Welcome to Litsy!

I feel. Of course I do.
I have emotions.
But I try to consider events as if they‘re happening to someone else. Some other entity. There‘s the thinking, rationalizing I (me). And the doing, the experiencing, her. I look at her kindly. From a distance. To protect myself, I detach

25th October 2023

Never quite manage daily posts these days, but as long as no-one minds every other day, I‘m going to attempt @Andrew65 ‘s #12booksof2022

Back in January, Assembly was a short powerful look at racism in the UK.
In February, Short Sentences made me laugh! A new mum moves to a rural community, as the ‘trailing spouse‘ of her boyfriend, and takes up a job as an agony aunt. Subtle and ridiculous.

I‘m always amazed when a small book can have so much to say. Powerful stuff! Loved this! ♥️

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 I had a hard time getting into this book. I think I struggle with novellas because they give me so little time to get my bearings, and that‘s how I felt with this one. Parts were so powerful. I just feel like I‘d have to read it 3-5 times for it to really click.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Understand that desire is to consume your suffering.

“Everything is a trade.”

“He has a compulsion to make a mark on this world. It‘s been bred into him. He allows himself a sour chuckle at that last quip. ‘It‘s late we should go to bed.‘ He tells me I‘m easy to talk to. That we‘re honest with each other. He says he loves that about me. ‘Ok‘ he says. He‘s going to tell me something. Something honest. Something he‘s never told anyone.”

“To protect myself I detach”.

#saturdayreading #audiobooks #listeningwhileIwork#shortstories

This book is about the British colonialist structure and what it is like living in it as a modern black woman. The daily injustices, minor and major. While this is an important book, I wish the author would have given it a more personal and surgical cut. It left me wanting. 2/5 ⭐️

Holy heck this was good. Beautifully written stream-of-consciousness of a brilliant and very self aware Black British woman. Some bits left me with more of a feeling than proper understanding of the words, but as a whole this book is an important and relevant read (which I‘ll return to in the future, to better absorb all the subtleties). If you‘re looking for short and thought provoking, this one is a 🤘🏽

I know you shouldn‘t judge a book by it‘s cover but this one got me. In my defense I only had a few moments to choose something with an impatient family waiting for me and I really wanted to support one of my favorite Dorset indies. So I went for something that caught my eye 🤷🏻‍♀️

There‘s a lot to admire about this slim volume, but it‘s another case where I feel unqualified to speak about the subject matter. I‘ll be thinking about it for a while.

I loved this short, intense book, which layers the events of a day or two with a powerful depiction of the experience of black women. I hope Natasha Brown continues writing - I‘m excited to see what she does next.

This novella provides a taut, contemporary look at racism and misogyny. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#assembly

#kindledailydeal
I‘ve already read this, thought it was very impressive.

#UpNext
The wonderful thing about #ThingsInCommon April challenge is I‘m blowing through my personal backlist of unread books/audio 😁

Impressive. So much intensity in this slim book that contains fragments of thoughts of a young Black British woman over a course of a day (or so). Loads of insights into Black British identity, class, and gender. Also makes you think about the lasting effects of colonialism for people of colour in Britain..(apparently the history of British Empire is not effectively taught in school curriculum today??) The writing style..⬇️

This is a very short novel, but packs lots into it. It's told in vignette style. It's narratived by a black British woman and about her life, the racsim in her life in her work and on the street, it talks about British colonial past.

Drizzly day, so I made carrot cake while listening to the tagged book. #audiobaking

I was inspired by @Lindy and picked up a copy of Baking With Dorie. This is the carrot muffins recipe with a few modifications. Couldn't find my muffin pan, so here we are.

My tentative TBR for March, with room for lots of mood reading!

February 2022 Wrap Up
4.5 🌟
Assembly: Natasha Brown 📖
4 🌟
Moonstone: The Boy Who Never Was : Sjon 📖
A Girl is a Body of Water: Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi 📖
Fruit of the Drunken Tree: Ingrid Rajas Contreras 📖
3.5 🌟
The Performance: Claire Thomas 📖
Goodnight, Nobody: Michael Knight 📖
The Sea, The Sea : Iris Murdoch 📖
3🌟
The Lincoln Highway: Amor Towles 🎧
2.5 🌟
The Book of Form and Emptiness: Ruth Ozeki 🎧

Amazing writing! Condensed, poetic writing. I read this book in one sitting. Powerful. Highly recommend!! 4.5 🌟 I hope it is eligible for The Womens Prize.

Going to try to finish these 3 books that I'm currently in the middle of before the end of the month...wish me luck!
#20in4 @Andrew65

Oh what book to read first 🧐🤔

Wow. For such a short book, there was a lot packed inside. The writing was crisp, insightful, and packed a punch. Brown now a must-buy based on this one. Look forward to seeing more of her work in the future.

Wow.

I guess Natasha Brown is an author to read then.

A powerful, deeply uncomfortable look at Britain through the experiences of a ‘successful‘ (exhausted) young Black woman. For such a slight book, it contains a lot. Very strong pick.

Thanks for the recommendations @TrishB @squirrelbrain

I‘m not sure how the author manages to fit in a whole critique of race in todays Britain in 100 pages and for the reader to immediately be drawn into her story. I definitely wanted more, but what there is packs a sad punch.

A short sharp devastating critique of Britain from the perspective of a successful black woman who has to constantly defend her life choices to the extent that her will to live is undermined. A must read!

Think I‘m set for a while! Received several books as Christmas gifts, and Barnes & Noble was having a half-off hardback sale, so I used my gift cards. Ready to start my 2022 reading adventures! 😁

#bookhaul

Oof, this was a tough one that will stay with me for a while. It certainly packs a punch for such a small book.

We hear the internal dialogue of an unnamed black woman who has had to battle for everything that she has achieved, and is now facing her biggest battle.

I do think the narrative could have been expanded in places, to give even greater impact, but this is such a good debut.

(2021) Oof, this one is tough: internal dialog of a black woman who has risen to success in the banking industry ... and still has to justify her existence every day to every one. Then, facing a health crisis, has to justify it to herself. Lean, direct, and powerful.

Not a single ounce of happiness in this one 😖
Super short but no less impactful.
Black and British, our narrator is part of the 1% because of her hard work but cannot escape the pervasive racism I. Her life which she recounts while preparing to attend her boyfriend‘s family‘s garden party.
What struck me most is spoiler territory so it‘s hidden in the comments.

I enjoyed this audiobook. Short, yet jammed packed with a touch of everything honestly. Deep.

At what cost does one take to “have it all“? This is the question the main character wrestles with in this short novel that weaves in issues of race and class. Well written, concise yet dense. Likely a novel I will think about for a long time.

I will reread. It is packed with truth and insight, and is sad and honest

A small gem. Says so much in so few words, perfectly pitched, complex characters and so many themes explored, organically and in beautiful prose, all within 100 pages. Packs a punch. We discuss this on our latest episode of ‘Books on The Go‘ podcast up now. Annie‘s favourite book of 2021 so far! 🎧

A powerful short novel about a Black woman in finance in Britain. Tackles wealth, class, race, gender and the physical toll dealing with all of the above takes. Brilliant. #ARC #Audiobook #Netgalley

A 103 page masterpiece
A+
I have settle down to write a review but don‘t wait for me - read it!

Book 32

Because I woke up early and watched BookTube.

Only on page one and I‘m already mad, upset, angry and disgusted by circumstances.

This already feels necessary.

A deep internal dialogue through race, class, expectations, belonging, health, and hurt. This was wonderful. A short novella of 100 pages. I loved the flickering internal dialogue between health, work, and a country house weekend. Questions of what to do, the exhaustion of trying to hide from the brutality of never being allowed to belong. Stabbing ignorance and thoughtless righteousness. This novella packs a punch. 5/5

Our protagonist is on her way to meet her in-laws at their estate. At the same time we get glimpses of her workplace.

A book that focuses on class, race and gender

In his playful moods, my boyfriend tells me I‘ve got lots of money. Much more than him. He says I‘m the one per cent.
Well, money is one thing. He has wealth. Tied up in assets in trusts and holding companies with complicated ownership arrangements. Things he pretends to refuse to understand. Compounded over generations.
What‘s the difference? he asks. I tell him. One of us goes to work at six a.m. each morning. The other sits browsing the papers

Injustice, colonialism, race, misogyny. Stunning and profound writing. Please, please write more novels!

Race, micro-aggressions and British colonisation are the main themes in this short novel, which is written in a very spare, precise prose and detached, fragmented style, but with heavy punch and a lot of thoughts to think about it. Humiliate, assimilate, eradicate …