Welcome to Litsy!

Dark, broken, depressing… and finding meaning of art and magic in this hopelessness, and perhaps love.

Part I and V are my favorite.

The Goldfinch is an emotional journey for the reader. Tartt sneaks in this vested interest in the characters and ties them to us as readers. The novel culminates in one of the most furiously read and emotionally charged endings that I've come across. At times I wanted to throw it across the room, and others I refused to put it down. A fantastic read, and something different than my norm.

IF you need something dark and long to dive into, this is my latest recommendation. But if the world feels pretty dark (not surprisingly), now isn‘t the time. I loved The Secret History decades ago and shouldn‘t have waited so long to read this one. So many genres and topics all deftly blended together. Tartt is a master of her craft.

Full review https://www.TheBibliophage.com
#thebibliophage2022 #booked2022 #darkacademia

Four books finished, and starting on the tagged beast. #BigJuneReadathon

#dnf #bookmoods @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

“What if our badness and mistakes are the very thing that set our fate and bring us round to good?“

I was awed by this 771 page tome when I read it back in 2013. I haven‘t yet seen the movie. I later went on to read The Secret History which I also enjoyed. I have The Little Friend on my shelf and hope to get to it soon.

#600+Pages #BookMoods
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

I HATED this book! It was so long and seemed to drag on. I hated the protagonist and most of the people in his life (which I think is the point). I was not interested in his life and the events that transpired. The protagonist continually made terrible life choices, had no insight into how he contributed to his own demise, and continually made poor decision. The writing style was a bit wordy and the length could have been cut down significantly

"That maybe even if we're not always so glad to be here, it's our task to immerse ourselves anyway: wade straight through it, right through the cesspool, while keeping eyes and hearts open."

This book genuinely saved my life in college and I‘m not even kidding. If you get to part IV of the book and feel like you want to throw it across the room, I‘m pretty sure that‘s the point. Theo‘s life stagnates there, and the book stagnates as well. It‘s meta, and it works, because you really feel what he‘s feeling in those parts of the book. IMO it‘s a top-tier read with a little bit of everything.

I'm about half way through this book and for the life of me I can't figure out how it won a Pulitzer prize.
That story itself is ok but nothing is happening
It's just a bunch of random scenes.
Maybe it will be better once I get to the end but for now ,
IT'S NOT WORTH THE READ.

I didn‘t expect to finish #TheGoldfinch today already, but then my train got delayed for 90 minutes, so I suddenly had a lot more times. I also made waffles 🧇 today ☺️.
The first 100 pages and the last 20 were one of the most beautiful pages ever written. The rest is very long, often still good, but it‘s also very long.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

#DonnaTartt

I adore this sentence! I‘m at the part where they arrive in Las Vegas. I heard a lot of criticism about this chapter, so I hope it won‘t be too bad. So far, I really enjoyed the book 📖 🐦.

#TheGoldfinch #DonnaTartt #readingupdate #quote

I haven‘t done a big book haul in a minute and let me tell you I‘ve missed it. So today I‘m doing exactly that.

I was gifted a lot of these awesome books for Christmas. I‘m blessed with the best family and they absolutely spoiled me. Plus, I spoiled me a little too. 😂

But I think it‘s time to go on a book buying ban because I‘ve got a lot of reading to do. 😂😂

https://wildwoodreads.com/2022/01/05/my-first-book-haul-of-the-year/

"Stay away from the ones you love too much. Those are the ones who will kill you."

***

#12booksof2021

In March, I only finished one book (I was ill around this time, sadly).

I had a love/hate relationship with The Goldfinch. On the one hand it was an exquisite work of literature, on the other an absolute slog. Donna Tartt's writing exuded quality & months later, I can still remember it.

The structure though 😐 And the several hundred pages of boring drug use 🥱

I still think it probably deserved more than the 3⭐ I gave it.

Such a beautiful book. Took me a while to read it, but it didn't feel like a long time. I enjoyed every bit of it. That ending really touched me. It will stay with me forever.
I plan to read her other books.

Relaxing this evening with a good book, tea, and a cozy-smelling candle.

Happy Thanksgiving if you celebrate!
I got some bookmail today which I was not expecting, but I am thrilled.

Hope you all have a fantastic day ❤

“As beautiful as music is the space between notes, just as the stars are beautiful because fo the space between them, just as the sun strikes raindrops at a certain angle and throw a prison of color across the sky - so the space where I exist, and want to keep existing, and to be quiet frank I hope I die in, is exactly this middle distance: where despair struck pure otherness and created something sublime.”

Gorgeous. Ruinous. A masterpiece 💛

A true poetic masterpiece. I felt everything Theo felt: the euphoria, betrayal, pain. Beautifully written and spanning over so many years — so many pages that I feel like I‘ve grown with them. Those last few chapters highlight the beauty of life and show true character growth. “I painted this for you;” that beautiful feeling. I too felt that this art was written just for me.

An interesting and intriguing story, I have never read anything like it!
Read for the #PopSugarReadingChallenge2021 and #ReadHarderChallenge2021. 3.75/5

#QuotsyOct21 Day 30: #Disguise

I just couldn‘t get into this one! #adnf #falltreasures @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

It‘s hard to put my finger on what makes Donna Tartt so masterful, but my goodness she IS. She held my attention for all 32.5 hrs of this audiobook, which was beautifully narrated. It is exquisite how the story allows the reader to understand Theo‘s life and perspective through pure illustration and symbolism. I usually like books with sharp, clever insights but Tartt patiently paints a masterpiece, much like the Goldfinch itself ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A slow burn and I have mixed feelings. Tart had a wonderful way of putting abstract feelings and fleeting thoughts into words, and can set a mood/scene with ease. When there was action, it was exciting! But, some parts of it felt superfluous and hard to get through. Sometimes I‘d see a giant paragraph of solid text without dialogue and kind of reflexively grimace. I get why it has a following, but I can also see why people put it down. I say 3/5⭐️

There‘s something so relaxing about reading during a thunderstorm ☺️

I listened to the audio of this book and was completely hooked. I thought the narrators did an amazing job, especially the portrayal of Boris, Theo‘s best friend. I did experience a sort of suspension of disbelief over Theo‘s “sudden” turn into a rather immoral character, but it didn‘t ruin it. I found the story engaging and the writing lovely and highly recommend it. I‘ve heard The Secret History is even better, so looking forward to that!

“A goodbye at the gate , “ said Hobie. He seemed to be talking partly to himself. “ That‘s what he would have wanted. The parting glimpse, the death haiku- he wouldn‘t have liked to leave without stopping to speak to someone along the way. ‘ A tea house amid the cherry blossoms, on the way to death. “

I‘ve attempted this one before ... and I don‘t know why I feel drawn to it again.. & this time it‘s pulling me in 🤞🏻 timing 🤔🤞🏻

10/10. I know this one is controversial. It‘s definitely a bit of a slow burn, but this book was written beautifully & moved me to tears multiple times. I was deeply invested in each character & thought Tartt really highlighted the depth of human nature.

#OppositeDay Day 4 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TheKidUpstairs

I definitely felt the opposite of #love when reading this book. I know some people loved this one, but it's one of only a few books that I very strongly dislike.

I have mixed feelings about The Goldfinch.

On the one hand, it was a highly accomplished and moving story about the destruction one tragic event can wreak, well written and exuding quality.

On the other, it was a frustratingly fragmented read, peppered with superfluous details, tedious drug use, unsatisfying plot turns and a main character that managed to be forgettable despite a well-drawn supporting cast.

I'm conflicted and also deflated.

Wrapped up with 9 for the month, including the goldfinch (which was a chonker)🐥Also completed a challenge with the lil guy- we read for a total two hours this month! 📚No mean feat for a two year old 👼

This is a well-written book, but it isn't grabbing me. This may just be the state of mind I'm in at the moment making me feel daunted by it's length. I can't figure out if it's me or the book. At page 350, DNF'ing isn't an option!

I'm 270 pages in and not sure how I'm feeling about it. Certainly it's a very well written book, but I don't have that compulsive urge to devour it just yet. Not sure where it's going at all. Will persevere.....

#bookspinbingo for Feb! @TheAromaofBooks
Doubt I'll have the Goldfinch finished in Feb but aiming high 😁

Love this giveaway! Tagged was everyone in book club‘s favorite, even those who don‘t normally agree. #goodbyebotm @Hooked_on_books

Overall, I liked this book. There were a few moments where it felt long, but in the end I was left wanting more. It contained interesting characters and unpredictability. There was a deepness to this book that I didn't expect when I began reading it, but it was so well written. Not a quick read, but a worthwhile read for sure.

I am posting one book a day from my extensive to be read collection. No description and no reason why I got these books. Some are really old and some are new; there are quite a few. Join the fun!

This is day 13.

#BooksToRead #TBRPile #TBRMountain #Bookstagram

First book I'm reading in the new year. Recommended by a friend. It's so good so far. I'm hooked!

About to start The Goldfinch. Anyone read it? It'll be my first Donna Tartt. I've heard she's rather good..

#popsugarreadingchallenge - a book with Gold, Silver or Bronze in the title

All in all I really was absorbed in this story, I felt like i was watching a car crash of my best friends, I cared and watching their paths was painful at times but however bleak it got, I couldn't look away.

Im definitely going to read more from this author.

I enjoyed the audio version of this, and although it's long and there were at times gaps between listens, I was always able to pick it right back up and the story never felt like it dragged on too much.