Sweetland: A Novel | 
bailedI think this might be a cause of It's-Me-Not-The-Book, because I loved the first book I read by Crummey. But I think I might have to stick to the German translation to fully enjoy his calm writings. Here I didn't get into the atmosphere, nor the story, starting to skim through and still didn't really care. So I'd rather try another time with a translated version than forcing myself to read the English version and not enjoying it.
panMy #bookspin book for July. At the he halfway point I was ready to DNF this but a plot twist had me reconsider. The second half was certainly better than the first but still such a disappointing read overall. I had read The Innocents by this author and still think about that book all the time so maybe my expectations were just too high. ⭐️⭐️
pickHeartbreaking and lovely, this novel is one that will stay with me for awhile. Moses Sweetland had me at turns laughing, crying, and on the edge of my seat. He reminded me of my best friend‘s beloved Papa, whose favorite phrase was “Gawd Dammit!” I loved how his history was interspersed with current events on the island, and Crummey‘s beautiful prose kept the mundaneness of Sweetland‘s daily tasks bright and interesting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
pickA novel set on an island off the coast of Newfoundland that the government wants to resettle, but first Moses has to agree, and he's not going anywhere....
My current audiobook is nearing the end, so I requested a slew of new titles to choose from. I‘ve somehow made it this far without listening to “Bossypants” or “The Glass Castle,” so those are on the list.
What should I listen to next? Anything that‘s not on my list that should be? (Note: Don‘t worry, I‘ve already listened to “Born a Crime”, “Shrill”, & “Yes, Please” - & I‘m almost done with “Ready Player One” 😉).
After living through generations together, residents of a small fishing island in Newfoundland are offered compensation by the government to leave. Everyone slowly accepts except for stubborn old Moses Sweetland... He is determined to be the #lasttoleave the island and hatches a plan to be able to stay behind. This book is a dark comedy and also a bit of a tragedy... So beautifully written.
#aprella
Pictured: me in my old apt reading this book 💙
pickThis book was so lovely! I read a review of it which referred to the story as a 'contemplation of extinction'. Such a perfect description. I've read a number of books about the relocation of remote fishing villages in Newfoundland (it's a genre, Crummey comedically references in the book) but this one was different. It was haunting, funny, sad, and a bit scary at times. This one will stay with me for awhile.
I love how this book - a novel about a remote fishing community in Newfoundland - has the characters complaining about how the genre of novels set in rural NFLD are so unrealistic!
Next audiobook!
#youreameanonemrgrinch I seem to be drawn to ‘grumpy old man fiction‘recently!
Moses Sweetland is laugh-out-loud funny, with his cussing and sarcasm, yet the story is unbearably sad at times. With compulsory re-location in place, and Moses the only hold out, its a story of unusual friendships, what family means, the importance of home and of one man's loneliness. Gorgeous prose capture the quirky islanders and their lives in this beautiful place.
Bookmail is the best mail!! 😍😍
I'm struggling to get through his one. Its been on my TBR for ages and I was really excited about finally getting to it but I might have to put it aside and move on to the next book. I so seldom do that though. I feel such guilt about it! 😳😞
What a nice thing to see right away this morning! I knew I was close to 10,000 but I didn't think I'd catch it there exactly. 💃🏻
1. Never 2. Tea 3. Fantasy 4. Evening since my reading time currently is after my son goes to bed. 5. Own a bookstore #bookishwouldyourather
I finished this book just in time for today's #resistance prompt.
This is a resonating book about an island off the coast of Newfoundland and the man who refuses to abandon it when the government offers relocation money to all residents. Moses Sweetland has a little bit of Ove in him ❤ and he broke my heart multiple times throughout the story.
#junetunz
One of the faraway places I've always wanted to go. When I was 14, my parents took me to the Maritime provinces. They let me pick whether I wanted to go to Prince Edward Island (Green Gables! Short ferry ride) or Newfoundland (long boat ride). Of course, I chose PEI but I've always wanted to see what I missed in Newfoundland. This is my favorite book set there. Although I do so love The Shipping News. #rockinmay #longlingwayfromhome
I completely forgot I owned this one. I bought it so long ago as an ebook. It was on sale.
I believe I heard somewhere, maybe from Liberty, that there's a lovable curmudgeon in it. Maybe I'll pull it to the top of my TBR. Anyone read it?
#Lighthouses #MarchIntoReading
pickI almost loved this novel – the ending was a little too dark for me – but what an impressive piece of literary fiction out of Newfoundland! Extremely memorable characters and very fine writing.
Crappy timing, what with Christmas and all, but I do think this is one of the best sentences I've read in all of 2016. :-)
At around the 40% mark, Sweetland's "stage" becomes an important part of the story. I had no idea what they were talking about. This is what they were talking about. :-)
I love this expression, especially when I imagine it being uttered in a thick Newfoundland accent!
In Saskatchewan, this was known as 'an afterthought.'
My Book Outlet order arrived the other day. I had no knowledge of them prior to Litsy! So here's a huge thank you to all of you who mentioned #bookoutlet. At one point, I had about 20 books in my cart but I whittled it down to these 9 so I could stay under my self-imposed spending limit. This is my best #bookhaul 📚📚📚 of the year! I read Sweetland when I had it checked out from the library but I loved it so much I needed my own copy😉
pickSet on a remote, windswept island in Newfoundland, Sweetland was one of my favourite books of 2015.
Crummey takes his time sketching the stoic inhabitants of the island, their hard scrabble life and the sense of futility that dogs them. When the government offers compensation to the islanders if they relocate to the mainland, tensions rise between neighbours.
The characters and setting are still vivid in my mind, nearly two years later. 👍👍
so-so
