Welcome to Litsy!

My birthday is next week so I treated myself to some new books (stack on the left) from B&N and some used books from Better World Books (stack on the right)

#12Booksof2022 #October

I was super excited for a new book by Kate Atkinson and I was not disappointed by this sprawling tale of the London underworld in the 1920s.

Shrines of Gaiety is Kate Atkinson at her MOST Dickensian. I really enjoyed immersing myself in the glittering, mysterious world of 1920s Soho. This novel has a BIG cast of characters, and the web that connects them is intricate. A downside of this kind of storytelling is that initially it feels like the threads are taking a while to come together but Atkinson does a good job by balancing this with short chapter that create narrative pace.

This stack is 100% #blameitonlitsy 🤣🤣. I either missed or ignored the email from Barnes and Noble about their 50% off hardcovers sale, but then I saw someone post it on here. In my defense, I sold 10-12 books to Half Price yesterday, so my #unreadshelf is still lower than it was!

I am quite surprised by how much I disliked this because Kate Atkinson is a very talented writer. But the mystery plot in particular is very poor. There are way to many characters and we seem to spend most of our time with the least interesting ones. Hope it's her pandemic book and she will return to her usual form.

Despite the cook's objections, Phyllis was determined to tell Nellie about Edith's little escapade when she returned. She liked being in Nellie Coker's good books.

'By the way,' Phyllis said by way of greeting, 'you've got rats' 'Tell me about it,' Nellie said.

'Don't they say "write what you know"?? Betty said. 'But you don't know anything, do you?'
'Thanks.'

If he wrote what he knew, it would be a sparse novel about a man in a Swiss sanatorium in the grip of hopelessness and existential dread. Who on earth would want to read that? Ramsay certainly wouldn't.

So many had been lost in the war, she wondered-attempting to put a veneer of refinement on the base vulgarity of the proceedings - if they weren't following some instinctive compulsion to restock the human race. Like frogs.

She supposed she should come to terms with the concept of 'fun'. She didn't want any for herself but she was more than happy to provide it for others, for a sum.

The lovely @Jeg chose this for book club and we discussed it at our meeting tonight. I love Kate Atkinson and have committed to reading as many of her books as I can.

This was a like but not a love for me. There are others I‘d recommend over this one. Still, an interesting read about the clubs of Soho in 1929. Lots of strong female characters. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Book club tonight . It‘s my turn. I picked this book. First time I picked a book I hadn‘t read. Not a good idea . I‘m a little over the story . I think I enjoyed the book. So many characters though. Hard to keep track of at first. It was a little too long for me but it all came together in the end. Very quickly all ends tied. I was just sad for one characters ending. Discussion always interesting at book club. Just need to stay awake now. 😏.

Kate Atkinson has become an auto-buy author for me. I love her Jackson Brody series, and I have enjoyed several of her other books. Shrines of Gaiety focuses on Nellie who owns several nightclubs in London during the 20s. Atkinson develops a fascinating cast of characters who participate in the nightlife. The chapters are short, which helps to propel the story. As always, Atkinson‘s writing is superb. Loved it.

So this is my Goldsboro edition of this new release. I have to say I wanted to like it way more. I mean 1920‘s mobsters, nightlife and a larger (probably the real issue) than life set of characters but at times it was a slog. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ read

A big cast of characters takes a long set-up, sure, but felt draggy after a showy opening chapter, lost my interest. Pacing seems off? Rather reread “Life After Life.” Bailed. 2022

Sad to say I did not love this new novel from one of my very favorite authors. It‘s long-winded and a tad dull, which is surprising given that the entire book deals with nightclubs, gangsters, drugs, and murders in 1920s London. Bad cops, missing girls, and extravagant nightlife in the big city should have made for a real page turner. And yet.

I still adore Kate Atkinson, but this one is not at the top of my list.

#readingbracket2022 “Shrines of Gaiety” won out easily for the month, BUT choosing between it and “Other Birds” was so tough!! It was a battle of one of my ‘auto-buy‘ authors (Kate Atkinson) versus a new to me author (Sarah Addison Allen). By the tightest of margins Atkinson won out 🙌 These decisions are only going to get harder I think 😬

“Is it a hanging?” an eager newspaper delivery boy asked no one in particular. He was short, just thirteen years old, and was jumping up and down in an effort to obtain a better view of whatever it was that had created the vaudeville atmosphere.

#FridayReads #FirstLineFriday

I have read almost every book by Kate Atkinson and enjoyed them all. This book is another winner. Set in London in 1926, it follows the life of Nellie Coker and her adult children. Nellie owns five popular nightclubs frequented by the rich and famous. She has just been released from prison for violating the liquor laws as the book begins. Full of interesting characters and droll humor, the story is a page turner. Five stars. Go grab it!

A sprawling story of the 1920‘s London underworld. Nellie Coker & her adult children run the most fashionable nightclubs in town. Policemen of both the upstanding & corrupt variety have her in their sights. Underage provincial girls desert their parents for a dream of life on a West End stage pursued by an intrepid librarian. Kate Atkinson draws all these threads together against the background of the aftermath of WWI. It‘s wonderful, I loved it.

Kate Atkinson is one of those authors that I love reading because you get lost in her writing. I‘ve read 4 of her books and now I know to expect not having a clue on what‘s happening or who anyone is (or how they‘re connected) for the first 50ish pages. I know everything will come together beautifully and just perfectly in the end. This was no exception, which made me LOVE it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Atkinson is just so good…

Fantastic historical fiction, set in London between the two world wars in the roaring 20s, with a (typical for this author) huge cast of well-defined characters. The story is so engaging and manages to be funny, melancholy, mysterious, thrilling and endearing all at once.

I would have liked more of a wrap up for a couple of characters in particular, but I can acknowledge the ending is probably perfect as is.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It‘s here! Now the question is, will I read it “soon” (in the next 2-5 years?) or “right away” (within the next 12 months)? 🤔😜

Vintage Atkinson- If you love her writing, you‘ll love this. Lots of characters and lots of action, expected and unexpected. All delivered with Atkinson‘s usual dry humour.

Morning view for the start of a relaxing day of reading 😁

OMG! Best Friday ever!! My #bookmail was delivered while I was on lunch so I could enjoy slowly unboxing it; i.e., lovingly look at each cover, read the summaries (even though I‘ve read several times and have them almost memorized), slowly fan open the pages, smell them- y‘know normal stuff 🤣) PS, the cover of “Shrines of Gaiety” is gorgeous!!! 😍

My final picks for the reading weekend 😁 and all of the ones on my kindle just in case.

Love new book day. Especially when it's a Atkinson 🤩

Get ready for 108 choices for your TBR list! Books slated for last quarter of 2022 and early 2023: https://crimereads.com/the-most-anticipated-crime-books-of-fall-2022-and-beyond/

🤣🤣🤣

I do hope this one makes it to thetv just like life after life ; based on the true story of the sohonightclub owner in the ‘20s Kate Meyrick aka Nellie Coker. Iparticularly loved Frobisherthe detective & thewonderful GwendolynKeeling andhandsome Niven, feisty and toughFreda and disillusioned Florence wonderful ! A sprawling yarn of 20s London the toffs the seedy under world , with wonderful characters ,which all draws to a nail biting brilliantend

Any blurb on this ? I‘m reading an arc and so far not sure 🤔 where it‘s heading … sometimes high rating don‘t conform to the same book your reading !

Yesss please!

https://crimereads.com/21-new-and-upcoming-historical-fiction-titles-to-check-ou...

Excited for this one 😁