Welcome to Litsy!

So glad that I got in a final #PersephonePick before closing out the year! This one was really lovely; Jane's ambition, determination, and self-advocacy radiated off the page. I wasn't feeling the romantic entanglement of the last third, but I was all about the somewhat cliffhanger ending- though could Jane end up anywhere but on top when all is said and done?? Thanks for letting me tag in, #PersephoneClub; it was a pleasure!

A fascinating '20s time capsule on cooking and hospitality. Though the recipes ranged from utterly mystifying to downright revolting (so much aspic! So many hard-boiled eggs shoved through a sieve!), the prose is lovely. For instance, on weddings: "...goblets of sparkling drink, delicious fragrance of rosemary, lavender, and cedar wood...music, laughter, and the love of friends. What an hour to remember later in the silence and the starlight."

I had a complete letdown of a reading month in March, but I plan to use April to claw my way back on track with the #PemberLittens, with my monthly #PersephonePick, and with the #ChunksterChallenge. I'm also REALLY looking forward to the May reads with the #PemberLittens- Lady Susan, here we come!

Looking ahead to a bit of March reading- three for the #PemberLittens and a new #PersephonePick. I've really been looking forward to these; here's hoping I can keep up!

A quiet, simple story, told in lovely, evocative language. Very much in the same spirit of Fortnight in September. Looking forward to hearing what the rest of the #persephoneclub thought and chatting about it! #persephonepick for February.

I would have loved this book so much if I'd have read it as a kid! I wish I could gift it to my 9-year-old self. As an adult, Olga was slightly grating, but I still appreciated the irrepressible runaway, even though now I felt more deeply for the slightly romantic but ultimately level-headed Clarice who was tasked with harboring her. The illustrations are lovely, and my favorite part of this #PersephonePick.

I've got my #PersephonePick for the month! Anyone else joining in? A reminder that this challenge is for everyone, and that you set the parameters for yourself. Choose however many Persephone books you'd like to read this year (I'm doing one a month), and share your choices, thoughts, reviews, etc., using the hashtag. This is all about discovering new authors, new stories, new histories! If you prefer a buddy read, see below for more info! 👇👇👇

OK, I know that it was probably not the wisest choice to place an order from Persephone...but looking at these gorgeous endpapers, I just can't be sorry! I'm already obsessed with this future #PersephonePick. 😍

Just a simple, sweet #PersephonePick to kick off the year. I love this look into domestic life of the past, and I marvel at the knowledge of our foremothers. This book is largely a how-to primer on preserving, bottling, pickling, drying, and cooking, with a nice section on keeping a garden; but it also made me reflect on modern industrialized agriculture and asks me: is my personal convenience worth it? What can I learn- and use- of the info here?

It's not at all difficult to understand why this #persephonepick is such a popular one. What a charming, effervescent tale of a dowdy governess accidentally falling in with a Bohemian crowd and having the most extraordinary, life-changing of days.