Welcome to Litsy!

Oh dear. When you enthusiastically recommend a book to a friend, is it worse if the friend doesn‘t read it, or reads it and isn‘t impressed?

A friend recently listened to this book and recommended it in the most glowing terms. She loved it so much that when she finished it, she immediately started it over from the beginning. I‘m listening to it and it IS good, but I‘m not blown away. I‘m getting frustrated with the MC … but maybe that‘s the point

My husband took me to a book sale about an hour from here for my birthday. The tagged book was a present from my sister, and the rest are the #bookhaul from the sale. And my daughter gave me a bookshop.com gift card, so I am a happy camper today!

This book! I was so worried that all the hype would lead to my being disappointed but not even close. Martha goes through decades of feeling like she is just not good at living. She sees countless doctors and is given countless diagnoses and prescriptions but she is still the same person who lashes out at those who love her and little joy in the world. She is wholly unpleasant but oh how I felt for her and her family. Tears were shed.

2/5 ⭐

I think those who described the book as "funny" either didn't read it or they are even more mentally ill then me and the protagonist put together. I found Martha insufferable, saying things are her fault but then behaving like she blames everyone around her and her illness, while not doing anything about it apart from taking and quitting whatever pill. The 2 ⭐s are mainly for the letter on page 293-294.

Finally read this! A brilliant demonstration of undiagnosed mental illness and the depression and chaos it inflicts. Further, the decision of family members to avoid talking about the family history of depression or to sugarcoat the current situation was all too familiar to me. I‘m not exactly sure where the “bliss” portion of the book was.

So very good. I loved every second of it, ups and downs included.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is about Martha, her lifelong struggles with mental illness, and the decades-long process it takes to finally be diagnosed. It‘s a hard sell. I know. But it is worth the sometimes disheartening journey to see her through to her diagnosis. It is such a realistic and honest depiction of life with the vicissitudes of mental illness, illustrated through Martha‘s experiences and the challenges it creates for her, her family, and her marriage.

This book has the most appropriate title. This is the story of Martha and all the highs and lows of her life. More lows than highs. I found parts of this book incredibly depressing but then it is also very funny and full of wit. Interesting read that I am glad I read. I think this one will stay with me for quite a while. Memorable read.

I absolutely loved this. Went into it knowing nothing (which is my preference) and started out thinking okay this is a relationship novel with a messed up and unlikeable young protagonist. I guess im up for that. And then she made hilarious dark & deadpan remarks to her sister that honestly cracked me up. And then we get her childhood backstory and then we watch her unravel….⬇️

So much sorrow and yes a little bliss too. Martha is so hard on herself and everyone around her. She is mentally ill but Patrick is with her, no matter what or how badly she treats him. Her sister Ingrid is there too, always extremely funny, always supportive, even with “three under fucking five”. Her father is loving, her aunt welcoming, her mother is just like her. What a bunch of characters. I loved Martha and I was really annoyed by her ⬇️

#WeeklyForecast 05/24

I have started North Woods but am reading it a bit at a time, so it will take me a few weeks I guess. I hope to finish Sleep No More later today. It‘s a short book with six murderous tales and very engaging.
Next will be Sorrow and Bliss, to which I‘ve been looking forward, and, finally another #LitsyToB24 read: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. I have been dreading that somehow.

I read this one for my bookclub, and it led to a really interesting discussion last night. I enjoyed it but we mainly agreed that when we put it down it felt an effort to pick it back up. Overall, I would recommend it and I think it‘s a brilliantly written first novel from Mason, I will be reading more from her.

My littlest pickle started school yesterday. Will this mean I get more reading done? One can only hope! Starting with the tagged book.

Only just reviewing this from last months #tbrtarot. It took a little while for me to get into but then once I did I was thinking of the characters even when I wasn‘t reading it. I really liked it overall but it irrationally annoyed me that the illness was made up 🤷‍♀️

I enjoyed the audiobook, which was narrated by Emilia Fox (of Silent Witness! Dr. Nicki Alexander!) but this one is full of tough topics. Mason did a good job depicting most of the mental health issues, but I think the almost instant resolution of some of those issues was a bit too pat. Good overall, especially when depicting anxiety and spiraling thinking, but not exactly true to life. Soft pick, Extra Point because Fox was lovely to listen to.

I wanted to like this one but there‘s something about it that just irritated me, and I think it boils down to the MC‘s illness being referred to only as “______”, so I can‘t really see whether the illness was responsible for making her obnoxious, or whether she was just an obnoxious person with a mental health issue.

Just exactly what life is made of: sorrow and moments of bliss. However, seems as though our MC, Martha, misconstrues so many situations in her life as a result of her anxiety and depression, and experiences much more sorrow than the average person.
A moving and worthwhile read, this character-driven novel explores the effects of undiagnosed mental illness on an individual, their family, and relationships. Good audio.

Finished tagged book while blubbering and prepping a rhubarb dessert for mother's day. (My campaign to get my family to like rhubarb continues!)
Loved this book so much! Another 2023 5 ⭐read. Also, why can't I be as funny as Ingrid? Or have a sister that funny.

Loving my #currentlisten.

Not at all sure when and why I requested this book. I suspect I may have heard the author on the radio. She lives in Sydney . I‘m assuming she has some experience with dealing with mental illness either her own or someone close. It felt very close to home for me. I have a young friend who sounds and acts very like the narrator. Very self absorbed and though well supported unable to put themselves in another‘s shoes. Alienating those close.

14:2023

Finished yesterday, started back in December.

It follows Martha in a somewhat meandering but sort of linear path as she navigates her life and marriage while dealing with her mental illness. Martha is witty and sarcastic. She has family and a husband who love her. But she knows something is wrong with her and doesn‘t know how to be better. I appreciated the way the author realistically portrayed Martha navigating her mental illness. ⬇️

Last book of the year and what a book it was! I thought this was going to be really literary and boring but, like Fleabag, it‘s real, gritty and raw. I laughed and cried and absolutely loved every damn page. Best book of the year and one of my top ten favs of all time! (Plus it‘s only 99p on kindle at the mo 👍)

#AdventRecommends December 4th

This was on this year‘s Women‘s Prize for Fiction Longlist. I‘m so glad it was because I‘m not sure I would have read this otherwise.

A book about mental health and how important a diagnosis is . About a woman who know that something is wrong with her, and how this effects her closest relationships; husband, sister and parents.

I highly recommend this laugh-out-loud funny, but heart-breaking book about family, love, mental illness and life. It was just terrific.

This was a brilliant book. A really excellent portrayal of a young woman suffering with mental illness, and the impact on her life, relationships & those around her.

Plus, bingo! #bookspinbingo

Love this! I‘m all for drinking the champagne if you‘re feeling blue 🥂🍾

#Littenswanttoknow @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
Till last year,I absolutely never let a book go unfinished and forced myself to finish it.After a couple of terrible reads, however,in the last 6 months,where I could tell I hated the book but continued and the books didn't improve,I've started stopping because I'm growing older and have no more time to waste!

This was……hmm. It‘s hard to say that I “enjoyed” it, because while I did enjoy some parts (even laughing out loud at times), it is ultimately a book about someone with severe mental illness. And, it‘s a bit of a mystery, as we are never told what the illness is. At first I thought I knew, but then realized that wasn‘t it 😂 So I‘m perplexed now 😂 🤷‍♀️

Off to an engaging start!
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#booknerd #pinkhair #librarynerd #librarylover

A troubling story of a woman + an unnamed mental illness. I felt constantly on edge as Martha narrated her life with a manic mother, a patient father, a sister who manages life just about, + her devoted husband. I want to talk abt it even though I found in turns; frustrating, tender, annoying,+sad. Still thinking abt the bk as it touches on an important issue of mental illness in an accessible way which has to be positive despite some problems.

You guys.

I can't do this book justice in the space provided here.

We know from the get go how things turn out for Martha, but that doesn't take anything away from watching it all unfold.

Martha suffers for years before getting a proper diagnosis for her mental illness. The author chooses not to name the illness - instead referring to it as ____. And that is just one example of the brilliance of this story.

Just read it.

I wanted to finish this sooner, but sadly due to a 3+hour evacuation from my workplace in the sun (with pale, Scottish skin) meant that wasn't to be. I completed it at night, whilst nursing my sunburn.
I genuinely liked this book to begin with, the flashbacks and little snippets of info that would later make sense. However, as it progressed I became annoyed at the narcissist tendencies of Martha, who defined herself by her mental illness.

Did I like this book? No. Did I love this book? Yes I think so. Will it stick with me? 100%. We follow a main character who grapples with / bobs along in her life without really ever connecting. She‘s damaged, causes chaos and hurt along the way and yet to me was extremely relatable and I want her next chapter to be more. The writing is spectacular. Pulling the reader into the narrative. First was in a while that‘s really had impact.

I am off on annual leave today, looking after my 2 girls. I got up at 5am, ran 5.5km, showered then sat down in silence with my breakfast and ☕ , and read this beauty for almost an hour before the rest of the house stirred.

Moments like this are bliss!

This is a hard one to rate.
I truly liked reading the story but found it quite triggering and desperately sad. I had to keep stopping to do anything other than think about it.

Gosh this is so much more than I'd anticipated.

My first Meg Mason book, chosen for a group and found in a charity shop!

Raw. Heartbreaking. Emotional. Frustrating. But above all completely and brutally honest. #pick #sorrowandbliss

Soft pick. Can anyone explain why the author to the end uses “X” in place of the name of the mental illness? 🤔 I‘m not sure why after the diagnosis.

Martha sees all her flaws but is powerless to do anything about them. She is looking at herself in a mirror screaming at herself to get it together but her reflection just keeps fading away. Countless prescriptions have dulled the edges of her life and include the advice not to have children. Once properly diagnosed at the age of 40, she realises that to be a mother is all she has ever wanted. The revelation is heartbreaking.

I was very keen to read this having heard such good things, plus it was shortlisted for the women‘s prize. Overall I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to read with a good cast of characters. What let it down for me was the lack of written diagnosis that Martha is suffering from. That made it slightly unrelatable

This book follows the crazy life of Martha who seems to know what she wants and intentionally(and sometimes unintentionally ) destroys it and hopes things were not how they turned out. This follows her mental illness but doesn‘t make us feel too sympathetic(not in a bad way) but shows the reality from close quarters.

Navigating a mental health condition but was well written and funny

💖💖💖

Thank you so much @Caroline2 ! I‘ve seen such amazing reviews of this from so many people (and yet I really know nothing about it)!

I can‘t wait 😁. Thank you 😘

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I love, love, LOVE this book! It is deep, impactful, and brilliantly thought provoking, with flashes of humor (yes, at times made me chuckle). And as the title states, there is sorrow and and there is bliss. It follows Martha, with debilitating mental health issues, as she goes through life and focuses on how the mental health issues affect both her and those around her. You must read the whole thing to truly understand it‘s brilliance.