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I‘m sorry #camplitsy24 but this was not for me! I wanted to stick it out for the sake of the discussion though. Sometimes I love a books ending. This came full circle but didn‘t impress me.

Outdated stereotypes about bisexuality and a self obsessed narrator whose privilege and mid life crisis I just couldn‘t relate to.

It was a quick read at least 🤷🏻‍♀️

Caught my Hazel taking a nap #catsoflitsy

Also counts for #lgbt2024 @Kenyazero

My TBR list! #nytbest100 #nybest100

Not bad, but some of these I hated 😂 so many are on my TBR shelf. Weird only wolf hall is splayed.

Thanks @Bookwomble for helping me find the link.

I‘ll put a link in the comments so you can play too! #nytbest100 #nybest100

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An atmospheric novel (similar to #campitsy24 pick Clear) about a community living on an island off the coast of Wales where a whale beaches itself one day.

Narrated by Manod, an 18 year old woman living with her father and sister, it describes island life and the slow disappearance of their culture as younger individuals leave for work on the mainland.

Set in the backdrop of pre-WW II this was a fairly quick and interesting read.

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I really sped through this. I intended to read half and stop but checked my progress on my kindle and I was at 65%, so I just continued.

A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain through the eyes of a slave, Jim/James. Without having read Twain‘s novel, I feel like I‘m missing some things about the story and couldn‘t believe some aspects. Maybe I should have read it first? 🤷🏻‍♀️

Still a great read. #camplitsy24

Saw @Soubhiville post and explain how to get this from StoryGraph (a new feature if you select the month and scroll to the bottom)!

This was a great reading month for me, I usually average 2 books a month.

Favourites were The Covenant of Water (tagged) and A Sweet Sting of Salt.

Salt doesn‘t have the best reviews but I found it engrossing and just what I wanted mood wise, whereas Covenant was just fantastic.

Another giveaway for #camplitsy24 book, Bear!

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/392243-bear

Good luck! 🤞🏻 There‘s a lot of people entered but hoping someone gets a free copy.

#BOTM July picks!

A Thousand Times Before sounds so good - intergenerational novel about three Indian women, set in India then Brooklyn. Apparently some lgbt themes so take note for #lgbt2024!

I love short stories so added Volume 0 as well.

Free book alert! 🚨

https://subterraneanpress.com/goblins-greatcoats/

From the writer of Legends & Lattes and Bones & Bookdust, we have Goblins & Greatcoats!

I loved Legends and can‘t wait to read the second one, so this was an immediate download.

If you love high fantasy, queer storylines, and/or cozy reads, this is for you.

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Saw @peanutnine read this and I loved Last Night at the Telegraph Club so I decided to read it ASAP!

Touching story about a Chinese American 18 year old spending her summer with her artist grandmother prior to starting at MIT. It‘s there she meets some local queer folks and she‘s introduced to something she‘d never considered about herself.

I normally hate coming of age and ya but this series is great.

#lgbt2024 AAPI rep @Kenyazero

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Soft pick.

Written by someone I knew, this is a mix of prose and poetry about her time in a sanatorium in Budapest, and back at home in London afterwards. Told in a non-linear way, jumping between the two and interspersed with vivid dreams. Abi is chronically ill and disabled.

I liked the poetry but found the prose a little like a diary. Some chapters starting with “Hi, it‘s me Abi” which was off putting.

Hard to rate. 🤷🏻‍♀️

@BarbaraBB here‘s my results!

Here‘s a link for the test if you want to see how you stack up too!

https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/features/quiz-how-much-of-a-book-...

😃

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I had no idea how to rate this because I thought it was nonfiction, it had me so believing the storyline.

What a gut punch.

Jess is a lesbian and a scientist, studying altruistic suicidal behaviours in spiders (of all things). The novel discusses her personal relationships - touching on mental illness, trauma, queer love, and family dynamics.

Overall a moving and captivating story that will stay with me for a long time.

One thing I haven‘t seen anyone touch on yet for this #camplitsy24 read is the LGBTQIA+ themes, and Rika‘s mentions of the girls at school, as well as her comments about fascinating both genders, and being a “prince”.

It made me expect something to happen to clarify whether Rika was bisexual and whether Japanese society was causing her to suppress those desires.

I‘m not sure if I‘m reading too much into this though. 🤔

What did you think?

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A soft pick.

Lots to chat about for this one but I‘ll save my thoughts on the ending for the #camplitsy24 discussion on Saturday!

I didn‘t know where this book was going to go at the beginning and there were some unexpected twists I didn‘t see coming, but on the whole it felt a bit predictable. I kept thinking it was going to end and I‘d check my kindle and it‘d be at 75%!

I really want to research the true story it‘s based off of.

Went to the Coney Island Mermaid Parade yesterday!! Here‘s me doing a hobby of mine - dressing and swimming as a mermaid!

We couldn‘t go in the water because of the lightning (see top left) but we got to get photos on the beach!

@CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian 🧜‍♀️ photo for you!!

What, no! That‘s not how you make béchamel!! It has to be done slowly. With care. Drop by drop while stirring. Warm milk is better.

I‘ve never heard of someone taking this tactic and it being successful. ?

#camplitsy24

I‘m at halfway & this has really picked up! I don‘t think I‘ll be able to stop and wait for the #camplitsy24 questions!

I had an interesting discussion about this book with my Japanese neighbour yesterday - she said the idea of putting butter on rice would be very strange to Japanese people!

Also she said their culture about weight is changing, models need to be a minimum weight and clothing sizes now fit more of an international standard.

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What are the chances of two posts in a row on the same book?? 😆

Maybe it‘s a sign I should read this.

@BooksCoffeeNurse @Branwen

(Also, fitting title because it‘s 4 am here and I can‘t sleep.)

Anyone else finding Butter a little triggering?

Maybe I‘m sensitive since I‘ve suffered with an eating disorder but her talking about being fat at 120 lbs is… hard. I know it‘s part of Japanese culture to be thin, and it‘s a comment on their society how much the other characters are commenting on it but it‘s making me uncomfortable. Maybe it‘s supposed to?

#camplitsy24

Got so hungry reading Butter for #camplitsy24 yesterday I had to make some butter on toast!

This book really makes me want to invest in specialty ingredients 😆

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Couldn‘t find this in the kindle library, so I used the tagged which I‘ve also read and enjoyed.

Kindle single from years ago, nonfiction, about Mark Haddon‘s fears of swimming and flying and overcoming them, interspersed with poetry and anecdotes about teaching creative writing. Really interesting collection of stories woven into one narrative and gave me a lot to think about.

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Unexpectedly loved this! I borrowed it from my library through Libby because I liked the cover and title without really knowing what it was about. Glad I did!

Set in 1813, this novel is about a midwife who lives in solitude outside of the village and one of her patients, a neighbour, who seems to be going through a rough time at home with her husband.

Folktales, #lgbt, and feminist themes.

On the train back from Providence!

Always on the lookout for a #littlefreelibrary!

This one is in Providence, RI.

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Great short memoir about the death of her mother-in-law (only 31 pages). Cheryl Strayed writes beautifully. I was a huge Dear Sugar fan and it‘s been really interesting to get to know more about the person behind the column.

Got this as an Amazon short or something, possibly for free? We love free books!

Near my Airbnb in Providence!

How beautiful is this folio society copy of The Castle of Otranto!

Purchased because it‘s pretty but reading about it, apparently this is noted as the first gothic novel published in 1764! So interesting!

Window of the paper nautilus! Great used bookstore in Providence, RI.

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Soft pick, kinda a slow burn. I found the beginning a bit tedious but I was also struggling to be awake on the train so many I nodded off and got confused? Reading the second half appealed to me more and even more so reading the notes at the end! I didn‘t realize it was a real language! So cool!

Excited for the first #camplitsy24 discussion tomorrow!

On the train for a few hours heading up to Providence for my sister‘s graduation from medical school! She went to a Caribbean school and for some reason they all graduate in Rhode Island? Idk. It‘s be a nice weekend, hopefully.

Excited to start this #camplitsy24 book! I can‘t believe it‘s camp time already. 🏕️

Attention #camplitsy24!!

There‘s a giveaway for Bear on goodreads! USA only unfortunately but if you‘re here enter!

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/390442-bear

It‘s always hard to rate books written by people you know but I really connected to this poetry collection as a trauma survivor myself. It hits ‘close to home‘ and I can identify with a lot of the writing.

Quick read, but will stay with you.

“I don‘t know the way back to me anymore” 🖤

My friend wrote a book of poetry! I‘m surprised to find it in the catalogue on litsy.

It‘s available from B&N if you‘re interested. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/too-close-to-home-cassie-varyn/1145472104?ean=9...

Going to start reading now!

Happy pride everyone!! 🏳️‍🌈

I am out and proud as a bisexual and still face discrimination.

“Oh but maybe you haven‘t found the right man” and people saying I‘m being indecisive and should pick a side. I‘ve been bi my whole life!

One of my friends was beaten unconscious coming home from a queer event when I lived in the UK. This is still happening and visibility is important so here‘s me!

Reminder: Pride was a riot! And we‘re still fighting.

#BOTM picked!! I really want to read this, I‘m loving the show. They only had the audiobook but I‘m trying to get into more audio reading so that‘s perfect!

Cant wait for the start of #camplitsy24 I‘m starting on Clear before tackling this!

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Wow

This one is heavy, bother literally and figuratively, at >700 pages, but it‘s worth it. But I loved it as I loved his last novel, Cutting for Stone.

This reminds me a bit of A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, an epic tail of loss and life. Which was written by my English teachers husband, and is fantastic if you get a chance to read it.

This novel follows 3 generations of an Indian family following their life‘s ups and downs.

My reading buddy, Hazel, needs attention!

Making good progress on this. It‘s a huge book but so good! 550/700 pages in.

#catsoflitsy

Such a great bookstore!!

On main street in Huntsville, Onrtario, Canada. 🇨🇦

Reading after canoeing in Algonquin Park, Canada, while my family goes on a hike! I like to paddle but hate hiking lol.

Loving this so far but I‘ve got a long way to go.

I have access to ChatGPT for work this month so I decided to prompt DALLE to make a kawaii poster of my PhD research into the RNA expression of fish eggs development and this is what it gave me. 😂

It‘s so cute!

Lots of eggs, fish, and some graphs with hearts.

It‘s perfect. 🐟🥚❤️

Managed to get a signed copy of All Fours for #camplitsy24 from B&N!

Can‘t wait!!

The holds for the library copies are like 24 weeks out so I decided just to splurge and buy physical copies of these two. I have holds for The Alternatives and James which should come just in time (fingers crossed!). I‘ve also maxed out the number of books I can have on hold across both library cards (NYPL and Brooklyn public library). Whoops 😅

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Three interconnected stories of women who are related, set in 1619, 1942, and 2019. The women face challenging scenarios and navigate their way through with the help of their connection to nature.

I devoured this and read it over the weekend, pausing for a bit to sleep.

A bit predictable, but in the way that was pleasing for me.

Trigger warnings for: rape, domestic violence, miscarriage, and more.

#BOTM #BOTY finalist

Reading on the balcony!

Listening to the sweet sounds of construction across the street 😂

Someone broke the little free library by my work! 😭

Why??

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A fun short read about three retired professors eating cheese and drinking their favourite drinks and musing about…. Murder.

Only 35 pages and a great palate cleanser between longer reads.

This was my #firstreads selection for kindle in April.

I was worried I wasn‘t going to get this in time for #camplitsy24 but my library purchased 7 additional copies!! I should get it in time now. 😅

Who else is excited for summer camp? ⛺️

My little personal heated blanket (Hazel) is preventing me from reaching my cross stitch (splayed over the rest of the couch) and my kindle (on the coffee table)!

I decided the best option was to read a short story on the kindle app on my phone, so I‘m starting the tagged.

#catsoflitsy

« I light myself on fire for everyone »

#poetry #poetrymatters