Welcome to Litsy!

I wouldn't call this the most enjoyable book I ever read, and sometimes I let it sit for a bit before returning to it, but in the end it is a well written, unique and interesting novel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Yesterday, my boyfriend was telling about a googling typo that somehow led him to Mary Toft, and I remembered reading about this book! It happened to be less than $4 on Kindle, so here we are. One of the things I find most interesting very early on is the descriptions of the meals. Stewed lettuce, anyone?

So I finished this novel in 3 very separated readings but WOW. It‘s such an unusual story that it‘s based on, and I think it‘s so fascinating.

I loved this weird book based on a true story about a woman in the 1700s who gives birth to 17 rabbits. Or does she? And whose voice is more important - the male surgeons attending her, or Mary Toft‘s own?

I was super excited to read this after absolutely loving Version Control and this did not disappoint. Like that book, this goes deep into big picture ideas--the availability of humanity, otherness, history and factualness for lack of a better word--yet the plot still moves and the characters still pop. I will read whatever Dexter Palmer writes.

Unsurprisingly, I freaking love this.

This was such a weird book, and took a long time for me to finish. I knew that it was based on actual events, but the whole freak-show quality of the narrative was uncomfortable for me. Bringing in an actual freak show at one point didn‘t help. It was really a very sad story, when considered from Mary Toft‘s point of view. I would have liked to have heard more in her voice. I listened to the audiobook, and thought it was well done. #ToB #ToB2020

Good but very weird!!!

#TOB2020

I liked both books a lot and Mary Toft is so unique but in the end I‘ll go for Lost Children Archive because of its political relevance and its impressive observations of marriage and parenthood.

Yay! Finally, starting this gorgeous thing. In a gorgeous ☀️🌴 place.🛥
#tob #tob2020 (only 3 left after this: Fleischman, Testaments, Overthrow)

I‘m getting excited for the Tournament of Books!! It should start in a week or so! 💙

#tob20 #tob #tob2020

A book like this is why I love the #ToB so much. I never would have read this if it weren‘t for the tournament. And how glad I am I did. The tale of Mary, giving birth to rabbits, is storytelling at its best. I loved every page of it. It‘s mostly about (the ego‘s of) the surgeons and their apprentices surrounding her but in the end the story becomes hers.

#Booked2020 #Headcovering #ToB2020

I don't think I would have found Dexter Palmer's Mary Toft; or The Rabbit Queen if it weren't for the Tournament of Books. This is a DEEPLY strange novel that was fantastic on audio (I listened on Scribd that tells the story of a women who begins giving birth to dead rabbits. Set in a small town in 1726, the story focuses--for the most part--on the understanding of local surgeon John Howard and his apprentice (and son of a minister) Zachary. ⬇️

January was a crazy good reading month for me. My favorite was Mary Toft, but there was a lot of good stuff in here.

8 #tob/1 #supertob
2 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/12 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/7 ⭐️⭐️⭐️/1 ⭐️⭐️
10 physical/9 audio/3 ebook
12 owned/9 library/1 #lmpbc
5 nonfiction/14 adult fiction/1 middle grade
4 #botm
1 #Newbery

#januarywrapup #januarystats #januaryreads

Oh my, this is a weird book, but well-written and it‘s drawing me in despite myself. I‘ll see it through because it‘s on the #ToB shortlist. I also have it on audio, so will be listening to it when my eyes need a break this weekend. #24in48