Welcome to Litsy!

Between a so-so and a pan for me. I found this story to be incredibly plodding and slow. An almost actress takes an entire summer to tell her adult daughters the story of her relationship with a man who went on to become a famous actor. Supposedly she has told them this story before, but they didn‘t know how their mother met their father? 🍒🍒/5

In the span of a dozen pages, Ann Patchett‘s referenced Sandra Boynton‘s “Hippos Go Berserk” and Melville‘s “Bartleby the Scrivener.”

I didn‘t know it was possible for my already abundant estimation of her to grow. Yet here we are.

1. My Grandparents (on my Moms side)
2. My Grandson
3. My latest favorite was Lara and Joe and daughters in Tom Lake.

@Eggs #WondrousWednesday

💙 I'm a small town gal. Grew up in a small college town in Illinois, then left to go to college in a different small college town in Michigan, and have been a Michigander ever since.
💙Anatomy of a Murder is set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where I reside, and the film was shot in the UP, too. (Highly recommend both)
💙Adding a bonus book: The Overstory by Richard Powers. He was born and raised in my hometown in Illinois.

I loved the plot structure of this book and its slow unravel. Recounted as a story told by a mother to her daughters and layered up with their contemporary opinions all set in the recent timeline of the 2021 pandemic. I particularly loved how the narrator held back some of the more personal truths, precious memories she‘d saved only for herself but lucky you (the reader) is let in on these. 💗

Turns out "Tom Lake" isn't a person, but a place. Was I the only one who initially thought that?

The story is about a woman reminiscing with her grown daughters about her past experiences in summer stock theater and her romance with a fellow actor who went on to become a famous movie star. The plot moves slowly, with the narrative switching back and forth between the past and present.

Not exactly a page-turner, but a sweet and nostalgic tale.

Thanks for the tag, @Deblovestoread !

1. Burn Out: How to Walk Away and Heal - even though I left my job in September, there‘s a lot, physically & mentally, I‘m still unpacking, diagnosing, & overcoming. It definitely takes time, & it‘s been a very slow process. Stress is no joke (maybe that‘s a chapter title).

2. I don‘t read many uplifting books, but the tagged book was such a quiet and beautiful read. So much love and growth. #Two4Tuesday

So far I‘ve been late with every single one of my # #2024ReadingBrackets. #Consistency! 😊 For my March FICTION bracket, I went with a two-fer. Before reading “Tom Lake,” I took @dabbe ‘s advice and read “Our Town.” And I loved them both. You don‘t need to read “Our Town” first—but I believe it adds an even richer, deeper dimension to an enjoyable reading experience.

Tom Lake is a bit of a slow burn to start with but it warms up so much, and really is a warm-hearted novel. Patchett writes beautifully about families, and this novel expertly blends the dynamics of a family with a story about growing up and being on the cusp of adulthood. As always, a story told with insight into decisions made, paths chosen and rejected, and how our lives are shaped piece by piece over time.

Thought provoking. I loved the story telling and seeing how the lives of the three protagonists intertwined despite being set decades apart. Definite pick