Welcome to Litsy!

Patrick Barkham visits some of the smaller islands in the British Isles.

What he had to say about the history, people, and environment of the islands he visited was very good nature and travel writing but I could have done without the many, many references to D. H. Lawrence's story “The Man Who Loved Islands“ (which I haven't read) and Compton McKenzie, who the story was based on.

#coffeeandabook

#whereareyoumonday
@Cupcake12

Always helpful when the book has a map.
We are starting on the Isle of Man

#HaikuADay #HaikuHive

This is yesterday‘s haiku, or rather last night‘s. I stopped to watch the twilight fade into night on my way home from the airport. (Then I promptly went home & fell asleep!) I‘ve always loved the word “gloaming.” 🌅

In the gloaming hour
Soft waves mirror fading light
Sky melts into sea

The mysterious golden sky orb appeared, so today we‘ve got a picture of one of these here old timey paper books. This book surprised me. It‘s a set of interconnected short stories set on the islands of the VA shore, a remote place full of people living hardscrabble lives. The stories are vivid but dark, bringing their setting to life. Well-written but unremarkable, the last few took an interesting turn which made for a better than expected read.

This is an example of how different my reading tastes are. The first three Goodreads reviews are two stars, but I loved this book. I was immediately drawn in by the story and characters. I loved the lyrical writing and setting and cried several times. I thought the last reveal appeared too fast, but my heart was taken by this book.

I love books with a strong sense of place, and this one did not disappoint. The author did a wonderful job of depicting life on a remote island, complete with island traditions, food, and a cast of quirky characters. This setting, along with the growth in confidence of the main character, a bit of romance, and the revelation of some long-buried secrets made for a very enjoyable read.

#FictionalTraveler #Island

I‘m really looking forward to traveling to the glorious fictional island of Tuga for #FictionalTraveler this month! What will everyone else be reading for the #Island prompt?

This book looks at the tiny, remote culture of St Kilda, an outer Hebridean island group evacuated of its human population in the 1930s. It‘s a very interesting read told in an engaging fashion with little bits of humor here and there. I really enjoyed it and would love to visit there someday.