Welcome to Litsy!

Lizzie Burns was the longtime lover of Frederick Engels. An illiterate Irishwoman, little is know of her, but here McCrea brings her to life. This was a little hard to get into and the language is difficult, just because it‘s quite different from modern American English, but once I got settled in, I really enjoyed it. She‘s a great character and there‘s some good sly humor in this book, though it‘s not as light as the cover suggests.

Record number of Bails this month. I couldn't keep characters straight in Mrs Engels. Fall of Marigolds' scenes of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire and World Trade Center haunted my dreams. Bob Honey had horrible reviews. Grateful it was free. I lasted about 10 minutes. I rarely Bail, usually I skim and read the last chapter. Perhaps because I had limited reading time in September I wanted to make it count. ⌛
#neverenoughtime #sep #stats

Thank you @Mitch for sharing part of London with me! I am so excited to read these books and they are books I have not heard of. Since my daughter @AnnieD lives in London, all of these goodies will make my next trip there even better. Now I need to visit the Natural History Museum and Pages bookstore! I really appreciate all the thought you put into my swap package! I ❤️that necklace and I love totes! #hometownswap

And this is my blind date book! It looks really interesting, and people who have reviewed it here have liked it. I haven't looked at Goodreads yet. But I'm excited to read this. Plus, I picked up The Summer Before the War. So there go my TBR reading plans for February 😊

#ReadJanuary #TitleWithaProperName #TBR

Enjoying this unusual historical fiction. Imagines the life and thoughts of Frederich Engels wife in the 1800's. Keeping search engine at hand to look up odd things that are mentioned. Like mercury being used to "treat" syphilis before penicillin came along.

A little behind! #booktober #debutnovels If you like historical fiction, you need to check out Mrs. Engels! Lizzie Burns is an amazing character 💘

This is such a funny, odd, quirky book, and it's a$1.99 ebook today. Just thought you'd like to know.

This was a great one! Lizzie Burns will forever be in my mind, McCrea's writing is so perfect. Pick this one up if you're looking for a fabulous historical fiction!

This book had such promise, but I struggled to follow the timeline and wasn't inspired to keep picking it up. While there were some good passages, it wasn't enough to cause me to really enjoy it.

When your book is boring, add water and friends.

Books and Benedicts! Happy Saturday, Litsy Friends!

Isn't it stunning? So, confession time. My parents gave me this hand cut puzzle three years ago, and I just put it together tonight. Included in the pieces is a piece with my name, my son's name, one shaped like my Boxer, as well as prices that represent other sentimental things. I texted them...

When your book isn't doing it for you...

Intrigued to read as I love Rachel Holmes' biography of Eleanor Marx. McCrea's characterisation of Lizzie Burns is quite different from various biographical accounts but I appreciate how these changes help to dramatise issues of sexual & domestic labour. ❤️ed the structure between L's past & present

(To Be) Read, white, and blue! @HarperPerennial Thanks for the great idea!

Lazy Sunday...

Lunch-n-Lit

Mary used to say my feet were like boats, that in the last detail God mixed me up with Moss, whose dainty little yokes keep him upright only with the help of the angels.

What a day! I'm spending a solo Friday night on the couch devouring these two things. Both are crisp, dry, & very palatable. I intend to finish one of them, but not the other. We'll see how that goes.

"He genuflects. He kneels. He stands. He bows. The old beggar even clasps his hands and speaks out the prayers, word for effin' word, and all I can think is, Will this ever be over?"