Litsy

And with the end of #CampLitsy25 we add Wild Dark Shore to the #HallOfFame! These are our winners since 2022.

If you‘ve been camping with us, you know 💕

If you participated for the first time and are impressed by the excellent taste of the campers🤪, you know now what to read next!

If you haven‘t participated and have been wondering what Camp is all about, this is it! You‘re welcome next year.

A big SO to Meg and Helen for co-hosting 💖

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

Bookwormjillk Thank you @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain this was so much fun. 3d

DGRachel I didn‘t attend 2022‘s camp, but I had such bad FOMO I tried in 2023. I think the winner was one of two I read that year! 😂 I bailed on at least one last year, too, but I read all of them this year. This was an amazing year. 3d

AmyG Oh Yay! This year was my favorite. I really enjoyed all the books. (edited) 3d

See All 17 Comments

Meshell1313 Awesome!!!! Thank you @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain for hosting! 3d

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk @Meshell1313 You are very welcome! Would be nothing without you! 3d

BarbaraBB @DGRachel This really was an amazing year, I think so too. We always have some hit or miss books except for this year! 3d

squirrelbrain You‘re welcome @Bookwormjillk @Meshell1313 - we love hosting! 3d

squirrelbrain @DGRachel @AmyG - Audition was *almost* a miss this year, but the thoughtful discussions and comments elevated it for me. But I still agree - best year yet! 3d

AmyG @squirrelbrain Agree. This book and discussion had me thinking! And that‘s why I gave it a pick. 3d

dabbe Thank you, @BarbaraBB @Megabooks and @squirrelbrain for all your hard work in putting this together. I feel off the wagon midway but am definitely going to read the winners! 🩶🤍🖤 3d

yourfavouritemixtape Thank you @barbarabb @megabooks and @squirrelbrain so much for organisig this! It‘s the only „reading challenge“ i took part in this year. And it was - again - really cool! 3d

Daisey Wonderful! I didn‘t read enough of the books to feel like voting, but I did love Wild Dark Shore! 3d

BarbaraBB @dabbe @yourfavouritemixtape @Daisey Thank you! We‘re happy you participated one way or another 😘 3d

DavidDiamond Just saw this and sounds like fun. How does one sign up for next year? Or is there a specific date this starts? Thanks! 2d

BarbaraBB @DavidDiamond I‘ll add you to the taglist and will keep you posted! You‘re very welcome to join us next year 2d

DavidDiamond @BarbaraBB Yay! Thank you! 1d

Suet624 I agree with @squirrelbrain … Audition was a mess until I read all the comments. It‘s still not a book I would recommend, but the commentary certainly made it worthwhile to read. The rest of the books were a real treat. Thank you so much for everything. 1d

73 likes17 comments

BarbaraBB

Wild Dark Shore | Charlotte McConaghy

We do have our #CampLitsy25 winner! A majority voted for this fantastic book and I couldn‘t agree more 😉. Woodworking ended on a second place, Tilt ended third.

Helen, Meg and I have enjoyed Camp again so much and want to thank you all for reading and discussing six great books with us. We have loved your thoughts, stories, reviews, insights, puns, etc.

We‘ll be back!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 4d

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @CBee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine 4d

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @Debinhawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose 4d

See All 44 Comments

BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @jenniferw88 4d

BarbaraBB @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @Maggie4483 4d

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn 4d

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks 4d

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape @zukeeyah 4d

Kitta Oh wow great winner, wild dark shore was amazing. I loved it although I voted for tilt! So I‘m happy with the result. Thanks so much for hosting. Camp Litsy is my favourite part of the summer and I can‘t believe it‘s over and I have to wait for a whole year for the next one!! 😭 Great book selections I wouldn‘t have read otherwise and great discussion from everyone. ⛺️❤️ @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks (edited) 4d

BarbaraBB @Kitta Thank you! Your contribution has been so much appreciated - as ever! 3d

Kitta @BarbaraBB you guys put in a ton of work for this, it‘s much appreciated!! ❤️ 3d

LeeRHarry Thanks for all your hard work guys! The only book I managed to get to was Wild Dark Shore so I guess I backed a winner! 😊 3d

Bookwormjillk Now the count down begins for 2026 long list… 3d

Chelsea.Poole Thanks hosts! @megabooks @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB —great job as always! 3d

BarbaraBB @LeeRHarry As if you knew it ❤️ (edited) 3d

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk I was thinking the same! 3d

Lesliereadsalot @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks I just want to tell the three of you what a difference you‘ve made in my life and the lives of many other readers as well. Opening doors for all of us, asking important questions, bringing us all together. So much fun for all of us and so enlightening. Thanks for it all. 🩷🩷🩷 3d

DGRachel Thank you all. Camp Litsy stretches me way beyond my literary comfort zone. I appreciate your thoughtful questions and facilitation of discussion. 💖 3d

BarbaraBB @Chelsea.Poole @Lesliereadsalot @DGRachel you make me blush (and o think @Megabooks and @squirrelbrain too)! Thank you so much but the pleasure is all ours, we love Camp Litsy and couldn‘t have done it without you 💕 3d

JenReadsAlot Thanks ladies and looking forward to next year! @BarbaraBB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain 3d

AmyG Thanks to all the book counselors! I loved Camp this year!!! 3d

Kitta @Bookwormjillk totally! I can‘t wait for next year. 3d

Meshell1313 Camp was so fun this year as usual! Thank you! 🎉 3d

Jas16 I had a great time at camp! Thank you to our amazing counselors for the work they put in to make it so amazing and to all of my fellow campers for the insightful discussions. 3d

BkClubCare All winners! 🏆 3d

Ruthiella Thank you @BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain @Megabooks for the leadership and organization! 👏👏👏 3d

TrishB Great stuff 👍🏻 would have been happy with any of the final 3 winning! Thanks to the 3 of you @squirrelbrain @Megabooks 3d

CBee It was hard for me to choose between this one and Woodworking so I just flipped a coin in my mind 😂 So glad this won! Well deserved 👏🏻 3d

BarbaraBB @JenReadsAlot @AmyG @Meshell1313 @Jas16 @Ruthiella @TrishB Thank you for making it such an amazing ‘25 edition 💝 3d

squirrelbrain Aw thanks you guys! ☺️ Like Barbara said, we love hosting camp and we couldn‘t do it without you all! @Kitta @LeeRHarry @Chelsea.Poole @Lesliereadsalot @DGRachel @JenReadsAlot @AmyG @Meshell1313 @Jas16 @Ruthiella @TrishB 3d

Suet624 Thanks to the three of you for all of your efforts in making this camp such a delight each summer. 3d

Hooked_on_books @Bookwormjillk Yes! Bring on the longlist! 3d

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books @Bookwormjillk When do they announce the longlist? Is it November? 3d

Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB late November/ early December I think 3d

BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk That‘s a long time 😬 3d

Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB @Bookwormjillk Yes, usually around US Thanksgiving, which is late November. Right now, I‘m anxious for the National Book Awards longlists, announced in 2 weeks, so that should tide me over for a while. 😆 3d

Bookwormjillk @Hooked_on_books @BarbaraBB perhaps someone on Litsy can infiltrate the nomination committee and give us a spoiler? 3d

Hooked_on_books @Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB That would be amazing! 3d

Karisa Amazing line up this summer! I also loved Death of the Author so much… Just fantastic books all around. Thanks for hosting! 3d

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books That‘s something to look forward to in the mean time! 3d

BarbaraBB @Karisa thanks for having you 😘 3d

BookwormAHN Thanks for hosting. It was lots of fun 🧡 2d

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN Thank you for making it fun 😘 2d

Gissy Agree! Beautiful book but so sad😭I loved the audiobook, the narrator has a beautiful voice! (edited) 1d

95 likes1 stack add44 comments

GatheringBooks

Death of the Author: A Novel | Nnedi Okorafor

pick

#CharacterCharm Day 26: #Author - I shared our #CampLitsy25 discussions for the month of July here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-rGS as hosted by @Megabooks

Eggs, Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Eggs Dramatic cover👏🏻👏🏻 5d

Suet624 Thank you for sharing this information with others. It's always good to highlight the good things happening on Litsy. Hopefully some more folks will join. 5d

50 likes2 comments

CBee

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

pick

Holy shit.
Holy shit.
That was brutal.
Couldn‘t put it down.
#camplitsy25

Megabooks, squirrelbrain, BarbaraBB

squirrelbrain Love this review! 🔥 6d

AmyG Exactly!!!! 6d

BarbaraBB Fab review! And I couldn‘t agree more! 6d

Kitta I loved it too! 6d

CBee @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB now to do a deep dive into the discussion questions! But truly, after I finished it (and the ending 😮‍💨), there wasn‘t much to say except, “holy shit” 😂 6d

79 likes1 stack add5 comments

Suet624

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

pick

Roman comes back to his hometown when he hears his father has been badly injured. He reunites with his siblings to find that his youngest brother is involved in a bad drug dealing scheme which may have been the reason for the father now being close to death. Roman takes on the mission to get his brother out of this situation. This book is not my favorite of Cosby‘s and, as usual, it‘s violent, but I could not put it down. #CampLitsy25

squirrelbrain Yes, it‘s not his best is it? But still good! 1w

BarbaraBB Great review. I felt the same 1w

Suet624 @squirrelbrain Exactly! :) 1w

See All 7 Comments

Suet624 @BarbaraBB But of course, my friend. 1w

BarbaraBB 😂😘 1w

Gissy Agree, but I couldn‘t put it down either☺️There is something in this author writing style that captivates my attention 🤗 7d

Suet624 @Gissy some magic sauce. 😊 6d

64 likes7 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#CampLitsy25 Question 1

Our final discussion. Summer has flown by and so has Camp. We hope you‘ll stick around for choosing this year‘s winner in the coming days before packing your bags and return to autumn and reality!

We‘ll tag everyone once. Please scroll down to find questions 2 and 3!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

BarbaraBB @Addison_Reads @Amiable @AmyG @BarbaraJean @Bkclubcare @BooksandCoffee4me @Bookbuyingaddict @BookNAround @Bookwormjillk @Butterfinger 1w

BarbaraBB @BookwormAHN @Cariashley @Caroline2 @Catlass007 @CatGusMax @CarolynM @CBee @CatMS @ChaoticMissAdventures @Chelsea.Poole @Christine 1w

BarbaraBB @CogsOfEncouragement @Cseydel @Cuilin @Dabbe @Daisey @DebinHawaii @Deblovestoread @DGRachel @ErikasMindfulshelf @Flaneurette @fredthemoose 1w

See All 46 Comments

BarbaraBB @Gatheringbooks @Gissy @Graciouswarriorprincess @Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ @JamieArc @Jas16 @Jenniferw88 1w

BarbaraBB @JenP @Jenreadsalot @Jess @Jhod @JoyBlue @JulesG @julieclair @Karisa @Kitta @Kristy-K @Kspenmoll @kwmg40 @Larkken @Laughterhp @LeeRHarry @Leniverse @Lesliereadsalot @maggie4483 (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @Mcctrish @maich @MeganAnn @Merelybookish @Meshell1313 @Monalyisha @Oryx @peaKnit @Prairiegirl_reading @PuddleJumper @quietjenn (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @Read4Life @RaeLovesToRead @Reggie @rockpools @Roary47 @Ruthiella @Sace @Sapphire @Sarahbarnes @Soubhiville @Skygoddess1 @Suet624 @Susanita @Texreader @sblbooks 1w

BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @Thekidupstairs @TheBookDream @Triplem80 @TrishB @Vonnie862 @Well-ReadNeck @willaful @youneverarrived @yourfavouritemixtape @zukeeyah 1w

TrishB Think I‘m turning into a terrible person! I didn‘t feel sympathy or discomfort….just general annoyance. Every decision they made just made the situations worse… 1w

Reggie At one point I thought Roman was just gonna kill Dante just to keep him from making more mistakes. But then you find out what happened with their mom. 1w

DGRachel I‘m with @TrishB on this one. I never felt sympathy, just annoyance for those two. My heart broke for Neveah, but I also wanted to shake her. 1w

squirrelbrain Yes, I agree @DGRachel - I thought Nevaeh was rather pathetic. 1w

squirrelbrain They did bring it all on themselves didn‘t they? @TrishB Although I had more sympathy for their actions once we found out about their Mum, @Reggie 1w

TrishB @squirrelbrain @Reggie you‘d have thought that may mean they would put more thought in to the decisions they were making! 1w

fredthemoose I‘ll be honest, I got to the scene where they brought Dante‘s friends to the crematorium and now I‘m sort of scared to finish the book. That was a lot and I‘m sure there‘s a lot more where that came from. 🫣 (I‘m not worried about spoilers—i‘m interested in everyone else‘s takes.) 1w

Chelsea.Poole I can understand the frustrations with the characters‘ decisions. Especially Dante and Roman. But at the end of the day everyone is just lost. Their mother disappearing at such a young age must have really messed with their foundation and they have to cope with her loss—two of them dealing with the guilt of causing her death. Can you imagine what that would do to a child? Plus keeping the secret. I bet I‘d make some questionable decisions too. 1w

Lesliereadsalot I know I‘m alone in this, but I felt absolutely nothing toward any of these characters. From the opening pages I felt like Roman was as contrived a character as you can get. Of course Dante was who he was and ended up as I thought he would. The mom story was slightly interesting, but that was it for me. 1w

Amiable I‘ve loved everything Cosby has written, but I struggled a bit with this book. Cosby is a master at creating characters who aren‘t saints, but you root for them despite their faults and failures. But in this one I couldn‘t bring myself to root for anyone, even after finding out the secret about their mother. They were all just a bit too far over the line into unlikable territory for me to care about them. (edited) 1w

Suet624 I think it's safe to say I felt discomfort all the way through with both Roman and Dante. I really wanted to feel some kind of connection with either of them but neither of the characters had anything I could really hold on to as far as a redeeming feature. 1w

GatheringBooks @Suet624 agree about the lack of redemptive features. And I still maintain that Cosby did his female characters wrong - it‘s a very male / macho book. That being said, I was glued reading and remained riveted thruout. (edited) 1w

Suet624 @GatheringBooks Now that I think about it, does Cosby have any female characters in his other books that stand out? I can't remember any. And, yes, I was glued to the story despite everything. 1w

Bookwormjillk @Lesliereadsalot you‘re not alone. I loved all of Cosby‘s other books but didn‘t really get into this one. Not sure if it was my mood, or wanting something less stressful after Tilt, or maybe because I did audio instead of print, but I didn‘t connect. 1w

Lesliereadsalot @Bookwormjillk @amiable We‘re a party of three! 🎉🥂🥳 (edited) 1w

AmyG I agree with @Chelsea.Poole about them being lost. The 3 were so traumatized. I felt sympathy for them in that they lost their mother and their father was pretty much emotionally absent. They were all a very very verynhot mess. With that said, who knows what I would have done if in shoes, having lived their life? People do crazy things. Was this over the top crazy? It just worked for me. 1w

mcctrish I honestly wanted to kill Dante myself, until we found out what happened to the mom. Then I thought no one does therapy ? How? They were all fucked 1w

BarbaraBB @GatheringBooks I totally agree on the machismo. And yet I loved it. There is one female who stood out to me. Jae, T&T‘s sister @Suet624 (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @mcctrish I was about to say the same in reaction to @Reggie ‘s post. That he couldn‘t understand why his girlfriend must stay out of town drove me craazzzy! But indeed, after their mother‘s death they were both traumatized. You‘ve pointed it out well @Chelsea.Poole (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @fredthemoose That was the most horrible scene of the book I think 😱. I get that you couldn‘t read on. 1w

Megabooks @reggie @mcctrish I kind of thought Roman would kill Dante, too. But I feel the same way as you, Trish. It became a lot clearer (motivation wise) when we knew what happened to their mom. 1w

Megabooks @GatheringBooks agree. The female characters were poorly rendered and one-dimensional! 1w

ImperfectCJ Once we find out what happened to their mom, I felt sympathy for Dante. He ended up seeming like one of the only "good" characters in the story. Neveah, I felt some sympathy for, but her doormat-itude was a little tough for me. And the young kid in T&T's group...I can't remember his name (I'm horrible at remembering character names), but I felt sympathy for him, too. 1w

Hooked_on_books I‘m with @Chelsea.Poole and @AmyG on this one. I felt a lot of sympathy for them both. From the start they‘re clearly both lost—Roman ran away entirely and Dante ran into drugs. Neveah is the only responsible one. And then they end up in an impossible situation that really doesn‘t have any good potential decisions. It very effectively made me feel dread. 1w

Texreader @AmyG I‘m with you. It worked for me too 1w

Texreader @BarbaraBB I liked Jae 1w

squirrelbrain Love that portmanteau! @ImperfectCJ I‘m going to use that in the future. 1w

squirrelbrain @GatheringBooks @Suet624 - I can‘t recall that Cosby writes female characters at all…. 🤔 1w

Kitta So weird I see I‘m tagged but I didn‘t get a notification! 1w

Kitta @BarbaraBB I liked Jae a lot too, and I feel in the minority here maybe but I really loved this book. I related to both Roman (fixing other peoples problems) and Dante (falling into addiction after trauma). I have lost a lot of friends to addiction and understand how you can lose sight of how what you‘re doing affects others - though I did want to kick him at points. I‘m not as cold as Roman though. I enjoyed reading the violence but damn. 1w

Jas16 I felt sympathy for them while wanting to throttle them at the same time. They were both very lost and struggling and ultimately not very good people but I still ended up caring about them. 1w

fredthemoose @BarbaraBB Thank you! I was expecting more where that came from and just didn‘t want worse things rattling around in my head.😬 1w

vonnie862 @TrishB I'm with you. I was most annoyed with them two. The only discomfort I felt was the description of the people screaming in the ovens. That was too much for me. 1w

DebinHawaii So, while I‘ve had Razorblade Tears on my TBR for ages, this is my first Crosby book & while I liked it well enough for the action & it kept me in a constant state of dread over what fresh hell Dante was going to bring about through his actions, none of the characters were well drawn, especially the women. I did feel some sympathy for all of the siblings but they also felt wooden to me & as several have said, I just couldn‘t connect with them. 1w

fredthemoose @vonnie862 I put it down after that and haven‘t been back to it. That was too much for me, too! 1w

fredthemoose @DebinHawaii I‘ve really like all of the Cosby books I‘ve read before this—I‘m not done with this one, but it feels the weakest to me in terms of character development. I thought Blacktop Wasteland was really good. Also Razorblade Tears. And All the Sinners Bleed! (edited) 1w

BarbaraBB @Kitta I liked Jae and Roman too. To me he felt like a victim of the circumstances. He really wanted a way out for his family. And I am with you in that minority, I really loved the book! (edited) 1w

Christine I am so late to this convo and am a bit surprised that loving this book is a minority opinion! 😮 @BarbaraBB @Kitta I certainly loved it, too. And I agree, @Chelsea.Poole , @AmyG , and @Hooked_on_books - I felt for the siblings throughout. 7d

46 likes46 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#CampLitsy25 Question 2

That was quite the plot twist towards the end of the book, or wasn‘t it? Let‘s talk!

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

TrishB I guessed the twist half way through and thought the way they left Neveah live in despair all that time was the truly despicable part of the plot. Go Neveah! 1w

squirrelbrain You‘re cleverer than me @TrishB - I didn‘t see that coming! 1w

DGRachel I don‘t know that I‘d call any of it really a twist. I didn‘t know what was going to happen but it didn‘t surprise me when any of it did. It all just felt inevitable. If the boys had just told Neveah what actually happened before the end, she could have been such an ally and maybe Dante wouldn‘t have been such a mess and the whole mess could‘ve been avoided. 1w

See All 29 Comments

DGRachel As for their father - I had a little more respect for him. He felt more like a father and less like a man who only cared about his business. I can‘t imagine living 15 years under a cloud of suspicion of murdering your spouse. 1w

Chelsea.Poole I think this reveal was done well. It didn‘t come across as obvious to me throughout but when it came out it made total sense. I agree with @DGRachel that I felt more sympathetic towards their father after learning what happened. 1w

Suet624 I agree with everyone. I didn't guess the twist but I wasn't surprised by it. I feel very badly for both Neveah and her father. Both of them suffered at the hands of Dante and Roman. 1w

GatheringBooks I am with @Suet624 and @Chelsea.Poole - there was this growing sense of dread at the pit of my stomach, and yes, it also made total sense that it happened the way it did - and partially explains why people turned out the way they did. However, we still make our own choices despite the hand we‘re dealt with. Cosby could have made Neveah much more wily, clever and pragmatic, rather than a doormat & a victim of her circumstance and ignorance. 1w

AmyG I didn‘t see this coming either. Good twist. It explained Dante and Roman‘s pain and I, too, felt a bit more respect for the father. As for Neveah…ah, the first born only daughter…she seemed like she carried the weight if the world on her shoulders. I felt that is common for alot of women. Cosby could have written a better woman, better people…..but again, people are who they are…like them or not. 1w

mcctrish The dad totally changed in my eyes too @DGRachel but trying to protect his baby girl only alienated her from them all and wrecked her just as badly. I wonder how differently the dad would have done things IG he could go back ? 1w

BarbaraBB I had no idea of what was about to happen but to me it all made sense once it did 1w

Leniverse I almost shouted, "This is what happens when you don't share information!" Not just Neveah's action but Roman's futile one as well. 1w

ImperfectCJ After the truth about their mother was revealed, I kind of stopped liking any of them, except maybe Dante. 1w

Megabooks I was suspicious of the twist, but I try not to think too hard about it when I'm reading mystery/thrillers and concentrate on how the author reveals it. I enjoy seeing how they structure it, and Cosby didn't disappoint. I was a bit surprised about Nevaeh giving her dad the blood thinner. I hated that Cosby never seemed to give her any peace yet I didn't feel I understood her by the end either. 1w

Hooked_on_books I felt respect for the father that he lived under suspicion rather than allow his kids to be under suspicion, but it doesn‘t change the fact that he emotionally neglected his kids their entire lives. There is a way to build a business but also be present at home. Women have to deal with this every minute of our lives. So I‘m not nearly as ready to just let him off the hook for his neglect. 1w

DGRachel @Leniverse I wanted to strangle Roman after Neveah killed their father. I know the only one technically responsible for her actions are hers, but she never would have even considered doing it if anyone had shared the truth with her. They had so many opportunities just during the course of the book to come clean. 1w

Kitta @TrishB I guessed it too, though I thought Dante had caused some sort of accident not Roman 🤷🏻‍♀️ so I was kinda wrong. I did have more respect or something for the father after finding out how he dealt with it and thinking about the suspicion he was under. He was so absent, at least he stepped up in that regard. 1w

Jas16 I never really thought their father had done it but was surprised when the truth was revealed. I hated what Neveah did. Comparing her actions to Roman‘s and my reactions to them both… They both thought they had justification but but they both turned into what they were fighting against. 1w

jenniferw88 Just before the reveal, I thought it was going to be one of the kids. BUT I'm going to be in the minority here, but I 100% understand where Neaveh is coming from re going into care homes and think she's probably done the right thing for her Dad (if not for the right reason!) 1w

vonnie862 I had a feeling that there was more to what happened to the mother. My feelings towards the dad were always neutral. However, I felt for Neaveh. 1w

DebinHawaii Like @Kitta I guessed wrong & thought it was Dante that accidentally did it. I never thought the father killed her. But okay, I‘m still confused about the cookie jar. The father must have put her ashes in there but it seemed like they were all avoiding the jar. Did he put her ashes in there wanting them to find them or thought they would never open it again? This is pretty macabre of me but I keep thinking “thank God no one opened a pack of ⬇️ 1w

DebinHawaii … Oreos & dumped them in there!” 😱🤢😳 1w

Kitta @DebinHawaii oh my gosh!! 🤣 I assumed it was because it was avoided and no one would ever look in there. I can‘t imagine if someone did. 1w

BarbaraBB @DebinHawaii That cookie jar indeed! How comes that no ever opened that before?! 1w

BarbaraBB @jenniferw88 That might very well be possible, that she did it out of compassion somehow 1w

BarbaraBB @Hooked_on_books Agree!! I was wondering the whole time why he couldn‘t raise his kids and run a business. He‘s not the only single parent 1w

BarbaraBB @Megabooks I couldn‘t relate to Neveah either, she felt a bit unreal to me. I didn‘t understand the choices she made throughout the book. 1w

jenniferw88 @BarbaraBB I think Neaveh did it because she truly believed her Dad killed her Mum, but if I'd been in her position (without everything else going on), I'd have done it out of compassion. 1w

CBee @Leniverse 🙌🏻 6d

CBee That was not totally unexpected - I just wasn‘t sure what the ending would be. There were two times my jaw dropped in the end - when Roman turned the tables on the BBB and then when Nevaeh found their mother‘s ashes/killed their father. And to think that yes, so much of it could have been avoiding it - like a train wreck that you can‘t look away from. 6d

42 likes29 comments

BarbaraBB

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#CampLitsy25 Question 3

To conclude, let‘s discuss Roman, the “King of Ashes”. How do you feel about him?

Megabooks, squirrelbrain

TrishB In a way he got what he didn‘t want 🤷‍♀️ whilst I was reading this book I thought the author (and I‘ve loved his other books!) must have been rushing against a deadline as it felt sloppy and rushed. 1w

Reggie The end reminded me of the Godfather where Diane Keaton is watching her husband meeting with the mob people while the door closes. Hoping/lying to herself that he‘s not part of that world anymore but of course he is. 1w

DGRachel @Reggie I didn‘t make that connection but you‘re exactly right, down to Jae peeping into the crematory. I struggle with ends justifying means in any situation. That tends to be an excuse made for inexcusable behavior. He lost his whole family any way. 1w

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Reggie @DGRachel 😁 1w

Chelsea.Poole Things didn‘t exactly go his way. But now it looks like he‘ll have a new family to fight fire for…does the very end set us up for a follow up with Roman? 1w

Suet624 @Chelsea.Poole Jeepers, I forgot all about that part at the end. I'm not so sure I want to hang out with Roman in another book. @TrishB I think you're right - it all felt rushed like a deadline was fast approaching. Granted, once I got about halfway through the book I couldn't put it down, but still... it just wasn't like his other books. 1w

GatheringBooks I can just imagine Roman uttering “I am the danger” ala Breaking Bad. I had a feeling he would end up being the leader of this ragtag gang of sorts. No longer as a means of survival - but to test his boundaries of how far he can go, and clearly he can go veryyyy far. (edited) 1w

AmyG @GatheringBooks YES….I thought a few times of Walter White while reading this. And @Reggie….great point about The Godfather scene. Doing bad under the guise of good. Doing bad to save the family. Yeah, the ending did come a little fast. (edited) 1w

mcctrish Roman made the same mistake his father made for the same reason and it‘s going to go just as well. Walk. Away. 1w

GatheringBooks @AmyG not to mention Ozark with the financial manager thing ala Marty. Lols. 1w

Leniverse The end really reminded me of Marvel's Luke Cage. You start out with good intentions, trying to protect your family/neighbourhood from gangs. Then you start justifying more extreme acts, and in the end you have become the new villain but you can't even see it - you still think you're doing what is needed. It felt like more of a proper ending than Luke Cage did though. There it just felt like a plot twist and then the show was cancelled. 1w

ImperfectCJ At the end, I wondered if Roman's philosophy of doing anything to protect his family was just his internal justification for all the work he was doing setting up his new business venture. He's meeting up with and helping T&T's employees from really early on, and I found this curious until the ending. He's obviously adept at lying to himself. 1w

Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole I don't think we'll see a sequel, and if we do, I doubt I'll read it. Definitely not my favorite Cosby. I'll read him again though! @mcctrish Good point! Stop the cycle!! 1w

AmyG @mcctrish @megabooks Yes…stop the cycle. Alot if this book reminded me of generational trauma in families and a people. How Roman tried to stop it and may think he did….yet just continued it. 1w

mcctrish @Megabooks I don‘t need to go any further in this hellhole 1w

Megabooks @AmyG @mcctrish yes, I think Roman felt he could “outsmart” or “outmaneuver” the trauma, but I think he was deeper in by the end of the book. He created more (like I don‘t think Dante and Nevaeh‘s lives were better for his interference). 1w

Megabooks @mcctrish we were typing at the same time and I agree!! 💯💯 1w

mcctrish @Megabooks his dad should have sold up and they all moved out of town after the mom died and if not then then when the dad saw Dante spirally into addiction to cope and if not then Nevaeh should have once the dad was hit and if not then then then Roman should have when he came to town 1w

Hooked_on_books Roman had already leaned into greed and been seduced by power before the narrative started. We all have sides of ourselves, and if we lean into one particular thing, we can find it hard to refind other parts of ourselves, and for me that‘s exactly Roman‘s arc in this book. He‘s stepped so far into the greed and power and can‘t see how into the wilderness he is. I thought it was a really interesting character exploration. 1w

Megabooks @mcctrish very true. Without hearing from the Dad, we lacked a clear sense of why he continued to stay in JR among all that. Crematoriums are needed everywhere! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1w

AmyG @Hooked_on_books Exactly. Well said. 1w

squirrelbrain Yes I agree @Hooked_on_books - I felt Roman was already on the ‘dark side‘ before he came home. Just because it was paper-based rather than physical doesn‘t mean he was any less corrupt. 1w

Kitta @GatheringBooks oooh good point. I hadn‘t thought about Breaking Bad but « I am the danger » seems very much like something Roman would say. He, like Walter, does stay on past what is necessary because he wants to. God I loved Breaking Bad, so well done. 1w

Kitta @Hooked_on_books it‘s funny when he talks about T&T‘s weakness being greed because I think it‘s probably Roman‘s weakness too. I‘m sad Jae doesn‘t leave when she realizes he‘s running things in place of her brothers though, she was so vocal about wanting nothing to do with it. 1w

Jas16 Roman thought he was smarter than them all but in the end he just became the evil he was fighting. 1w

vonnie862 I was disappointed in him. He became the very thing he was trying to save his family from. 1w

Hooked_on_books @Kitta Yeah, it‘s a really tough spot for Jae. She really likes Roman and is now pregnant with his child. But how much more is he going to change with the focus on power and greed? I feel like the theme of this book is “no good options,” as no character really seems to have any. 1w

DebinHawaii As the ending was happening, I kept thinking Roman would set the remaining BBB team up & be able to walk away with Jae but the greed & power were just too much & it‘s only going to get worse. Definitely a Godfather vibe—you can‘t get out. 1w

BarbaraBB @vonnie862 @DebinHawaii I was so disappointed in Roman, I really thought he would walk away from it all. But @Hooked_on_books is right; he already was tempted by power and greed in his white collar life in Atlanta. 1w

38 likes29 comments

DebinHawaii

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

I still owe a haiku for yesterday but today‘s haiku is inspired by today‘s commute to Hilo for our board meeting. It‘s been a looong work month, but I‘m hanging in & at least I get 90 minutes of airplane time today to finish the tagged book for #CampLitsy25

Friday‘s traveler
Coffee very much needed
She‘s running on fumes…

Kristy_K, DebinHawaii, Mimi28, TheBookHippie, JenlovesJT47, Susanita, Reggie, vivastory, Itchyfeetreader, jdiehr, CBee, dabbe, kelli7990, Jari-chan, ImperfectCJ, lil1inblue, The_Book_Ninja, julieclair, AnnCrystal, bellabella, BooksandCoffee4Me

Itchyfeetreader I had a sneaky day off today as I was def on fumes hope you get to relax this weekend a little 1w

JenlovesJT47 Looks good I‘m so hungry 🤤♥️ 1w

lil1inblue I hope you get a much-deserved recharge this weekend! 💓 💓 💓 1w

dabbe Hope you get to have a relaxing weekend! 🧡💜💛 1w

AnnCrystal Happy Weekend 👏🏼🐝👌🏼💺📚🐝💝. 1w

52 likes5 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

King of Ashes | S. A. Cosby

pick

Excited to talk about the details with #CampLitsy25

Overall this is a low pick for me. I found all of the characters super irritating (and a bit stupid). I have mixed feelings about most of this. Not my favorite Cosby.
Positives - it was quick paced and kept you reading. The writing was fine ( sometimes a bit too cheesy)

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