Welcome to Litsy!

This is hard for me to rate. The parts about the animation process and artistic inspiration were fascinating, but I otherwise did not enjoy being part of Mel and Sharon‘s world. I guess it‘s a lukewarm ‘pick‘.
#ToB #TournamentofFavorites

@britt_brooke sent me this book ages ago (thank you so much!) and I finally read it. It‘s a coming of age story of sorts, but a darker (and frankly more realistic) type, where two women work work through the trauma from their youth through their art. One of those books where you really love the characters in spite of (or because of) their flaws, and feel their pain deeply. Highly recommend.

The Animators is the portrait of a friendship and art partnership, starting when Mel and Sharon meet in college. Maybe it‘s the bright cover, but I was expecting this to be somewhat lighthearted and it isn‘t at all. It‘s heavy and deep with these two deeply flawed friends coming across as very real. It‘s terrific. #botmbacklist

Here‘s some #yellow from the BOTM shelf!

#CuriousCovers

Thank you... thank you... @Laughterhp for this lovely gift! I am excited to read it :) You are so great!

I forgot to post my answers to this yesterday!
1. I love strong friendships in books/movies. Harry, Ron, & Hermione. The group from Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda (Simon, Leah, Abby, Nick). Mel & Sharon from the tagged book. So many others...
2. I used to read 1 at a time, but lately, it‘s been 2. Usually a NF or audio along with fiction.
3. Miracle Springs, North Carolina
#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

This book was absolutely incredible. It‘s going to be hard to read anything after this. It is so beautifully constructed and it captures the creative process and what the relationship between creative partners feels like so well. I also appreciate that the blurb on the back of the book doesn‘t give anything away. It describes it, but it also doesn‘t even begin to… Very highly recommended.

This messy but promising debut novel has two #fiercefriends as protagonists.

#FallFinds

#BeautifulWords Day 9: The story also raised a very important question in the process of creating art, regarding the authenticity and ownership of one‘s creation. Do we seek permission? But from who? Plus who owns the story anyway, when it is yours as well, to twist and tweak and transform in whichever way you choose, given the opportunity and the #wherewithal to create something out of it. My review: https://wp.me/pDlzr-ijo

Thank you so much @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for the surprise box I honestly do not deserve all this! This was the first book I put as a to read when I joined litsy.

The sanitizer smells waay better then the stuff we are currently using at work.

#litsylove

Last book read! 🎉 #BookSpinBonanza @TheAromaofBooks I finished all 20, which was 8500+ pages read. 😁

I'm glad this was my last read for this challenge because it is also my favorite read of the 20. I absolutely loved it! Thank you @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for gifting it to me.

Mel and Sharon are excellent characters trying to follow their dreams and deal with their demons. If you haven't read this yet, you should.

#YellowCovers
#MarchMadness

💛📚💛📚

I got to meet the author last year—she‘s another Ky author. I read the book last December, & it quickly became a favorite. I love the characters & their friendship. #adventrecommends @emilyrose_x

So excited to get this in the mail today! 😁 Thank you @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks and @OriginalCyn620 for a fun photo challenge, #GratefulReads, and this awesome gift. 💚 I can't wait to read it.

Found these at the dollar store today!!! #Bookhaul

#7covers7days day 3

Is it fair to dislike a book just because you disliked the characters? I think the author did a fine job writing this but I couldn‘t stand either of the two main characters. Not sure why I even finished it but I feel bad saying that because it‘s not really a reflection of the quality of the book.

1. Tagged
2. crunchy
3. Sunset
4. Either paying on my car or house (I would go for a fun thing like a trip to Europe, but it would prob take more than an hour to book it.)
5. 5th
#friyayintro @howjessreads

Beach read #1 ⛱

Thank you again @britt_brooke for the #dollarscoregiveaway ! Such a nice treat to find when I got home from vacation. And thank you for the bookmarks, especially the @BookBabe design! ☺️

Thank you so much @britt_brooke !
Love the Vonnegut bookmark 😊 can‘t wait to read this.
#litsylove

Thanks again, Brittany! ❤️ I‘m excited to read this and I love the Parnassus and @BookBabe bookmarks!

And the random winners are:

💛 @OrangeMooseReads
💛 @Mtroiano
💛 @Jilly6183

Please send your mailing information to brittany.seibert@gmail.com and I‘ll get these out (hopefully) in the next few days.

Thanks a bunch to all who entered my little #DollarScoreGiveaway ! 😙😙

#dollarscoregiveaway @britt_brooke
Hahahaha...I can‘t tell you how long that took me bc I‘m a total spaz. This is very sweet, thanks for having giveaway!

The lovely @britt_brooke is hosting a giveaway! I‘ve heard nothing but great things about this book, so this #DollarScoreGiveaway is exciting! 💛📚💛📚💛

The wonderful @britt_brooke is having a giveaway! Go to her page and check it. Thanks for the chance to win!
#dollarscoregiveaway

@britt_brooke is having the most generous #giveaway! 😍😍😍 Crossing my fingers because this one has been on my radar for a while. It has a lot of #LitsyLove. Quick, tomorrow is the last day to enter!
#DollarScoreGiveaway

Thank you @britt_brooke for the chance to win this #DollarScoreGiveaway! I remember this being a #BOTM pick, but I didn't end up choosing it. Fingers crossed I may finally get my hands on a copy! 🤞🏽#giveaway

Thanks @britt_brooke for the chance to win in your #DollarScoreGiveaway!

A big thanks to @britt_brooke for the chance to wnter the #DollarScoreGiveaway

I always love finding books at the dollar store when they are so good!

The super awesome @britt_brooke is hosting a super thoughtful #giveaway 💚💚💚 #DollarScoreGiveaway
Check out her original post for all the details 🎉I‘d like to try this one again...I had an ARC but I prematurely bailed 🙄some of my most trusted Littens loved this book, so I‘m calling a redo 🤞🏼🤞🏼Thanks for the chance, Britt😘

I‘ve had this on my TBR for a long while. Fingers crossed that I could win a copy through the generous #dollarscoregiveaway from @britt_brooke 😁

@britt_brooke is doing an incredibly thoughtful #dollarscoregiveaway I never think to look for books in the dollar store. Usually I‘m going for something specific and don‘t browse. Clearly I need to change my habits. Thanks again, @britt_brooke

Thank you @britt_brooke for the generous giveaway. I‘ve been wanting to read this one for a while 😊 #dollarscoregiveaway

The awesome @britt_brooke is doing a #DollarScoreGiveaway of The Animators. Thanks for the opportunity to enter! ☺️

Thanks for hosting a giveaway! @britt_brooke #dollarscoregiveaway Check out the tagged litsy to see how to enter!

Check out this generous giveaway from @britt_brooke . This is so sweet! #dollarscoregiveaway

Thanks @britt_brooke for this cool #giveaway. Your so kind to take us Littens shopping with you! #dollarscoregiveaway 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

What a sweet, generous gal you are, @britt_brooke ❤️ Great find! #dollarscoregiveaway

Randomly found The Animators at Dollar Tree yesterday! I read - and loved it - last spring. So, I bought 3 copies to giveaway to 3 Littens. 💛

TO ENTER:

Make a new post using this photo, tag me @britt_brooke and use the hashtag #DollarScoreGiveaway

Open to ALL. Enter through Thursday May 30. Winners will be announced Friday.

Spending a weekend hiding in the mountains with my books and my hiking shoes. My kindle is hidden in the stack there just in case I run out of books 😊

Rarely are mom rewards so immediate: I ran into Dollar Tree for some last-minute necessities for the SpongeBob 20th Anniversary party my kids really thought we ought to have today (😂), and with only seconds to peruse the books section before checkout I found both the only Nickolas Butler I haven‘t read (having read his most recent last week) and the tagged, which has been on my TBR forever! 🥳

Suba! Thank you for sending an envelope full of love. I have never read Persuasion and i am thrilled to read it from that gorgeous edition. The premise of The Animators sounds exactly what i would be interested in reading. Love that adorable elephant diary, and your sweet note made my day! @batsy 💙

Up next. Hope this will keep me occupied on the long flight home.

Character-wise, there was a lot going on and Mel became a caricature of herself. Whitaker tried to tackle too many things in one novel, which didn't work, especially when using first-person point of view. The book could've benefited from a solid substantive edit.

This book is a brilliant debut novel. It‘s a story of friendship, partnership, grief, loss, and of finding oneself. The story and writing flow effortlessly. This story grabbed me and would not let go.