Welcome to Litsy!

I really enjoyed this book. It was funny and lighthearted, but also surprisingly thoughtful and reflective. The setting at a destination wedding, and the characterization of the group of guests as “the wedding people”, will ring true in a fun, humorous way for anyone who has been to an over-the-top wedding weekend.
#Pantone2025 #DejaVuBlue @Lauredhel

#FeelinTheLove Day 18: Look at all those #Hearts in this understated book cover. Finished reading this last night. Definitely one of my #ToB25 favorites, thus far. What a delight. Review is forthcoming.

#FeelinTheLove Day 17: #GalentinesDay feels especially during the bridal shower bonding of the women and the revelations that ensued. Nearly finished with this #ToB25 title - why wasn‘t this novel given more love last year? It‘s brilliant!

This book was EVERYTHING!! 😍😍😭😍😍
At times darkly hilarious, witty and biting, at times heartfelt and piercing, in either case this writing was so hard-hitting and cut deep into my thoughts and my soul. It was simultaneously a genius universal social commentary and an intimate portrait of these very unique characters. I was cheering them on!!
I aspire to be this good of a writer 🥹
And once again, Helen Laser on audio was sensational👏🏻👏🏻

#FeelinTheLove Day 16: Quite the #LoveHatePairing with this #ToB25 title with Phoebe‘s cheating ex-hubby. I can see this being made into a series. Set against the desert last night as husband and I watched a Chinese concert pianist and Chinese dancers perform with the Jebel Hafeet Mountain (UNESCO heritage site) as the backdrop. Perfect post Valentine and CNY celebration. A good open-air wedding venue too. My sky cashmere shawl matches book cover.

Gary and Phoebe were by far my favorite parts of this book. I did not annotate this book and regret that I did not. What a beautifully crafted story. The messy, the ugly, the pain, the recovery from the pain, the beauty in realizing this isn‘t the end but maybe the beginning, and that perhaps it‘s ok the person we are with isn‘t right for us and walking away won‘t kill us. Highly recommend!

#WeeklyFavorites @Read4life

A little delayed, but here I am with the best of the week. February is going much faster than January so far.

Phoebe, on the run from her old life, finds herself in a posh hotel in Newport, where everyone else is there for a wedding. She begins to see beyond her depression and learns important lessons about how to live from the wedding people.

It's a soft pick for me. I may have read too many glowing reviews of this before reading it. It has charm and humor and poignant moments, and it's a bit of a readalike for A Man Called Ove.

#fiction

Two very different #WeekendReads - about halfway through the tagged one and enjoying it; just starting the other one. Working today; hoping for more reading time tomorrow!

@rachelsbrittain

I have been very much enjoying novels centered around middle-aged women reevaluating their relationships. I especially like that this one doesn't focus on the hormonal stuff. Normalizing perimenopause rocks, but it fatigues me when a person is reduced to biology. Of course, this MC is a little young for perimenopause, which might be why it's not a main character. The novel is a little too perfectly laid out, but it feels honest, and I like that.

Audiopuzzling this very shiny puzzle that my brother-in-law and his wife got us for Christmas.

Today was our in-person book club day! This was my fourth one and it‘s become so special to me! We‘ve formed friendships over our shared love of books and everyone is so *kind* and amped to be geeky about reading. My people. 💖

Next one up. I'll need to hurry with this one because it's due back to the library soon; hope it's a quick read!

7/100 💍🥂💒
#goodreads #goodreadsreadingchallenge #readinggoal

#WeeklyFavorite

Really loved the tagged book. Phoebe has decided her life is sh*t and there is nothing left to live for. As her plans get waylaid she is given a chance to find her true self. Great book!

@Read4life

This book glued together my broken heart. It was definitely the right book at the right time. The storyline and FMC were just soo relatable. Each character had such a unique presence. This book is so relatable to real life. It had me hooked and was an incredible way to start the year. I‘m sure it‘ll be among my fave books of the year! Thank you soo much @LiteraryinPA for the amazing recommendation! #auldlangspine

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Setting aside the somewhat frank discussions of suicide (bc that theme prevails throughout and if that‘s too much for you, maybe avoid this book) - the realistic portrayals of human vulnerability was really well done and heartfelt.

It reminded me a lot of The Midnight Library. I feel like if you liked this and haven‘t read that one, you should. 💖

I am still trying to decide what all I feel about this one. 💙🩷🤍

If, for whatever reason, you need a hug in book form today, I‘ve got you covered!
https://ifyoulovethatreadthis.substack.com/p/if-you-love-a-book-that-feels-like

My favorite book of 2024! The audiobook was perfect. Great narrator. Great story. Lives up to the hype. 🩷🤍🩷

But we can‘t always be what we want every second. And that‘s okay. That‘s just life, you know? 💍💔

I liked this so much more than I expected! Despite the plot line, it‘s not at all cheesy or sappy even though it‘s such a heartwarming reading experience. I loved the dry humor throughout and the characters are fantastic. I honestly related to Lila‘s predicament so deeply, and was rooting for Phoebe the whole time. 🩵

Moving on to my in-person book club pick. We meet the first weekend in Feb. BOTM audio referral credit coming in clutch for me! 😅

It feels like everyone‘s reading this book right now. ☕️💅🏻

Oh, the joys of families in enforced proximity for a celebration! All the ways they can provoke, irritate and misunderstand each other without being bad people, just people with different outlooks and personalities. I enjoyed the story. I would have enjoyed it even more if it had taken a less obvious direction towards the end. But at least it wasn‘t tied up in too neat a bow.

Oh how I love this book ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Phoebe's life takes a turn when she becomes part of Lila and Gary's wedding party. This story is about finding meaning in one's life, finding direction, finding friends, finding value in yourself, being true to yourself - so many things. The story went in the direction I assumed it would, but took an interesting road to get there. Overall a very good book.

Make a great day everyone ☃️

What a delightful read!

Phoebe incidentally becomes mixed up in a wedding party at a hotel in Rhode Island where she herself booked a room to end her life. However, meeting and talking to the wedding people who are so different from her is refreshing and makes her reflect on her life in a new way.
Without getting cheesy this story is addictive and filled with romance, humor, depth and sadness.

WHY is it in the play-in round of the #ToB25?!!

I enjoyed this novel much more than I had expected to. It's a good exploration of grief and depression that is also funny and uplifting. The characters, most of whom were initially unlikable, grew on me as the novel progressed.

#ToB25
#52bookclub25 (standalone novel)
#gottacatchemall (Oricorio: a book with dancing) @PuddleJumper

I have had so many library holds come in at once I don‘t know what to read first #thestruggleisreal I started this last night and I had no idea this was how it was going to begin 🤯 I want to stay in bed all weekend and read all my books ( the books in the background are my TBR shelf/piles and it is ridiculous)

24-27 Dec 24 (audiobook)
Phoebe checks in to a luxury hotel intending to kill herself but finds she is surrounded by people attending the wedding of a neurotic bride, Lila. Lila begs and bribes Phoebe to delay her suicide so as not to spoil her perfect wedding and an unlikely friendship begins.
Whilst the plot reads like a setup for a romcom, the writing delves deeper than expected, examining loneliness, expectations, and finding life‘s meaning

Up next on audio! 🎧

#bookspinbingo

My hold on tagged book came in after 10 weeks - so started this during #HyggehourReadathon #hyggehour
Snow falling, fire going (forgot picture) - great way to end an evening.
Normally during this hour I am with a group of friends doing a “spiritual reset“ for the week ahead - snow left me home tonight, resetting on my own 😊
Thanks for hosting @Alldebooks @Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie

Make a great day everyone 📚

I really didn‘t know what I was getting into from the cover / blurb. This was a lot deeper, darker, and more reflective than I was expecting. I would never have bought it for my MIL for Christmas if I‘d had trigger warnings. Oops - we shall see how she likes it.

Started this one today and love it so far! Thanks again Lisa 💛

#25Alive
#toast 🥂

Just as delightful as many reviews promised! I‘m a bit of a curmudgeon at times, so the cover art and potential romance here made me wary. Then all the positive reviews and the inclusion of this on #ToB25 twisted my arm and I‘m so glad I gave it a shot. Authentic-feeling characters who experience grief but also joy find connection in unexpected moments and situations, during a wedding week in RI. Even if there was a tad bit of cheese, I loved it!

Finally had a chance to finish this after a hectic Christmas Eve/Christmas morning. I enjoyed this - I liked the fact that Espach takes what is essentially a rom-com/commercial fiction set up but treats it in a more contemplative way. I think appreciating Phoebe‘s “awakening” to her own power to decide, to act or influence others, is the crux of liking or disliking this. Without that some of the unrealistic elements would have put me off a little.

I really enjoyed this. I loved the characters, which initially seemed basic, but slowly became more interesting and complex. The main character‘s journey seemed authentic and I see why this has been so popular. Definitely recommend and this would be a great book club book. 5⭐️

Guys! I got 39% of the way through and this book was so depressing I couldn‘t do it. Also, I didn‘t know where the plot was going so that made me not want to finish it.

Prelude to my Top 24 (or 25) post, I actually managed to finish a photo bracket and continue to agree with my choices. BUT! The real question is… will any of my current reads knock off Make Envy Disco 🪩?! I doubt it.
BIG THANK YOU to @Catsandbooks for the bracket template.

I can see why this was a #GoodreadsChoiceWinner for the year! I couldn‘t stop listening to this one! The performance is great & all of these wedding people really came to life! When Phoebe leaves her suddenly empty MO home, she plans a nice last room service meal & that‘s it forever. But as the only non-invitee at the RI hotel for Gary & Lila‘s wedding, the bride won‘t let her lavish 6 day celebration be spoiled. The quick intimacy draws you in!

A surprisingly sweet dramedy about a depressed woman who finds a new outlook on life after accidentally getting entangled in a wedding.

Reflective ✨ Honesty ✨ Connection

This was amazing! Hard to put down, great characters that were unique, compelling, and fully formed. The writing was tight, well paced, and smart. So good on #audio ! Highly recommend! #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I started this while feeling a bit down and had to take a couple breaks before it really hooked me. It didn‘t start out as the light hearted read the cover suggests. A struggling woman checks into a hotel and becomes entangled in the wedding taking place on site. The interactions push her outside of her herself and her sadness but she also changes those she meets. Balancing both depth and humor this book was surprisingly delightful.

Very entertaining! I enjoyed this one a lot.

What a fantastic surprise! Thank you so much @AmyG ! I needed a pick me up and this package has delivered. Now I know what I will be reading next! Your kindness is so appreciated!

#Nov2024 recap: 11 books (yeah, only 10 showing) 3284 pages read, 38.6 hours listened.
5🌟 The Wedding People, Poor Deer, Sandwich, Anthropocene, How to Read a Book
4🌟 Time War, Engr Wife, Wild Houses, Whiteness
3🌟 Irena Rey, Great Bridge (skimmed😏)

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