Litsy

There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel | Elif Shafak

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Every once in a while you read the blurb of a book and think this could be a new favorite. Then you read the first paragraph and gets it confirmed. This was that book for me. I knew I was in safe hands and could just get lost in the story.

Arthur by the Thames from the 1840s, Narin by the Tigris in 2014 and Zaleekhah by the Thames in 2018. I preferred Arthur and Zaleekhah‘s stories and I post under a spoiler why

And that ending

AnneCecilie When reading we don‘t know how the stories of Arthur and Zaleekhah will end. Very early on we learn that Narin is Yazidi girl and when the family is going to a town near Mosul and ISIS is mentioned, at least I knew where this was going. Everyone remembers the massacres of the Yazidi, the only thing we don‘t know is how Shafak will do it and how much in the center of this her characters will be. 6h

AnneCecilie I‘m going to an author event with Shafak later this month and I‘m so looking forward to it. I can‘t wait to hear what she has to say about this novel and her process. 6h

Luke-XVX She‘s going to be at my local bookstore in April! 6h

TrishB I loved this one ♥️ 4h

squirrelbrain Enjoy the event - I‘m sure it will be fab! ❤️ 4h

33 likes1 stack add5 comments

AnneCecilie

There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel | Elif Shafak

It occurs to him, in that moment, that poverty has its own scent, an odour that emanates from his pores, easily detected. It is an awful, debilitating thought.

(This quote has my thinking of “Parasite” right away)

Cathythoughts Can I ask you what book is Parasite ? Thanks , I‘m curious. 2w

AnneCecilie @Cathythoughts it‘s not a book, it‘s a Korean film that came out in 2019 2w

Cathythoughts Ok. Thankyou. ❤️ 2w

sarahbarnes Parasite is so good. 2w

BiblioLitten @sarahbarnes That movie stays with you, long after you‘ve watched! 1w

49 likes5 comments

TheEllieMo

There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel | Elif Shafak

A day late because I wasn‘t very well yesterday.

This one was by far and away my favourite book of 2024.

#FaveBk24
#25Alive
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Pretty cover 🤍💙 2w

Eggs Hope you‘re feeling better 💙🩵 2w

TheEllieMo @Eggs getting there. Probably well enough to go back to work tomorrow 😫 2w

30 likes3 comments

AnneCecilie

There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel | Elif Shafak

#FirstLineFridays

This paragraph pulled me in and hooked me

Leniverse There are some powerful passages in that book! It has really stayed with me. 2w

ShyBookOwl It's a really captivating line! 2w

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SanjanaGhosh

There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel | Elif Shafak

pick

“Water is the consummate immigrant, trapped in transit, never able to settle.”

The story spans multiple timelines, a story of a child born in London in the 1800s, a young researcher with a broken marriage finding her footing in present day London and about a young girl belonging to an unconventional religion in present times as well.The common denominator is a single drop of water caught in its never ending cycle of evaporation and precipitation.

22 likes

JamieArc

Castle | J. Robert Lennon

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This was my first from @Billypar #ALSpine list and it was a great first read of 2025. I won‘t say much about it. Knowing less going in is more. Really atmospheric modern gothic psychological thriller. Foreboding and tension. The story unfurls in a masterful way. At halfway through I couldn‘t put it down. This book is about a lot of interesting things and makes you think but that would give some things away. Check Vinny‘s great review for more!

monalyisha

JamieArc Check trigger warnings if you have any. This story gets a bit dark. 4w

JamieArc Photo of mine taken at Musée d‘Orsay because I love it ? 4w

BkClubCare Great pic 4w

See All 12 Comments

BarbaraBB I loved this one too. So atmospheric! 4w

JamieArc @BkClubCare Thanks! 4w

JamieArc @BarbaraBB I do love an atmospheric read! 4w

Billypar It sounds like you liked it as much as I did! 🙂 Definitely one to go in blind on. Which is true for me and Tom Lake - for all the attention it got, I realized I actually knew zero about the plot. I just started it today after finishing a holdover from 2024, but I'm already hooked. 4w

Billypar If you're interested, below is the podcast episode with Lennon that first introduced me to him. @BarbaraBB I can't remember if I already shared this with you? https://open.spotify.com/episode/4G0fISU2x6iD8h0V7M0asn?si=zg2puYAgSLaD2rreu8q_a... 4w

JamieArc @Billypar Thanks - I‘ll check it out. I‘m from Michigan and Tom Lake reps MI well. I vacation where it takes place and that‘s probably part of why I liked it. Glad you are liking it too! I hadn‘t heard of Lennon and probably wouldn‘t have read this, so I‘m really glad it was on your list. I plan to read more so if you or @BarbaraBB have recs, send them my way! 4w

BarbaraBB @Billypar No you didn‘t. Thank you so much, I will certainly listen to it. 4w

BarbaraBB Jamie, I loved the tagged one and it made me want to read all of his backlist. All his books are completely different but you can‘t go wrong I think .

Subdivision: A Novel

Billypar I also read Subdivision first, and it's the only other one I've read so far, but I certainly plan to read more. It is a very different novel, but I liked it even more than Castle (it's even stranger if you can believe that, lol). 4w

64 likes3 stack adds12 comments

Ellohcin

Home Front | Kristin Hannah

Book 3/40 of 2025 ✨

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TheEllieMo

There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel | Elif Shafak

Not just my favourite read of November, but the best book of the year for me. I adored it.

#12BooksOf2024
@Andrew65

TrishB I just finished it yesterday, absolutely awesome. 1mo

Andrew65 I need to get to this clearly. 1mo

TheEllieMo @TrishB I‘m always so pleased when others like a book I loved 🥰. I thought the writing was so beautiful, and I loved “King” Arthur! 1mo

TrishB Yes agree 😁 1mo

36 likes4 stack adds4 comments

TrishB

There Are Rivers in the Sky: A novel | Elif Shafak

pick

I have read this book in the last 24 hours and feel a bit battered and broken.
It‘s amazing, a work of art, but brutal and honest.
I learned a lot and googled a lot!
Brilliant story telling.

Cathythoughts Great review 👍🏻❤️ 1mo

AnneCecilie This is on my tbr and the whole reading in 24 hrs has me even more intrigued 1mo

TrishB @AnneCecilie I don‘t go back to work until next Monday so I basically just read this as I had no other plans! Sadly not something that happens often enough. 1mo

AnneCecilie But still, it‘s not the shortest book. Now I really want to read it sooner rather than later 1mo

squirrelbrain Great review! ❤️ 1mo

88 likes8 stack adds5 comments

JamieArc

Castle | J. Robert Lennon

Having a very peaceful 1st day of the year with my first #AuldLangSpine book of the year.

56 likes

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