Welcome to Litsy!

I‘m enjoying some quiet with a book and an iced coffee in the hammock this morning. I‘ve barely made any time to read this book this month, so I‘m trying to make a bit of progress.

#1001books #HammockReading #BooksOnTheFarm

This is a tough book for me to review, and I‘ve actually waited a few days thinking about it. It has some really interesting aspects in the way it‘s told by the son of a couple who were convicted and executed for conspiring to steal secrets for Russia. Yet, it was also complicated to follow as it jumped back and forth in time. Additionally, I wanted more of the sister‘s story.

#audiobook #1001books #Reading1001 #TBRTakedown July 2024

Thanks to the #Bookerprize, the #ToB and the #1001books list I‘ve read a lot of them yet I do think it‘s too America focused. I do love American fiction, but I‘d expected a more international list.

Opening with NYE in 1979 London, Liz and her closest friends from university, Alix and Esther now entering their 50s, weather the changes of the early eighties. From a divorce after 25 years of a "modern" marriage to disillusion with the socialist left, to leaving London and the UK altogether.

Written without chapters, the narrative flows from one character to the next, incorporating dozens of narrators to provide a full picture of the times.

There has not been enough hammock time this summer, but today I finally got a bit with Gandalf for company. I found this book an interesting examination of character and commentary on aging alone, but it was a rather slow and melancholy read for me. I was glad that it ended with a bit of hopefulness.

#Reading1001 #TBRTakedown June 2024
#1001books #HammockReading

Andrea comes to Barcelona to live with family while attending university. Once there, she learns things are not good in her family home and she makes few friends attending class. Yet, she perseveres through a difficult year to finally find her way. The mood of much of this book is dark, but the detail in creating that mood and the hope in the end made it a light pick.

#1001books #translated #Spain #FoodAndLit #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld

I didn‘t particularly like the characters in this short book, but it was a fairly light listen that did give me a few laughs.

#1001books #audiobook

May was a great listening month, and I finished a few print books as well. I‘m happy with the variety of books, and I got multiple bingos! Both The Drover‘s Wife & The Last Ballad were great stories, and I loved Counting by 7s. Of the 16 completed, 4 were #1001books.

#BookSpin 18 The Drover‘s Wife by Leah Purcell
#DoubleSpin 4 Oroonoko by Aphra Behn

#BookSpinBingo #ReadingStats #MonthlyStats #DaiseysReadingSummary

I really enjoyed the history and mystery aspects of this story, but there was too much theological discussion to keep my full attention.

#1001books #audiobook
#Reading1001 Monthly Key Word Challenge

I made a breakfast quesadilla this morning to have alongside a few pages of my new book. This is my pick for Spain this month.

#Spain #FoodAndLit #ReadTheWorld #ReadingTheWorld #1001books #BookAndBreakfast