Welcome to Litsy!

#two4tuesday @TheSpineView 😊💕

1) *nervous laughter*
Ba hahahahahahhahahahahaahaffnfnnrrhhrjgh
Have I started, more to the point.
Organisation is not my strong point.

2) I'm gonna give a shout out to one of the WORST novels ever written here... in between stabbings and messy sex, our protagonist finds plenty of time to tell us about all the handbags she's bought along the way.

Thrilling stuff. Except it isn't.

Tag @The_Penniless_Author 😁

1) The worst FICTION book I've ever read was probably Maestra. The author was going for a playful modern Becky Sharp vibe, but it's basically an extended shopping trip with some splatty sex and incongruent murder thrown in.

2) I'm not really up for A Clockwork Orange, American Psycho or anything by de Sade, even though they always make it onto the Books-you-have-to-read list.

Also, Moby Dick.

Would love to hear your answers!

Uhm, no thanks. 🙅🏽‍♀️
Pretty soon I knew in which direction this would go. Maybe I‘m naive but from what I read about it at my library I thought the worst she would do is steal …

No, that kind of genre isn‘t for me. I thought I might bite me through and find it entertaining somewhere because it‘s read out loud to me.

But no, I don‘t want to engage with this.
(Additionally, it‘s a series … 🙄)

My first finished read of 2019, _Maestra_ was an enjoyable surprise. The plot is a dastardly rags-to-riches tale, firmly grounded in the gendered constructions of opportunity and industry, while gilding a sense of agency to a subtlety inconsistent narrator. Touches of practicality make this fantasy of a thriller seem plausible, allowing for the enjoyable anxiety needed of the genre. While not my usual fair, I found it to be good fun.

Nope.

I read them both. I did not bail.

#NotForMe #JubilantJuly

Grabbed this off a take shelf at Penguin last week after a meeting and ... You know what, I totally loved this, mostly because jeebus h. christo , can this woman aim the arrow of descriptive realism. I would read her descriptions of a train bathroom, of a McDonalds parking lot in Iowa, of a Forever21, literally anything. Is there more focus on, um, discharge than I would vote for? Sure. & the eyes wide shut sex is a lil dated. Nonetheless: 😳👍👍

Murder Money Betrayal Art and Sex. This book has it all. BIZARRE!!!!

#fiestyfeb I interpreted #internationalcrime to be crime that spans more than one country. I've included one and one new at the top of the TBR pile.

My #bookhaul from a local bookfair yesterday. On cloud nine looking at these new additions to my collection!

Despite the size of my TBR pile I was seduced by this in my local library. Started it on the bus home - couldn't put it down.
If I had to sum it up in three words they would be:-
1. Dark
2. Smart
3. Decadent
And if by decadent you think I mean rude then you'd be right. Apart from a couple of coincidences that had me like whaaaat? I would give Maestra a solid 5.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I don't know that there actually was a best line in this book! But I'll go with this, because it makes no sense. Mostly like the rest of the prose in this book. #bestlineinabadbook #BookLove17

Day 6 of #booklove17 #bestlineinabadbook

I really didn't like this book, but I like this quote.

This was hands-down my very least favorite read from last year. I don't like to pan books- in fact, I really never do. But this book, I #lovetohate #BookLove17

Around the time first joined Litsy there was a group read of this book and I just couldn't. The writing was horrible and so much fat shaming! This was the only #DNF I had last year!

#ReadJanuary

The Public Enemy Award (cos don't believe the hype around this) of 2016 goes to Maestra. Hands down the worst book I read this year. I don't know why I finished - I blame @Jenn1 , my otherwise trusted reading buddy 😏. If you read this, there are images that will be in your head that will make you wish you could scour your brain with bleach. Just don't do it. You are missing nothing - promise.

I finished this because I usually find @Jenn1 to be in sync with what I like. But I wish I just #threwitacrosstheroom 😩. Worst. Sex. Ever. Just plain gross. Unbearable prose. And a main character who is beyond unrelatable.
Seriously, save your time & money. There are so many other books to spend your precious resources on.
#photoadaynov2016

Charity shop haul. Love charity shop shopping!! #booktober

I Don't like it. It's difficult To Read ...

It's coming!!!!!!

Domina, the sequel to Maestra, is only months away from publication!!!!!

Why did nobody warn me!!!

"You can only eat the female [sea urchin]s. They collect little shells, stones, to decorate themselves. They make themselves beautiful, like women."

For some reason the idea of female sea urchins decorating themselves struck me as utterly heartbreaking.

This book is so bad that I wanted to rate it as a "Pan" AND "Bail". It has everything a bad book needs: awful writing, stupid characters and misleading back cover text. I got through about 30 pages and severly regret sticking with it for that long (but I'm an optimist so I couldn't help myself). So if you happen to see this book just don't use the time you could spend with actual literature by reading even this book's back cover.

The beginning of the book is a little choppy as the author tries to set up the story, but it gets into a much better flow towards the end. This book gets points for the great ending, but loses points at other times for the uneven characters. There are also a few graphic and sometimes violent sex scenes that don't seem to relate much to the story or explain the characters' motivations and seem to just be there to provide shock value.

I was able to extend The Trees from the library. Since I have a few more weeks with that one, I decided to start Maestra too. I think it will go great with my pumpkin spice latte. Interesting read so far - a few blush-inducing scenes 😳 already.

Up next is Maestra. Less than 100 pages left. Using my #biblioweekend to catch up on books!!

Someone just left this in my Little Free Library! I can't wait to read it and share it!

Dinner before book club. I've already given up on the business book to read something juicer lol #bookandburger

And then there were 3!! My #weekendreads are all over the place, but I've finished Geek Love and am going back to Maestra which I've decided is kind of like a train wreck. It's so absurd so I can't not read it. 😂

What the hell?? This book is not what I thought. I thought it was a thriller...??? I'm not far in so I'll give it a shot but oh my. Her character needs to improve in my opinion. I've considered posting some of the crazy quotes but have stopped bc holy 🐄

Sooooo received this is the mail today....

So I didn't read this while everyone else did, but now this news! Should I add it to my TBR or no?

This story might continue, but not with me. I don't want to be a hater, but this was truly awful. Was she supposed to be a female Patrick Bateman? And the worst sex scenes ever 😝 Not even sure why I finished it.

🚂🔥 Sometimes you give a book that everyone hated a chance and--surprise--turns out you also want to vomit upon reading page two.

Haha, this book is so bad!!! The story is thin, the characters actions are not logical and the writing is really bad. I would highly recommend everyone I meet to NOT read Maestra. The thought that I bought it and the author actually got money from me 😖

I can understand why this had a low rating, but not necessarily so low. It's absolutely a debut, as one can see with the not-stellar writing that tries too hard. But the real problem is the implausible plot and extremely unlikable, yet boring MC. Somehow it still compelled me enough to finish.

#next up Maestra
Let's see what all the chatter is about.

I'm surprised to find this here but thanks to @Yossarian and his blow-by-blow review, I think I'll pass. 😂

Are we actually supposed to like this MC in any way? Because I don't. "The only time Id ever wanted to lose weight, I'd simply stopped eating for a week. That seemed to work fine."

At what point does this book become a thriller? Not going to waste any more time reading to find out. 80 pages in & nothing thrilling about it.

SPOILER. Ugh snobby much? "It occurred to me that one feels less guilty about murdering a man who reads Jeffrey Archer for pleasure"

I don't know wtf I just read, but I read it. Has anyone else read this book that had a different opinion?

Book club books for this month (missing: Just Take My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark which I'm listening to on audio). Next up is Maestra which I'm less than enthused to read after seeing it's Goodreads rating, yikes!

Y'all, I just can't with this book anymore. I may be throwing in the...towel? stiletto? on this one. Or maybe at it. Depends on how frustrated I get. Either way, too many other amazing things to read, one of which must be about a psychopath who has sex parties but is better than this treasure. 👠💋 #ReadWomen

The sex scenes were onerous and more detail than I needed. I also wished more female serial killer than girls gone wild. I guess you could compare to Girl With A Dragon Tattoo which I have tried to read many times but just cannot get into that book. I listened to the audio version.

After spending the past few nights dragging my way through the audiobook of Maestra (😒) before going to sleep, I'm treating myself to a listen of one of my favorite albums tonight. All is right with the world again 🙏🏻