Welcome to Litsy!

#OffMyShelf “made me happy”
#10beforethend
#37by37

This was a posthumous publication of four previously unpublished novels, four short stories and an essay by Pym - a must for any Pym fanatic. The title novel is the longest and the probably best, but I loved all of this collection. I just love Pym‘s sedate and subtly humorous style. Each section has a short introduction by the editor and Pym‘s long time friend, Hazel Holt.

#OffMyShelf “orange cover”
#37by37 Readathon

A classic in trans literature and I love the non-ending - it felt honest. Maria is having a quarter-life crisis and manages to lose her job, girlfriend and apartment all in 24 hours. What trans wisdom could she possibly impart to maybe trans maybe not trans pothead JamesH in podunk Nevada? Raw, funny, provocative, and insightful. No one has all the answers.

Joining the fun for the #37by37 Readathon hosted by @MatchlessMarie starting tomorrow and running till November 13. 😃

My goal is to finish these seven books, most of which will do double duty for other read alongs or challenges: #EBBR #NancyDrewBR #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub #10beforetheend #OffMyShelf

#weekendreads

📕Finish up Three Day Road for #OhCanada

📗Continue The Woods in Winter for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

📘Continue Nevada for #OffMyShelf “orange cover”

📙Maybe finish Civil to Strangers for #10beforetheEnd

#OffMyShelf “Nonhuman MC”
#10BeforetheEnd

This was a little too hard SciFi for me - I‘d probably like it better adapted to film. But I am glad to have read it so I know Vinge is not for me. It‘s an ambitious novel with a wide scope. Two children crashland on a planet run by sentient dog packs-only each child end up with a different warring faction. Meanwhile their ship holds the only key to stopping The Blight, which is devouring the universe.

#Offmyshelf “romance”
#10beforetheend

This was a really lovely portrayal of life and love across three generations of women in a family from the 1930s to the early 21st century. Penelope Lively is such a great writer. I can just pick her stuff up, no need to read the blurb. I know I am in good hands.

I bought this used at a library book sale and it had a clipping of the review of the book from the LA Times Book Review from June 17, 2007.

My very messy list that I think I've settled on for #10beforetheend ! Good enough, anyway. They all meet prompts for #gottacatchemall and/or #offmyshelf so hopefully I'll get through them all. I still have some more #gottacatchemall prompts to find books for too.

(Death in the Spires was scratched for Nobleman's Guide solely because I impromptu started the latter last night/this morning. Really the slot could have just said KJ Charles).

Here‘s my #10beforetheend selection. I‘m always looking for something that encourages me to read what I already own.

A few will do double work for the #OffMyShelf challenge.

The Quincunx will meet #Allergictochunksters and #ChunksterChallenge2025 .

It‘s also a holdover along with The Illusionist from the #14Books14Weeks challenge. 🙊

#OffMyShelf “flower on cover”

Very sweet, romantic, and charming but not my cup of tea. The comparison to “The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society” is apt (which I also didn‘t love) . This has a similar vibe, though not epistolary.

Eight people come together in post WWII England to share their love of Austen and protect her literary legacy. Their communion helps each of them heal their own trauma and provide a sense of belonging.

#OffMyShelf “pub year ends in 5”

“Well, there are a lot of things we don‘t know and choose and prefer not to know”.

Mantel‘s debut from 1985. Great writing but creepy, very dark and disturbing. There‘s something not quite right about the Axons: elderly Evelyn and her mentally challenged adult daughter Muriel. Unknowingly intertwined is former neighbor Colin, an unlikable school teacher, who is having an affair with Muriel‘s social worker.