Welcome to Litsy!

Spent my Saturday puttering away at a puzzle and house hold chores while listening to this beautiful honest heartbreaking book about friends facing (or not facing) death and dying. It's short but packs a wallop. A reminder to hug your friends, even when they're pissing you off.

Someday I want a spare room, with an antique wardrobe and a lantern just in case.
( @BriannaT your post reminded me of this wish)
Anyone else have an oddly bookish “Someday” to share or post about? I wish I had my grandmas wardrobe- I used to check it all the time….

There is so much here in this novella - love, fear, anger, desperation, guilt, & horror. What we give, what we take, & the results these leave. This book is about friendship, cancer, & caring for a friend. The prose is lovely & vivid. It throbs with life & tension. Helen Garner is an Australian writer & I chose her as part of my ABC Countries reading project. A=Australia. Garner is a find & I will search for more of her writing. 4/5

More op shop finds. While I‘m not a huge fan of Marilynne‘s writing I can‘t resist a book named after my niece. I‘m giving Kate Grenville another go too as I‘m still not sure about her either.

An uncomfortable predicament. I felt for the friends in this, both of them, we all have friends like this but the bitterness in it made it a difficult one to be sympathetic to

I saw good reviews on Litsy for this book and stacked it. Now a lovely Litten has gifted me this for my birthday. 😊
What a pleasant surprise, Carolyn! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 😙❤️
#littensarethebest

This is Avery short book (or audiobook) but true to Garner‘s style is full on humanity and the flaws that come with being human. It kept me occupied for a while on my 16 hour flight which was good because I definitely didn‘t sleep.

Garner writes with brutal honesty about what it‘s like to care for a friend who is dying and in denial about death. She paints the love and the rage, the helplessness and the guilt - all the emotions. And she does it without brutalizing the reader. I need to check out her other books.

I woke up to as close to a #winterwonderland as we get around here, so I‘m going to read more of the tagged book. #seasonsreadings @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @vkois88

1. Clean out my closet;
2. Christmas shopping, & prep for job interview;
3. All the cookies!
4. Tagged;
5. @aniriya , come join the fun!
#friyayintro @howjessreads
5

I started this book today and it‘s a nice change from the fluff I just finished for book club. I picked it up at a library sale and see it‘s got some Litsy love. #currentlyreading

#ozfiction
I really enjoyed this book.
It is tough subject matter. I liked how brutally honest it is about caring for loved ones when they are dying. It shows how human we all are in not always thinking and behaving in the expected way.
This is my first Helen Garner book and it won‘t be my last.

Opening paragraph. Absolutely smitten with this after having just finished chapter 1!

Just started this on audio 🤘🏼

I loved this short, poignant look at friendship through the lens of a women caring for her sick friend who is in the final stages of her life. Garner explores a lot of tricky / taboo feelings in a very direct manner and her writing is a pleasure to read.
#booked2018
#friendship

#myhappiness is a #bookoutlet haul 🤗

#marchintooz

I'm not sure whether to celebrate or #cryinshame over my newest #bookoutlet haul 🤦🏻‍♀️ I do feel that I exercised some impressive self control! On the other hand, it could be said that I have a problem...
#marchintooz

I read everything this woman writes (well, that is published. I'm not a stalker. Although, fortunately for her fans, some of her journal entries were published this year in Everwhere I Look 😍). This is a 'novel' but details the frustrations Helen faces when caring for her terminally-ill friend. Coincidentally, Garner also did this in real-life. This book won three awards 💕#booktober #awardwinning #aussieauthors #australianlit

She makes telling a story so straight forward - even with such a hard topic. I love her honesty about the anger and exhaustion and frustrations that go along with being a carer, even on a temporary basis.