Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Eggshells
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
Vivian Lawlor believes she is a changeling; that she was left by fairies on Earth. Her everyday routine, meticulously mapped out on parchment paper, takes her all over Dublin in her effort to get 'home' to the otherworld. She encounters elves, nosy neighbours, leprechauns, pernickety social workers, smurfs, and a condescending older sister. From making lists in her journal to posting 'wanted' advertisements for a friend named Penelope, Vivian leads an eccentric life that translates into an entertaining debut novel full of clever one-liners.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
lauraisntwilder
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Pickpick

I finished this over the weekend. I don't think it would appeal to everyone, since it was relatively light on plot. Or maybe there was too much plot and not enough of a structure? At any rate, I enjoyed it.

blurb
thebacklistbook
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

#deviledeggday
1. Tagged
2. Poached medium with homemade hollandaise.
3. Traditional Ukrainian decorated eggs are made using real eggs that are either raw or hard boiled. The raw ones are more difficult to make as they are more fragile. They also take many hours or days to complete.

review
monalyisha
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Mehso-so

This novel is, quite literally, meandering. Convinced she‘s a changeling, Vivian, a neurodivergent woman, wanders the streets of Dublin all day in search of the places where the walls between worlds are thinnest so she can reverse the fairies‘ switch and go back home. She draws the shape of her route when she returns to her house (inherited from a deceased aunt). Sometimes, her route is a teacup; sometimes half the letter “T” in cursive. 👇🏻

monalyisha 1/3: She often whispers “safe, safe, safe” to self-soothe, and is constantly searching for home, for somewhere she might fit in and not seem so strange. The writing style is stream of consciousness. Language is something that Vivian takes very seriously (and something with which Lally obviously feels comfortable playing). (edited) 1y
monalyisha 2/3: I think this is a book you have to be in the mood for. At the end of the year, when I‘m trying to sneak as many reads in as possible, my head wasn‘t quite in it. My heart, though, didn‘t remain untouched. While the visceral quality of the writing reminded me a bit of Ottessa Moshfegh‘s or Sayaka Murata‘s (in a way that I honestly don‘t love), Lally‘s writing and her protagonist were filled with much more warmth and kindness. (edited) 1y
monalyisha 3/3: The story was lonely, and horribly sad, and funny…but mostly lonely. I rooted for Vivian at the same time that I desperately wished she‘d shower (and that someone would care for her enough to get her to eat some kale). I wish I‘d read this during a time of year when I had more patience and generosity of spirit. It was clever, odd, and tender.

*TW: child abuse
1y
Jas16 Wonderful review. 1y
53 likes4 stack adds4 comments
quote
monalyisha
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

“I head to the National Museum, because sometimes nothing will do but to walk on a mosaic floor.”

blurb
Tera66
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

#wonderouswednesday
@Eggs 🍁
Thank you for always thinking of me @DarkMina 🖤
You are the best!
1. This month just #bookspinbingo and the #shesaid group read. Loving Hood Feminism.
2. I love Broccoli 🥦 and this time of year zucchini 🥒
3. My amazing bestfriend. She has really been my ride or die. I would be lost without her.

DarkMina You're welcome! 💗 2y
Eggs 🧡📚🎃❤️ 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks True friends are hard to come by… I‘m happy you have yours ❤️❤️ 2y
35 likes4 comments
blurb
LA_Mead
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

1. I tend to guess twists a lot of the time. 2. Redwall (fav childhood one); Shopaholic 3. I‘m a fan of rom coms with love triangles, or a good buddy story. 4. I‘m grateful for my littles, who love books and make me laugh. @BookishTrish @StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego

Eggs Thanks for joining in 📖🙌🏻🤗 3y
16 likes1 comment
review
Louise
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Pickpick

This book is a celebration of language—of quirky words, odd phrases, groups of vowels and consonants! At first, the book reminded me a bit of #Elinor Oliphant. I enjoyed the MC‘s unusual way of seeing things but wished that she had more support around her. Vivian is delightful but never bathes and is caught in a delusion pressed upon her by her abusive father. The end is hopeful, as she plans an adventure with a friend.

59 likes3 stack adds
blurb
Tera66
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

#wonderouswednesday @Eggs Love this one!
1. I listen to all kinds of genres. Its the same with my book taste. I can't stick with one genre for too long or I get bored.
2. The summer I turned 13 my Grandma, my aunt, my two cousins and I went on a road trip to CA.
3. I think I prefer being an adult.
4. A text from my bestfriend, a good cup of coffee, a snuggle with my dog, some, you can find a bright spot in the little joys life has to offer.

Eggs # 4 💗💗💗 agree!! Thanks for playing 👏🏻📚🎼🥳🌟 3y
16 likes1 comment
blurb
bibliobard
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

@Andrew65 thanks for hosting — I am happy to join! My goal will be to try and read for 24 hours by the deadline AND finish more of my verse books for #575PMRChallenge #EasterExtravaganza

Andrew65 Great targets. Thanks for sharing 🥰 4y
19 likes1 comment
review
Ingerella
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Pickpick

A finish! Eggshells is the August selection for my RL book club. I listened to this one and am so glad I did because the Irish accent never gets old. I started out really enjoying the writing style and all of Vivian's odd thoughts and behaviors, which are often humorous as she tries to connect with people. It's like a stream of consciousness and introverted me could relate to Vivian in many ways. But, it stretched a bit too long. 3.5/5 🌟

quote
KCorter
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

I love second-hand bookshops for the same reason. I love the mystery and the possibilty. Each book tells not only the story between its pages, but the stories of all its previous owners.

39 likes1 stack add
quote
KCorter
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

I think i have finally found my first tattoo! It's a tri-fold quote!

review
beccamlvn
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Pickpick

Refreshing. Hard not to start with armchair diagnoses but that's the beauty of it. We don't need to know absolutely everything to enjoy what is in front of us. We can find happiness in the simplest of things, often those very things we typically take for granted. This book is filled with terrific 1-2 line quotes that stand on their own, too!

It's about a woman who is coping with her life the only way she knows how. Who are we to judge her?

rretzler I had a bit of a hard time with the book as I sort of felt that the author was poking fun at Vivian‘s quirks and that made me sad 😞 5y
beccamlvn @rretzler I'm sorry it felt that way to you. I found it to be more akin to reality than most us want to believe. If parts were funny, it's because they would be funny if we encountered them in real life. I approached it from a special education teacher's eyes and found myself having to work to remove my feelings of "i bet if she worked with someone, this quirk would be better understood by her and everyone else." 5y
rretzler 👍🏻😀 5y
42 likes3 comments
blurb
beccamlvn
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

Kinda reading related... but not really.

All I want to do right now is curl up in bed with my kindle and just chill out. But no. I'm powering through sinus pain, and studying for my stats exam. It's finals for the next 3 weeks, so reading for pleasure isn't really an option. Although, I am really loving the last book we are reading in my Lit class, so that's my silver lining right now (which is tagged).

I really hate stats.

Pray for me, ya'll.

Naj Hope you feel better soon and good luck for finals. 👍🏾💜 5y
beccamlvn @Naj thank you! I'm living on alllllll the claritin, flonase, zyrtec, and Redbull! 😂 5y
Redwritinghood You‘ve got this! 💪🏻💪🏻 5y
See All 8 Comments
cobwebmoth Hope you're feeling better soon. 5y
Suet624 💕💕💕 5y
Sweetdgabe87 Feel better!!! I was horrible in stats! Had to take it twice. Good luck to you!! 5y
wanderinglynn I feel your pain. Stats sucks! 5y
Crazeedi Welcome to litsy !!🎉🎉 5y
73 likes1 stack add8 comments
blurb
beccamlvn
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

So surprised that I am actually enjoying this required reading for my literature class! I'm only five chapters in and absolutely love it! As a special education major, this is really an interesting read so far!

#sped

Chelleo Welcome to Litsy! Hope these #Litsytips by @RaimeyGallant http://bit.ly/litsytips and #LitsyHowTo videos: goo.gl/UrCpoU are helpful. There‘s so many fun things to do: book exchanges, buddy reads, photo challenges and more!#LitsyWelcomeWagon 5y
jpmcwisemorgan Welcome to Litsy!!! 5y
RaimeyGallant Welcome! 5y
See All 17 Comments
rretzler Welcome to Litsy! I had mixed feelings about the book, glad to hear that you are enjoying it. 5y
DebReads4fun Welcome to Litsy! 5y
Naj Welcome! 5y
Debdeb Welcome to litsy! 5y
xxjenadanxx Welcome to Litsy!! 5y
jenreads7 Welcome to Litsy! 🎉📚 5y
Smrloomis Welcome! 🥳 5y
flying_monkeys Welcome to Litsy! 📚 5y
lover.of.the.classics Welcome to the Litsy Family!!! 5y
BookwormAHN Welcome to Litsy 😺 5y
SqueakyChu Welcome to Litsy! 5y
rather_be_reading welcome to litsy 📚☕📚 5y
Eggs Welcome to Litsy 🌺 5y
DebinHawaii Welcome to Litsy!! 🎉📚🎉Hope you are enjoying it here! 5y
77 likes2 stack adds17 comments
blurb
Skyrimir
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

Next up in #booked2019 with a handmade bookmark. I should be reading my book club book but I really want to start this...

monalyisha Haha. This is how I do book club, too. 😅 5y
30 likes1 comment
review
marti86
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Bailedbailed

I gsve it a try.. couldn't get into the story

quote
Onioons
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

"There's a sudden smack of blue and the postman comes out of a house further down the terrace. He's moving in and out of houses like a needle stitching a hem." Quirky & quotable. Loving this so far...

56 likes1 stack add
quote
ItsAnotherJen
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

😂
This is a very odd book. I was considering bailing on it, but I'm already 1/2 way through, so I'll keep at it.
I keep hoping for some real details of Vivian's life. I don't understand exactly what is the deal with her.
This was an Irish Book of the Year Finalist...so there's got to be more to this. She's stuck in a world of her making.
Does she need medication? 🤔

Natasha.C.Barnes Hold on a sec, do we not have to post square photos anymore? 6y
ItsAnotherJen @Natasha.C.Barnes Have you updated your Litsy app lately? 6y
Natasha.C.Barnes @JenFowler I'm not sure, but I automatically crop my photos so I'm not sure I ever would have noticed a change! I'll go try to update now. 6y
See All 6 Comments
Natasha.C.Barnes @JenFowler Holy crap that's a big change. 6y
ItsAnotherJen @Natasha.C.Barnes Lol! It takes a little getting used to, but it has its advantages. 6y
ItsAnotherJen I have finished! You DO get insight into what happened to Vivian when she was younger. I give it 2.5 stars because it did make me laugh out loud in many spots. The writing is clever. 6y
75 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
Redwritinghood
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Mehso-so

I like quirky characters, but the MC here goes way beyond quirky. She believes (and her parents believed) that she is a changeling. The book documents her various attempts to return to Faerie. She roams town testing various myths and baffling everyone she meets. The writing style and narration were great, but the story is a bit meandering and pointless. The MC is a sympathetic character, but I was left wondering if she was mentally ill/disabled.

ItsAnotherJen I'm wondering if I should bail on this one. She just comes across as crazy. A really creative colorful type of crazy...but crazy all the same. Did it get better towards the end? 6y
Redwritinghood @JenFowler No, it‘s the same sort of thing all the way through. You do get a little background on her childhood, but not a lot. 6y
51 likes3 comments
blurb
Penny_LiteraryHoarders
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

Or this one is available in audio. Alana Kerr Collins narrates this one. The decisions, the decisions to make...

blurb
BethFishReads
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

I've seen mixed reactions to this, but the Irish setting is calling to me. Reading on the porch today because it's going to start raining any second now.

Penny_LiteraryHoarders I have this one and I'm keen to read it! Let me know how it is! 🙂 7y
Megabooks I picked this one up recently but haven't read it yet! 7y
BethFishReads @Penny_LiteraryHoarders I gave up after 40 pages. ☹️ 7y
Penny_LiteraryHoarders @BethFishReads oh. Big fat bummer. 😭 7y
BethFishReads @Penny_LiteraryHoarders it got so much praise but just didn't click with me 7y
41 likes1 stack add5 comments
blurb
Megabooks
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

Of course, what else is there to do on Saturday night besides spend too much money on books!?! 😅😅😅

SharonGoforth Sounds like my kind of Saturday night!! 😀📚 7y
Aluciddreamstate I drank a bottle of wine and may have ordered three......forgot about it due to my insomniac episode the last two nights....and was reminded very nicely that I am not allowed on Amazon while drinking....in any case I have three new books coming 🤣😁🤤🤡🤓🍷🍷🍷 7y
HardcoverHearts I literally went to three used bookstores today despite having a ton of books at home that I "could" be reading! But what's the fun in that? 7y
See All 6 Comments
Megabooks @SharonGoforth I know!! Litsy is so wonderfully enabling. 😃👍🏻 7y
Megabooks @Aluciddreamstate 😅😅 I can't imagine how many more books I'd have if I still drank! I hope the books are fantastic ones! 7y
Megabooks @HardcoverHearts Exactly!! 📚👍🏻 7y
88 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
PandaPanda
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Bailedbailed

I really wanted to like this one, and I did in a way. It was very wonderfully wierd but it didn't let up enough for me to really get into it. Maybe if I was in a different mood I would have kept going.

blurb
Nonaroo
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

I was on Amazon the other day and this came up as a suggestion. I read the description and instantly wanted to read it. I'm all about quirky characters who feel like they don't fit in. I can't wait to dive in and see where this book takes me!

rachellayown Ooh, sounds interesting! I'm looking forward to hearing what you think. 7y
20 likes1 comment
blurb
BookNAround
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

Waiting for an out of town friend to arrive with this odd little book.

review
LibraryReads
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image
Pickpick

“Whimsical and different, this novel‘s humor hooked me. Vivian is an eccentric, living in Dublin and searching for a place where she can feel she belongs. How can you help but love a character who checks every wardrobe for Narnia and every yellow road for an Emerald City? This novel movingly explores the outcasts and the different among us, showing that they are only hoping to fit in and find a friend.”
Linda Quinn, Fairfield Public Library

4 likes3 stack adds
blurb
AmbityScambity
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

This book is filled with tons of quirky delights. Like this one. 😆

19 likes1 stack add
blurb
AmbityScambity
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

Of course my #litsypartyofone would be interrupted with an 8-hour work shift. On the plus side, the mister is off snowmobiling for the weekend, so I can stay up late and party like the crazy animal that I am. 😆

blurb
Genrebending
Eggshells | Caitriona Lally
post image

Current reading is quite delightful.

annkuch13 This sounds awesome! 7y
merelybookish Cool cover! 7y
RacheLibrarian Oooh, pretty! 7y
Bluestocking Loves this book!! 7y
68 likes9 stack adds4 comments