Welcome to Litsy!

I just spent over an hour writing down my thoughts on Goodreads if you want to know what I thought in full, but in short:

This was a spectacular piece of writing about infatuation, obsession, misery, loneliness, emptiness, selfishness, relationships, & staring into the void.

Having said that, the MC is a toxic, judgemental, superficial narcissist who behaves in some truly unforgiveable ways.

And I'm not sure it was intentional.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#LuckyInLove Day 2 #Sultry

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

This is my second mer-person novel in two months, and while there are some similar themes of one being attempting to possess another and the destructive power of love, the tone is dramatically different in this one than in The Salt Grows Heavy. I found Lucy to be remarkably relatable despite our choices being quite different, and I enjoyed this novel very much.

What a story. I was annoyed by the victim-y self indulgent protagonist at first, but then it got very interesting. The story didn‘t pull any punches with emotion or sex. In the end, regardless of the form (merman), males really let her down.

I thought the fish sex was what was grossing everyone out. Nope.

I'm diving in.

🤣🤣

I'll also see myself out.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Some of this book worked for me and some of it didn‘t. I enjoyed the humor and it was a distraction which was exactly what I wanted, but I found some of the details gross and not necessary to describe. I got pretty tired of it by about 2/3 through. At times the writing reminded me of My Year of Rest and Relaxation (I enjoyed that one more).

This is the weekend of not-so-great print books. (Audio are 👍🏻👍🏻) Either her weirdness works for you or doesn‘t, but at least I have my #ConstellationInTitle #pop22 out of the way!

Lucy is more addicted to love (and sex) than Robert Palmer. She‘s immature for 38, too. After a couple of terrible Tinder dates, she meets a mysterious man by the ocean…but he‘s not what he seems…mythology and magical realism abound.

Book #21

⭐️⭐️ Nothing can fill Lucy‘s black hole heart. Fresh off a breakup, in need of a scenery change, she dogsits at her sister‘s + starts group therapy. I liked Lucy at first. She felt relatable enough. I dug the first 2/3 of this. There was real potential for a masterpiece; Greek mythology parallels, the siren, symbolism, but sadly that was nixed by bodily functions. That shit was - figuratively and literally - gratuitous. Shock value overload.

This book made me so uncomfortable. There were so many sex scenes where she was super not into it but didn't say anything, which were awful. Then even when she has something good with the merman, she becomes obsessed. She's so addicted to feeling wanted and while I understand that is a serious issue that people deal with, I just could not handle staying in that headspace. Maybe it gets better? But I had to put it down, it was making me feel icky.

I love how Broder blended fantasy, love, life, eroticism and humor to tell Lucy's tale. I found Lucy's voice and character at times was similar to Rachel's the main character in Broder's forthcoming novel Milk Fed. This is a quick, easy read but it is not simple. Love how Broder can write about sex but there is still a point to the story too its not just erotica. The Pisces is like a bold, humorous sexy reverie. No other book like it! #bookreview

This book is not for everyone, but I loved loved loved it. Melissa Broder's writting, as always for me, drew me in and passages resonate with me. Themes similar to her other writings (depression, anxiety, looking for love in the wrong places and people to fill deeper voids within oneself), this book tells the story of a woman recovering from the loss of a long relationship and the

This book was completely different from what I thought it would be. I thought it would be #fantasy but it‘s about a 38 years old woman‘s fantasies and her will to get our of life what she wants and needs. Sex, foremost, and love and respect. Quite graphic, all of it, but funny too, I chuckled through much of the book!
Thanks for sending me this one, @squirrelbrain I had a good time reading it 🧜‍♂️ 💙

#ATY2020

#WeeklyForecast 20/20

I am in the middle of Self Portrait with Boy, a really good one. Next will be another #1001books by a favorite author (Iris Murdoch). I‘m also looking forward to the Pisces and the new Maggie O‘Farrell!

It‘s pretty fucked up at times, but that didn‘t make me not like it (might have cringed a few times lol). What I did struggle with was her stream of consciousness, It was a lot to handle. And she wasn‘t particularly likeable, though I don‘t need to like main characters to enjoy the book. Liked most of the ending. Definitely a lot to discuss at book club!

I‘m going to snicker like a 14yo boy right now that this is book 69 on the year for me. 🤣

This book wasn‘t bad. An easy/fun read. It leans more on the romantic side, and those just don‘t appeal to me like they used to.
The main character was someone I found myself not rooting for. She wasn‘t someone I liked. She was selfish and immature. Sometimes she didn‘t even know why she did the things she did. However some situations she was in, I found super relatable as a woman.
Not a bad book, it just wasn‘t for me.

It's a bit of a stream of consciousness mind "bend" with oddly realistic and graphic sex scenes. Some will love it whilst others will be repulsed. All will think, what the hell did I just read? I found the main character's dysfunction to be understandable; I could have been a hot mess like this after my divorce had my female friends not held me up. Lesson: join a book club, ladies, and stay away from fish!

What a ride this book was #booksandbooze #whiskeyWednesday #ATY2020 (two word title, first word The) @BarbaraBB

Avoiding my laundry to start this novel I expect is incredibly niche, but that I am that niche #ATY2020 (two-word title that starts with The) @BarbaraBB

This book is about Lucy, she breaks up with long term boyfriend and then decides it was a bad idea. She tries to get him back but things don't go to plan. Her half-sister invites her to LA to house and dog sit while she goes to Europe. She goes to therapy and meets Theo, while in LA. This was quite an intriguing book as well as a bit werid. #bookcover

#Day5 #7Days7Covers #CoverCrush
And I‘m inviting @Megabooks to join me in sharing 7 covers she covets. One per day no explanation

I‘ve been slowly working my way through the Women‘s Prize for Fiction longlist. After I finish this, I‘ve got four more to read. Do you have any favorites from the longlist? So far, mine are Ghost Wall and Circe. -Becca

What was love without the spell?

It was a terror.

(And I'm enjoying Broder's book too!)

What do you get when you mix magical realism with erotica, dark humor and suicidal ideation? This wonderfully bizarre and divisive book. Sure, it‘s about love and grief but also merman sex. So. Yeah.

I was going to start this book, but Isadora decided it would make a better napping spot. 🤣🤣🤣 She had the whole futon to choose from! She's just purring away. #catsoflitsy

This story is wild, but ended up being quite moving in the end. I was watching Fleabag at the same time that I read this and found some common threads between the characters and their approaches to love and sex.

This is the strangest book, but also very compelling. I found Lucy‘s internal monologues really funny, although you have to be tolerant of existential angst. It also made me need to hug my cat!

Lucy is a 38 yo graduate student studying Sappho when she breaks up with her fiancé. To get away, she dog sits for her sister in Venice Beach. She is constantly looking for true love, but doesn‘t really seem to know what it is. While the details of this story are unique, the themes are pretty well worn-finding true love vs lust, loving yourself first, and being comfortable without having a SO. The writing is frank, often crass, but fresh. 3⭐️

Well, that was weird...but I liked it...I think. It was sad, but also funny and insightful...and God, this thing is really impossible to review. I guess all I can say is that I liked it, and will never be able to explain why. I‘m sorry, that is probably not at all helpful.

Wtf did I just read? I‘m genuinely unsure whether this is the best book I‘ve ever read or the worst book I‘ve ever read. Either way, I loved reading, or hate-reading this outrageous novel. It‘s at times, trashy, pulpy and gratuitous, at others serious and tragic. It‘s absurd, and confusing. It‘s definitely pretentious. But it was a bewildering, hilarious, bizarre reading experience.

Next up from the #womensprize long list...apparently there‘s fish sex in it 🤷🏻‍♀️🎉

I've seen a few reviews of this book describing the mc as unlikable, but, in all honesty, I saw a lot of myself in this book. It is a pretty accurate portrait of someone who becomes consumed by love (or "love") in an attempt to fill an unfillable hole inside (and illustrates the reason I now choose to remain single). I've never seen this aspect of myself portrayed so honestly, to the point of almost being unnerving. That being said...?

I would give this the devil horns but I can't get over what she did to the dog...normally I love books with "unlikable" women like Eileen, but something about Lucy just made me frustrated. I wanted her to have more agency over herself.

This book is batsh*t crazy. I kinda loved it.

If you‘ve ever wondered what (very graphic) sex with a merman would be like, can stomach upsetting animal neglect, and don‘t mind an obsessive, completely unlikeable main character, this may be the book for you. Also, must tolerate weirdness and aforementioned graphic sex that is not at all sexy.

Otherwise, you should probably keep scrolling. Nothing to see here. 😂

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#womensprize2019

A wildly intriguing novel w real depth of heart to it, despite the seemingly flippant premise. Broder presents a heroine who is both cringe-worthy and desperately appealing; when she meets her merman, it's impossible to tell if the creature is real or a manifestation of her need. But Lucy believes in him, and her desire to be wanted leads her someplace far less magical -- and it's that which moves novel from flippant to disturbing and sobering.

I wouldn‘t have read this if it wasn‘t longlisted for the #womensprize. It just didn‘t appeal to me & I was right in thinking that. I didn‘t hate reading it and I liked the humour, but Lucy annoyed the hell out of me & I just didn‘t get the whole merman thing. I think I get what the author was aiming for but it didn‘t work for me. The more I think about it the more I dislike it 😂🤷‍♀️

⭐️⭐️

What the Fish was that about??? On the Women‘s Prize Longlist- huh??? My #NashvillePosse know I have a limit- this was unnecessary! If you think you will enjoy merman sex this is the read for you- along with sex and drug addiction, destructive interpersonal behaviors, abusing the poor dog🤬, lots of suicide attempts and scenes dragging a merman across the sand to get him to your sister‘s white (yes that matters) couch. Not for me🧜🏻‍♂️!