Welcome to Litsy!

Bit of a colour theme going on with my library #bookhaul!

3 of them are, of course, from the #ToBlonglist. I actually reserved Seduction Theory around 6 weeks ago and it‘s taken this long to come in - perfect timing!

I fully expected Heart the Lover to be on the longlist too. 🤷‍♀️ I‘ll have to read that one first anyway as it has multiple reservations against it, so I can‘t renew it.

Another winner. I had no idea what this book would be about but it grabbed me from the first page and I couldn‘t let go until I finished it with a deep, deep sigh. Lily King is such a master in writing about love and friendship. Wow.

📸 Nagoya Castle, Japan

#WeeklyForecast 45/25

The tagged one has been on my TBR for years. In anticipation of the #ToBLonglist I‘ll finally pick it up.
However, I first have to finish both other books, that I am both reading now.

In an effort to get myself more enthused for the ToB Summer Bracket (reading Absolution isn't helping), I have created a challenge on The Storygraph. Search “Tournament of Books Summer Bracket 2025“ if you'd like to join.

The Opening Round starts 7 July, but I've left the dates on the challenge blank so you can read the books at any time and have them count.

#tobsummerbracket2025 #toblonglist

Other Littens are loving this #TOBlonglist book, but it just isn‘t working for me. I don‘t like the writing. And even after setting it aside for a week and picking it back up, still no go.

I‘m afraid this #TOBlonglist book just didn‘t work for me. It should be so affecting, dealing with queer coming of age, first love, and grief. But it fell flat for me with a very sappy ending. I have to agree with @BarbaraBB that it felt very YA, not in a good way. Plus, I hate the cover, which reminds me of bad wallpaper.

When the #TOBlonglist came out, this one looked right up my alley. A man gets a new blood test that tells him he has a tendency for criminality and will kill someone, but it‘s funny. Problem is, it‘s not so funny (but thinks it is), then takes a wild turn away from the premise halfway through and doesn‘t hold together. I wish I had bailed.

4.25❤️ it looks like this is getting mixed reviews here, I fall better inline with the GR reviews. I loved this. I do think the blurb is misleading. Calling it Orphean is not right. Our MC Rainy does lose his wife and goes on an adventure but the adventure is him finding himself. The book is written in a Greek tragedy vibe and style which I loved, and once I got over the expectations of the synopsis I really loved the whole thing. #ToBlonglist

"He lifted his head. "Yes, that would be nice - I'm sorry, I don't mean to be such awful company. It's the times. The times are so unfriendly. Play me something, would you, Rainy?"

A poinent passage that feels too close to reality right now.
#ToBLonglist

I suspected this would not be for me and indeed it was not. It occasionally felt like it was going to veer close to an understandable metaphor, but instead of getting there would then throw in a deliberately provocative sexual statement and I‘m never a fan of that, as I don‘t think it informs the story. #TOBlonglist