Welcome to Litsy!

I‘m taking advantage of a quiet afternoon to see if I can make it past chapter 5. I‘ve quit this one twice before.

This author writes great characters. They are realistic and believable. The storyline just didn‘t grab me. The main character is an author who procrastinates rather than gets on with her writing. At one point in the book she has a conversation where her editor asks if her heart is really in the book she‘s writing… made me wonder.

This book was… interesting? I was really interested to see where the story would go, and then it went absolutely nowhere. Characters did unforgivable things and were seemingly forgiven with not much explanation. The story ends abruptly and then the author tries to tie it all together in some nice bow in the epilogue but it didn‘t work for me at all.

I think I find this book so charming because, like Sam, I had a year in my early 20s working as a part-time nanny to a woman in her mid-30s. And like in the book, the relationship was a bit awkward, somewhat fraught, and had a near calamitous end. This was just a really satisfying #reread for me.

#audiobook I loved the narrator, Kate Rudd. Sounds a bit like Rebecca Lowman.

1 ⭐
I really really struggle to read this book. I started to read it weeks ago but I‘ve ended up putting it on the back burner. The story is so slow and to be totally honest very boring, so much so I really don‘t think I will finish the book. I don‘t like to give up on books but I‘m afraid that is what I am going to do with this book. The synopsis for the book sounds really good. But for me it just didn‘t live up to my expectations.

I always love her books, and this was no exception

I needed some good escapism and this #chicklit book fit the bill. I wasn‘t a fan of how it ended; it was all left to your imagination but a good one nonetheless.

The strength of this book was in the well-developed, believably human characters the author has created. There are a lot of themes in the book - suburban motherhood drama, true family and friends, women‘s and worker‘s rights, etc. It‘s almost too many things to make a cohesive narrative, but the author wove them together well. 3⭐️

A charming story told from the perspectives of Elisabeth, who has a new baby and has just moved to a small college town from Brooklyn, and Sam, Elisabeth‘s new babysitter and a college senior with some big life decisions to make.

Read November 2-5
Rated 3.5/5 ⭐️
Book 45/60

🎃 Audio Insecurity Youth Family Relationships
🍏 My iPad. I use it more than my phone! I use it for news, reading, audiobooks, music, gaming, etc.
⭐️ I would go back to the year 1876. I have two sets of 3x great-grandparents that have brick walls/mysteries and if I could be present or talk to them, I could get answers and made big strides in my family tree!

Great questions!

#WondrousWednesday

"She wondered if any male writer was ever waylaid by such a task. Perhaps more of them ought to be. She often thought that equality between the sexes should be achieved by men growing more thoughtful and attentive, rather than women becoming less so."

So earlier this week my book club met! No one finished this book. We are all educated women from diverse backgrounds and it felt like the writer never landed the plane. We stopped at various parts of the book. Sometimes goodreeds reviews need a side eye🤷🏾‍♀️ it‘s 6 bails from my group. I am not going to finish the audiobook. Grabbing my parachute and bailing on this book.

Urgh still struggling with this book — I switched to audio book. Forcing myself to listen during my workouts. I am getting done faster lol. If it wasn‘t for book club, I would throw this book away. 🤦🏾‍♀️🤷🏾‍♀️ send help!! I think I am going to start on on other book.

As much as they collectively knew about how hard it is to be human, she thought then that they must also know something deeper about how special it is, how beautiful. Why else would they react with such joy to the existence of one of their own, starting out?
👶🏻👶🏼👶🏽👶🏾👶🏿

9-1-20: My 66th finished book of 2020! ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #friendsandstrangers #jcourtneysullivan 👍🏼📖#️⃣6️⃣6️⃣

Currently struggling with this book. My book club chose it. I am trying to push through but I feel like the story is not grasping me. I keep hoping the story will get better with each passing chapter, it feels more of the same. Does this story get better? I am at chapter 9 and just want to chuck it.

This book brings up so many interesting topics within the story of the friendship between a woman and her nanny. Most interesting to me are the ideas of thinking you‘re doing something to help people while making their lives more difficult—and making assumptions about people without really knowing the facts. Why is it we‘re so afraid to ask the hard questions that make things easier in any relationship?
Featured in July‘s Health Tea Bookcrate

I think I wasn‘t in the right mood for this book/ plus I‘ve read SO MANY similar books lately, that this one felt a tad recycled. The author taps ALL the hot topic buttons but never really nails them. It was ok/ maybe #Wait4TheKindleDeal 😁Between a pick & so-so but I‘ll give it the thumbs up because the final chapters were page turners.

Finally!!!! After 4 hours of listening , I was about to bail but now the book seems to be picking up 😁There has been some redeeming moments but this book feels VERY 2020 and since I‘m living it, not sure I want to read it. ( know what I mean???)

This book won‘t appeal to everyone. Personally I see Sullivan as a highbrow chick lit author, which really appeals to me and has earned her status as a must read author. This one is about the unlikely friendship between Elisabeth and her son‘s nanny Sam. Elisabeth drove me crazy but there was something endearing about her. Sullivan does such a great job of making her characters and their dilemmas relatable. #botm

Quite possibly my favorite book of 2020. I felt such a connection to the thoughts and feelings of the characters. To me, this is the work of a brilliant writer - it felt like I could have written this, you know, if I were an author and could write even half as well as J. Courtney Sullivan! Essentially, a story of a new mother and her babysitter, a college senior. So many other topics are touched upon but it didn't feel like an "agenda". Loved it!

Google apparently doesn‘t know whether Charles Manson was breastfed or not, but my interest is piqued.

I‘m confused about my feelings toward this book but ultimately, I think I liked it. There are several social issues that were touched upon but my take away is one of the importance of friendships to our life. However, this book had me humming lyrics from Westside Story about ‘stick with your own kind‘ which made me uncomfortable, and I continue to ponder her intent.

Tropical Storm Isaias is headed our way. The rain has hit and we are watching the waves from inside. I'm cozied up in a reading spot by the window. Switching between the view of the window/storm and the book.
🌊🌧 📖

😍🏖🌊🐚
Finally made it back to my happy place! ♥️
Also, when your suit matches your book 😎
Lovin this beach and this book so far!

I reread the description and saw that it mentioned “hilarious”. I didn‘t laugh once. It was fine. Very TODAY. And frankly I didn‘t need a book to remind of the real world.

This one is giving me Such a Fun Age vibes (without the racial aspect). I‘m enjoying the audio.

An enjoyable and insightful exploration of a unique friendship between two women who couldn‘t be more different. https://www.bluestockingreviews.com/post/friends-and-strangers #Friends and strangers #JCourtneySullivan #BluestockingReviews #ReadItLoveIt #FindingGreatReads

Elisabeth, an accomplished journalist and new mother, is struggling to adjust to life in a small town after nearly twenty years in New York City. Alone in the house with her infant son all day (and awake with him much of the night), she feels uneasy, adrift. She neglects her work, losing untold hours to her Brooklyn moms‘ Facebook group, her “influencer” sister‘s Instagram feed, and text messages with the best friend she never sees anymore.

A little reading while I wait for my burgers to cook. I‘m loving this story so far. Has anyone else read Friends and Strangers?

Bailed at 12% (1:40:37). Life is tough. I don't need to spend my precious entertainment time being depressed by poor human behavior and dysfunctional relationships.

I was starting to think my #botm would never arrive. 🙄 Now to add them all to my shelf so I can get to them in the next year or two. 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

Not my favorite from Sullivan, but still a good read. A lot of similarities to Such a Fun Age. I always find it strange how in a year how multiple books come out with such similar plots.

I‘m not even sure what to rate this.

This book revolves around Sam, a college senior, and Elizabeth, a new mom who has just moved upstate and how the secrets they share and the lies they tell bring them together spin them apart. Sam is Elizabeth‘s baby‘s sitter.

The thing is, I was Sam. When I was 24, I sat several days a week for a mom of two toddlers. The mom is the reason I don‘t have kids and why I got help for my.... 🤷🏻‍♀️ 👇🏻

Sunday was so busy! I am glad that it‘s over.

The good parts - @Cinfhen this J. Court book has a great narrator. I got it to switch between BOTM copy & audio, but I‘ve almost exclusively listened to audio. The jury‘s still out on the plot.

My best friend got a puppy! Her name is Zoe, and we‘ve been texting a lot about her.

I took my dad a milkshake. He has gained 3 lbs since we started trying to stop his weight loss. He lost 25 after stroke.

A solid pick. Funny how a lot of the discussions about class have been repeated in recent weeks on all three of my women‘s college alum groups. It‘s also interesting as someone who was a career nanny; the book really described that fine line you walk between caregiver and friend, and all the ways that line gets crossed.

Here we go! I fell in love with J. Courtney Sullivan when I discovered Commencement in the Borders Books in Rapid City, South Dakota while I was on internship for pastry school (I worked in Custer State Park making desserts for the lunch buffet, SO much pie and SO many cookies!). As a former nanny, I think I‘m going to love this.

I struggled with what to get this month. The tagged book was a no brainer and I‘m excited about the other two as well. I couldn‘t decide whether or not to get Mexican Gothic but the fantasy element made me nervous. #botm

Starting this as I sit here in the quiet of the closed bookshop waiting for my husband to meet me.

I loved this book so much. The writing and the wisdom are brilliant. The characters and story and thought-provoking. I can't wait until June when it's out in the world and we can all discuss ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ #ATY2020 (400-600 pages) @barbarabb

Treating myself to the forthcoming novel by one of my favorite authors #ATY2020 (400-600 pages) @barbarabb