Welcome to Litsy!

I can see see why not everyone would love this book, but it worked for me. I was racing to finish it ahead of meeting the author this evening, so I switched back and forth between audio and print. When she was signing my books, I asked her if she wrote the audio descriptions of the photographs (which mention color, even though they're printed in b&w) and she didn't! That added another layer of translation, in my mind. She gave a good talk, too.

Given the mixed reviews this book had received, I hadn't expected to like it as much as I did. It was definitely weird and I'm sure there was a lot that went over my head, but I was never bored and the snarky footnotes were the best!
#ToB25

#CoverStories Day 8: #Trees - entire premise of this book is intriguing - the way the group of translators hero-worship Irena Ray, their beloved author, is almost cult-like, even their regular gathering with all the rules and their calling each other by their languages was strange. While the other #Tob25 title Colored Television was more of a page-turner, this is still holding my interest, though it is a bit of a struggle finishing it. #LitsyToB25

Eh? I listened to this instead of reading in print/digital, and not sure if that was a good thing. But also not sure I would have liked it more otherwise. There were some clever things going on, but I felt like a lot of it went over my head, and I just generally didn‘t love it. Not a strong contender for #tob25.

I haven't decided yet. It was very clever to combine a mystery, gothic horror, cli-fi, and juxtaposition of language and culture. The narrator was whiny, I did not care for her at all. But I would read it again just for the footnotes.

There. I finished it. It doesn't feel like a waste of time, but I'm also not sure if I "enjoyed" it, per se. There seem to be a lot of inside jokes and references here, and mostly it feels like a book directed at someone who isn't me, like reading someone else's parents' letters to each other. The connections and threads are interesting, but they don't really have significance to me, and I'm usually able to center myself in any story. #tob25

The amount that I read during the symphony last night is not a statement about the quality of the music. (Although it might be an indication of how well I can focus during slower movements. My 15yo asked, "How do you feel about being a fair-weather fan?" Luckily, I can handle being judged by a teenager now that I'm 30+ years from being one.)

Still working on this one. Still not sure why. My Kobo says I have 3.3 hours to go (54% done). I want to know what happens, but I'm a little worried it will feel like I've wasted my time. Not that being comfy with book, tea, and slippers is ever a *total* waste of time.

"...Our Author---likely the greatest author in the world---had organized her books, at least in part, *by color*?"

I'm still not sure about this book, but it does have some amusing bits.

I'm trying to figure out how long I should give this #tob25 shortlist title before I decide to bail. I like the concept, but I'm 9% in, and it's not grabbing me yet. Maybe two more chapters?

Wow did this book suck! Even Molly was frightened of it when I tried to snap her picture with it! The blurb sounded so good, but I could barely care about the characters and the plot was ridiculous in an un-fun way. Beats out Rejection for my new worst of the #tob25 shortlist!

This harness was one of Molly‘s Christmas presents. She hates having her picture taken! We call this chair her throne because it‘s her spot for looking out the window. 😍

What in the world did I just read and why? So far, the #ToB25 shortlist has NOT delivered gems to my reading life. This was weird and I was lost most of the time, though maybe that was part of the point…? Felt like I was wandering in a dark forest, like the cover. Though I did think more about translators and their experiences than ever before. I‘ve undoubtedly missed something so I guess I‘ll learn from the discussion. That ending though!

Well, this was weird…. A group of translators gather together to translate Irena Rey‘s latest work. They only refer to each other by their languages - this book is written by Spanish but translated by English and I struggled to follow who was narrating. The MC, whoever she was, was also incredibly immature and whingey, or was that as a result of English not liking Spanish?! And the ending? 🤯🤨

I‘m kind of glad I read it though.

#tobshortlist

Between a so-so and a pick because I never felt bored though I was often confused and bewildered. I enjoyed the questioning of how and what translators DO, I was intrigued by the devotion of the translators to their Dear Author, I found the animosity between English and Spanish amusing in its presentation. One word I read in a review somewhere calling this “delirium” - it fits! I have no doubt that a “discussion” would find me liking it more.

It made it! And so did Wild Horses! And Poor Deer! And many I don‘t recognize but many I do. Link in comments - I wouldn‘t have found it if weren‘t for the gr group site… #ToB2025_LongList #toblonglist

Starting next because might be on #ToB2025 Long List? #Hurryupalready

(Pic from a concert in 2015 that I don‘t remember… but thought might make a good backdrop for this cover 🤷🏻‍♀️)

To be honest I have no clue what I just read. The story is pretty clear but there‘s so much going on around it. In linguistics, in plot, in characters, in layers. Maybe it‘s good but it was hard to keep track and I lacked motivation towards the end.

My book club didn‘t hate me for picking this after all. In fact, the one person who finished it kind of liked it. For me it was too strange and layered. It sounded interesting though!

Takes place in eastern Poland. #whereareyoumonday

Mystery, anxiety, celebrity, adoration, myth, nature, “death of the author.” Translators have arrived & writer is missing. Followers freak w/out a source text. Clever, petty, silly, meta. 2024

5 “We treated her every word as sacred, even though our whole task was to replace her every word.”

43 “all we really wanted was the novel. We wanted to possess it, to stake our claim to it, to make it our own before anyone else even knew of its existence.”

There are #leaves on the cover and leaves on the trees in the forest by the house where most of the action takes place, in this very quirky book. I hope my book club doesn‘t hate me for suggesting this. #coverlove

I expected this one to be super weird and it was, but turns out it‘s my kind of weird. Croft explores the relationship between authors and their translators and plays with language (I‘m sure even more than I realized), as well as winking at her own work. I didn‘t love the ending and this won‘t be for everyone, but I dug it.