Welcome to Litsy!

Leaning into Michigan fall reading.

"He had fun in the chaos of four people; the chaos is what made it feel like art, like beauty."
85

Aja Gabel is on my list/project of 8 women writers I want to read. She‘s the 1st read. I cannot express how much I loved this book. Set between 1992 and 2010, 4 classical music students meet & form a quartet. Organized in 5 sections, this book explores their lives & the career they build together. It‘s about music, growth, friendship & love. Beautifully crafted, I loved every single second & will MISS these characters. Perfection. 5/5

For many years there have been women writers I have read about or had seen referenced in letters or biographies. This month I made a list of 8 women writers that I want to - finally - read. Vita Sackville-West, Katherine Mansfield, Edith Wharton, George Elliot, Elizabeth Gaskell, Dorothy Sayer & 2 newer writers - Emma Donohue & Aja Gabel. I am starting with the later and this book. Plan is to read a book by each. No deadlines. Just fun.

Finally getting into some fiction after my attempt at #NFN2020.

@BennettBookworm just letting you know that the book got here today! Thanks again for the giveaway 😁♥️

I wasn‘t sure if I was liking this, but by the end I just felt it was so beautifully written. I don‘t know that I‘m running to recommend it to friends, just because it was often too real (read: realistically depressing) to be uplifting right now, but that was also part of its strength, the realness and the complexity. I would want to read more by Gabel, for sure.

#JamminJune #Melody #coverlove

Four members of a string quartet become family to each as they creates lives for themselves.

Settled into #stayhome24in48 and here‘s where I am so far. I have lots of books next to me for when I finish this one. I‘m not going to let myself check the news today. It‘s just a day to read and recenter.

I hope my buddy @DebinHawaii is having a good early morning so far. 💗

My #FlowersontheCover pick for the day. I still need to read this! Maybe soon. #MagnificentMarch

I am not musically inclined to say the least and have little interest in or knowledge of string quartets, but I found this novel fascinating. It is beautifully written. The prose is so lyrical I felt like I was nestled in a piece of classical music. The real gem however was the relationships amongst the 4 members of the quartet over the course of their time together. Stunning. 4⭐️

Being that attuned to each other's inner emotional lives was the sometimes unfortunate side effect of playing music together P55

Even the absence of love was a love story for her. P5

100 pages in and utterly hooked. Great writing, but it‘s the human dynamics of the group, the collective energy required to make art together, that is so gripping. It makes me simultaneously relieved and disappointed that I write my books on my own.

#MOvember This book is still languishing on my shelf😬A story about four strangers brought together by #music #MusicMakesThePeopleComeTogether

This beautifully written hook offers a profoundly touching account of the lives of four friends who meet in college and form a string quartet. This quarter tie Jana, Henry, Brit, and Daniel together through many of life‘s changes and shows how friendships can strengthen, ebb, and evolve over the course of a life. Each character individually is imperfect, but through the group become a better version of themselves. Good read ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Day 7. #7covers7days. #covercrush. The colours of this just make me happy 😀

#covercrush #7days7covers Day 3

#SeptemberSins Another unread book from my shelves / love the cover but haven‘t been compelled to pick up the book. A group of friends in college comprise a quartet~ will any become a #superstar????

I can't believe how much I liked this book. It's basically all character development with just enough plot to move the story along. The idea of musicians as family was very engaging, loved the characters and how intimate without being sexual they were. It shows how deep their love is for each member of the group and what kind of an impact they had on each other. I would recommend this to others, it's worth your time

I LOVED this book!!! It was very nostalgic for me because I was a music major in college and all of the musical terms and the beautiful way being in an ensemble was described was perfect. Beautifully written!!

For me I really did enjoy the characters and the music but the plot did get kinda boring. It didn‘t feel like I wanted to know what the ending was. I just wanted to get to the next book.

I don‘t know how I feel. I liked the cover and into music so I gave it a try. It‘s about the relationship between a music group and their personal connections with each other.

Starting this.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was recommended by Anne Bogel and Annie Smith on their podcasts. The Ensemble is the story of a string quartet, its four members, and their families. It‘s a book about families you‘re born into and families you choose. For those that like plot and action, this book isn‘t for you. But if you like in-depth character studies and addictive writing, this might be right up your alley.

Feeling blessed ❤️awesome #bookmail from @squirrelbrain 🙌🏻 My very own Litsy Book Mail stickers that I‘ve been coveting with the cutest Christmas card & a gorgeous book from my sweet SIL she said the cover was screaming “Cindy”❣️❣️❣️I‘m ridiculously excited about the stickers🤗🤗🤗Thanks so much for thinking of me @squirrelbrain 😘

This started out great, but somewhere along the way I started getting bored. From the halfway point on I felt like I was slogging to the end. These characters weren't interesting to me, and came across almost cliche as far as musicians go. I don't have strong feelings either way about the novel. But the writing is lovely, and I'm sure I'll give Gabel another try in the future.

Library haul! Plus Kleenex for the first cold of the season.

Love is inexact... it is not a science. It is barely a noun. It means one thing to one person, and another thing to another. It means one thing to one person at one point and then something else at another point. It doesn‘t make sense. We are gathered here today to not make sense... I love you, it‘s a mystery. Because it‘s a mystery we have to take care of it. Feed it. It can go missing, but we can‘t tie it up. We can only tie it to someone else.

This reminded me of The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, but with main characters bound together by the music they make together rather than a summer camp experience.

Four musicians form an ensemble (two violins, a cello, and a viola) while in graduate school and then spend the next two decades navigating their lives, relationships, and careers.

This is a beautifully written book and easily one of the best I‘ve read this year. While the story is centred around the lives and careers of a classical music quartet, Gabel has managed, in my opinion, to essentially capture the human experience. Raw, messy, sad, joyful...I found it deeply moving, and I am so glad to have read it.

“The inadequacy of human mourning was part of the horror...
Music solved the inadequacy with extra human expression, if only temporarily.”

I loved the writing in this one, but sometimes struggle to connect with the characters. It follows the lives of a string quartet over two decades. It reminded me a little bit of The Interestings.

Poignant story of four..well, I wouldn‘t call them friends...connected through their music and followed throughout their lives to see if they can change or grow or escape their backgrounds. A little glimpse into the world of classical music artists. Reminded me of The Interestings and A Little Life (but not depressing).

I love a story about a found-family, and in a way that‘s what this quartet was to each other. There are good things and bad things, and they love each other through them. I don‘t know how else to say it, but the book made me feel warm.

@MicheleinPhilly wants to see stacks of books! Well here‘s what I‘m currently choosing from in deciding what to read next. Which one should I pick?? Thanks for the chance to enter this giveaway 😊. #SHOWME

21 | #SeptemberDanes

Even with the library sticker, I think this cover is just #SoBeautiful 💐

Full disclosure: I picked up “The Ensemble” from the library only because I loved the cover 💛 I mean, look at it 🤩

Luckily, the book also happened to be really good! Who knew? This remarkable debut from is about four friends who form a string quartet. While navigating life, love, and loss, they always find a way to return to the music-and to each other. It‘s beautifully written, and addicting to read.

Getting some reading in before heading into work, hopefully it will squash the Monday blues.

Great, strong debut. These four members of a string quartet grow and change together and separately. About maintaining that work/ life balance when the work gives you so much life, but will it always be that way as the years go on? I didn't want to put it down. Pic is of my foster cat Mr Jinx who enjoyed roaming my living room while I read.

It's muggy out and I got all my to do list stuff done so yes I do think I'll just binge read this today indoors.

If music could be translated into words, it would be through Gabel‘s sentences. If you love messy friendships and following characters who are flawed and complex, this is for you!

I like listening to classical music but I am by no means an aficionado. So, when I saw this book on the #MMD summer reading list, I didn‘t expect to appreciate it fully. Yet, it is one of the most beautifully written stories I‘ve read recently. I‘m sure that if I knew more about the music I would have appreciated it even more. But, don‘t let that stop you from reading it. It‘s a wonderful story.

I‘m in for this weekend. 😎
#12intwo @Samplergal

For the musician or music lover, this book will strike the perfect chord for literary fiction. I call it the musical version of Crossing to Safety. You follow the lives of a quartet (which I‘m surprised wasn‘t the title, though I see why it is Ensemble) from college through adulthood and the changing of seasons of life that change like keys in music. Britt, Daniel, Henry, and Jana all play music together as if they were born to do it.

The timing of my hold coming in on this was perfect. #upnext

A quiet and beautifully written novel that follows the lives of four friends and members of a string quartet. Although I am not a musician, I still found the characters highly relatable and interesting. If you like character driven novels, give this one a try.

No better way to start the day! I know these quiet mornings will be few and far between once school starts back next week, so I‘m savoring this time today. Happy reading everyone! ☺️

Settling in with this beauty 😍

This book is full of beautiful musicality and revived my love for music. I used to play violin (though prefer piano) and following the story through musical terms was incredible. My main complaint was that you lost familiarity with the characters in each leap through time, viewed from the perspective of one of the members of the quartet, and while that was kind of the point, it didn't work for me. (Plus the gossipy tones that broke through.)

Beautiful novel. It touched on an aspect of playing classical music I had not considered before.