Hard to type through my emotions. This is a middle grade nonfiction of Gerta and Rudi's heartwrenching escapes from Slovakia. Rudi's escape from Auschwitz resulted in FDR demanding Hungary to stop transports to the death camp. They may have saved a 1/3 of the JewishHungarians. Gerta and her mother crossed Hungary's and Slovakia's borders several times to keep ahead of imprisonment. When asked how to make sure it won't happen again, BE VIGILANT.

I'm in the middle of two incredible books that are equally tearing me apart.

Promise Me Tomorrow needs to be added to the database. I'm reading it, thanks to LibraryThing.

It may be menopause, but Mandy has made emotional. A realistic look of an orphan who experienced bitterness and frustration because she doesn't understand the feelings of desiring something of her own. She thinks it's a cottage she needs, but it's a family.

It just reminds me of the peace and joy of reading my wonderful books as a child. The font, the yellowing pages, the smell, all make me forget I am an adult and I back to simpler times.

I do not enjoy sci-fi, but I have read a few so far this year. I reread Ender, which then sent me to this series. Lands above! It may be better than Hunger Games @Chrissyreadit A "Red" (miner from Mars) loses his beloved wife, gets a horrendous, painful makeover, and then infiltrates the "Gold" (tyrant) society. Darrow is a one-of-a-kind hero. The competition is downright brutal. He can't trust anyone, but he gains loyalty. #overcomingevilempires

Ava and Jules have true emotional issues they need to work through individually before they can mesh as a couple. One is a highly anxious person, and the other is free spirit. I related to both. I try not to get on people's nerves, but my impulsiveness just throws that goal out the window.

Any author could write about the trials of working through the pain of young love, but Nino Cipri set their work in the multiverse. So clever and cute.

The icy waters near Antarctica helped to beat the summer heat. McConaghy used all of our senses to create a stunning world, which added to the suspense of the story. This was my first book of McConagy and I was impressed with how she weaved the climate crisis into the plot. Thank you @squirrelbrain for the wonderful discussion. #CampLitsy25 @BarbaraBB @Megabooks

Bengali snack - sweet and sour chanachur

Peanuts, rice, raisins, carom seeds, nigella seeds, sugar dust, dried mango powder, chili powder, turmeric, cinnamon, ginger powder, and asafoetida

Really behind on the food for #FoodandLit Although, I have a Peruvian restaurant close to me. @Texreader @Catsandbooks

I really enjoy nonfiction when the author travels, meets new people, and learns about new cultures. MacQuarrie follows the Andes through Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina to research the Ice Maiden, Pablo Escobar, Hiram Bingham, and so much more. He uses today's issues, such as bringing back ancient weaving and interweaves it with the archeology of yesterday's events. The entire book kept me glued. #FoodandLit @texreader @Catsandbooks

Fascinating art. I spent the whole morning studying the art. Just mesmerizing. #ChildrensClassicRead @TheBookHippie

It answered my questions about Italy's state politics and why Martin Luther was adamant about breaking away from the depravity of the church. Lucretia was not written as part of the evil; she was a tool to further her father's powers. It was Cesare who was the ruthless murderer. #Jubilee #FoodandLit @texreader @catsandbooks

The concept was amazing. Deceased grandmother takes over Jessamyn's body to fight a multibillionaire who wants to destroy sacred Hindu spots. I enjoyed this book so much. #QueerBC @PuddleJumper

#LittensLoveSJM @StayCurious

Many times, I was on the edge of my seat.

I loved everything about this book. Living in Greenland was hard, and they had to be hard to survive. It took years for ships and news from Europe to arrive. The book follows the lives of a brother and sister, and I read it like a soap opera. Ooh, what is Gunnar going to do next? It had suspense, affairs, romance, revenge, and death (Guiding Light didn't have starvation). The best part was the storytelling. #FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

Literally looking at tagged book while physically sitting in beautiful, historic Savannah.

#WhereareyouMonday? @Cupcake12

Vacation = 22 year old female + 14 year old female = 1 momma tired of placating them, especially when she just wants to read.

Meet Ruhn Dannon/Snickers. He was behind the school and walked right up to us. Bathed him, fed, and watered him. Chaya was absolutely tickled when he fell asleep in her arms. Just waiting for the vet's appointment next week, but he is already ours. #LittensLoveSJM Ruhn is one of my favorite characters.

1 - My mind instantly went to what we played during storms when we had to turn off the lights and TV - the ABC game -"I'm going to California and I'm going to take...., Initials game - one would give the initials of someone famous and others would ask yes/no questions,

2 - Little House (tv and books) I loved them so much and remember crying when I read Caroline's racist remarks, "the only good Indian is a dead Indian." My pawpaw was native.

I am enjoying this book so much. Simple writing, but beautiful descriptions with oral traditions honored. I don't want to return it to the library.
#FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

I must really admire the style of Norse Sagas.

It is a slow read, but I enjoy the quirks of Charlotte and her close friends. It is hard for her to be casual, and her friends still love and accept her. In this story, Lord Bancroft wants to marry her just so she can help with his detective work. He realizes that she is better suited to being single and helping him. I'm truly committed to this series.

I admit that I confused this family with the Borgia family. They were very similar, in fact, so I don't feel too foolish. They started as bankers in Florence. It seemed to me that every other generation was patrons to the arts, while the other generations were lazy and/or violent. The family was often fighting the papacy except when they had a son or nephew as a pope. I'm glad I read it. I learned more about Italy's history before unification.

Close to finishing The House of Medici for #FoodandLit #Italy #Jubilee @Texreader @Catsandbooks Just started reading The Greenlanders. So excited for Throne of Glass #LittensforSJM @StayCurious

#weekend reads @rachelsbrittain

Please welcome my fourth "adopted" daughter @lilybird I have known her for a year and a half and it feels like forever. She is my colleague, and we had planned to read TOG together this summer. So, when I found out @StayCurious group was starting it next, LilyBird was happy to join. Make her feel welcome!!!!!

I just found out that my favorite #NordicNoir series has been adapted into into a Netflix show. I hope its good. I'm tagging the old group; fearful they're no longer on Litsy since I have not seen any posts from them.

I liked this series, especially because it had humorous moments.

@Andrew65 @Tove_Reads @EadieB

This writer will break your heart. Beautiful humans with gutwrenching decisions to make. The despair is palpable. The trilogy follows a Bangladeshi family from the 1970s Revolution and separation of Pakistan to today. The granddaughter, a paleontologist, is incredibly independent but is still tied to tradition. Anam has brilliantly conceived an allegory of a precursor to today's whale to the connections of family stories. PLEASE SOMEONE READ THIS!

A pure joy. Early 20th century Toy Story. Raggedy family of cheerful dolls versus a new, boring, and haughty family of dolls. The haughty ones learn to love the shabby ones right before the Princess rescues them from being burned.

I didn't know Burnett moved to Tennessee as a child.

#ChildrensClassicRead @TheBookHippie I am so grateful for this list.

Going back to the days of security and no worries. Curled up and listening to the rain. Frances Hodgson Burnett was always one I usually had in my hands when I needed comfort. #ChildrensClassicRead @TheBookHippie

Left me wondering about my lack of sanity. Is middle-aged syndrome the reason for my actions? The continuity changed so much; I didn't know if I was coming or going. #CampLitsy2025 @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

Reading this was truly like going to the circus as a child. Meeting the performers before witnessing their unbelievable acts, getting lost in a maze of awe-inspiring sights, the mystery, not knowing what was going to happen next, and the incredible letdown when you know you have to leave.

At first, I didn't know what to make of this book. Children forced to learn magic for a game only to find out one must die. One wild ride.

What a wild ride. Political upheaval, rebellion led by a tyrant's children, genetic engineering, fanciful creatures, non-binary characters. It was everything. #QueerBC @PuddleJumper #LitsyAtoZ I used the author's name @Texreader

I know it was loosely based on Martha Ballard's life and diaries, but I still think it was refreshing to read about a strong woman capable of standing up to hateful men and her husband who is strong enough to love her. Especially in the late 1700s. Trigger Warning: rape is all through the book

I am now 50. This week, I gave each one of my fifth graders the book of their own choosing because of your selflessness and providence. Your knitted bookmarks will be mailed soon as I will forever be grateful for you.

Maas creates unforgettable characters, the most intense plot with epic twists, and a well-crafted universe. I only wish for the vulgarity to be brought down a notch or two. Make 2 versions-one with spice galore and language and one for prudes like me.

Through this series, I have been forcing my colleagues to listen to my retelling.

A beautifully written book that will leave you in tears. Set during the separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan. Anam does not hide the savagery of the war.

I'm a Ruhn girlfan. Chef's kiss to the way Maas writes Ruhn's and Bryce's sibling relationship. They adore each other with no bitterness or competition.

A very short biography. I appreciated his message of humility serving the poor. In Argentina and throughout the world. I'm glad I took the time to read it. #Italy #FoodandLit #Jubilee @Texreader @Catsandbooks Also P #LitsyAtoZ

I loved this book so much. There is not much dialogue. Pure action and integrity in the hearts of two young boys of Shoshone heritage. I loved the loose magical realism with the telepathy of the natives. The trickery and the development of the two separate personalities were just simply delightful. The time with the Roma. I could go on and on. My only wish is I want to read it in it's original language. #LitsyAtoZ @Texreader

Published May 1, 2025

I wanted more character development. There was not enough depth to Rose, Emma, and Libby. I thought Dennis was the most rounded-out character. You know why he made his decisions. Why did Rose go to Spain? Was she encouraged by peers? Hard childhood? Embittered by US's decisions not to accept refugees?

On the other hand, using the history of soap operas, World International Fair in Moscow, and the

I have often thought about purchasing this book. So many I do not know. Ivanhoe, Bleak House, and Wuthering Heights are three I enjoyed reading. Although, I do remember finding 6 pages of describing a dress quite tedious. Talking to you, Sir Scott. #TLT @dabbe

Ms. Maas can tell the most intriguing stories.

Another heartbreaking yet beautifully written Bangladesh story OR legendary heroic fun? I think I need something lighter before rereading A Golden Age. The photograph doesn't do it justice. The gold leaves are metallic. A gorgeous cover.

Evocative writing. Equal to The Kite Runner. The effects of war on different groups of people are exposed. Rape as a weapon. WOMEN CHOSE TO MARRY and leave with THE ENEMY BECAUSE THEIR FAMILIES DISOWNED THEM. A brother turned into an extremist because of guilt. His sister remained a rebel to the new government because of guilt. They both neglected their loved ones while on crusades. Trigger warnings #FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

I have tried several times to read the tagged. Bleak House was the last Dickens I read. The Grapes of Wrath is on my tbr. #TLT @dabbe

I am not a poetry reader. That's on me, definitely not Ocean Vuong. There were some lines I thought were quite lovely.

I'm winning even / if it just looks like / my fingers are shaking

Nobody's free without breaking open

I was made to die but I'm here to stay

It seems to me like a roller coaster. The speaker moves from gutwrenching despair to the heights of victory. Maybe. #QueerBC @PuddleJumper
There's death. Then dancing.

The complexity of each character had been thoughtfully crafted. Auci has a way of bringing these historical people back to life by giving them likable and unlikeable traits. I'm sad to say goodbye to the Florios of Sicily. I learned a lot about the Industrial Age of southern Italy, especially tuna canning. All thanks to this captivating family. #Italy #Jubilee #FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

I had to read Shogun to understand the
"Whys?" of the series. I loved it. Although, it was Japanese historical fiction through the eyes of a white man. I need to read Musashi, written by Murakami, about the same time period. The penny dreadfuls pop out - Dracula, Frankenstein (I remember being so surprised at this-I had been influenced way too much by Hollywood), and The Picture of Dorian Grey. #TLT @dabbe

A humble man remains decent during a civil war in his beloved country. He doesn't shy from the atrocities he witnesses. He also still has lingering anger toward UN for taking so long to get involved and being hesitant in calling the atrocities a genocide. Even though he lives in Belgium, his heart remains in Rwanda, and he continues to be afraid for its future, of another genocide. A MUST READ. #FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

Grann knows how to write for the readers to feel the fear, the hunger, and the anger of the castaways. One thing that will always stay with me is that wild celery saved the men from scurvy, but there was not enough to feed. He used primary sources such as the journals of the survivors. What a story.

It was not the largest genocide in the history of the world, but it was the fastest and most efficient.

I watched Hotel Rwanda many years ago. When my youngest was watching it in her social studies class this past March, it left her unsettled, and she needed to talk. I knew what book I wanted to read to get more information. You can't explain hate, I know, but you can remember. #FoodandLit @Texreader @Catsandbooks

I don't relish ambiguous endings, but with each short story, I accepted it because the ambiguity added to the Gothic atmosphere. It truly was an awesome read.

Twenty minutes of pure pleasure. #ChildrensClassicChallenge @TheBookHippie