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Whew, this is one ANGRY 😡 book!

It chronicles the end of an abusive marriage (not physical, verbal) from the POV of Jane, a wife and mother. It‘s told in a stream of consciousness style and I found myself breathless with fury while reading it (why did she even get together with him in the first place?!) but I couldn‘t put it down.

It‘s supposedly semi-autobiographical and I hope the ex-husband has read it.

This is a play-in book for #ToB.

BarbaraBB Another one I have on my shelves waiting patiently 😉 2d

CarolynM Sounds interesting! 1d

Cathythoughts Stacking 👍🏻 1d

69 likes3 stack adds3 comments

BarbaraBB

The Wedding People: A Novel | Alison Espach

Thank you Meg for my Christmas gifts! I openen them this evening because I‘ll be traveling from tomorrow. And I am super excited about both! The Wedding List because you raved about it (along with many others) and it‘s a #ToB book and Nobody Somebody Anybody I‘ve wanted to read that for so long! Your choices are fantastic, as always. I feel happy and grateful! 💝

Megabooks

AmyG The Wedding People is so good….Meg is correct. Happy Holidays. 3d

BarbaraBB @AmyG Thanks Amy, I expect to love it too when both of you do! 3d

Megabooks Merry Christmas B!! I‘m glad you love them. I‘ll open your gift soon, but I‘m in the ER now. 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻 3d

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BarbaraBB @Megabooks what? For yourself or your parents? Thinking of you 🤍🤍❤️‍🩹🤍🤍 2d

Megabooks @BarbaraBB thanks dear friend. For me. I‘m in a bad flare from the poinsettias, and I wanted to check to make sure nothing else was wrong. I‘ve been having really severe pain. 😢😢😢 2d

BarbaraBB I am so sorry. Those horrible poinsettias. Could they help you at the ER? I can‘t imagine what you‘re going through, must be so hard. My best wishes, I hope the doctors can give you some relief 🙏❤️‍🩹 2d

48 likes6 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

My Husband: A Novel | Maud Ventura

I am looking for all the French novels you loved! Last year my favorite book was My Husband. Next year I want to read a bunch of French books. I have and will read all of the Valerie Perrin books that are available in English, I am working my way through Edouard Louis, and Philippe Besson. I need more modern day ladies!
All suggestions appreciated.
Photo from UK Vogue

Ruthiella She‘s disturbing but try

Vernon Subutex

sarahbarnes I liked

Kids Run the Show

Hooked_on_books She writes what I think is a blend of fact and fiction, but give Annie Ernaux a try. Pretty much anything from her, she‘s superb. 6d

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Dilara Seconding Vernon Subutex (or any other book by Virginie Despentes if you don't want to commit to the Vernon Subutex trilogy) & Annie Ernaux. I haven't read Kids Run the Show, but I did read Gratitude by the same author (Delphine de Vigan) & found it very moving.
Are you looking for French works by mainland France authors or for works originally written in French? Just novels, or also graphic works? How modern? Do authors have to be alive? 😁

Gratitude

(edited) 6d

BarbaraBB Such a great idea! I second @sarahbarnes and @Hooked_on_books and will add this one, an all time favorite of mine

The Woman Destroyed

(edited) 6d

BarbaraBB And I think of this one. Author is French-American but the book is set in France and feels very French too. It‘s on the #ToB longlist

Scaffolding: A Novel

squirrelbrain I also agree with Kids Run The Show. I read this recently - it‘s not ‘new‘ fiction but I think you‘d like it.

Astragal: A Novel

squirrelbrain Also, I have this NF on my shelves but haven‘t read it yet.

Consent: A Memoir

squirrelbrain Have you read any Leila Slimani? Plus, also not ‘new‘ but Bonjour Tristesse is one of my all-time favourites.

Bonjour Tristesse: And, a Certain Smile. Franoise Sagan

ChaoticMissAdventures @Ruthiella I don't mind a little disturbing! I find it interesting what is popular in other countries in this vein. Adding it to the list! 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @sarahbarnes I love that my library has this! It is on the list, thank you! 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Hooked_on_books I forget about her, which is silly she has won so many awards. I read her Happening a while back, but she has such a huge catalogue I will have to just go through my library availability for her! Thanks for the reminder. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Dilara authors don't have to be alive. I am planning on reading Dumas' Tulips novel at some point 2025. I am pretty open to anything else. I have just found myself really loving the vibe of French novelist. Most of what I love has been translated from French - Maud Ventura, Valerie Perrin, Philippe Besson. I just don't know a ton of other authors. Planning on going through the Prix Goncourt nominations too. 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @BarbaraBB good ole Simone! I read her nonfiction in college, but I don't remember ever picking up Woman Destroyed! And I think Scaffolding was on some list... ToB maybe? I read the synopsis and immediately thought it could be a women's prize contender, so I will get on that one! 6d

BarbaraBB Yes Scaffolding is on the ToB longlist. And the Beuauvoir book is fabulous! 6d

ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain Astragal sounds so good! And my library has it ! Consent is one that keeps going on and off my list, I am curious to see if you like it, reminds me a bit of the novel Dark Vanessa which I did enjoy. I have read Bonjour Tristesse and really enjoyed it! I will add Leila Simani I have yet to read anything by her. Thank you! 6d

28 likes16 comments

Hooked_on_books

Good Material | Dolly Alderton

so-so

This one was just ok to me. I found the central story of a man struggling to get through a breakup fairly dull. And by the time we got to the former girlfriend‘s breakup aftermath, I just didn‘t care. Where it shines is with some of the supporting characters and stories, like the flatmate Andy ends up with and the houseboat bit. I don‘t think I would have made it through in print. #TOBlonglist

AmyG I actually bailed. I just didn‘t care. 1w

Suet624 Oh dear. I was looking forward to this one. 😳 1w

squirrelbrain It‘s definitely not a #ToB book! 1w

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Hooked_on_books @AmyG I‘m glad it‘s not just me! 1w

Hooked_on_books @Suet624 Plenty of people like this one, so you may be among them! 1w

Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain I‘m really glad they didn‘t put it in the tourney. 1w

BarbaraBB I‘ll remind your warning. I am reading it now and enjoying it quite a bit @Suet624 although it really is no #ToB book indeed @squirrelbrain ! 1w

45 likes1 stack add7 comments

Bookwormjillk

Orbital | Samantha Harvey

so-so

I liked the message of this book but found the reading part so boring 😴😴

Just not for me I guess.
#ToB

AllDebooks I wasn't a fan either. Seemed more of a premise for a short story than novella. Although the writing was beautiful, it was repetitive 1w

Bookwormjillk @AllDebooks exactly! 1w

Jari-chan Same! 1w

76 likes3 comments

squirrelbrain

Bury Your Gays | Chuck Tingle

pick

Now *this* is why I love #ToB so much!

This is a book / author I‘d never heard of and wouldn‘t have thought of reading. I wasn‘t sure at the start - the dialogue felt stilted and the storyline a bit simplistic but I soon became completely engrossed.

A Hollywood screenwriter refuses to kills off his gay characters, and weird s*** starts to happen. There‘s body horror / psychological horror but also a warm heart to the story.

BarbaraBB Sounds like a must read! Stacking of course! 2w

Caroline2 Ohhhh this does sound good! Stacked. 👍 1w

BkClubCare OoooOooooo! I see Poor Deer 🦌 on the stack 🤩 1w

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squirrelbrain Just finished that one @BkClubCare - I‘ll be posting a review later….. 1w

Cathythoughts Stacking 1w

gradcat Hello Helen! I just wanted to pop in & say Merry Christmas to you. Hope you‘re okay and yours (especially the doggie) are well. I‘m going to try to be on more often now. I‘ve had a big move and other issues—not a good reason for “ghosting” everyone at Litsy—but I offer it up only as a lame explanation. 1w

squirrelbrain Hi Minette @gradcat - how lovely to hear from you! We‘re all fine here. Hope you‘re doing OK and looking forward to seeing you on Litsy more! 🥰 1w

gradcat Thank you, pal! 😘 7d

Oryx This was a fun read. I read it while in LA, which made it all the better. I've ordered one of his other books, Camp Damascus. 6d

squirrelbrain Yes, I heard that Camp Damascus is just as good @Oryx 6d

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squirrelbrain

Memory Piece | Lisa Ko

#ToB books picked up from the library yesterday. Two are on the shortlist - I‘m not overly enthused about the Link as I bailed on the only other one of hers that I tried ( and it‘s a chunkster) but it‘s a library book so 🤷‍♀️.

The tagged didn‘t make it onto the shortlist but it was waving at me 👋 from the new books shelf and I do like the sound of it, so couldn‘t really say no.

youneverarrived The tagged sounds really good. Look forward to your review 2w

sarahbarnes I‘m reading the Link right now and liking it, but I did enjoy the short story collections of hers I‘ve read. A fun stack! 😃 2w

squirrelbrain That‘s good to know, thank you @sarahbarnes 2w

53 likes3 comments

Hooked_on_books

Cuckoo | Gretchen Felker-Martin

pick

After Manhunt, I wasn‘t sure about GFM (I found it one note), but she proved to me with book 2 that she can really write. She tells the harrowing, capital H Horror story of a conversion camp here and writes the characters with more depth than the typical horror book. And I kept seeing villain pastor Eddie as looking just like Mike Johnson for some reason.

#TOB longlist

Soubhiville Great photo! 2w

Soubhiville I tried reading this but after just a few pages knew it was too heavily horrifying for me. 😆 2w

ImperfectCJ I have this one checked out from the library, but I was also tepid on Manhunt, so I've not been excited about reading Cuckoo. I'm slightly more enthusiastic after reading this! 2w

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BkClubCare I had it on hold but then canceled - maybe someday 2w

Hooked_on_books @Soubhiville I always appreciate when an author sets expectations for the reader early so one doesn‘t waste their time if the book isn‘t for them. She did that here for sure. And I had to laugh when I saw Bindi in the pic. What a silly dog! 😆 2w

Hooked_on_books @ImperfectCJ Definitely give it a try at least. I suspect you‘ll like this one a lot better. I wasn‘t super excited going in, either, and she won me over for sure. 2w

Leftcoastzen 👏🐶😄 2w

BarbaraBB I am very intrigued now because I bailed on Manhunt. 2w

squirrelbrain Good to know -I wasn‘t keen on Manhunt, but bought this one anyway. 🤦‍♀️ 2w

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 2w

52 likes10 comments

ChaoticMissAdventures

The New York Times Book Review: 125 Years of Literary History | The New York Times

New York Times Best Books of 2024.

What do we think of this list?

I have only read 2
Fiction
All Fours - Miranda July ✅
Good Material - Dolly Alderman
James - Percival Everett ✅
Martyr! Kayeh Akbar
You Dreamed of Empires - Álvaro Enrigue
NF
Cold Crematorium -
Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here
I Heard Her Call My Name
Reagan
The Wide Wide Sea

Suet624 I was really happy they put Martyr on the list. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Suet624 I just got Martyr from the library! Excited to tackle it. I think I am going to get to all the fiction books since they are all on #ToB The NF books I am a bit luke warm on. 3w

Kitta I really didn‘t like all fours tbh. 3w

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Suet624 Oh, I didn‘t realize Empire was on the TOB. I guess I‘ll have to check that one out. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Kitta it is super controversial! I read it during Camp Litsy, I personally enjoyed it but I think most people did not. 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Suet624 I have heard really mixed reviews, but luckily I think it is short! 3w

Kitta @ChaoticMissAdventures I read it for Camp Litsy too, it‘s not something I‘d normally read so I was glad to broaden my horizons even if I didn‘t enjoy it. I kept being like WHY are you doing this?? The whole way through lol 3w

ChaoticMissAdventures @Kitta oh for sure!! LoL it was wild. But I kind of liked that an older (than what most books are centered on) woman was depicted just out there being ridiculous. Some scenes went way too far though. 2w

23 likes8 comments

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