Welcome to Litsy!

The Flight Portfolio was my favorite read, but tagged was a close second. Love the extra bonus spots in this bracket from @CSeydel #readingbracket2024

This was a beautifully told story of Rachel, a runaway slave on the search for her children that were taken from her. A fascinating look at the different ways of survival. I started reading a hard copy and it was slow go, but when I switched to audiobook, this story really came alive. I think reading this in my own voice did this story a disservice but hearing “Rachel‘s” voice vastly improved it. Read for #literarycrew

This is a captivating story about Rachel, a slave in Barbados who seeks to find her stolen children after emancipation comes. It‘s powerful on a mother love and freedom but I found it strangely flat - full of coincidence and a large cast of often more interesting characters of whom we learn only some of their story. Bought those one for #readingtheamericas2023. D only just got to it!

Well, this is super-convenient! My #bookspin book is the very one I already started this month! And looking forward to the #doublespin pick as well!

Thanks for hosting @TheAromaofBooks

An incredibly moving story. Shearer bases the story on accounts of women who escape bondage to find their children. Rachel, the MC, is determined to find her living children, who were taken from her when they were young. Now adults, her children are scattered across the Caribbean, and Rachel will do anything to find them. Captivating and heart-wrenching, this is a beautiful story about love and sacrifice. So well done. #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

#LiteraryCrew : It‘s time for this month‘s discussion! I‘m so close to finishing it and am so captivated by it!

I‘ve posted six questions as spoilers; you can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag. Feel free to respond whenever!

I will post a reminder graphic about next month‘s book, Queen Hereafter, tomorrow! #buddyread

Thanks for joining me!

We‘re half way through the month, #LiteraryCrew !

I‘ve seen mixed reviews on this month‘s reading. Anything to share so far?

Discussion on the 31st!

I don‘t know if it‘s the audio or what. But it‘s a bail for me. Sorry #literarycrew I‘m out for July

https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2750285

Via @Librarybelle
It's July, which means our next #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead title! I'm looking forward to this one, and admittedly, I have a bit of cover love for it!
Anyone is welcome to join this low key buddy read.
Read at your own pace, with discussion questions on July 31st. I will post periodic checkins throughout the month.
Please let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the tag list!

It‘s July, which means our next #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead title! I‘m looking forward to this one, and admittedly, I have a bit of cover love for it!

Anyone is welcome to join this low key buddy read. Read at your own pace, with discussion questions on July 31st. I will post periodic checkins throughout the month.

Please let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the tag list!

Repost for @Librarybelle

The July #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book. This is a low key buddy read. Read throughout the month of July. @Librarybelle will post periodic check ins and discussion will take place on July 31st.

All are welcome! Please let @Librarybelle know if you wish to be added or removed from the tag list.

The July #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead is the tagged book. This is a low key buddy read. Read throughout the month of July. I will post periodic checkins, and discussion will take place on July 31st.

All are welcome! Please let me know if you wish to be added or removed from the tag list!

#SpringSkies Day 11 #CvrW.ObscuredFace

Beautiful cover😍and I want to read it🤗

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Solid 3 stars. Such an interesting novel. About halfway and beyond it teetered from slow to rushed. Still enjoyed most of it.

Stunning book...
It's so hard to believe this is a debut novel. It's stunning. It's beautiful. It's heartbreaking. Many times I broke down and cried while reading this story. But the author wrote a piece of poetry here. One that is both heartbreaking and sad. It's written with such feeling.

Full review: http://tinyurl.com/mspesd7p

@eleanorbshearer
@berkleypub
#botm

Read this book for #Guyana for #ReadingTheAmericas2023 @Librarybelle @BarbaraBb

An excellent book that tells the story of Rachel that following being freed as a slave set about travelling across Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad to find her lost children with very different outcomes. This is based on many true events for freed slaves and feels like must reading. Great humanity came across in this book.

I enjoyed this book about a mother searching for the children taken from her. Her need to find them was relatable and her bravery was inspiring. The author‘s writing was quite beautiful. Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel. I will look forward to hearing more from this author.

I basically like the Author notes more than the story itself.😅😅 no offense

I really enjoyed this book. This is the author‘s first novel. I love her writing style! The character development was great! I can‘t imagine having the strength that it must have taken for Rachel to take the steps that she did in order to find her children. I learned a lot about the history of slavery in the Caribbean. It was especially disturbing to realize that although slavery ended, many were still not free. Kudos to this author!!

An excellent debut! The story of a slave who treks across three countries to find all the children taken from her. The writing and settings are beautiful and you are transported to this time and place. You can't help but love the many characters you meet throughout the book. I simply cannot imagine having all your children ripped away from you and having to fight to find them again. Only knock was there are some parts that are a bit too lucky.

15th wedding anniversary book stack from the husband. He knows my love language that‘s for sure.
Bought today at the most beautiful book shop in Bath: Mr B‘s Emporium

Starting the tagged book with an iced coffee and a view of the water while the little guy is with his tutor. I've only just started and I can already tell that I'm going to enjoy this book. I believe this is her debut when it comes to writing books - so I'm excited that it's started off so well.

Now just to decide if I want to tag it to #Barbados #Guyana or #TrinidadAndTobago for #ReadingTheAmericas2023 @librarybelle @barbarabb

In an attempt to #readmyshelves, I pulled this old #BotM selection randomly off my shelf and finally got it read. It was fantastic! It was a slow starter for me - probably more about my mindset than the prose - but once I was hooked I poured through it in a day.

#Bookspin
1. We Measure the Earth with our Bodies
2. Lesser known Monsters
3. Seeing Ghosts
4. Run Towards
5. Bad Girls
6. Dream States
7. Pedagogy of the Oppressed
8. How Much of these Hills
9. The Savage Detectives
10. The Sleeping Car Porter
11. Fresh Banana Leaves
12. A Small Place
13. Night Tiger
14. Rememberings
15. Nasty Brutish
16. Of Women and Salt
17. Beekeeper of Aleppo
18. Pure Colour
19. Wild Tongues Can‘t Be Tamed
20. Magdalena

I learned a lot here about enslavement in the Caribbean: when slavery ended, people were still forced to be “apprentices.” The main character escapes, looking throughout Barbados, Guyana, and Trinidad for her six children and meeting various people, including an Indigenous boy isolated from his people. However, the writing is a bit wooden and there are too many extraordinary events.
#Booked2023 #2023
#ReadingTheAmericas2023 #Guyana

Read this one for one of my book clubs about a formerly enslaved woman in Barbados who travels across the Caribbean to find her children. I paired with a Bob Marley classic redemption song. #islandvibes #titlesandtunes

#Withmeormy
#TemptingTitles
#Botm

My lilies are coming along despite this crazy Mississippi weather!! 🥶🥵 🌧️ 🌞 there‘s not an emoji for pollen 😂

Special story

Enjoyed diving into this book this morning. Quickly engrossed in Rachel‘s story.

A solid debut - when slavery is abolished in 1834 the Caribbean plantation owners institute a mandatory 6 year “apprenticeship” where the slaves MUST remain & work under the same harsh conditions. Rachel, a slave woman decides to put her faith in GD and escapes #Barbados to go & search for her 5 children who were taken from her. A moving & powerful story of a mother‘s love. Based on real events. #ReadingTheAmericas23 #Trinidad

📙Ｆｅｂｒｕａｒｙ Ｗｒａｐ－Ｕｐ 📙

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐩𝐭 𝐇𝐞r by 𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘩𝘶𝘢 𝘔𝘰𝘦𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 by 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘳 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 by 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘗𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐞 by 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘯 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐬 by 𝘑.𝘛. 𝘌𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐂𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞 by 𝘗𝘢𝘮 𝘑𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘧𝘧 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An amazing debut. Would not be surprised if this gets put in the year finalists.

Inspiring story with a bittersweet ending.

Starting River Sing Me Home today.

This historical tale tells of Rachel who has been a slave in Barbados for years. Her children are taken away from her so she runs away and we follow her journey to reunite with them. Heartbreaking but hopeful this is beautiful and powerful with lots of tender moments and a story you won‘t forget
#netgalley

This is a story both tragic and hopeful. Most books I‘ve read telling the horrors of slavery are set in the USA. This one is set in the Caribbean and I‘ve never read anything on this aspect of slavery.

I‘m not a big fan of historical fiction, partially because it usually holds a lot of trauma. Although this is certainly true of this book there was also a lot of hope. I loved the main character - her growth over the course of the book. Shearer writes Rachel‘s story with great emotional depth. It‘s a book that I might want to come back to (after I have recovered).

Well, I seem to be in the minority here (so far anyhow), but this was disappointing. She‘s trying to tell an important story, but something about this did not work for me. I didn‘t really get on with the writing and the characters did not feel real. What should have been moving and powerful, given the subject matter, just left me cold. It is a quick and somewhat propulsive read though and I cared enough to finish. #BOTM

I was surprised at how fast this book sucked me into the story. I try to read the GMA book club every month so I was super excited when I got this one so fast on Libby. I started it and I couldn‘t put it down. My heart broke for Rachel at times on her journey to find her children. This book was so good and I‘m so glad I read it!

I got my BOTM books today I can't wait to read them especially the book I picked from this month's books.

#BOTM delivery! Just one in my blue box this month. I was hoping we‘d have the new Rebecca Makkai, Jane Harper &/or Tiffany McDaniel to choose from. Oh well. Excited to try this debut. GMA chose this for their book club this month and I usually enjoy their picks. Plus, seemed like a good one for #BlackHistoryMonth.

My February #BOTM picks! 🤩

https://www.mybotm.com/phuw7esbgwl5l8fr?show_box=true

February #botm books are up! Here are my picks. I already read an ARC of Georgie, All Along, but couldn't resist getting a hardcover copy. I loved it so much.