Welcome to Litsy!

A good historical fiction novel that showcases the glamor of Hollywood and film along the French Riviera at the Grand Hotel, set against the backdrop of the start of WWII. There‘s romance and a thriller-esque thread woven into the storytelling. The list of who‘s who in Hollywood in 1939 is staggering, and the MC Annabel (who knows photography) mingles with them all (hence my choice for #BBRC #Adult #Paparazzi ).

Great #SundayBuddyRead choice!

My 4th time reading this & I finally picked up on some of the clues! There‘s nothing like a wildly gesticulating Poirot dancing his way down the street to make one laugh (and I always picture the Suchet Poirot in my mind).

Discussion tomorrow! I‘ll post questions mid to late morning, US East Coast time. #192025 #1920 #LitsyAToZ #LetterM #52BookClub25 #TitleStartsWithLetterM #BBRC #Adult #AuthorCelebrity #AgathaChristieClubR3 #ChristiesCapers

Vibrant, joyful and positive. Being you isn‘t always easy. Having (and being) a good friend makes all the difference.

A strong message told in rhyme, with very appealing pictures.

Author is Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye.

#BBRC @LibrarianRyan

Warning time! I‘m attempting to work through @LibrarianRyan ‘s #BBRC prompts. The theme this year is celebrity authors, and we‘re starting with at least 16 picture books! I promise, this will be more painful for me than it is for you, but if it‘s what the kids are reading (and it is…) Obvs, I should stop being a library snob and read them. Yay!

Bear 🙂 Mischievous bear cub causes mayhem, making other animals jump, as they prepare to be on TV.

Everyone can make a difference. Even a small step against an injustice makes an impact.

This #Anthology of fictional stories for a #Teen audience shows characters from diverse backgrounds standing up for themselves, sometimes loudly and other times quietly. It takes lots of courage to do what some of these characters did to support themselves and their communities. A great book for a YA discussion group!

#LiteraryCrew : discussion on Monday!

…and while we‘re on national treasures…

Tyrone is cared for by his grandad, while his mum is out at work. And his Grandad believes in dreaming big, using your imagination and having fun!

A story in rhyme, with joyous pictures. Didn‘t scan perfectly when so read it, but I‘m sure it would if you got the audiobook. #BBRC

This is the picture book version of Floella‘s biography, illustrated by Diane Ewen (not the linked version).

As a child in Trinidad, Floella‘s father was invited to move to Britain. Her mother and younger siblings followed later, with Floella and her older siblings travelling a year or so later again. England (and the welcome) was not necessarily what she‘d expected, but she learnt to love the place. And yes the ending made me cry.

Though I hope to finish one more book tonight, I am officially calling my #Top24Of24 , which is really 25 (one for good luck).

To date, I have completed 166 books this year (not counting picture or early reader books for #BBRC ); I think this is my best reading year ever.

I selected 5-star reads and books that I keep thinking about, even months later.

Thanks for being great reading supporters! Huge thank you those who joined me in buddy reads!

I think I‘m staying for the series just for the cupcakes! Mel and Angie are in a baking competition, and so is their horrible competitor Olivia. A judge, Mel‘s friend and mentor, is found dead at the competition, and Mel feels she must find out how they died and why. The reveal at the end was well crafted. And a kitten is introduced in the series, so that made me happy! 😂

Mel‘s wishy-washy feelings made me eye roll!

#BBRC #Adult #ShortAudiobook

I am terrible at listening to nonfiction—I rarely pick up the audio version. But, I‘ve wanted to read this one, and it is not readily available at the library but was available through my Audible membership.

While I got bogged down with so many dates & people, I think that‘s more to do with my issue as a listener rather than the book. Loxton writes of the London satirists in the 18th century, a topic not really covered in general histories. ⬇️