Welcome to Litsy!

In the Acknowledgments, Gonzalez describes her book as a “big, weird novel.” It is that. At times, I thought it was too big. I fell asleep on the couch more than once trying to finish it. This might be due to the dying light of winter rather than anything intrinsic about the text. When all is said & read & done, I think Xochitl Gonzalez is a real talent. Dederer‘s “Monsters” would make a fab companion text, particularly the chapter about mothers.

I really liked this. I knew very little about Puerto Rican politics or history, so if what is in here is accurate I learned some things.

I liked that most of this is from Olga‘s POV, but we also get glimpses in the minds of her brother, boyfriend, and the letters from her Mom.

Definitely lookup CW if needed.

This is Sietje‘s pouty “can we walk now?” Face.

Olga and her brother “Prieto,” have always strived to make their mother proud. A mother, who most of their lives swoops in as a ghost.

Told in dual POVs, this story follows the 2 siblings trying to find their place in the world when the person who was supposed to be their anchor abandons them for her cause.

I loved how this story was constructed and especially loved the extended family dynamics.

The audiobook narrators were superb!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I bought the book for its striking cover. I picked it up in December hoping for a bit of romance. I was completely sucked into Olga‘s story: her business, her relationships with her brother and mother, and yes, her love life.

This is an interesting look at what the cost of success and/or of community expectations can be for first generation Americans through the story of Olga and her brother Prieto. It slowed down a bunch in the middle but I enjoyed uncovering both Olga and Prieto‘s secrets. I was less enamored of their mother‘s character and presence in their lives. Full review at http://booknaround.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-olga-dies-dreaming-by-xochitl.htm...

September‘s book club selection had a lot to unpack — maybe too much, honestly? But definitely a worthwhile read that addresses some of the complexities of familial relationships and identity, while also touching upon several BIG issues (race, gentrification, colonialism) as both the backdrop and the foundation.

In Olga‘s heart there was a pin-sized hole of infinite depth that made every day slightly more painful than it needed to be. She thought of it, this hole, as a birth defect. The space where, in a normal heart, a mother‘s love was meant to be.

I was all over the place with how I felt while reading. So good! Why is it slogging? WTF. Cringe. Wow, how ignorant am I? Wait, no flippin' way... I love this book!

In the end, it's a recommend. Give it time to develop, the last third pulls everything together. Maybe a tad too neatly but I'll suspend my disbelief because the BS forced on Puerto Rico is appalling.

This wasn‘t what I expected, and then it turned again. Some characters I really liked. The story was stronger than the writing. Very interesting to learn about Puerto Rican culture and people

My current #audiobook listen for book club tomorrow @kimmypete1 @Eggbeater

I cannot recommend this book enough!!

I really liked the voice of Olga in this book, and I thought the portrayal of a mom “without the mothering gene” was really valuable, and something that rings true. I liked hearing about how the Acevedo siblings‘ came to grips with their heritage, whether it wanted them or not.
(Yep, still working my way through #tob23! 😉😅💀)

Anyone else a bit surprised by the Olga casting for the Hulu show? I mean, I love Aubrey Plaza, but…

At first I resisted this book because the description made the book sound like a fluffy romance, and that‘s not my genre. The audiobook came available at the library, so I thought I would give it a try. I am glad I did. At it‘s heart, it is a romance, but it is a complicated story with complex characters. It deals with trauma, race, homophobia, sexism, and the messiness of relationships. The narration is superb.

The last #tob23 short list read. The only one I didn‘t at least try was The Passenger. This one will probably make my top 5 of the short list. I‘m not sure this one will stay with me though like a few of the others. I‘ll rate the list later this weekend.

Just returned to the library the last ToB book I will likely get to before the tournament (and our tournament!) starts. I liked aspects of this one a lot, especially Olga‘s character and story. Some of the events in the second half of the book felt a little too heavy handed for me. But overall this was a pick and I‘m glad I read it. #ToB2023

Gotham Prize nominees! https://lithub.com/here-are-the-finalists-for-the-50000-gotham-book-prize/

I decided against reading this when it first came out after seeing tepid reviews, so I wasn‘t excited when it popped up on the #tob2023. But, turns out, I really liked it! Some parts were a bit heavy handed and others could have been explored more thoroughly, but overall it was a satisfying story with the heft and messiness of real life.

#ReadingAmericas2023 #PuertoRico

Olga is such a vivid character. She‘s a wedding planner from Brooklyn who comes from a big family of Puerto Rican heritage. There‘s a bit of the dysfunctional family situation in this, which is always something I seem to enjoy (what‘s that say about me…? 🤔) as her mother is MIA. Olga, along with her politician brother Prieto, solve the mystery that is their mother amidst the fallout of Hurricane Maria in PR. Top it off with love interest Matteo⬇️

I recently read only disappointing reviews about this book so went in with low expectations but I really loved it. Sure there‘s a lot going on but to me it made sense. I loved Olga as a character, was very interested in reading about the historical injustices committed to #PuertoRico, and enjoyed the romance part and the Latino atmosphere throughout the book. So definitely another #ToB23 pick!

#ReadingTheAmericas2023 🇵🇷

Fine, I guess? A rom-com with lots of other stuff (too much, in my opinion) crammed in. Halfway through I was ready for things to wrap-up. The audiobook narrators did a good job though so it was no great hardship to finish listening. Olga is supposed to be 40, I think, but seemed much younger. A Hulu series starring Aubrey Plaza is in the works. #ToB23

I got pretty far with this one but then realized I DID NOT CARE. So I bailed. Which is ironic because this book really wants the reader to care, and maybe that's its downfall. Because, with the exception of Olga, this make-me-care campaign failed to create characters I could care about. The issues feel simplified too. So many potential good stories here! But they got lost or sacrificed to some need to educate & preach. I was disappointed. #tob23

Started out strong but ended up somewhat all over the place - I think it was trying to do a bit too much. Loved Olga as a character though, and the New York and Puerto Rico elements. #TOB23

3.5⭐️/5⭐️

Think I can safely post my last read of 2022 and first read of 2023. I alway start thinking about this as soon as December starts and had planned to end the year with a different book from the TOB shortlist but things changed at the last minute. Hoping to start 2023 with a book that will work for two challenges- author a month and Booked2023.

This book started off strong and then fell flat under the weight of its ambitions. Olga was really intriguing character, strong and unlikeable, and I appreciated the Puerto Rican politics However I felt that the book would have been a lot more impactful if there had been less going on. #tob23

It's the last day of the year, which means it's time again to list my favorite books of the last 365 days. (Apologies for the incoming flurry of posts.) In the order I read them:

1. Olga Dies Dreaming, by Xochitl Gonzalez -- A deceptively light-hearted book about a wedding planner and her politician brother that takes on serious themes of love, commitment, and betrayal. Bonus points for its portrayal of political activism in Puerto Rico.

I really enjoyed the story, even if it was a little predictable at times. The humour and well-drawn characters made it easier to deal with some of the more disturbing themes. I hadn't known much about Puerto Rico's history and learned a lot about its complicated relationship with the rest of the US. #ToB2023

#WinterReadathon @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#BookSpinBingo #BookSpin #PromptMaze @TheAromaofBooks

While I appreciate the GenX main characters grappling with their mother's inadequate mothering, a lot of the plot of this novel feels plodding to me. It feels at times like elements are included for educational purposes rather than for story purposes, and that's somewhat tedious for me. I really like Blanca's letter about the way that women abandon their dreams and take on their partners', but that message is undercut by the rest of the story.

Competing communities & generational divide in 2017 NYC, with Brooklyn-born Boricua wedding planner Olga Acevedo at the center. Activism vs. acquisition. Family. Status. Identity. A lot packed into one volume, tied up with a rom-com bow, but Olga‘s messy confidence, plus detailed evocations of Brooklyn, carried me along. P 272 “Olga fumbled in the dark, trying to adhere to a path that led to a fuzzy destination known simply as ‘success.‘” 2021

Olga is a wedding planner and her brother a congressman. Their mother has been absent from their lives for years, living a militant life on Puerto Rico.

About halfway through this audiobook, the activism angle started to annoy me a bit and, although towards the end it kind of made sense, I think there were too many themes overall. (Certainly the bit with Dick near the end was too much and I felt unnecessary) ⬇️

#tob

I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and found myself googling quite a bit of historical references that were woven into the book. Some really tragic moments with an ultimately redemptive ending.

I enjoyed this one but I think there was just a little too much going on for me to fully connect.

Olga and her brother, Prieto, are the main characters in this story. The LatinX representation was excellent and the author explores different aspects from both of their POVs, which I enjoyed. My issues with this book come in with the political thriller storyline involving their mom, Blanca. That coupled with the Hurricane felt forced at times.

I‘ve had this checked out since July, so I figured it was probably time to actually read it. But the copy I have is at home, because I didn‘t think to bring it with me (I wasn‘t anticipating being able to finish “Hester”), but luckily, our large print version is here. 🤷🏻‍♀️ #olgadiesdreaming #xochitlgonzalez

The characters are not very likable but in this case, that is fine. The author tells with no uncertain terms the historical injustices committed to Puerto Rico from colonialism, lack of aid caused by devastating hurricanes, and racial oppression of brown and black people, to name a few. The siblings…

A must must read. Thoroughly enjoyed and felt like I was a bit smarter after I finished it. Worth the library wait period, every month of it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wholeheartedly felt the Latinx pride pulsing through this novel and was inspired while reading to do more research on the history, politics, and challenges of Puerto Rico. I appreciated the commentary on topics like gentrification and colonization. However, I did feel like there was too much going on and it dragged at times.

I won this through Goodreads - thank you to Flatiron Books for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This book started off great. You have Olga who is a party planner and runs a business. Then you have her brother Pieto who is in government in New York City. They were abandoned by there mom who is a radical fighting for the cause and their father who died of AIDS. The second half was less interesting and left me bored

I was never quite sure where this book was going, a good thing, I think.Olga runs a wedding planning business, in defiance of her mother's fierce political convictions (and ambitions for her children). Her brother is a congressman, but that's not good enough for their mother either. The book has the same tone as a novel about urban lives and relationships but is politically ambitious.

Photos from a beautiful National Garden Scheme garden 😍

While this book has MANY five star reviews, it didn‘t quite live up to those expectations for me. I enjoyed bits of the story but I think the novel got bogged down in trying to cover too much and be too much. It‘s a political contemporary romance, domestic drama with a LOVELY sprinkling of Latin pride - I did love Olga‘s extended family but wasn‘t always a fan of the snarky dialogue- it felt forced. Hard to explain but I felt disconnected.

I‘ve been meaning to read this since @KarenUK reviewed it and now that @ncsufoxes just put it back on my #ReadersRadar I bumped it up my listening list 🎧♥️

Posting my July 2022 #bookspin bingo board, which I‘ve read my #bookspin book for the month (yeah). I loved this book, the story had so many layers to it. The book highlighted the continued misunderstanding of Puerto Rico as part of the US as well as the impact of Hurricane Maria. Olga is a strong & determined woman who is compounded by her past while trying to navigate the present. Definitely one of the best books I‘ve read this year.

Absolutely loved this novel, about a Puerto Rican woman in New York who works as a high-end wedding planner but seems to be having an existential crisis when her revolutionary activist mother resurfaces, all right before Hurricane Maria hits.

I was really into this book and its cast of complex characters. It is snarky and well written. I also loved that it brought attention to Puerto Rico and hurricane Maria. I don't think there's enough awareness stateside. I know some of the political aspects I had to do more research on myself. I highly recommend. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#JoysofJune #Readathon 4th book read

@Andrew65

Book 3 for #BigJuneReadathon
(Please enjoy this photo of me 1/2 dead from exhaustion in a Denny‘s in San Juan in 2015)

I really enjoyed this. A very human, heartfelt &realistic story of how different political sides benefit and manipulate events, personal struggles impacting decisions for better or worse, &just trying to do your best in this crazy capitalist world. It‘s about identity, healing from trauma, making your own way. I loved Olga.

Pineapple Chili Marg w/Olga 🌶

26th book for this year!

I really loved this book. I loved the intersectional feminism, and I‘m always a sucker for a book ghat pulls in progressive politics. Not my first book that incorporates the gentrification of Brooklyn (Pride by Ibi Zoboi!) but this felt like a true testimony. It pulls from current events and activism, and the sacrifices/choices that are sometimes made. Definitely recommend!

#booked2022 #newin2022
#pop22 #Latinxauthor
#20in4

My family teases that they can always tell how I am feeling based on my mug choice. Which one do you think is today‘s pick? ☕️

These are the 6 books I suggested for #CampTOB22. Two are on the list because I just checked out from the library. 😃

#CampTOB

“Mabel, what if I don‘t deserve to be happy?”
“Olga,” Mabel whispered in her ear, “unless you kicked a puppy or have a body buried someplace that I don‘t know about, you deserve to be fucking happy. Okay?”