Welcome to Litsy!

9-8-24: My 32nd finished book of 2024! Rowley is a lot of fun but he also knows how to bring a tear to your eye. 1990s NYC, James Smale is trying to get his first novel published. When his agent finally gets him a meeting with a possible new editor he doesn‘t mention that it‘s none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis! Remarkably, James doesn‘t faint when they meet. The story follows their time together finishing his book and it was lovely.

I loved this one. I listened to it over audio, highly recommend. I also adore Michael Urie, so I loved his narration. I did not realize that Jackie was an editor in real life. The story is about an author, James, working with his editor, Jackie, on his first book. James is delving into the relationship with his mom. There was so much brought up: life in the 1990s as a gay man, toxic masculinity, parents coming to terms with who you are. #bookspin

A young writer, in the early ‘90‘s finds that his editor is Jackie Kennedy Onassis. It‘s an interesting take on an imagined fictional event with a real person. It‘s also about the writer‘s relationship with his mother. I really enjoyed this read.

Sweet sweet story

A young writer finds a publisher for his semi-autobiographical novel...and his editor is Jackie O. The first 1/3 dragged but then the MC's world changed and I was captivated. Part of the appeal is this time period is vivid in my mind as it was just after I graduated from college and spit out in the real world. I recommend this to anyone who wants to get a behind-the-scenes, albeit fictional, glimpse of Jackie O's later life.

📸 New York Post

Imagine you‘ve been trying to become a writer for your whole life, someone finally buys your book, only to find the editor is Jackie Kennedy. as she pushes him to unravel his troubles with his mom to finish this semi-autobiographical account of their relationship, a huge family secret comes to light. very cool to think of Jackie‘s time as an editor post First Lady, BUT the MC & his mom are so wholly unlikable it‘s distracting

Reading inside today. This book is wonderful! I keep looking up photos and facts about Jackie O.

Mint latte for this beautiful morning!

Starting a new book with my lavender latte this morning. Also, I just notice that I‘m over 20,000! Thanks everyone!

This was at the lower end of the pick scale for me. I liked the premise of a new writer learning Jackie Kennedy Onassis is going to be his editor. I also liked how he learned and grew from that relationship. The book dragged in places though. I would put it down & pick it up weeks later. I got to the 50% mark last night and finished this morning, so it picked up there with the revelation of a family secret.

1: The Editor (ebook), The Library (print), I Was Better Last Night (walking audio), and The Wedding Veil (night time audio)
2: That I knew was LGBTQ? Either The Well of Loneliness or Rubyfruit Jungle.
3. Jonathan Van Ness‘ Love That Story.
#weekendreads

Settling in to read this for a bit and just relax.

What a brilliant premise for a book, especially for Jackie O fans like me! We get to peek into a side of the iconic First Lady that we don‘t often hear about: her literary life. The perfect beginning and end, though it could have used a few edits on the excessive family drama and unnecessary indiscretions.
Thank you @Jee_HookedOnBookz for the gift of this delightful read!
#DoubleSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

I am surprised this book isn‘t more highly rated. I thought this was a beautiful read about a young man struggling to truly grow up and navigate complicated relationships as he writes his first book - with one of the most famous women in the world as his editor. The characters all felt very real to me and the relationships rang true. I will certainly continue to follow Mr Rowley‘s work.

July 2021

This editor is over the moon! Thanks so much @Jee_HookedOnBookz for this coolest Christmas surprise.🎄You picked the perfect books to keep me smiling! Can you believe this is my very first Mad Libs? What fun! Can‘t wait to slip on my cozy new socks, munch on the PB cups, brew some hot cocoa and start reading! Love the neat 3D Christmas card too. You‘re the best, my friend!😘☕️📚

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 30ish gay man writes a novel about his relationship with his mother, despite her clear wishes that be not write about her. And Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is his editor (I hadn‘t realized that she actually edited in her later years.) The book covers his search for identity and his relationship with both women. Parts were great, others were uneven. It was engaging, but won‘t rise to the top of the list if someone asks for a recommendation.

Was okay

Not sure which of you recommended it but I‘m giving it a try. #blameitonlitsy

Random #BookStack of the day 🤓

4.5 stars

I picked this up because I enjoyed Steven Rowley's first novel Lily and the Octopus. The first 3/4 of the book was perfect for me. The characters were interesting, the interactions with Jackie O. felt real. They seemed just like a uber famous, former first lady might act.
The book started to fall flat at the book release party. At that time it turned into a series of cliches. If we could erase that final section, it would be perfect.

I started reading this today 48 pages in and so far I really like it.

I loved Lily & The Octopus and this book had a similar comic tone. Steven Rowley is definitely a guy I want to have over for dinner. This book was clever in its use of adding Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as a character, and I will read the 2 NF books Rowley mentions in his author notes. Not a perfect book but a fun pick.

Well this is absolutely delightful 🥰 A young up & coming author is selected to work with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as his editor as he publishes a fictionalization story about his unconventional mother. It‘s light and sharp with lots of laugh out loud moments but also poignant in many places. I‘m enjoying so far.

#20best2020 in the order I read them. Thanks for tagging me @thegreensofa but you ruined my evening!! I was all set to read a new book that came today but just HAD to do this. 😛 This is both fiction and non- as it would take way too long to do both. Bear in mind there‘s still a month of 2020 reads to go. 📚

Want to play @Rissreads and @LapReader ?? Have fun!

The cover on the right is the one on my kindle copy and I thought I loved it until I saw the cover on the left!
This book. I found it so charming and lovely.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise is great but every time I picked up the book, I got bored after a few minutes. Not much was happening!
#bookspin #bookspinbingo

Look what I found at the charity shop @KarenUK !?!!!! You must have been sending me Good Vibes 💓💓💓💓💓

Today, I had to work in receiving at work (B&N) which is always dangerous to my bank balance!!
Three new and shiny books caught my eye, and are coming home with me!

Lion‘s Den I‘ll use for #popsugarsummer on recommendation by @Cinfhen for some summer fluff...
The Blue Ticket is blurbed by Deborah Levy who I love, and sounds like it might work as a great book club book?
The Editor was not on my radar, but sounds fun 🤷‍♀️

I love that Michael Urie narrated the audiobook. He's delightful!

Overall, I think the book could have been roughly 20% shorter. It's not that I didn't care about the last 20% of content, exactly. It's that I was satisfied, and then it started to drag.

The family drama was family drama. So, I guess it was well done? It's not the main event. The relationship between James (writer) and Mrs. Onassis (editor) was fabulous. What more do we need?

I started out with some mixed feelings on this book, especially the beginning chapters, but the author continually drew me in until I needed to know what would happen next. Would he fix his relationship with his mother? Would she read the book? Would he succumb to Mark? Would he and Mrs. Onassis become friends? The farther along I read, the more in needed to know. And the ending was quite touching, but not maudlin.

This was my #Bookspin book for February. It was also a gift from the lovely @CoffeeNBooks , thank you Harper!

The Editor is so vastly different from Lily and the Octopus! I loved it. I‘m maybe a bit too young to know a lot about Jackie Onassis, besides the basics, but it was neat to read her as a fictional character.

The MC is a writer who‘s book is to be edited by Mrs. O. She gives him writing and life advice. He tries to find balance.

This showed up on my doorstep today! Thank you so much @CoffeeNBooks ! What a sweet surprise.

Happy Holidays to you 🎄💚❤️💚

#7days7covers #day6 #covercrush

Listened on audio. Slow to start, but the last few chapters had me crying in my car.

My Sunday night reading buddy ... Miss Kitty loves to read too 🐱📖...

#stevenrowley #theeditor #readingtime📖 #readingismypassion #bookswag #bookporn #bookstagram #bookpages

Sadly, this book was a disappointment to me. I was hoping for a book about books. But it's not. It's more a drama llama and not even a creative one. Also I feel confused about the role of Jackie Kennedy. Her character could've been anyone, it was so replaceable... Guess one has be more interested in family dramas for this book...

Good, light, some history, a little different, another book about writing and relationships with mothers. Nothing heavy really but a decent entertaining read.

And with that I completed my#24in48 (and a little extra). One audiobook, two ebooks, and four print books. I so look forward to these weekends every year.

Great premise but I was left wanting more- more depth, more character growth, more something. In the end this ended up being the type of book I will finish and never think about again. #24in48

@24in48 could not have chosen a better weekend for a readathon. I am so ready to shut the world out and read for the next two days. Here is my tentative stack of physical books and all of ebook holds seem to be pouring in from the library as well. #24in48

Sorry for the bad picture- I was in a rush when I took it. 🙄
I really wanted to like this one but I found it really slow. It‘s ultimately about relationships and the parts with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis were interesting but there wasn‘t enough movement in the plot for me. I even found myself not caring about the ending which is pretty rare for me.

Just sitting outside with this. Gorgeous day. Weeded my mom‘s garden, did a long workout at the gym (got some reading done there too) and now time to RELAX! It‘s hot out but I‘m really enjoying the sun ☀️

I have a few reviews I will hopefully get to today-finally got some more reading down on this vacation! Just starting this one. I hope to finish it before I leave!

Gorgeous flowers from my mom‘s garden!

I‘ve been working in overdrive the last few weekends, but I‘m playing a little hooky from reading manuscripts this afternoon to chip away a little more with this #currentread.

I want to echo what @LiteraryinLititz said - you must read this book!! It was just impeccably written from start to finish and now I really want to read more from Rowley. Love love love!

I am LOVING this book so much!! Rowley‘s writing is so heartfelt and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny! His main character‘s internal monologues are so relatable. This quote cracked me up thinking about my Dance Major history classes! 😄

I really wanted to enjoy this #audiobook I borrow on #Libby. I found it quite dull. There just wasn‘t anything for me to get excited about. At times, the author seemed a bit bored with his own story, attempting to jazz it up with extra adjectives. It wasn‘t enough for me, despite having loved Lily and the Octopus. This is 1 of 10 for #BFC #BFCr2 for me!