Litsy

Moss_Croft

All Our Yesterdays | Natalia Ginzburg

DrSabrinaMoldenReads

The Story of a New Name: Neapolitan Novels, Book Two | Elena Ferrante

Well, I seldom if ever read two books at once. But, I was doing a buddy read of “My Brilliant Friend” (Book 1) and before we even discussed the book, she could not wait and started reading this one. We will see how this goes with “Les Miserables”. (Back into my reading for sure in 2025).

16 likes

Robotswithpersonality

Glorious Exploits: A Novel | Ferdia Lennon

pick

I LOVED this book. And yet, I immediately feel the need to very sparingly recommend it, because it's one of those ones that I would not have thought I would love, if I knew what it was before I read it. Sure, the ancient Greek part, the discussion of Euripides' plays is a draw. I can get on board with bringing a smaller scale, down-to-earth focus on a few characters to historical or 'from the distant past' events, 1/?

Robotswithpersonality especially when the narrative voice, the way character's speak to each other is approachable. In this case there's a discernable UK (author is from Dublin, now lives in England and I've no idea what speech patterns are from where) palaver; since I've no idea how conversational, idiomatic ancient Sicilian/Greek would actually sound if translated into English, this works well in sounding different from my modern North American English, 2/? 2d

Robotswithpersonality 3/? but still relatable, intelligible. When it's done well, I can also appreciate an occasionally darkly humourous bent on a dire situation, not quite satire or cynicism, in the face of man's inhumanity towards man. What surprised me was the author's skill in brining out the complexity in a frequently unlikeable narrator, making Lampo live and breath, see the flaws and the pettiness and the flashes of a better friend, of a deeply insecure being 2d

Robotswithpersonality 4/? with so little opportunity for hope that would motivate better action. Gelon is the most in focus portrait of loss, though his tale of woe is refracted throughout the Syracusan community and the Athenian prisoners. The violence done on both sides, the brutality and cruelty that sadly, doesn't belong just to an earlier era, creates a sharp contrast with the choices made by the protagonists. Lennon never lets you forget that this story centres 2d

Robotswithpersonality 5/? around tragedies in one sense or another, and yet still leaves room for hope, for the possibility that people as individuals can choose to take an action that will improve the lives of others. It's not a mood mashup because it's seamless. It's not the dark comedy the cover would suggest; that doesn't mean the dialogue isn't frequently entertaining, but the conclusions are often sobering. 2d

Robotswithpersonality 6/6 If I described how I felt at the end I think it would be a spoiler, similar to the Syracusans' love for the art of an invading nation, let's just say it was complex.
⚠️details prisoner of war conditions, grief, child loss, slavery 2d

8 likes5 comments

Texreader

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This is a record for me!! What a great reading month! Here are my stats:

17 books: #litsyatoz
6 books: #foodandlit #Netherlands
1 book: #foodandlit #Italy #Jubilee
1 book: #whatthedickens
3 books: #authoramonth
2 books leftover from #wintergames
4 books for fun!

@Catsandbooks @Cuilin @Soubhiville

Cuilin Wow!!!😮 impressive 🎉 3d

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 3d

Bookwomble 👏📚👏 2d

Catsandbooks 👏🏼❤️ 2d

46 likes4 comments

Texreader

Untitled | Untitled

Free ebooks set in #Italy for December #foodandlit or for #Jubilee all year

@Catsandbooks

Catsandbooks ❤️🇮🇹 2d

39 likes1 comment

julieclair

A Rather Lovely Inheritance | C.A. Belmond

My February choice for #ThematicCozies is A Rather Lovely Inheritance, which I have had on my shelves for I-don‘t-know-how-many years. So happy to finally be reading it!

What will everyone else be reading?

All are welcome to join our happy little group!

Link to the optional StoryGraph challenge: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/f5ca22b5-c3a4-47f6-9456-f2df264...

DebinHawaii, BookmarkTavern, BarkingMadRead, ChasingOm, kspenmoll, JenlovesJT47, Graciouswarriorprincess, mhillis, Gissy, OriginalCyn620, BethM, ferskner, Librarybelle, thebacklistbook, MaleficentBookDragon, Crinoline_Laphroaig, Bookwormjillk, Read4life, TEArificbooks, Avanders, Mollyanna, PathfinderNicole, CoffeeNBooks, tdrosebud, RedxoHearts, ElizaMarie, sblbooks, Allylu

BookmarkTavern That‘s such a lovely cover! I‘m reading a Kindle book I‘ve had for ages, but never picked up! Artful Dodger by Nageeba Davis. 5d

Librarybelle I‘m doing this one, which was listed on a few cozy mystery with romance lists:

Arsenic and Adobo

Crinoline_Laphroaig I haven't picked mine yet. Need to look through my stack. 5d

See All 12 Comments

Gissy Love the cover😍 4d

sblbooks I chose

Death of a Valentine

mhillis I‘m planning to read

Death Before Dessert

Graciouswarriorprincess I chose

St. Valentine's Day Cookie Massacre: A Hatter's Cove Gazette Mystery

julieclair @Librarybelle That looks good! I look forward to your review. I might read it for November‘s #Food prompt. 3d

julieclair @BookmarkTavern @Gissy I know! I want to inhabit that cover! 3d

julieclair @sblbooks @Graciouswarriorprincess Love the Valentines theme! 3d

julieclair @mhillis That cover has drawn me in. Stacked! 3d

julieclair @BookmarkTavern That one looks so cute! Wonder why it‘s not in the database? 🤔 3d

47 likes12 comments

Texreader

The Eight Mountains: A Novel | Paolo Cognetti

I‘ve started this book for February #foodandlit. It works for #Nepal and #Italy #Jubilee @Catsandbooks #litsyatoz #letterE

Catsandbooks ❤️👏🏼 3d

46 likes1 stack add1 comment

Texreader

Death At La Fenice: (Brunetti 1) | Donna Leon

pick

Commissario Brunetti, a chief detective in Venice, is a splendid character. He feels so very human working through each day trying to solve who murdered a world-famous conductor in the middle of the opera. I suspect I relate to him as we work through work problems in similar ways. I appreciated how the author described his interactions at home, his boss, the witnesses all in relation to his workaday issues. Excellent descriptions of Venice as ⬇️

Andrew65, TheSpineView, Catsandbooks

Texreader well. I felt like I knew it so well and it helped that I‘d spent three days there so I could easily imagine some of the descriptions. But also regretted not seeing some of Venice the author described: on a clear day, you can make out the Dolomites? Wow! To me the mystery was the least interesting part of the book—I really loved Guido! So I hope this is the beginning of a lovely relationship with this series! #foodandlit #Italy #Jubilee #serieslove (edited) 5d

Butterfinger Did you notice any trouble with grammar? I thought it was translated, but it wasn't. I'm having neurological effects, so I am unsure if it is visual input or the book. 5d

Texreader @Butterfinger I didn‘t have any problems with it that I can recall. 5d

Catsandbooks ❤️🇮🇹 3d

58 likes2 stack adds4 comments

Nathan_Opland-Dobs

My Brilliant Friend: Neapolitan Novels, Book One | Elena Ferrante

so-so

🫤

8 likes

Butterfinger

Death At La Fenice: (Brunetti 1) | Donna Leon

so-so

+ I enjoyed reading the family scenes
+ Description of Venice was fabulous
+ I liked Commissario Brunetti and his interactions with the other characters (his children, suspects, his boss)

- I vehemently disliked the public prejudice of lgbtq. It implies a mother, identified as lesbian, could lose custody of her children
- (TW) child abuse
- Translation at times was confusing.
#jubilee #foodandlit @Catsandbooks @Texreader #LitsyAtoZ

Leftcoastzen Did you read it in another language? Donna Leon is American. 1w

Butterfinger @Leftcoastzen so that must mean grammar issues. I had to use Google translate for some Italian terms, which was why I assumed it was translated. 1w

Catsandbooks 👍🏼🇮🇹 1w

Leftcoastzen Oh I see . 7d

40 likes4 comments

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