Welcome to Litsy!

My wrap up for February. Best of the month we‘re the tagged and No Choice, but I also loved You‘re the Only One I‘ve Told, Madly Deeply, How Far the Light Reaches, and Thorn.

I didn‘t have as many really too rated books in Feb as I did in Jan. The Echo Wife came out on top, but the best of the year so far is still Black Sun 🌞. #2023readingbracketfiction

#pantone2023 #blazingyellow @Clwojick

I think the review from @Soubhiville said it best for me - I had this unsettling feeling almost the entire time I was reading this. It‘s good, for sure, but creepy, and thought provoking (which can lead to some scary thoughts!). Ultimately I enjoyed it, but just….holy s*** 😳😳😳 @Cinfhen would this work for #aboutreproductiverights? I‘ll leave my reasoning in a spoiler comment 😊
#booked2023

This is the perfect #Twisted book for #Booked2023.

I had a creeping dread and discomfort through the whole book. And while there is a twist, I think twisted describes it better.

Evelyn is a scientist, and in her lab she creates clones. She finds her husband has stolen her research and created a clone of her, and he‘s having an affair with the clone.

Deep with moral questions, this will make you think hard thoughts.

Serious trigger warnings!

Hoooooly crap, this was good! The premise is intriguing: Evelyn Caldwell finds out her husband Nathan is having an affair…with a woman he cloned using Evelyn‘s own research. There‘s so much here to discuss, from free will to personhood to grooming—I‘m so glad this was my IRL book club‘s pick because I have so much I want to dig into for our discussion on Sunday!

#pop22 #onomatopoeia
A cloning novel that definitely owes something to Ishiguro‘s take on this, and his exploration at what defines humanity. But it‘s darker and more brittle, an unsettling vibe that the ‘uncanny valley‘ gives and a satisfying ending for the ‘wives‘. I‘ve seen descriptions of Black Mirror meets Stepford wives, and that fits. @cinfen @barbarabb @megabooks @squirrelbrain @jenniferw88 @alisiakae @cortg @laughterhp @raelovestoread

An interesting character study wrapped within a sci-fi story. Didn‘t totally work for me, but is really well written and engaging.

A store visit finished early today, so sneaking in starting this one this afternoon for #pop22 for #onomatopoeia , stealing the idea from Barbara! I googled, and some lists definitely include the word ‘echo‘ so I‘m sticking with it! 💕

@cinfen @barbarabb @megabooks @squirrelbrain @jenniferw88 @alisiakae @cortg @laughterhp @raelovestoread

This book was fascinating and had beautiful prose. I‘ll definitely be reading more Sarah Gailey!

#justfinished - it was interesting but I‘m really curious about her new book.
I read this one for book club and almost no one showed up and those who did didn‘t like it. You did have to suspend a lot of disbelief to read this one.
Also orange muffins are love.

A lazy Saturday afternoon, reading and snoozing.

This was very well written. It kept my interest, kept me guessing, stopped to think about ethics, and had lots of moving parts with multiple conflicts. And it was a short read!

I wont mention much about the actual plot because I think a gradual reveal is the way to go for this one. But I will say to expect light sci-fi, and question what makes a person an individual.

A slight pick, since I've really struggled with this book at the beginning. It got better, happily, but I kept on listening to the audio book with 1.5x speed. Gailey comes up with a really important question our society has to deal with more and more. And yes, I like the fact that her MC isn't really likable, it fits her character. Only the plot itself dragged too much and all the relationship stuff at the start annoyed me pretty much.

I devoured this speculative thriller! Martine, a clone of scientist Evelyn Caldwell, is having an affair with Evelyn's husband. He turns up dead & Martine & Evelyn are left to cover it up. I loved the story, the characters & the themes. I haven't read all of Sarah Gailey's work, but this is my favorite so far. Also, Taylor Swift's No Body No Crime kept playing in my head as I was reading it. 🤣

I finally get around to post my books for #BookSpin and #BookSpinBingo 😅 I've already started with both books. So far I'm not really convinced by The Echo Wife, but we'll see... 😊 And so far I really like The Wall, which I did not expect.

@TheAromaOfBooks

This book fascinated me. Clones, murder, and a question of humanity. The ending felt a little odd (or maybe unresolved is a better word) but I really enjoyed the book overall. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I thought this was very well-crafted and a page-turner. There were a few things that bothered me, however. See first comment for spoiler. I‘m off now to read other comments and see if it was ‘just me‘. 😬
#ToB2022

#MarvellousMarch #Readathon
1st book read @Andrew65

I thought this science fiction/ thriller was brilliant because the main character was so complex and everyone's motives were so questionable. The acknowledgements at the end of the book that explained the story's origins were heartbreaking.

2-26-22: My 19th finished book of 2022! This book was intense and extremely interesting. Evelyn, an award winning scientist, is going through a divorce. Her soon to be ex has started a new life with Martine, a clone of Evelyn. I don‘t want to give anything else away. This book explores the science of cloning, while also talking about grooming and abuse. It was difficult at times but overall thoroughly engaging. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖📖1️⃣9️⃣

2-23-22: New library book haul!! 📚📖🎉💖

Book and popcorn while the boys watch the Super Bowl

I didn't like this at all, with the caveat that I think Gailey does a great job developing Evelyn as a character. I found the plot completely unbelievable and whereas in Klara and the Sun the reader had room to think about and form her own impressions about what was going on, here the author basically puts up a neon sign that says “THIS IS A BAD SITUATION,“ which frustrated me.

What a strange and twisty story! The Echo Wife follows Evelyn, a scientist whose husband steals her research to clone himself a “better” version of her. The consequences are dire and a bit outlandish, but I like how Gailey ties in themes of identity, grooming and abuse. My second Gailey book, and I‘m now hooked on reading everything they write!

#tob22 #tobshortlist
#pop22 reflected image on cover

I have all kinds of issues with this book, but I have to hand it to the author: she has nailed Evelyn's voice. The narration is pitch-perfect. #morningreads

What a crazy, twisted book! It was an interesting take on an old plot - Evelyn is an award winning scientist whose husband, Nathan, has an affair… with Evelyn‘s genetically replicated clone whom he‘s altered to be the “perfect” wife. (Think Stepford Wives, if you‘re old enough. 🙂) The story is told from Evelyn‘s point of view, and while she is certainly deserving of sympathy, she is also a deeply flawed, very complex character. Highly enjoyed.

My hubby was so sweet to make homemade chicken noodle soup last night, which was just what I needed.

Day 3 of Covid, and each day I feel worse, but getting by. I have started my next #TOB2022 book. Although I will probably spend more time watching TV than reading today. #tobshortlist

(2021) Mixed feelings. I liked the themes of power and patriarchy, the unexpected plot twists, and the willingness to explore the story's ideas with unlikeable characters. But the world made no sense to me: some major ethical issues are ignored, the science is handwavey and inconsistent, and legal complications that seem obvious are just not a thing. It feels less like a story than an abstract thought exercise-- though an interesting one for sure

Great book!

After my recent reads it was nice to have something a bit more straight forward with the storytelling.

I'm a big fan of this author and this was a creative look into cloning and relationships. Gailey presents topics on the ethical and moral issues surrounding scientific discoveries, while also just writing an entertaining book. #ToB2022 #ToB22

I snuck in a little novel listening during our hike this morning when my son wasn't talking to me about Switzerland and my daughter wasn't talking to me about the nature of good and evil. Caught a glimpse of the ocean, too...sort of.

First book for 2022 #ToB done. I devoured this one despite a few nagging things about it. The main character is an interesting mix of self-aware and self-deceptive, and the ethical questions raised are quite juicy, but something about a couple of the relationships feels off to me and the ending didn't fit at all in my estimation. And of course, the science requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. So, fun book in spite of its flaws.

2021 was a kind of a disappointing reading year for me in terms of what I read, so one of my reading goals this year is to DNF early and often. If a book doesn‘t grab me by roughly 25% in, it‘s a no. This was a no.

This has been on my radar for awhile, but felt compelled to take the plunge for #ToB. Not blown away by this domestic thriller, but it was decently entertaining. I get that the author is using the a sci-fi element to drive home themes of power, control and manipulation. I re-listened to a section because it got a little convoluted for me.

A solid read about a female scientist, renowned for her work in the field of cloning, who meets a clone representing herself. This woman is her ex husband‘s new lover. A great start, an engaging middle and a weak ending make for a soft pick. I don‘t think it should have made the #ToB22 shortlist. I do think that of several books this year 🥴

#pop22 #OnomatopoeiaInTitle

This was an eerie, macabre read that I liked a lot. The tone was effectively clinical and arms length, which worked given the content. Best to not know a lot going in. I‘m not sure how far this will make it in #TOB22 but it‘s an interesting contender. Highly recommend the audiobook as the narrator is excellent. Book 5 of 18 down!

#WeeklyForecast 02/22

I am focusing on a first good month of #ReadingAfrica2022 and the #ToB22. Of course I hope to tick off some prompts of other challenges as well and so far that‘s been easy - as it always is at the start of the year. Happy reading!

The Echo Wife did not go where I expected it to but it was still a solid read. It‘s quite difficult to write a review without spoilers but I can say this novel goes from 0 to 100 in the space of about 25 pages and the drama doesn‘t let up from there. There‘s a whole lot of moral ambiguity, a bit of questionable narration, and heaps of action. It requires you to suspend your disbelief a little, but on this summer‘s day I was prepared to do that.

This one really got me in the beginning with the twist of what was going on. The author did a good job of not revealing too much until she was ready and I was shocked. I really liked the story and I felt like it was a modern take on Stepford Wives in some way. It wasn‘t fully original in that sense, but I thought it came together and ended perfectly. Definitely a must read, in my opinion.

Eeeppp!! My first #BookSpin (tagged) and #doublespin (tagged in comments)! And I‘m so excited. 🌀
Thanks @TheAromaofBooks for putting this together and for the tag! I‘m excited to get some of these books read that I‘ve been meaning to for a long time. Reading The Echo Wife for #ToB22 #tournamentofbooks

PSA for my #tob friends and anyone else who is interested! The Echo Wife is currently on sale for Kindle (at least in the US). #tob2022 #tob22

I listened to this on audio a few weeks ago. It has a super compelling premise (hint: the main character is developing a cloning technique for humans) and a permeating sense of dread.

Henry‘s first Litsy pose with a book; the first of many I‘m sure!

As for the book.... 😁This was a page-turner for sure. I liked that it felt near-future and rather plausible. I thought the ending was a bit weak. It‘s kind of middling in my own personal #ToBshortlist.

A soft pick. I often have trouble with thrillers because the plotting can seem implausible. I kept turning the pages because I did genuinely want to know what would happen next, but there were a few things that made me go hmmm... I also found the signposting in this novel heavy handed. I don‘t see this making it past the first round of the #ToB2022.

My second finished book for #DashingDecember. 🥳

A clever and thought-provoking story from the #TournamentOfBooks shortlist. It starts with a scientist discovering that her husband has been having an affair with her clone, and it just gets weirder and scarier from there. #ToB22

#WinterGames2021 #TeamGameSleighers #HolidayHorrors #LittenListen #AVeryMerryReadathon #BookSpinBingo #DashingDecember
@StayCurious @PatchShank @aperfectmjk @TheSpineView @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65

I enjoyed this one.

#TOB22 #TOBReads #WinterGames 10 pts impulse read
The book had layers upon layers of.issues and twists and turns I didn't see coming, I thought it was thoroughly engrossing and it kept me.engaged. it brought up so many questions about ethics of cloning, identity, what makes us who we are? Issues of women wanting a career vs a family. Excellent read. Loved it. 5 ⭐

#WinterGames2021 #WinterGames

I am looking forward to reading some sci-fi this month.
I can't remember what team I am on, but I am looking forward to this last month of reading.

Send in the clones! This #ToBLonglist choice was a surprise hit. I‘m generally not a fan of domestic thrillers, but apparently if you add a sci fi element, I enjoy them a lot more!

This story of a woman, her clone, and their dead husband had just the right amount of tension and kept me guessing until the end. A contender for the shortlist imo. 👯‍♀️

Xe Sands‘ narration of the #audiobook is great.

Hell yeah!! I REALLY enjoyed this twisty tale. Evelyn Caldwell is a geneticist who is hyper focused on her career, her husband Nathan wishes he could tweak her just a tiny bit. Parts Frankenstein/ parts Stepford Wives this book about AI cloning was a zillion times better than Klara & the Sun. Im so glad I discovered this gem on the #ToB22LongList I thought the audio narration was deadpan perfect for Evelyn‘s sterile personality. #Hoopla 🙌🏻🎧🧡

This is fine. This is normal. Totally not freaking out about being tweeted at by an author I adore.

Great premise, lots of surprises, just the right amount of creepy, ethical dilemmas to think about. The book held my attention throughout in spite of the unlikeable main character, but I was somewhat disappointed by ending.

This was my #doublespin for November @TheAromaofBooks