literarycrew

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

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4⭐️ I was quite surprised by this book and liked the descriptions of life in this remote Welsh fishing village prior to WWII. Read for the #literarycrew #readalong. #2025 #literaryfiction #historicalfiction #fiction

Librarybelle

10 likes

julieclair

Burial Rites | Hannah Kent

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I am not generally a fan of books that make me sad, but this one was an exception. It was so well written, so evocative of time and place, and so thought-provoking. A 5-Star read for sure.

This was the #LiteraryCrew selection for July, and I enjoyed our discussion, as always. @Librarybelle

#Pantone2025 #LyonsBlue @Lauredhel

Librarybelle So glad you loved this one! 10h

36 likes1 comment

mcctrish

The Weekenders: Travels in the Heart of Africa | Alex Garland

#weekendreads an audio: The Crow Trap for fun, the rest are buddy reads; Fearless #sundaybuddyread Assassins #littenslovesjm Brideshead #hashtagbrigade Ragtime #literarycrew

rachelsbrittain

36 likes

julieclair

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

pick

This book transports the reader to a small Welsh fishing island in the years leading up to World War II. The islanders live in the old traditional ways, but change is coming… indeed has already come to the mainland. The writing is spare but poignant, honest but nuanced, immersive but reflective. A true gem of a read. I feel like I lived this book.
Another fabulous #LiteraryCrew selection. You definitely know how to pick ‘em, @Librarybelle ! 👏

Librarybelle Love your review! 6d

Gissy Sold! 😊 3d

julieclair @Librarybelle Thank you! 💙 2d

julieclair @Gissy I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 😀 2d

51 likes2 stack adds4 comments

LitsyEvents

Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow

Repost for @Librarybelle

Named by the Modern Library as one of the top 100 published of all time, Ragtime is the #LiteraryCrew ‘s selection for September.

We‘re a low key #BuddyRead . Read at your own pace throughout the month. I‘ll post periodic check-ins. Discussion on the 30th!

All are welcome to join. If you would like to be added/removed from the tag list, let me know!

Original post - https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2896183

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting! 6d

27 likes1 comment

Librarybelle

Ragtime: A Novel | E.L. Doctorow

Named by the Modern Library as one of the top 100 published of all time, Ragtime is the #LiteraryCrew ‘s selection for September.

We‘re a low key #BuddyRead . Read at your own pace throughout the month. I‘ll post periodic check-ins. Discussion on the 30th!

All are welcome to join. If you would like to be added/removed from the tag list, let me know!

mcctrish, mjdowens, melissajayne, Jerdencon, tpixie, LapReader, Cuilin, kspenmoll, PurpleyPumpkin, Prairiegirl_reading, Deblovestoread, Sace, CatLass007, Mollyanna, BookwormAHN, Pogue, dabbe, Sargar114, Karisa, bumpinthenight, Singout, julieclair, AllDebooks, IriDas, Lkempf

Librarybelle @LitsyEvents 1w

kspenmoll I plan to join in. 1w

Librarybelle Yay, @kspenmoll ! 1w

See All 10 Comments

Jerdencon Just requested it from the library… should have it soon and hope to join 1w

Sace I‘ll dust off my copy and get started tomorrow! 1w

Librarybelle Yay, @Jerdencon @Sace ! 1w

julieclair Looking forward to this! 6d

CSeydel Oh man, this one has been on my list for years! I never manage to plan my timing well enough to join these 6d

Librarybelle Me too, @julieclair ! 6d

Librarybelle @CSeydel I hope you‘re able to join us! 6d

44 likes2 stack adds10 comments

Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

It‘s time for our #LiteraryCrew discussion! I have 7 questions posted as spoilers; you can find them on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtags.

I realized I never posted the graphic for next month‘s Ragtime, so I will get that posted today.

38 likes

Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

This post contains spoilers

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7. O'Connor mentions a few islands that inspired this story, including St. Kilda. To get a perspective of the islands and the harshness of life, not to mention the village remains, I have a Mirror article link in the comments. #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Librarybelle https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/uk-ireland/uk-ghost-island-been-abandoned-313514... 1w

mcctrish Wow!!! 1w

Sargar114 That authors note was fascinating! 1w

Cuilin Oh wow thanks for sharing. I find this fascinating as someone who grew up in Ireland and would visit the smaller islands and you would see deserted villages etc and now I see TikTok‘s of people visiting them. I often wonder what the island‘s ancestors would make of that. 1w

julieclair So interesting! 6d

7 likes5 comments

Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

This post contains spoilers

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6. We have to talk about the whale! Do you think the whale was a good omen or a bad omen? O'Connor uses the arrival and departure of the whale's remains as an arc for the story. Why do you think she did this? What does the whale symbolize? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

TEArificbooks I think it was a bad omen. It demonstrates another thing that the researchers took from the island. They can‘t let anything just go. They have to take from it and profit. The what symbolizes the changes that are coming, the changes in the main character but also the modernization coming and the changes we don‘t see in the book. The changes the war will bring. And symbolizes the loss of the way of life, the population leaving and modern influences 1w

mcctrish A bad omen absolutely 1w

Cuilin I think the whale symbolises the island and its precarious existence maybe some catalyst for change. There‘s a beginning and an end. The whale comes, the islanders interact with it, some mainlanders come and take from it and then all is left are the bones and then the skull is used in a celebration. 1w

julieclair I think the whale represents the islanders themselves. Both are tied to the sea, but the sea returns them to the land. Birds and other predators pick away at the whale, just like civilization is slowly influencing the islanders. The whale being removed may indicate the eventual evacuation of the island. But I love that the skull becomes part of their celebration, indicating that the old traditions may not entirely disappear. 6d

7 likes4 comments

Librarybelle

Whale Fall | Elizabeth O'Connor

This post contains spoilers

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5. How do you think Edward and Joan's work will affect the island? We already know that the “writings“ they did reflect a different perspective of the island and the community?

On a bigger scale, how will World War II affect the community? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

TEArificbooks I think their research will be presented to the world somehow and it will intrigue people. Maybe a slight increase in tourism. But then the government would interfere and decide to evacuate the island. I think that it is possible more of the men would sign up and die in the war reducing the population more and allowing the government to justify evacuation. Another possibility is occupation, many islands were taking over during the war. 1w

mcctrish @TEArificbooks yes ( nothing good) 1w

Sargar114 @TEArificbooks exactly! 1w

Cuilin Probably nothing. The “rape and Pillage” aspect form J&E was to write a novel as propaganda to promote a certain Britishness, hardworking, handcrafting, and connection to old traditions. That‘s the only use they had for the island. They came, they saw, they romantic it and used it as propaganda. 1w

julieclair I don‘t think the book would impact the island much at all, but I do think the war would have a big effect. The loss of several men, or even just their protracted absence, would have a severe negative effect on the already struggling economy. Eventual evacuation by the government seems likely. 6d

7 likes5 comments

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