Welcome to Litsy!

The Brimstone Wedding | Barbara Vine

#WhereAreYouMonday

I have way too many books on the go, so am literally literarily all over the place! 😂 But the one I‘m reading the fastest is the tagged book, set in a rest home outside of a Norfolk village in second half of the 20th century. A carer at the home befriends one of the patients and it turns out that both of them have secrets they are hiding.

This book is also one of my #10BeforetheEnd picks.

58 likes

My Name Is Red | Orhan Pamuk

pick

I‘m ever so slowly making my way through my #10BeforetheEnd stack.

This was a dense and thought provoking read. Translated from the Turkish and set in the 16th century during the Ottoman Empire, this reflects a culture which is largely unknown to me. It does have a murder mystery as its overarching plot, but that‘s just a framework used to delve into larger philosophical questions about art and religion.

66 likes

Susan Settles Down | Molly Clavering

Here are my two possibilities for September 2025 for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub members to choose from.

Both are authors we‘ve read previously. Another light romance set in Scotland from Clavering OR another humorous look at village life from Fair.

Let me know in the comments which one tickles your fancy the most!

Sace I‘m always up for humorous village life. 5d

kwmg40 I‘ll vote for

julieclair Another really tough choice. I‘ll go with

(edited) 5d

See All 11 Comments

elkeOriginal Gotta go with Scottish Highlands and Susan! 5d

Tamra Maybe because it‘s a gloomy November day, but I‘m attracted to Landscape in Sunlight. 🌞 4d

willaful Hard choice, they both look appealing. But I'll always take romance. 😁

LeahBergen I want to read both 😆 but I‘ll vote for

rubyslippersreads I‘ll pick

quietjenn I've read the other, so voting for

Kimzey I want both! 😊 But I choose Scotland and

CarolynM Since I voted against Molly Clavering before I‘ll join the crowd here 😆

52 likes11 comments

Altes Land: Roman | D�rte Hansen

#WhereAreYouMonday

This Monday I‘m in Northern Germany, outside of Hamburg with a newly separated mother of a toddler and her eccentric Aunt Vera, who came to the village as an ethnic German refugee from what is now Poland after WWII. A bit romantic comedy, a bit family history, a bit satire on society, especially city life vs rural.

bookandbedandtea That sounds good! 1w

Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea So far, so good! 👍 1w

57 likes1 stack add2 comments

The Last of the Wine: A Virago Modern Classic | Mary Renault

pick

My first #10BeforetheEnd book. I did enjoy it, particularly in its frank depiction of ancient Athens society during the Peloponnesian Wars. The main character comes from a noble Athenian family and Renault doesn‘t try to hide the ways Athenian culture differs from our modern sense of morality or ethics. At the heart of this is a love story between two men, which was completely accepted then. It was a slow and dense read, but worth the time.

67 likes

Charles Dickens' a Christmas Carol | Charles Dickens, Stephen L. Stern

#TLT #ThreeListThursday

Thank you for the tag @dabbe ☺️

These are three books set during the Christmas/New Year season that I have only read the once.

dabbe THANK YOU! I'm making a list, and checking it twice. Thank you for sharing and making the end of this week nice. 🩵❄️🩵 2w

51 likes2 comments

My Name Is Red | Orhan Pamuk

#WhereAreYouMonday

This Monday finds me in 16th century Istanbul among the scribes, miniaturists, gilders, and other artists of the empire who have been commissioned to create book which will also be a work of art for the sultan. Only 50 pages in, but definitely getting The Name of the Rose vibes.

bookandbedandtea Every time I see a mention of this book I think it sounds good. 2w

Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea It has been on my list for ages. 2w

BiblioLitten Ohhh!! I loved this book when I read it years ago. Death is a narrator, I believe. 1w

Ruthiella @BiblioLitten Each section is narrated by a different character, but yes, there is one narrated by Death. It‘s such a dense historical and philosophical book, it‘s taking me ages to read it. 1w

74 likes4 comments

Mother Doll | Katya Apekina

#weekendreads

I‘m primarily only reading the tagged Mother Doll. It‘s a library ebook and I am at 50%, will hopefully finish this weekend. 🤞

Nancy Drew ,is of course. for this month‘s #NancyDrewBR .

The rest are from my #10BeforeTheEnd pile and I have a t least read the first chapter of each. I will try to prioritize Altes Land since it works for November‘s #TBRTarot prompt.

67 likes

Harlequin House | MARGERY. SHARP

Happy Halloween #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub friends! 🎃 Next month is our last pick for 2024. We‘ve read Margery Sharp before (Four Gardens) and I quite liked it, so I have high hopes for this one.

As usual, read at your own pace and post your thoughts as you like. Be sure to copy everyone when you do, so we can comment.

All are welcome. If anyone wants to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

@LitsyEvents

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Kimzey Thanks for the reminder. Already have my copy! 😊 3w

quietjenn So curious about this one! 3w

Deblovestoread Love the cover! 3w

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Tamra Thank you for the reminder! 3w

julieclair Looking forward to learning more about the flying woman (angel?) in the top right room. 😀 3w

LeahBergen I‘m looking forward to it! 3w

Ruthiella @Deblovestoread The DSP covers are often so colorful. I think they are usually a reprint of the original edition. 3w

CarolynM Thanks Ruth. Looking forward to getting started🙂 3w

kwmg40 I just picked up my copy! 3w

54 likes9 comments

Grey Dog | Elliott Gish

#ToBWaiting

Here‘s my six guesses for the 2025 Longlist. I‘ve only picked books that I have not read which are eligible and might make the cut. 🤞

BarbaraBB

BarbaraBB I read four of those and they are all ToB worthy! I am off now to check out the other two! Thanks for joining! 3w

Ruthiella @BarbaraBB I would love it if Lennon made the shortlist again. I need an excuse to read more from him! 3w

BarbaraBB You know I love Lennon and I‘ve read and loved a lot of his backlist these past months but I have read Hard Girls too and was a bit underwhelmed 🤷🏻‍♀️ 3w

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Ruthiella @BarbaraBB I will temper my expectations accordingly! 3w

BarbaraBB It‘s good but it‘s the most ordinary book I‘ve read by him, if I express myself right. It is a good yet straightforward story. 3w

squirrelbrain Great choices! I‘ve read 3 of them, but haven‘t heard of Grey Dog…off to investigate! 3w

Ruthiella @squirrelbrain it was recommended here by @CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian 😀 3w

squirrelbrain Sounds sufficiently weird / feminist / horror ish for the Tournament! I just posted my list too - see what you think! 3w

Bookwormjillk Great list. My Friend was one of my most anticipated summer reads but I still have to get to it. 3w

Ruthiella @Bookwormjillk So many books, so little time! It‘s been on my radar since it was longlisted for the Booker. 3w

Megabooks So many of these I don‘t know. I think Safekeep has a great shot, and I loved it! 3w

Ruthiella @Megabooks It‘s the reported Sarah Waters‘ vibes that really make me curious about it! 3w

48 likes12 comments

In a Lonely Place | Dorothy B. Hughes

#TLT #ThreeListThursday

Thanks for the tag @dabbe 😊

Crime fiction and mystery is probably my favorite genre, so it was great fun to peruse this list. Listed are the top three from the list that I HAVEN‘T read yet, but really want to.

Feel like trying it out for yourself? Consider yourself tagged. This is the link: https://www.listchallenges.com/litsy-time-magazines-100-best-mystery-and/list/3

Susanita 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 3w

dabbe I read THE THREE COFFINS. It's also known as THE HOLLOW MAN. It was classic noir, and I really enjoyed it. I'm adding quite a few to my TBR, too! Thanks for playing and sharing! 🖤🎃🖤 3w

39 likes2 comments

Sundiver | David Brin

A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know.

2. In some ways this is primarily a mystery novel. Did you like that aspect of it? Did you guess who the real culprit was?

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CatLass007 I‘ve only finished about a third of the book so far so I don‘t know who the culprit is. But I hadn‘t considered it a mystery until you posted this question so it‘s something new to consider. 3w

kwmg40 I did like the mystery aspect (and did not guess the culprit ahead of time), but overall, I found the sci-fi ideas that Brin presented more interesting than the other aspects. I thought the plot and character development were on the weak side. 3w

kwmg40 One thing that marred my enjoyment of the book was that I'd read an e-book version borrowed from my library, and it was full of OCR (scanning) errors. It took me a while to figure out why one character was referring to the women as “ferns“ (it was supposed to be “fems“). 3w

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Ruthiella I found the whole Jekyll/Hyde thing with Jacob a little weird. I got that he‘s meant to be the protagonist, but more focus on Fagin, say, would have been more interesting to me. 3w

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I enjoyed the mystery aspect but like @kwmg40 I enjoyed the sci-fi ideas much more. I didn‘t guess the culprit and honestly was gutted because I‘d grown fond of Culla and had been hoping for a redemption story. 😅 3w

Ruthiella @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I liked Culla as well. He was very sympathetic. 😢 3w

38 likes6 comments

Sundiver | David Brin

A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know. 😃

1. How do you feel about the concept of”uplifting” another species? Is it ethical? Is it plausible?

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CatLass007 I think the reason for humans uplifting others is so they will know that they‘re not alone in this world. Little did they know when they began just how not-alone they are. It seems to me that many races in the galaxy uplift other species is so they will have their own clients, although the fact that they are called clients and not slaves is disingenuous. Other races who uplift seem to believe that they are doing something good. 3w

RamsFan1963 The question for me about uplifting is are the species being asked if they want this upgrade? Did humans just decide that chimpanzees and dolphins are closest to humans in intelligence so they got the upgrade whether they wanted it or not? It wouldn't be ethical to uplift a species simply for human benefit or worse human curiosity. 3w

Ruthiella @CatLass007 I think the concept of uplift is very paternalistic here - “We know better than you and you need to be more like us.” You are right that the difference between client and indentured servant is not much as portrayed in this novel. 3w

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Ruthiella @RamsFan1963 It‘s never addressed but it does make me queasy. If dolphins or chimps evolve on their own, fine. But humans are manipulating them genetically to make this happen. To be fair, if dolphins or chimp evolved on their own IRL, humans would freak out and probably try to surpress them. 3w

CatLass007 @Ruthiella I specifically used the word slave for a reason. Living in the South I‘m very aware of the depredations of slavery. Calling it anything else is trying to downplay reality. It was my understanding that humans didn‘t treat the animals they uplifted the same as ETs treated their clients. Jeffrey wasn‘t angry with those who uplifted him, he was angry with LaRoq and those like him who didn‘t recognize him as an equal. (cont)⬇️ (edited) 3w

CatLass007 He was angry with Cullah for not rebelling and demanding freedom. He was angry with the ETs who enslaved Cullah. My late friend Collier, were he in Jeff‘s position, would have called Cullah a “Tom.” It‘s ugly to say but it‘s a term that‘s still used. It‘s obvious from Martine‘s reaction to Jeff‘s death that she considers those who have been uplifted to be inferior. That‘s a pretty typical human reaction, looking down on others to make (cont)⬇️ 3w

CatLass007 them feel better about themselves. I feel extremely angry with the way people who might be mentally ill or might commit a crime are not even citizens. We can look at forced sterilization of Black people in our not too distant past and see it as a possible future. We can look at Hitler‘s “final solution” and see a presidential candidate who quotes Mein Kamf and envision a possible future. We can look at entire families with (cont)⬇️ (edited) 3w

CatLass007 Japanese ancestry having their property stolen and being forced into prison camps. The way we have treated others in our past is almost a predictor of the future. I know I‘ve gotten off track here. The question is whether uplifting other species is moral. I guess I think it‘s more moral than a whole heluva lot of other things humans have done to one another. 3w

CatLass007 And when we get to the question about the Cherokee people and the Trail of Tears, I‘ll have plenty to say about that too. 3w

kwmg40 I'm not sure I managed to get a good understanding of uplift and what David Brin was trying to convey through Sundiver. At first, it made me think of colonialism but that's probably too simplistic a view. Based on a glance at Brin's writings on this topic (https://www.davidbrin.com/uplift.html), there are clearly many ethically issues to consider. 3w

RamsFan1963 @Ruthiella I agree with you about the natural evolution of chimps and dolphins, and how it would weird out humans. Much like other colonizing groups, humans looked on the chimps and dolphins as being lesser, expecting them to be so grateful to mankind for uplifting them. If I was a chimp or dolphin I'd be pissed at being treated like second hand citizens. 3w

Ruthiella @kwmg40 Thanks for the link! It definitely sounds like Brin has thought about the pros and cons of uplifting. From what I have read on Goodreads, his other two books in the Uplift series are better. Maybe they delve more into the ethical aspects of it and the POV of an uplifted Dolphin or Chimp. (edited) 3w

Ruthiella @RamsFan1963 I also think that these other species might not always be “grateful enough” to humans. And considering a chimpanzee‘s physical superiority, I would not want one angry with me. 3w

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Ruthiella I can attest that the next book is better and does a much better job of exploring the ethics of uplifting and what it means for both sides. 3w

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm The idea of uplifting a species is definitely nuanced and sticky. I think I‘d be against any kind of alteration of a species in the effort to “evolve” them. But if a species was already evolving towards that end and capable of requesting support/sponsorship/etc, then I‘d be more inclined to be comfortable with it. As far as plausible, I think there‘s a distant future where we could potentially mutate a species into something like in the novel. 3w

Ruthiella @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Thanks for the confirmation on the next books in the series. The concept of uplift is a really good one exactly because it raises all those sticky issues, which can make for great fiction. And I like the idea of accessing another species‘ intelligence to see what we humans can learn about how we could potentially alter our way of being for the better. 3w

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Ruthiella The next book is also set further into the future and has a completely different cast of characters. 3w

35 likes17 comments

The Last of the Wine: A Virago Modern Classic | Mary Renault

#WhereareyouMonday

Today finds me in Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian Wars following the fate of young Alexias, an Athenian noble, as he matures, meets his mentor and lover Lysis, becomes a soldier and sailor… He also encounters Socrates, Plato, and other famous Greek names which have come down to us through history. Slow read, but satisfying.

LeahBergen I haven‘t read a Renault in ages. I should grab one off my shelves! 3w

Ruthiella @LeahBergen It‘s super slooooow. The other two from Renault that I have read were a lot plottier: The Persian Boy and

The King Must Die

(edited) 3w

LeahBergen Oh, is it? The two I‘ve read are The King Must Die and The Bull From the Sea. And maybe another one? 🤔 3w

48 likes3 comments

The Last of the Wine: A Virago Modern Classic | Mary Renault

I‘ve started in on my #10BeforetheEnd pile! I need to ignore the lure of library books! 🤞

ChaoticMissAdventures

ChaoticMissAdventures I just picked up my library books which are not on my list 😂. 3w

kspenmoll Ignoring library books is hard for me- I keep taking out new books which means I only have a short time to read them. 3w

LeahBergen And a couple of Persephones! 🩶 3w

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Ruthiella @ChaoticMissAdventures The struggle is real! 😂 3w

Ruthiella @kspenmoll Me too! I am always juggling due dates. 3w

Ruthiella @LeahBergen One was a gift but the other I found in a library book sale, which was a rare find in my experience. 🩶 3w

AmyG Ooooo Barbara Vine. A huge favorite! 3w

Ruthiella @AmyG I‘ve definitely enjoyed the few other novels I‘ve read from her before. She‘s very good at understanding the psychological motivations of her characters. 3w

Billypar I can't say enough good things about My Name Is Red - one of my all-time favorite murder mysteries. 3w

Ruthiella @Billypar it‘s a murder mystery? I had no idea! I just picked it up at a library sale based on Pamuk‘s fame as a Turkish author. 3w

Billypar I'm sure people would hyphenate it to "literary-murder mystery" but to me, that's often code for when the murder plot is kind of in the background. But it's front and center in this. 3w

sarahbarnes I want to read more Atkinson! 3w

Ruthiella @Billypar Murder mysteries are my kryptonite! Now I‘m doubly looking forward to it. 3w

Ruthiella @sarahbarnes I aspire to some day becoming an Atkinson completist! 🤞 3w

BarbaraBB What an attractive pile of books 📚 3w

Ruthiella @BarbaraBB All I want to do is read them all at once! Alas, I have to go to work. 😅 3w

AmyG She is Ruth Rendell….if you just like a good mystery. Yes, Vine writes with a psychological view which I just love. 3w

63 likes17 comments

Escape Velocity | Victor Manibo

#whereareyoumonday

This Monday finds me in outer space again with this month‘s #LitsySciFiBookclub pick. I am orbiting Earth in 2086 on a luxury space station (think a cruise ship turned up to 11). The guests are all there for a high school class reunion with all the emotions and drama that brings. Plus an unsolved murder, lower decks tension, a race for Mars… there‘s a lot going on!

Lesliereadsalot I‘ve gotta get to this one! 1mo

BarbaraBB You‘re out of space again! (edited) 1mo

Ruthiella @Lesliereadsalot It‘s very busy…not sure I‘m keeping it all straight. 1mo

Ruthiella @BarbaraBB I know! With reading at least two sci-fi books a month , it happens a lot. 😆 1mo

BarbaraBB I had no idea you read that much SF. Cool! 1mo

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The Heiress: A Novel | Rachel Hawkins

pick

I started this on audio, which wasn‘t working for me. Switched to print and blew through it. A gothic tinged mystery. Ruby McTavish‘s adopted son left home soon after her death in 2013 and hasn‘t returned, wanting nothing to do with his adoptive wealthy family. What happened? Does it have anything to do with the fact that Ruby was kidnapped as a baby? Why is Camden‘s wife so keen for him to return to the family home? Quick, fun popcorn read. 🍿

Tamra What a gorgeous cover! 1mo

Ruthiella @Tamra It is a beautiful design! Definitely draws the eye. 1mo

LeahBergen It sounds good! 1mo

Ruthiella @LeahBergen It was a quick, plotty read! 1mo

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The Wedding People: A Novel

Creation Lake: A Novel | Rachel Kushner

pick

I get that Kushner isn‘t for everyone, but she‘s definitely for me. I loved this book about a former US covert operator who‘s now free lance and on a gentle downward spiral. In her assignment to infiltrate a group of environmentalists in France, she falls under the influence of one the commune‘s mentors who is obsessed with Neanderthals. A thought provoking and entertaining blend of facts and fiction.

Lesliereadsalot Got this one coming. Glad you liked it! 1mo

Ruthiella @Lesliereadsalot I totally connect with her style. 1mo

BkClubCare Think it will hit the TOB LL? I am starting to think about the Tourney 🤣 4w

Ruthiella @BkClubCare I would bet good money that it will make the longlist. The ToB is how I discovered Kushner, BTW. 😅 4w

BkClubCare @Ruthiella 👍 I have started to stalk the newsfeeds for “best of” 2024s. Want to get to

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The Heiress: A Novel | Rachel Hawkins

#weekendreads

This is what I have on tap this weekend. Hope to finish the Kushner, I‘m over halfway through. Escape Velocity is for #LitsySciFiBookclub . I might bail on The Heiress. So much heavy foreshadowing, which irks me. Sadly none are my #10beforethernd picks. 🙃

51 likes

Piglet | Lottie Hazell

pick

Very detailed and rich description of food and cooking but purposefully vague in other respects. It more or less worked IMO. Piglet is a childhood nickname which has stuck. She‘s now late 20s - early 30s and her life is magazine-spread perfect - which is impossible to maintain and Piglet has appetites, not only for food, which have been sublimated in her attempt to achieve such perfection. It‘s going to crack, and when it does, it won‘t be pretty…

Anna40 Great review! 1mo

Ruthiella @Anna40 Thank you. 😊 1mo

72 likes2 comments

Creation Lake: A Novel | Rachel Kushner

#WhereAreYouMonday

This week finds me somewhere in the south of France 🇫🇷 trailing a possible ecoterrorist group whose leader is obsessed with Neanderthals.

66 likes

Untitled | Unknown

This is my #10beforetheend list. Only 10 more weeks in 2024. 😱 These are all books I‘ve acquired this year but not yet read. I don‘t know if I will manage to get to them all by December 31, but I‘d at least like to make a dent!

ChaoticMissAdventures

Aimeesue 2022? Ye gods, this year has been so long I thought it was 2024 already! 😁 1mo

Ruthiella Oopsie Whoopsie! 🙊Correcting now. 😂 1mo

Aimeesue @Ruthiella I liked it the way it was! Confused me for a minute, then I had to laugh at my confusion 😂 1mo

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ChaoticMissAdventures Last week I asked my attorney why something was due in 3 years in 2025 .... I am also still in 2022 apparently 😂 Good luck with your #10BeforeTheEnd your list looks fun! 🍀 1mo

Ruthiella @ChaoticMissAdventures Thanks! I guess 2022 must have been a good year for both of us. 😂 1mo

PageShifter Good luck! 1mo

Ruthiella @PageShifter Thank you! 😊 1mo

BookmarkTavern Good luck! 🍀 1mo

Ruthiella @BookmarkTavern Thank you! ☺️ 1mo

BkClubCare Love to see the dove grey 🕊️ 4w

Ruthiella One was a gift from England but the other I found in a library book sale. So rare to find a Persephone like that in the US! 4w

62 likes11 comments

Untitled | Unknown

#TLT
#ThreeListThursday

Thank you for the tag @The_Penniless_Author @Eggs

“Thrills” is a weird criteria IMO, but what the heck? I‘ve only seen 15 of the 100 listed. Attached are three based on books that I have read.

dabbe

dabbe I think AFI is lumping in any movie that has action (whether spooky or not), but what do I know? 😂 Loved THE INVISIBLE MAN, too! Thanks for playing and sharing! 🧡🖤🧡 1mo

Eggs 💙🩵💙 1mo

51 likes2 comments

Stone Cold Fox | Rachel Koller Croft

#whereareyoumonday

I‘m in NYC with the protagonist, Bea as she ensnares rich blue blood Collin Chase. This is a #blameitonLitsy choice. Bea is a con artist, but the reader also roots for her. It‘s complicated.

Cupcake

CogsOfEncouragement I‘m reading the Tom Ripley series and find myself rooting for that psychopath too. These authors are good lol 1mo

bookandbedandtea Sounds intriguing- stacked! 1mo

Ruthiella @CogsOfEncouragement I love it when a character is despicable but interesting! 1mo

Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea Definitely check out other Littens‘ reviews. That‘s what made me stack it! 1mo

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Nancy Drew 12: The Message in the Hollow Oak | Carolyn Keene

#weekendreads

A bunch of library ebook holds came in today and instead of postponing a few, I downloaded them all (cue nervous laughter). 🤭 still plugging away at Sundiver for #ClassicLSFBC and The Message in the Hollow Oak is for #NancyDrewBR this month.

sarahbarnes The same thing happened to me! 📚 2mo

Ruthiella @sarahbarnes a classic library patron dilemma! 😆 2mo

BarbaraJean 😂Library holds are one of the reasons I‘m in the middle of nine books right now 🫣 2mo

Ruthiella @BarbaraJean The pressure is real. 😂 (edited) 2mo

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The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie

Thank you for the tag @PageShifter 😊

#whatsyourjobmonday

This book has a lot of “main” characters. I‘ll pick Sand dan Glotka. In this book he‘s a former army officer turned Inquisitor after surviving torture and imprisonment. Makes my contracts and international trade administration job seem much easier… 😱

46 likes1 stack add

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone | Benjamin Stevenson

#WhereAreYouMonday

Today I am somewhere in the highlands of Australia 🇦🇺 at a snowy, slightly run down resort, with a rather unpleasant family. So far the death toll is two, but it is going to get worse…😬

I‘ll finish it, but this is one of those books where the entire plot could have been avoided if characters just had a conversation. 😳

Teresereading Nice to see a pic from my home state. I‘ll have to check out the title! 1mo

Ruthiella @Teresereading If you like mysteries, it‘s definitely worth giving it a whirl. 😃 1mo

65 likes1 stack add2 comments

A Fall of Moondust | Arthur C. Clarke

A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know. 😃

🌙 Clark portrays a positive view of the future. Yes, there are sexist assumptions in it, but it also envisions a multi-cultural, peaceful human society. He also made a few predictions about human culture in the 21st century. What did he get right and what did he get wrong?

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Bookwomble I thought his vision was fairly progressive, and of course he was still influenced by assumptions of his time, such as sexist tropes of men being more rational and women more emotional, but I don't recall him being outright misogynistic. His multiculturalism was well done, even if there was a racial slur, though at the time of writing it was still largely used within that community without having been reclaimed. Again, on the right path, I think 2mo

Lesliereadsalot I liked the way that one guy stepped up to keep all the passengers engaged and busy so they wouldn‘t think too much about what was happening. If that book was written today, that guy would probably be a woman! I liked his old fashioned ideas: making a deck of cards, reading aloud from a book. 2mo

Ruthiella @Bookwomble @Lesliereadsalot Maybe this is low hanging fruit given capitalism, but he also got the commodification of Space right, even though humans haven‘t yet colonized the Moon. He indicated that only fairly well off folks could afford the trip. So far, we just have billionaires who can indulge in Space tourism. 2mo

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Unfortunately I couldn‘t get my hands on a copy so I had to sit this month out. 2mo

Ruthiella @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I understand. I belong to two county library systems and one city library and none of them had it in print, kindle or audio. I read it on Hoopla on my phone, which I find inconvenient. There‘s a free audio version on YouTube, however, that I also accessed which was good: https://youtu.be/4CHboOyhGtE?si=yuB-jT02sgwMkYb5 2mo

kwmg40 @Ruthiella I agree about the commodification of space, especially in the area of space tourism, which I expect to increase greatly in the future. The assignment of leadership roles to the men and supporting roles to the few women who appear in the novel does seem a product of the time, and I expect Clarke would be surprised by how things look today (though, as @Bookwomble said in another thread, we still have a long way to go). 2mo

Ruthiella @kwmg40 Sally Ride went into space in 1983, so during Clark‘s lifetime and 20 years after this book was published. But as you note, we still have a long way to go. I think what @Bookwomble said about women being perceived as more emotional and men more rational is still widely held, for example. (edited) 2mo

43 likes7 comments

A Fall of Moondust | Arthur C. Clarke

A couple of questions for any who have finished this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick. If anyone would like to be added or removed from the tag list, let me know. 😃

🌙 This novel definitely skews toward hard science fiction. The plot is pretty much one of problem solving with either technology or psychology. Did you enjoy this aspect of the book?

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Bookwomble I thought the problem solving aspect was excellent, and weirdly prescient of what actually happened IRL with the Apollo 13 crisis. The issue of CO2 poisoning due to air filters overloading was one of the hazards the Apollo team had to contend with, even though the specifics and solution were different. Knowing this, and knowing ACC was writing before it happened, was pretty awesome. 2mo

Ruthiella I thought of Apollo 13 too and how Ron Howard made the movie tense and exciting even if anyone who knew history knew how it would end. Very similar vibe here. I never doubted the outcome, but Clark was still able to maintain the tension. (edited) 2mo

kwmg40 I do enjoy hard science fiction, so I liked the problem-solving aspects of the novel. I think Clarke included the right amount of description, so that the reader got a good sense of the science but didn\'t get bogged down in a lot of technical jargon. 2mo

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Ruthiella @kwmg40 I agree that the balance was pretty good. If a book is too technical, it can lose me. 2mo

Deblovestoread I agree with @kwmg40. I appreciated that I could picture it all in my head as it was happening. 2mo

Ruthiella @Deblovestoread It does lend itself to the visual. If you check out @swynn ‘s review, you can see that @Bookwomble has cast it with 70s movie and television stars. 2mo

AnishaInkspill This looks interesting, and wondering what is #ClassicLSFBC, I\'m guessing a monthly read, pls add me, I may not always be able to join in but interested 🙂 2mo

Ruthiella @AInkspill Great! I will add you to my tag list for discussion questions and ask @RamsFan1963 to add you to the tag list for voting on what we read next. The book for October if you want to join us is

Sundiver

2mo

RamsFan1963 @Ruthiella I will add @AInkspill to the list so they can vote for November's selection 2mo

AnishaInkspill @Ruthiella thanks for info and thanks for the add @RamsFan1963 😊 2mo

35 likes10 comments

The Blade Itself | Joe Abercrombie

#weekendreads

📚Still chugging through the Abercrombie. I had to back burner it to finish some other stuff last week.

📚 Listening to the entertaining if glib “Everyone in My Family…” murder mystery.

📚 Getting an early start (for once) on this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC pick.

61 likes

A Fall of Moondust | Arthur C. Clarke

QUOTE: “The final ‘though‘ indicated recognition of the fact that something lighter would be appreciated here - say one of the decadent but amusing comedies of the 1980s, which had invaded the airways in such numbers with the collapse of TV censorship.”

I have to admit, thus is where my thoughts went when thinking of some of the dumbest ‘80s television comedies that Clark couldn‘t have begun to imagine. 😆

#ClassicLSFBC

Bookwomble There's a few bits of social commentary he extrapolates from his 1961 perspective that he gets 🎯 2mo

Ruthiella @Bookwomble I saw he only died in 2008, so he was at least able to see some of his predictions or extrapolations come to fruition (for better or worse). 2mo

kwmg40 Clarke definitely nailed it with that prediction! 2mo

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Ruthiella @kwmg40 Totally! 😂 2mo

Bookwomble @Ruthiella @kwmg40 I was intrigued that he predicted AI assistants, and that they would be female-coded when providing "secretarial" services, and that when, in 2001: A Space Odyssey he introduced an AI doing the complicated work of maintaining a spacecraft and its crew, he coded HAL male. "Alexa: is sexism and gender stereotyping still a thing in the 21st century?" 2mo

kwmg40 @Bookwomble @Ruthiella This is the line that made me roll my eyes: \““The ladies were quite uninterested; either because they did not care for mathematics, or preferred to ignore birthdays.” Maybe I\'m biased because I studied math, but all my fellow students, male and female, found the birthday paradox fascinating. 2mo

kwmg40 Apologies for the backslashes. I have no idea why they\'ve started appearing in my comments in the past few days! (Maybe I am the only one seeing them?) 2mo

Ruthiella @kwmg40 The backslash thing appears to be a glitch, but I‘ve read in other posts that Litsy is aware of it. 2mo

Ruthiella @Bookwomble @kwmg40 I am reading this SO slowly, I only just got to this part. The sexism is maybe par for the course with a lot of classic sci fi. But the ability of AI dictation…right on target.🎯 (edited) 2mo

Bookwomble @Ruthiella Argh! Sorry for any spoilers! I'll restrict further comment until you've finished the book and posted questions 😊 2mo

Bookwomble @kwmg40 The backslashes are due to a system glitch, which is reported, but happened at the same time (though not, I think connected with) a major spam attack on the parent site, Library Thing, which is the big that makes money so that Litsy is free to use, so I think they're still prioritising the mop up on that. 2mo

Ruthiella @Bookwomble Oh no! Not a spoiler at all. 😃👍Keep commenting. I appreciate it! 2mo

Bookwomble @kwmg40 And, yes, my maths whizz wife and daughter would definitely 🙄 at these sexist comments! 2mo

Bookwomble @Ruthiella 🥰 2mo

kwmg40 @ruthiella @bookwomble I too haven\'t finished the book yet (though I\'m close), but I figured that all the sexist comments from a sci-fi book of that decade would not be a surprise to anyone! Thanks also for the info about the system glitch. I\'m relieved that it\'s not just happening to me! 2mo

Bookwomble @kwmg40 No, not a surprise, not least because I grew up in that era, but I guess it's still an annoyance that, in many ways, we haven't moved on that much 🫤 2mo

kwmg40 @Bookwomble That‘s very true, though I do see signs of hope. There is much less sexism and racism in my workplace (a software company) compared to what I saw 25 years ago. 2mo

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The Hunter: A Novel | Tana French

#WhereAreYouMonday

I‘m in the Republic of Ireland in a rural area where many inhabitants are sheep farmers. It‘s a particularly hot summer, however, and tensions run high when the ne‘er do well Johnny Reddy returns with a get-rich-quick scheme.

Suet624 I really enjoyed this one as well as The Searcher. 2mo

Ruthiella Me too. I was a little worried when she moved from the Dublin Murder Squad, but these featuring the village of Arkenady are really good. 2mo

BarbaraBB I know that place. I‘ve just visited it by reading The Searcher! 2mo

Ruthiella Ha ha! We only just missed each other. 😆 (edited) 2mo

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A Fall of Moondust | Arthur C. Clarke

#weekendreads

Excited to start three new books this weekend.

✔️ A Fall of Moondust is for #ClassicLSFBC and my first Arthur C. Clark novel.

✔️ The Joe Abercrombie is totally new to me, but obviously highly recommended by others.

✔️ Tana French is a familiar favorite. This is only book from her that I‘ve not yet read.

Lesliereadsalot The Hunter is a good one! Moondust ok. 2mo

Ruthiella @Lesliereadsalot I‘m flying through The Hunter! It‘ll probably be the one of the three that I finish first. 2mo

56 likes2 comments

Last Night in Twisted River: A Novel | John Irving

so-so

Oof! 😳 I really did not like this book. And I LOVE John Irving. This is the eighth of his novels that I‘ve read and I didn‘t feel any spark. I found it unnecessarily repetitive and the constant use of descriptors instead of a pronoun irritated me (“the future writer”, “the former river driver” “the Mexican house cleaner”). And I hated Ketchum. I will still keep reading Irving, you can‘t win ‘em all. This one just was not for me. Womp Womp.

Areader2 He is brilliant A Prayer For Owen Meany and Cider House Rules are my favorite 2mo

Ruthiella @Areader2 Those are definitely my top two as well. 👍 I reread Cider House Rules a couple of years ago and it was still fantastic. 2mo

BarbaraBB I felt the same about this one. I stopped reading him after that. 2mo

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Susanita Same. I tried to read this and just couldn‘t get into it. 2mo

Ruthiella @BarbaraBB @Susanita It ticked a lot of the standard Irving boxes and yet it just fell flat for me. 2mo

BarbaraBB I wonder if it‘s us or him. I used to LOVE him. Same ones @Areader2 mentions are my favorites 2mo

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Ruth | Elizabeth Gaskell

#WondrousWednesday

Thank you for the tag @Eggs and @Deblovestoread 😊

💛 Tagged!
💛💛 Paper!
💛💛💛 Mystery!

Eggs Thx for playing 💛🧡💛 2mo

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The Hotel: A Novel | Elizabeth Bowen

#WhereareyouMonday

This Monday finds me back on the 🇮🇹 Italian Riviera the 1920s at a resort hotel populated mainly by English tourists. As I roam the grounds, I can see many of my read-along companions from the #HashtagBrigade

BarbaraBB Great post & place to be! 2mo

rubyslippersreads I love that cover! 2mo

64 likes2 comments

Spam Tomorrow | VERILY. ANDERSON

pick

There was disappointingly only one reference to Spam on the whole book! 😂

This was fun, but not quite as fun as I anticipated. The book is Verily Anderson‘s experiences in London and in the countryside during WWII. Kicked out of the FANY, she marries and raises children in some pretty adverse and sometimes ridiculous circumstances. She seems to have been the kind of person who is able to find humor in any situation.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

rubyslippersreads, quietjenn, Kimzey, erzascarletbookgasm, catebutler, CarolynM, LeahBergen, Lizpixie, elkeOriginal, Gissy, Aimeesue, batsy, Tamra, Sace, kwmg40, jlhammar, Ruthiella, Leahb, Sparklemn, julieclair, willaful, MrsK

LeahBergen Spam! 🤣 I‘m woefully behind on my reading but hope to get to it soon. 2mo

Ruthiella @LeahBergen Just don‘t expect any depictions of Spam being consumed! 😂 2mo

jlhammar Excited to get back to it! I‘m not very far in, but enjoying it so far. 2mo

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Ruthiella @jlhammar It was overall very enjoyable! I wonder how many modern novelists have used it in research for historical novels of that period? 2mo

The_Book_Ninja If this book let you down and you want lots of saucy, hot luncheon meat content, check out my OnlySpams….link in bio👍🏼 2mo

Ruthiella @The_Book_Ninja 😂😂😂 Thanks for the tip! 2mo

77 likes6 comments

Untitled | Unknown

#ihavequestions

🌼 Spring: A Room with a View - the possibilities of youth; allowance to change one‘s mind and choose a new path.

🏖️ Summer: The Fortnight in September - a lovely two week holiday at the English seaside mid century.

🍂 Fall: The Secret History - Portentous and gloomy in a university setting.

❄️ Winter: The Enchanted April - a great book read when the weather is wet and cold.

Thank you for the tag @RaeLovesToRead ☺️

RaeLovesToRead The Secret History!!!! 🥰🥰🥰 2mo

52 likes1 comment

The Diary of a Bookseller | Shaun Bythell

1. I‘d like to visit Wigtown, Scotland someday.

2. The tagged book is a memoir by a bookseller located there.

#WondrousWednesday

Thank you for the tag @Eggs and @PageShifter ☺️

Eggs Wonderful ❣️ 2mo

39 likes1 comment

Ghost Station | S.A. Barnes

#WhereAreYouMonday

This Monday finds me again outside our solar system, this time on space station orbiting a planet abandoned thousands of years ago by unknown aliens. 👽 🚀

Is the recent suicide of a crew member due to mental stress or was it murder? A beleaguered psychologist and this reader are trying to find out.

RedxoHearts Ohh that sounds good. I liked their book Dead Silence so I'll have to check it out. 2mo

BarbaraBB I had no idea you spend so much time in or out of space 😂 2mo

julesG 🤣🤣🤣 Fancy meeting you here. 😂😂 2mo

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Lesliereadsalot Got this one coming up! 2mo

Ruthiella @RedxoHearts I‘ve read the first four chapters and so far so good! 👍 2mo

Ruthiella @BarbaraBB I know! I had no idea either until this exercise! 😂 (edited) 2mo

Ruthiella @julesG I saw you. I recognized your handmade sweater! 👋 2mo

Ruthiella @Lesliereadsalot I think it‘s going to be a good one! 🤞 2mo

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Untitled | Unknown

#weekendreads

It‘s boiling hot this weekend in Southern California, so this pool looks particularly inviting. 💦

I‘m still laboriously making my way through Parade‘s End. About halfway through. Everything else is a group read:

The Hotel for #HashtagBrigade ,
Spam Tomorrow for #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub , and
Ghost Station for #LitsySciFiBookClub .

bookandbedandtea My closest friend lives a little north of San Diego and has been sharing the forecast with me. I'm horrified on her (and your!) behalf! 🥵 2mo

Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea Looks like we‘ll get some relief by Tuesday. 🤞 2mo

bookandbedandtea Thankfully there's an end in sight 🌡 2mo

60 likes3 comments

The Hotel: A Novel | Elizabeth Bowen

#HashtagBrigade
#Pemberlittens

My copy finally arrived! I did read the first chapter on Hoopla, but I dislike reading on my phone. Now to catch up! 😃

BarkingMadRead

BarkingMadRead Woohoo!! I don‘t know if we‘ve seen this cover yet! 3mo

Ruthiella @BarkingMadRead I don‘t think we have! 3mo

willaful I'm the same, so wish there was a way to get hoopla books onto an ereader! 2mo

Ruthiella @willaful IKR? I can also use my tablet, but that‘s also unwieldy. 2mo

willaful @Ruthiella yeah! I have a terrible old kindle fire, which is only marginally an improvement. 2mo

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Untitled | Unknown

Thanks for the tag @PageShifter 😃

I‘m going to pick three movie villains where the film was based on a novel:

🎥 Nurse Ratched from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo‘s Nest”

🎥 Hannibal Lecter from “The Silence of the Lambs”

🎥 Mrs. Danvers from “Rebecca”

dabbe

dabbe Yes x 3! Thanks for playing and sharing! 🩶🧡🩶 3mo

40 likes1 comment

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | John Berendt

pick

I found this pic of the Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, GA on the blog: http://keepingupwiththejones-s.blogspot.com/2010/06/midnight-in-garden-of-good-a...

This book was everywhere in the ‘90s. It only took me 30 years to get to it. It was pretty good, like a really long, tangential magazine article. The true crime aspect is almost overshadowed by the detours and eccentric characters. Still, a very evocative portrait of Savannah.

BookNAround They‘ve had to remove this statue from the cemetery because too many people were trampling on the grave it marks thanks to the book cover! It‘s now inside a building instead. 3mo

Ruthiella @BookNAround The curse of tourism! ☹️ 3mo

65 likes2 comments

Nancy Drew 11: The Clue of the Broken Locket | Carolyn Keene

#WhereAreYouMonday

This Monday finds me with Nancy, Bess, and George somewhere at a resort area in Maryland. Makes me wonder where the fictional Drew hometown River Heights might be located…Pennsylvania maybe? 🤔

Librarybelle Good question! 3mo

BarbaraBB Great travels again! 3mo

Ruthiella @Librarybelle It has to be somewhere in the Northeast tri-state area, right? 3mo

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Ruthiella @BarbaraBB Now I‘m back on Earth but time traveling! 😅 3mo

BarbaraBB No limits 🤍 3mo

bookandbedandtea I'm in the same place! 3mo

Ruthiella @bookandbedandtea I hope we both get a glimpse of the ghost ship while were here! 😆 3mo

bookandbedandtea @Ruthiella I suspect our is are good! 😉 3mo

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Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | John Berendt

Published in 1994 but about a true crime that happened in 1981. I‘ve had this book now probably since the early aughts and providentially picked it up yesterday to read because it will fit this month‘s #TBRTarot tag “Set in the‘80s”

CBee

AmyG It‘s a very good book. 3mo

Ruthiella @AmyG I read the first chapter yesterday and was pretty well hooked! 3mo

LeahBergen It‘s good! 3mo

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Ruthiella @LeahBergen I remember this being EVERYWHERE in the‘90s, but I never read it. 3mo

CBee This one is REALLY good 👍🏻 3mo

BarbaraBB O I read this in the 90s but don‘t remember much. Looking forward to your thoughts! 3mo

Ruthiella @CBee Another vote of confidence! 😃 3mo

Ruthiella @BarbaraBB I‘ll be sure to review it on Litsy! 3mo

53 likes8 comments

Earth Abides | George Rippey Stewart

A few questions if anyone wants to discuss this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC 🦠 pick.

Question 3: I think for any Litten, the loss of literature would have been devastating…could the parents have at least read picture books to their children to keep stories alive? Or would this have been too strange, given that the world depicted in many of the story books would not make sense to the children given their extremely limited society?

MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Honestly this grated on me SO much. Stories are so inherently part of being human that we‘ve been telling them around campfires pretty much since we came into existence. I cannot fathom just giving up on keeping literature alive and accessible. If Ish had really cared so much, I think he absolutely could have made more of an effort of getting the younger generation interested. 3mo

Lesliereadsalot I never understood why all the members of the tribe didn‘t go to the library every day! What a waste of a resource that undoubtedly could have helped in so many ways. I enjoyed this book even though I would have liked to see all the characters “Do something!” Was nobody else thinking about the future?? #LSFBC (edited) 3mo

Ruthiella @Lesliereadsalot @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I knew I‘d find kindred spirits here! My first thought about getting the children interested in reading and writing was to read to them and encourage them to tell and write their own stories. 3mo

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Bookwomble I'm late to the discussion, but for what it's worth... books would have been available everywhere the post-disaster people were scavenging, and given Ish's love of books it seems inconceivable that he would have relegated all of them to the 'sacred' space of the university library. A love of reading is passed from parent to child, so this would have happened. I can conceive it dying out, perhaps, over time, but not in the first generation. ⬇️ 2mo

Bookwomble A narrative device, then, to represent the loss/shift in culture. 2mo

Ruthiella @Bookwomble It‘s never too late! I‘m glad I wasn‘t the only one who found the lack of literature odd. You might be right about it being a narrative device to speed up the development. 2mo

kwmg40 This aspect was, to me, the least plausible part of the novel. I\'d expect that the survivors would have sought out books, for entertainment if not for instruction. Maybe it just feels that way to us Littens who, faced with a scary unknown situation, would immediately want to read up on it! 2mo

Ruthiella @kwmg40 Right? It‘s maybe doubly hard for us to understand how this pleasure in life could have been overlooked. I would like to assume there‘s other communities elsewhere that kept literature alive. 2mo

40 likes8 comments

Earth Abides | George R. Stewart

A few questions if anyone wants to discuss this month‘s #ClassicLSFBC 🦠 pick. If you want to be tagged next month or untagged from the distribution list let me know.

Question 2: What about little Joey? Had he survived, do you think he could have influenced the trajectory of the tribe where Ish was unsuccessful?

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MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm I think Ish focusing so much on one child‘s strengths was detrimental to Joey and the society as a whole. If things had continued the way Ish had been, all I think he would have accomplished would be cloning his unhappiness at the inadequacies of The Tribe into Joey. The boy would have grown up miserable, isolated, and possibly become a sort of danger himself. Ish‘s self-importance imposed upon Joey could have concluded with a tyrant or zealot. 3mo

Lesliereadsalot All the children must have had one strength or another as all children do. I felt like there could‘ve been lots of things for Ish to develop in the children, besides bows and arrows. To think Joey would have been the tribe leader was wishful thinking on Ish‘s part based solely on what he saw in Joey, ignoring what the other children night have had to offer. #LSCFBC 3mo

swynn Ish's idea that there should be some visionary leader who could preserve the pre-apocalypse's knowledge was never realistic: the Tribe did not share his vision so it wasn't going to happen whether it should have done or not. At best Ish was setting Joey up to be a Cassandra, at worst a scapegoat. 3mo

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Ruthiella @swynn @Lesliereadsalot @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm The more I think about it, the more I think that it‘s circumstances that make leaders who rise to the challenge and not mantle passing from parent to child (look at heredity dynasties ) As Leslie points out, every child has their talents and some of the others had what was needed collectively at that moment. As Steve and Meagon indicate, Ish was setting Joey up for probable failure. 3mo

Bookwomble @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @Lesliereadsalot @swynn @Ruthiella Although not mentioned in the text, I had the impression Ish was aiming for something like Plato's Atlantean governmental system of Philosopher Kings. 2mo

kwmg40 I was of two minds regarding Joey\'s potential, as I\'m not sure myself whether great advances in civilization are made by individuals or circumstances. I expect that it\'s often some combination of the two. I don\'t think Ish had the answer either but had the same thoughts swirling through his mind. 2mo

Ruthiella @kwmg40 I think you are right, this is the same question that Ish was considering- are leaders born or made or a combination thereof… 2mo

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