Welcome to Litsy!

This came all the way from Australia!! Thank you so much Carolyn for this book and the kind words! 😍Can‘t wait to read it!! ❤️ Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!!

#LitsyLove

I really enjoyed the prose and it was wonderfully poetic in places without being pompous. An interesting story with several character arcs that culminated nicely at the end with a sense of resolve that was satisfying and believable.

This book was an absolute treat and one that I could have quoted from all day long! A literary mystery that flipped between two timelines, I found the storytelling clever and really well done. I also really appreciated the locally authentic descriptions of Brisbane, quirks and all, which just added to the experience. #ozfiction at its best!!!

#Bookreport - finished the bottom three, as planned! All were 👍

#Weeklyforecast - starting the week with the recommendation by @BarbaraBB (We are called to rise). After that, it‘ll most probably be two from yesterday‘s library haul. I also have Looking for Alaska as my 🎧

This is a story of 2 stories, one set in 1980‘s Brisbane, the other in 1930‘s New York. It‘s about books, the mystery of a dead author and the fragments of her unpublished novel. I liked it a lot...the love of books, how much impact a book can have on readers, and an interesting mystery plot make it definitely a 4⭐️ read for me. #ausliterature

I find choosing my next book to read very exciting!! I just go with what I feel like at the time. Next for me is The Fragments by Toni Jordan. A loan from a friend who has marked it with tags which means I‘m probably in for a great read!
Afternoon tea is home made carrot cake. I don‘t bake often now my children have flown the coop because I‘ll eat it all !!

Starting this one tonight. Not widely read on Litsy but pretty well loved by those who have. Looks promising!

Thanks, #NetGalley for this booklover‘s book!!! It‘s a mystery and an exciting hunt for the truth behind the sensational story of an author‘s anticipated second novel that ends in death, destruction and a mystery that spans from 1939-1986! Set in Australia and America, I could not put this down!! I was frustrated, nervous and excited to have my theory proven right! I would definitely read more from this author!!

It was perfect! Each storyline is packed full with hardships, dreams, love, betrayal, and hope as the author knits the two back to a crossroad of one moment in time. The theme is of women finding ways to be true to themselves. This was a meticulous novel. Even the supporting characters were developed well. It's worth every minute to read this. Toni Jordan draws you into each scene with vivid detail.

When you have some time to kill so you have to buy a book to read.

Waiting for the free concert to start at the local pop up park.

#aussieauthors #summer #summernights

Our latest episode is up! Annie & I discuss the New Yorker article about Dan Mallory (A J Finn); the Stella Prize longlist & The Fragments by Oz author Toni Jordan. Join us! 🎧📚

A good, light read with a vivid sense of place & strong women characters. Caddy searches for a lost book in 1980s Brisbane, her only clue a mysterious old lady called Rachel; then we meet Rachel as a young woman in 1930s NewYork with famous author Inga. I found the premise a bit contrived & ‘bookish‘ (insular) but got swept in the story, characters & warm tone. The ending, though hectic, is clever & casts a fresh light on the book.

I liked much of this but thought the story was trying to be more than it was. The premise - a world-idolised author, 3 obsessed fans in Brisbane & a conspiracy about her second novel - felt implausible. So Caddie‘s story felt farcical to me, but I warmed to Rachel‘s story set in 1938. Engaging tone, sympathetic characters (except Philip a cartoonish villain) & prose beautiful at times. Good sense of place. Confusing ending.

I know some people love quotes like this in a novel, but I cringe when a character is self-consciously ‘bookish‘. It‘s too self-referential or insider-y somehow. 😬🤷🏼‍♀️

Fragments of a lost manuscript by a beloved author who died in New York in the 1930's are on display in Brisbane in 1986. A chance encounter outside the display leads Caddie to question the accepted story surrounding the tragedy. Alternating chapters follow the events of the 1930's and Caddie's efforts to discover the truth. Some nice '80's nostalgia and some serious questions about academic ethics add colour to the story. I loved it. #ozfiction

He sells antiquarian books, she sells modern books.