There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel | 
pickLoved this story. Human connection through water. Told through 3 perspectives, set on the banks of the River Thames and the Tigris in 2014, 2018 and 1840 (and a bit beyond). My favorite character was King Arthur of the Sewers and Slums. Not one I‘ll soon forget!
I was at the House of Literature last night to hear Elif Shafak talk about her latest book
What a talk. She talked about so many aspects of the novel and the significance of different writing styles for the different POV. I now have a deeper understanding of the novel
And Sharif was so sweet. Taking her time for everyone wanting a signed copy and a selfie. I stood 50 min in a queue. I can‘t remember the last time I did that
I popped into the bookstore while my oldest son was with his tutor. This book jumped out at me and reminded me to check it out at the library. I did read the first few pages there. Is that stealing? I‘m not a bookstore person, at the library, this is encouraged!
pickEvery once in a while you read the blurb of a book and think this could be a new favorite. Then you read the first paragraph and gets it confirmed. This was that book for me. I knew I was in safe hands and could just get lost in the story.
Arthur by the Thames from the 1840s, Narin by the Tigris in 2014 and Zaleekhah by the Thames in 2018. I preferred Arthur and Zaleekhah‘s stories and I post under a spoiler why
And that ending
It occurs to him, in that moment, that poverty has its own scent, an odour that emanates from his pores, easily detected. It is an awful, debilitating thought.
(This quote has my thinking of “Parasite” right away)
A day late because I wasn‘t very well yesterday.
This one was by far and away my favourite book of 2024.
#FaveBk24
#25Alive
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs
pick“Water is the consummate immigrant, trapped in transit, never able to settle.”
The story spans multiple timelines, a story of a child born in London in the 1800s, a young researcher with a broken marriage finding her footing in present day London and about a young girl belonging to an unconventional religion in present times as well.The common denominator is a single drop of water caught in its never ending cycle of evaporation and precipitation.
Not just my favourite read of November, but the best book of the year for me. I adored it.
#12BooksOf2024
@Andrew65
pickI have read this book in the last 24 hours and feel a bit battered and broken.
It‘s amazing, a work of art, but brutal and honest.
I learned a lot and googled a lot!
Brilliant story telling.
so-soJoining @TheAromaofBooks #Readouttheold readathon to finish all the books before the new year arrives. Read this one for a bookclub. I had a hard time getting into it and when I got in, it became very heavy.
I appear to have been on some kind of mission this month (called trying to catch up on my Goodreads challenge!), 12 books in a month must surely be a record for me.
Best by far was There Are Rivers in the Sky, a truly beautiful novel.
Worst by a huge margin was Starting Over (men who blame their own violence on others should never be considered as love interest material, in books or in real life).
#NovemberWrapUp
bailedI love Elif Shafak as a person who speaks about pressing issues & as an author. I‘ve enjoyed the diverse characters & warmth of her previous books. I didn‘t get on with this one - it felt too slow & the fable-like tone & lack of plot tension made it hard to connect with the characters or care what happened. It‘s also a little overwritten or descriptive. I‘ve heard people raving about it, but I didn‘t have the patience to keep going.
1. Sunday afternoon, the weather‘s dull, dark, rainy, but I‘m indoors with the fire on, a cup of tea on the go, and a good book in my hand ☺️
2. I‘ve just started reading the tagged book, which I‘ve been looking forward to diving into since I saw Elif taking about it at Cheltenham Literature Festival last month.
#WondrousWednesday
@Eggs
pickI got the ARC of this from #netgalley, long before it was published in August, but it had mixed reviews so I wasn‘t really tempted. It‘s recently been announced as being one of the BBC Between The Covers books so I picked it up, and absolutely loved it.
It‘s really devastating though so be warned, with some CW. Following 3 different people in different timescales, all linked by water, I loved how it all came together in the end.
pickThis book broke my heart. Brutal and beautiful. A drop of magical realism. Three lives separated in time and place, connected by a drop of water, the Tigris, and the Epic of Gilgamesh. I found it a bit hard to get into the present tense narration, but all three narratives gripped me. (Content warnings, but the most horrific events are off page and there's nothing gratuitous.) I fully expect to see this listed for the Women's Prize next year.
What a book. This is a new to me author and this book is so hard to describe. It's definitely going to be at the top of my favorite books for this year. This is such a good one. One you won't want to put down and you definitely can not just skim through it and understand what is going on.
Full review: https://lsmoore49.blogspot.com/2024/09/there-are-rivers-in-sky-elif-shafak.html
@shafakelif
@aaknopf
When you have the perfect bookmark for a book. 💙
pickAfter really enjoying her previous 2 books, I am unsurprised that Shafak‘s latest is terrific. It follows 3 main characters in three different times and thus took me a little time to settle in, but I was absolutely rewarded for doing so. The storylines are all equally compelling and I had so much empathy for each of these characters. And I loved how she used water to show how truly connected we all are. Just superb.
It‘s almost unfair to other books in a square when Elif Shafak enters my grid. I find her writing so captivating that I‘m pulled into her stories every time.
5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Avg C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F
Summer's over, as illustrated by soggy dog.
I'm really enjoying this book though.
pickElif Shafak is a gorgeous writer and this story of 3 characters connected through time by a single drop of water pulled me in. 1870s Arthur and his love of learning - just cool. 2014, little Narin had my heart with a compelling story. (I‘m still down a google rabbit hole.) Zaleekah with her doctorate in hydrology (fascinating) and an appreciation of someone‘s love for Mesopotamian history pulled it all together (and more googling).
pick5 Stars • I am a huge fan of Elif Shafak‘s novels, and have read most of what she has written. I think that this book, There Are Rivers in the Sky, is, hands-down, her best work to date. I don‘t know how she can top herself after this, but I am anxiously awaiting.
This novel spans centuries, continents, and cultures, entwining three main characters through the themes of rivers, rain, and waterdrops. ⬇️
pickI love this author. This is on the level of the missing trees imo. This is basically about a tribe in the Levant. But it is also about water. I feel like I learned things but the story is also amazing.
#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks
Pub date is 8/20
#ARC #Netgalley
pickThe narrative structure of this book is fantastically creative and hooked me on the storylines, the way they braided together and it was fun to look for all the connections between the plot-streams--reappearing objects and legends and history and lore. Some of it is deeply brutal and violent. Recommend but maybe read it in small doses. I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
