Welcome to Litsy!

I actually really love the book Bambi and have read it and its sequel (Bambi's Children) several times. So I was excited to randomly come across another reprint of one of Salten's works. I had never heard of this one, although by reading GR reviews I discovered that it was apparently the (incredibly loose) inspiration for DIsney's The Shaggy Dog. Sadly, this book was a huge disappointment. First off, it's plain boring. Set during the Renaissance ⬇

Now that I'm down to only a handful of years to read to complete the #192025 challenge, I've turned to my shelves to see if I can fill any gaps. This slim story by Grace Livingston Hill checked of 1946, plus got an unread book off my shelf!! It's a perfect pleasant little story - Aunt Marilla is adorable - but too short to really build any kind of tension or actual romance between the two main characters. A soft pick, but one I won't reread.

Published in 1980, only four years after Belenko's escape from Russia (and well before the fall of the Berlin Wall), this book was quite fascinating. Belenko actually had more or less the ideal situation in Russia as the MiG-25 pilots were highly valued and treated well (by Soviet standards). Reading about his slow recognition of the cognitive dissonance between what he was being taught about his country vs the west and what he could actually ⬇

February 2025 Book #8 (last book read this month)

😬Another unpopular opinion🤷🏽‍♀️What is the purpose of this book? Margo tried to manage her dysfunctional parents by establishing emotional barriers. I still think she underestimate what happened with this professor. She tried to stand alone for herself and son by creating an “ethical kick-ass pimps of all time..” where “sex work can be a legitimate profession…then why not being a pimp?”⬇️

February 2025 Book #7

Sorry, unpopular opinion here. I think this book was overhyped for me. That situation at the hotel was so unrealistic to me. Then, we have a character not only with suicidal ideation but also a plan to do it and it was ignored? I have read books with morbid humor like Hagman by Maya Binyam but from the beginning you see the absurd tone. I didn‘t see that in this novel. It was tragic so sad her situation but ignored⬇️

February 2025 Book #5

I really enjoyed this book but I understand is not for everyone because is slow, maybe story was dragged a little bit and some convenient actions present that helped that ending. I usually don‘t like or enjoy stories about addictions, maybe too close to work, but there was something in the writing style that I loved, how author described the characters, that self talking, reflection, so deep, so many wonderful quotes⬇️

February 2025 Book #4

Maybe I expected more from this book since it was recommended by YouTubers with I follow their recommendations, but not always we have the same taste in books, and this is an example. Loved and intrigued by the premise. But I felt disconnected with characters. I thought Irena was arrogant and thinks everyone needed to please her. Some of the translators invited to this event in Ireba‘s house had infatuated feelings 🙄⬇️

February 2025 Book #3

A contemporary chick lit where Felicia, an unsecured, immature character constantly take bad decisions that jeopardized her marriage, her emotional and physical security…and you, as a reader, will feel frustrated and mad during all this drama. Male figures here are terrible, abusive. Sexual abuse was minimized by family. Maybe the ending was a small step for Felicia start to grow up. Maybe this was the part that I liked⬇️

February 2025 Book #2 (book 1 in this duology)

I still think my favorite book is Elena Knows but this one was a great story. A thriller involving a triangle relationship. Only 162 pages and it was amazing of how many twists it has. Unlikable characters but so well described. I really like Claudia‘s writing style, how she develops these characters. However, there were some actions in our main character that I found unrealistic or too convenient⬇️

February 2025 Book read #1 😳😬🫣

I started this book inJanuary but finished it in February for in memory of @sharread #Sharreadathon @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Book was picked from her litsy list.

I liked this book, the world and character. A Rumplestiltskin retelling. However, didn‘t like much the ending, maybe I was expecting something more dramatic and dark due to the story. But still I liked it. 3.8/4 ⭐️