Welcome to Litsy!

This was a well written but hard to read book. I love that the author has her nameless MC say she always wanted to write a book length poem and the book is written in these stanzas that effectively reflect a moment, an idea, but also move the book forward. The MC recounts her 14yr plus relationship with John. And you are right there, living the abuse, almost none of it physical, with the wife. I felt awful. It made me think of friends I‘ve 👇🏼

I‘m halfway through this book and I don‘t know if I can finish it. Has anybody listed to the John Delony Show? I listen because I think as a reader I‘m drawn to the drama but just like this book he has women who call in and ask-I found out my husband was sexting 9 other women and he doesn‘t think it‘s cheating, but we‘ve compromised so that he‘s only sexting 3 now-what should I do? Another woman-My 10yo daughter came home from a play date 👇🏼

I'm really enjoying this year's #ToB! I got myself a mug to commemorate finishing the whole shortlist (as I did in 2023). Today's decision and commentary---between Liars and The Book of George---are particularly interesting, and I enjoyed reading them while enjoying decaf from my official mug.

Once I started I could not stop reading. I found the story compulsive and kind of suffocating. The husband was so appalling - so self righteous, so unreliable, so unappreciative - I kept thinking “how dare he?”. I was beyond anger and into claustrophobia. While her relationship was outside my experience (and I recognise more than ever how lucky I am in mine) the description of caring for a small child was very relatable. #ToB2025 👇

I read this in a constant state of fury. The story of a woman in a marriage who gives up her career and her sense of self to man who belittles her and refuses to acknowledge her contributions to their lives and his own neglect. My blood was boiling but I couldn‘t look away . I saw so many things in Jane‘s marriage that I have observed in relationships around me. Another book I wouldn‘t have picked up without the #tob25.

The first half of this book could have been pulled straight from my life and I suspect a lot of women will relate and cringe. It was almost hard to read but then the second half moved away from what I would consider standard ways patriarchy shows in heterosexual relationships and towards how that extends in combination with a narcissistic spouse. I LOVE a book where you get to just hate someone and there‘s nothing redeeming about John here.

Do you want to know what it feels like to be metaphorically boiled alive? This book is doing that for me and I suspect any woman who‘s dated a man will relate to the quiet sinister parts of patriarchy in a relationship displayed in this book.

That husband! He is really the worst, she must have lied to herself a lot to stick with him through all the years. Giving up her career and her freedom and it‘s never gonna be enough. I felt for Jane and for the child and I totally understand her anger.
Very well written and in parts recognizable and uncomfortable. Another light pick. #ToB25

📷 My hotel room 🤩 on Tenerife, Canary Islands

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Ugh, that husband! 😡 This is one of those books where after reading it I thank my partner for not being a narcissistic nightmare. And even though he is a lovely person, this also made me glad to not be married and horrified at the treatment some women are trained to accept as normal. Infuriatingly readable. This one definitely stayed with me. #ToB25

#FeelinTheLove Day 8: Would much rather be #Loveless than be in any sort of relationship with the protagonist‘s husband who, for lack of a better word, is a world-class jerk. A #ToB25 play-in title, which I finished reading last week. Review is forthcoming. Still need to read The Wedding People.

I listened to this one and I actually felt relief when I got to the end as it was SO relentless in its portrayal of a woman stuck in a horrible marriage. It was like living in her head/story. So well written and I imagine a lot of women will relate to at least aspects of it. “I was in charge of everything and in control of nothing.”

This novel was a weak pick for me. I can't say I enjoyed reading the book but it was hard-hitting and felt very honest. I was going to abandon it at first but then wanted to see how the main character would evolve.

#ToB25
#gottacatchemall (Eevee: book you borrowed) @PuddleJumper

I just realized this existed (I was going to say I "discovered" it, but that seemed a little too Christopher Columbus) and knew I had to join in!

#WeeklyFavorites @Read4life

This is a quick one (read/listened to it all today), and I really liked it. It's kind of brutal, but it's more relatable for me than All Fours, which has similar themes (midlife, the unequal nature of marriage, etc). The weaponized incompetence, the shifting of narrative so the actions of one partner are always justified, the inclination of the other partner to internalize all of the problems in the marriage...all feel true/familiar. #tob25

Another out-the-window snowy day backdrop! Here‘s to nowhere to go so I can stay in and read. LOVE that Elif Batuman has a blurb. Have already found a book #coinkydink to BeautyLand 🐇❄️

#Jan2025 Book2

Whew, this is one ANGRY 😡 book!

It chronicles the end of an abusive marriage (not physical, verbal) from the POV of Jane, a wife and mother. It‘s told in a stream of consciousness style and I found myself breathless with fury while reading it (why did she even get together with him in the first place?!) but I couldn‘t put it down.

It‘s supposedly semi-autobiographical and I hope the ex-husband has read it.

This is a play-in book for #ToB.

I couldn‘t put this one down and read it in an evening, which never happens. I was expecting more of a “thriller” than what this is: a critique of the patriarchy. I‘m not saying all men are as horrible as the husband in this, but Manguso got so many things right—it‘s horrible but comical, a train wreck. I loved the relationship and inner thoughts Jane (wife) had with and about her son. This portrait of a marriage is one of my new favorites.

This book chronicles a woman‘s relationship from beginning to end of the man who becomes her husband then her ex. He‘s a rage-inducing, entitled man-child, which made the whole thing beyond frustrating (I could never understand why she was with him in the first place). It‘s hard to say I “liked” this, but it‘s really well done.

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Audio narration definitely not working on this one. 😒

This book is not for everyone but I thought it did a great job of summing up an abusive marriage. The entire book is told in the narrator‘s thoughts, one thought at a time. Her husband does so many jerky things which she balances out with the nice things. And of course she hangs on to those nice things, allowing herself to ignore or explain away the bad things. Well worth reading as it really rings true.

Loved this book about the anger that‘s boiling inside a wife and mother who is putting her family‘s needs before her own. Very relatable.
Thanks to NetGalley and the for the advance copy.

I have no words to describe how much this book enraged me…So I believe that it served its purpose.

Jane and John‘s relationship is full of red flags from the start. But they persist, get married, have a child…

And what Manguso does is take you along through a horrible roller-coaster ride that you don‘t want to get down from (because the writing is THAT good!).

Read this!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pub Date: 7/23/24 #NetGalley

Started this book today and read 25% in one sitting. Happy that I gave Mancuso another chance! #arc #NetGalley

Got approved for this e-ARC through #NetGalley today. I tried reading Very Cold People by this author, but ended up DNFing…This looks more up my alley so I‘m excited to read another Manguso.