Welcome to Litsy!

2024 Fantasy Favourites
(not including all the well-loved Terry Pratchett rereads 😅).
Lower right corner showcases Greek myth faves, definitely seem to be enjoying more modern takes.

Spectacular. Jemisin is a powerhouse of imagination. The author not only made New York's boroughs come alive in a way that allowed me to relate to parts of a city I've never seen, in a way I never expected to, she made the reader feel for these characters as people, and then created a magnificent sci-fi/fantasy of multi-dimensional proportions, all while effortlessly conveying a continous commentary on racism, xenophobia and gentrification. 1/2

First book of the year! I found Jemisin‘s writing to be very precise and evocative on a sentence level. I love how she played with the characters‘ knowledge and how it is revealed. The urban fantasy elements were sort of reminiscent of Gaiman‘s writing but Jemisin‘s voice is unique. I can‘t wait for the sequels! P.S. I returned my copy to the library so the photo is a tessellation I folded appropriately called “Suction,” apropos of the antagonist.

This morning I‘m trying to speed through the end of the tagged so I can return it to the library. Just in time for #weirdwordsWednesday, I found the word gormless, which I had never heard before. I guess it stems from a dialect noun “gaum,” which can mean understanding or attention. Throw in a spelling change and the current meaning makes sense. Still, I‘m surprised I‘ve never noticed it in British literature I‘ve read. #weirdwords @CBee

I only got one pick read off @sprainedbrain ‘s #newyearwhodis list, but it was a good one & fantastic on audio. I was nervous about reading Jemisin because I struggled with The Fifth Season. I felt this to be more approachable, but don‘t take that to mean simple. It was complex & fantastic, Jemisin is a master of her craft. I am eagerly awaiting the next book. There will be a next one, right?
Thank you @monalyisha for another great #nywd pairing!

This was OK, but it wasn't as awesome as I was expecting.

It's about a series of New Yorkers becoming the embodiment of each borough and using their NewYorkishNess to fight off a Lovecraftian tentacle invasion. It was pretty cool, but most of the "battles" were a bit meh and overall I didn't find myself racing to pick it up each day.

Worth a read, for sure, but not one of my favourites.

⭐⭐⭐

I have never been so delighted with a book I struggle so much to describe. 💫

This novel is a wonderful example of urban fantasy. It's not just fantasy in an urban setting but a story that celebrates and explores the different facets of a city. I've not been to NYC in years, but used to spend summer vacations there visiting my aunt. This book made me want to go back and rediscover its magic!

First book finished for #NutsInMay! @Andrew65

#hugoawards #hugo2021

Wow! What a deep and thought provoking story. The analogies in this story take some time to manifest but when they do, they make you stop and wonder. This was an easy five stars, I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Wild, profound, amazing, deep.

Absolutely a favorite read, this needs to be required reading for college students, it's a great way to talk about gentrification, privilege, racism, white complacency.

A copy of this was added to my Library's collection. Looks intriguing. I looked up the author on YouTube and listened to her. She said she was writing books that she would have liked to have seen when she was young as an African American. Cool.
Image from Amazon.com.

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩Thank you so much for all these goodies @BennettBookworm !! I feel so spoiled! I can‘t decide which book I‘m most excited about - possibly the tagged one because Jemisin is my newfound love! The artwork on this journal is SO beautiful! Oh and the mug! I LOVE the mug! I opened it and exclaimed “oh, Witch mug! Witch mug!!!” 🤣

Thank you so so much!

#BlitsyHistoryMonth #BHMS

This one took me a minute to get into and now it‘s like I‘m itching to read it and see what happens next - it‘s soooo good. I‘m also slowly getting into wine. My favorite are the 19 Crimes and I‘m partial to Snoop‘s Cali Red (plus I get to say Snoop Wine.... 😉) 🍷 📚 ♥️

Afrofuturism! https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/what-is-afrofuturism/amp

1. I love the Binti trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor! ❤️
2. Added! 👆🏻
3. Nalo Hopkinson has been on my radar for a while. Can‘t wait to get to her stories!

#SundayFunday Have a great day, and don‘t forget to tag me!

This was a fun tour through NYC's five boroughs. New York City is about to be born, with each borough having an avatar that represents it's heart & history. As they each emerge, we meet a diverse bunch of people discovering the threat in their city's north right along with us. I think the middle dragged a bit, but picked up again at the end. I felt the strongest support for Brooklyn, the most curiosity about Staten Island, and ⬇️

I‘m finishing this one today for #AuthoraMonth. It is a very interesting premise, with cities coming to life when they reach a cultural strength that enables them to be born through members of the city who serve as “avatars” to protect the city. New York is being born with one primary avatar, and 5 other individuals who represent the 5 boroughs. They must find one another to fight against forces that want to stop New York from coming to life.

Buddy read with #BookSister Jenni @sprainedbrain
If only I could convey what a unique EXPERIENCE this was! ❤️it‘s character driven with some of the most fun, intriguing and entertaining characters I‘ve read for a long time. Such an engrossing storyline, it was about more than the blurb tells you: not just about New York. Lots of hilarious scenes! With socially relevant themes too. Bring on book 2! 🙌🏽#AuthorAMonth
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️/5

My first 5-star book of the year, and I‘m not the least bit surprised it‘s from Jemisin—I LOVED her Fifth Season trilogy, and this book, while completely different, is no less stellar.

Glorious, original fantasy with an amazing diverse cast of characters (who just so happen to be avatars for NYC), lots of humor and social commentary, and fantastic writing.

The audio is awesome: the brilliant Robin Miles plus music/sound effects. 🤩

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was the first book of 2021; it is truly unputdownable despite a slow start. New York City is going to come alive but its avatar has fallen into a supernatural sleep. It can only be revived if its 5 boroughs, represented by 5 people, can come together and defeat the enemy. All the 5 avatars are the boroughs themselves. With themes of racism and gentrification and other important ideas, this novel is highly recommended. #AuthorAMonth

Grateful for @Soubhiville ‘s #AuthorAMonth , which nudged me to finally read Jemisin! This was wonderful. I fell hard for the characters. Audiobook vigorously recommended because of course Robin Miles portrayed all of those great characters brilliantly (and there were fun bonus sound effects - which I know is not everyone‘s cup of tea, but I love them).

I thought the house puma was sleeping in his cat bed. What a surprise to see he‘s stolen my spot when I returned with snacks and drink to begin #authoramonth tagged book.

@Soubhiville

I just started this one, but wanted to ask if anyone else‘s copy had this printing error? It has pages 55-86 attached upside down, and then starts with 55 over again. You can see that there are holes where they had already been scored once incorrectly. This is the #botm edition. 😬
#AuthoraMonth

I tried, but I have no clue what is happening in this book. 🤷‍♀️ I'm going to shelf it for now and maybe come back at a later date. The concept sounded intriguing. I think I just need more available brain space than what I currently have to work through its complexities. #authoramonth @Soubhiville

EDIT: Nope. I wanted to like her writing; I really did. It's just not for me.

I didn't love The Fifth Season, but appreciated the storytelling. Multiple sources have told me that I might like this one better, so giving it a shot! #Authoramonth @Soubhiville

I have so many books going on right now, but since I finished one last night I am allowing myself to start a new one! This is my first NK Jemison, but I know there‘s a lot of love out there for her writing, so I am excited to finally try out one of her books!

Reading for #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

It's snowing, but they don't care, because it's reading time.

I don't know what I expected from this book, but it was definitely not the story it contains! I really wasn't sure I was going to stick with it through the first 100 pages, but it eventually grabbed me and pulled me in. It was my first Jemison, and while I have mixed feelings about this book, I'm sure I'll try the author again. #AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Oh wow! What cool chocolate 🍫 & I am SO excited for this new book 😭🙏🏻📚🎄 @bookish_wookish

Thank you @Cupcake12 fir the tag and the questions #MotivationalMonday

Halfway through the book and enjoying it.

1. Complete writing blog posts for Feminist Book Club Box
2. Gorging on goat biryani (my brother-in-law is staying with us and he cooked it). Biryani- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biryani

I‘m just not feeling this. The premise is kinda cool - that the NYC boroughs are represented by avatars, but 30% in, I know I‘m not going to continue with the series. While the #audiobook narration is awesome, I‘m just not connecting with the material. I can‘t push through another 11 hours. #itsnotyouitsme??

#authoramonth #aam

ETA #bookspinbingo sq 18

The City We Became takes place in New York City, in a version of the world in which great cities become sentient through human avatars.
After the avatar of New York falls into a supernatural coma and vanishes, a group of five new avatars representing the five boroughs come together to fight their common Enemy. -Wikipedia
Love the premise and was engaged for the first 1/3, but enthusiasm dropped after that. Tough keeping track of ⬇️ #AAM2021

1. Tagged
2. I came to terms with the DNF and let go of books that just didn‘t interest me.
3. The Guardians by John Grisham. I haven‘t read a Grisham in a long time but this one sounds interesting.

#sundayfunday @ozma.of.oz

Favorite Reads of 2020

The City We Became - N.K. Jemisin
A Song Below Water - Bethany C. Morrow
The Price Guide to the Occult - Leslye Walton
Queen's Peril - E.K. Johnston
American Elsewhere - Robert Jackson Bennett
The Gift of Darkness - V.M. Giambanco
My Sister's Grave - Robert Dugoni
Ring Shout - P. Djèlí Clark
When No One is Watching - Alyssa Cole
The Last Emperox - John Scalzi 🎧
Dead Moon - Peter Clines 🎧

This book. This audio. First time with this author and not my typical genre but all I can say is listen, just listen.

#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Here‘s my #bookspin list for January 2021!

The starred books fulfill challenges I‘m doing, like #IntegrateYourShelf #SeriesRead2021 #FoodandLit #AuthorAMonth and #MountTBR

I may not knock out all of them, but it‘s a good list to pull from! The tagged book will be my first book of 2021!

#AuthorAMonth another Jemisin on sale on kindle in the US today, in case you were interested in picking it up to read January!

@Soubhiville

Lazy #SundayReading with my #readingbuddy Minerva 🥰 A good book, Irish Afternoon #tea in a bookish mug, warm fuzzy penguin socks, and a cuddly kitty are just what I need today! #CatwithBook #SelfCare

This was a really fun fantasy of New York City. A love song to cities and to NYC in particular, looking at cities as complex organisms rather than constructs. I am more familiar with Manhattan and Brooklyn but I loved how it got into the characters of the different burroughs. I wonder how readers from Staten Island will feel about the book but this is the first in a trilogy so we will see how the characters develop.

Absolutely loved this audiobook. May he my favorite this month.

#AuthorAMonth readers! Alert from @Cinfhen :
The City We Became is available from Apple Books for $4.99 today. NK Jemisin is our author for January. (And I loved this book!)

Another #BFdeal 🎉This audiobook is available through Apple Books for $4.99🤑works for #Booked2021 #SFWrittenByAWoman and January‘s #AAM Loads of other great offers in both Ebook & Audiobook format 💚💚💚#HappyShopper

Have you shopped at an independent bookstore in the past few days? If so, you can get a free audiobook (selections pictured) from Libro.fm! Just go to https://www.shoplocalbookstores.com/ by this coming Wednesday so they can verify your receipt, and voila! You do not have to be or become a member and it works anywhere in the world (they say—give it a try)! I picked up Me and White Supremacy. Which one will you get?

Current read. Only a few chapters in but it strikes me as a love song to New York. I love NYC so looking forward to seeing what Jemisin does with it.

Lovin‘ the light!

Although I loved this book, I really don't know how to explain my feelings. However, it was such an engaging, creative, symbolic read that I encourage others to read it. 💚

Jemisin has become a must read author for me now because I never know what to expect from her writing, but I always love it.

This book was so unique. If you‘ve ever been to NYC, you should read it. Is it very heavy handed and overt in its symbolism? Yes. Was it still a beautiful homage to the city and its people? Yes. It‘s written in prose but really feels like spoken word throughout. I‘ve lived in NYC for over five years and I still felt like this story deepened my appreciation for the city‘s history and legacy.

@BennettBookworm Thank you so much for this book!!! I LOVE the origami❤️

Wow! One of my most anticipated new reads of the year just showed up on my doorstep yesterday along with a beautiful postcard! Thank you so so so so much for this random act of kindness @catiewithac !!!! I love #litsylove💛🧡 🥰💚💜

I cannot say enough good things about this book. The concept alone is enough but then the themes, the symbolism, the characters, the language, the pace, the rhythm, the development, the representation... It's ALLLL incredible. Just damn good.
Read this book! You need it, I need it, we all need it.
Read the short story The City Born Great, which is basically the first chapter here: https://www.tor.com/2016/09/28/the-city-born-great/

I wanted this so bad from NetGalley but couldn‘t get it. Got it now!