I absolutely love the illustrations in this book.
#ookbookclub

Merry Christmas to everyone from me, my kids and bunnies :)

Carol walks into Therese‘s life, and everything changes.

One of the finest love stories ever. A tale of infatuation, lust, love, and the price we have to pay. Patricia Highsmith is a master of evoking emotions, we feel like Therese, we think her thoughts; see, touch and smell Carol, who is everything in the world, yet elusive, changeable. We feel the exhiliration of new love, happiness - and how it changes when the world intrudes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What happens when a vampire dates a werewolf? Well, apparently, some cute art and a ton of vampire and werewolf clichés. Some of the art was clever, but the jokes were mostly groan worthy - see above. Overall, it is worth the roughly five minutes it takes to read it, but expect some eye-rolling. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

When you get a cookbook from Nanny Ogg, you won‘t really get it for the recipes... but the double entendre‘s and the fond memories conjured from other Discworld book. The recipes are viable, but IMO, the best is dwarf cookery, as it can be used in combat. Nanny Ogg‘s etiquette advice is the better part of the book. This book makes a great gift for the Pratchett afficionado, but not for others. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
#ookbookclub #pratchettposse #terrypratchett

The subject is fascinating: end of 19th century painters in Paris, genius talent, their art and debaucheries: Renoir, Manet, Monet, Van Hogh, Gaugain, Pisarro all show up, with the lead role of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, painter, drunkard and whoremonger extraordinaire. We have the usual fantasy elements, and plenty of crude humor and sex expected from Moore. I found the humor a bit tired though, and the muse just too unrealistic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 ⬇️

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months.”

#QuotsyNov20 #fashion @TK-421

“When we are electing government officials, it is not stupid to ask yourself, “If a plague broke out, do I think this person could navigate the country through those times, on a spiritual level, but also on a pragmatic one? Would they be able to calmly solve one problem, and then another one, and then the next one? Or would bodies pile up in the streets?”

Apparently, people don‘t think that way.

#QuotsyNov20 #Plague

“Blessings be on this house," Granny said, perfunctorily. It was always a good opening remark for a witch. It concentrated people's minds on what other things might be on this house.”

#Halloween has #witches, right?

Happy Halloween!

#QuotsyOct20 @TK-421

Great, classic noir, with a twisty plot, sparse writing, thrilling pace, with some moral dillemas, and guilt thrown in, with the obligatory manly man, femme fatale and clever investigator. Two people plan the perfect murder - then things get complicated. Loved it. A great quick listen on audio from Hoopla. I started and could not stop! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well. I am reading Monstress Vol 5 the second time and this is the first page.
“Get ready, you little shits!”

Clearly, I am into heartfelt, kind, inspiring literature. 🤔

#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

Miss Jean Brody is... creepy. In the sexual deviant way. But also fascinating. She is a narcissist that indoctrinates young girls into her life, and lives vicarously through them.

This is partly a coming of age story, partly about a desperate aging woman, and partly about the damage a manipulator can do. Great writing, but disturbing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Intricate and cleverly written, full of layers, I can see why this is considered a classic.

Thanks for the tag @Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick !
1. I like chocolates... and have a weakness for Almond Joy
2. I don‘t watch horror... I am voting for current news
3. “THERE IS NO JUSTICE. THERE IS JUST ME.” -Death - From #terrypratchett
#ThoughtfulThursday

Want to play, @obviateit , to celebrate being back?

I am feeling like I don‘t want to pick books but want to participate in #BookSpin and #DoubleSpin. So I am stealing @Cinfhen ‘s idea for #NonCommittalNovember - pet photo included :)
@TheAromaofBooks
#bunniesoflitsy

P.S. That‘s my older daughter with our three bunnies: Midna, Emmet and Gwen.

I have been away for a while but I could not resist when I saw the #QuotsyOct20 #Overload topic. Sir Terry has a quote for just about everything :)
@TK-421

Ok, so I am totally obsessed with this series, even though it is everything I normally can‘t stand: full of blood and gore, horror, darkness, total seriousness, indecipherable plot... But goddess damn it, it is so gorgeous. And it respects my intelligence. And is full of powerful women.

In this one, Maika finds herself in the middle of war, so the gore quotient is even higher. She is starting to come to terms with her monstrousness. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

There are many great things about this series: one is the world‘s fiercest cats. I don‘t want to meet HIM in a dark alley... (especially if I am a mouse)

A mad tour de force through the drug and profanity-filled, overly macho world of Bourdain and restaurant cooking. Cooks are very tough: they have to be able to work long hours in tough, heat, steam and blood filled environments, and mentally be able to take the exhaustion, abuse and stress of cooking. This is not for the faint of heart; neither it is for most women. Bordain clearly loves food and this crazy world. Narrated by Bourdain. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Help, I am drowning! Books to read soon, including Red and the Black on my Kindle and Redefining Realness on audio (available for free on Hoopla). Seven of these are some form of book club/ buddy read... and I am backburnering two more... aaaah

#tbr #mounttbr #shakespearereadalong #ookbookclub #cleopatrabuddyread

Jingo is one of my favorites; hilarious and very quotable; timeless about ethnic hate, warmongering, and how good people living together for generations can turn on each other overnight if agitated by politicians. Vimes is at his best; but Vetinari steals the show with his performance as a civilian in Klatch. We have Nobby as a woman, Carrot as a military leader, and Vimes in outfits he really hates; Leonard de Quirm in a submarine...⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A powerful book about the daily toll of facing racism. The anxiety, the long-term effects, the doubt. Did you just say, did you just do? The constant doubt. Because just getting along shouldn‘t be an ambition.

If you are like me and had no idea what people mean by “defund the police”: this is the book the idea is based on. I am currently listening to it and it is eye-opening.

Currently available for FREE DOWNLOAD at https://www.versobooks.com/books/2817-the-end-of-policing
#BlackLivesMatter #BeAnAntiRacist

Loved it! A full-length Murderbot novel, with time to have a complete story arc, character development, great action and snarky commentary? Who could ask for more! Art returns, and Murderbot and Art have a relationship (oh no, horrifying!), and no f-word, please (fr**ends 😱), not to mention children, a.k.a. killware... lots of killing, rescuing, blowing up, double-crossing, and TV serials, plus pesky emotions Murderbot no way has. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

1. The nearby park develops a tiny waterfall when it rains. It is very relaxing.
2. Tough - not many characters worth their salt are well-adjusted and lead happy, peaceful lives. Perhaps Hermione (pre-Ron); Captain Carrot; or Queen Elizabeth I.
3. I have been re-reading the Murderbot Diaries in preparation for Network Effect. SoMuchFun

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs
Thanks for the tag, @MariaW !

Probably Pratchett‘s most rememberable creation is when Death takes over the Hogfather‘s job, jolly red coat, beard, pillow case and HO HO HO included. Since he is busy, it falls to his granddaughter, Susan, to actually rescue the Hogfather. We have hilarious household gods like the “oh god” of Hangovers and the Cheearful Fairy; I loved Hex and the error messages; overall fun romp and a treatise on belief and humanity. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you for the tag, @MariaW !
Hard to pick a favorite, but these are ones I keep returning to:
1. I, Claudius by Robert Graves
2. Discworld by Terry Pratchett
3. Harry Potter

Also, currently I am very much loving Murderbot and re-reading them since Network Effect just came out.
I know this is a bit old - would you like to play, @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @GingerAntics ?

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks #favs

Re-reading. Full of great quotes :)

+++ Divide By Cucumber Error. Please Reinstall Universe And Reboot +++

#ookbookclub #pratchettposse #terrypratchett

Thought-provoking, sad, but also heart-warming, a tale of dealing with loneliness, terrible loss and trauma, and the socially crippling effects of mild autism spectrum disorder. Beautifully written, we watch Eleanor slowly open her heart and begin dealing with her past trauma with the help of new-found friends who, for the first time, accept and love her for the way she is. I loved the narrator and her Scottish accent. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⬇️

Dark, gritty, gothic, a page-turner, and very adult. Alex Stern is a junkie, who becomes a magical apprentice cop of sorts in Yale‘s secret magical society. Bardugo examines abuse, drug use, sexual exploitation of women. Alex stands on the border between priviliged and downtrodden, between the living and the dead. Good character development and twisty-turny plot, evils of magical and ordinary, rape, violence - not light. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⬇️

I usually end up not reading books I own because I stock up on library books. Since the library is closed, it is time to tackle this one! I have read this series many years ago and only remember that it was the most riveting thing I have ever read. So it is perfect for re-reading! Now with endorsement by George R.R. Martin - but Druon was first.

#currentlyreading

#manicmonday #lettera @JoScho
Book: Americanah, American Gods, Anna Karenina, The Autobiography of Malcolm X
Author: Margaret Atwood
Movie: American Beauty
Band: Arctic Monkeys
Song: Ain‘t No Rest for the Wicked (Cage the Elephant)

My bookish gifts. I love myself a Geralt :)

I read The Accursed Kings series in Hungarian many years back and finally they are availablein English so I am slowly getting my family to buy them for me :) I have so many books that I don‘t really want many new ones but these are exceptions. And we are trying to be more mindful with hubby, too, and I love Tara Brach :)

Merry Christmas to everyone! My bunnies with their bunnies wish you the happiest holidays!
#merrychristmas #bunniesoflitsy #rabbitsoflitsy

This was really great, just what I needed now. Great world building, characters, and a twisty-turny plot with a real climax. It is a bit slow starting, but from about halfway it is a real page turner. There is still plenty left that is still unexplained, so onto the next one! Took me out of my reading slump. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#scififantasybookclub #bbbbc

I have started reading my #scififantasybookclub read, and I got visitors. I got them to model my book :)

The white furry one is one of my our rabbits, Gwen. We have her sister, too, who is black - Midna. They are only four months old but are growing like crazy! The other visitor is my daughter :)

#bunniesoflitsy #bbbbc
Edit: the mess is my husband‘s. Mine‘s got books in it.

I just finished listening to this - I was spell bound and listened straight through. It is amazing. It is about many things - slavery, freedom, an underground network - but mostly about family. Still mulling over what I should write in my review - but this is definitely one of my top books for the year.

A magnum opus, it is brilliant, heavy, complex, and long, written in dazzling prose. Powers pours his tree-soul into this novel. Sprawling, spanning centuries, entangled, wild, resigned, like old growth forests. Leafing in too many directions, but each branch is complex, living, breathing, poetic, and beautiful. Metculously drawn characters, their passions, trees and humans - which will survive? Grief of death but also hope. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

This was my second read of the Tempest, and I picked the graphic novel format. At second read, I followed the story, and appreciated the language and characters a lot better. I found the art so-so: I liked the story design, effects and use of format, but the character art was clunky and too literal, especially of Caliban, whose nuances as both a monster and a victim of colonial oppression were lost in the depiction. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#shakespearereadalong

Today‘s reading spot in Del Mar Beach, San Diego. On a much needed vacation this week as our normal summer vacation had to be cancelled due to multiple health crises to family members, friends and pets. It is amazing to get away from Illinois to a place with sun, sea, scenery, and ELEVATION.

#shakespearereadalong took me to my 800th book marked as read on Goodreads. Thank you guys - and thanks for all inspring Littens to help keep me reading!

#milestones #goodreads

When you use your iPad as a stand for your Kindle. #onlybookishpeopleunderstand

My #bedsidetablestack contains a variety of read, unread and currently read books - and my phone with all the audiobooks.

Currently listening: The Overstory

What‘s in your bedside table stack?

The art is absolutely stunning. Tall art nouveau panels, decorative patterns, flowly, bold lines, beautiful faces, bodies, hair. Scenes blend. Worth reading just for the art.
I did not like the story. Snow White is an evil vampire, and the queen is good. However, Gaiman concentrates on the horror and the sex, so this becomes just an erotic, gory vampire fantasy. No character development or meaning. Too self serving for my taste. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Carmilla is THE original vampire story - before Dracula, the vampire was female and loved women. Carmilla is a much subtler villain than a male vampire - she beguiles, lures, pursues in romantic love. Some scenes are very erotic - quite unexpected lesbian fantasy from a Victorian man. The story is thrilling and overly romanticized and melodramatic, but it works.

A fantastic free pickup from Audible for October 2019. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Carmilla, the classic vampire story that started it all, is one of the free audiobook choices on Audible this month. David Tenant - I am sold.

#classics #scarathlon

“It‘s the mark of a backward society—or a society moving backward—when decisions are made for women by men. That‘s what‘s happening right now in the US.”

Every society says its outsiders are the problem. But the outsiders are not the problem; the urge to create outsiders is the problem. Overcoming that urge is our greatest challenge and our greatest promise. It will take courage and insight, because the people we push to the margins are the ones who trigger in us the feelings we're afraid of.”
#feminism

Melinda Gates shares the stories of women she encountered while doing her Foundation work, with empathy, dedication, and much needed common sense. Every issue they tried to tackle led back to women: poverty, hunger, education, inequality. She talks of tough issues (infant mortality, genital mutilation, child brides, AIDS, sex workers, schools, farming, abuse, etc), also offers solutions that work, and hope. A must read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a well-written classic mystery thriller with a satirical send-up of anarchists and intellectuals - until the last chapter. I thouroughly enjoyed it through several reveals and twists, duels, chases, disguises, silly dialogue... but the end was a pseudo-Christian surreal wtf. I googled and supposedly Chesterton was speaking out against anarchism and pessimism of the era. I did not get it. Way to ruin an excellent thriller. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Magical, lyrical, witty, nightmarish, totally Gaiman.

Inspired by the London Underground and the marginalized, homeless people whom no one sees , Gaiman created a world, “London Below”, populated by people who have fallen through the cracks, stuck in “pockets of time”. Two deliciously evil villains; quirky characters; an unforgettable tale of transformation, in Gaiman‘s smooth siren voice in a horrific but beautifully grimy world. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️