Orson Welles was born on this day in 1915. One of the most brilliant things he said (and he said many), I used as an epigraph for my 2022 novel, THE LIONESS.
SamAnne Love that. 7mo
LiteraryinPA Great quote! 7mo
30 likes2 comments
The Lioness: A Novel | 
Orson Welles was born on this day in 1915. One of the most brilliant things he said (and he said many), I used as an epigraph for my 2022 novel, THE LIONESS.
Read eBooks? Right now, THE LIONESS is on sale for $1.99! Roar! 📚🐆🐘🦓🦒
THE LIONESS paperback went on sale this week, and I visited lots of bookstores — some with my beloved Jesse!
pickI found this in a little free library & I couldn‘t put it down! A movie star takes her closest friends & family on a safari in the Serengeti in the ‘60s. An unexpected kidnapping means nonstop action for the rest of the book. The descriptions & changing POVs added to the suspense. I recently watched 1923, which has similar scenes & those were vividly in my mind.
“He was a deeply honest man, but he knew also that he was a very convincing liar.”
THE LIONESS paperback roars May 2. Preorder or order your copy from the Vermont Book Shop (8023882061) or Phoenix Books (8024483350) by May 5, and your copy will arrive signed and with a “lioness” doodle. The first 50 copies at each store will also come with a vintage lioness postcard. Pro tip: Mother‘s Day is May 14, and these stores ship in the U.S. Thanks!
pickA 60s-set safari vacation for a group of movie stars and their entourage turns deadly. Cinematic and well-paced. A bit action heavy and character light (not in number but in depth) but definitely gripping. The huge cast of characters, given multiple chapters, featuring both memories and their present horrific events, were handled so as not to be confusing. And I enjoyed the snippets of gossip rags as clues and red herrings. Just not really my jam.
pickChris Bohjalian is one of my favorite authors. Although this book probably isn't my favorite by him, I still enjoyed it.
I think it probably would have worked better for me not as an audio because there are a lot of characters to keep track of.
This book has quite a bit of action, and it's written in a way that could easily be translated to a movie. It was entertaining, but I wasn't a big fan of any of the characters.
Paperback cover reveal! Roar! Look for the beautiful paperback of THE LIONESS wherever you buy books on May 2. Want to be the first on your block — or the first to do battle with the hyenas beneath the baobab tree? Preorder here! https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/550986/the-lioness-by-chris-bohjalian/
My latest treadmill audio is not inspiring me to walk more. Anachronisms like a 35 year old man in 1964 using the term “meet cute” and the level of graphic violence aren‘t helping. Only 8 chapters in. Does it get better, or do I bail? Does anyone who listened to this as an audiobook have an opinion?
Gobsmacked and grateful. THE LIONESS is among the Washington Post's list of 50 Notable Works of Fiction: "this propulsive tale perfectly marries glamour and horror." Thank you! Visit the Washington Post to see all the books you want to give and get this holiday season.
I‘m happily joining in the #OutstandingOctober readathon. My goals are to finish my three current reads on the top row and to start and make a dent in Claw and The Witching Hour. I‘m off until Thursday so that should help. 🎧📖
Visited the Barnes & Noble in Union Square when I was in NYC this week and had the best time signing books. I love this store. Of course, you know you‘ve been around a long time when your books become a Jenga tower. @DoubledayBooks
Amy thank you thank you thank you for my lovely birthday gift!! The candle broke- so I‘m going to use as a wax melt- I love the smell!!! All of it is wonderful- 😘😘😘😘 Perfect gift ❤️#birthdaybliss
so-so⭐️⭐️⭐️
This historical fiction thriller is cinematic and I could see it translating well to a movie or mini-series! For me as an audiobook, there were too many characters to keep track of (10 different points of view!), and delving into the backstories kept breaking up the action of the story. 🎧
pickA 1960's mega-star takes her husband & 7 of her closest friends on a photo safari in the Serengeti which few will survive. Within days they go from luxury glamping to deadly nightmare after they are kidnapped. Some try to fight back but lose their lives to the kidnappers or the animals they came to photograph, some can't find their bravery, & one is culpable in the kidnapping.
so-soI went into this cold-I only knew it was a mystery about a 1960‘s film star who goes on an African Safari with friends. I was enjoying the characters, story and narration of the audiobook but soon got bogged down by the frequent changes in POV as well as time changes from the Safari to earlier days. The transitions weren‘t smooth enough for me and I got confused about who was who. As the story turned uglier and uglier, I couldn‘t wait to be done.
panListened to this while making pickles. I usually love his books but the mixed up timelines and so many characters were convoluted rather than thrilling. Oh well. Hopefully the pickles are good!
pickBook 84
The Lioness, set in the 1960s, is about a group of Hollywood stars on a safari in the Serengeti. Instead of the anticipated adventure observing wildlife, the stars are kidnapped by a group of Russian mercenaries.
It was a very close call for my favorite book read in June. I‘m giving the tagged book the slightest edge for sentimental reasons, since the author @ChrisBohjalian is a long-time Litten who gives Litsy a shout-out in his bio in the book.
That being said, The No. 1 Ladies‘ Detective Agency edges it out for the best between May/June, and so far it‘s in the running for best book I‘ve read in 2022.
#readingbracket
pickA movie star, her husband, costar, best friend, and others join her honeymoon safari in the Serengeti #Tanzania, that goes all wrong when they‘re party is attacked. Who will live, who will die (and how)? Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the party members, with cutaways to their non-African life that help us understand the characters, their motivations, and why these bad things happened to them. I loved the structure and the ⬇️
pickI‘d never read Chris Bohjalian‘s work, but because a) he‘s the #AuthorAMonth, b) he‘s lovely on Litsy, and c) I enjoyed Season 1 of The Flight Attendant series (haven‘t yet started Season 2), it was time to try one of his books. I liked it! Great characters, plentiful action (sometimes distressingly so! 😳), interesting historical contexts and social commentary, and quality writing. (A good escapist read, if you need one in this moment...😔)
So I google mapped the Serengeti, the setting for the tagged book, and it‘s so cool. As you zoom in you see names of villages and hamlets. And check out that massive crater/lake near the top. I shall go back to zooming to see what I can see. #Tanzania #readingafrica2022 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB
pickLions, leopards & hyenas, oh my!This book grabbed hold of me & wouldn‘t let go. Loved the Hollywood spin & the way Bohjalian brilliantly crafted every chapter to reveal one more layer of each character‘s troubled past and terrifying present. Too bad starlet Katie didn‘t know about Liz Taylor‘s 60th B-Day Bash. If she took everyone to Disneyland, things would have turned out much better! 😉
#AuthorAMonth
@Soubhiville
#DoubleSpin
@TheAromaofBooks
pickI really enjoyed this fast paced thriller. It‘s been a while since I‘ve started a book and had trouble putting it down. Thanks @ChrisBohjalian for breaking my reading slump. This one is perfect for summer. #JoysofJune #ReadingAfrica #AuthorAMonth
so-soI think I read this book while distracted. I just found it going back and forward in time too much between characters and tenses and I kept forgetting where I was. I've enjoyed other books by Chris Bohjalian and was instantly connected to them so this won't deter me from reading further works or maybe even rereading this book someday.
pick🐅 𝓑𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 🦣
Searching for a captivating thriller? Love rich character development through backstories that inform & provide context to current circumstances & emotions? 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐨𝐡𝐣𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧's 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 is masterfully clever, well-researched, fast-paced, & grippingly tense. A thought-provoking look at the 1960's. Un-put-down-able.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸: https://tinyurl.com/yv549jzd
pickI‘m so glad I didn‘t read the blurb before I began this audio😁All I knew was this was a historical fiction novel about a Hollywood starlet who goes on a luxury safari as part of her honeymoon. What I got was an edge of your seat thriller that I could not put down!!! Audio narration was fabulous🎧Set in the mid 1960‘s this book is a throwback to old Hollywood as well as colonialism, politics, bravery and deception. A strong pick #AAM
Can I tell you how much I love that @ChrisBohjalian has included Litsy on his bio for his new book? What better publicity for Litsy than that!?!
#authoramonth #readingAfrica2022 #Tanzania
I finally went out and got this one, which was just released the end of May! Talk about a perfect set of coincidences. @ChrisBohjalian is our #authoramonth AND it‘s set in #Tanzania, perfect for #readingAfrica2022! I‘m dropping one of my reads so I can start it right away.
Is anyone else reading it this month? Want to do a relaxed #buddyread with a discussion at the end of the month?
pickWell, this was a wild (pun intended) ride! How the ‘why‘ of this 1964 mystery unfolded was a really good read, and I didn‘t even care about why nearly as much as who, if anyone, was going to make it back to Hollywood alive. There are some creative ways to die on a safari, particularly if bad guys are involved!
#AuthorAMonth
June #DoubleSpin
Added SO many books in today‘s @nytimesbooks Summer Reading Issue to my TBR pile. Also? So grateful for the review of THE LIONESS: “Bohjalian weaves life stories with such deftness…I was breathlessly following these people like the hyenas.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/08/books/review/the-lioness-chris-bohjalian.html...
pickThe Lioness is a combination of historical fiction and suspense with a unique Tanzanian safari setting. This book has realistic characters and evocative descriptions of the characters relationships both past and present. Chris keeps us guessing right up until the end with a gripping, satisfying conclusion with a twist that I didn‘t see coming.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narrative was stunning! Another fabulous book! Book 47.
pickThis was a good literary thriller! The setting of the Serengeti was magnificent & a different setting from what I usually read. The bits about Hollywood were also enjoyable. I love books with characters that are actors, etc. There were almost too many points of view especially in the beginning, but as the plot takes off there are fewer switches. I recommend this one! A great read from @ChrisBohjalian ! I look forward to what he‘s working on next!
#MayWrapUp
Great month. Two ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ in the middle.
Number 6 on the New York Times bestseller list this morning — thanks to all of you! “In 1964, a violent kidnapping disrupts a honeymoon holiday in Tanzania for a Hollywood star and her friends.”
pickI loved this celebrity safari gone wrong! I don‘t often read historical thrillers, but imagine Evelyn Hugo crossed with Fierce Kingdom. January LaVoy‘s narration was great!
Several Hollywood stars are kidnapped while on a honeymoon safari in #Tanzania, but it‘s hard to know what‘s more dangerous, the Russian kidnappers or the wild animals. As the kidnapping starts to go awry, lives are in peril. The reveal was quite enjoyable.
#ReadingAfrica2022
pickMy own personal lion, Pixie. Don‘t let the glare fool you; she loves curling up at my feet in the morning as I read. 😀
There are a lot of great things in The Lioness. The setting of the Serengeti makes for a suspenseful location. The references to classic Hollywood and classic literature imbue it with a sense of nostalgia. There are a few things that don‘t work as well as I had hoped. But overall it‘s a good read and I would recommend it.
pickChris Bohjalian delivers another fun drama/thriller. A group of 60‘s era movie stars are on safari to celebrate the wedding of Hollywood starlet Katie. They‘re having a grand time watching and photographing the wildlife when their camp is ransacked and they are all taken hostage.
I really liked this one and raced through it. It would be a good choice for next month‘s #authoramonth. I just couldn‘t wait.
(With my little lion, Igor.)
pickFor #readafrica2022 I picked this one representing #Tanzania. This author is an automatic buy and I loved how he brought the Tanzanian landscape to life while at the same time telling a page turning story about a kidnapping gone wrong. Book is populated by a lot of characters so that can get confusing at times as each character has his/her POV. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle #travelthroughbooks
On Thursday evening, I traveled to Richmond, Virginia to a book and author event sponsored by the Women‘s Junior League. I saw @ChrisBohjalian again! One of my most wonderful authors that I call friend! Diving into his new book tomorrow!
pickNot my favorite book by this author. Check out my review.
https://reecaspieces.com/2022/05/10/the-lioness-by-chris-bohjalian-doubledaybook...
My current situation is mighty fine! I am currently reading The Lioness by @ChrisBohjalian and it is excellent! Even Millie knows she must chill out tonight! What are y‘all reading???
Great news for a Friday: TODAY you can preorder the Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition of THE LIONESS -- including nearly a dozen photos and an essay I wrote -- for 25% off! Use code PREORDER25 at www,bn.com checkout. The regular edition is also on sale.
