Welcome to Litsy!

What a delightful book! It‘s based on the story of two very different sisters, Edith and Helen, and their extended families. It‘s all told with a background of the craft beer culture - you could say that beer itself is a character in the book too. I listened to the audio and especially loved the narrator‘s perfect Minnesota accent that was slightly different for each character.

2 sisters estranged over money and beer live parallel lives linked by the smallest coincidences.My biggest problem with this book was I just didn't like Edith,and her parts of the story made my eyes cross in boredom.Even though Edith is pivotal to the whole story she was just so meh. However,I really enjoyed the other characters.

@Reggie Your enthusiasm for this book made me continue reading. Although I didn't love it, I'm glad I finished it😊

Milking one last sick day while I kick this bout of bronchitis! I love J. Ryan Stradal & this book is proving to have the same heart as his other two! He's become a fast favorite of mine!!!

"It was July 5, 2003, and Edith Magnusson's day hadn't been too bad, so far."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

This was a fun read that makes me want to read more of this author. Definitely a character driven novel which I enjoy.

“Money allows people to survive their mistakes, she knew from having observed that phenomenon from a distance, and people like her were fucked.”

This book was an unexpected delight.

Gosh, but J. Ryan Stradal books give me all the feels. And bring out all the latent Midwestern pride.

I live in Minnesota and it‘s so fun reading and listening to the stories J. Ryan Stradal writes. I would give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. #SummerReads

Sweet. Best description of grief I have ever read.

Dollar Tree for the WIN!!!!

Carline reading! Everyone is posting murder-y books for October, and I‘m over here reading about beer. Cheers! 🍻😂

#bookspinbingo

Such a good book. Edith and Helen are sisters whose lives diverged in animosity. They lead very different lives (Edith faces tragedies and hardships but with a steadfast outlook; Helen ambitiously takes what she needs from people/situations with a “me” outlook). This story centers around two generations of women in the brewing industry, their triumphs and struggles both personally and professionally. Well-written and engaging. 5/5⭐️ 🔻

Summertime and the reading is easy 📚 😎 . At least when I‘m by the pool!

#Minnesota #TravelTuesday #RoadTripUSA2022
1. Favorite Book Set Here
Tagged book was a lot of fun. Hope we get a new J. Ryan Stradal soon!
2. Recommend Places to Visit
I‘m in the Twin Cities and there is a ton to recommend here, but my favorite getaway is Grand Marais on the North Shore. It is such a gorgeous area. And bonus, they have the cutest independent bookshop, Drury Lane Books (pictured).

I loved this! The story of a family of very strong women.

Two generations of female beer brewers: Helen driven to make beer and put her husband‘s family business back on top no matter the cost and her sister, Edith‘s granddaughter, Diana finding stability and financial independence in a craft brewery. The characters are nuanced with Diana as the center and the grandmothers, brewers and extended family adding depth and humor. The plot seemed neglected but a family reconciliation is Minnesota nice. 4⭐️

Great story of midwestern family dynamics and the beer industry.

I love this book ❤️ thank you again @ShelleyBooksie for giving it to me

I should be drinking beer, but I don‘t like it. Some of the descriptions make me wish I could have one of those flights to sample the different ones though. I‘ve really hit the wall with resilience today, everything about the pandemic is just crushing me today. Happy Weekend Littens 😘 I hope this weekend you can be kind to yourselves, you all deserve all good things

Started this yesterday from @ShelleyBooksie I will be baking pies sooner than later 🥧❤️❤️

@ShelleyBooksie I LOVE LOVE LOVE everything ❤️❤️❤️ thank you so much for the wonderful #stockingswap #poutinepenpals ARE THE BEST!!!

Since I am from Wisconsin, this book really touched a cord in me. The author mentioned the city I went to college in, a grocery store chain I used to shop at, and some brands of beer I used to drink. One of the main characters, Edith, even reminds me of my mom in some ways. I just really appreciated the Midwestern setting and unique spirit in all these characters. The pic is our favorite local craft brewery here in Colorado where I live now.

White this book was a page turner or keep you on the edge of your seat kind of book it there was something about it that made want to keep reading with a cold beer right next to me!

Hey @Reggie thank you so much for this book! It was the perfect distraction in lockdown. Easy to read and absorbing 😍I had no idea craft beer was so complicated. I really appreciated the serious tones to the novel too, (I couldn‘t do anything light and frivolous right now) and the underlying message about grace in difficult times was one I needed at the moment. I‘d recommend this to anyone who likes a family saga - really enjoyed it.

#food #curiouscovers @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Loved this multi-generational family drama set in the Midwest. A father‘s will splits two sisters apart - will beer bring them back together?

The Lager Queen of Minnesota is about two generations in a Midwestern family—starting on a farm, with two sisters who have no desire to be farmers. Helen, the younger, go-getter sister, wants more than anything else in the world to make beer.

Unforgettable characters in a spectacular story — I‘m pretty sure, after reading this book and, given the right equipment, I could make my own IPA. 🍺

This was a great book! There was a little too many lessons about beer but I get it. I wish there was just a little less about beer and more about the relationships but I still absolutely loved the story! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

?"Nut cluster"?

I shall be adding that into my everyday speech asap!

i♡♡♡this♡♡♡

That moment when you come across a quote and it stops you in your tracks!

I am so pleased to announce a virtual event with The Bookworm in Omaha on Sunday January 24th with the fabulous J Ryan Stradal.

We‘ll be talking about our books, our writing processes, and of course, the Midwest.
I am such a great fan of The Lager Queen of Minnesota and Kitchens of the Great Midwest, so I‘ve been looking forward to this!

Registration link + details here: http://www.bookwormomaha.com/mckenny_stradal

Thank you again, @AmberWB for the jolabokaflod gift! I kept to the spirit of the celebration and started this one on Christmas Eve. I loved the Diana parts, and quite enjoyed Edith as well. But I could never feel anything for Helen, and I feel like maybe I was supposed to? But to me she came across as selfish and thoughtless and nothing else. But it certainly didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book!

Does anyone else feel like they've spent the entirety of the holidays cooking and child wrangling? Having all of Christmas at home means no potlucks to share the work! I'm exhausted, so hubby has the kids and I'm hiding in my room to continue my #jolabokaflodSwap gift from @AmberWB with a bagel and tea that someone else made for me (yeah for Timmies!)

Thank you so much, @AmberWB 🎄🎉 I absolutely love my gifts! I am so excited to curl up with this book and eat some amazing chocolate to celebrate today. I've even got some great beer in the fridge that will pair perfectly with both!

#jolabokaflodSwap @MaleficentBookDragon

I spent much of today with one ear listening to the audio. While I liked the first few chapters this book soon became a melodramatic family drama that really didn‘t work for me. I‘m pretty sure I would have bailed in print but as an audio I just let it run. #MoreMehThanYeah and definitely a #BorrowNotBuy or a #SkipWithoutRegret

Like many, I have started and stopped more books this year than I can remember. This was exactly what I needed. Quietly strong characters who work through their struggles, all set against the backdrop of the brewing industry. I may have to crack open a Moon and just read it again! ❤️

“It was July 5th, 2003, and Edith Magnusson‘s day hadn‘t been too bad, so far.”
#FirstLineFridays. @ShyBookOwl

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A beer-centric family saga? Yes, please. Estranged sisters, brews, pies, a wayward granddaughter; this is an endearing mess of life, loss, success, and lots of hops. Having thoroughly experienced the Midwest beer culture during our years in Wisconsin, I appreciate the social and societal importance. I really loved all the beer talk here. The very mention of New Glarus got me craving Spotted Cow. A very fun read!

The Lager Queen of Minnesota = 😁

@BayouGirl85 #talkaboutittuesday

This is a story about family, ambition and beer. Told by three women in different time settings, we meet Edith, Helen and Diana. We learn about a betrayal of one sister to another in the quest for success. Diana, the granddaughter of Edith pursues a similar path but with integrity if not a little moral ambiguity along the way.
Stradal has written a beautiful character driven story set in the Mid-West with a style reminiscent of Fannie Flagg.

I wish I weren‘t limited to a 5 for a rating. Can I give it a 500 please?I thoroughly enjoyed this spectacularly written book! I suppose it helps that I am a beer snob. This book is the perfect combination of fiction and reality. I loved reading all of the fun facts about micro brewing.I also loved reading about the three strong women who were the main characters. The last page or so brought a tear to my eye.Do yourself a favor and read this book!

Enjoyable read. Great MN references. Craving lots of beer now. :)

My history with breweries drew me to this charming #DoubleSpin book. My college journalism classes were located next to the Pabst taproom and my flag football team was sponsored by Miller. Not to mention my affinity for Laverne & Shirley.😁 Plus there were enough driven, feisty, ruthless, sweet, hilarious and geriatric women in it to make me cheer out loud. And who knew that women actually invented beer. 🙌🏻🍺
#BookSpin
@TheAromaofBooks

Lighter read in between thrillers. #overdrive #read #24b4Monday

Looking for something light and fun on this sunny Friday afternoon!
#thelagerqueenofminnesota #jryanstradal #vitamind

I really enjoyed this book. The different timelines and characters worked really well and told a great story. The different tastes people had for beer across the decades was interesting as well as getting more of a glimpse from the maker-distributing-seller points of view of the whole process.

It's a story about 2 sisters who are estranged when one gets all the inheritance from the sale of the family farm and the other gets nothing. Its told from the perpectives of the sisters and one granddaughter and spans decades. Lots of details of the science of brewing. Reminds me a lot of Jane Smiley's A Thousand Acres, but not as dark.

January 2020 was the longest month in history. Which might explain why I was able to read 9 books in a single month.

Favorite: Garment of Shadows by Laurie R. King
Least Favorite: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig

#readinglog #January2020 #roundup #litsyloveslibrearies