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Billypar

Billypar

Joined February 2017

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Billypar
The Underneath | Melanie Finn
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That moment when your book calls you out 😳

review
Billypar
Sing, Unburied, Sing | Jesmyn Ward
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Pickpick

#TitlesandTunes #Blue
Happy publication day to Jesmyn Ward for her latest! I'm always about 5 years behind, so I just finished SUS. I'd heard it described as a road novel, and it technically is, but didn't feel like one. The journey matters less than the fact that the family must share tight quarters when they'd previously been drifting apart. I spent the whole novel concerned for them all: the entire novel is located on the brink of disaster.

Ruthiella Totally. That novel made me so tense! 😬 1mo
dabbe Hello there, sweet kitty! 🖤🐾🖤 1mo
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sarahbarnes Great review! And photo. 🩵 1mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks One of my favorites ❤️ 1mo
Billypar @Ruthiella @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Part of the suspense for me was due to how much I cared about the characters - they're all so well-drawn and nuanced. 1mo
Billypar @dabbe @sarahbarnes I sat down to figure out what kind of picture I was going to use, and then Jem hopped on my lap and solved that question for me 😸 1mo
dabbe What a Jem! 🤩🤩🤩 1mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Billypar I love Jojo and Kayla ❤️ I rarely reread books, but I‘ve read this one 3 times 💔 1mo
Reggie The part where the grandma is dying always reminds of Poltergeist the movie. Also, Jojo, Kayla, and Pops. Hope they‘re still ok somewhere. 1mo
Billypar @Reggie Great comparison: that part surprised me. I like how Ward handles the ghosts and spiritual portions. They're legit ghosts, not mere literary devices. It was one of the things I liked about Beloved also. 1mo
Centique You summed it up so well! This was so good and in looking forward to her new one. I think its the Oprah pick too, so should get Ward lots of new readers. 1mo
Billypar @Centique I actually had no idea she was coming out with a new book until my Google feed alerted me to it after I finished this one. I'm pretty bad at paying attention to upcoming releases, but then it is a nice surprise when they happen 😀 1mo
50 likes13 comments
blurb
Billypar
Rouge | Mona Awad
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My local bookshop hosted this reading last night from Mona Awad and Laura Sims: Sims read from 'How Can I Help You' which I still need to read and Awad from her latest Rouge, which I only found out about last week after finishing her previous novel. Apparently, the two authors have been friends since 2018, which came through as they posed questions to each other about their work. A fun night of reflections on serial killers and dark fairy tales 😈

Billypar Awad mentioned two horror movies that influenced her in writing Rouge: Suspiria and In Fabric, which I hadn't heard of but think I need to check out: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt7464188/ 2mo
LeahBergen That sounds like a fantastic event! 2mo
GondorGirl I just finished Rouge and loved it. It was the literary equivalent of a fever dream, with twisted words and an unreliable narrator. 2mo
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Billypar @LeahBergen Yeah, it was a lot of fun! 2mo
Billypar @GondorGirl The portion she read was where the main character is first going to the beauty spa place in the creepy waiting room. I'm already hooked - can't wait to pick it up! 2mo
Reggie I have that new Sims books. Her book, The Looker, I thought it was great. And never has someone turned such a scene such as setting down a potluck dish into something so nail biting. So good. 2mo
Billypar @Reggie That one sounds great as well. For her most recent one she mentioned trying to do a serial killer story but coming at it 'sideways', so I'm wondering if Looker was doing something similar with the typical stalker character. 2mo
sarahbarnes Wow, this must‘ve been so cool! 2mo
Billypar @sarahbarnes It was! The part that Mona read from Rouge definitely matched your review - sinister indeed 😨 2mo
Suet624 It‘s so fun to go to book events. 💕 2mo
Billypar @Suet625 Agreed! I wish I could remember to look for upcoming events more often. 1mo
50 likes11 comments
review
Billypar
All's Well | Mona Awad
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Pickpick

Nothing like a good book and a glass of the golden remedy to ease your mind, am I right? If you've read this, you'll know this last phrase is repeated over and over. After a while, I was repeating it to my cats ('That's some yummy food, am I right?'). It's one of many careless phrases uttered by the happy that serve to irritate the miserable in Awad's theater of the absurd. A perfect dark comic meditation on the gulf between sickness and wellness.

Ruthiella I loved this one too. I‘m very excited for her newest and have it on hold at the library 2mo
Billypar @Ruthiella Yeah, the new one sounds great. Mona Awad is actually doing a reading at my local bookstore along with Laura Sims this Friday, so I'm really looking forward to that! 2mo
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BarbaraBB How cool to meet her Friday. I liked this one too. Your review is fantastic! 2mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Thanks! Yeah, I don't always pay close attention to my local bookstore events, but I'm glad I noticed this one. 2mo
batsy I'm looking forward to reading this, too! Great picture... That's the ideal combo 😆 2mo
Cinfhen I just read two books by Laura Simms and they were SO GOOD!!! Friday‘s event should be AMAZING!!!! I enjoyed this book but Awad‘s newest is my favorite 2mo
sarahbarnes What a cool book event! Loved this one and am currently reading Rouge and agree with @Cinfhen so far it‘s my favorite of hers. I love her writing. 2mo
Cinfhen Yay @sarahbarnes !!!! Rouge was “almost” sane 😁😉 (edited) 2mo
Billypar @batsy The picture was one of those situations that was accidentally book-relevant, so no staging required 😄 2mo
Billypar @Cinfhen I'll be forever grateful to you and @BarbaraBB for introducing me to Awad via the Bunny readalong. And I can't believe Rouge is even better given the strength of her last two! But I will trust you and @sarahbarnes and maybe skip my usual year-plus delay on reading new releases. And now it also sounds like I'll have to make time for Laura Sims at some point! 📚📚📚 2mo
BarbaraBB If you make that exception on new releases you can probably get a signed copy of Rouge! That‘d be great! 2mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Yeah, I'll definitely be getting a copy, hopefully signed. But it faces stiff competition on my TBR bookshelf once it arrives there 🙂 2mo
BarbaraBB I know what you mean 😀 2mo
50 likes3 stack adds14 comments
blurb
Billypar
Sing, Unburied, Sing | Jesmyn Ward
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#TitlesAndTunes #Blues
From the synopsis, SUS sounds like a road novel that is steeped in loss and haunted characters (maybe literally?). The perfect pairing with this Lurrie Bell album I picked up at a record shop recently. I'd never heard of Bell before, but his guitar riffs are a joy, the kind of blues that take you on a journey, which is perfect for an emotionally charged road novel. And it certainly channels its own ghosts of blues legends.

Billypar I chose the album opener - Givin' Me a Hard Time for the playlist: https://spotify.link/tO2khtN2hDb @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB 2mo
BarbaraBB I don‘t know the artist but your description is very attractive. Glad to add him to our playlist. 2mo
Cinfhen This book remains among my favorites and your song choice sounds perfect 🤩 2mo
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Billypar @BarbaraBB Hope you enjoy as much as I have. I like getting recommendations from Spotify algorithms, but there's still no substitute for record stores for finding new artists imo. 2mo
Billypar @Cinfhen I'm so excited to finally read it after all I've heard! 2mo
Centique Such a fantastic book - hope you enjoy it! 2mo
Billypar @Centique Very much looking forward to it! 🙂 2mo
39 likes7 comments
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Billypar
The Dreams | Naguib Mahfouz
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What if you turned your dreams into short stories? Such a simple concept, but one I hadn't seen until I picked up Naguib Mahfouz's The Dreams. The content varies a great deal, and even though this one could be considered a nightmare, it made me laugh out loud just because of how ridiculous yet terrifying it became in just a few sentences 😨😲😆

Centique Oooh i read his book Palace Walk and it has stayed with me ever since. This looks interesting and freaky 😳 2mo
Billypar @Centique Good to know - I haven't read any others of his, so I was wondering what to start with, novel-wise. I added it to my TBR. 2mo
Centique @Billypar it took me a while to get into the flow of his writing. It felt like he described almost every movement of each character - like someone capturing movie scenes in detail. But after a few chapters of me faltering my way through that, it made everything very vivid. 2mo
Billypar @Centique I think it's so interesting when something about a novel's style feels a little off-putting at first, but winds up being what makes it stick with you - I've definitely had that experience. 2mo
28 likes4 comments
review
Billypar
This Side of Paradise | F Scott Fitzgerald
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Mehso-so

#TitlesandTunes #TheWorldismyOyster
My favorite almost-pick of the year? Fitzgerald's inventive writing saves this story of a Princeton student 'finding himself' from being boring. But it also seems meandering and uneven - not like Gatsby at all in that respect. For all the strangeness of the lost social norms of the period, it's crazy to me how similar the mc's character is to a contemporary college intellectual dude. @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB Love your drawing 😂 and am intrigued by the premise of the book. 3mo
Cinfhen That is really crazy / goes to show not much has changed when it comes to privileged white kids at Princeton 😉 3mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Ha - thanks! It's not what I was expecting - sometimes with good results, but other times not. 3mo
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Billypar @Cinfhen Yeah, he does have some character progression but it's something like 'aspiring snob with dreams of fame' to 'opinionated intellectual who refuses to get a job on principle'. 3mo
Cinfhen So basically this was autobiographical for Scott 😁😜 3mo
Billypar @Cinfhen He was the same age as the main character when he wrote it, so I wouldn't be shocked 😄 3mo
31 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Billypar
Just Kids | Patti Smith
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...or just open your eyes and look at the picture? 🙈

Joking aside about People's attempt at click-bait, I do like how many celebrity book clubs there are now. Seems like a great way to attract new readers. All that said, I've never actually participated in a celebrity book club - does anyone have a favorite they would recommend? I'm curious what the discussions are like.

DivineDiana I too like that there are more celebrities forming Book Clubs. Thank you Oprah for leading the way! I read one book for Caitriona Balfe‘s Book Club. There was an interesting online discussion. Disappointed that she did not participate. There were a few facilitators. Book tagged. (edited) 3mo
Billypar @DivineDiana Yeah, I doubt that any celebrity will come anywhere close to the institution that is Oprah's Bookclub. I've never seen Outlander so this one was not on my radar but it sounds pretty good! I never thought about there being facilitators. Not as exciting as the celebrity host taking part but still better than nothing. 3mo
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Graywacke She chose a terrific book. Also, I‘m intrigued that celebrity book clubs are a thing. 3mo
Ruthiella I actually shy away from Oprah picks because she seems to really enjoy depressingly sad stories. 😂 3mo
tpixie @Ruthiella yes! I agree!!! 3mo
tpixie @Graciouswarriorprincess reads Reece Witherspoon‘s books 3mo
Billypar @Graywacke Yeah, it's an interesting choice given how different Patti Smith is from Dua Lipa. I wonder whether she was a fan going in. It would be fun to see more musical celebrities with book clubs for their perspective on other musicians' memoirs. 3mo
Billypar @Ruthiella I never thought about that - I only really know the books I've read that are Oprah picks, but yeah, I think they have fit that description 🤔 3mo
Billypar @tpixie Of all of the clubs, it seems to me that hers has the most devoted following. I'd like to try it at some point. 3mo
tpixie @Billypar 👍🏻🩷📚 3mo
31 likes11 comments
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Billypar
All's Well | Mona Awad
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#DramaQueen #Titlesandtunes
What a great opportunity for me to read my most anticipated selection from my shelf (I'm weirdly proud I lasted a year for it to 'wait its turn', even though that makes no sense 🤷🏻). After Bunny, I can only assume this story of a director staging All's Well That Ends Well will have some bizarre complications. I think it's 'the drama I've been craving', as Sleater Kinney sing on one of my all-time favorite albums.

Cinfhen Fabulous choice!!! Happy you waited for the right time to read the book!!! 3mo
Cinfhen Perfect pairing 🎶✅❣️ 3mo
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Billypar @Cinfhen I'm excited already! 🎭 3mo
batsy Nice! I want to read this, too. Great pick for the prompt. And now I've gotta crank up some Sleater Kinney 🙌🏾 3mo
BarbaraBB Great choice for the book, it had drama queen all over it! 3mo
43 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
Billypar
Art & Lies | Jeanette Winterson
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Pickpick

Some books you read and know exactly what you think of them. Others you read, puzzle, struggle over, and consider bailing on and off for four months, with final ratings of 0-5 all seeming equally plausible. That was Art and Lies for me. I went with a cautious '4 stars' because it has undeniably beautiful sentences and stretches of ecstatic musings. But it's tough going - like Virginia Woolf, not sure I even know what's going on at times, tough 👇

Billypar Plot? No not really. Three characters with artist names take the train and do lots of thinking, reflecting on their pasts. Handel is a doctor and ex-priest. Picasso is a painter with family problems. Sappho may actually be Sappho reincarnated, but I'm not 100% sure. And if you enjoy poetry about light, you've come to the right place. 4mo
Billypar (TW for sexual abuse and rape) 4mo
Cinfhen Wonderful review 😁 4mo
Centique Yes! I know what you mean - these complicated books with which you end up having both positive and negative experiences. Im like that with To The Lighthouse. Such a good review 🙌 4mo
Billypar @Centique Thanks Paula! Yeah, I really enjoyed To the Lighthouse and The Waves overall, but did I enjoy them every time I sat down to read them? Definitely not 🙃 But when they're good, they're very, very good. 4mo
32 likes5 comments
review
Billypar
We Sold Our Souls | Grady Hendrix
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Pickpick

#TitlesandTunes #SexDrugsandRockandRoll
A Faustian tale that isn't really about Faust so much as his bandmate who has to live with the aftermath of his bargain. It's not really about the tragedy of giving into temptation so much as the vacuum of being 'soulless'. When heavy metal becomes nu metal and gets taken over by corporate overlords, it's not mortal sin, just sad. Thankfully this novel has plenty of soul: it's darkly funny and fast-paced 👇

Billypar The ending makes sense logically and isn't weak, but the horror scenes are so unique and effective, I was hoping for a little more of that in the climax. But that's a small point - there's lots to appreciate, including the book itself, all decked out in black pages and red interiors. I'm liking all my picks so far for this series and plan to finally get back on track this month and read the book in its intended month 😸 @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB 4mo
Megabooks Agree! I love how he explored the bargain not from the bargainer‘s perspective. Unique take. 👍🏻 4mo
Billypar @Megabooks Yeah, it didn't even dawn on me until I was writing this review that this was what made it feel so unique. I also enjoyed the special kind of 'punishment' bestowed on Terry in the final pages. 4mo
21 likes3 comments
blurb
Billypar
This Side of Paradise | F Scott Fitzgerald
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#Titlesandtunes #TheWorldIsMyOyster
I've never read anything else by Fitzgerald except the one we all read. While that novel is about someone looking back on his youth, his debut is about a young scholar who's looking ahead to his future with great zeal as he attends Princeton. Nas must have had a similar perspective when he made his debut album Illmatic, and I thought The World Is Yours is perfect for the theme. @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

Cinfhen Brilliant! Once again you‘ve raised the bar ❤️🎶🙌🏻can‘t wait to see what you do with next month‘s prompt #DramaQueen 😂 4mo
BarbaraBB I‘ve only read that one too 😊, looking forward to your review of this one. And I saw NAS live last year and he was so good, glad to add him to the list! 4mo
Billypar @Cinfhen It took me awhile to come up with the choices for this month's prompt, but I thought of both a book and song for DramaQueen pretty quickly. Looking forward to it! 4mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Wow, that must have been an incredible show! 4mo
29 likes5 comments
review
Billypar
The Buried Giant: A novel | Kazuo Ishiguro
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Pickpick

I'm not usually a fan of fantasy novels, and I don't usually cry from books, but this one broke both of those trends. I enjoy fantasy landscapes and themes, but I'm a poor visualizer of action sequences and prefer simpler world building. So Ishiguro's brand of fantasy that brings imagery to life through dialogue is perfect for me. The action is short and memorable, much of it being described through one character relaying a tale to another 👇

Billypar This brand of storytelling is crucial for the novel's themes of aging, memory, guilt, and regret. Again, not the usual stuff of an exciting adventure: the two main characters are an elderly couple beginning a quest to find their son, even as a dragon's enchanted breath has stolen their memories. They do meet a more conventional warrior hero, but his role is more complicated to say the least. Although there are many surprises along the way...👇 4mo
Billypar ... the ending is not one of them - you can guess it pretty early on. Yet, that turns out to be a strength rather than a failing because when it finally does come, it's all the more emotional and devastating based on how the story builds and how expertly Ishiguro renders the final pages. Sometimes you finish a novel that's a favorite of the year so far, but this is one of those reads where I'm quite sure I won't read a better one all year 🥇🏆 4mo
Ruthiella I loved this one too. So many readers were unhappy with its slow pace, but that didn‘t bother me. My favorite character was Wistan. I thought it was a complex and sad book, with no easy answers. 4mo
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Billypar @Ruthiella Yeah, it's not as action-packed as some fantasies, but it still has plenty of memorable sequences. The pixies in the river? Terrifying. It would have been easier to nudge Wistan's character more clearly into hero or villain territory, but that complexity makes it a stronger novel. 4mo
Cathythoughts Beautiful review and picture ♥️ 4mo
Billypar @Cathythoughts Thanks! I wish I could more information about the picture itself, besides that it portrays Charon. I got it from this site: https://bodyandface.ru/en/excretory/kto-perepravlyaet-dushi-cherez-reku-stiks-re... 4mo
Suet624 Hmmm…I don‘t usually read this kind of book but you‘re making me curious … 4mo
Billypar @Suet624 I think the higher talking to action ratio was a big plus for me, even though it may be a drawback for other readers. And how many fantasy novels do you get about aging? 4mo
Suet624 @Billypar The aging part is what really interested me... 4mo
31 likes4 stack adds9 comments
review
Billypar
Death in Her Hands | Ottessa Moshfegh
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Pickpick

This novel opens with Vesta, an elderly widow, finding this note in the woods behind the remote lakeside cottage she recently moved into with her dog Charlie. If you think that this sounds like an intriguing opening to a mystery, you should know from the start that this is not that novel. Because it is initially disappointing to find this isn't the mystery you think you're getting. But the odd character study that emerges is truly unique 👇

Billypar In some ways it's a portrait of loneliness, but also what happens when you have complicated feelings about the person you're missing. I'm going to end this review with something I liked that isn't all that important but still gave me a strange delight - the wonderful place names referenced: Levant, Monlith, Bethsmane, Dratchkill, Valtura, Bahl, Port Mary, St. Viceroy. 5mo
Ruthiella I‘ve only read Eileen but I really must read more from Moshfegh. 5mo
Reggie @Ruthiella I will never forget her talking about popping the pimples on her Russian exbf‘s back. Blughhh. 5mo
Billypar @Ruthiella Eileen was the only other one I read also. That will be a tough one to top for me - it's my favorite kind of novel - so unpredictable, funny, and dark. 5mo
Billypar @Reggie Moshfegh does seem to revel in dropping some memorably gross passages 🤢😄 5mo
43 likes5 comments
review
Billypar
Lexicon: A Novel | Max Barry
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Pickpick

#TitlesandTunes #GuiltyPleasure
Way late with this review, but I really enjoyed this fast-paced sci-fi thriller. It seems ready-made for a blockbuster film treatment and has some interesting narrative inversions. My least favorite part was the particular phenomenon: it reminded me of trying to explain the neurological reasons why Harry Potter spells work. But it also doesn't over-explain, which helps it deliver on the action and suspense.

Cinfhen Fantastic review and photo💕 5mo
sarahbarnes My favorite Woolf book editions. 😍 5mo
Billypar @Cinfhen Thanks! 🙂 5mo
Billypar @sarahbarnes Yeah, I love the artwork - it's got a haunting quality to it. 5mo
51 likes5 comments
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Billypar
We Sold Our Souls | Grady Hendrix
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#TitlesandTunes #SexDrugsandRocknroll
Quite behind on this past month's read, so just starting it now, but when does that ever affect choosing a next read?
I decided to go with a double-Hendrix for my pick this month. Grady has long been on my list of authors to try - I've read Paperbacks from Hell but never any of his novels. Message to Love is from Jimi's live album Band of Gypsys, one of my favorites from college. It's chock full of solos 🎸

BarbaraBB I‘m so glad you added Jimi 🖤 (edited) 5mo
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Cinfhen Classic 🙌🏻🖤 5mo
DebinHawaii Great pick! I‘m excited to read this one—it‘s been in my TBR for ages now! 👍👍 5mo
batsy Nice! I'm also keen to read Grady Hendrix at some point. 5mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Looking forward to seeing the full playlist! And to adding some rock memoirs to my TBR. 5mo
Billypar @DebinHawaii I'll look out for your review! 😈🎸 5mo
Billypar @batsy I keep vaguely considering him for a Halloween season read, but I shouldn't be saving all my horror for October anyhow. 5mo
35 likes9 comments
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Billypar
I Do Everything I'm Told | Megan Fernandes
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I know I've heard of largehearted boy before (possibly on Litsy?), but I totally forgot its main purpose of combining reading and music, perfect for #TitlesandTunes It's also been around since 2002 so I'm a bit late to the party! One of the features, "book notes" has authors creating a playlist inspired by a recent release of theirs, so I've been listening to the last few of those. My favorite is from Megan Fernandes' poetry collection (tagged).

Billypar @BarbaraBB @Cinfhen @vivastory have you posted about this site before? I'm trying to remember why it sounds so familiar. 5mo
rockpools This is fab! I‘ve never come across this before. 5mo
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Cinfhen WOW!!! This site is AMAZING 🤩 Thanks for sharing!!! I had no idea it existed but now I‘ll be going down the rabbit hole 🍄 5mo
batsy I love that site and it's incredible that it's been going on for decades, I think? I used to read it in the heyday of Bookslut and Maud Newton's blog 🙂 5mo
Billypar @rockpools @Cinfhen I only found it after doing a search for an author I like whose post from a few years ago came up. It's fun to see how varied the lists are and how they explain the connections to their work. 5mo
Billypar @batsy It's crazy for anything on the internet to last so long! I feel like I missed out on the blog era - I don't think I had enough authors and artists in my brain back then to seek out content. 5mo
vivastory This site sounds incredible! 5mo
BarbaraBB I hadn‘t heard of I‘d but this site is incredible! Thanks for bringing it up! 5mo
TheKidUpstairs I had totally forgotten about this site! Thanks for reintroducing me to the rabbit hole. For anyone reading with #CampLitsy23 - Claire Fuller contributed a list for The Memory of Animals 💗 5mo
Billypar @vivastory @BarbaraBB Hope you enjoy it - I'm finding that whether or not an author shares my music taste, the playlists are never dull! 🎶📖 5mo
Billypar @TheKidUpstairs I'm looking forward to trying one where I've actually read the material to see if I can pick up on the vibe that made the author choose the songs. (edited) 5mo
BarbaraBB @TheKidUpstairs That is so cool. Good to know @squirrelbrain ! 5mo
squirrelbrain Thanks for the tag @BarbaraBB - this sounds fascinating @billypar. I shall check out the list for the Fuller book. 5mo
33 likes14 comments
blurb
Billypar
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It's been nearly a decade since I last read a McCarthy novel, but he made an impression on me - my Litsy handle is taken from Billy Parham who appears in The Crossing and Cities of the Plain, two of my favorite novels. I enjoyed those novels even more than Blood Meridian (not pictured), which has one of the most frightening literary villains I've witnessed. But The Border Trilogy focuses on two heroes, which is tougher to pull off in some ways 👇

Billypar John Grady Cole and Billy Parham are fairly unassuming as heroes: they may be cowboy-types, but there is also nothing too dramatic about them. John is quieter than Billy but neither of them say very much. Both seem to share a special bond with horses and often whisper into their ears. But that's about it. Yet somehow they're compelling, even as they confront violence and the more sadistic forces that always seem to pop up in his novels. 6mo
Billypar I haven't read his two latest, but I'm looking forward to revisiting a writer I've enjoyed so much over the years. RIP 6mo
merelybookish Cool to learn he inspired your Litsy handle. 🤎 6mo
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BarbaraBB That‘s a beautiful tribute to him ❤️ 6mo
batsy Lovely tribute. My introduction to him was via his last two books, which despite its bleak nature I found very welcoming/comforting, if that makes sense. I need to read his other stuff. And what a way to go out, with that diptych at the end, at 89! 6mo
Billypar @merelybookish I'm terrible with coming with screen names so I was just glad to think of something 🙂 6mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Thanks! 6mo
Billypar @batsy Yeah, I'm glad he was able to finish them - I know he was working on them for some time! Totally agree about the comforting feeling in the face of grim realities - I don't think it was always there in his early work but definitely true in The Border Trilogy and The Road. 6mo
43 likes8 comments
blurb
Billypar
Lexicon: A Novel | Max Barry
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#GuiltyPleasure #TitlesandTunes
It seems right to start this post with a confession: I don't have guilty pleasure reads. I read mostly literary fiction and have noticed what people call guilty pleasures are mostly romance or thrillers. My explanation for that is bad versions of those genres can still be fun, but exactly 0 people want a bad LF novel. So I found one thriller on my shelf - actually well-reviewed but check out the tagline 🦴🤐

Billypar Now songs... I've got plenty of guilty pleasures! I still love all the Kelly Clarkson singles, including this one. @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB 6mo
BarbaraBB That tagline sounds quite cheesy! 6mo
Ruthiella Good point! Bad LF is excruciating. 😖 6mo
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Cinfhen Did we just “guilt” you into reading literary cheese??? 😂😂and Kelly Clarkson is TRULY an American Idol 🙌🏻🩷LOVE her 6mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB I know - it feels like it would fit better on a trade paperback from the 1970s. 6mo
Billypar @Ruthiella Yeah - no one's bringing a literary slog to the beach! 6mo
Billypar @Cinfhen Ha - I think maybe you did! 😄 Yeah, she's so good - my ears still perk up if I hear one of those songs now. 6mo
Cinfhen I recently heard this one by her and I instantly became obsessed https://open.spotify.com/track/0yUlMnLpU2W6JQtvg1k4Od?si=LecffFiqRly3dcxyGNkYsQ 6mo
Billypar @Cinfhen That's great - I hadn't heard it before. Thanks for sharing! 6mo
40 likes9 comments
review
Billypar
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Pickpick

Why is LoTF a great novel? Many will point to the symbolic aspects - how the tensions that emerge from the society of the boys mirror the wider world's lusts for power and violence. But for me, that's all icing, and the novel's true appeal is in how it handles the drama among its three leads. Their boyhood felt authentic to me - as they attempt leadership, they also battle fear and indecisiveness, and the suspense builds to unnerving levels.

Cinfhen Love your photo and thoughtful review! 6mo
Billypar @Cinfhen Thanks! 🙂 6mo
48 likes3 comments
blurb
Billypar
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#IslandVibe #Titlesandtunes
I was never assigned Lord of the Flies in school, but it's been a long-time resident on my shelf and one I'd been interested in trying. So this month's prompt is a great excuse, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I just finished the scene where they're feasting on pig meat, so I thought Jimmy Buffett's 'Cheeseburger in Paradise' might be a fitting song pairing (even if a hotdog theme would be even closer 🌭 🏝).

Leftcoastzen 👏😄 6mo
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BarbaraBB Glad you found a reason to read Lord of the Flies, it‘s worth it! And I love the song you chose 🤣 6mo
LeahBergen I read this in grade nine and loved it! 6mo
vivastory I really enjoyed this one when I read it a couple of years ago and find myself thinking about it often 6mo
Cinfhen So glad you found the opportunity to pick up this book!! Fantastic pairing 💙🐷 6mo
batsy I loved this when I read it long ago! I've been scared to reread it because it was kind of like entering a particular world at the right time and you don't know if that world will stay the same when you go back 🙂 I hope you like it; you and I have the same theme for #IslandVibes because I read this one which I also recommend if you like Flies (though A High Wind is more sophisticated) 6mo
Suet624 Read this for school and it put me off reading books. Such cruelty. 6mo
Liz_M Another good continuation of the theme (and was written in reaction to LotF, I think?) is the tagged: 6mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Me too! The song checks the island and carnivore boxes but may be just a bit off tonally for the material - not sure it would fit on a LoTF film soundtrack 😅 6mo
Billypar @LeahBergen With all of the questionable selections in the high school canon, this one seems like a better choice than most! 6mo
Billypar @vivastory It's got such an intensity right from the start - I can definitely see it sticking with you. 6mo
Billypar @Cinfhen I realized that the last one I just finished also took place on an island but definitely no island vibes in 19th century Sicily, lol (edited) 6mo
Billypar @batsy I have so many old favorites in that category - I'd love to revisit them but fear disappointment. I remember considering A High Wind in Jamaica when I was trying to find possible picks for the nyrb club - I'll definitely have to check it out! 6mo
Billypar @Suet624 I could see that! In most books, I think the leader would be more heroic and stick up for the boy getting picked on, but he's just another bully. 6mo
Billypar @Liz_M That's quite a title - I stacked it. I like it when authors respond to a past novel but do more than just a simple retelling or modern update. 6mo
Rissreads This book is one of my favourites! I read it at school then reread it not long ago. I‘m glad I did as there was so much I had forgotten. (edited) 6mo
Billypar @Rissreads I honestly never realized how many people loved this book - I probably would have picked it up sooner if I had! 6mo
49 likes19 comments
review
Billypar
The Leopard: A Novel | Giuseppe Di Lampedusa
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Mehso-so

What a Shakespearean opening: in 19th century Italy on the cusp of a regime change, a Sicilian nobleman with fading influence sides with his favored nephew over his loyalist son. And the tragic action that unfolds? His nephew gets married and...that's about it. I'm being a little unfair, but the writing, which offers imaginative descriptions and an endearing, satirical humor also isn't quite interesting enough to compensate for the lack of a plot.

kspenmoll Kitty approves! 6mo
BarbaraBB I felt the same whole I had such high expectations 6mo
Susanita I read this in high school for some reason and wasn‘t particularly impressed. 6mo
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Billypar @kspenmoll He's pretty sure he's also a leopard 🐆 6mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Yeah, I didn't know much about it going in, so I just expected a completely different sort of novel. 6mo
Billypar @Susanita So, I wouldn't be shocked if someone liked this novel - the writing is good. But why someone would think high schoolers should read it is completely beyond me! 6mo
Susanita Right?? I don‘t know if I‘d enjoy it more now, however. 😉 6mo
sarahbarnes Love the review. And that kitty is SO handsome. 6mo
Billypar @sarahbarnes Thanks! And Jem is flattered 😸 6mo
39 likes9 comments
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Billypar
London Fields | Martin Amis
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A favorite author of mine, Martin Amis, passed away yesterday. I think he wrote the best novels with unlikable protagonists. It's kind of a lost art today, but what's great about Amis' novels is they're neither tales of condemnation nor winking approval of bad behavior. And definitely not redemption. But you get great insights into the characters, as unsavory as they may be, and all with a biting dark humor narrating their actions.

Ruthiella I‘ve never read any Martin Amis, but think I should at least read Time‘s Arrow…🤔 (edited) 6mo
vivastory I hadn't heard of his passing. I agree that it's a lost art. 6mo
Billypar @Ruthiella Between Time's Arrow, Money, and London Fields, I'm not sure which is my favorite, but Time's Arrow is the one I'd recommend trying first. It's great fun 🙂 6mo
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Billypar @vivastory It's probably about time for me to pick up another one of his. And I didn't realize how many nonfiction and story collections he's written. 6mo
batsy I've only read Money and The Rachel Papers, but you're so right. He has an unmistakable style & a kind of comic swagger to his prose that also seems increasingly rare now. I want to read London Fields and Information next and check out some of his essays. I'm ambivalent about him because of his politics in the later years, but as a novelist he's up there. 6mo
Liz_M 😭 6mo
Billypar @batsy 'Comic swagger' is such a perfect way to describe the voice that recurs in his novels. I am curious about his essays too - I've heard some quotes and snippets about his politics but haven't read much about his actual beliefs. I think The Information is next on my list of his novels. 6mo
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review
Billypar
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Pickpick

The title refers to the author's grandfather who was a curandero, a type of healer in the Colombian mountainside town where he lived. This memoir details that family history and the incredible tales of her grandfather's and mother's apparent supernatural abilities and their connection to Colombian culture. Those stories seap into present-day and affect the author's life in surprising ways. I'm confident this one will stay with me for a long time.

monalyisha Oh, good! We‘re reading this in my IRL Book Club at some point this year. I suspect it‘ll be a summer read since it‘s fairly short. 7mo
BarbaraBB Great review. I want to read it too, loved 7mo
Billypar @monalyisha It's an excellent book club choice. Some memoirs are good, but there's also not a ton to dig into when you talk about it. You shouldn't have that problem here! 7mo
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Billypar @BarbaraBB That one is on my list now. I thought her writing was fantastic - you get drawn in immediately. 7mo
Suet624 Sounds intriguing. 7mo
youneverarrived Sounds good! Stacking 7mo
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Billypar
Art & Lies | Jeanette Winterson
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Just read this passage while on the train headed to work 😆

tpixie Yikes! What timing! 7mo
nanuska_153 A very depressing way of starting the day 😅 7mo
batsy Ooof! 7mo
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Billypar @tpixie @nanuska_153 @batsy I feel 'seen' at any rate 🙃 7mo
tpixie @Billypar 🌟🌺🩵 7mo
Ruthiella Yikes! 😱😂 7mo
Reggie Lol I laugh because it feels true. 7mo
Billypar @Ruthiella @Reggie It's filled with similar depressingly accurate gems, spoken from a poetic, manic voice. Which is surprisingly fun, lol 7mo
Suet624 Yowzer! 7mo
30 likes9 comments
review
Billypar
Stranger to the Moon | Evelio Rosero
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Pickpick

In just 87 pages, we glimpse a world inside a single house where 'the naked ones', a society of hermaphroditic individuals, live completely cut off from the larger world outside, their only contacts being 'the clothed ones' who visit, have parties, and torment the naked ones for their own amusement. Weird? Yes. But it's a great example of how fantasy can provide insights into the nature of oppression without relying on some simplistic allegory.

BarbaraBB Sounds fab! 8mo
45 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
Billypar
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Pickpick

Gioconda Belli was recently stripped of her Nicaraguan citizenship along with 93 others. I don't think it was president Ortega's intention to remind me that this novel of hers was on my TBR, but it did, and now hopefully you can add it to yours and we can increase the readership of authors who resist their fascist governments. The novel is about Adam and Eve: Belli has fun showing us what a world without history looks like from their vantage.

Billypar If anyone doing the #ReadingtheAmericas2023 challenge still needs one from Nicaragua, I recommend giving this a try. 8mo
Leftcoastzen Sounds amazing 8mo
Billypar @Leftcoastzen Yeah, it's a pretty creative riff on one of the most famous stories ever. 8mo
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Currey @Billypar I have her autobiography on my TBR shelf. Thx for the prompt to get to it 8mo
Billypar @Currey I'd like read that one - it sounds like she's lived an interesting life to say the least. I think The Inhabited Woman was inspired by her experiences with the revolution in Nicaragua. 8mo
Suet624 All of this post is so informative! Ortega removing citizenships? This author? I have some reading to do. 7mo
Billypar @Suet624 I didn't know much about denaturalization before I heard of this story. Pretty terrible practice! 7mo
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review
Billypar
Kintu | Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
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Pickpick

Absorbing novel that looks at five stories of relatives from the same family grappling with a curse that manifests in the form of mental illness. The first is from 1750 and steeped in Ugandan folklore, but the other four set in modern times show different ways the characters interpret their shared history as influencing their present challenges. Makumbi is skilled in examining how personal, political, and family histories speak to each other.

Billypar With the passing of yet another Ugandan anti-homosexuality law, we need voices like Makumbi's more than ever. This interview after the novel came out in 2014 gives a good sense of both Makumbi's artistic vision and values: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/so-many-ways-of-knowing-an-interview-with-je... 8mo
Liz_M Good review! I read this not too long ago. Some characters/stories were more enjoyable than others, but overall I liked the structure. 8mo
Billypar @Liz_M Agreed - I liked how the multi-narrative structure served a clear storytelling purpose, which I think gets muddled in some novels. I liked the first two sections (1-Kintu Kidda and 2-Suubi) and Book 5 (Miisi) storylines the best. 8mo
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Billypar
Stranger to the Moon | Evelio Rosero
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I never heard of this novella or author, but when I picked it up in the bookstore, these opening sentences hooked me. I bought it without knowing anything else about it and am enjoying the strange and creepy interior fantasy world. I will have to check out more by Evelio Roselio and New Directions publishing. Also thinking I should choose more books based on reading the first page 🤔

tpixie Great idea! 8mo
Billypar @tpixie A good excuse for more bookstore and library visits too 😏 8mo
tpixie @Billypar lol yes! 8mo
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Suet624 Haha. Well that‘s often how they get you. That‘s their plan anyway. 8mo
Suet624 I mentioned this once before on Litsy ages ago: I sometimes walk down a library aisle with my eyes closed. I put my fingers on the spines of books as I pass down the aisle, from top to bottom. I get an internal nudge when I hit a particular book and that's the one I take home. I haven't been disappointed yet. 8mo
Billypar @Suet624 That's amazing - talk about book faith! I think I would be 🫣 I often look at the first page, but I think I do it too quickly given all the competing books on the shelf that I'm thinking about picking up next. Slowing down and being more mindful would probably be a plus! 8mo
32 likes6 comments
review
Billypar
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Pickpick

That DKK is set in the 1960s isn't the only source of its nostalgia. Its style is also more like an older novel: colorful characters, dialogue with rhythm, and a plot that involves criminals dueling over territory, cops just trying to keep up, hidden treasure, and even some romance. But none of that concerns the novel's title character, who prefers to be called Sportcoat even though his alcoholic nickname dominates his image in the neighborhood 👇

Billypar That image is thrown into confusion when Sportcoat shoots a drug dealer on the first page of the novel, a boy who he once coached at baseball. This forms the emotional core of a novel that would otherwise be an agreeable comic crime story. But McBride is superb at giving us everything we could possibly want in one novel - uplifting fun that also doesn't gloss over the more tragic forces that threaten a community. An early favorite of the year. 9mo
Ruthiella Great collage and review! I read this for the TOB a couple of years ago and really liked it. But my favorite is still 9mo
Billypar @Ruthiella Thanks! I haven't read TGLB yet, but will definitely be picking it up at some point. This also reminds me that I should look to old TOB's for recommendations because I'd never heard of the book that beat DKK (Interior Chinatown) and apparently that went on to win it all. Where was I two years ago? 😅 9mo
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Ruthiella @Billypar I‘m sure you were reading something else that was awesome! 😃 I love following the TOB because it certainly pushes me to read something NOW rather than later or it opens up new authors or books I normally would shy away from! 9mo
Billypar @Ruthiella That's a great point - I'm going to make a point of following TOB more closely 🐓 9mo
Suet624 Love this collage. 9mo
Billypar @Suet624 Thanks! 🙂 9mo
35 likes7 comments
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Billypar
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#IndependentWomen
I didn't get to read the book this time, but how could I not pop in to join in the playlist-making fun?
This one has many favorite artists of mine, but it's mostly songs I've liked on Spotify in the past year. So there's a mix of recent releases and old favorites. Looking forward to checking out everyone's lists!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2O8We4i0ILmukrRTWSsGF0?si=jjKKmxEjR6Ofv6unBDRF...

BarbaraBB Happy you‘re joining in with your playlist! Love to see Sandigold and Erykah and so many others!! 9mo
vivastory Will definitely be listening in full later 🎧 9mo
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Cinfhen Soooo glad you opted in for the playlist!!!! The book wasn‘t my favorite so as far as I‘m concerned you aren‘t missing much 😘 9mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB I love seeing what everyone is listening to on these weekend events 🎶🎧 9mo
Billypar @vivastory Hope you enjoy it! 🙂 9mo
Billypar @Cinfhen I was just taking a look at some of the monthly music challenges and reminiscing a bit - books and music make a great combination imho 📚🎼 9mo
Cinfhen I agree @Billypar my favorite combo 💕💕📚🎶🎶 9mo
27 likes8 comments
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Billypar
Kintu | Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
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Question for you all: teeth sucking... have you witnessed it? I see it in books all the time and understand it's an expression of anger, but have never seen it used that way in real life. I've only seen it when someone reacts to hearing about a painful injury. I got a partial answer from Google: a blog post says it is an expression of annoyance in West Africa (this novel takes place in East Africa so probably close enough). But......👇

Billypar ..... I've seen U.S.-born characters do this action all the time. So I guess my question is - have you seen angry teeth-sucking in real life, and if so, where are you from? Curious if it's something seen in different countries, regions, and/or cultures. Thanks in advance! 🕵️‍♂️ 10mo
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Texreader I‘ve never seen or even heard of it! Interesting. And yes I‘m from Texas 😁 10mo
Billypar @Texreader I think I used to just skip over it when reading without giving it much thought, and then it came up in a book podcast I listen to, but just in a 'what's the deal with that?' way, no conclusions drawn. Then I started seeing it everywhere in books but still nowhere in life (I'm from New Jersey and have also lived in New York and Pennsylvania). 10mo
Texreader @Billypar And odds are now I‘ll start seeing it in book! I‘ll let you know 🤔 10mo
Ruthiella It‘s placing your tongue behind your top teeth and sucking in. It makes a kind of “tsk” sound. 10mo
Billypar @Texreader So true, right? Much appreciated! 😬😀 10mo
Billypar @Ruthiella You made me realize I should have YouTubed it. The first video was from Jamaica - I don't think I've heard the sound before, and I guess over there they call it 'kiss my teeth' and spell it 'pschew'. More videos mention the expression as uniquely Carribbean. Still, I feel as though I've read plenty of characters doing it outside of that cultural context. And always 'suck teeth', never 'kiss' 😕 10mo
vivastory I'm so glad that you posted about this ?? I've seen this in several books and although I "understood" it I still found the description very puzzling!! 10mo
Billypar @vivastory Seeing videos made me realize it was not the sound I was picturing in my head! Everything I can find on the internet says African and Carribbean cultural usage. It's most likely that this has been true in books too, and I just never noticed it was just characters from these cultures doing it. Still, I can't shake the idea that there's some kind of authorial appropriation going on, and it's spread further in books as a result 🤷🏻 10mo
Reggie What @ruthiella said. Also, this was very common in that judgement that comes from family especially the aunts who knew you did wrong. At least in my family. 10mo
batsy Yes! Super common within certain modes of interaction (having extreme familiarity with each other) while I was growing up. Now—not so much, interestingly enough. This is Malaysia, for context, and largely among the Malaysian Indian community. 10mo
Billypar @Reggie Yeah, from the videos I saw, it's very different than I was imagining (and now I'm wondering, does that response to hearing about an injury that I thought was sucking teeth have a name? Lol). Interesting too that it's more common in family judgments that @batsy observed also. And that it might be on the decline in usage. I'd like to find more about it - so far I've just got a couple posts, videos, and an article from the 1970s. 10mo
Centique I love this kind of question! Thanks for such an interesting discussion and I went down a YouTube hole myself 😂 In terms of the name of that response to injury sound, the best “name” for it I could find was “inhaling through gritted teeth”. Fascinating to think out about different noises/gestures that are outside of spoken language but instantly recognisable within a culture. I hope there‘s a book on this someday. 9mo
Billypar @Centique I'm always happy to lead others down rabbit holes ? It is interesting when there's no good name for something recognizable - maybe four words is one too many for describing one action? One other phrase in this realm is "clucked his/her tongue", sometimes with "in sympathy" added. But I don't see it in novels from recent decades and maybe often less in real life too? 9mo
25 likes17 comments
review
Billypar
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Pickpick

Late #AuldLangSpine review here: this is an incredible story of Harris' struggle to advocate for her son's medical health and educational rights due to a mysterious undiagnosable medical condition. Harris shares intriguing reflections on her experiences: how she responds given her own anxiety issues, why her son's condition also contributes to what makes him special, and other responses to maddening ambiguity. Emotional, yet sharply written.

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Billypar
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#AuldLangSpine
Thanks @ncsufoxes for your list this month: I finished three and am still working on This Boy We Made but enjoying it very much. I think I'm going to keep referring back to the list this year and pick up a couple more. Nice chatting with you as well!

@monalyisha thanks for organizing this event! I really like this method of getting recommendations. Looking forward to participating again in the future 😀

Chelsea.Poole I‘m so curious about the tagged! 10mo
Billypar @Chelsea.Poole I never expect a debut memoir to be this good, especially about such an emotionally exhausting subject - I highly recommend it! 10mo
Chelsea.Poole @Billypar welp, you‘ve convinced me, stacked! 10mo
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Billypar
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Pickpick

#AuldLangSpine @ncsufoxes @monalyisha
The Devil has entered the town of Breathed, Ohio in the form of a 13-year-old boy. Or wait...has he? This tale of the events of a 1984 summer is relayed by the now elderly protagonist as if it were a fairy tale, full of ambiguity. At its core, it's a story of a child discovering the world to be less magical than he thought, full of hate and death. Beautiful language and imagery keep it from being depressing.

Billypar (The picture is of my niece, nephew, and I 'melting' behind wavy glass chairs at a recent Florida AirBNB trip) 10mo
vivastory Wonderful review, love the picture 😂 I loved this book. I have heard that Betty is fantastic but it sounds tough 10mo
Billypar Thanks! It was one of those books that took a lot of risks but McDaniel's skills helped pull it off. I'll definitely have to try Betty - it does sound rough, but it's got so many good reviews. 10mo
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monalyisha What a perfect picture & review combo. 🤩 10mo
Billypar @monalyisha Thanks! 🫠 10mo
Reggie I love this book. She has a new one coming out. 10mo
Billypar @vivastory Whoops - missed the tag on my reply - see above. 10mo
31 likes7 comments
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Billypar
True Biz | Sara Noviac
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Mehso-so

#AuldLangSpine @ncsufoxes @monalyisha
I went in knowing very little about deaf society and culture, and this story that follows two deaf students and the hearing headmistress of their private school was a great primer on the societal intolerances deaf people face, especially with the use of ASL. At the same time, I think the author spent a little too much time educating newbies like me - I learned a lot but also wanted more from the characters.

review
Billypar
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Pickpick

#AuldLangSpine #MLKday
At first I assumed (wrongly) that Clint Smith was a journalist: as he travels to different sites with a link to slavery in the U.S., he asks questions of other visitors and tour guides to hear their views on what the sites (including plantations, museums, a prison, graveyard) reveal about the legacy of slavery. His skill at posing the questions is clear: he neither shys away from creating discomfort nor courts it.👇

DrexEdit This was one of my top books for 2022! 11mo
Billypar In doing so, he gets at the heart of why some persist in believing myths that soften or outright distort the history of slavery and its relevance to the racial injustices we regularly witness in the U.S. today. He covers how untruths about slavery came about as they relate to each location he visits, and in the defensiveness of some he interviews, you can start to see why these myths are perpetuated, along with the lies of omission. 11mo
Billypar Commitment to historical scholarship is critical, but Smith's skills as a poet are equally essential to this project's success. In describing each place and his own emotional responses, he demonstrates how visiting these sites is an act of perspective-taking that is as important for unpacking slavery's history as what the record has retained. Thanks so much @ncsufoxes for recommending this excellent book! (edited) 11mo
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SamAnne Convinced now that I should make this my Black History month read. 11mo
ncsufoxes @Billypar I‘m so happy you liked it. It was definitely one of my favorite books that I have read about confronting racism & the enduring presence it has in society. As a person that grew up in the north, then lived in the south for almost 20 years, & then in the west for 12 years his insights definitely make me look at things with a different lens. I think he has a new book coming out this spring, which I‘m looking forward to. 11mo
Billypar @DrexEdit One indicator of how good it is: a 4.74 average rating on Goodreads with over 23,000 ratings. Not sure I've seen that level of consensus before! 10mo
Billypar @SamAnne It's a perfect read for February - hope you enjoy it! 10mo
Billypar @ncsufoxes I'm sure living in all those regions can give you a window into differing perspectives on race and the effects on views of history. It was interesting when some of the sites he visited drew a more diverse audience and you could see some disagreements emerge. Thanks for recommending it! I'll keep an eye out for his new one. 10mo
Suet624 Great review of this amazing book. 9mo
Billypar @Suet624 Thanks! I like your review as well: I also listened to the audio and found myself being more of a stickler with rewinding if I got distracted. Lots to take in. 9mo
Suet624 So much mind blowing went on. 😳 9mo
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Billypar
True Biz | Sara Noviac
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I'm not a #botm member but my sister got me a gift certificate, so I picked this bunch from past months. True Biz is one of my #AuldLangSpine picks, so I'll be trying that one pretty soon. Most of my shelves are paperbacks, so it's strange to pick up three hardcovers all of a sudden 📚
I'm looking forward to these - lots of buzz about two of them, but The Verifiers also sounded intriguing.
@ncsufoxes @monalyisha

Cathythoughts Nice stack, I just got Tomorrow Tomorrow, I‘m looking forward to it. 11mo
Liz_M I'll be interested in hearing your thoughts on True Biz! 11mo
Billypar @Cathythoughts @Liz_M I'm the worst at reading books when they come out (or even within years of coming out really), so it will be nice to be less late to the party with these for a change. 11mo
47 likes3 comments
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Billypar
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Look, I appreciate the vote of confidence, Goodreads, but let it go already, IT'S NOT HAPPENING! 😑

Here's to a new year and opportunity for meeting our reading goals (or just being content with wherever we land). Happy New Year everyone! 🥳🎉

LeahBergen Stop trying to make it happen, Goodreads. 😆 11mo
Ruthiella Happy New Year to you too! Gotta love that optimistic algorithm! 😂 11mo
batsy 😆 Happy New Year! 11mo
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Liz_M Happy New Year, Billy! 11mo
CuriousG I like the "just be content wherever we land" attitude. The last few years I have probably read half the amount that I did in the few years before that, yet I don't feel I've missed out on anything as I've also started DNFing more ruthlessly. Even reading less, I still read about the same # or 4+ star books. ? 11mo
JamieArc 😂😂 11mo
JamieArc @CuriousG I agree with you. I‘m 4 books from 100 (and have been there for days), and was going to try really hard to finish the last 4, but it‘s not going to happen so I did the unthinkable thing and decided to be okay with that 😂 11mo
Billypar @LeahBergen Goodreads is definitely the Gretchen Wierners of the app world 😅 11mo
Billypar @Ruthiella Happy New Year! Yeah, the algorithm is both optimistic and pretty lazy. Not only is it just one message, but they couldn't even bother to fix the grammar when there's just 1 day remaining 🙄 11mo
Billypar Happy New Year @batsy @Liz_M ! 11mo
Billypar @CuriousG Yeah - it's easy to get into a mentality where you choose a mediocre book over a podcast you really like for the sake of the goal. My count has dipped a bit in recent years since I stopped making that tradeoff. But I'm still so bad at bailing when i should. I bailed on one recently and it was such a relief! 11mo
Reggie Happy New Year! 11mo
Billypar @JamieArc That takes willpower! Probably very tempting to grab four picture books. But when I get that impulse I have to step back and recognize the absurdity of it. I was even trying to figure out how I could get to 50 books, just because it's a nice round number 🙂 11mo
Billypar Happy New Year @Reggie ! 11mo
Megabooks 😂😂 happy new year!! 🎉🎉 11mo
42 likes15 comments
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Billypar
The Graveyard Book | Neil Gaiman
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This is my first time trying the #jolabokaflod tradition. This is the first book up, and it opens with a knife-wielding maniac chasing a toddler after having just murdered his whole family 😨 Not very festive, but enough action to keep me awake, with the help of some gingerbread sandwich treats.

BarbaraBB 🤣🤣 11mo
erzascarletbookgasm I hope you‘ll enjoy. I loved this book. 11mo
batsy Cosy setting for a gruesome book! 😆 Those cookies look delicious. 11mo
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LeahBergen 😆😆 11mo
Liz_M Lovely view of the bookshelves and tree! Merry Christmas🎄 11mo
Billypar @erzascarletbookgasm I'm really liking it so far - I'm intrigued by the idea of a whole graveyard community. 11mo
Billypar @batsy The coziness won out over the sugar rush of the cookies - only made it until 2 am 😴 11mo
Billypar @Liz_M This was the first year we actually got a tree and decorated. It was fun and the decor combines nicely with bookshelves. Merry Christmas to you! 🎄🎁 11mo
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review
Billypar
Piranesi | Susanna Clarke
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Pickpick

I love thinking about what made this novel such a runaway hit. You can enjoy the world of the novel or the philosophical questions it poses. Although I did enjoy thinking up theories, the world drew me in more than anything. It's got so little in it - two people, statues, large rooms, water, birds, fish, a couple skeletons - and that is somehow enough in combination with Clark's storytelling to make for a completely immersive reading experience.

CBee This is the PERFECT review! It sums up just about exactly how I felt about it (I loved it). 🙂 11mo
BarbaraBB What @CBee says! 11mo
CBee @BarbaraBB I remember being at such a loss on how to review this! All I knew was that I loved it 🙂😊 11mo
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BarbaraBB Yes and that all I said couldn‘t touch upon all I left unsaid. @CBee (edited) 11mo
CBee @BarbaraBB exactly! ❤️ 11mo
batsy Great review! It felt so pared down and elemental, yet so rich and otherworldly. Love the photos, too! 11mo
Suet624 I‘m so glad you read this. It seemed like a book you would relish. I can still tap into my feelings of wonder as I read it. 11mo
Billypar @CBee @BarbaraBB Thanks! I kind of miss visiting 'the House' since finishing. I was fantasizing a little that someone would make a Piranesi video game - I'm not a gamer, but I would give that one a try! 11mo
Billypar @batsy Thanks! I don't read fantasy novels very often and one reason is I often feel overwhelmed if it's a world that requires endless explanations and descriptions that grind the forward action to a halt. But the fact that this was so pared down meant I could enjoy just being in that strange realm, without having to learn new animals, local customs, the politics of warring factions, etc. 11mo
Billypar @Suet624 I'm not sure if this is what Clark was intending, but it seemed like the wonder you feel and the way you slip into the House-world were reminiscent of the act of reading itself. Definitely glad to have picked it up, even if a little later than most! 11mo
Billypar @batsy Almost forgot - the photos were all from this museum in Frankfurt: https://www.liebieghaus.de/en 11mo
CBee @Billypar I missed it too 😊 And I would TOTALLY play the Piranesi video game!! 11mo
batsy @Billypar Thank you for the link! 11mo
44 likes1 stack add13 comments
review
Billypar
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Pickpick

Even if you're like me and love Jacqueline Woodson's writing, this slim novel from 1995 with a mere 149 ratings on Goodreads is easy to scroll past. But it's no less perfect than her more popular ones: she packs so much into a sentence. One example: in the title story, the narrator looks at an old family photograph and imagines words her sister will say as an adult "are there already, festering inside my sister's brain, waiting to explode."?

Billypar I had to reread that over and over - I found the idea of future words "festering" in a brain so unsettling, but hitting on something real that is hard to explain objectively. Woodson has more freedom to revel in all sorts of similar prose poetry without being saddled with a plot to manage - even though this is called a 'novel', it's more like short stories unfolding chronologically around a central character. 11mo
Billypar Until recently, that was a form I hadn't read before, but for some reason this is the third of that variety I've read this year, along with 11mo
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Texreader Fantastic review 11mo
erzascarletbookgasm I didn‘t know this book exists, will look it up. Great review! 11mo
Billypar @Texreader Thanks! 🙂 11mo
Billypar @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks! I got it from a used bookstore - otherwise, I wouldn't have heard of it. 11mo
38 likes7 comments
blurb
Billypar
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#AboutMe #AuldLangSpine
Here's a few things about me:
-I live with my fiancee of 7 years (yep, that's years not months 😄) in NJ.
-We've got two amazing 1-yr-old brother cats - Jem (middle right) and Scout (bottom right).
-The kids are my nephew and niece (ages 3 & 5).
-My partner and I love going to concerts & museums.
-Music is my favorite hobby next to reading - I love indie rock and hip hop most.
-Have gotten into birding in recent years 🐦‍⬛

GatheringBooks Gorgeous photos! Love knowing more about you, Billy! 🌷 12mo
Reggie Very nice, Billy. 12mo
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LeahBergen Love this! 😀 12mo
Leftcoastzen Cool ! It‘s great to see these wonderful photos! 12mo
BarbaraBB Lovely photos! A lot of love ❤️❤️ 12mo
squirrelbrain Lovely photos! ❤️ 12mo
batsy Love this! So fun to see these photos. And Jem and Scout 😁💕 12mo
RebelReader Well done!! ❤️❤️ 12mo
Reggie Vinny I know you‘re name is not Billy. My goodness. Sorry. 12mo
Billypar @Reggie No worries! As my alter ego on Litsy, 'Billy' works too 🙂 12mo
ncsufoxes ❤️, thanks for sharing. I grew up in NJ. Born in Jersey City but grew up in a tiny town on the PA border near Lafayette College. I love going to museums too, my minor in college was Art History. I‘ve instilled a love in art in my oldest. He‘ll go to museums with me & he even took AP Art History in high school. (edited) 12mo
Billypar @ncsufoxes I actually grew up in PA not too far south of there in Lansdale. Great that your son is so into art! My appreciation for it came much later- my parents only took us to the Philly Museum of Art once and it was for a Cézanne exhibition, which won't win over most kids to art I think 🍐🍇🍎 12mo
Texreader Loved getting to know you! And ❤️🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛ 11mo
Billypar @Texreader Thanks! I like seeing everyone's photos. And it's funny to me how easy it is to become obsessed with cat pics in just one year 😺 🐈‍⬛ 11mo
Suet624 This post is just the best! Thank you for sharing. 11mo
Billypar @Suet624 Thanks! I'm not on Instagram, so Litsy is my sole photo sharing outlet 🙂 11mo
Suet624 Then you MUST do it more often. ❤️❤️🙂🙂 11mo
57 likes19 comments
blurb
Billypar
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#AuldLangSpine
Very excited to decide how to start off my 2023 reading year based on this excellent list courtesy of @ncsufoxes I might start with the ones pictured, though there are several fiction and nonfiction choices that appeal to me, so this could change. I didn't have the best reading luck in 2022 so I'm hoping these recommendations will get 2023 started off right.
Thanks @monalyisha for arranging this event once again!

blurb
Billypar
That Awful Mess on the Via Merulana | William Weaver, Carlo Emilio Gadda
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#nyrbbookclub members I'm struggling with my first NYRB selection since the monthly picks. I like a challenge every now and then, but to give you an idea of what this one is like, this single sentence (which is too long to fit in its entirety) contains the phrases: "post-traumatic cicatrization", "passionate peroration", and "an extracting maieutics" ?‍? I'm torn about continuing - not exactly the murder mystery I was hoping for!

Leftcoastzen 🤯 12mo
AlaMich No one should have to work that hard to read a book! 12mo
LeahBergen Oh my … that‘s quite the sentence. 😬 12mo
See All 10 Comments
BarbaraBB That is not very encouraging! I am reading a NYRB at the moment too and it feels different without the group behind me! However it‘s very readable and interesting! 12mo
batsy Oh dear. That's a tough one to parse 😳 12mo
Billypar @Leftcoastzen @AlaMich @LeahBergen @batsy It's not all as bad as this example, but there are so many confusing digressions. Kind of like reading Nabokov but with all the good parts removed. 12mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB I've seen that one before and it did sound like a really interesting story - I'll look out for your review. I have another one by Di Benedetto on my to read shelf that I'm looking forward to picking up in the new year. 12mo
vivastory This one is on my shelves. There's been a few times I've thought of picking it up. 12mo
Billypar @vivastory If you do pick it up, I hope you have better luck with it than I did. I decided to bail at a little past the halfway point, which I almost never do, but after two weeks, my brain couldn't take anymore! 12mo
vivastory I think I will set it aside for when I feel like a challenge! Maybe in the new year. 12mo
26 likes10 comments
review
Billypar
The Only Good Indians | Stephen Graham Jones
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Pickpick

My Halloween read this year was a good one: a very spooky tale involving a vengeful elk spirit. While many horror tales co-opt Native American culture as almost an afterthought, having characters who are part of the same culture makes the novel richer and more interesting. I also enjoyed Graham Jones' dialogue - so good you forget you're reading and not watching a movie. I did have a tough time visualizing some of the lengthy action sequences. 👇

Billypar That's partly because, as a not very visual reader, it's tough for me to 'see' action play out, so the lengthier climactic scene was a bit challenging. Even so, there are some truly excellent horror scenes. One sequence in the middle of the novel was particularly unnerving and memorable. 12mo
Billypar Image (altered) from www.nationalgeographic.com 12mo
Aimeesue Parts of this one were truly shocking. I still think about it. *shudder* 12mo
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Reggie Was it with a motorcycle? Lol 12mo
Billypar @Aimeesue I can already tell this is one that will stay in my head. Even some of the smaller touches, like the elk head turning so the eye can focus on its prey - so very creepy! 12mo
Billypar @Reggie That's the one 😬 I also found the whole sequence leading up to that point very suspenseful, like how you know whatever happens isn't going to end well. 12mo
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review
Billypar
Animals Strike Curious Poses | Elena Passarello
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Pickpick

Each essay in this collection focuses on a famous animal, spanning from prehistoric times to present day. An essay collection on animals sounds like a light read, but this was easily my most challenging of the year. One reason is that the essays aren't 'about' the animals as much as the animals within the historical contexts they appear, and the entire spectrum of human responses that occur, from reverence to exploitation to downright cruelty 👇

Billypar As if all that wasn't enough, Passarello uses a variety of forms in the collection - some of which are experimental like a lyric poem paying tribute to a beloved cat or a translation of a gorilla's 'joke'. But even the more traditional ones have a lot of layers to them and it really forced me to read slowly and reread sections so as not to not miss anything. This is a perfect book when you need something to break out of a reading slump. 13mo
Billypar I also have to plug Passarello's podcast that she co-hosts with author Justin St. Germain. It's called "I'll Find Myself When I'm Dead" and it's about the literary essay. I know that doesn't sound terribly exciting but it's actually one of the funniest podcasts I listen to. I'm still fairly new to essays in general so it's very friendly to newcomers: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZXNzYXlwb2RjYXN0LmNvbS9mZWVkL3B... 13mo
vivastory This sounds incredible! I have really been enjoying essays lately. I read this one last week. It is slim, but it packs a lot in & is def a literary essay collection. I think you'd like it 13mo
Billypar @vivastory Thanks for the recommendation - I'll have to check it out. Yeah, lately essay collections have jumped ahead of memoirs as my most common nonfiction read. 13mo
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blurb
Billypar
Creepshow | Stephen King
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#Fearfulfall #Happyhorror
I'm sorry I won't be joining the group read this time, but how could I not post a creepy playlist? I took some favorites from past Halloween playlists and added some new discoveries. I tried organizing by genre: classical, film scores, rock, hip hop, and electronic.
Happy Halloween all 🎃!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0eVxzG07soO0ejYFlnMxOb?si=7ZCg1r2nTEycftP5Ff1f...
@Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

Cinfhen We‘ll miss you tomorrow but thanks so much for sharing your musical taste with us!!! 🎶🎧♥️ 13mo
BarbaraBB I LOVE your playlist! Such an eclectic mix between classic and current. I can‘t wait to listen to it. Tomorrow. It‘s bedtime here! 13mo
vivastory This list is so good! I love the inclusion of classic tracks & film scores & am honestly kicking myself for not doing likewise. Night on Bald Mountain, Danse Macabre, Bernard Hermann=perfection! 13mo
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Billypar @Cinfhen I'm really enjoying all the posts - I love all things Halloween 🖤🧡🖤🧡 13mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Thanks! And it's true that these playlists are not great to listen to before bed 😬😱 13mo
Billypar @vivastory Thanks! I used to have a couple of Halloween compilation CD's--one of classical music and the other with film scores--that I would always play every October. They always seemed to go so well with the cooler weather and fall scenery. 13mo
30 likes6 comments
review
Billypar
Subdivision: A Novel | J. Robert Lennon
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Pickpick

Take a standard Twilight Zone episode plot, give it an artistic makeover, and you have Subdivision. Things begin in dreamy fashion where a woman whose personal history is never mentioned rents a room from Clara and 'the Judge' (both retired judges named Clara in fact) who are hospitable and advise her on finding work and permanent housing in this unnamed 'Subdivision'. Yet they are also oddly intent on her assembling a mysterious jigsaw puzzle 👇

Billypar Even though the strange events that follow all lead up to a standard Twilight Zone-esque twist, the novel chooses to gradually reveal it somewhere in the middle instead of springing it on us all at once at the end. So instead of spending the novel trying to come up with theories, we can just sit back and enjoy the truly fun dream world on display and not worry about being disappointed by the ending (a la Lost, another TV show this resembles). 14mo
Billypar Not sure if there is a 'literary Twilight Zone' list somewhere, but if so, here's another one that would be on it: https://litsy.com/p/cXdCMzRxUWhx 14mo
Liz_M Nice connection with Invention of Morel! I hadn't made it, but see how it applies. 14mo
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vivastory I agree with @Liz_M Subdivision is a book that has stuck with me since reading it. I also really liked the following & think it'd be a fun one for this time of year 14mo
Ruthiella I think Shirley Jackson‘s The Haunting of Hill House could fit that list. I can imagine Rod Steiger coming out after the last scene saying, “Was this all the imagination of a high strung young woman?” 14mo
Billypar @Liz_M Yeah, I really enjoyed that one too. They're not similar on the surface but they've both got the same kind of world building in an experimental fiction context. 14mo
Billypar @vivastory I think it will stick with me too. There are so many examples of characters dreaming or dream-like sequences in fiction, but this one reminded me of what dreams really feel like. I will definitely be reading more Lennon - I stacked Broken River. 14mo
Billypar @Ruthiella Ha - I could totally see that! "...Or do houses contain within them their own realities that would drive most of us mad to witness? To answer this question, you'll have to enter the house yourself and perhaps cross the threshold into...the Twilight Zone." 14mo
Ruthiella @Billypar Perfect! 👏👏👏 14mo
BarbaraBB This is one of my favorite books this year. I was so pulled into her world and kept speculating about the ending 14mo
Billypar @BarbaraBB Yeah, it's a favorite of mine this year too. One of those books that doesn't have any boring parts, just all the good stuff. 14mo
34 likes1 stack add11 comments
review
Billypar
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Mehso-so

I really enjoyed the unique structure and concept - 618 short passages, some authored by Shields, while others are quotations, bits of interviews or other materials to fit each chapter's theme. Those themes also cover interesting intellectual topics on the fraught border between fiction versus nonfiction. But I kept hearing this implication that traditional fiction is tired and some new experimental fictive nonfiction is superior somehow 👇

Billypar It may not have been intended that way, but there seemed to be this repetition of personal preference posing as argument that I found annoying. I had assumed the title Reality Hunger: A Manifesto was meant to be funny, but there was so little humor in the book itself, unless it was supposed to be a self-deprecating nod at his desire to argue for preferences. Even as a flawed effort, I still found it worth reading and puzzling over. 1y
Billypar The photo is from The German Film Museum in Frankfurt - my partner having fun with an interactive green screen: a little reality mixed with fiction seemed to fit. 1y
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