Welcome to Litsy!

I just came back home from Goodwill, where I found all these books ;) It's so easy to make me happy: books are all it takes! Have you read any of them?

Absorbing, lots of interesting characters. Set in New York, describes a famous writer's relationships with family and others.

Forgettable

The reviews were glowing. It was NY lit. yeah, took threes tries to finish it and #wontgetfooledagain with this writer.
#marchintothe70s
@Cinfhen @Lizpixie

This had been on my TBR list for a long time. I‘m sad I waited so long to read it because I couldn‘t put it down.

Flew through Messud's 'The Woman Upstairs' and now can't put this one down. Want to finish it tonight!

This this this. This is me. I try to explain to others how my books are a visual diary of my life...what a wonder to see it so eloquently put in this book.

I know there are some who hate this book but I'm on team love. I lent my friend my copy and she never gave it back 😂 so she loved it also. After I read this, I wanted to read everything that Claire Messud had ever written. Also - this was long listed for the Man Booker Prize.

#richgirl #augustgrrrl

Lunch break reading

This one sat on my bookshelf forever. I finally got around to reading it. Did the world need another book about overprivileged kids turned underachieving adults from NYC? I would say 'yep'.

This book got such poor reviews on Goodreads that I thought it would be awful. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. It's the story of a group of thirtysomething friends living in NYC in 2001. The story begins in the months before 9/11 and ends after 9/11. It's oddly compelling.

Reading this book was painful and boring. So why did I persist and finished it? Because I kept hoping that she would get it right at least once, because she has style in her writing but it's like watching paint dry most of the time. As a reader I can't not live with beautiful prose alone, you have to give me at least a little punch here and there. #marchintoreading #didntlikeitstillfinished #NYCfiction

I read this ten years ago in the pre-Goodreads era. Like the main characters, I was young and living in New York City. Now I am older, but closer in age to the protagonists, and writing a novel about a group of friends in their late twenties. Should be interesting to revisit it.

Opinions vary widely, but I adored this book! Messud's writing is exceptional. Her characters, though not especially likable, are interesting and real. And she positively nails the setting - NYC and especially Watertown, NY. I was reminded of The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer, a favorite from a few years ago. The Emperor's Children is a strong contender for my favorite novel this year! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another rainy Saturday morning, but I'm not complaining! ☕️📚🌧

"The apartment was entirely, was only, for her: a wall of books, both read and unread, all of them dear to her not only in themselves, their tender spines, but in the moments or periods they evoked."
THIS!!❤️

Story follows 3 thirty year old New York college friends before & after 9/11. I found the plot to be a bit weak was disappointed in the lackluster ending.

The writing was just wonderful. I loved this. Need to talk about the ending with someone though!!

I found this to be dragging, and when I was finished was left confused as to what the "point" of the whole story was. Meh.

"...being in my study is like being inside my brain." Loved being in these characters' brains - flawed but sympathetic. Some funny lines and poignant moments, all believable. A taste of life in NYC circa 2001.

"he never knew in life whether to be Pierre or Natasha." This book is exactly what I hoped for - immersive story to sweep me away to New York and into the lives of good interesting characters. Also, lots of War & Peace references ... I'll have to read it.