Brooklyn | 
so-soDidn't love it but didn't hate it. It was the writing style that didn't connect with me - it didn't bring me into the story. The story was ok but rather mundane. Not much exciting happens throughout the book although there was potential to follow some storylines that would have brought more excitement into the book. It was ok - it was nice at times to be reading a slower story about a girl coming of age. The ending was fitting.
I don't usually take lunch when working from home but it is such a gorgeous day today that I'm going to take some outdoor reading time with a poutine today! The rain last night cut the humidity and there is a wonderful breeze. Nothing like reading to the sound of trees swaying!
I hope to finish this book this weekend.
#LunchTimeReading #OutdoorReading #Poutine #Wind
More reading time with the boy. Not sure how many times one can re-read the Dogman series but he loves them!
I've started reading Brooklyn. I don't love it so far but also don't hate it. I think it's the writing that isn't leaving me a huge fan as I'm enjoying the story so far. Still lots to read though so we'll see how the rest of the book goes.
My last new book started today, this one is for my neighborhood book club
I‘m posting one book a day from my massive collection. No description, no reason for why I want to read it.
#ABookADay2025
pick28-9 Jan 25 (audiobook)
I loved this gentle story of belonging, homesickness and regret.
Like so many Irish, Eilis leaves her home and family to seek work elsewhere, in this case, Brooklyn. She suffers tremendous isolation and homesickness but eventually starts to find her feet in her new home, excelling at work and at night school and maybe falling in love. But tragedy sees her return home to Ireland and reconsider the life she could have there.
pickFinished this book on Christmas Eve and it was a good end of year book. It is a gently told story of Irish immigrant Eilis Lacey who seems to passively greet most of the happenings in her life, both good and bad. While she can be frustrating at times, I think that‘s because Toibin draws her so realistically, flaws and all. His writing is utterly absorbing and made Eilis‘s experience very vivid. I think the sequel will find its way onto my TBR!
pickBrooklyn is a gentle story about the challenges of being alone, far away from home, and making big decisions about the direction your life takes, who you want to be, and where you want home to be. I didn‘t always love, or even like Eilis Lacey. At certain points in the novel she‘s hopelessly naive, a bit prejudiced, thoughtless, or helpless. But I think that‘s what makes her such a real character and so I never begrudged Eilis these imperfections.
pickToibin is one of my favorite authors but this was not one of my favorite books. It was a soft pick (more of a so-so). At the risk of sounding like a book snob (sorry 😭), this one read more like commercial fiction than the ones I‘ve loved (Heather Blazing being a favorite) although it was shortlisted for the Booker. He is quite brilliant at writing the voices of women though. It follows the life a young Irish woman who moves to the U.S.
pickA lovely little book. The story itself I‘ve more or less read before - a quiet Irish girl sent to make a living in America, leaving the life she‘s known behind - but it was told in a gentle and sparing way that I really liked. Loved the conflicted ending, and now looking forward to the upcoming sequel (although maybe that ending should be left as is).
pickI enjoyed the historical fiction story about a young Irish woman who left Ireland in the early 1950s for America when work couldn‘t be found at home. The characters were interesting. The courage need for a young woman to pack up and head off so far from home made an impact on me.
pickI really enjoyed this quiet book about leaving your home and family as a young adult, through little choice of your own, and coming of age in an unfamiliar community. The small details made the time & place feel beautifully clear. Tóibín‘s writing has a gentleness and subtlety I loved, and that felt just right for this story.
This was my #DoubleSpin pick for January. #BookSpinBINGO
Here is my book stack for the #JoyousJanuary readathon. I hope to finish the tagged book tonight and then finish at least three of the others this week.
#MayMontage #discussionbook I read this book in 2010 as I was leaving Ireland for the second time. The interesting thing was all my Irish friends and family had one very strong opinion about the ending, and all my American friends had an equally strong, but different opinion. I was conflicted so some good discussions were had.
pickI loved this. I‘d seen the movie and loved that too - but this really showed me a lot more of Eilish (the protagonist) inner thoughts and made me consider a couple of the relationships in a new light. I liked the way Toibin doesn‘t explain everything about Eilish to the reader, let‘s us sit with the little inconsistencies that make up a life. And his writing is just lovely. Two books in and he‘s fast become a favourite author.
pickJust what i needed. Slow historical fiction / lite romance /didnt really need to think too much book. A palate cleanser? Set in 1950s Brooklyn a young Irish immigrant struggles to make her life her own. 3 🌟
I'm in NYC for a couple of weeks, right now staying at my son's apt in Brooklyn where we walked over to visit this iconic library. My Seattle friends are arriving tomorrow for a week of museum visits. My son will be visiting his wife's family in Israel and they have graciously lent us their apt for the week. ETA the top got cut off, but it's the Brooklyn Public Library.
pickI read it physically and in audio. Loved to listen the accent because is part of the region, culture, and identity. I think Eilis immigration in general was more manageable in comparison to other people, she had a job and persons that supported her. She even had some money when she left her country. But she questioned some of her decisions which would changed her life. There are some sad parts. Liked the story and author‘s writing style. 3.5/3.8⭐️
pickJust FYI, all these reviews I‘m posting are books I finished in July 🤦♀️
I actually really liked this book. It‘s slow and the plot is simple and yet I didn‘t want to put it down. I felt for Elis and though I wish she took more of a stand in her life, I never got mad at her. This book is not my typical read and I thoroughly enjoyed just slowly reading and going through this book.
pickWith 30 pages left in this book I honestly had no idea how it was going to end 😰 In my head I knew how I wanted it to end, and I honestly thought I was going to chuck this book at the wall if it didn‘t end the way I wanted it to. There were good parts and parts that I didn‘t really think added anything. I‘m torn between 3 and 4 stars, but a definite pick 👍🏻
pickI loved the writing in this, I loved how all the domesticity was so subtle and revealed so much about the MC and the countries she lived in. The quiet time the writer took over the descriptions of Eilis‘ several homes and how her feeling change over time hit me really hard. I don‘t know if I‘ve read a better book about Irish immigrants in America
@MeganAnn You truly spoiled me I love everything the books have been on my to buy list for a long time. I now know what I‘ve been smelling the bathbomb. I love the blanket it‘s so soft. The tea is perfect and from one of my favorite sellers. The lights are beautiful and the candle smells good. And the ribbon will be going in my hair lol. Thank you again😊#Cozyswap @Avanders @ferskner @Chrissyreadit and thank you girls for putting it together🥳.
pickThis book started a little slow, but before long I was enamored with Eilis and her circle. As her social butterfly sister shines in their small Irish community, Eilis plays the role of dutiful daughter, working hard and being a companion to their mother. But when the chance to study in America comes, her sister urges her to go and spread her wings. I only wish the ending hadn‘t been so abrupt. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Free space square for #bookspinbingo.
Sitting in my sunny spot, enjoying the morning. It‘s been a crazy week and I am glad for some quiet time. ❤️📚 Goal is to finish this book this weekend.
pick4.25 ⭐️ Finished my #doublespin book for September!! Anyways, I really enjoyed it. I did have the movie playing in my head as I read the book. An excellent portrayal of a young woman moving to Brooklyn and making a life outside of her small Irish town. #movietiein #historicalfiction #costaprize #fiction #brooklynnovel #nyc #bookstagram #bookreview
Reading this next. Another square on my #bookspinbingo. Hoping to squeeze it in before the end of the month! ❤️📚
pickEilis is sponsored as an immigrant to Brooklyn from a small town in Ireland in 1950.
An interesting portrait of a time and place, though there were times I felt it was too sloooooowww and I was desperate for something to happen.
The final part was suspenseful but I thought the ending was a bit of a cop-out in that the main character didn't actually make her choice, it was made for her by Miss Kelly's knowledge of the truth.
Book: Tagged
Author: John Boyne
Movie: Beauty and the Beast
Band: Blue October
Song: Be Bop A Lula
#ManicMonday. #LetterB. @JoScho
pickI started to really like the book, but I did not like ending very much... 😕
Why is Mrs. Kehoe acting so suspicious? Also, what kind of name is Kehoe?
panI listened to this on audio. I did not like the writing style and think if it had been reading it I probably won't have finished. The language was just so cold which created flat characters and a boring story.
From the first few sentences this feels like it is going to be a challenge. The language is fairly sterile and choppy. Might be a cadence that you have to get into the groove of?
As well as being an amazing bookshop, with a lovely cafe - they have such a great logo! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
https://centerforfiction.org
