Welcome to Litsy!

#25Alive! Day 20: My #FvWinterDrink is peppermint rum chata - but this one is a close second. Thoroughly enjoyed our final book for the #EuropaCollective. Scheduled my post at GatheringBooks in two weeks‘ time. 💕

#fooandlit2025
Lovely selection of countries to discover news flavours and words this year!

#25Alive! Day 11: Belle‘s #TakeCharge attitude when it comes to JP Morgan‘s collections totally impressed the brilliant man - and the rest is history. Review is forthcoming. Finished reading the book and absolutely loved it. #ReadTheWorld2025: France (translated from French) - although setting is mostly US based. #EuropaCollective

#25Alive! Day 7: Belle Greene lived a most #Prosperous and charmed life, as she served as a personal librarian to the illustrious and obscenely wealthy JP Morgan during New York‘s Gilded Age in the early 1900s. I can see this #EuropaCollective December pick being made into a riveting TV series. In my last few pages of this fascinating story. So happy to be part of the #EuropaCollective book club. Any 2025 edition, @jlhammar ? 🤩😍

#12Booksof2024

I read a lot in December due to time off work. Most of my favorites I‘ve already posted about for challenges. I want to highlight this title because I love Kunzru as an author. It didn‘t delve into the fantastical like others from him but it‘s still a crazy story. I appreciated Kunzru‘s intelligence and questioning of reality-why we value what we value. In large part, it‘s about art; what isn‘t art; how society commodifies art.

#25Alive! Day 2: A strawberry mojito #Toast to our #EuropaCollective pick for December which I have not finished reading yet, unfortunately. 🙈

I really enjoyed this and it didn‘t matter that I‘d already read The Personal Librarian previously - yes, I knew the general outline but the books are quite different stylistically, and complement each other.

This one felt a little bit more NF (even though the author doesn‘t claim that it is) and I thought Belle herself came across a bit more mercenary and unlikeable in this version.

Thanks @jlhammar for being a great host! #europacollective

My second to last #10BeforetheEnd book. I think I might make it!

This was an interesting look at art, capitalism, privilege, racism, etc. A lot of big ideas but Kunzru pulls it off, IMO. Jay was a performance artist who disappeared at the height of his career. Now, delivering groceries during the Covid pandemic, he encounters former friends from his art school days. We flash back to their friendship and then catch up to their uneasy present.

What a delightful #jolabokaflod package! Thank you so much Danielle!! I am so pleased to have the Hardwick collection (love a NYRB edition) and Toffifees are a favourite! Also loved the card & paper.
It is a very snowy Christmas eve day in my part of the world (40+ cms expected ❄️❄️❄️❄️). Guess I'll have to stay at home and read. 😀
@StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego @MaleficentBookDragon

@ShyBookOwl Here‘s the “geode” simile done better!