Welcome to Litsy!

Thank you @BookmarkTavern for picking this interesting read for #LMPBC! I lost patience a few times with the alternating storylines and the pacing, but I ended up appreciating how the meaning of the story changes, mirroring the ever-evolving meaning of language. It gave me White Noise by Don DeLillo vibes.

It‘s in the mail! @Reggie it should be there by Monday! 💙

#LMPBC #Round20 #GroupQ @psalva @Bookzombie

In the past, Peter is working for a dictionary & finding his place in the world. In the present, Mallory is dealing with fake words in that same dictionary & bomb threats to her place of work.

This was so clever! So much word play, & definitions of words is never even heard of. I liked Mallory‘s story & her relationship with Pip more & would have liked more of it. & the examination of language & changing meanings was great! 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑

Starting my #LMPBC book! I‘m so stoked for this round!

#Round20 #GroupQ

Mallory (I don't think we ever learn her surname) is an intern working on the digitalisation of a famously incomplete dictionary. Peter Winceworth was one of the lexicographers working on the original dictionary.

My heart sank a bit reading the preface, wondering if I really wanted to read this book. I'm glad I persevered because the body of the book is actually quite funny. Borderline pick/so-so.

Zarf - who knew?

#coffeeandabook

The story is spilt between two main characters living in very different times, connected only through their work on an unfinished dictionary. The writing is beautiful and compelling for any word lover.

This book has a bit of a slow start, and I wasn‘t too keen on the constant interruptions of the actual story in the way of definitions. However, there was a lot I really liked about it too. The characters were charming, the prose was amusing, and the style unique. There were quite a few moments were I literally laughed out loud. I respect the profound way in which the author denotes the beauty in simplicity.

Another day in the parent pick up line and another moment to read. This is certainly a different style than anything I‘ve read before, but it‘s amusing.

Up next…

I loved it until I didn't. 😞 It's like the Lindt chocolate shop but for word-nerds. I loved EW's playfulness with language but I wanted more than confectionery. Some of the plot points came randomly from nowhere, and I still don't get what Sofia's character was all about. And the pelican?
It's good enough for a ⭐⭐⭐ pick, but I'm frustrated that it didn't deliver on its promise.

A wonderful book for the word obsessed. In the late 1800s a lexicographer for an encyclopedic dictionary creates fake definitions to pass the time and in present day a woman attempts to find the false entries while fielding threatening calls.

Reading snuggles

My favorite kind of Saturday night

1. The Liars Dictionary, Count Your Lucky Starland, and The Mannington Witches

2.Travelers Along the Way

3. I'm visiting my 95 year old grandmother in Virginia next weekend!

#WeekendReads

Saturday reading

Book 88🎧
I got about 60% of the way in and still had no idea what was going on😵‍💫
The back and forth between the two characters and their time gets jumbled and hard to keep track of.

I really wanted to like this one because even through the confusion, I did like the vocabulary presented☹️

Maybe I will try to finish it before it returns, I hate not finishing something I‘ve started! but for now it‘s time to move on! ⏩

After the doctor‘s today, I decided I deserved a treat. So off to the bookstore I went, intending to get one (1!) book.

A miscalculation was made. #NoRegrets #BookHaul

#MidYearFaves #Day8 of 10
I‘m a sucker for a book within a book (which this KIND of is….?) I found this completely delightful! As you might expect from a story of two Lexicographers, it is VERY wordy! It‘s erudite, yet silly... full of funny observations, clever wordplay, charming characters and fascinating etymology. In the two time lines, I was imagining Stephen Fry as Winceworth and Sandy Toksvig as Mallory-humor and smarts in perfect harmony.

New week, new book! 💕📚💕 This is actually due back at the library by the end of the week, so I really need to start it and finish it asap! 😃📖 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #chaplin

No words (no pun). No idea what this was about. Explanations welcome. (Delicious cover)

The characters were intellectually interesting but would never be mistaken for real people. Only one character in the whole book had any reason or motive for his actions. There isn‘t much of a plot. At times vaguely amusing but overall felt it was just a stage to showcase the author‘s intelligence. I trudged through but there was no payoff.

Mallory is working as an intern for Swansby‘s New Encyclopedic Dictionary. Until the day her boss asks her into his office, she has assumed that her job is to answer the threatening phone call every day. Then he tells her that he has found mountweazels (fake words) in the dictionary and it is her job to find them before they digitize the dictionary.

At the same time we follow one of the young men working on the dictionary back in 1899.

I hope this gets better. I know the author is smart. They have dragged every obscure word out to cram into the story. I don‘t know if they can tell a story. Haven‘t read anything else by Williams so I have no idea if this is likely to improve.

Winceworth‘s longing for a small, white-washed seaside cabin, & his dream of “peacefulness on my own little underlooked stretch of the world” resonates.

Here‘s some daydream fodder:

https://www.boredpanda.com/isolated-lonely-houses/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=...

Which is your favorite?

An example of Williams‘s absurd humor:

“Winceworth often had cause to remember a textbook from his school days filled with grammar exercises and tables. One page required students to rank the following verbs according to their pace: jaunt, stride, amble, lumber, strut, patrol, plod, prance, run, saunter, shamble, stroll, and traipse.”

Just try to put them in order. It‘s utterly ridiculous. 😅

I always *think* I love language...until I read something like this, or The Grammarians, & then I realize that I don‘t know the half of it. 😅 This is kind-of a weird one, tbh, & I wasn‘t sure how I felt about it. But now that I‘ve had a minute, I feel confident saying that I really enjoyed it! It‘s *absurdly* funny, & smart, & ultimately touching, too! It‘s about the power (& failure) of words; ambition; secrets; & love. Also, belligerent birds.

Expected to love this but I really didn't like it at all. The cleverness of it soon got cloying & tiresome & the plot was sadly lacking. I found it self-indulgent & not even vaguely amusing. At times it veered into borderline gibberish. It's like it was trying too hard to be quirky & ended up being irritating & weird. Though everyone else seems to love it, so I guess it's just me 🤷🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

Looking forward to starting this one tonight. Reviews are good and it's meant to be funny - I could do with a good laugh 😅

With thanks to #netgalley for this book.

Very enjoyable! The characters were charming, and I loved all the word-y details. ☺️
Not sure I really understood the end, but I was also pretty unfocused, so it might just be me.

Funny and smart and not at all what I expected. Not that I had specific expectations going in, still, this almost defies categorization. However, if you love words (and what reader doesn't) I highly recommend this. A definite pick. There is a queer (f/f) relationship in the story but it's not really a central plot point, just interestingly there.

Recommend this one as an audiobook. Longer review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3924478068

This was such a fun, charming, and delightful book. It is a dual-timeline story about two lexicographers and how their lives eventually intersect. Lovely writing and clever wordplay, as well as endearing characters and a cat named ‘Tits‘. Not completely happy with the ending, but it didn‘t dampen my enjoyment of the book overall. 4⭐️

I‘m not always sure where this story is going, but the definitions are entertaining.

New audiobook started today!

I have a feeling all my library holds are going to come in at the same time!

We just released our newest episode! We discuss babies, sneaking food into movie theaters, choose a new seasonal read for the winter months, and review The Liar's Dictionary. Enjoy!

https://open.spotify.com/show/6A6hXZ7eaOG7BtHOSJpCTI

Excellent for word nerds! I loved this book. It bounces between two stories that take place roughly 100 years apart. The first is the story of a lexicographer in the Victorian era who feels overlooked in life and places numerous fake entries in the dictionary at the publishing house he works at. (More in the comments - I promise no spoilers) 😊

Completely delightful! As you might expect from a story of two Lexicographers, it is VERY wordy but just so much fun! It‘s erudite, yet silly... full of hilarious observations, clever wordplay, and charming characters. Full of fascinating etymology, I was imagining Stephen Fry as Winceworth and Sandy Toksvig as Mallory - humor and smarts in perfect harmony. It‘s a book to savor every wonderful word. Loved it.
#pop21 #advanced #afreebookfromyourtbr

I love getting a new monthly @BookPage ! I can spend hours adding books to my TBR piles and placing holds at the library.

This dual narrative novel bounces between Winceworth, a Victorian lexicographer who feels unappreciated at work & begins to add his own words to a dictionary, & Mallory, modern-day intern, who upon discovering Winceworth's additions, must now verify every word. While this book will delight any lover of the English language, it's more about 2 people in 2 points in time struggling between the perception of themselves and who they actually are.