Welcome to Litsy!

“Home, she realized, wasn‘t a place or a time or a person, though it could be any and all of those things: home was a feeling, a sense of being complete. The opposite of ‘home‘ wasn‘t ‘away‘, it was ‘lonely‘. When someone said, ‘I want to go home‘, what they really meant was that they didn‘t want to feel lonely anymore.”
Alas, and not sure this will make sense—-glad I finished, but kind of wish I never started….
⭐️⭐️⭐️

#SchoolSpirit #Homecoming
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

“This was the magic of books, the curious alchemy that allowed a human mind to turn black ink on white pages into a whole other world.”

#Homecoming

#SchoolSpirit

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#Homecoming 💙💛

#SchoolSpirit 🏫🔔🚌🎒👩‍🏫✏️🍎📓📚

#BookNerd 🤓💙📚

I found this to be slow and drag a lot of the time. The last 200 pages it did pick up. Overall, a soft pick at 3.5⭐. I won it on a recent Goodreads Giveaway.

#junearc. #bookspin #bookspinbingo #arc #readaway2024

A sinister murder mystery in the Adelaide hills in 1959 combines with modern day Jess dashing back to Sydney from London to be with her ailing grandmother, whilst slowly trying to unravel the decades old mystery. As much about family, homesickness and belonging as the mystery at its heart; perfect, compulsive easy reading. I‘d steered away from this author for a while as I tired of her dual-timeline style, but very much enjoyed coming back.

School book club pick. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ It‘s a pick but only just. This was way too long and I found myself thinking ‘Really?!‘ quite a bit. #Ozfiction

This could definitely have been shorter and I was annoyed with how a major event was unveiled but overall, I liked the story and really enjoyed the strong sense of place Morton created.

A good but long story. This is my second book by Morton and although not a good as the Clock Makers Daughter, it‘s still an atmospheric story that is intricately weaved between all the characters. I feel it could have been a bit shorter but I love how Morton ties up all the loose ends. Overall just a unique and good story!

Finally getting my reading life back on track and happy to have read 3 books in January!!! Looks like February will be a busy reading month too … 6/10 of my library holds came in today, isn‘t that always the way?!? 😸

#12Bbooksof2023 @Andrew65

December was not the best reading month but this one was my favorite book.

Other books I enjoyed
So This is Christmas by Jenny Holiday so cute and funny-enemies to lovers romance
Murder At Everham Hall
Christmas Demon
Gookkiller
El Juego Del Alma

#authoramonth is a wrap for me! 🎉
I was not enjoying the first half of this one but decided to stick it out and I‘m glad I did. I liked the writing and feel of place, so think I may enjoy a different book by this author more than this one. Do any Morton fans have a particular fav I should try?
Thanks for organizing and hosting, as ever, @Soubhiville ! I love finding and trying new authors thru this challenge 💕

This is a big book, it could be a slow read for some readers but it worked for me. It has everything I like. Two time lines, a murder, family drama with secrets, betrayals, lovers, self growth. So descriptive but in a perfect way. I just wanted to know more about these characters, about all this family drama and mystery. It also has a couple of twists but they will turn slowly. Nora, Nora, what character. 4⭐️First time I read this author ⬇️

One of my favorite authors. Usually I get swept into her books from the outset. However this was a slow start for me. Once I got past page 100 it picked up and I raced through the last ¼ of the book. Mystery, history, dual timelines, family secrets, great setting, wonderful writing. So much to love, but not her strongest book. #52bookclub2023 set in Australia #rushathon #littenlistens #cloakanddagger#dashingdecember #wintergames #authoramonth

This was my December selection for #AuthorAMonth. This and the last book I read both take place in Australia and move back and forth in time so I had some difficulty when I first started this one. But I persevered and ended up enjoying it. One of the main twists I guessed at pretty quickly. But there are so many other surprises (too many?) that I didn‘t feel cheated at all.

Really enjoyed some of the twists in the ending but the journey to get there felt needlessly long. Perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if the book within a book thing worked for me. Not my favorite by Morton but now I think I can say I have read all of her books. #authoramonth

Been saving this historical mystery for a cold rainy day- I love Kate Morton‘s slow paced plot and character writing.

Overall, I really enjoyed this - my first read from this author. The twisty ending was arguably the best part because there was a series of surprise answers that was delightful considering I had thought I had it figured out. It was a bit overlong and the exposition felt a bit heavy handed and wonky - I think if the pacing structure was a bit different I‘d like it even more. But overall, a great (Christmas?) read. #AuthorAMonth

There are more mysteries (only one of which I figured out in advance) than you realize until you reach the end. A family dies peaceably at a picnic in 1959, all at one time. Some poison is implicated but what could it be? Meanwhile, their loving aunt is on her deathbed in 2018 when her granddaughter comes to try to save her grandmother while unraveling the mystery of the family‘s death. Less sleuthy and more happen chance that the pieces come ⬇️

Part of the author‘s summary of her book. #authoramonth @Soubhiville

#Snowangels #WinterGames

@emilymdxn

Started my #AuthorAMonth pick while holiday shopping today via audiobook. It‘s narrated by Claire Foy, which is lovely.

So many cute things - hard to hold back. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

This took me a while to get into, but overall it‘s a pick. I enjoyed the setting and the mystery. A few things I figured out, and a few things I didn‘t.

Well, that was unexpected. I wasn‘t expecting to finish that so fast. It was so twisty. A mystery wrapped up in a drama. I might have even cried a little. Kate Morton was always an auto buy for me, until The Clockmaker‘s Daughter, which I dumped into a little free library after the first 100 pages. So I had a little trepidation going into this one. But it was absolutely fantastic. One of my best reads of the year.
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

Having read a few books by this author, I thought they were all a bit samey. However, I had the chance to get this as a #netgalley #arc earlier in the year, so I saved it for #aam.

It actually felt a little bit different, maybe down to the Australian setting, although it was still the same twisty-turny double timeframe storyline. Probably my favourite of hers.

I need to fill in the #aam form now - thanks as ever for being a fab host, Soubhi!

📖 What are you reading today? Tagged
📖 How far into it are you? 1/3 finished
📖 Was it recommended? For #authoramonth & it works well for #wintergames! Go #snowangels @Emilymdxn
📖 Would you recommend it? So far, yes
📖 Have you read the author's work before? No, it‘s wonderful to try new authors

#naturalitsy @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit @jenniferw88

I‘m listening to the tagged. It took me a while to get into it, but now I‘m hooked.

I‘m also reading Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat which is making me want to cook all the things.

#MidWinterSolace

My car had a service appointment today. So after shoveling a bazillion cm of snow to get out of my driveway, I took full advantage of the quiet time in the waiting room. 15 chapters in so far.
#24in4 @Andrew65

I recognized me in this description…heaven knows I don‘t like talking to anyone until I‘ve had at least my first cup of hot black tea! ☕️

#wintergames #snowangels @Emilymdxn #authoramonth @Soubhiville

It has been so long since I made some time for a readathon. But I find myself with free time today. So I‘m going to try get as far as I can with this #AuthorAMonth book from my TBR, this weekend. I either really love Kate Morton or really dislike her, so I always have a little fear when I start a new one. So far so good with this one though.
#24in4
@Andrew65 @Soubhiville

It turns out this book is perfect for #wintergames, a Christmas mystery! #authoramonth @Soubhiville

1. The tagged book a tad early for #authorofthemonth as I found it at the Salvos at Hamilton for only $4! 2. Another one of Kate‘s if I can find where I put them! #Two4Tuesday

I started this early for #AuthorAMonth and found my final November #WickedWords. #pivot
I really thought I wouldn‘t get this one but then there it was. 🤓
#WickedWords 5/5

Started this ebook a little early for #authoramonth @Soubhiville

Next up, another book I bought the week i it came out and never started.

“Home, she'd realized, wasn't a place or a time or a person, though it could be any and all of those things: home was a feeling, a sense of being complete. The opposite of "home" wasn't "away," it was "lonely." When someone said, "I want to go home," what they really meant was that they didn't want to feel lonely anymore.” Beautiful dual timeline mystery novel, 1959/2018-Australia. Great narration by Claire Foy. Long but purposeful ???

This book made me a bit dizzy, so many twists and turns! I wonder how the author even kept it straight! I mean this in a good way. I found myself almost speed reading at times because I was so anxious for answers. You literally have to read this book to the end in order to see the full picture. This is the first book I‘ve ever read that took place in Australia. Adelaide Hills seems absolutely beautiful! This was a very good read!

Really enjoyed this one- a lot of twists in the last 100 pages, some I expected, some I didn‘t.

It‘s a long weekend, so a big book is called for!

This was good, but it took a long time to set up and get going. I had a hard time focusing initially, and many of the characters would delve back into memories which made it a bit harder for me to follow, as I was still figuring out characters, time frames, etc. Eventually, I figured things out and it did pick up, and I was interested to know what was going on/what had happened in 1959 (and, of course, how it related to Jess and Nora). Cont...

Jess is called home to Australia after her grandmother takes a fall. While there she‘s pulled into a family secret/mystery that she knew nothing about. I did guess part of the mystery pretty early on but not the rest.

What a blessing - a new Kate Morton book, a cuddly dog, and nothing else to do.

Jess is called home to Australia to attend her ailing grandmother, Nora. Jess gets drawn into a web of family secrets - some of which I guessed, others that surprised me. I always really enjoy Morton‘s books.

Very slow to start, but I often find that with this author. The final quarter of the book had so many twists and turns, some that I thought were unnecessary. Ending was dragged on and on.

I finished this up yesterday evening. It's interesting reading Lorrie Moore and Kate Morton in the same month. They're so very different, but I love them both. Morton's novels have all been epic and this one was no exception. I thought it was better than her last (Clockmaker's Daughter). So interesting to read about Australia at Christmas, aside from the intrigue of the plot. As always, she got me with the twist at the end!

"Meanwhile, tall and slender on the upsweep of bills that surrounded their river-run valley, the blue gums stood silently, streaky skins glinting metallic."

New furnace/air conditioner installation so stuck at the house.#NoGuiltReading#PorchReading#KateMorton#Homecoming

Not sure why I bought this book. I don't usually read thick books. Way too long for me. I worked out a fair bit of the plot and when I do this I wonder if ,as the reader, I'm supposed to. Anyway not a great read for me.