Welcome to Litsy!

It seems appropriate that I would finish this book on Memorial Day. A book of sacrifice, of thousands of boys fighting in World War I. And a love story of two young boys who head into the fray. The novel spends a good deal of time providing the specifics of fighting in a war so if that‘s not where you want to spend your time, be aware. But the story is rich and detailed and well worth the effort.

Learning is improved when silly goosery is involved. 🤪

A very old book. First published in 1916, this one 1960. It caught my eye because I had to read it in high school and all I can remember is that I hated it. Reading it now I can understand why my teenage self didn‘t like. It is a spy thriller set in WW1 . I‘m glad I reread it. Looking back I realise we had a very British based curriculum.
By the way this old book smells great.😊❤️.

In the early stages of the book I felt that I was in the midst of a very enjoyable and interesting story. The plot was easy to follow, the characters were not overly complicated and having chosen a large print book it was not too difficult to read. As the book progressed I found that there were an abundance of chapters that lacked substance and were less enjoyable than others. The unexpected & shocking revelations at the end was the books saviour

I tried not to, but I‘ll have to bail on this one (gave it 100 pages). Perhaps it‘s the timing. The plot is promising, the characters have potential but the writing feels clichéd and unnatural. It maybe unrelated (or not) but I read two pages of Ann Patchett and I can‘t stop thinking about that book now. #currentlynotreading

Where I talk through the love/hate of Loyal Creatures by Morris Gleitzman
https://www.suzs-space.com/loyal-creatures-morris-gleitzman/

Finished this one up tonight while cooking a pot of Tuscan bean soup. A bit repetitive between all 3 main characters especially at the beginning. Decent historical context which shows the author‘s research. The audiobook narrator was exceptional and really helped make this an enjoyable listen. If I tried to read it I probably would have gotten bogged down. I give it ⭐️⭐️⭐️and would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

It‘s been a whirlwind week/weekend, but I made time today to finish my #reread of this wonderful book on audio. I had forgotten just how solemn and sad the entire story is. It is truly a novel of WWI on the Canadian home front with all of the stress and grief that includes. Yet, it also has those signature moments of pure beauty and humor that LMM writes so wonderfully. I loved revisiting this story.

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #WWI #audiobook

Wartime spies were not always men. Women spies, while being highly effective during WWI, faced unique dangers. This dual timeline book tells English spy Eve‘s story from the Great War and American Charlie‘s story looking for her French cousin Rose who went missing during WWII. Scottish Finn, ex-soldier with his own grim past, is their driver through the French countryside piecing together the horrors Eve and Rose faced. The other female spies ⬇️

This is one of my all-time favorite books and I have read it probably 25-30 times over my lifetime. The characters, the setting, the fact that a few of the moments in this book still make me choke up even after all these rereads - this book is close to perfect to me.

SO IT WAS A COMPLETE SHOCK to find out that in the 1940s random sentences/paragraphs were edited out!!! The edition I grew up reading, despite clearly saying it was “unabridged“ ⬇