next: The Wolves of Winter
And then Hamnet
Followed by the stack.

I read a lot of dystopian (mainly YA) books a few years ago & may have burned myself out on the genre, but @MeganAnn had this excellent choice for #LGP2E & I enjoyed the heck out of it. You can definitely tell this is a female-led story written by a man😬, but I still loved Lynn, all of the action, & the backstory.

Sort of fun to read a book set in the post-pandemic, post-nuclear war frozen Yukon in my mid-pandemic stupid-humid Iowa.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was my #Yukon pick for #ReadCanada and I HATED it. The main character was supposed to be a strong, capable 23-year-old woman but she acted like a teen (or even a tween) who was strangely obsessed with sex (or procreation as she called it). The story itself was pretty generic, the villains were laughable, and there were so many issues (such as excessive fatphobia, unnecessary sexual assault, racism, etc). 1⭐️ Full review: bit.ly/3twaQzs

#bookmail

Spring still feels like a long way off!

“Grief never goes away. It just changes. At first it's like molten-hot lava dripping from your heart and hollowing you from the inside. Over time, it settles into your bones, your skin, so that you live with it, walk with it every day. Grief isn't the footprints in the snow. It's the empty spaces between.”

Woo hoo! I reached my reading goal of reading 210 books this year!!

My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/_Pyee5FPsPg

Enjoy!

This book had me hooked at some parts, and then others I found the story to kind of drag. Had a pretty predictable ending, but I wish I could have had more of an attachment to the characters throughout. Not bad overall, but not one I‘d read again in the future.

A very quick read. If you need to pass the time, this one is ok. Post apocalyptic, nuclear war, pandemic, mystery,
Love story and yes it has all the same old tropes. Girl meets boy, girl falls@in love with boy, evil villains, bow and arrows oh my.

Up next. #24b4monday

A great review by @mdm139 and its only #99ponkindle today for UK Littens 👍👍
#mounttbr

Wow! What a hidden gem of post apocalyptic fiction. The publisher should have marketed this book better. It has all the hallmarks for a best seller. Dare I say it was better than Station Eleven and The Salt Line. Everyone needs to read this book. 5 stars.

The candle of the day is Spiced Cider. The tea is from the David‘s Tea advent calendar called Alpine Punch. A rooibos tea with coconut, almonds, ginger, apple, cinnamon. Good enough to reorder. Only 2 pages in to my new read and I am hooked. Plus I love the gorgeous cover.

This was between a so-so and a pick so rounding up! A post-apocalyptic story of a young woman and her family trying to survive in the frozen Yukon territory where after global disaster, the world has become an endless winter. I liked the descriptions of the territory and hunting but the plot was a little predictable. An enjoyable enough read though. Using this for #BBRC prompt #snowedin @LibrarianRyan

Starting this one tonight. Looks like Haymitch has settled in to keep me company while I read. He is so good natured, despite the look on his face he never stopped purring while being used as a temporary book prop. #littenkitten #catsoflitsy

He nailed it...

MY RATING⇢ 5 STARS | GRADE A+
FEATURING⇢
Post-Apocalyptic Nuclear Winter
Survival
A Deadly Virus
Bioengineered Humans
An Awesome Dog Named Wolf (who isn't a wolf)
Tiny Splash of Romance
Reads More Like Older YA
I loved this, I had no idea it was going to go in the direction it did, and I was so into it once it did.
See my review here: https://leahsbookishobsession2.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-wolves-of-winter-by-tyre...

I picked this up off the leave one/take one shelf at my local coffee shop and it was a pleasant surprise. I really liked it. I can tell there will be another one or at least I hope there is. While reading it made me wish for winter to get here. I'm tired of the heat, humidity, bugs, snakes, and cutting grass.

It took me a while to get into because I found the writing choppy. Once I got used to the style, I devoured about 3/4 of it in 24 hours. I also found the end felt a bit rushed for me. That being said, I'd pick up another book by this author if the plot intrigued me, seeing as this was a debut novel and it was an enjoyable read overall.

#NextUp It's really hot outside today (and tomorrow), which means I'm looking for something chilly to read. Hopefully this will fit the bill!

Oh my god @MeganAnn you have totally spoiled me!!! I am so blown away by this box! I haven‘t read any of Laurel K Hamilton‘s books, but have always wanted to and Six of Crows has been on my TBR for so long, you including the sequel was such a happy surprise. The Wolves Of Winter sounds so interesting, I can‘t wait to read it while burning the candle and drinking some of the tea you added in.
Continued below.....

Loving me some #bookmail and I‘m expecting another package from B&N today. The 50% off book haul got me.

An atmospheric post-apocalypse YA novel set in the snowy wastes of Canada. I loved the setting but I didn't really connect with any of the characters.

And done! Just a few minutes to spare in my time zone. #24in48

Reading this passage, while timing my reading for #24in48 😜

My first book of 2019, and we're off to a good start! The ending was a little clunky for me, but overall an interesting take on a post apocalyptic tale. I really liked the character of Lynn, the combination of naivete from her relatively young age and maturity from having to grow up so fast was handled well and really informed her choices and actions.

Thank you to @MeganAnn for the #NewYearWhoDis recommendation!

This was an extremely easy read. The book definitely screams Young Adult but I still enjoyed it enough to see it through to the end. The main character was somewhat annoying which made it harder for me to rate higher. It‘s labeled as a post-apocalyptic book (my favorite) but I just wasn‘t thrilled by it. There are much better post-apocalyptic books out there.

I was having a hard time deciding where to start with @MeganAnn 's awesome #NewYearWhoDis list, but then this hold came in early on OverDrive so I dove right in! About 25% read and so far so good 👍

Megan, which book are you starting with?

@monalyisha

My Goodreads 2019 challenge! My goal for 2018 was 40 and I read 32 so I decided to dial back my goal for 2019 a bit. Considering I work full time and go to school as well- 32 isn‘t too shabby! Here‘s to lots of new reads in 2019. Happy new year! 🎉🎆🎊

My goal this Sunday is to start and finish this new read I bought yesterday. We‘ll see if I can do it! I am trying to bump up my reading challenge numbers for 2018. My goal was to read 40 books this year and I‘m currently at 32.

It was a good day for a book haul!!! Excited for all these reads

Exactly halfway through this one. Can I finish it tonight?? 4 day readathon starts now! 😍

For you fans of post apolyptic fiction this one is pretty good.

Road trip to meet Louisiana Littens!! Tagged book is the audiobook we are listening to during the drive. My husband likes it - I‘m on the fence so far...
#louisianameetup

This was a solid #borrownotbuy pick. It‘s about a girl trying to survive in the Yukon after a flu and wars wipe out most of civilization. It was engaging and didn‘t require a lot of concentration which made it a good summer read. #LitsyAtoZ #letterJ

Took some of the kids and cousins to the zoo today. 🐵🦁🐻🦒🦓🐪 I took my book but haven‘t yet had a chance to read it! I‘ll actually be happy to read about winter because it‘s soooooo hot today! ☀️🔥We got some great pics and the kids are happy! #parentingwin

He gave me a book of Walt Whitman's collected poems, and I still have it. I read it often. I can't say I really appreciate or understand it. Sounds like the rantings of a guy who may or may not think he's a tree.

Great postapocalyptic tale! How far are you willing to go to keep your family safe when a deadly disease and nuclear war have taken out most of civilization? Journey through a family's struggles with how to survive when the entire world is trying to kill you. Some parts are a little gruesome, so if that's a trigger for you, stay clear. Otherwise, dive right in and enjoy 😀💜📖

I really enjoyed this book. The stark, sparse prose a perfect fit for the harsh surroundings. The world building answered most of my questions and I loved Lynn with her hard, blunt edges. This debut author is only going to get better and better.

“Grief never goes away. It just changes. At first it‘s like molten-hot lava dripping from your heart and hollowing you out from the inside. Over time, it settles into your bones, your skin, so that you live with it every day. Grief isn‘t the footprints in the snow. It‘s the empty space between”. (p. 290)

Finally finished my first #freakyfriday pick!

Even though I read this book about eternal winter - APOCALYPSE winter - as it snowed unceasingly in New England (not once but *twice* in April!), I still enjoyed it. That‘s a testament to how well the characters are written & how unique the voice is. Because I easily could have cursed it to goddamn Hell for bringing its world to my own. (Life mimics art?)

*Review continued in comments below.👇🏻

I got this book in two different boxes, one of them arrived totally unexpected (2months late - I had given up hope), which is why I am giving away the second copy. I finally read this and it is a good debut novel. It. Has its flaws, but it is a nice post-apocalyptic read. The writing has a good flow, and is very fitting for the setting. The storyline is not the most creative one but I enjoyed it. It had a bit of a freshness that I needed right now

#duckquotes
🦆