Welcome to Litsy!

This one has been hanging out on my tbr for years, and it came up as December's #Bookspin. There is much to love about this story - mystery, art, love, an old manor that is a character in itself, and an expansive timeline - but that being said, it was maybe one or two threads too many. While I enjoyed the author's storytelling, it ended up feeling disjointed and a little too sprawling. Still, it made for great lazy-day reading. @TheAromaofBooks

So I am a Kate Morton faithful and always will be. However, this was an odd one and probably my least favorite by her. The writing is amazing in parts but I felt it was much slower to develop and the various stories seemed quite disjointed until the very end. While I wanted to know what happened, the bringing together of the storylines in the end just wasn‘t satisfying enough to resolve the confusion I felt for the duration.

#clock ⏰️ 🕑 #Coverstories
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Jenn, thank you so much for the for the lovely #jolabokaflodswap package! This book has been on my tbr for years, so I'm looking forward to finally diving in. Merry Christmas to you and yours 🎄 @Born.A.Reader
@MaleficentBookDragon thank you so much for continuing this wonderful swap!

July 2024 Book #7

This is my second book by this author and I can say that I love the way she writes, how places are described and how characters are developed. This story has multiple timelines and it has, mystery, a murder, , family drama, a touch of paranormal or fantasy. It is so atmospheric I didn‘t feel the 585 pages in this slow pace reading because I was immersed in the story. It worked for me 4⭐️

Beautiful prose and immersive settings; an enigmatic story. I genuinely love Kate Morton. I also love novels that weave multiple historical and modern storyline that interweave across. This I found to be circuitous/wobbly in places and hard to pin down. It just didn't seem to flow and rather than the story revealing itself I felt I had to make sure not to forget characters and their place in the tale. It was a little too much work.

I just couldn‘t get into it.

It‘s the last #AuthorAMonth book of 2023, and I might just DNF it. There‘s been some interesting plot points so far but I‘m mostly not feeling it. I switched from the hardback to audio today; I‘ll give it another session or two to change my mind.

Anyone else underwhelmed?

Hi all! This Kate Morton book is on sale today in case any #authoramonth #aam people are interested!

The book starts off a bit confusing. But once you figure out that one of the main characters is a ghost, it makes a lot more sense. Picks up quite a bit around 20% in as well. There were a lot of characters and a lot of timelines, but the story came together and was quite enjoyable and interesting.

It was slow for about the first quarter of the book, with too many characters to keep track of, but once the different storylines started to come together it was really interesting although the ending was a little disappointing.

I'm a bit behind on #BookSpin as this was my July book.
@TheAromaofBooks

This isn‘t my favorite by Kate Morton and it felt a bit long but I did enjoy this multiple timeline story about love, abandonment, loss and grief.

This is my April #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

Good story, great writing but I definitely felt the ending was anticlimactic. So much build up and so many threads and then I felt like it just ended. Abruptly. Felt very let down especially since I stayed up way past my bedtime haha.

The tagged is my #bookspin for April and The Lost Vintage is my #doublespin 😁

@TheAromaofBooks

Day 10: #12BooksOf2022

Great HF!

@Andrew65

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Another excellent multiple-timelines novel from Kate Morton. Love, loss, grief - those universal human experiences - are explored within an atmospheric ghost story. Recommended!
And now I‘m caught up on Morton‘s backlist! Looking forward to her new book in the spring.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a #roll100 turned #bookspinbacklog pick. It took me 4 years to read this #BOTM selection (10.2018), and it ended up being a wonderful read. There are many storylines weaving through time (1860s through 2010s), but I loved seeing them weave together and across time.

I got a bingo! This month, I finished Jane Eyre, The Night Circus, Atomic Anna (#bookspin), Fabulous, Among the Shadows, Northanger Abbey, Burnt Sugar (#doublespin), and The Clockmaker's Daughter. I didn't love all of them, but I didn't hate any either, so success! #bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

Not my favorite Kate Morton, but it was technically a ghost story so it was appropriate to finish today. I enjoyed being swept along for the story, even if it wasn't her best.

A long but lovely story with beautiful prose 🍁🧡🍁

Kate Morton is one of my very favorites, and I had been putting this one (her most recent) off for a while until just the right time. It had all the Morton qualities I love, though this was probably my least fave of hers. But I will still read anything she writes. Looking forward to her next release due out next year!

I enjoyed this. The overlapping stories and nonlinear timeline was very appealing to me. I forget how much Kate Morton's writing style engages me.

#bookspinbingo #scarathlon2022 #teamslaughter @Clwojick @TheAromaofBooks

I just wrote a full review detailing my likes and dislikes then pushed the wrong button and lost it. 😵‍💫 Basically, it's a soft pick for me. I had a little trouble with the enormous cast and the many stories about them all yet was left wanting more of Elodie's and Juliet's stories. I loved the descriptive writing and the way everyone's stories came together in the end. It ended with hope but lots of it made me sad.

One day I will get better at posting timely reviews, but for now I can at least catch up a little bit. 🙃 This book unraveled like the threads of a tapestry. Slowly and intriguingly pulling the reader in until the final climactic end. I won‘t spoil anything, but I must say it was slightly…disappointing, in some ways. I don‘t know if I could choose another ending, but I do wish for better. Others may judge differently. #nospoilers #historicfiction

Throwback to a blissful day on the beach 🏖 with my husband on my birthday 🎉. My progress is a little slow in comparison to my former reading pace, but definitely very intrigued by the twists and turns in this book. #currentlyreading #watersign #happyplace

#booksandlunch So far I am very intrigued. #currentlyreading 🤔❤️📚

Change of scenery this morning. Waiting for my sons class to get here for their end-of-the-year picnic. I came early to read before they got here.

Hoping to finish this book today. It‘s been pretty good.

One of my favorite places to be. On the deck on a sunny morning reading and drinking coffee.

Even though it's a slow-paced book, all of the characters and intertwining storylines is worth it in the end. A very satisfying read. :)

This is a soft pick. I listened to this because it‘s narrated by Joanne Froggatt (Anna from Downton Abbey) whose work I really enjoy. I liked the book and wanted to know what would happen but it had A LOT of characters and different timelines so it was hard to follow. I‘m not certain I understood it.

Ok so this book started slow but as you progress you really get caught up in the story! There‘s a lot of jumps through time and a few characters to follow so if I didn‘t read consistently I was a little lost who was who sometimes but in the end I loved how all the pieces of the story connected. This is the first time I‘ve read Kate Morton and will definitely check out her other books as she is a beautiful writer!

#CuriousCovers
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs

#flowers

Day 25

What a lovely story! There are quite a few characters to follow and the points of view go back and forth, but by the end I was mesmerized. I suspected the ending but it was still good, heartbreaking but it stayed true to the story.
Book 29 in 2021

It took me a bit to get into and sort out this book, but as I‘m nearing the end I‘m so in love with Birdie and Elodie and Juliet and Lucy!!!

As with all Kate Morton books, I really enjoyed this!

1. Tagged! I haven't read anything yet this year that I'm in love with.
2. Both. My dream scenario is outside by a lake not too hot or cold with coffee.
3. I'm doing #bookspin and aspiring to #doublespin
@MoonWitch94 #thoughtfulthursday

About 2/3 of the way through and so in love with the writing. How do sentences make you ache?

...and they would be very happy, alone together forever

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Joanne Froggatt. This was a long one, but it kept my attention. It was good company for housework and driving. Joanne Froggatt did a great job in narrating.

I loved all the characters and how they were all somehow intertwined. I really enjoyed the story and the writing was good as always.

Although I recall I liked "The Forgotten Garden", this one wasn't remarkable neither through an impressive prose nor a very captivating story - too long, too many timelines and very common characters which felt disconnected, redundant and forcefully brought together. Given its length, I expected to be left in a bath of emotions once I finished it, but instead I only felt I struggled to reach the end.

I stopped by the library this week to refresh my book stack 📚

@eggs Just checking on you - since I coudn't find a #wondrouswednesday today I wanted to make sure you're alright. Thanks for all you do! 😁

1. I'm not expecting any books but welcome them nonetheless!

2. No, I just finished The Duke and I. I'm trying to focus on my bookspin book this month lol.
@TheSpineView #two4tuesday

I'm so behind, can I use the same list from January for my February bookspin? @TheAromaofBooks #bookspin #doublespin

Sometimes i need a reminder! Have a great day!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SO GOOD. 😍😭 As soon as I finished the last page, spellbound by the brilliant storytelling, I went back to reread certain passages again. Don't rush this one - trust the intricate puzzle comes together beautifully and enjoy being swept away. (A snuggly reading partner makes it even better! 🐶💜)

#BOTM #botmbacklist #botmbacklog

Thank you for tagging me, @Bits 😃

1. I started this book a few days before I went into labor, and then it wasn‘t the easy read I needed to get back into the swing of things after having my daughter. Hope to finally finish it!
2. I regret when I sit down to read and end up getting lost in my phone instead! Here‘s to less phone time in 2021!

I‘m not sure who to tag, and it‘s Wednesday now (oops!), but this was fun! 😁 @TheSpineView #Two4Tuesday

I am so glad that I waited to read this one until after I had read many less than stellar reviews. I ended up enjoying it although it is definitely my least favorite Kate Morton to date. I agree with everyone who wanted less jumping around in time and fewer character perspectives but I was content to to stay on the journey to see how it all tied together in the end.

I struggled with this and it really wasn‘t worth it. Maybe it‘s the timing 🤷🏻‍♀️but it felt disjointed and I really didn‘t care about anybody in the end