Welcome to Litsy!

#ManicMonday @CBee
Thanks for the tag @Allylu

📕 Circling the Sun
✍🏻 Susan Choi
📺 Charlie‘s Angels
🎤 Coldplay
🎵 Californication

I think my choices are pretty eclectic too!

This was an adventure to read. Horse racing, lions, and historic flights.

This was our FOTL group book this month and I had no idea what it was about. Fascinating story of Beryl Markham, first female licensed horse trainer in Kenya and a pioneering bush aviator. She was the real 3rd member of the Out of Africa love triangle with Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton - she‘s called “Felicity” in the movie - though I get the impression colonial life was more of a love dodecahedron. Great historical fiction!

A fictionalised version of Beryl Markham‘s story, the first person to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic, from Britain to North America. #Airplane #SavvySettings

My first book of 2022 completed …yes, I started reading it in 2021😉Beryl Markham was a trailblazer. Living life her way, creating a path for other women to travel. Raised in Kenya at the beginning of the 20th century, Beryl chose to challenge societies views and become both a gifted horse trainer as well as an aviator. This book made me see Africa in a different light and altered my perceptions. 2022 is off to a great start 😊

And there it is, my final word #TreasureHunt #NewYearSpecial #Celebrate on page 395😄LOVING this book!! My #LastFirst #HappyNewYear 🥳🎉🥳

My #LastFirst of 2021/2022 and so far it‘s fabulous!! A good HF about Beryl Markham, a true trailblazer 🙌🏻Works for several 2022 challenges!! And I‘ve discovered 4 more #TreasureHunt words @Andrew65 #NewYearSpecial 🎉🎉🎉

I finished Brat by Andrew McCarthy earlier this evening and now I‘m starting the tagged book.
I‘m thinking the McLain will be my #LastFirst and I‘m already pumped about it.
Circling the Sun will kick start my #2022 challenges with a #TriplePlay :) #ReadingAfrica22 #Pop22 and #Booked22

What‘s your #LastFirst ?!?!?!

Another amazing #botm selection that doesn't get enough attention. Set in Kenya in the early 20th century, the story follows Beryl, an English expat who is abandoned by her mother & raised by her father in the African wilds. Beryl grows up chasing freedom & Independence falling into & out of a series of relationships. It's a beautiful story about a strong woman hell bent on defining herself in a world where women are meant as decoration. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

1. Tagged
2. 👍
3. I read most genres. A lot of books are general or historical fiction. #wondrouswednesday
@Eggs

#CuriousCovers @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
Prompt: Woman

Finally finished my first book this month. Overall, I enjoyed learning about Beryl Markham & the colonial life in Kenya, but I had to push myself to keep reading about 2/3 of the way in. I was more interested in the last few chapters, so I rounded up on GR instead of down. This story doesn‘t address the problems with colonialism & can be a bit repetitive at times about the idea of being wild & not tied down. 3.5/5

No #horse on the cover, but lots about horses 🐴 I didn‘t care for this one 🤷‍♀️

#CuriousCovers

Slow pick here because I was expecting a gorgeous story of how an English ex-Pat family chose horses and the great expanse of 1920s Kenya over the streets of London. But this was more about the failed relationships of Beryl Markham. Still though it makes me appreciate again how difficult it was to be a strong independent woman 100 years ago.

1) so many! The Nightingale, Tell the Wolves I‘m Home, Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance, The Velvet Hours to name a few!!

2) the tagged!! I wanted to throw it 🤷‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

#Two4Tuesday

Have you played @jinxmoon @Bklover @RedxoHearts

McLain creates yet another strong, independent, fearless woman who forged her way in a world where women were expected to play a very different role. Set in the 1920s in Kenya, Beryl Markyam, a record setting aviator, is caught in a love triangle with Dennis Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen (Out of Africa.) I don‘t usually read this type of book but McLain is just such a good writer I couldn‘t resist! #AxeTheStacks

Book 161

I listened to this historical fiction book about Beryl Markham, an author, horse trainer, and pilot who grew up and lived in Kenya. Mildly interesting to learn about Markham, the best part of the book is the setting, Kenya. Nothing overly memorable, though.

I listened to the audio and missed parts of the book. I have no idea where her second husband came from, but I didn‘t like him, nor her first husband (first husband was worse, but the second husband – though seemed better initially, really wasn‘t). I didn‘t like Beryl much, either - particularly the sleeping with a friend‘s (or acquaintance‘s?) husband. I guess there weren‘t really any characters I liked. Cont in comments..

No bingo for me, but I‘m pretty pumped about my August reading...anytime I can finish a classic that‘s been on my shelves for years (East of Eden), I‘ll call that a great reading month! Wrapping up Circling the Sun and Code Name Hélène. Looking forward to #bookspinbingo in September! #bookspin #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

Better late than never! My August #bookspin
Really enjoying this so far! I‘m also using it for Book From Your Favorite Genre (historical fiction) for my Beat Your Bookshelf Reading Challenge.

@TheAromaofBooks

#weekendreads

1. Tagged and Beach Read
2. Beach Read is an audio, but the one I finished before this was Cottage by the Sea
3. I just ordered from Bookshop Jenny Lawson‘s The Beyond (Apr 2021) & TJ Klune‘s Under The Whispering Door (Mar 2021) 🎉

Nearly 1/2 through the book and I‘m bored. Beryl Markham was a fascinating woman, grew up in what is now known as Kenya and best known as first person (not first woman, first person) to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic from Britain to North America. But in reading this book, I‘m finding her bland and boring. That may be because this book is most tell and little show. Not sure I want to finish it.

My #bookspinbingo
Right now I‘m reading East of Eden (for my IRL book club) and Listening to The Guest List. I also have to finish The Witches for my book club this month.
My #bookspin is Circling The Sun and my #doublespin is Belong to Me.
Looking forward to a great reading month! @TheAromaofBooks

#ThoughtfulThursday @Cosmos_Moon

🔹️ I have never had an unusual job. The closest thing has been working at a barn helping feed and muck stalls.
🔹️ The long summer days.🌞

#FlyHighJuly Beryl Markham was #FlyingHigh as the first person to fly solo, non-stop from England to North America.
@Eggs

#acrossApril April 26: chair on the cover

When you read mostly sci-fi & fantasy, it‘s hard to find a book with a chair on the cover.

“We can only go to the limits of ourselves-I‘ve learned that if nothing else. Anything more and we give too much away. Then we‘re not good for anyone.”

Paula McLain's writing is always so lyrical & beautiful. This is a slow burn read that inches its way into your soul. All of the characters are unapologetically imperfect. There were things I definitely did not like about Beryl as a person, but I was still very interested in her journey and invested in her accomplishments. The story is entertaining from start to finish, capturing both the highs and lows of Beryl Markham's life & career.

Another hour added to my total (for 14 hours) in #24b42020. Unfortunately, this book isn‘t my cup of tea so I‘m switching to a different audiobook.

Also, Bookly is great for tracking my reading.

I had the pure sense that I couldn‘t ever truly lose the past, or forget what any of it had meant.

Exploring Kenya at the beginning of the 20th century, under the sun, through this wonderful story

Good book. Great story about a really interesting women!

In my opinion, the main character of this book is a bit of a #mardybum — she complains a whole lot! Though, I didn‘t finish this one so maybe she gets better #ayupaugust

Loved every minute of it. Makes you feel like you want to move to Kenya and gives you some guts to follow through with what you really believe in life.

#WanderingJune #FlyAway This is a story about Beryl Markham, the pioneering aviator in the early 1900s.
@Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

I havent actually started thia book yet. But it is yhe next on the list.

Walked 8.00 miles Today and 6.5 yesterday.

I totally forgot about the weekly check in woops.

Volunteered at a fundraising event and worked my ass off. So.tired will update later #BFC19 #BookFitnessChallenge

A few weeks ago I went to visit my parents in Florida. While there I got to speaking with Beverly, a friend of my mom, who also enjoys reading. She told me Paula McLain is one of her favorite authors & she particularly liked Circling The Sun. And today a copy arrived from Beverly!! #SurpriseBookMail ❤️What a sweet and lovely gesture!!!! Totally brightened my day 😊🌞🌻

I love this so much!

What a fascinating woman Beryl Markham was! I look forward to reading her biography. She dared to carve out her own life at a time when she was given a quite narrow definition of what a woman's life is. Overall, this is a pick, with few reservations. I would've preferred less attention on her love life, but I suppose that was a large portion of her life and needed to understand her choices.

“Sometimes when you're hurting, it helps to throw yourself at something that will take your weight.”

This looks so good! I can‘t wait to read it!