Welcome to Litsy!

April 5 #SpringSkies InvolvesArt I thought I would show off some of my art I've done lately. This is called Reversed Canvas Art. You paint on the back of the wooden canvas and make it like 3D by adding real pieces that match what you painted. @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Interesting story based on the Gardner museum art heist!

We recently moved from California to Kalamazoo Michigan and culled books from our library we read but treasured. On a cross country move you have to decide what you really need so not only books but many belongings stayed behind. We went from 6 bookcases to 3 and kept books either my husband or I have not read, and we did keep some books that are treasured, and those of favorite authors that will be reread..or not.

I have been coming home with arm-loads of books from our wonderful library in Kalamazoo, however decided if I don't start reading books from our own library they may never get read. I chose the book "The Art Forger" which has been on our shelves, seems like forever, finally getting around to reading it. So far I am liking the book very much. Will let you know if I change my mind by the end of the book.??

Finished and liked it.

Having a degree in Art History, I was fascinated in reading a mystery novel involving art. A great work of fiction mixed with facts that I was able to learn a lot about how painting forgeries/copy works and become familiar with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist in 1990.

I didn‘t want to put this book down. It was a very enjoyable read. The story of art, artists, art dealers, and forgeries and chasing a mystery across three timelines. I hope they make a movie of this...it was just so entertaining I want to “see” it now.

I didn't love it, didn't hate it. I think I just couldn't root for the main character, she just was not endearing. The story was ok, I know very little about the art world, so it was fun to dip in with fiction. But I would love to read a nonfiction book about the actual heist that this story starts with. These priceless works of art were actually stolen and never recovered.😮

THE ART FORGER was as captivating as a Degas canvas. The story cleverly weaves a plot that includes both facts and fiction that seems ripped from the headlines real. But only a few parts are real... https://www.bluestockingreviews.com/post/the-art-forger

Thirty years ago, two men broke into The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and stole 13 works of art. The paintings—including a Degas and a Vermeer—were never recovered.

The Art Forger is a captivating novel about a struggling artist who is hired to make a realistic copy of a painting — only to discover that she‘s actually being paid to forge one of the stolen masterpieces.

#boston #booksaboutart #coverart #bookcover

This was my A title for #litsyatoz2019 and it has been on my shelf for several years since I picked it up at my library‘s book sale. I was pleasantly surprised to find out it had been signed by the author. It was a fast paced read touching on the art heist from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The author clearly did a lot of research regarding art forgery which I found very interesting.

“I see movement, thick paint flowing, always flowing, over and under itself, forward and back. Wet on wet. Scraping through the layers of paint to reveal what‘s underneath, scraping through the layers of time. All there, but above and beneath each other, some scene, some on the scene, some overwhelmed and hidden by another layer of time. “ Claire

When @BennettBookworm recommended this book to me, I was a little worried it would be too artsy for me. I don‘t really know much about art history. But I really enjoyed it! The author does a good job of explaining what you need to know about different artistic periods and art restoration. The characters felt vibrant and the author revealed their history at a good pace. It was a Pick for me!

As an art history major, I felt this book wrap around me like a great, big hug. 👩🏻‍🎨 The characters were delightful, the mystery was engrossing, and I loved the way Shapiro played with multiple flashbacks. I would love to read other books by her!

As an art lover, I truly enjoyed this book. The story includes an art heist, art forgery, and some romance. Degas‘ After The Bath is stolen and the suspense keeps on building. Degas is one of my favorite artists so I couldn‘t resist buying this book. (It just took me forever to read it.) 😬 #MountTBR

Prepping for an author event on 10/24! Enjoying this book so far! I also loved The Muralist! I hope to also read at least some of her books written as Barbara Shapiro! ♥️🎉📚🎉♥️

This book had me from the epigraph with this quote from Degas. Being a bit of an artistic soul myself, I found the logistics of forgery and painting immensely interesting. Belle seems like a firecracker for her time and I enjoyed the way her story intertwined with Claire‘s. I would love to visit the Gardner someday. I figured out the final reveal pretty early on, but that in no way detracted from my enjoyment in finishing the story. Recommend! 🖌

This was an interesting look into the art world and a heist of priceless paintings from the Gardner Museum, mixing fact and fiction. The main character was a little clueless and naive and there were some parts that were far fetched, but overall a fun book. #pop18 #bookaboutaheist

Once the story picked up ... it was hard to put down... hence why I am up at 4am finishing it.

This is 3/4 of my TBR. There are more shelves underneath you can‘t see. Total #blameitonlitsy
#readingresolutions

I really enjoyed being immersed in the painting process, and all of the intertwining stories in this book!
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Claire is paying her bills by painting reproductions of famous works when she's offered a chance at her own show in a prominent gallery. The catch? She has to forge a stolen painting. Things get more complicated when she realizes that the "original" is a forgery itself.

#NuYear Struggling artist Claire paints #replicas of master artist to pay the bills but what she really wants is to show her own art. Enter Aiden Markel, a successful gallery owner who has a proposition for Claire. I liked this one, it mixes fact with fiction and provides a fine eye for artistic detail. Would work for #pop18 #InvolvingAHeist

I was about 30% in to this book and considering bailing when it began to pick up. I actually stayed up until 1am to finish it because I was genuinely curious about what was going to happen.
Characters were so-so & some of the plot (mainly the naïveté of the MC) had me annoyed but the historical fiction aspect was definitely a pick for me.

I loved the descriptions of how to strip and build a painting back up. The ending was a bit weak but overall a thumbs up. Thanks for the bookmark @Clwojick

So I may have gone a little overboard book shopping today... 🙈 30% off everything's Book Outlet + I received $10 off so I ended up with 13 books for $36. Thrift books had buy 4 get 1 free and between those two sites I found gifts for #lgpogsecretsanta. And B&N had 15% off your order so I purchased one last book for the #jryulebookswap and a gift for my sarcastic husband. I had to add books for myself to get free shipping on everything, right?! 📚

#nov📚📷

I do enjoy some #🎨 in my fiction. A few titles I have read and want to read.

Recommend reading this book for a Boston vacation. Be sure to include The Gardner Museum on your itinerary where the real heist took place that is the genesis for this intriguing fiction. Much art world background is revealed here, and if you read The Girl with the Pearl Earring and The Goldfinch of course this has similar brush strokes so to speak. While those were better, this was quick & somewhat predictable in a good way.

Apparently, yesterday when I was having oral surgery (gum grafts) I finished one audio book and started The Art Forger and Funny in Farsi.

I don't remember any of it of course. Next time I'll listen to something I know well, like Harry Potter.

This was our June #bookclubread for our group. I listened to the audio version and enjoyed and overall our group liked the book. Would have been cool to see the art.

The Sunday road trip continues, this used bookstore can be found by the Russian River 🌅😎

Red books. #17booklove

When momma says "you must read this" then you must read this.

I really enjoyed the attention to detail in this novel. I've visited the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston more times than I can count and I love that the soul of both Belle and the museum are wonderfully conveyed. That said, I found the plot a bit contrived, but overall a wonderful light read for anyone who loves art or art history.

Intellectually, I knew i hadn't caused his death, but there was a great distance between my head and my heart, and guilt filled my gut.

This has been on my #tbr for awhile now. The author will be at my local library this Tuesday so I figured I should get going on it! 17 pages in at the moment and I'm liking it a lot! And yes. I'm using my cat as a book-holder. And drinking organic ginger turmeric herbal tea. 📖😺☕️

I really enjoyed this novel! Nice writing, and certainly compelling subject matter. This is a fun fictional twist on the art scene, the Gardner heist, and the life of Isabella Stewart Gardner. You might find yourself screaming "No!" as you read about Claire's increasingly foolish choices, but the story and its twists are worth that frustration. (And Xe Sands is a great narrator for the audiobook!)

Not a bad book. I'm just not fan of stories where the gullible woman repeatedly allows the men in her life to take advantage.

Good book! I did not care for the narrator's male voices but the story had me riveted. It has everything I love in a story, particularly the present and the past intertwining.

Kindle @ Night, Book in Daylight, Audio for Travel and Housework. #AlwaysReading

$1.99 on today's (10/3/16) daily deal. I like Art Heist books and this was a particularly good one.

If you love art & a little mystery this is the book for you! Fiction but based on the true events surrounding the 1990 ($500 million) heist of the Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Paintings are still unaccounted for..(Gorgeous museum- home private collection of wealthy patron) Thank you to a recent Litton who recommended this book! 💗📚🎨

Great book! Exciting, suspenseful, and entertaining. A particularly good book for artists and art lovers to read! 🎨

This makes any Monday better!

I learned a few things from a world that I knew nothing about. The descriptions of art plus the descriptions of forging art were very interesting. Plus there was a good plot with a twist.

Why? WHY is this the first time I'm listening to Xe Sands read a book? My life is forever altered.

Finally reading this, really looking forward to it!

Thoroughly enjoyed the audio performance of this book from My public library's Overdrive account. The internal conflict, paired with the technical details of copying, made this book a quick and entertaining read.