Welcome to Litsy!

#SpringSkies Day 19: #Fall in title. My handwritten book log for our #DecolonizeBookshelves2022 reading theme. There were striking themes that fit into the decolonize nature of our reading theme, especially the portrayal of biracial characters who do not seem to fit in anywhere, forever outsiders across their two cultural backgrounds. Full review here: https://wp.me/pDlzr-ofx

This week‘s library haul, plus the changing-face opera doll I did indeed go back to buy on Monday. They‘d already sold one, so I‘m glad I stopped in! The current face is Bao-yu; the others are Dai-yu, Bao-chai, Wang Xi-feng, Shi Xiang-yun, and Grandma Liu (with thanks to my phone‘s built-in translation function, since the box is in Mandarin). I‘m kind of obsessed with it, and I was delighted to learn opera dolls are a whole genre of collectible!

Somebody donated a bunch of changing-face opera figures to the thrift store and I maybe got way too excited when I realized some of them were from A DREAM OF THE RED MANSION (also called THE RED CHAMBER, or THE STORY OF THE STONE in English), which is my project book for this year! I didn‘t buy one but now I kinda wish I had. Maybe there‘ll be some left next time.

I drank my first rice lager tonight, and it was delicious! The rice came through good and strong, with the same character it gives to sake, while the elderflower added a subtle citrus note.

I also read another little chunk of THE STORY OF THE STONE, which I‘ve gotta finish tomorrow morning before I make a library run. I wanted to go the day after tomorrow so I‘d have more time with my loans, but I totally forgot about Good Friday closures. Sigh.

#PoetryMatters Day 23: #Tune

#dogsoflitsy

I said goodbye to Geo and Penny tonight. I‘ll miss them, but they‘re so glad to have their mom home!

I also finished vol 1 of THE STORY OF THE STONE. Now I‘ve backtracked to the introduction, which is just as interesting as the book itself. It‘s had such a storied history! I can‘t wait to get vol 2 and dive in.

Oh, hey, I also started my 2024 project book this morning! THE STORY OF THE STONE caught my eye at the library a couple months back and I decided it‘d be the perfect long thing to tackle in the first half of the year. So far, this 5-volume 18th century novel looks set to play with a lot of tropes and preoccupations that still crop up in many popular Chinese novels and dramas today. I think I‘m gonna have fun with it.

#Naturalitsy

Good deal on UK Amazon today

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BZWBMJ7?_bbid=181294972&tag=bookbubemail-21

Belated Weekly Report:

There finally was a nice day with morning sunshine for my picture 😊

I have read the amusing meta-fictional The Age of Goodbyes and finally! finished #Clarissa 🎇🎆🎉

So, of course, I have started another 18th C epistolary novel, Julie or the New Eloise 😳🙄 For something completely different (that I can carry on the subway), I am also reading the tagged book.