Welcome to Litsy!

Next up. I've seen this described as a kind of reverse Narnia set up. Hoping for a Friday comfort read.

I've just noticed the publisher, who I've never heard of or noticed before is called Chicken House, which I'm finding oddly hilarious.

1. HOLY CRAP I LOVE THIS BOOK. I‘m all about psychological realism in children‘s portal fantasies. This one‘s marketed as YA because of its characters‘ ages, but it‘s dark enough to have strong adult appeal.

2. I was bummed this 3D Chrysler Building puzzle was missing all its framework and its internal light, but I figured I‘d do as much of it as I could—AND IT‘S NOT EVEN THE CHRYSLER BUILDING. My goodness. #audiopuzzling

Thank yo so much @LeslieO I love it all and look forward to reading both of these soon!
Thank you to @Avanders for the fun swap again.
#FFFS #fallingforfallswap

I absolutely loved this inside-out Narnia-ish portal fantasy. It follows two sisters in the aftermath of their return to WWII-era Britain after years spent in “the Woodlands.” I loved the realistic take on returning to “real life”—especially when siblings experience that so differently. Themes of depression and parallels to mental illness mean it‘s a heavier, more serious read. But it‘s a beautifully written & hopeful portrayal of those themes.

Today I finished Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic and BINGED The Light Between World's because I wanted to hurt myself and my feelings because omg that book is *chefs kiss*. Now it's time for an ACOTAR reread so I can reread ACOMAF and truly appreciate that amazing book.

I'm going to space out opening my swaps today. First up: #JolabokaflodSwap from @rsteve388 Thank you so much! I can't wait to dive into these! @MaleficentBookDragon

I have a really hard time resisting a Book Outlet sale. As you can see here, I failed to resist their Black Friday sale. And I don‘t regret it one bit. My husband, on the other hand, said he plans to wrap these up as my Christmas presents. Along with the other 400 TBRs on my shelves...😂

2nd book read during 2nd week of HP winter readathon.I understand why most people don't like this book b/c it doesn't focus in the adventure of that other world.It's about how one of these 3 children couldn't cope with her return to the "normal" world, it is about grief & friendship.My rating is based on how a very sad story is beautifully written & how severe depression was well described another trigger is suicide.3.9⭐️Thanks @Chrissyreadit #SSS

So now that I am finished and have taken a significant break from Litsy and #NFNov which was fun I'd like to give a shout out to any one who facilitates an event, a book swap, a reading challenge, a whatever! To keep our community engaged and active. Taking on the role of leading #NFNov was hard work, managing people and points and trying to keep up with my own responsibilities was just difficult for me. So here's to all of you awesome leaders!

#CurrentlyReading an interesting read so far. I love stories about other worlds and what they are like when they return to the world they left behind.

#7Days7Covers Day 3
@Princess-Kingofkings want to play 🦌

I won the Libro.fm Summer Listening Challenge and got a year‘s worth of audiobook credits!!! 😭🤩 (I NEVER thought I would win this and just wanted an extra audiobook credit, so if you see an awful photo of me know I had worked 11 hours that day). Then I just bought YA Club titles anyway, because they were such a good deal. 3/4 of these titles I got on sale. 3/4 I have already read. 🤷‍♀️

Wish I could‘ve beaten my time from the last #24in48, but so much ended up happening this weekend 7 hours was the best I could‘ve done.
And unfortunately I‘m not really loving this book, so that may contribute to my lack of time.
But I‘m happy I did the challenge and am excited for the next one.
#readathon #readingchallenge

For those of you that love The Chronicles of Narnia, you will probably enjoy this. It takes the same idea of the story forward to a time after they come home and how two sisters adjust to being home, both opposite of the other. It is an interesting look at how one comes back to the normal after being in a magical land for a long time, but it just wasn‘t for me.

Currently Reading Because Hailey in Bookland Made Me🌈📚💜❤️💙💜💛

So I listened to this book on audio, driving to and from work. I LOVED the beginning, though at times I found the main character to be a bit whiny. Then, halfway through the book, narration switches over to the sister and that took me a while to get used to. I loved the idea and in the end it grew on me. There is a Narnian feel to it; brothers and sisters being pulled into another world during the war. I liked it a lot. I didn't love it.
⭐⭐⭐1/2

Another vacation read. YA. I loved the “other” world of The Woodlands. I so understood Evelyn‘s yearning to return having been unwilling taken back to her own world. Heartbreaking decisions. Best intentions. Exquisite language. A lovely book for our young readers who like Narnia and that genre. I enjoyed it very much.

My Barnes and Noble book sale order came today! So excited and such gorgeous covers!! #bookmail

I was not impressed with this one. At all... I didn‘t hate it but I gave it 2 stars. It was like 2 different stories and the transitions were.... rough

Full on Narnia vibes with this one!

Two trips to the library this week and a huge pile of books to read. I also managed to pick up Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children.

Dnf

This book was everything I needed it to be! I love stories about lost girls and this story about Evelyn and her siblings was just the sort of thing that might have happened to Lucy after going back through the Wardrobe.

Evie and her siblings grew up in the Woodlands only to find themselves back in the "real" world. Her sibs are happy to be back, but all Evie wants is to go home.

Excuse Pippin photo bombing the cover shot. #CatsOfLitsy #KAL

If only I had today off too to binge this one.

"A Woodlands heart always finds its way home..." ?

Wow. I know its still pretty early in the year, but this may be one of my favorites of 2019 so far! It was seriously amazing. I loved all the characters and the writing was just breathtaking. It reminded me a lot of the Wayward Children series by Seanan Mcguire, but in a YA setting. Definately worth checking out, especially if you're a person (like me) who dreams of other worlds! ???

How did I not hear about this book before? Thankfully, I live with @aeeklund and she introduces me to the most amazing books. It‘s delightful so far! Magic woven in with the everyday. An echo of Narnia. ❤️ #amreading #thelightbetweenworlds

????
I definitely enjoyed this achingly lovely novel. I loved the poetic flowery prose
At some parts in this book, it had me tearing up on every other page ? ?
With some Narnia vibes, I would have liked even more of the time in "The Woodlands"
Content warning in comments⬇️

It‘s a quiet and freezing Monday at work so I‘m taking advantage of the downtime to drink some coffee and make headway on this book.

"Now in hardcover! The Light Between Worlds."

Snowing here in Virginia!! 😆 ❄️ I get excited about snow after living in Florida my whole life, and still live there.
Plans for today include reading a lot + baking cookies 🍪😁 #snow
Is it snowing where you are??

#libraryhaul #bookhaul
The three on top I got at 2nd and Charles 📚📚📚
(Tagged the bottom right since you can't really see it)
Have you read any of these?? What do I start with?! 😁 🤔

My friend died today and sleep feels endlessly far away. I need something beautiful to read. Something like this. I'd love some suggestions.

Reading this at the moment and loving it 💕📚

Part 2 of December TBR. Clearly I'm feeling ambitious this month.

#seasonsreadings #festivaloflights

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Awesome book club meeting last night. The author of this book was able to Skype in, great discussion. A very interesting take on grief and finding your place in the world. Moody and a bit of a slow burn this book asks the question most YA fantasies don't, what happens when you return from the fantastical world and adjust to the real world? Inspired by Susan Penvensie's return from Narnia.

Another book to add to my growing list...

#ya #yafiction #fantasy #modernfairytale #tbr #toberead #newtome #books #bookaddict #bookaholic #bookgeek #booklover

I enjoyed this book so much. The author understands sadness. She writes beautifully. The characters are well realized and complex. The story is toldfirst from the perspective of the younger sister and then from the perspective of the older sister. I was sad when it ended.

The Hapwell sisters and their complex relationship is compelling. The audio book was good, but eventually I switched to the actual book because I desperately wanted know what happened.❤️😀🦌

Absolutely loved this book! It was definitely different than I thought it was going to be but in a good way! Hooked me and couldn‘t put it down!

HOLY CRAP! I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK!I did not realize how much of a historical fiction it was going to be! I got some hardcore Narnia vibes but the POV and information given was actually quite different.We're not focusing on the magical world that changed you BUT how actions and events in life change people so permanently.

My favourite part? Definitely getting the point of view of Evelyn at the start and then her sister Philippa taking over.

Listening to the audiobook. Decided to read this thanks to an NPR book review. It‘s a story about those who dwell in the idyllic past, while others try to move forward. The Hapwell sisters are compelling and complex. The Narnia comparisons are inevitable, though, and I often can‘t help comparing the Woodlands to Narnia. However, it‘s the story of the return and adjustment (and lack of) that‘s the most thought-provoking.

Got an hour back today which means an extra hour before work so I gotta start this one. I'm so curious about it!

Walking the line between where fantasy and reality meet, this lyrical and magical novel is, above all else, an exploration of loss and healing, and what it means to find where you belong.

I love this cover 😍 It sounds good too! I saw it when we went to Half Price Books and had to bring it home!!

Getting ready to start a new book and have breakfast. How has it already been 24 hours?! #readathon? 📚

Less than an hour left! I can‘t believe it‘s already almost over. Getting ready to start a new book and have breakfast. What was the best book you read this #readathon? 📚 - @Liberty

Beautifully written - lots of beautiful natural language in it. Loved the moral of the story beautiful.