Welcome to Litsy!

I see that a lot of people didn‘t like this book, but I did. I enjoyed the twisting and meandering plot, with all the misdirection and the bit by bit reveal. It really felt like the way someone with faulty memory would uncover pieces of the past, and I liked the character development that the length of the book allowed. And I loved the narrator‘s various Irish accents. I find Irish accents appealing.

This book is turning out to be not what I expected, but I am here for it. The writing is so good! Not the most sympathetic main character, which is always interesting. I‘m also loving the Irish accent of the audiobook narrator.

Low pick for this #authoramonth book. This was my second Tana French book and I think I can safely say she is not for me. I liked the mystery, but her characters are very unlikable to me. Not terrible, but so much else out there that I enjoy more!

@soubhiville

Truthfully? This was very slow. It felt like it took ages to get to the meat of the mystery — and once it did, it was largely revealed quickly and anticlimactically. I wouldn‘t even label this as a mystery really - more like a crime novel with social commentary sprinkled about. French‘s trademark insane detail didn‘t do this favors because it just felt bogged down. Same story could have been told more succinctly. 🤷🏻‍♀️ #AuthorAMonth

This is my #AuthorAMonth read, and I‘m interested, but I‘m not sure how it‘s all going to come together 🤔

I‘ve only read one title from this author years ago but I loved it so so much. Wanted to start at the beginning of her main series for #AuthorAMonth but no copies were available at my library - so a standalone it will be.

If you‘re not familiar with this author, I suggest you start somewhere else! But if you know her you might like this one. #dark #slowburn #witch #wickedwhispers #authoramonth

I liked this one a lot. Messed up families, spoiled guys dealing with their privileges, unreliable narrators, atmospheric old house, buried secrets. It really worked for me.

#31by31 @Catsandbooks #spookoween @TheSpineView #AtoZ @Texreader #BookspinBingo #PromptMaze @TheAromaofBooks #CatsAndDogs #HauntedShelf @PuddleJumper #DeadSerious @OriginalCyn620 🐔#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Just okay.

Guess what #AuthorAMonth readers? I find myself with an extra copy of The Witch Elm from the prize packs. Who has not read this and does not already own a copy? Comment below if so, and I will draw a random name tomorrow at 9AM EST and send this to the winner.

Pictured here with Sietje who is pouty after having a bath. 🐶😢😆

Packages to winners will go in the mail tomorrow. 💌

Ebook on sale for limited time

#authoramonth @Soubhiville

I‘m really bored and after looking at reviews I think I‘m glad I‘m bailing. Another book off the TBR & #Roll100 list! Also #doublespin pick off the TBR

#SummerEndReadathon

I always have a bit of dread on a buddy read when I didn‘t enjoy the book. Especially when I didn‘t select it. This one falls into that uncomfortable bookish category for me.

I was kept interested in the whodunnit, but the characters didn‘t seem likable and the ending unbelievable. In a sensational sort of a way that left me disappointed. It was my first French novel so perhaps it wasn‘t the right one since she‘s so popular an author?

I just cannot finish this book. I have 12 hours left and it is just intolerable. The characters are not engaging at all, the story moves so slowly and it‘s just mostly the main character sort of going on and on, mostly complaining.

My June #roll100!!! # 70- The Witch Elm, # 2- A Clockwork Orange and # 18- We Were Never Here!

@PuddleJumper wish me luck!

Just finished The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien and moving on to this. It was available now so decided to try it... but I've seen really mixed reviews so idk... might be a DNF

#BasicWitchSwap & #AllHallowsRead boxes are going out (Priority) on Thursday! 🥳🎃🖤📖

Very excited to send these out!

Privileged white guy doesn‘t realize he‘s a privileged white guy until people point it out to him. There‘s a murder to be solved. Privileged white guy remains a privileged white guy. Lots of over explaining throughout. Nonetheless, it‘s a weak pick.

Almost 175 pages before this book gets going! Hopefully it keeps going…

What are you reading for #worldbookday?

Didn't finish it last time and never reviewed it. So, all I felt after finishing it is that the ending is anti-climactic. Good start with the theme of love, nostalgia, bonding, then the sudden discovery n the growing tension. Quite jerk characters. But all happened for some bland reasons. The narrator's personal life is totally unimportant in the development of the plot. Didn't relish the novel. Like all for nothing. I sold the book with 15% off

So many mixed reviews for this one and I totally get it. Brevity is not a word you can use in conjunction with any Tana French books, this one least of all. I was still captivated by the highly unreliable narrator and the mystery of the skull in the backyard and could have forgiven almost any flaws until the ending which I hated. Not my favorite French by far but still an enjoyable ride.

I just wanted to know your thoughts, if you‘ve read this. It has a low rating here. I‘m not sure it has my interest enough to check out from the library, and it‘s long. Maybe too long (too slow)—and I don‘t like having to bail on a book. Was it worth your while?

What Toby thinks of as his charm is simply privilege. What‘s worse is that he doesn‘t seem able to empathize with other people and the problems they have. In other words, he‘s not the most endearing character. I‘m ok with that. This reminded me of something from the literary brat pack of the 1980‘s — drinking, smoking, casual drug using 20 somethings with means and secrets. My main issue was that it was too verbose, but I really did like it.

Ew. Ew. Ew. 1/2 ⭐️

It‘s like she‘s trying to teach a lesson about “boys being boys.” But she only uses her last breath to say “don‘t do that.” The whole book follows jerk characters doing jerk things. Described as a slow burn but it was more like someone rubbed my eyes with IcyHot.

A polarizing book from the queen of the #slowburn
#falltreasures

I loved this! Definitely different from the Dublin Murder Squad series, but still very well written. I had to stay up late in an attempt to finish the book; didn‘t quite make it, but not for lack of trying 😄 I can see where some might think it a touch too long, but it worked for me.

“I could hardly track down the burglars and force them to spill the story, my badass Liam Neeson fantasies notwithstanding.”
LIAM NEESON 😍😍😍

“I knew there could only be a dozen people there, maximum, apart from me and Melissa, but after months of near-solitude it felt like a football crowd or a rave, much too much, what had I been thinking?”

Oddly relevant in 2021…

Didn't like, didn't enjoy.

French is a talented writer, but I found this over-written. It dragged something chronic - 480 pages felt like 480,000 & I resented the time I spent on it. It felt flabby & in need of a severe edit. Toby's endless self-absorbed introspection got on my nerves. Then to add insult to the injury of the long-windedness, the ending was tedious & depressing. The confession scene was particularly excruciating.

Not for me.

#TBRPile 📚 “I‘ve always considered myself to be, basically, a lucky person.”

Today's book. To the best of my knowledge (which is, frankly, pretty dubious) this is my first Tana French. Lots of great reviews, looking forward to getting stuck in!

With thanks to #netgalley for this book. And yes, another woefully overdue review is imminent, sorry bout that 🤪

I really liked this! I listened to the audio. Some parts (especially near the beginning), I lost a bit of interest, but that was just mostly Toby with his buddies. The story got much more interesting after Toby and his girlfriend Melissa moved in with Uncle Hugo. Really, the narrator was just fine. The last 2/3 of it definitely kept me interested and though a few things weren‘t necessarily twists, there were a few of those thrown in, as well.

I love Tana French. Her writing is sublime. I hated this character with every cell in my body. Which I guess is a testament to her. It‘s easy to write likeable characters; a little different to attempt a main character as unlikable as him. However Hugo and the Ivy House itself was beautifully rendered.

I only have 5 hours left in this 22 hour audiobook but I'm bailing nonetheless because, to quote the narrator, I just can't be arsed.
This book is long, slow, detailed. I just grew tired of it. So I looked up some spoilers and am ready to move on. Thank you, next.

This is a tough one. It is very slow and I actually considered DNFing it at one point, which I never do. It does get pretty good at the midway point and I felt that anyone could be the murderer. The later events blindsided me but felt unnatural to me. French‘s writing is always wonderful and she creates some well-rounded characters, but this was just . . . different. 🤷‍♀️

Afternoon reading. With as much coffee as I can handle.

An ideal morning! 🐱☕

Still riding the Tana French train 👍

Finally finished. 😅Let me start with that I adore Tana French. With that said, this was a friggin‘ loooonnnggg audiobook. I feel like it was maybe 200 pages too long. Definitely not my favorite book by her. It‘s hard to give it so-so but the length! Some of the story felt unnecessary... #murder2020 45/68

Thanks for the tag @EadieB ! Tana French novels makes me think of cold weather. Holiday weekend I wan to finish my #LMBC reads so I can get them in the mail. I had planned to do a big batch of barley soup to also share with an elderly neighbor in need but work got in the way. So tomorrow. Had a delicious salad instead. This week, in light of the U.S. election it has been the movie version of Hamilton!

Thank you so much @bookish_wookish for everything in my #hauntedhallowswap package. I love all of it I am glad to finally have a copy of The Witch Elm seeing mine got destroyed by a very cute dog lol. The Funko 😍. A Treason of Thorns has been on my TBR since it came out and it‘s signed 🥰. The book sleeve is perfect. I have the mug but now I have another one 🥰🥰. The tea 🥰. My hubby claimed the chocolate lol and the worms are being opened lol.

Tried again, still didn't care about Toby or anything happening in his life, bailed.

This is easily the most overwritten book I‘ve ever read. It could‘ve been half the length and potentially more effective with editing and focus. I also hated the MC from the very beginning, so never really cared about him or any of it. I did really like the character of Hugo, but that‘s about it.

#Screamathon @4thhouseontheleft

I wanted to love this book because I loved Tana French‘s Mulder Squad series, but this book was interminable. There are sections of the story that are shocking, but there are long stretches of the book where I kept thinking does this really add anything whatsoever to the storyline and will this never end. I‘ve been looking forward to her next book, so I hope it doesn‘t disappoint as much as this one did. ⭐️⭐️

I'm at 36% and I don't feel like anything has happened yet! I'm assuming all this scene setting is going to pay off later but right now I'm bored. 😫 I'm giving this a break for a day or two.

😈 The tagged book. I love Tana French.
😈 Macabre
😈 Risotto (my husband is cooking!)
#ThoughtfulThursday
Tagging my#CozySwap friends

“I‘ve always considered myself to be, basically, a lucky person.”
#FirstLineFridays