Welcome to Litsy!

I made it 65% but my love for Kentucky just couldn't get me through this one.

I really enjoyed this book, it never ceases to amaze me how people can be so cruel, due to truly, their ignorance, and yet how the oppressed can rise above this treatment and still do what‘s right regardless of the ugliness around them,

Dipped in syrup and sap but at one point (120 pages in) the story got compelling- some bits too slow some bits fall over each other for reader attention - someone had reviewed this as inconsistent, I‘d add that this was inconsistent on multiple levels! Why did I continue…? Soft spot for sap and syrup during the holiday season.

#12Booksin2022 I just adore this book. Such a great story and a small piece of US history I was unaware of.

The author of this book chose to mix together two things that actually existed, but not together: the blue skinned Fugate family of Kentucky who suffered from congenital methemoglobinemia and the Pack Horse Librarians who delivered books to rural communities. Either of these things would have had rich stories to tell on their own, but blending them the way she did led to an over-the-top melodrama.

One of the best books I've read this year. It was ONLY supposed to be my in public book but I ended up reading it with every chance I could get.

I enjoyed learning more about the Pack Library during the WPA days, the blue people of Kentucky, and … getting to know Cussy Mary aka Bluet. A satisfied read but a critical eye might ruin it. But hey! Giving it high marks for BOOKS 📚 and for PIE 🥧!!! I think this completes my #WiaN2022 #WhatsinaName #Challenge for 2022 🎉 #WiaN
#WiaNcategoryPersonDescription #WiaNcategoryCompoundWord
RIP Loretta Lynn #CoalMinersDaughter

September was a bust. Failed to read either spin; goes without saying that I completed no rows, no columns of bingo 😔 I only finished 3 books! That‘s OK - I hit my goal for the year. 😁

I liked this one. I loved the historical background. I even learned something new, I had NO idea of the “blue people” of Appalachia. I fully intend to go down a rabbit hole of the pack horse librarians and “blue people”.
I liked the main character after a bit. The love story seemed forced and the wedding scene seemed over the top. I understand that‘s how things were the scene was just a lot.
Recommend.

Next read. I‘m about 3 hrs in and so far I like the story. I‘m going to have to do a bit of research though.

My new public book. I got ALOT of comments from guys on things you save in a fire. Now let's see people's reactions to this one! xD lmao especially with all the book banning this one might cause some looks. Been wanting to read this one for awhile but potentially pissing people off is just an added bonus.

My mom is terrible at “summarizing” books she suggests. If she can manage to not give away the ending, I can usually guess just using the information she gives me. She did well enough on this story to actually pique my interest and even inspire a Google search to see if the story is based on real people. I also just noticed the review from the author of Water for Elephants and I loved that book.

Sweet

Eastern Kentucky had massive floods recently, & cleanup will take a long time. One of the hardest hit was the real Troublesome Creek area in Letcher Co (whitesburg). The tagged author has set up a go fund me for the public library (see pic) & 3 school libraries that were destroyed. https://gofund.me/870d73bc
I have an address also where you can send elementary & middle grade books if you feel inclined.

One of my most anticipated reads. I m not disappointed, same time not completely satisfied as well. It is about a blue skinned pack horse librarian ! Interesting concept, well written plot but at times I felt story got diverted from main stream, cos of too much information. The way doctor is portrayed in this book is confusing. Still it is worth reading as the story line is fast paced & packed with historical facts. 3.5⭐️#bookspin of #August

Slowly working my way through the #alphabetgame by @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
I cannot pick just one #LetterB
I adore both of these books so much.😍

#Boots
#ArtfulAugust

#TBR

👢📚

I just recommended the tagged to a friend. A close second would be Beartown. #letterB #alphabetgame @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Tagging @wideeyedreader and anyone else who wants to play.

This is my current read and #bookspin choice of August. Just started to read.

I could think of my last read The Boy in the Black suit my fav books, The book thief & Before the coffee gets cold for the #LetterB #Alphabetgame

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/Bl_PUKiagkE

Enjoy!

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 book dump 5/5
Loved it. From beginning to end. 💚💚💚

#inthemountains #Bookmoods

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

Absolutely loved this book!

3⭐️ While I enjoyed the idea of this book, I had a hard time with the pacing and development of the book. There was ultimately very little character development in the book and each chapter was like a short scene in life sometimes having absolutely no connection with the next scene. I wanted more depth. That said, I do think that the author was successful in describing the hard lives that faced not only people of color but the mountain folk too.

Had to bail on this one. I read through Chapter 5 and just couldn‘t get into it.

Interesting!

A heart wrenching story that touched on love of books, harshness of the Kentucky backwoods, and townsfolk overcoming prejudice for their beloved book woman. A book about a woman who has a rare disease that turns her skin blue and how she pushed through prejudices to share her love of literature and reading to those that needed it most!

Cussy is one of the blue skinned people of Kentucky. She works as one of the Pack Librarians supported by the New Deal. This is her story.

This style felt very slice of life. Lots of interesting 2nd characters and historical context, but ultimately disappointing. Lots of threads that got dropped. A predictable ending that felt unearned. The last 10% kind of felt like overkill in the number of traumatic events. I hate time skips. 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

March was a tough choice but this is a book I am still thinking about even though I read it in early March. I also learned a lot as I had had never heard of the blue people of Kentucky or the genetic disorder that effected them.
#2022readingbracket

This broke my heart and/or enraged me every 20 or so pages but it was beautifully written, Cussy is a wonderful charactor, and I loved it. The narration was A+.

@TheAromaofBooks This was my #BookSpin for March.

Unfortunately adding this one to my DNF list. I just couldn't get into it for some reason

Perfect night to just snuggle up and read. Fancy had to make sure her current favorite toy the rainbow llama was close by. #dogsoflitsy

Has anyone read this one?

I'm halfway through listening to this. It's beautifully written but it's making my heart ache. I never do this but I'm thinking of checking the end to see if all ends well for Cussy. 😬

I finish this lovely book last night. I had never heard of the blue people of Kentucky or the Pack Horse Librarians. They were melded together beautifully. Cussy Mary‘s story demonstrates the brutality, poverty, bigotry, and ignorance of the time with touches of love, kindness, and hope. Loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Room in the Attic by Louise Douglas and the Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson were such great reads. I learned a lot about the pack horse librarians and blue people of Kentucky from Richardson‘s book. I had no idea!

I‘ve been reading mostly romance and fun YA for the last 6 months in an attempt to “keep my spirits up” and not have to double down on meds because of, well, life. Didn‘t even finish the first chapter before the tears. This may not be the book for me right now unless someone tells me otherwise.

Not a fan. Finished it for my book club, but if I had been reading it on my own it would have been a DNF. The audiobook wasn‘t bad though.

Had a slow reading month, but I managed to finish 5. I'm also in the process of finishing two more. I wish this slump would go away! Only one, The resort, was a bookspin pick. #Bookspin #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks

Currently reading.

1. The tagged book is a fictionalized account of real subjects in the history of eastern Kentucky.

2. I have never been to Kentucky, but if I traveled there, I'd like to see the Lost River Cave, the Louisville Mega Cavern, the Creation Museum, and the Ark Encounter.

#ROADTRIPUSA2022 @megnews

#Bookspin I loved this audiobook.

I found this an intriguing piece of historical fiction based on the lives of the “blue“ people of rural Kentucky, who due to a recessive gene had blue skin and were therefore marginalized. It interweaves this story with that of the “pack horse librarians,“ which I confess I found even more interesting: people (mostly women) who followed a regular route with packs and a mule to deliver books and magazines to people who otherwise had no access.

The end #SheSaid. I had mixed feelings reading this end…it felt like she wasn‘t sure if was going for a happy ending or a realistic ending…and like it flip flopped back and forth to me.😬 I was all in for the happy ending, which built, as she managed to kill off a bunch of characters at the same time, and then undo the happy ending too, but then reverse that a bit also. How did you all feel by this ending? Will you be tempted to read the sequel?

The most beautiful and accurate book about my beloved home, I have ever read. Well I live an hour away just across the state line but still these are my people. My own great grandfather was from that county died in the mines at age 40, my own grandmother was born in a coal camp. Another form of Slavery that no one talks about and very few are even aware of. The Forgotten Americans, my only complaint is The Reader mispronounced Appalachian

I just finished this for #SheSaid and it was a struggle for me. The writing is good, though I felt sometimes the dialect slipped a bit. I feel like every time something good happened the backlash was severe. Any tiny bit of hope was just mercilessly crushed. And there were some threads I felt didn‘t get resolved properly. I don‘t plan to read the sequel, but I understand why some love this book.

This starts out really strong. And I'm going to just stop there and let you make your own opinions.

#SheSaid with @Riveted_Reader_Melissa
Final discussion on Sunday. 🤐

#BookSpinBingo square 3
@TheAromaofBooks

Hello #SheSaid

How is everyone this week? How is the book going for you? I‘m enjoying the stories of the book people on her trail still and want more of their individual stories, I‘m also appreciating how the author is laying out racism & prejudice & colorism as a problem that can‘t be “cured” by medicine…because it‘s a problem with the hater (hatefulness) not the hated (their color). Any thoughts you want to share?

Finished this one up early for December's #SheSaid. I enjoyed the story a lot! I learned some history that was brand new to me. And while the writing felt uneven and a lot of it was predictable, I still really enjoyed it. @Riveted_Reader_Melissa

Hello #SheSaid. I hope the weekend is treating you well.

How are you making out with this book and section, thoughts, anything you want to discuss?

Started this tonight. #shesaid