Welcome to Litsy!

God, this was good. Didn't take all the character paths I expected, and it was a moving, realistic portrayal of grief and an engaging, hopeful story all at once. Josie Silver knows her craft. #contemporaryfiction #womensfiction

I devoured this, but not sure how much I actually enjoyed the storyline. My #doublespin for May @TheAromaofBooks

On my shelf! #temptingtitles #with5+words @eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

It‘s admirable that this book is completely different from the last of Silver‘s I read. One Night on the Island endeared itself to me with its distinct sense of place; in The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, it‘s the characters that do it — the sense of family (both biological & found). This ability to write multi-dimensionally speaks to her talent. A word of warning: don‘t read this book without a full box of tissues. Be prepared to launder your hanky!

Such a good premise: Lydia‘s fiancé dies but she‘s able to continue life with him in her dreams.
It was just ok. A pleasant listen, but not gripping.

I can‘t totally put my finger on why I couldn‘t finish this book. I enjoyed the story but the book just felt like it wasn‘t moving and I sort of could guess the outcome. I read half of it but found I wasn‘t rushing to pick it up.

The library had this one listed as a romance. However, it is really about dealing with death and grief. I almost didn't make it past the first 1/4 because it was so sad and I wasn't in the mood. It did get a little lighter as it went along. It is a thoughtful book and the prose was elegant. This one of those that will touch you and you must be ready for it. 3.5 ⭐️

4/5 ⭐️ I actually enjoyed this one! Lydia's journey was messy but I think she ended up right where she needed to be. #LMPBC

I enjoyed reading with you all this round!!

This is an interesting book. I liked it overall, it hovers between a pick and so-so for me, but I can absolutely understand why this would not be everyone's bag. Whoever was in charge of the cover design should have thought twice about the vibes it gives off for this emotionally heavy book, IMO!
#LMPBC @sprainedbrain @Catsandbooks @JackOBotts

My book for May came today! #LMPBC I am going to read on it this weekend ❤️
@sprainedbrain @JackOBotts @Catsandbooks

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was an okay read. It moved quickly and kept me curious, but I had some issues with some plot points (or lack there of). Grief is hard…and so different from one person to the next. I think Silver did a good job taking Lydia through her devastating grief with honesty. #lmpbc Group E

1. Even though the premise of the story was unrealistic, the characters were realistic.
2. Nothing - the book ended at the perfect spot.

#two4tuesday
@TheSpineView

3.5 ✨
Cute read

I‘m enjoying this so far.
The writing is beautiful and is making me want to take my time while reading.

I didn‘t love this book (not nearly as much as I loved Silver‘s One Day in December), but I didn‘t hate it and I couldn‘t stop reading it. The ending made up for some of the issues I had, but it was abrupt. 😆

Here‘s hoping it works for the rest of my #LMPBC group E. 🤞🏻

Oh my heart! This story broke it and put it back together again and now I‘m just a mess. Josie Silver writes from the heart in this one! I love Lydia, I think she‘s so relatable and real. She‘s not perfect, but you can‘t hate her for it. She acknowledges her flaws and challenges herself because of them. The strength she finds throughout this book and the transformation she‘s made by the end is just beautiful. This is my favorite read this month.

There isn‘t a handy grief blueprint. You don‘t get over losing someone you love in six months or two years, or twenty, but you do have to find a way to carry on living without feeling as if everything that comes afterwards is second best. Some people walk up mountains, others throw themselves out of planes. Everyone has to find their own way back, and if they‘re lucky, they‘ll have people who love them to hold their hand.

Thanks for the tag @RaeLovesToRead ❤️

1. My current book, 2nd of my 3(!!!) LMPBC books… sort of making me wish I could draw the eyerolling emoji better. 😬

2. Important is hard to apply to books when you mainly read fiction, but I will go with The Nickel Boys.

3. I almost never bail and haven‘t this year, but I probably should have bailed on Mirror Mirror. 😒

If you want to play, you‘re tagged!

#wondrouswednesday

🫐Go Set a Watchman
🍑Hmmmm - probably because my Daughter started to read it and said she should probably reread to kill a Mockingbird. And I‘ve already read to kill a Mockingbird twice.
🫑Tagged

@Eggs #wondrouswednesday

New book with lunch

Went out and bought my #doublespin pick for this month! I‘m excited for this one! I loved One Day in December, so I‘m sure this one won‘t disappoint! #bookspin

Such a bittersweet story, but I really adore this novel. All heart ❤

#BeginsWith #Two

Sitting on the BOTM TBR

#two #beginswith @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I read 2 or 3 of this type of book a year lately as I‘ve found them to be helpful in sort of clearing the cobwebs and refocusing my brain on reading. They‘re schmaltzy and predictable but also funny and utterly charming. This one did the trick.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book definitely grew on me. I thought the first half was a little bit silly in its treatment of the subject matter, but it developed in such a way that was pleasing and meaningful for the reader. This is a lovely, quiet story about love and grief. I enjoyed it very much.

I read this today in 1 sitting and it was delicious and satisfying. As a widow I could identify with the MC‘s grief journey, though there is a lot more to love about this story as well. Character development, love/loss, and profound life events give this book its rich texture. 5⭐️

#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks

There are a few similar elements in both the books that Josie Silver has written. If I had to pick one I'd go with the former but that doesn't in any way undermine this one in terms of dealing with grief. The story starts picking up pace in the second half. The character growth is quiet and fierce. There are some beautiful moments. The music box was a nice symbolism for facing the music.
⭐⭐⭐

This was such a great love story that incorporates loss and grief perfectly. No one ever wants to think about losing the person they love, but this book really makes you think about whether you would take the chance to see the one you loved and lost and give up the normal life you live for that or if it‘s better to move on and forward. I loved how this ended and it made me sad at points, but also made me smile when I finished!

Contradictory, but I read nearly the entire book in one day, yet found it mostly boring. The short chapters made it very readable, & at times the exploration of grief was moving, but mostly it went about as deep as a kiddie pool. Pretty monotonous and hard to believe (wouldn‘t you worry about your mental state in Lydia‘s position??? But she‘s just like “la la la this is fine”) and the ending was cheap. Didn‘t hate it but not much to like. 2/5 ⭐️

TBH I‘m not super eager to read this one and not expecting much from it, based on reviews I‘ve seen and my personal preferences, but I got it in February 2020 and my general rule is that I need to read books within a year of buying them, so it‘s about time I give it a go. #NowReading

I'm actually surprised I didn't spend this entire book sobbing #josiesilver did an incredible job showing grief, redemption and how life continues to move on while posing the interesting question: What if you could visit an alternate reality?
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New Post today!
Click the link below to read my full rambling thoughts on this novel
https://heartandsoulbooks.blogspot.com/2021/01/would-you-visit-another-dimension...

This was my second 5⭐️ read of 2020. Heartbreaking and poignant.

#12BooksOf2020 #day2

This book definitely takes you full on by the heartstrings

UGHHHH. I NEED JOSIE SILVER TO WRITE MORE BOOKS RIGHT NOW. When I read this one, and One Day in December, I was so mystified by the characters. Like these are real people, and these books are biographies. I feel whole when I read this, and I feel a little empty now that it's done. ❤😭

I picked up the book yesterday afternoon & have already devoured it.

Wow, once again I thought I went into her book knowing what to expect & it wasn‘t exactly what I expected. But not in a bad way. I still like One Day in December a bit better. I did enjoy this one; but I‘m just not sure what I think. I gave it 4 ⭐️ on GR (& have a longer review there).

This quote 👆🏻 did resonate quite a bit with me. “Your secrets are your own here.”

I'm not crying, you're crying.
So gorgeous. Real and engaging characters, truthful responses to grief and death and life.
And ending with hope.

#TarotTakeOver #2ofwands
Tag book is totally about choosing between actions in order to move forward. Lydia juggles with her real life where her deceased fiancé is no more and her dream life where she gets to spend time with him. Beautiful chick lit journey of mourning and making decisions towards progress. This card is totally in harmony with the mood, story and colour scheme of the cover; Lydia will find solace via travelling (Globe) ????

Love love loved this novel! It made me laugh and cry and feel so many different emotions. The ending was perfect but kept you waiting for it til the last second. Highly recommend as it was also beautifully written and look forward to reading more of Josie silver.

For today‘s #tarottakeover, there are so many that come to mind. But, I‘ve chosen The Two Loves of Lydia Bird! After being a part of Lydia and Freddie for over a decade, Lydia has to learn to live her life fully without him.

From someone that has lost a loved one this book is very much appreciated. I felt the longing of one more day, hour, minute with my loved one on every page. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that has experienced loss. "Miss you everyday Ed".

Catch up July review. I tried to go back & join in the #sundaybuddyread final discussion I missed due to Hurricane issues in Sunday but it didn‘t happen.🙁Between pick & so-so for me but I‘m rounding up as I‘m in the minority of the group & I liked it-even if I didn‘t love it. It‘s chick-lit but Lydia‘s grief & eventual growth had me a bit choked up at the end. Silver‘s first book is better but this one has its charms & made for good discussions.

Predictable & not very compelling. We all grieve differently, sure, but as the book goes on it's apparent that Lydia was very much in Freddie's shadow since they began dating at 14. It also felt like Lydia had no consequences in life for taking so much time for herself. We also only know Freddie "after", which makes it difficult to enjoy the time asleep when she can be with him. A few characters seemed to do a complete 180 mid-book for plot. ⬇️

I was a bit let down by this one. It seemed interesting when I read the blurb but didn‘t deliver. It felt uncomfortable to read and I struggled. The last section really elevated the story though and brought the score up for me. Read for #sundaybuddyread and managed to check another box for my disappointing performance in #bookspinbingo

Finally finished a book this month!! As for how I feel, it was ok, a 3/5 🌟 read. I just couldn't connect with Lydia & Co. The humor felt coded since I'm not familiar with the shows and people they reference and for so long (understandably) Lydia isn't likeable. The only character I was drawn to was Jonah but, well, this wasn't his story. There were a few moments where I did get teary eyed but for the most part felt meh #fiction #copingwithdeath

I spent great moments with all the characters, despite a difficult subject. I found the author courageous to address mourning in a Chicklit. I accepted the unreal premise & followed the transition stories with interest; both main characters made interesting revolutions, each in their own way. The end is cliché, but Silver brought it in with skill; I accepted it with a Awww. To read with the Beatles in the background! #SundayBuddyRead #UK #romcom

8 pages in and i was bawling! I can't believe it took me this long to crack this one open. It starts out gut wrenching, and then is a journey of grieving and healing. You feel every emotion along with the main character. This is a book that i will selfishly keep on my shelf and never give away!!

I definitely enjoyed Silver‘s One Day in December more than this book. That said, this book was okay and really helped showcase how everyone responds to grief differently. There were parts of this one that kept me engaged, but just an overall so-so for me. #SundayBuddyRead

OK, I‘m going in to finish this up in time for the #SundayBuddyRead tomorrow. With my Starbucks Impossible Breakfast Sandwich & Iced Guava Passionfruit Drink because that‘s what the heart wanted this morning. Had to run a couple errands & grab a few things as we are under Hurricane Warning. Always a little nerve wracking.🤞🏼it keeps weakening but they still expect storm impacts throughout the state from tonight through Monday.