The Borrower: A Novel | 
so-soLucy, a young librarian, gets pulled into the life of a young boy who frequents the library, 10-year-old Ian. It turns into a rather far-fetched road trip adventure of sorts. There was a lot about reading and books and how important they are, so that was good. But it also really didn‘t quite hold up and was a bit of a mess in the middle. The characters‘ motives were never very clear and their relationship didn‘t quite develop.
so-soMmm. There were things about this book I though were excellent. Other things felt off. It was anticlimactic. The view of librarians the book presented felt dated, so does its view of evangelical Christians. It reminds me of Huckleberry Finn. There is a character on this huge quest to save another character and then it just kind of fizzles out.
so-soThis is a good read and as much a question mark to how it should be categorized as the book relates philosophically at the end. Part thriller, road trip, discovery- the very question of why Lucy does what she does is as much a mystery to her and the reader- but in a good fulfilling kind of way. Let‘s you ask and answer some baseline thoughts, but doesn‘t over complicate the process.
pickA fun adventure about the power of books and how they can save people. Interesting that this was written in 2011 and is still so relevant in light of the current climate that is anti LGBTQ+ and in favor of banning books. To quote the character Lucy: “I do still believe that books can save you“ (320).
pickThis story of a librarian and a 10 year old boy on a cross country road trip that‘s technically a kidnapping is too unbelievable to take seriously, but it was a fun read. The bookish references and entertaining side characters (her Russian family) made it all worthwhile to me. I appreciated the theme of the importance of books on our lives.
#LitsyBookClub #audiobook
A fun caper- if you can call a kidnapping a caper! But who is kidnapping whom?
I loved the inclusion of paragraphs written as a sort of a parody of children‘s books. Her Russian family provides some fun also.
HAPPY EASTER ! Or Passover, Ramadan, or Sunday!!
🐰 🥚 🐣 ✝️🐣🥚🐰
New month, new book.
My apologies for the late posting. We will Zoom on Sunday, April 24th at 2 pm EST. We hope that you join us!
Questions? Ask @Graciouswarriorprincess or @Bookworm83 .
pickStrange and interesting and book-ful! This tale is about a young librarian whose favorite patron, a misunderstood 10 year old boy, runs away and pulls her into his story. I‘m glad I read it, but it‘s not one I‘m going to recommend to everyone. I would definitely read other books by her though. For a debut it shows loads of potential.
panI couldn't with this one. The MC is unpleasant to spend so much time with, the plotting is off, and the overall premise, I just couldn't buy into. You can see glimpses of future Makkai in the sentence structure, but this story doesn't shine.
pickI don‘t know how I‘ve gotten to today yrs old & not read more by this author but that will change. I LOVED this book! I listened on audio and it was wonderful! The accents, the song singing, the Ggodnight Moon retell to fit the story that was happening at that moment. It is all the stars! It is funny and brave and nuts and fraught and timely and sad. If I‘d been on public transportation listening to it, I would‘ve entertained the masses w my face
The lights are on the tree 🎉I‘m giving it another day to settle and I will decorate tomorrow
I had 4 audio books come in off holds on the same day, usually I defer but they straggled in in exact reverse order of my desire to read 🤣 so one got returned unread, 2 are chilling and the last one, this one is playing while I type 👏🏻
I‘m proudly wearing my nerd socks to the writers festival today. #VWF2019
pickFinished another audiobook in my car. This was a very enjoyable listen. The setting and the way it is written is super fun. The realistic ness of this book is low but it was still cute. Lots of references to great books and a sort of coming to age or coming to realize who you are book.
bailedI love a book set in a library or featuring library workers....this one however is not doing it for me. Maybe I‘ll return to it in the future...strangely feels like a winter read. Anyway...on to something else. Life‘s too short to read a lackluster book.
pickThis was a nice read - Lucy, a young librarian, who is herself a bit lost in the world, ends up aiding and abetting a young runaway. I really enjoyed Lucy‘s relationship with her father and their Russian roots - but I struggled with disbelief at times over the runaway plot. Still a very likeable 3.5 stars and I look forward to reading more from Makkai.
pickThe debut novel of the author of The Great Believers. A children‘s librarian attempts to protect a young patron and is convinced to go on a road trip with him. They eventually journey to Vermont and it‘s clear that Makkai knows the lay of the land here, including how easy it would be to cross the border into Canada by foot. 😀 Many literary references and a sweet story.
I‘ve never read the series.
pick"I no longer believe I can save people. But books, on the other hand: I do still believe that books can save you."
I love, love, LOVE this book. A children's librarian and a young patron run away on an adventure to get away from his crazy christian parents. What's not to love? ? But at its heart, this book is about books. And how they have the power to save lives. ???
Roxas and Maho approve! ??? #librarylove #catsoflitsy #littenkitten
Update from earlier: Now they have taken over my chair AND my cozy spot on the floor! 🤣 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten
My lovely Sunday afternoon view. 💕📚☕ I've got cozy blanets, books, tea, and snacks. I'm camped out on the floor because the cats have stolen my chair! 🤣
pickThe Borrower is Makkai‘s debut novel. If you enjoyed The Great Believers (or if you‘d like an entry into Makkai), consider reading this because it‘s delightful. With cheeky nods to Lewis Carroll, L. Frank Baum and Nabokov (also sprinkled throughout is the philosophy of the simple slope from If You Give A Mouse A Cookie), this is a fun read. If you love libraries, books and stories (and are willing to just go with the premise), you‘ll love this.
Thanks to an earlier post by the wonderful @LauraBeth I was inspired to pick this book up today! It looks so amazing! And how could I resist a book with a children's librarian as a protagonist? 😉 #blameitonlitsy #librarylove 💕📚
I‘m going to spend the next ten minutes wondering how Children‘s Librarians keep their cool and don‘t kill anyone.
Up next.
I‘m happy to discover that Mr. Fancy Pants does not mind being a book prop. He‘s probably agreeable because he‘s already had his sockeye salmon breakfast. 😻
bailedI‘m on vacation and just can‘t start off the year with a bad read. I just can‘t.
I‘m not sure that it‘s a bad book...but it‘s dragging and I don‘t find myself looking forward to going back to it. So I‘m officially giving it the parachute.
I would still like to read Makkai‘s The Great Believers, though. Anyone read both books?
#booked2019 Winter:
Female Detective - Because who doesn‘t want a new (to you) series to read?
Fairy Tale Retelling - This YA seems to be beloved
Reminds You Of Your Happy Place - Give me all the Rebecca Makkai
Related To A Podcast - I ❤️ the Obama gang
Set In Ireland/Irish Author - Everyone I know who has read this has loved it
New To You Author - Double dip with the Reading Women Challenge (Book by Author from Nigeria or New Zealand)
Pretty stoked to dive into these!
#readtribe #bookhaul #tbrslayer #backlist #bookclub #libraryVIP #nerdgirl
pickA funny, fun, slightly weird story of a librarian & a book-loving kid, with a dash of soviet lore and cross-country escapades. Lots of literary & kidlit references & recommendations, plus librarian humor!
Started this last night and it took all my willpower to stop reading and go to bed. #booksonbooks
panI usually don't finish books that I dislike this much. The characters were boring and super annoying. The only well written characters were Lucy's parents and their friends and they were very minor characters. The story was awful. There was no lesson learned or price paid for the ridiculously bad behavoir. The story was completely unbelievable. I am actually angry at this book.
so-soWell, I'm not a huge fan of this book. It started well, but quickly degenerated into an implausible mess in the middle. It helped that this was a book about books. I enjoyed the literary references that were peppered throughout the novel. And I liked the idea of how books can greatly enhance peoples lives, how they can save people. But the middle part of this novel, well, I'd give it a pass. A generous 3/5 ⭐️
panMaybe I just need to stop reading novels about novels. I had no sympathy for the narrator, and the whole thing came off as patronizing and self-indulgent.
I have no books on loan from the library or friends right now, so this is my interpretation of #somethingborrowed . It DOES give me a chance to show off my new #OutofPrint library borrower card coasters, though. I'm crazy about them! #Booktober
pickThis book by local-to-Chicago author is a charming picaresque about a librarian who Both kidnaps and is kidnapped by a 10 year old boy who stows away in the library where she works. His mother won't let him r ad and has enrolled him in an anti-gay program with a pastor. They take to the road together and wackiness and growth both occur. #Recommendsday
so-soI've waited awhile to post a review for this read because I haven't honestly been sure how I feel about it. I was disappointed that the protagonist didn't seem thrilled with her job as a children's librarian (career goal!). Other parts were just strange & unrealistic. Still, I couldn't put it down.
so-soI didn't find this one particularly funny or in any way realistic. Maybe a reverse Lolita? Sorta tired of the deus ex machina trope in every book I read this year. Yet there were some parts of it that certainly made the book worth reading. #roadtrip
"I make too much of a mess of things. But books, [...] I do still believe that books can save you."
