Welcome to Litsy!

Road trip - day one. Daughter is already complaining the dog is crowding her out. 4 mammals in the backseat: girl, boy, cat & dog. ๐Ÿ˜…

Tagged novel is a re-listen. I gave it 5 stars the first time around - we‘ll see if it holds up. ๐Ÿคž๐Ÿพ

I didn‘t care for this one at all, which is unfortunate because I loved People of the Book and Horse. The story had a lot of potential, but I found it to be a boring and annoying read. At least I completed #Pop23 ~a book with an alliteration in the title

Geraldine Brooks is always hit-or-miss with me. I'm only in the first chapter but I'm thinking to let this one go.

Finished this two weeks ago. Tells the story of Caleb, a Native American, and Bethia, a young Pilgrim woman. Brooks folds in stories of life in Massachusetts for both parties: expectations of each other, the life of young women, what neither of them are allowed to do because of their status in relation to white men and religion, and finally what it‘s like for Caleb who goes to university in Boston. A soft pick and a good companion while driving.

Here are a few options I was thinking about for #lmpbc #round12 #groupi

What do you think, @Susanita @robinb @megnews

This was my first Geraldine Brooks and I can't believe I've waited so long. I've heard some people say that this isn't her best and if that's the case I'm in for a real treat when I read another.

A really interesting story about a part of history I don't often consider. I found it descriptive and a compelling story.

Disappointingly not so riveting as her others... I found it slow in the middle and almost bailed. The final quarter improved as the female narrator matured and moved away.

Wading through this... can't say I'm particularly enjoying it which saddens me. ๐Ÿคจ๐Ÿค”
Using the night shift to bulk read to see if the pace changes...

Adored March and People of the Book. High expectations for this one!

Thank you Geraldine Brooks for dragging me out of my reading slump! Loved this book! ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ

Is anyone else finding it hard to concentrate on reading during isolation? I haven‘t really enjoyed the last two books I‘ve read. I‘ve just started this one and I‘m hoping Geraldine Brooks can pull me out of my isolation reading slump.

I'm a huge fan of #geraldinebrooks but i find it very difficult to empathize with the main character because her value system - a puritan woman in the 1600s - is so austere, strict, and submissive. The decisions she makes while under the bootheel of inane men who clutch their pearls at her intellect. Its just blech.
I do love the writing and sense of place. Islands of of Massachusetts in the 17th cent must have been wild windswept places

Ok it's getting better! Still slow, but the main character is getting more interesting. Dealing with so much oppressive religious guilt is hard to slog through. I'll keep going!

Off to a slow start. Should i stay with it? I have loved other books by Geraldine Brooks. Maybe I'm just turned off by the initial character losing their mother on the first page. Why do so many mothers have to die for the sake of character development? #tiredtropes

I really liked this book, and everything I‘ve read by this author. The ebook is on sale today.

It seems I could weep forever, and yet not empty the reservoir of my grief.

Early AM urgent care appointment = book reading time. ๐Ÿ“š ๐Ÿฅ

5๐Ÿ’ซ novel! It‘s left me conflicted about so many things of American colonial history worth with mulling over, which is a gift. โ€˜โ€˜Tis the reason to read. ๐Ÿ˜Š

Sorry @Momreviews , you‘re just wrong about this one. It got a strong four stars from me. #momreviews

This was a really good and SAD book but I had a hard time getting through it. I think I had a case of "It's not you it's me" with this one. I just needed to be in a different headspace I guess ?โ€โ™€๏ธ #63

Starting this next on #overdrive #currentlylistening

I liked it. Very masterful historical fiction. I‘ve seen reviews saying it‘s slow, and it is, but that how I like history portraits. I read this because, as Thanksgiving approaches, I wanted a realistic depiction of some of the first interactions between Native Americans and the Europeans who arrived and began taking over. There are some elements that troubled me, but generally I found Brooks‘s treatment of her subject deft and thoughtful.

Day 4 of #31bookpics - orange books! My stack includes 2 TBR on the bottom, one atmospheric historical fiction in the middle, and 2 beloved middle grade/YA on the top. I think of both Caleb‘s Crossing and The Witch of Blackbird Pond as autumnal - I wonder if thats why the publishers made them orange? ๐Ÿค”๐Ÿ

I finished my last read for #booked2018 at about 10:30 last night. Was too tired to post, not realizing until this morning that it was to be posted at that time. ๐Ÿ™ That last to finish one, โ€œJust Mercyโ€ was a ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ read and also from #mounttbr!
Set in School- Caleb‘s Crossing
Japanese Thriller- Real World
LGBTQIA- Aristotle and Dante
Beach Read- The Girls of August
Blame It On Litsy- Artemis
Diverse Nonfiction - Just Mercy

Historical fiction based on the first Native American to graduate from Harvard, Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk. His story is told from the perspective of Bethia Mayfield, a minister‘s daughter who chafes against the narrow roles permitted for women in Puritan America. The two become friends as they explore each other‘s worlds. Bethia‘s father eventually makes a project out of educating Caleb as a way to bring his religion to the Wampanoag.

Set in mid 17th century New England (Martha‘s Vineyard and Harvard University)Bethia, a settler from England befriends a Native American boy, Caleb,son of the leader of the local tribe. Based on a true story, this slow, beautiful tale of their relationship and their paths to an education. My favorite type of book. One where I am fully invested in the characters and place. History, the plight of โ€œthe otherโ€ and Love. #booked2018 #setinschool

Audio walk today on a nature trail at a local college.

My new โ€œaudioโ€on the go and my first Geraldine Brooks. #playaway

I decided to read this book one night to put me to sleep as my mother had bailed on it as very slow and not terribly interesting. It is a slow read but if you stick with it, it is very satisfying from an accomplished writer. Itโ€˜s the story of America in the 1600s told by a teen girl, too smart for the times in which she lived, how she managed to thrive, and the American Indians with whom she grew up.

First of my uni novels. I ended up liking it a lot more than I expected to; the story (in part) of one of the first native american graduates of Harvard. While the language sometimes made it feel overly dramatic, it worked well to keep the setting straight. The narrator tends to move back and forth in time which results in repetitiveness and distraction, but it still manages to offer a beautiful story steeped in rich visuals and an engaging story.

HPB purchases yesterday

I loved the beautiful descriptive language about the island and the historical moment that this book explores. The characters Caleb and Joel were fascinating to me. The only thing I could wish for would be to go just a little deeper with them, but since this is really Bethia's story, I'm satisfied.

#ReadingResolutions #orange @Jess7

I love her books. Expanding my ribbon color collection. These aren‘t on my site quite yet, but will be up tonight. :)

I've read a couple other books by Geraldine Brooks, & adored them. But this one didn't do it for me ๐Ÿ˜•. It dragged - I'm not even sure why I finished it.
I would still recommend Brooks - she's fantastic - just not this one. Hopefully I'll love the next one I read by her like I did the last two.

I've read a couple of Brooks' books, & loved them. I hope this one turns out to be as dear to me.
#litsyatoz #letterc

Saw Geraldine Brooks at the One Book, One San Diego Event