Welcome to Litsy!

Finished ✔️ in the garden on. Summers evening under a full red moon ☺️ Wow 🤩 and then some ! What a fantastic book I‘m bereft to get the end and it‘s nearly 600 pages I just wanted it to go on and on , the ending the last few chapters my heart was in my mouth ! Who would survive Ypres. My great grandad was a stretcher bearer a suicide job but he survived & what a wonderful man he was. Anyhow gunning for Beatrice right from the beginning she‘s ……

Despite the low ranking reviews I‘m really enjoying this , but then I love ❤️ most ww1 & ww2 stories & it‘s giving me Elizabeth Jane Howard and Mary Wesley vibes who I also love so a recommended read if you like those 😊

Summer 1914 in a small English town where everyone is holding their breath to see if there will be war or not. In comes a young woman to be the Latin teacher to upset their apple cart, and that‘s just the start of the changes the town will face in the months ahead. #bicycle #schoolspirit

#summersouls #bycicle #boat

I'm gonna #HailTheBail on this one. After 102 pages I'm just bored and there's another 300+ pages to go. Nah

14/62

#MountTBR #ReadAway2024 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

Next from the #TBR shelves

#temptingtitles #withaseason

Did Not Finish. Odd. I generally love books from this time period, but I found the women characters so annoying and entitled, I couldn't keep reading it.

If you enjoyed the Cazelet Chronicles, you will enjoy this book. After her father dies, Beatrice is hired as a Latin teacher in the little town of Rye. She is determined to remain a spinster, and write her book. The book tells of the culture and prejudices of a small town before WW1. How far we have come as a people since this age.

#OnNewYearsDay I‘ve been reading this HF that‘s been on my #MountTBRShelvesOfDoom since 2016! It‘s covering a few different challenges including #JumpStart2021 #Pop21 #NerdReading2021 #PickYourPoison #52ClubChallenge #BacklistReaders #BooklistQueenReadingChallenge #Pageathon #ChunksterChallenge #MountTBRReadingChallenge #PrettyMessChallenge #ARadReadingChallenge I know,I‘ve taken on a lot of challenges but these are all year long not just January.

I‘ve felt this way often this year...

...#thativerecommendedtoothers

I liked this book a lot. Loved the first half. Second half felt predictable in who lives and dies. Definitely a pick; official review later! 3.5 hours into #24beforeb4monday!
@Andrew65

It‘s been a bit of a down summer, no doubt about it. Once my FIL left in June (he stayed with us for a month after recovering from the virus and is doing fine now) I‘ve been at loose ends. What better way to lift spirits than reading & Litsy? And camping in place! Mark pulled the trailer to the bottom of our property & we‘re loving it. I‘m also greatly enjoying the wit and story in Summer Before the War. Hope the weekend has been kind to all.

This moves from very witty to heartbreaking. I loved the characters. Several relevant subplots elegantly folded in. So very good.

Lettering and listening. ❤️ #drawing #lettering

#marvelousmay
I can‘t put this one down. I have a clear vision and opinion of each character. The writing is often subtly snarky and the machinations of village politics are delightful to watch.
👆👆👆The mayor and his wife are often ridiculous and obnoxious. 🤣🤣🤣

End of day 5 of the #EasterExtravaganza Readathon, a very productive day where I read 553 pages, the most so far on any day, and finished one book.

Overall Totals

Books Finished : 4/7

Pages Read : 2466 / 3000

Going for broke and now shooting for 4000 pages and 8 books finished.

Finished book 4 for #EasterExtravaganza and am on 2074 / 3000 pages.

Very much a book of 2 halves, the period before the war & the scenes from the war period. Overall it was a very strong read, but difficult to read at points in the second half 😢 The way soldiers were treated in the war by the army was beyond scandalous, & the powers the officers took on themselves. 😡 My heart goes out to all those soldiers who had their lives ended early.

End of Day 4 in the #EasterExtravaganza Readathon, not finished any books today but have read 458 pages.

Overview of Goals so far.

Books Finished : 3 / 7

Pages Read : 1913 / 3000

Ahead of target for pages read, but below target for books finished.

Just started listening to this book. #Audiobook

Will cover #EastSussex for #SeparatedByAPondTour

I found this painfully apropos:
“Keep one‘s regular routine and refuse to show agitation,” said John. “It is important that we set a good example, because news of this kind has a way of stirring up the population.”
“I had better get in a few supplies,” said Agatha. “You know I like to be prepared.”
“Hoarding will be frowned upon officially,” said her husband. “It produces shortages and drives up prices.”

I enjoyed the first 70%of this. Set in a small English village just before the start of WWI, I became engrossed in the character's lives. But the war starts and it takes a much darker turn. The last 30% upset me.

#ReadingEurope2020 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

I liked the premise of the plot, but I wasn't crazy about its execution. Some of the characters had so much promise, it centered about a quirky well to do family in England. However, that fun quirkiness got lost within the very prim, and at times, very long winded descriptions. There was some parts of the book that could have been taken out, and you'd never know they were missing.

Like Downton Abbey in book form! Not as much drama, but the same focus on a wide variety of class/experience and a picture of the 1910s ethos, culture, and pressures.

I‘m not sold on the pacing of the story, the many POVs, and the foray into a year+ of the war. I enjoyed the cultural mindset, the relationships, and many characters. I wish there was more Beatrice!

Certainly one of my favorite reads in a while.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

August Reading! LOTS of good books this month, but my favorites were: The Summer Before the War and The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street. Honorable mentions: Wade in the Water, We Need to Talk About Kevin.

August Stats:

📰Nonfiction: 3 📚Fiction: 2 🔍Mystery: 2 👧🏽YA/Kids: 2 ⚡️SFF: 1 🖋Poetry: 1

📚Print: 7 🎧Audio: 3 💻eBook: 1
🏫Library: 8 📚TBR: 2 🔂Re-read: 1

This was lovely—both charming and heartbreaking in turn. I enjoyed the WWI-era English village setting, while at the same time being infuriated by its of-the-time sexism, prejudice, and petty politics. The novel is packed with great characters, and I especially loved the main character: strong, intelligent, independent Beatrice Nash. This was my third book finished for #MakeMeReadIt—another fantastic pick!

1. Gourmet marshmallows. Sour Patch Kids/any gummies. Wasabi peas.
2. Coffee. K-cups for work (💚 mint); non-flavored, ground for home. We have a grinder that we use for special/non-lazy occasions. 😉
3. Woods (pine/spruce); flowers; herbs. Candles + incense.
4. A bunny!
5. Reading, camping, Scrabble, nature walks
6. The ocean
7. Green/blue/gray
8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer
9. Traditional (paper, wood, fabric, crocheted, embroidered)
#HFTSS

This beauty seemed so long that it‘s been sitting on my tbr for quite some time. It gave me Downton Abbey Season 1 vibes, but did I mention it was waaay longer than necessary. I fear I‘ll carry with me the DAs1 feels rather than the actual story. However, cuteness helps and she‘s a gorgeous cover! ...It also makes me grateful my long widowed self is not attempting to live my best life in the culture of 100 years ago.

The beginning was good and the ending but there‘s a good 200 pages in the middle where nothing happens and the story reallllly drags. At nearly 600 pages there‘s a good book in there somewhere but boy did this need editing! 🙄 glad it‘s done. 👍🏻

My summer TBR pile! 😀 it‘s prob over ambitious but my husband is working abroad for most of the next two months so I should get more reading time. 👍🏻

I love this cover. #summertime #songsofsummer

Historical fiction set in a small English town in the summer of 1914, right before WWI. This is a quiet book where not a lot happens, but the atmosphere is wonderful. Beatrice, whose father has just died, comes to the town to teach Latin. The townsfolk are shocked at her independence, but she eventually becomes part of the town. When Belgian refugees come seeking help, the town will never be quite the same.

Up early #audioworking for #24B4Mobday #Readathon

Got out for the first time this week due to a hurt foot. Today foot felt okay and brain felt much better after my walk. I enjoyed the azaleas, lilacs, and tulips at the Netherlands embassy. #litsywalkers #audiowalk

All done with the garden for now, and liking the book much better on audio.

I tried this earlier in print, but couldn‘t get into it. Trying it again on audio while I tackle a big gardening project.

The writing was delicious and I loved the first part of the book that truly had a feminist message. Given that this was set in 1914 Britain, it was wonderfully refreshing. I can‘t help to say that the romance that followed disappointed me. The story was a quiet story that reflected a simpler time in England, which led to the shattering of that world with the onset of WWI.

I had lots of reading time for this library book because I stayed home with my sick son the last days (he's feeling better now). It started a bit slow, but I didn't mind because it was clear that soon nothing would be the same. I really liked Beatrice and was angry how she was treated. Some parts had a Downton Abbey vibe (I'm not complaining). I prefer the English version's cover.
A great book, I will check out the author's other book sometime.

Excellent #audiobook. The dialogue is clever and witty, and the characters are interesting and nicely developed. The reader gets to know the characters before WWI and then experiences the effect of the war on each of them. One sees how people‘s perspectives change in the face of so much death. It is deeply moving and thought-provoking.

Loved, loved, loved this one. It tells the story of a sleepy town and its inhabitants as World War I breaks out and they‘re forced to reckon with the reality of a war. All of the characters where lifelike and truthful, even if, at times, I wanted to grab some of them by the shoulders and shake em. If you liked Major Pettigrew‘s Last Stand and Downton Abbey, this should be right up your alley.

When you‘ve gotta use whatever you can as a bookmark...even your pup‘s tail.

An old neck injury flared up this week but I had too much to get done to rest so I‘m finally in bed with a hot water bottle, a chai, and an uninterrupted hour or so while the puppy naps. HEAVEN.

Just about halfway through this hefty one and I‘m really enjoying it so far and it has definitely prompted a rewatch of Downton Abbey. I have to take a break from this morning‘s reading for brunch with a friend, but I‘ll be coming back home and getting right back into this.

I enjoyed this story of a young Latin teacher who rides her bicycle into Sussex to begin her new position, before the outbreak of World War I. Hailed as a book for lovers of Downton Abbey, I confess my agreement. #musicalnewyear #summernights

"All we want is a kind voice in the dark isn't it now?"

This weeks audio book (fun) while i am deep cleaning the house (not fun).. lol

This was a very slow-paced but thus realistic book. Although I felt like there was no ultimate goal or dénouement the story was going towards, it was just flowing pointlessly, touching this and that on the way.

I really never connected with any of the characters in this story which was surprising compared to Major Pettigrew. Maybe I‘m comparing the 2 books too closely but I think The Summer Before the War is missing that Zing.
🍻 Taken at a veteran owned cidery 🍎