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squirrelbrain

squirrelbrain

Joined June 2017

Speed-reader who's trying to slow down...
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squirrelbrain
James: A Novel | Percival Everett
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Pickpick

This is a ‘re-imagining‘ of Huckleberry Finn, from the POV of the slave, Jim, or James as he calls himself. I read HF before this and I think it‘s worth doing so.

The first half of the book faithfully follows the original and is satirically funny. The second half becomes a lot darker and is where Everett gets his message across about slavery.

Looking forward to seeing the author next month with @TrishB and @Oryx

Published 11/04 in the UK.

Oryx I wonder if I can remember enough of HF. I did read it a couple of times when I was young. Do you think a Wikipedia refresher might be enough? Or is it the details that are important? 2d
sarahbarnes This is on my list! Glad to see you liked it. And so cool that you are going to hear him speak! 2d
squirrelbrain @Oryx - I must have read it when I was young, but didn‘t recall it. There is some detail in the first half but I don‘t think you‘d miss out by not re-reading. The second half is quite different, as that is when Huck and Jim are apart in the original so Everett had free rein. 2d
See All 7 Comments
Deblovestoread So excited about this one. I may start with Huck as it‘s been too long to have much memory. When I was a kid we had an Irish Setter named HF. 😀 2d
Ruthiella Really looking forward to this one and will also reread HF beforehand. 👍 2d
batsy Thanks for this review. Thinking about reading HF before I get to this. And so very exciting about hearing him speak! 🤩 Look forward to everyone's updates from the event 😁 2d
TrishB Will be trying to get to a couple more before we see him. 2d
63 likes3 stack adds7 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Mehso-so

That was…. different. 🤔 My least-liked book on the #womensprize long list so far.

An unnamed man returns to unnamed country (in Africa) to find his brother, who may be dying. Along the way he meets many people, who aren‘t named and who he should recognise but doesn‘t, who all want to tell him their stories.

I liked the stories at the start but they became very repetitive and the way of naming characters was frustrating ⬇️

squirrelbrain …‘son‘s mother‘s brother‘ is very wearing after a while. I also got the ‘twist‘ / concept of the book fairly early on. A bit too clever-clever for me, or maybe I‘m not clever enough for this book. 3d
Deblovestoread Just reading that blurb made my head hurt. 😂 That‘s a pass for me. Thanks for taking one for the team! 2d
MicheleinPhilly Ugh. Pass! 2d
See All 6 Comments
jlhammar This one wasn‘t really calling to me. I‘m in line for the audiobook so might give it a try and bail if I‘m not feeling it. 2d
BarbaraBB I am reading this one too and kind of waiting for where it goes 2d
youneverarrived Wow I don‘t think I could read a full book written like that 🙈 2d
61 likes6 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Brotherless Night: A Novel | V. V. Ganeshananthan
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Pickpick

My favourite so far from the #womensprize long list. Set in Sri Lanka during the civil war, from the 1980s onwards, it follows 16 year old Sashi as she tries to train to be a doctor against a background of fear and violence.

Powerful and raw, this feels like non-fiction at times. So much so that I looked up whether the author had direct experience of the war and she hadn‘t.

The audio narration was also fantastic.

jlhammar Oh good, this is one of the handful I ordered to start with. Looking forward to it! 2d
66 likes4 stack adds1 comment
blurb
squirrelbrain
The Rachel Incident: A novel | Caroline O'Donoghue
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Our final first round bracket for #LitsyToB24, and The Rachel Incident wins, with a 60/40 split. Both of these books were looking back at your younger self - did you identify with either / both of them?

Thank you for all your comments on the first round - now is the time to vote for the quarterfinals! Here‘s the link - please vote this weekend and Meg will take over on Monday with the next round‘s results.

https://forms.gle/BnGAYebiyBjwiGuGA

Chelsea.Poole I liked them both! The Rachel Incident was more of a page-turner for me so it edged out Idlewild. Great job matching these two, as always! Off to vote! (and likely have no clue what I actually voted for in a few days 😆) 4d
See All 21 Comments
BarbaraBB I loved them both, this was the hardest bracket for me. I hope Idlewild will make a 🧟 return! Thanks so much for hosting the Opening Round Helen ❤️❤️, I am off to vote now 💃 4d
kwmg40 I liked both these books, and they both resonated with me, though it wasn't always comfortable thinking back to my earlier self! 4d
BarbaraBB @Leniverse @MicheleinPhilly @Readerann @CatLass007 Now that we‘re entering the quarter finals you might want to jump in and vote! 4d
AmyG I bailed on Idlewild…I think I‘m too old (and wasn‘t in the mood). The RI….I also felt old but I wanted to just find out what the incident was. Once I did, I enjoyed the book. 4d
sarahbarnes I really liked both of these books, but I‘m happy with this outcome! A great pairing! 4d
Ruthiella This was also a hard choice for me to make. I really liked and identified with both. I am old but remember a lot of the indecision and confusion of my younger years, for sure. I picked Idewild but am pleased with Rachel moving forward instead. Both books are good depictions of intense friendship which can remain a bond in later life or can go completely sour. 4d
Deblovestoread Great pairing! I liked both books but saw a bit of my younger self in Rachel so a bit more memorable 4d
Megabooks Idlewild stuck with me more and I related to its queer themes a lot, so it got my vote and my 🧟‍♀️ vote so 🤞🏻🤞🏻! 3d
squirrelbrain I think this might have been the most difficult bracket for everyone! @Chelsea.Poole @BarbaraBB @kwmg40 @sarahbarnes @Ruthiella @Deblovestoread 3d
squirrelbrain I loved both, but also preferred Idlewild @Megabooks 3d
squirrelbrain @AmyG - I liked the twisty-turniness (is that a word?!) of the incident in RI. 3d
AmyG @squirrelbrain Yes…it wasn‘t a blatant incident. I liked that, too. (edited) 3d
Kitta I only read Idlewild, so can‘t have much of a say in the vote! It reminded me too much of being an awkward teenager and honestly I don‘t want to remember those days haha 😆 Being a queer teenager was really hard, even in an accepting place like Canada. The novel brought up a lot for me, and not all of it good so I had a hard time with it. 3d
Hooked_on_books I loved Idlewild. I found it really moving and lovely and I so wish it had won. Especially since for the first half of the book I hated Rachel and found her wholly unredeeming. I frankly would have bailed if not for this tourney. The second half was better, but in no way was this book better to me than Idlewild. 3d
BarbaraBB @Kitta I can understand how it made you feel uncomfortable. I hadn‘t thought of that, I read it with a nostalgic view of my teens and couldn‘t really relate so I read it with some distance and loved it. 3d
BkClubCare I can‘t say that I would have voted for Rachel but I loved the audiobook. I didn‘t get to Idlewild. It seemed like I was only able to get to one side of the brackets! PS I voted 🗳️ 👏 🎉 3d
Kitta @BarbaraBB I was invested in the characters but briefly considered DNFing it, I‘m glad I persevered! I can see why people loved it, it was just my own emotions and memories that made it a more difficult read. 3d
KarenUK I really loved the Rachel incident. Such a surprise his warm and funny it was… 💕 3d
55 likes21 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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A significant win for All The Sinners Bleed in today‘s #LitsyToB24 bracket - by 17 votes to 4, meaning Sinners had the most votes of any book in our first round. Are you surprised by this outcome?

We put these books together due to the element of mystery in them, and also the question of whether crimes had been committed. Did you feel that either book was a typical mystery or crime novel?

We‘d love to hear your thoughts on both books!

Ruthiella Not surprised at all. ATSB was a much more traditionally structured mystery novel and was paced and plotted accordingly. For me it was a more satisfying read. I did like how HF shown a light on the differently abled and prejudices and associations can be unfairly made. 5d
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MicheleinPhilly I‘m about 50% through Happiness Falls now and am finding it to be a definite case of the sophomore slump. I haven‘t read a Cosby yet that I haven‘t rated 5 stars. 5d
Deblovestoread I would have been surprised if the vote were the other way around. Cosby‘s books are so tight they snap along. HF took more work to get through. 5d
Chelsea.Poole I am a fan of both of these novels. Great pairing with the theme, but so hard for me to choose. I can‘t even remember which I voted for. I still think of Happiness Falls — of the idea that happiness can come from expecting the worst and avoiding that outcome. Happiness “at rest” is fine but then can be “turned up” when something bad *doesn‘t* happen. 5d
Bookwormjillk Loved ATSB but kind of kicking myself for using my zombie vote on it now that I see how popular it is 🤣 5d
BarbaraBB I was surprised about how much I liked Happiness Falls. I voted for ATSB because Cosby is such a good writer. I don‘t remember much about the book itself. I read it last summer! 4d
AmyG I loved ATSB…fast paced, myster thriller, serial killer! But HF…I liked the premise but got bogged down by the daughter. I didn‘t hate it but I didn‘t love it. 4d
Megabooks @AmyG 💯💯💯 agree with you!! 4d
fredthemoose Dark, violent murder mysteries are not usually my thing, but Cosby writes such compelling MCs that I‘ve lived all of his books I‘ve read. I appreciated that HF made me think about disability in new ways, and it ended up fine, but like @AmyG I struggled with the daughter/narrator, especially at the beginning and the end. 4d
squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole - you were one of the four Littens who voted for Happiness Falls. 😃 4d
squirrelbrain That‘s the beauty of doing the Zombie vote first @Bookwormjillk - we have no idea what‘s going to be the favourite of everyone else! One of my zombie votes was also a waste as it got through easily. 🤷‍♀️ 4d
squirrelbrain @AmyG @Megabooks @fredthemoose - I too struggled with the daughter, particularly her extensive ‘footnotes‘ which were rather confusing on audio. 4d
Hooked_on_books I really liked both of these books, so this was a hard choice for me. I snatch up each new Cosby book as it comes, but found this one less memorable than his previous two. And I really liked Kim‘s book, which I found much more memorable. I think I ultimately voted for Cosby, but I would have been happy with a verdict either way on this one. 4d
Chelsea.Poole @squirrelbrain thanks for the reminder! 😆 I really could go either way with this one but I‘m glad I voted for the one that stands out more to me after awhile! And I agree with @Hooked_on_books I found this one of Cosby‘s less memorable than another of his — Razorblade Tears. (edited) 4d
squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole @Hooked_on_books - I haven‘t read Razorblade Tears yet, only Blacktop Wasteland and this one of course! I do own Razorblade on Kindle so need to get to it soon. (edited) 4d
Hooked_on_books I‘ve just finished reading the judgement in the official TOB and am absolutely disgusted. Brainwyrms knocks out Chain-Gang? I don‘t have enough expletives for that! I realize Chain-Gang isn‘t for everyone, but it‘s phenomenal for those it works for. I feel like I need a shower. 🤬 4d
Kristy_K @AmyG Yes! I would have enjoyed it a lot more if not for the daughter. 4d
BkClubCare @Hooked_on_books - yeah…. I was astounded, too. But that kinda is the Tourney. It‘s wild. 4d
Bookpearl Cosby pulled me in as if I was one of his officers trying to solve the case. I was invested starting at page one and took off running(reading) at full speed once I realized he was speaking about a town I‘m quite familiar with. 4d
squirrelbrain Not only do they put most of the wrong books forward to the shortlist, then they make weird decisions like that! 🙄🤔 @Hooked_on_books 4d
squirrelbrain I love that you felt like a police officer! @Bookpearl and how fascinating that you knew the town as well. 4d
BkClubCare For both of these, I skim-skipped through to read the end rather than right out DNF‘d. HF just did not capture me - I disliked the MC‘s voice and the repetition over and over again. And unfortunately, I ran out of time for AtSB before it disappeared from my Libby app. 3d
kwmg40 I loved All the Sinners Bleed. Very glad to see it move to the next round. 3d
59 likes26 comments
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squirrelbrain
Birthday Party | Laurent Mauvignier
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These were the two #litsyToB24 books that were left over when our matching fairy (aka Meg!) had finished her magic. Therefore we don‘t have a common theme for these two - unless anyone has any bright ideas?! 💡

Also, we had another draw today, with 7 votes each. (The lowest voter turnout of any bracket!)

This time, we chose The Birthday Party to continue on because it gained more Zombie votes than Julia. Do you agree with our decision?

Bookwormjillk I bailed on Julia but never got to the other one. So I think I agree but will have to read it first 🤪 6d
See All 23 Comments
Megabooks Julia was my favorite of the two. The birthday party was an incredibly frustrating read for me both because of the binding and how he structured the story. It was the only one I strongly considered bailing on. I liked Julia herself and the inner life Newman gave her. Plus the ending was good, too! 6d
Chelsea.Poole The Birthday Party was such a singular reading experience for me! I can see how it would be frustrating for some but also, it is likely to stick with me…it‘s as if I lived those characters‘ experiences in the novel myself! Slow going thriller, I suppose? Anyway, Julia was a pleasant surprise for me as well. I‘m trying to think of a connection with these two. They‘re both “menacing”, full of dread…? 6d
BkClubCare I support your decision! 🧟‍♀️ 🗳️ I did not get to either 😔 but was able to sample The Birthday Party and can‘t recall why exactly it didn‘t light a fire 🔥 before it went back to the library. I was looking forward to Julia but . . . 6d
BkClubCare @Chelsea.Poole - Hmmm, “menacing and full-of-dread” might be THE genre I am glad not to read. (American politics gives me enough of that.) 6d
Chelsea.Poole @BkClubCare oh for sure. I can‘t believe we are back at the same place again 😩 6d
BarbaraBB I am very happy with this outcome since I loved The Birthday Party (I know what you mean @Chelsea.Poole i feel like I lived on that farm!) and was annoyed and underwhelmed by Julia though I must admit I didn‘t reread 6d
Karisimo I didn‘t get around to reading to either of these 🙁 6d
merelybookish I havent read Julia but absolutely loved The Birthday Party and so I wholeheartedly approve this decision. 🤓 6d
Ruthiella I haven‘t read either. I DNFed The Birthday Party. I don‘t want to read 500 pages of a home invasion, regardless of the motives or beautiful writing. I skipped and skimmed, got the revelations and was glad to return it to the library. Funny since in some ways it is not too different from Ducks Newburyport, which I loved. I haven‘t got to Julia yet. I only just finished my reread of 1984. 6d
AmyG Haven‘t read either book. 5d
squirrelbrain @Chelsea.Poole - perhaps we could have matched them up as ‘people being held captive‘ - also not a genre I would rush to read @BkClubCare 😬 5d
squirrelbrain @BkClubCare - I tried The Birthday Party in September last year and didn‘t get past the first few pages. Once I tried again and pushed through I was hooked. 5d
Hooked_on_books I liked both of these books, but felt TBP was better, even though it‘s a more challenging book. Which for me ultimately made it more satisfying and impactful, so I‘m glad it won! And maybe “people in peril” for the theme? 5d
sarahbarnes I‘ll admit I didn‘t read Julia, but I absolutely loved The Birthday Party and so like @BarbaraBB and @merelybookish I am very happy with this outcome! 😁 5d
kwmg40 I've not read The Birthday Party and I stalled on Julia. Not sure I will continue with it, especially now that it's out of our tournament. 5d
Tamra LOVED The Birthday Party, though it drove me nuts! 5d
fredthemoose Late to the party. These were my 2 DNFs. I got halfway through Julia and felt it going in a direction I wasn‘t up for, I kept meaning to get back to it but haven‘t. I‘m an audiobook person and couldn‘t find The Birthday Party on audio. I just got a hard copy but haven‘t read it yet, but based on some of the comments here, I‘m more excited to get into it! 5d
BarbaraBB @fredthemoose I hope you will. It‘s worth it! 5d
squirrelbrain Good choice for the theme Holly! @Hooked_on_books 5d
squirrelbrain Birthday Party was sooo good, although very stressful, wasn‘t it? @sarahbarnes @Tamra Definitely give it a go @fredthemoose 5d
59 likes23 comments
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squirrelbrain
Wellness | Nathan Hill
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Another very close-run vote for today‘s bracket in #LitsyToB24, but Wellness just wins it by 11 votes to 9.

We chose to bracket these books together due to their unique storytelling about a couple. What did you think about each portrayal - did they ring true for you?

Both could also be classed as a depiction of American life. Were there any parallels here between the two books, or did the dystopia in Biography make them completely different?

sarahbarnes This was such a tough bracket for me! I loved both books. I like the pairing theme, though! I also see some parallels around the power of belief about someone/something you‘ve held for a long time. 7d
See All 16 Comments
BarbaraBB I found this one hard too, like @sarahbarnes. I am not even sure which book I ended up voting for but I can live with this outcome. Wellness is such a rich book and I loved the part about the algorithms (which you didn‘t @squirrelbrain 😀). 7d
fredthemoose I found a lot of Wellness absolutely infuriating while reading it (you‘re springing separate bedrooms on your partner in front of someone else? Why do we need so much excruciating detail of parenting a toddler? And so many tangents?) but by the end I liked it and it was one of the most memorable of the ToB for me. X was a fine version of a book that was never really going to be for me. Edge to Wellness. (edited) 7d
Bookwormjillk Didn‘t read Wellness yet, and I thought X was just ok. So looking forward to adding something new to my list. 7d
Ruthiella Like @sarahbarnes and @BarbaraBB , I liked both. I picked Wellness because I quite like Hill‘s wordy and tangential style. He‘s like a modern version of the 19th century novel and I have a fondness for that. Bio. of X surprised me. At first I found it pretentious, but got gradually into the greater mystery of both who X and who the narrator were. I think the portrayal of coupledom rang true for me in both books, though they‘re both different. (edited) 7d
AmyG I only read Wellness and at one point I considered bailing. What redeemed this story for me was Jack‘s youth…his growing up, his sister, his parents, the land he lived on. I found parts of this quite beautiful. 7d
KarenUK Wellness had one of my favorite first chapters I can remember reading, so it was an easy win choice for me… 6d
squirrelbrain I too liked them both @sarahbarnes @BarbaraBB @Ruthiella - I think Wellness just edged it for me but I wouldn‘t have minded either way. 6d
squirrelbrain I found parts of Wellness annoying too @fredthemoose - I think because of the verbosity. (as @BarbaraBB points out, I disliked the algorithm section and wished he‘d just shut up! 🤣) 6d
Hooked_on_books While I didn‘t dislike either of these books, I didn‘t like them all that much, either. So in that sense, this was a hard pairing for me. I ended up voting for X because I thought the author created an amazing dystopian world that I really enjoyed. It made it much more memorable than Wellness to me (which I read much more recently and barely remember). But I wasn‘t attached to either one advancing. 6d
squirrelbrain It‘s funny, Holly @Hooked_on_books - I can hardly remember any of Wellness now either, even though it made my favourites list for 2023. 🤷‍♀️ 6d
Megabooks Why did I put two books I gave 5⭐️ to in the same bracket?? 😩😩 lol. That said, I voted for Wellness. I‘ve already read it a second time, and I‘m not sure I‘ll ever reread X even though I loved it. 6d
Chelsea.Poole LOVED Wellness! Some of the sections that are mentioned here that annoy some commenters I found to be excellent observations of the topic (feeding a toddler!!, social media). I‘m with @AmyG though—the scene in Jack‘s youth: the land, fire, his family dynamics…I still think of that often. V vivid in my mind. I agree w @Ruthiella ‘s initial reaction to X —pretentious 😝 and I couldn‘t get past that. 6d
kwmg40 I've started Wellness and am enjoying it, but I loved Biography of X and am sad that it lost this round. 5d
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squirrelbrain
Hello Beautiful | Ann Napolitano
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Today‘s #litsytob24 bracket has another runaway winner!

Hello Beautiful gained 16 votes, with only 3 (Ruth, Holly and Debra)voting for Lovesick Blossoms. Personally I liked both of these books, but we had to pick just one, didn‘t we?! How difficult a decision was it for you?

We put these two books together due to their portrayal of entangled relationships - how do you think each book dealt with this theme?

Megabooks It was no question for me that Hello Beautiful was a better book. I think Lovesick really missed some opportunities to develop excellent secondary characters. Plus, I was just more moved emotionally by HB. 1w
See All 24 Comments
Chelsea.Poole I also liked both of these but I had much more of an emotional reaction to Hello Beautiful so it got my vote. Lovesick Blossoms was also memorable for me. Well done to the hosts for pairing these two with “entangled relationships“. Hello Beautiful's entanglement was a bit more morally questionable for me, and the characters in Lovesick Blossoms had few choices due to the time and place they lived. 1w
AmyG I haven‘t read Lovesick Blossoms. Hello Beautiful was my favorite book of last year. Oh how I love a good, damaged character and a dysfunctional family….and HB had it all. 1w
fredthemoose I also enjoyed both of these, but also give Hello, Beautiful the edge. My reactions to LB were more about the restrictions based on the time and place the characters were in where for HB it was more about the choices they made and the family and interpersonal dynamics in play. 1w
Ruthiella I am an outlier. I didn‘t believe any character‘s motivation in HB, so I was never invested emotionally. Lovesick Blossoms was a simpler story, but it at least rang true for me. 1w
Deblovestoread I liked both books with Lovesick Blossoms getting the edge due to memorability. It stuck with me a bit longer than HB did. 1w
Bookwormjillk I didn‘t get to LB but I really loved HB so happy to see it moving on. 1w
BkClubCare @Bookwormjillk - Same 🙋‍♀️ I absolutely loved Hello Beautiful but didn‘t get to Lovesick Blosssoms - so many not available in time or not at all from the library. 😢 1w
Bookwormjillk @BkClubCare same! I‘m waiting to see what makes it to the next round before I buy anything. 1w
BarbaraBB I was underwhelmed by LS and loved HB so this was my easiest choice of all brackets! 1w
squirrelbrain That‘s a great way of looking at it @chelsea.poole - thank you! 1w
squirrelbrain It‘s interesting @Ruthiella @Deblovestoread - reading these comments I can actually recall LB more easily than HB, even though I voted for HB and it made my best of 2023. 🤷‍♀️ I wonder if it‘s because of the simpler storyline? 🤔 1w
squirrelbrain @AmyG @Bookwormjillk @BkClubCare - do you think you‘ll read Lovesick Blossoms in the future after seeing reviews on here? Or is it a case of #toomanybookstoolittletime?! 1w
squirrelbrain @fredthemoose - I agree - I loved all of the different interpersonal dynamics in Hello Beautiful, and also you never knew what was coming next, whereas LB was a bit more predictable, probably because of the social limits, as you point out. 1w
AmyG @squirrelbrain Honestly, probably not. I have so many other books to read. 1w
BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - I have it requested from the library so we will have to wait and see. If it comes as an ebook,yes, I will sample and see if I am hooked. If I see it FREE anywhere (like in a LFL or a friend offers, likely a YES) (edited) 1w
squirrelbrain Yes, I think it‘s a #borrownotbuy @BkClubCare and I don‘t blame you! @AmyG 1w
fredthemoose @squirrelbrain I‘m having the same experience! I read LB more recently, and it was a simpler and more predictable story, but it‘s definitely much clearer in my mind than HB. 1w
Hooked_on_books I really liked both these books, so this was a hard choice for me. I read HB back in the early fall and loved it, but it hasn‘t stuck with me much. I thought LB was such a sweet story and its simplicity made it really beautiful. I figured it would likely be the underdog and wanted to give it my support. 1w
squirrelbrain A great description for LB, @Hooked_on_books - sweet and simple! 1w
kwmg40 I'm about halfway through HB and enjoying it. I've not gotten around to reading LB yet. 7d
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squirrelbrain
Restless Dolly Maunder | Kate Grenville
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Pickpick

I liked this, but not as much as the other HF that I‘ve read from the #womensprize longlist.

The novel is based on the life of the author‘s own grandmother, living in Australia at the end of the 1800s, up until just after WWII.

Dolly moves around a *lot* and this lends a restlessness to the book as well - it almost felt a little rushed in places as we were never in one place long enough to learn about it, or the people that lived there.

LeeRHarry You‘re on a roll with the WP books! 😊 1w
Hooked_on_books Look at you with your longlist stack! I actually just finished a different book by this author today. 1w
squirrelbrain It‘s all I‘m reading at the moment! (Fiction and NF) @LeeRHarry 1w
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squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - that one is supposed to be good - did you like it? 1w
Hooked_on_books I did, but it didn‘t blow me away. I wanted more of a character arc for the main character. (edited) 1w
charl08 Interesting. I've loved some of her others. Tempering expectations! 7d
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review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This #womensprize for NF long-lister is still a pick, but I chose the wrong format (audio).The author describes so many paintings and I wanted to see them - not the best idea when you listen whilst driving, as I mostly do. 😬

Even when I was at home, as all of the artists are Dutch, I couldn‘t find many of them as I didn‘t know how to spell their names. I‘ve reserved the (digital) print copy so I can re-read but it‘s not available until ⬇️

squirrelbrain ….the end of April. I also felt that the book was more weighted towards Fabritius and Dutch art whereas there should have been more about her father. 1w
rockpools Ohhh, interesting. I actually just started this last night on ebook, and I‘m surprised how much I‘m loving it. (C17th Dutch Art is NOT one of my pet subjects!) But yes, you definitely need the pictures. I‘m also going in not having read anything else by her, so I think my lack of expectations is maybe a help. 1w
squirrelbrain @rockpools - I didn‘t notice so much at the start, but she introduces more and more artists as she goes along, and not well-known ones either. I love her narration though, so maybe would have also felt like I was missing out if I‘d done print. I listened to On Chapel Sands too - I think you‘d really like it. 1w
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rockpools @squirrelbrain 👍I‘ve wishlisted that on audio, for later. Thanks for the recommendation. I think I mentally filed it as True Crime when it came out, so ignored all the glowing reviews. Will definitely take a listen. 1w
BarbaraBB Interesting. Some 17th century Dutch painters were real masters. 1w
ChaoticMissAdventures This is so good to know, thanks! Going to make sure I have the physical book on hold. 1w
Hooked_on_books Oh, that‘s good to know. I have access to the audio through Everand, but clearly that‘s not the way I should go. 1w
youneverarrived As much as I‘m enjoying the audio I agree it would be better in print (I saw the hardback in a bookshop I was in yesterday and had a quick look through 😍). 1w
squirrelbrain Ooh, did it have pictures? @youneverarrived 1w
youneverarrived It did, full page pictures of the paintings - it would be a beautiful book to own 😍 1w
squirrelbrain Ohhhhh…I don‘t need any more books…I don‘t need any more books. Just tagging you both in @ChaoticMissAdventures @Hooked_on_books - sounds like you definitely need a ‘real‘ book with this one. Thanks Katie! @youneverarrived 1w
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain my library has a copy! There is a wait-list, but I think I will take the time to wait on it. I am trying to be so much better this year about not buying things unless I read and loved them but it is so hard with the Women's Prize! 1w
Hooked_on_books I‘ve already put the print book on hold at my library. 😬 I‘m slowly succumbing to reading this list soon rather than waiting! 1w
squirrelbrain @ChaoticMissAdventures @Hooked_on_books - I‘ve also put the print book on hold at the library…. 7d
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squirrelbrain
Soldier Sailor | Claire Kilroy
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Pickpick

The MC talks to her young child as she struggles through the change in her life since giving birth to him, along with coping with a seemingly absent husband who prefers to work long hours.

I don‘t have kids so can‘t speak to the veracity of this novel but I certainly found the MC‘s stream of consciousness thoughts really stressful to read, but incredibly compelling.

Another great read from the #womensprize long list.

BarbaraBB Sounds great Helen 1w
Reggie What a great review, stacked. 1w
youneverarrived Stacking! 1w
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squirrelbrain
The Maiden | Kate Foster
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Pickpick

My first book from the Women‘s Prize for Fiction since the long list was announced (although I had read 2 previously) and I really enjoyed it.

I‘m not a huge fan of HF, although I‘ve enjoyed similar books based on re-tellings in previous years of the list, such as Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait.

In my view, this holds its own against such exalted authors - it really rattled along and I didn‘t want to stop reading.

ChaoticMissAdventures I had to order this one so I am watching my mail box! Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 1w
Deblovestoread Great review! I bought this one based on other Litten reviews and was excited to see it on the longlist. 1w
BarbaraBB Encouraging that you enjoyed it! I am not much of an HF reader too. 1w
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CatLass007 What does HF mean. 1w
rubyslippersreads 💜💚 that cover! 1w
Tamra I was a sucker and ordered it this week! It was the only one on the prize list that spoke to me. Glad to know you liked it! 1w
squirrelbrain @CatLass007 - HF is historical fiction. 1w
CatLass007 Thank you. 1w
Balibee146 I picked this up in January for #99ponkindle and need to get to it soon 😁 1w
batsy I was surprised by how much I liked this. Glad you enjoyed it, too. 1w
Caroline2 I‘m looking forward to reading this one next 👍 1w
jlhammar Looking forward to this one. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 1w
68 likes2 stack adds12 comments
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squirrelbrain
Mobility | Lydia Kiesling
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Pickpick

Welcome to Day 3 of #LitsyTob24!

Our winner today is Mobility, with two thirds of the vote!

Both books had female MCs who were navigating their way through life, alongside unique storytelling about families, but each book had a distinctive style.

What did you think of the storytelling? Did you like both Belle and Bunny?

We‘re looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the books and today‘s result!

Bookwormjillk I bailed on Rogue, and liked Mobility. Although I didn‘t think it was the coming of age story it was made out to be. 2w
See All 22 Comments
Chelsea.Poole I didn‘t love either of these two 😬 But I did appreciate them both a bit more after reading reviews and I‘ll look forward to reading the comments from you all in this thread! 2w
BarbaraBB I struggled through Rouge and appreciated Mobility much more. It felt so on point, about climate change and how we integrate it into our lives in a way that feels fitting and maybe reassuring as if we do what we can and should do. It‘s way too little though, Kiesling seems to implicate. 2w
sarahbarnes I may still have to give Mobility a try after this vote! I am a shameless Awad fan and I did love Rouge. 😊 2w
AmyG I didn‘t read either…..so waiting patiently for the books I DID read. 2w
Deblovestoread Awad is not for me. I thought Mobility was good and the ending was definitely on point. 1w
kwmg40 I liked Mobility very much. I'm still working on Rouge. Finding it hard to get into it, but I really liked All's Well so will probably continue. BTW, is it a complete coincidence that Awad has a book called Bunny and that's also the name of Kiesling's main character. Was this a fated pairing? 😂 1w
Readerann I loved Kiesling‘s The Golden State, so I will definitely get to Mobility. Rouge was meh for me. 1w
squirrelbrain I agree @Bookwormjillk @BarbaraBB @Deblovestoread - I fought my way through Rouge (list-completist here 🙋🏻‍♀️) but liked Mobility. 1w
squirrelbrain @kwmg40 - I though exactly that about the ‘Bunny‘ thing when I wrote this post earlier! 1w
squirrelbrain @sarahbarnes @Readerann - I think you‘ll like Mobility. It‘s rather a quiet book, in my view, but seems more impactful because of that. 1w
squirrelbrain @AmyG - hopefully soon! 🤞😃 1w
squirrelbrain @chelsea.poole - at least we had better books, in general, than the real ToB! 🤪 1w
BarbaraBB @Readerann I loved The Golden State too! 1w
Ruthiella I was neutral on both Belle and Bunny, though I recognized a lot more of myself in Bunny than Belle. I am an Awad fan, but found Rouge disappointing. It was too rooted in the fantastical for me to enjoy. I liked Mobility a lot. As @squirrelbrain notes, it‘s quiet but it does have a kick to it if you look for it. 1w
Hooked_on_books After liking each of Awad‘s books less than the one before, I refused to read Rouge, the only book of ours I didn‘t read. Then I hated Mobility and bailed on it. So, this pairing was a bit of a wash for me. 1w
squirrelbrain That was all a bit rubbish then, wasn‘t it?! @Hooked_on_books 1w
Larkken @kwmg40 I wondered the same thing about the Bunnies! 1w
Larkken Awad has my heart. Her kind of weird just get me 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1w
fredthemoose I liked Mobility, although realized that if it wasn‘t for ToB I don‘t know I would have ever thought about it again. Rouge was a hard no for me. The MC was so dopey it was like being sober and trying to follow your drunk friend‘s stories for HOURS without any payoff or even a funny anecdote by the end. 1w
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squirrelbrain
Intervals | Marianne Brooker
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Pickpick

This was an incredibly tough read, from the Women‘s Prize for NF long list but vitally important and I felt that I learned a lot.

The author‘s mother has MS and decides she cannot continue so undertakes to end her life by Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED). I had no idea that this is legal in the UK, and many medical practitioners have not come across it before so there many challenges over and above the decision itself. ⬇️

squirrelbrain Please do consider carefully before reading this book - it won‘t be for everyone. 2w
MicheleinPhilly Yikes! There has to be a better way. 2w
BarbaraBB I‘ve heard about this in the Netherlands too 2w
See All 6 Comments
ChaoticMissAdventures Interesting, they also have a fiction book on that long list about suicide. Heavy but important stuff. 2w
squirrelbrain That‘s the only one on the long list that I‘ve *had* to buy @ChaoticMissAdventures - the others I‘ve managed to get from libraries etc. 2w
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain lucky! I think I ended up needing to buy 5. But I save up money specifically for this list to drop so I feel okay about it! 1w
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Let Us Descend | Jesmyn Ward
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Quite a different story on today‘s bracket for #LitsyToB24 - a runaway win for Let Us Descend!

Only 5 people voted for Same Bed, including your esteemed hosts, Meg and Barbara, plus Erin, Tracy and Ruth - everyone else went with Let Us Descend.

What did you think of this bracket and the voting? Both of these books had an element of history in them, but told in very different ways. What did you like about/ dislike about each of the styles?

See All 26 Comments
BkClubCare Sorry - I only read Let Us Descend so that would have gotten my vote. Tell me why I still need to try Same Bed?! 😊 2w
AmyG I bailed on Same Bed and still want to read the other one but on a library waitlist. I can only sayI bailed on Same Bed because I had no clue what the point of this book was. (edited) 2w
Ruthiella Unfortunately I‘ve not read either. I‘m not a fan of Ward‘s writing style and I just ran out of time for Other Beds. I love, however, how thoughtful our leaders were in pairing the books. 👏👏👏 2w
sarahbarnes Agree that I love the insightful pairings in this tournament! 2w
Bookwormjillk I love the pairings too! I only read Let Us Descend. Glad to see it moving on. 2w
Well-ReadNeck Uncommon opinion, but I felt like Let Us Descend was a book I‘ve read before. But, Same Bed was very original and thought provoking. Same Bed did take a bit to get into, so I do see how readers might bail before things start to connect. 2w
Larkken I liked Same Bed - the spec fic + history element meant I went on constant rabbit holes about Korean history to see who and what was real, so I learned a ton! It was a bit overly complex for the sake of being complex, though, I thought, so I went with Descend. I think this was a fair pairing though, good call! 2w
fredthemoose I missed voting in the first round, but both of the first two match-us would have been tough for me. I agree with @Well-ReadNeck that LUD felt like a book I‘ve read. It was gorgeously written, but familiar, and the end felt not like the end. How could the MC have successfully survived in that place for more than a few days or weeks? 2w
fredthemoose I liked Same Bed, or at least didn‘t dislike it, but I felt like I only really followed/understood 20% of it. Some of that was probably my lack of knowledge of Korean history so I didn‘t have a scaffold to put the story on or a way to recognize the differences. But I agree with @Larkken that it was probably also complex for the sake of being complex and the author didn‘t do much to help make it accessible (at least not to this American). 2w
fredthemoose With the alternative histories (and more voting, I suppose) I wonder what a Same Bed/Biography of X matchup would have looked like. 2w
BarbaraBB I agree with @Well-ReadNeck and @fredthemoose on Let Us Descend. Despite the wonderful writing style it felt like I read it before too. I had high hopes for Same Bed, but it was quite a challenge to finish it. I did and although I am not sure what to think I‘d liked it to continue a bit longer in our tournament! 2w
Karisimo I honestly didn‘t like either one for different reasons- Same Bed was too hard to follow; Let Us Descend was more lyrical than I prefer, but at least I could finish it unlike the other! 2w
squirrelbrain As you might see from the comments @BkClubCare - I‘m not sure anyone would wholeheartedly recommend that you *must* try Same Bed. 🤣 2w
squirrelbrain @Larkken @fredthemoose - I agree that Same Bed was over complicated. I think there was a great story there but it was made too inaccessible for most. 2w
squirrelbrain @ruthiella @sarahbarnes @Bookwormjillk -glad you‘re enjoying the pairings! @fredthemoose - there were a few different options for matching up books - I wondered about Same Bed with Julia, for a similar kind of dystopian comparison. 2w
Hooked_on_books I enjoyed the reading experience with SB, but felt like there was so much there I wasn‘t getting, and I still don‘t know how the disparate stories are supposed to relate to each other. Whereas I thought LUD was fantastic. I thought the ending could have been stronger, but I felt like I was right there with the main character, feeling what she was feeling. Just incredible. This was an easy choice for me. 2w
Decalino I have to admit I only read SB, but I thought it was intriguing and inventive, plus it was interesting to read all the threads of Korean history--I did a lot of googling and fact-checking while reading it. I don't claim to have fully understood all the connections it was making, but it was a wild and memorable read. 2w
BarbaraBB @Karisimo too lyrical, that‘s exactly what I disliked too about Let Us Descend. Well said! 2w
BarbaraBB @Decalino I am sorry now I didn‘t give SB the attention it needed, I should have Googled too, the book deserved it. 2w
Kitta I liked Let Us Descend and am a huge fan of Ward‘s works but found it a bit too much magical realism. The spirits were too much and I just wanted the story without so much of them. I still thought it was great but maybe a 4 ⭐️ instead of 5. My favourite by Ward is 2w
Kitta @Karisimo @BarbaraBB that‘s so interesting, part of why I liked LUD was because it was so lyrical. The words fill me up and it was beautiful to read dispute the content being hard. But I usually like that kind of stuff! To each their own! 2w
Chelsea.Poole This was another easy choice for me. Same Bed went way over my head and I didn‘t get anything out of it. I should have had some of you expert Litsy folks explain it to me 😆 and I felt exactly the same as @Hooked_on_books with Let Us Descend…I was right there with Annis, living those horrible scenes. Such a visceral reading experience. 2w
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squirrelbrain
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Barbara, Meg and I are so excited to kick off #LitsyToB24!

Our opening bracket was incredibly close throughout the voting and ended in a draw. As your hosts we took the casting votes, and Vintage Contemporaries won by 1 vote!

We bracketed these books together due to the community / found-family feel in both of them - did you also see that?

We‘d love to hear your thoughts on both books, and also what you think of the result!

See All 30 Comments
BarbaraBB I wasn‘t a real fan of Vintage Contemporaries. I liked Grocery Store much more. I do acknowledge both have a strong sense of community but it got a bit lost in the many subjects VC wants to tackle while GD is much more focused in my opinion. I am already thinking of the Zombie round and hoping this one will make a rentree in our #LitsyToB24! 2w
AmyG I bailed on Grocery Store and didn‘t read Vintage Contemporaries. 😢 2w
Chelsea.Poole I know so many loved Grocery Store but I just didn‘t connect with it AT ALL. Loved the setting of Vintage Contemporaries…it really brought NYC to life, a city I love. Also, the found family bond of Em and Lucy (and then daughter) really stood out to me. Plus, the publishing industry in that novel was another bonus! 2w
Jas16 I didn‘t love either of them but thought Grocery Store had more to say so it got my vote. 2w
Chelsea.Poole AND VC featured great writing about motherhood/parenting. V impressed it was written by a man. 2w
Bookwormjillk I only read VC- I still have hundreds of people ahead of me for Grocery Store at the library. But I did like VC more than I thought I would so I‘m happy with this result. 2w
squirrelbrain That‘s really interesting @BarbaraBB - I felt like the message got lost in Grocery Store (maybe too many characters?) but not in VC! 2w
squirrelbrain I also didn‘t connect with Grocery Store @Chelsea.Poo- i didn‘t hate it, but I also didn‘t care that much either. 😬 Completely the opposite feeling with VC - and I LOVED the NYC setting too. 2w
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain Wow, that‘s interesting indeed. We are mostly more aligned 😉 2w
KarenUK I‘m with you Helen in this one. I connected much more with VC…. 2w
Deblovestoread I rated both of these the same number of stars. I loved the settings in both book but the characters in H&E gave it the edge for me. 2w
Megabooks @Chelsea.Poole I feel pretty much the same as you and agree that the depth of these female characters written by a man was great! I‘d like to see more of that! 2w
MicheleinPhilly I haven‘t read Grocery Store yet but VC was a 5 star read for me so 🎉. 2w
BkClubCare Off to a great start 🌟 I only read Heaven&Earth (and I might not have voted lol - so busy, too many books 😵‍💫🤪) 2w
Hooked_on_books I‘m delighted with this result! I have huge respect for McBride and loved his previous 2 books, but this one just didn‘t work for me. And I absolutely loved VC. I really connected with Em—I saw a lot of myself in her, only I took a very different path, so it was such a good read. 2w
squirrelbrain I hope you like Grocery Store when you (eventually!) get it @Bookwormjillk 2w
squirrelbrain @BkClubCare - hopefully you‘ll be able to vote in the next round. 2w
Hooked_on_books Is anyone following the official TOB alongside ours? The judgement today was a delight to read, even if I would have picked a different result. 2w
BkClubCare @Hooked_on_books - YES! Wasn‘t that judgement such fun 🤩 Got me all verklempt and excited for March all over again - despite being a bit sad and dejected about a lack of enthusiasm this year/ not being a completist. (edited) 2w
BkClubCare @squirrelbrain - aw, I am trying to keep up! Thanks for the tag 🏷️ 2w
Larkken @Chelsea.Poole interesting observation about the male author writing traditionally feminine subjects so well. Those were the parts of VC that resonated the most for me and will have to give me some solace in this case since I voted for HEGC 😆 (edited) 2w
Larkken @Hooked_on_books I forgot! *goes to check the internet…* man. I think I am a Rufi Thorpe stan now even if I‘ve not read any of the write-ins lol 2w
kwmg40 I enjoyed Grocery Store. I started VC and couldn't get into it but might resume after seeing all the comments here. I love books set in cities that I know, especially if they give a good sense of the city, and I expect I would have liked VC better if I were more familiar with NYC. (Last time I visited was decades ago.) 2w
sarahbarnes Such a close one! I did like Heaven and Earth better, but a great opening round! 2w
Ruthiella I didn‘t think about how both these novels focus on community, interesting! That does make for a nice pairing. I gave the edge to VC but found both books to be too aimless in their plotting for my reading preferences. 2w
squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books @BkClubCare @Larkken - it was such fun wasn‘t it?! The other judges have a difficult act to follow. 2w
fredthemoose Late to this party, but this would have also been tough. To me, the community element was stronger in HEGS, and the play was interesting but with so many characters and side plots I liked some but wasn‘t really attached to any of them and the side plots started to feel like the author showing off. Overall I liked VC although I really didn‘t like/understand the attachment to Emily and some topics got sort of thrown in at the end. 2w
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squirrelbrain
The Postcard | Anne Berest
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Pickpick

#europacollective

I‘m reading at least 5 other books at the same time, but they were all immediately forgotten once I started this, and I read it in only a few hours.

It‘s not an easy read, particularly the first third of the book, but I loved the writing style. The links between ‘then‘ and now were incredibly compelling, and very worrying.

I‘m sure this will be up there with my favourite books of 2024.

charl08 Yea the first third was grim. Didn't feel too long though, all necessary, which I don't always feel like with books this substantial. 2w
LeeRHarry Definitely moving up towards the top of my TBR list! I think I have requested this from the library… 🤞 2w
mcctrish I check my library holds every day to see where I am in the queue 2w
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Cathythoughts Great !! I can‘t wait ( even more now ) My copy is in the post. ❤️👍🏻 2w
Gleefulreader Fantastic review! My weekend was busy so I only had an opportunity to read a little bit but setting aside time this week to finish it. 2w
BarbaraBB Great review. I felt the same. And I am sure it will be one of this year‘s favorites as well! 2w
Tamra 💙 2w
jlhammar That passage really stood out for me as well. Wonderful review! Can‘t wait to get back to it this evening. 2w
lauraisntwilder I'm not done yet, but that passage is one of the best parts so far. 2w
Chelsea.Poole I also had to abandon all other reads for this book! Really enjoying it! (edited) 2w
kspenmoll Such a perfect quote that always resonates in this world of ours! 2w
TheKidUpstairs I'm eagerly awaiting my library hold! 2w
Hooked_on_books Do you think this will be on the women‘s prize list, or would it have been eligible last year? 2w
tpixie It will be a favorite of mine as well. That quote was so profound. I shared it to my family text thread. (edited) 2w
julieclair That quote is so convicting! 2w
batsy All the positive reviews and the comments here suggest that I definitely need to move this up the list 👍🏾 2w
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squirrelbrain
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#weeklyforecast

There‘ll definitely be more books than this in my week, as I can‘t seem to stop myself from starting new books at the moment and, with the Women‘s Prize for Fiction long list this week, I‘ve got no chance!

I‘ve just started the two on the left, for the NF long list, and both seem really interesting. The Postcard is the one that‘s drawing all of my attention right now I just can‘t put it down. I‘m about halfway through Talking.

LeeRHarry I read one of Laura Cumming‘s previous books - see tagged - and really enjoyed it, so Thunderclap intrigues me as does The Britannias. NB just seen that you have read that one too. 😊 (edited) 2w
Cathythoughts Can‘t wait to start Postcard ❤️ 2w
squirrelbrain Yes, I was just about to respond that I enjoyed On Chapel Sands too! @LeeRHarry The Britannias seems to be personal memoir intertwined with women‘s history, which should prove interesting. 2w
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rockpools I‘m looking forward to your thoughts on The Britannias. I really thought I‘d love it, but yeah. I seem to have switched my allegiance to Eve, which is (suprisingly) BRILLIANT. 2w
squirrelbrain Did you start The Britannias yet? @rockpools I‘m having a real issue with magpieness- all the books are so shiny and sparkly I can‘t stick to just one! 2w
rockpools @squirrelbrain 😂😂Magpieness is a thing! I‘ve read the first chapter… I‘ll read a couple more… but I don‘t know if I‘ll get through it when there are so many other shinies! (And I want to know more about the prehistoric squirrel-weasel-mice of Eve. Weird. But more important than islands to me right now. Very weird.) 2w
squirrelbrain Well, you know the squirrel-weasel-mice are far more important to me too! 🤣 @rockpools 2w
youneverarrived I‘m listening to Thunderclap at the moment - enjoying it so far. 2w
BarbaraBB Great plans Helen! It‘s going to be an exciting week! Happy you‘re loving The Postcard! 2w
69 likes9 comments
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squirrelbrain
Blessings | Chukwuebuka Ibeh
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Pickpick

Obiefuna is a young boy, who loves to dance, growing up in Nigeria. When his father catches an embrace between Obiefuna and the newly arrived house boy, he sends his son away to a strict seminary.

There, Obiefuna begins a journey of self-discovery whilst battling terrible violence from the older boys.

Once again, this is a book without an ending. 😠 I was just getting to know and love Obiefuna and then….nothing!

#netgalley #blessings

BarbaraBB A bit frustrating, such endings! 2w
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squirrelbrain
How to Say Babylon | Safiya Sinclair
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Pickpick

This is my favourite so far from the #womensprizeNF long list (even though I‘ve only read 4! 🙂)

The author grew up in a Rastafarian family in Jamaica, and I was surprised to learn about how strict the religion can be, as well as the views on women and girls.

Safiya is a poet and that really shows in her writing, and I loved her narrating the audio herself. She certainly has a huge capacity for forgiveness, after all that she went through.

TrishB Great review 👍🏻 2w
sarahbarnes I‘m impressed at all your NF reads! 😍 2w
youneverarrived You‘re getting through them 😁 2w
Graywacke ❤️ I‘m totally in its spell now. 2w
squirrelbrain @sarahbarnes @youneverarrived - only 4 so far, and I‘ve started a few others, but of course there‘s the Fiction long list next week! 🤯 2w
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

#womensprizeNF

The author looks at the ‘ordinary‘ people who contributed words, their etymologies and sources to the OED, back in the 1800s and early 1900s.

I enjoyed meeting all of these people, as well as learning a LOT of new words. I particularly admired the author‘s ability to link each chapter (A is for Archaeologists, Z is for Zealots) together, and I could imagine her shuffling little cards around, just like the contributors of old.

rabbitprincess Adding this to the TBR! Sounds great 😄 2w
KarenUK This sounds fascinating! I don‘t read much non fiction but this sounds like something I‘d love…. 💕 2w
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I did wonder at the start how the author would extend a story about being mistaken for Naomi Wolf into a full-length book, but this is so much more than that. Sometimes rather impenetrable and often rather scary, Klein looks at many different cases of ‘mirroring‘ in society, with particular reference to Covid, as well as Israel, Trump and even the wellness industry.

A fascinating read, even if I had to read it in chunks to understand it fully.

BarbaraBB Great review. I loved No Logo but I‘ve been on the fence about this one. Such a weird subject to write a book about! 2w
youneverarrived Fab review! I‘m looking forward to reading it even more now. 2w
batsy Great review. I found the "Naomi mirroring" part the least interesting; but I appreciated a lot of the bits that tried to analyse just wtf is going on in our world. Her years of investigative work into certain topics give her a good instinct about how things tie together. 2w
KarenUK I‘m so intrigued! Fabulous review Helen 💕 2w
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squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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Anyone else subscribe to nb. magazine? (I presume it‘s UK only)

I can‘t remember where I read about it, but I thought I‘d give it a go and my first copy has arrived in the post today.

Their stated aim is to share and illuminate new and notable books.

Haven‘t had chance to read it yet but, on flicking through, it looks really interesting. And it smells rather deliciously of fresh printing ink! 🤣

julesG I hope the content is as interesting as the cover. 3w
julieclair This looks so enticing! I just checked their website, and it looks like it‘s not available in the US, but they do have some book reviews on the website. I also signed up for their emails. 3w
BarbaraBB I don‘t know it but it sounds right up your alley! 3w
TrishB Looks lovely ♥️ 3w
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squirrelbrain
Flights | Olga Tokarczuk
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Just a little tiny book haul today, because I definitely needed more books…

Popped into the library to pick up some ‘possibles‘ for the Women‘s Prize for fiction (and no I‘m not telling you how many library books I now have on loan!) and they had a book sale on, so I had to support, of course, by buying 5 books.

Young Queens is on the NF long list and came out today, and Mongrel because it‘s also rumoured for the Fiction Prize and sounds fab.

LeeRHarry I definitely felt that even though the Du Bois took some effort it was worth it in the end. Great haul 📚 😊 3w
BarbaraBB I enjoyed Snap a lot! Also liked Flights, The Lowlands and Vitamine! 3w
Hooked_on_books You nabbed some good ones! I know Love Songs is chunky, but I loved it and didn‘t want it to end. I also really liked Goodbye Vitamin. 3w
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TrishB Love Songs was great and I enjoyed Snap. 3w
Ruthiella I loved Goodbye Vitamin. I think you will like it. 3w
batsy This reminds me of all the books I want to read! 😆 I enjoyed Snap. 3w
Cathythoughts Very nice 👌🏻 I enjoyed Snap too. 2w
70 likes7 comments
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squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

My first book finished from the Women‘s Prize for NF long list, although I‘m in the throes of reading most of the rest at the same time! 😃

I really struggled with the style of this at the start and had to keep re-reading to digest what was being said, although most of it was fascinating information once I processed it, hence the pick.

The biggest issue I had was the stating as fact, things that could only be conjecture. For example ⬇️

squirrelbrain
Asserting that the spelling of ‘handfull‘ of peanuts in the embroidery showed that Ruth was highlighting a ‘feat of plenty‘ when maybe it was just a spelling mistake.
Also, when talking about the pecans, saying that they likely weren‘t pecans, due to the difficulty and expense of getting hold of them, but then going on to describe in detail and as fact how Rose would have got hold of them, what she cooked with them etc
3w
squirrelbrain Having said that, I did value the asides of other enslaved people where we *did* have documentary evidence, and the descriptions of life in Charleston. I just wonder if the lack of information about this object and the lineage of the family meant it was the wrong choice to base a whole book upon. 3w
squirrelbrain On reading other reviews, from #shesaid Littens, I‘m glad it wasn‘t just me - on first glance I thought it was an #unpopularopinion as it has 100% on here but, actually, many of us felt the same about the style. 3w
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BarbaraBB Great review. Very thoughtful. Good luck with reading all others 😀 3w
youneverarrived That is a bugbear of mine in non-fiction 🙈 great review! 🩵 3w
batsy Thanks for the thoughtful review! It is the kind of thing that can usually put me off nonfiction. 3w
squirrelbrain Thank you @BarbaraBB @youneverarrived @batsy - I struggled to explain my thoughts so I‘m glad that you found my review useful. 3w
TheKidUpstairs I tried reading this one a year ago and had difficulty with the style, too. I was reading an e-book, so I put it aside and decided to try again in another format. I'm on hold now for the audio. Hopefully, that will work better. 3w
squirrelbrain I get the feeling that the audio might be better @TheKidUpstairs - I hope so! 🤞 3w
Hooked_on_books Good point about the conjecture bit. For me it worked in this particular instance (it often doesn‘t) because of the deep research she did and the loss of so many stories of enslaved people by virtue of how they were treated, requiring some conjecture to fully flesh out their lives. I felt she was trying to honor their experiences with great care and tenderness. 3w
squirrelbrain @Hooked_on_books - thank you - you‘ve made me see this in a different light. 3w
Hooked_on_books I‘m really glad! I think there are some wonderful black female historians in particular who are really trying to bring forward the lived experiences of enslaved people and help all of us to understand better. Miles is one of them. Imani Perry is another. I‘m so glad I‘ve read theirs and others‘ books. I think it‘s helped me grow. 3w
76 likes12 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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It‘s all gone a bit crazy in my reading life, so my #weeklyforecast looks quite nuts!

A lot going on with the Women‘s Prize for NF… I also borrowed some library books ahead of the Fiction prize and noticed this morning that 3 of them are reserved so will have to go back just before the longlist announcement- Good Material is the first I‘m reading of these.

Blessings is an ARC out in a few days and continue the #buddyread of A Suitable Boy.

ChaoticMissAdventures I think you have pegged almost all of the books for the nonfiction long list I want to read! I am excited, most of these were not on my radar until the list came out. And Blessings looks so, so good. Too many good things, happy reading! 1mo
Megabooks Sounds like a bit of a crazy week! I hope you're able to enjoy these and make good progress! I definitely recommend Doppelgänger from the NF long list. 1mo
squirrelbrain @Megabooks - that one‘s arriving soon on BorrowBox…..🤪 1mo
61 likes3 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Prima Facie | Suzie Miller
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Pickpick

This isn‘t published until 14th March in the UK but @MicheleinPhilly convinced me to read it out of #netgalley date order, and I‘m so glad she did.

I knew the premise before I started and I was breathless for the first part, waiting for ‘the thing‘ to happen, and then devoured the second part, wishing for a conclusion but not wanting it to end. And I cried at the end too.

I wish I‘d seen the play with Jodie Comer…

MicheleinPhilly Damn, it looks like the NT @ Home video got pulled from YouTube. 😕 1mo
squirrelbrain I‘d forgotten about that @MicheleinPhilly - but too late now anyway. 🙄 1mo
Kitta The play with Jodie Comer was fantastic, so hard hitting I cried. I don‘t know if I could read it, books always hit me harder 1mo
See All 11 Comments
CarolynM I saw it on stage. Not Jodie Comer but still excellent. Don‘t think I could face reading it, although I‘m interested in how it‘s been adapted to deal with the place specific-ness of the play. 1mo
Cathythoughts Great review!! Stacking 👍🏻♥️ 1mo
squirrelbrain @Kitta @CarolynM - I‘m very jealous of both of you. @kitta - @micheleinphilly saw the play and has read the book so she‘ll be able to tell you which was the toughest…. 1mo
Kitta @MicheleinPhilly was the book tough? With a read if I have my own SA trauma? I‘m worried it‘s too much. 1mo
MicheleinPhilly @Kitta I would probably advise you to skip it. For me, the play had a bigger emotional impact due to Jodie‘s performance, but this expands on everything and I was viscerally uncomfortable. 1mo
Kitta @MicheleinPhilly thanks! I will. The play had me in tears and I had a hard time with it, so I‘m happy to skip it if it‘ll be too hard to read. 1mo
MicheleinPhilly @Kitta Yes, that‘s probably a good decision. The play destroyed me and I walked back to my hotel, in the rain, in a daze. I was telling Helen the other day that a man in the bar saw my Playbill and asked me “You alright, love?” He had seen it the night before and he was still shaken by it. 1mo
squirrelbrain @kitta - I‘m sorry you‘ve been through such trauma. It sounds a wise idea to skip the book. 1mo
56 likes2 stack adds11 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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A week ago I definitely wasn‘t going to even consider reading any of the Women‘s Prize for NF.

Fast forward to today and, oops, look what arrived….the two biggest books on the long list. I also have everything else (apart from 1 that I don‘t want to read) reserved at the library or on BorrowBox or NG. 🤷‍♀️

I‘m looking forward to Shadows, despite its size, as I think it will be a great companion piece to A Suitable Boy.

charl08 Wow! This is quite a commitment 👏 1mo
TheBookHippie I want to read both of these! 1mo
jlhammar Those both sound very good! 1mo
See All 18 Comments
TrishB Shadows looks fab. 1mo
MicheleinPhilly 😂 I knew you‘d cave. 1mo
rockpools Shadows sounds amazing. But I might wait for your opinion before I buy it! I really am liking the list tho. 1mo
youneverarrived Looking forward to your reviews on these 😍 I love that they‘re doing a NF prize now. I read Matrescence recently. Will have to see what‘s available at the library. 1mo
BarbaraBB Hahah I just read your email. You‘re so predictable 😃😘 1mo
LeeRHarry I eagerly await your reviews 😊 1mo
squirrelbrain @youneverarrived - I assumed we‘d be on the same library system (North Yorks)but I just checked and York seems to sit outside of that - weird! 1mo
AnneCecilie I‘m on the waiting list at the library for Eve. Shadows looks so daunting, looking forward to your thoughts on it (edited) 1mo
squirrelbrain @rockpools @AnneCecilie - just started Shadows. It begins with the more political stuff, which is less interesting to me, but the style still feels very accessible. I think I‘m going to like it. 1mo
youneverarrived That is strange 🤔 I‘ve had a look and they seem to have quite a few of the list! I‘ve reserved Eve and Doppelganger as those are the ones I‘m most interested in. (edited) 1mo
rockpools A slightly silly question, Helen (just for a change!). Does shadows have pictures? If so, are they integral to the text? I‘m debating between ebook and audio, because this is never going to stand a chance for me in print! 4w
squirrelbrain @rockpools - not a silly question at all. Had to go and look as I haven‘t got very far yet. (Library books from the list taking priority as they need to go back!) There‘s a few maps at the start but very small so not that useful. There are two photograph sections but not integral or necessary at all. There a LOT of notes, bibliography etc - nearly 200 pages so I‘m not sure if that will influence your choice. 4w
rockpools @squirrelbrain Thanks so much Helen - that‘s really helpful! I‘m hoping for at least 2 library holds to show up on the van tomorrow, and will break out an ebook if not. Thank you! 4w
squirrelbrain I just picked up another 2 NF long list library holds @rockpools so now I‘m reading 72 of the list - maybe not quite that many but it feels like it! 😬 4w
rockpools @squirrelbrain 😂😂😂 That is VERY impressive! Not sure how you do it Helen. 4w
75 likes18 comments
review
squirrelbrain
In Memoriam | Alice Winn
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Pickpick

Wow… this book. I bought it when it first came out but kept putting off reading it. Perhaps because I thought it might destroy me and perhaps because I feared it might be over-hyped. Yes, very much, to the first and, no definitely not, to the second.

This would have made my favourites of 2023 if I‘d have read it then, and I can‘t see it NOT making my 2024 favourites, even at this early stage in the year.

Megabooks Wow! High praise! 1mo
TheKidUpstairs Absolutely devastated by this book. And could not put it down, I was up until 2 and 3 in the morning a couple night with it. I think this is eligible for the 2024 Women's Prize? 1mo
squirrelbrain Yes, it is eligible @TheKidUpstairs - I hope it makes the list. 1mo
See All 8 Comments
BarbaraBB No chance I‘m NOT going to buy this immediately… sounds fantastic and as bit you and @TheKidUpstairs think so: stacked! 1mo
Leniverse Great, wasn't it! If it isn't on my Best of 2024 list, I'll have had an unparalleled reading year! 😂 1mo
Leniverse @TheKidUpstairs No, it was published in March last year, so it was eligible in 2023, but not this year. Miffed they didn't longlist it last year. 1mo
squirrelbrain Oh rats! @Leniverse - I saw it on an eligible list and didn‘t even check for myself. @TheKidUpstairs 1mo
Cathythoughts Great review. I havnt starting reading it yet , for the same reasons you gave. … I must take the plunge soon. 1mo
81 likes6 stack adds8 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Pity | Andrew McMillan
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Pickpick

Set in a Yorkshire pit town, this short debut novel follows 3 generations of a mining family as they wrestle with their identities.

The author is a poet and you can really tell from the beautiful writing. The structure takes a while to get used to, with short passages from each man, plus reports from a group of academics who are doing an art project in the town, as well as parts of the story told through surveillance cameras. Some reviewers felt

squirrelbrain …that this gave a distance to the book, but I didn‘t think so at all. 1mo
TheKidUpstairs Fantastic cover design! 1mo
TrishB I‘m half way through, the writing is amazing ❤️ reading slowly for a change to savour. 3w
squirrelbrain Glad you‘re loving it @TrishB 3w
74 likes4 stack adds4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
The Glutton | A. K. Blakemore
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Mehso-so

I started this as it‘s on the ‘Women‘s Prize eligible‘ list and it was immediately available on BorrowBox. I wish that I‘d waited to see if it *did* make the list as it‘s not really my cup of tea.

The Great Tarare supposedly existed in real-life Revolutionary France - a young man whose insatiable appetite made him an attraction.

Parts of the tale were really engaging but the fact that he ate live animals and human flesh were not.

Lindy 😳 1mo
BarbaraBB You read that fast! When will the list be published? 1mo
TrishB Thanks for the warning 👍🏻 1mo
See All 10 Comments
squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB - the long list is 5th March. The (new) non-fiction long list is published on Thursday. I won‘t read all of those as it‘s too much NF all at once but will use it as a guide for some recommendations. 1mo
E.Bolhafner Thanks for the warning indeed. 1mo
BarbaraBB Thanks, I‘ll keep an eye on the longlist! 1mo
tpixie Bizarre… 1mo
Oryx I've been tempted a few times by this, but I might give it a miss 1mo
Suet624 Yikes! 1mo
Hooked_on_books I find that cover quite off-putting. And human flesh? Uh… 1mo
74 likes1 stack add10 comments
review
squirrelbrain
post image
Pickpick

An interesting account of the impact of the US nuclear tests on the people of the #marshallislands.

In 1954 the US detonated a bomb that was a thousand times more powerful than Hiroshima- and the resulting fall-out decimated the islands and the lives of the inhabitants.

The audio narrator was a little bit robotic (maybe due to me listening at 1.8x) so I switched to digital print for the final 20% - much better.

#readingoceania24

BarbaraBB Sounds good indeed, a subject I know little about. 1mo
Lindy I recently DNFed an audiobook because the narrator sounded like AI. I investigated Karie Richards and she is a real person… and I just don‘t like her voice at any speed. (I did experiment with playback speed.) 1mo
Librarybelle Something not really talked about in the history books in the US…I didn‘t know about this until I took college history courses. 1mo
Suet624 Ugh. How sad. 1mo
Hooked_on_books I realize how much privilege being an American has provided me, but too often I am embarrassed by the choices my country has made. So many bad choices during the nuclear testing era. 1mo
60 likes5 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
A Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth
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I loved Part One of A Suitable Boy and I‘m so glad that @Lindy encouraged me to pick it up this year.

Main discussion is on Lindy‘s thread, but I‘m really enjoying being sent down lots of rabbit-holes with all of the new-to-me words and customs, particularly with regard to food and drink. Nimbu Pani sounds delicious!

https://www.bonappetit.com/story/nimbu-pani

CatMS "A Suitable Boy" has been on my shelves since it was first published, a gift from my sister-in-law, have been wanting to read it, maybe it is time to do so. 1mo
Lindy @CatMS please join us! We are reading one part each and each part is only about 70 pages, so it shouldn‘t take long to catch up. We are just discussing part 1 this weekend. Use the #SuitableBoy2024 to find more 1mo
Lindy I‘ve been going down food research rabbit holes too. I‘ve got sesame seeds on my counter, waiting to be made into gajak. 😊 1mo
See All 8 Comments
squirrelbrain Yes, do join us @CatMS - I was very intimidated by it (hence why it‘s been on my shelves for many years) but so far it seems like it‘s going to be a wonderful read. 1mo
kassandrik It is freezing cold here, in Finland, so I skipped grocery shopping for black salt for time being, but I am planning to share my own Nimbu pani soon ❤️ 1mo
jlhammar It really does sound delicious! 1mo
squirrelbrain Looking forward to seeing what you make! @Lindy @kassandrik 1mo
LeahBergen I‘ve always wanted to try this drink after reading about it in this (and other Indian) books! 1mo
57 likes8 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
In Memoriam | Alice Winn
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My day is all booked…

Hubby has gone out for the day, but made me a real fire before he went, so this afternoon I shall settle down with these two books. (Plus, of course, I have others on the go on various digital platforms). M&S we‘re giving away free chocolate today - perfect timing! 😃

Before that it‘s a spot of ironing and cleaning, whilst listening to Sunburn.

All of the above books are eligible for / rumoured for the Women‘s Prize.

Librarybelle Sounds like a lovely day! 1mo
Crazeedi Sounds like the perfect day in my mind, good books and chocolate cozied up by a fire in a comfy chair! Enjoy 1mo
TrishB Fabulous day planned 😘 enjoy. 1mo
See All 10 Comments
youneverarrived Sounds lovely, enjoy 😘 1mo
TheLudicReader Bliss. 1mo
julesG Enjoy your day! 1mo
MicheleinPhilly Heavenly! 1mo
BarbaraBB That sounds fantastic and well deserved! Enjoy ❤️ 1mo
Deblovestoread Enjoy your day! Hoping to see In Memoriam on the list. 1mo
LeahBergen Perfect day!! 1mo
67 likes10 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
Squirrel Says Thank You | Mary Manz Simon
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What a lovely surprise Diane! @Crazeedi ❤️

Of course, you *had* to make me a squirrel card when you found the paper in your supplies! 🤣

I love all of the stickers too!

I‘ll write back soon….

Crazeedi I think of you often Helen, hugs 1mo
Megabooks How nice!! (edited) 1mo
AmyG Hahahaha Helen, I always think of you when I see a squirrel item…..thanks, Litsy. What a lovely card! (edited) 1mo
squirrelbrain That‘s so funny! 🤣 @AmyG 🐿️ 1mo
57 likes4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
A Pattern of Islands | Arthur Grimble
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Pickpick

The Gilbert and Ellice Islands were part of the British Empire from 1892 to 1976. The Gilberts include #kiribati and the Ellice Islands became #tuvalu, so I‘m using this book for both prompts for #readingoceania24.

Arthur Grimble was sent to the islands in 1914 as a colonial administrator and I was worried that the book would be very ‘colonial‘ but, although there were a few concerning tales, it seems as though he became very respected ⬇️

squirrelbrain …and an expert in the traditions and language. The book started off quite dry, but soon became rather fascinating and I may even try the sequel. I‘d also like to have learned more about his young wife, and the four babies (all girls!) she had while they were stationed there. 2mo
Librarybelle Good find! 2mo
BarbaraBB Wow. An unexpected surprise! 2mo
59 likes3 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Elen‘s husband has left her, she‘s drinking heavily and she‘s just been kicked out of her house when she meets 4 wealthy English teenagers who spend their lives skiing whilst squatting in empty Air BnBs.

Apparently early blurbs over-hyped this to be a mix of Secret History and White Lotus but, fortunately they‘ve dialled back from that, as it‘s nothing of the sort.

For the most part I found it quite interesting, hence the light pick ⬇️

squirrelbrain …but, once again, we get a ‘nothing‘ ending that just fizzles out. It reminded me quite a lot of Cline‘s The Guest. With unlikeable characters, they either need their comeuppance or they need to turn REALLY bad at the end, not just fade away. Both books almost had really interesting commentary on wealth and class, but neither followed it through to a satisfactory conclusion. I did prefer this one to The Guest though. (edited) 2mo
squirrelbrain #netgalley Published on 1st Feb in the UK. 2mo
Soubhiville Excellent review! 2mo
See All 12 Comments
MicheleinPhilly I hated The Guest‘s ending. HATED IT! 2mo
Megabooks Great review! Not sure I‘m sold on it, though. 💜 not a fan on The Guest! 2mo
Megabooks @MicheleinPhilly same, same!!! 2mo
squirrelbrain Yes, I hated The Guest‘s ending too @Megabooks @MicheleinPhilly - this one was almost the same, but I felt like the rest of the book before it had a *little* bit more to say. I was torn between a pick and a so-so for this, so I probably wouldn‘t bother reading it. 2mo
Hooked_on_books Thanks for this review, as I‘ll definitely be avoiding this book! 2mo
Caroline2 Couldn‘t agree more re endings. They need to get their comeuppance or turn really bad. Authors seem to be shying away from committing lately. Really annoying!!! 2mo
quietlycuriouskate I've got Squirrel Mail! Thank you, Helen ❤️ 2mo
squirrelbrain They do, don‘t they @Caroline2 - it shouldn‘t be allowed to NOT finish writing a book properly! 2mo
squirrelbrain You‘re welcome @quietlycuriouskate ! 2mo
70 likes12 comments
review
squirrelbrain
post image
Pickpick

Most of the books I‘ll be reading for #readingoceania24 will be fairly serious and / or non-fiction so I thought I‘d go for something different for #antarctica.

There are many other similar books - grumpy or sad person finds happiness due to cute animal / cute child / found family, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It stayed just on the right side of twee, even if it was a little bit on the far-fetched side.

Librarybelle This sounds adorable! 2mo
quietlycuriouskate Did Veronica irritate you as much as she did me? (Or do I just have an insufficiency of penguins in my life? 🤔🐧) 2mo
squirrelbrain She irritated me a little bit @quietlycuriouskate but maybe not as much as you! But, whilst penguins are very cute, they stink of fish so I don‘t think you need them in your life, or your house. 🐧 2mo
See All 6 Comments
Leniverse It landed on the wrong side of twee for me. Just made me grumpy 😂 @quietlycuriouskate If you want more penguins in your life I suggest 2mo
quietlycuriouskate @Leniverse "darkly funny and ominous"? Stacked! 2mo
64 likes6 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
A Suitable Boy | Vikram Seth
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I‘m ready to go with our #buddyread! @Lindy @KathyR

I know it‘s not for another week, but a girl has to be prepared!

Each section looks quite achievable, I think. Hubby is quite scared by it, though - he said ‘What on earth is that?!‘ 🤣 ‘Just a little light reading, darling‘

RaeLovesToRead This is on my TBR 2mo
RaeLovesToRead You guys read a lot faster than me, but if you'll be posting it may encourage me to pick it up 2mo
JamieArc That‘s such a pretty edition! 2mo
See All 20 Comments
julesG 😮 What a doorstopper! 2mo
LeeRHarry I loved this - hope you do too. 😊 2mo
BarbaraBB “ What on earth is that?”🤣🤣 it‘s such a good book though, enjoy! 2mo
Lindy Hasn‘t he seen a big book before? 😂 When A Suitable Boy first came out, at 1349 pages, according to the Guardian it was the longest book ever published in English up until then. 2mo
Lindy @RaeLovesToRead Our reading pace will be about 10 pages per day. Join us! 2mo
RaeLovesToRead @Lindy I might read along with you! 😊 It's the longest book on my TBR and I've heard it's awesome 2mo
Leftcoastzen I‘m very tempted to join you all. It‘s hard sometimes to do Chunksters solo 2mo
jlhammar Seeing your preparation has motivated me to join you! I‘ll have to pull my copy off the shelf this weekend. 2mo
RebelReader I‘m tempted to join this as well, but I don‘t actually own a copy. I bet my local bookstore has it though. 😂 2mo
Lindy @Leftcoastzen I feel the same way about chunksters. I prefer either audio format or buddy reading to get me through a long book. 2mo
Lindy @jlhammar yay Jamie! 2mo
Lindy @RebelReader it would be great to have you join us 😊🍀 2mo
JuniperWilde I loved this book i 2mo
squirrelbrain It‘s slightly longer (in pages) than my copy of War and Peace @Lindy 2mo
squirrelbrain Hooray! @RaeLovesToRead @Leftcoastzen @jlhammar - Looking forward to reading with you all. @RebelReader - we‘re starting next Saturday so you have time to get to the bookstore! 😃 2mo
youneverarrived 😂😂 I‘ll look forward to seeing what you think. There was a BBC adaptation on a few years ago which I loved. 2mo
Reggie You‘ll get so immersed in it. I love this book so much. Good luck! 2mo
67 likes4 stack adds20 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Untitled | Unknown
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Pickpick

Not in the database and I can‘t log on right now to add it.

This is set on an unnamed island where a mix of French and English is spoken - I figured out it‘s somewhere in The Channel Islands as that‘s the only place where ormers (similar to oysters are found).

It‘s a coming age story, to,d by a young Roses, who lives with her three older triplet brothers. One of them goes missing and it has something to do with their weird landlord.

squirrelbrain It has quite a gothic feel and I‘m not usually a huge fan of gothic books, but this wasn‘t *too* gothic for me. If you liked Book of Goose and similar books I think you‘ll like this. 2mo
BookwormM You had me at gothic 🤣🤣stacked 2mo
Crazeedi A very cool cover 2mo
62 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Greta and Valdin | Rebecca Reilly
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Pickpick

Loved this! Greta and Valdin are twenty-something siblings negotiating life, love and their bonkers Māori/ Russian / Catalan family. It‘s weird, snarky but warm and a tiny little bit sad in places. I can see why it was your favourite book of 2023 @CarolynM and why you loved it so much too @Centique .

You‘re in for a treat Emma @Oryx (if you haven‘t already read it yet!)

#netgalley #greta&valdin Published in the UK on 8th Feb

squirrelbrain This would work really well for #readingoceania24 #newzealand as it has a strong Māori focus - I‘d already read a New Zealand book before this though. @BarbaraBB @Librarybelle 2mo
squirrelbrain I think you‘d both like this @TrishB @MicheleinPhilly 2mo
MicheleinPhilly I see I‘ve already stacked it! 2mo
See All 16 Comments
squirrelbrain When is it out in the US @MicheleinPhilly ? Of course, you can get it on UK Kindle too…. 2mo
charl08 Penguin have a competition to win their new books by first-time authors including this. I've entered...🤞🤞🤞 2mo
TrishB Oh sounds good 👍🏻 2mo
squirrelbrain Oh I saw that article on LinkedIn @charl08 but didn‘t realise there was a competition…. I‘ve entered now, needless to say! I‘ve read The List of Suspicious Things and loved it, and I‘ve *just* started Jaded. 2mo
charl08 @squirrelbrain dammit I should have kept quiet... 🤣🤣🤣 2mo
squirrelbrain I‘ll share with you if I win! @charl08 😃 2mo
Librarybelle Awesome!! 2mo
BarbaraBB Oow this sounds lovely! 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures I am reading this now I love all of the characters! I am only 50 pages in so it is good to see others enjoying it! 2mo
ChaoticMissAdventures @squirrelbrain us release last I checked was mid May. 2mo
Oryx Page 257 - and I'm loving it too 2mo
squirrelbrain It took me a few chapters to get into it @ChaoticMissAdventures so if you‘re already loving it, it‘s only going to get better! 2mo
Centique Im so glad you enjoyed it! 2mo
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review
squirrelbrain
On Fragile Waves | E. Lily Yu
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Pickpick

This was a heart-wrenching novel about Firuzeh and her family who leave Afghanistan with the ‘help‘ of people-traffickers, hoping to reach a better life in Australia.

I read this for #readingoceania24 #nauru as the family spend some time in a Detention Centre on the island whilst they are processed by the Australian government. Whilst only about a 1/4 of the book, this was by far the most impactful part. 😞

Librarybelle This does sound heart wrenching! 2mo
BarbaraBB A heavy read I think 2mo
LeeRHarry Is this book going to make me angry? Probably. Sounds like a good one though. 2mo
squirrelbrain Yes, pretty much @LeeRHarry - there‘s a few Australian characters portrayed in a negative light, whether being outwardly racist, uncaring or even well-meaning but useless. It‘s also billed as magical realism, but it‘s not. (One of the characters talks to a ghost.) It‘ll make you angry, but sad too. 2mo
Centique Wow this sounds very good. I have already stacked it but must get to it soon. 2mo
71 likes5 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Mobility | Lydia Kiesling
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Pickpick

After a few Littens were ambivalent about this #litsyToB24 book, I went into it worried that I wouldn‘t like it but I really enjoyed it. It‘s billed of a coming of age story but, although the MC‘s childhood travelling around the world as an embassy brat was unusual, it felt more to me like the story of an ‘ordinary‘ woman.

I felt like I could relate to the not knowing your place in the world or at work, and never quite feeling like a grown-up!

BarbaraBB Great review Helen! I liked this one a lot too. 2mo
TrishB This one is expensive isn‘t it! 2mo
Megabooks Yay! Glad you enjoyed it, too! 2mo
See All 12 Comments
JamieArc This sounds like something I‘d really like. Looking forward to it. 2mo
squirrelbrain It‘s very expensive here @TrishB - and not in any library systems / subscription services either. I ended up buying a used copy (although it looks new) from Abebooks for (d0, including postage from the US. It was good, but not worth the UK price! 2mo
TrishB I‘ll wait 😘 2mo
charl08 @squirrelbrain @trishb me too. Sounds good though! 2mo
TrishB Hoping it will appear on kindle! 2mo
sarahbarnes Glad to see your review! I am going to give it a try. 2mo
Leniverse @TrishB Yes, I'm going to pass on the books where the only option is a £25 hardcover. I won't have the time to read all the ToB books in time for the voting anyway. So the price makes for a natural selection. 2mo
TrishB @Leniverse only authors I collect will get (d5 spent on them! But the prices are going up and up. 2mo
Chelsea.Poole Glad this worked for you! 2mo
76 likes12 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

Ruth owns a bookshop in the very south of the South Island of #newzealand and has also had a very varied life.

I struggled to connect at first, as Ruth had a tough life, and keeps running away from her grief, but tells her story in a very matter-of- fact way, which gave her story quite a distant feel. However, later in the book, it is easier to feel closer to her and I loved her ‘Tales from the Bookshop‘ inserts.

#readingoceania24

squirrelbrain There were some obvious editing errors though…. How about this one? @oryx, you‘ll like this! ‘When my sister and I were in Dublin, we went to the Crown Hotel - the oldest pub in Northern Ireland‘ 😬 I‘m sure there were some other continuity errors too, but listening on audio makes it difficult to go back and double-check. 2mo
Librarybelle The idea of a bookstore at the edge of the world sounds interesting, but editing issues would bother me. 2mo
TrishB That‘s a bad one. 2mo
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MicheleinPhilly Yikes. 2mo
rockpools Ouch! I mean I‘d read it for the title alone, but… 2mo
BarbaraBB That‘s a reason to not read it! 2mo
Oryx @squirrelbrain I have this book as well - need to get round to reading it! I'll try to ignore that error!! Funny as I'm in New Zealand now 🌞 2mo
squirrelbrain Ooh, I didn‘t know you were there @Oryx - summer time of course for you! 😃 2mo
Oryx @squirrelbrain I'm not sad to be missing January. 😁 2mo
74 likes1 stack add9 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Mehso-so

This book has an interesting structure-a group of tenants meet on the rooftop of their apartment building at the start of the COVID lockdown to tell each other stories, with each character‘s voice secretly written by a famous author.

Unfortunately this didn‘t quite work for me; a lot of the stories weren‘t written in the way that people speak and there were more duds than diamonds.

I didn‘t see the ending though and that did elevate it a bit ⬇️

squirrelbrain But it says something that I couldn‘t really be bothered to go back and figure out who had written which character (the ‘secret‘ authors are revealed at the end). Also, don‘t read this if you don‘t like ‘pandemic‘ books - it‘s VERY pandemic-y. (edited) 2mo
squirrelbrain @tamra - I don‘t think they quite pulled it off. 😬 2mo
Tamra Oh shoot! 😟 The idea is such a fun one. 2mo
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Ruthiella Agree with @Tamra that this is such a great concept! Like a modern Decameron. Pity it is a dud. 2mo
BarbaraBB That is too bad, the premise sounds great! 2mo
BookwormM But I love Atwood so I will still be giving in a go when the library get it 🤣🤣 2mo
72 likes2 stack adds6 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
James: A Novel | Percival Everett
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Look what I just got from #netgalley!

I applied for it several months ago, and hadn‘t heard anything so I assumed it was a no-go.

I think I‘ll re-read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn first as I haven‘t read that since I was a child.

Are you jealous?! @BarbaraBB 🤣

TrishB Cool 👍🏻 2mo
BarbaraBB Yes Helen, I am 🤣!! 2mo
jlhammar Lucky! 2mo
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Erinreadsthebooks I taught Huck Finn for years, so I am reallllllllly looking forward to this one! Can‘t wait to hear what you think of both books. 2mo
Ruthiella Congratulations! 👏👏👏 2mo
Bookboss I‘m looking forward to this one! 2mo
Tamra Anxious for your review! 2mo
batsy How cool! I too am thinking of reading Huckleberry Finn again before I attempt this (I remember really disliking Huck Finn so I'm not looking forward to my own assigned homework 🤣) 2mo
SamAnne You lucky dawg! 2mo
Megabooks Lucky!! 2mo
Megabooks He‘s coming to Parnassus 3/25, and I want to go but have to be in Indianapolis 3/28, so I think it‘s too much. They‘re in opposite directions. (edited) 2mo
squirrelbrain Oh no, that‘s a shame! @Megabooks 😔 2mo
65 likes12 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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My last 2 books arrived for #litsyToB24, one yesterday and one today.

I had to order both from the US, as I couldn‘t get them here in the UK (well, I could but they were each well over (d8) ?

I went for used copies in both cases, which I‘m kind of glad about as recent reviews have been less than stellar on both of them. ?

However, I‘m going in with a positive mindset and hopefully I‘ll love them both!

Megabooks I loved both so hopefully you will, too! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 2mo
BarbaraBB Two very interesting reads 2mo
Hooked_on_books I finished the Park today and I enjoyed it. It‘s odd and I don‘t really get how it all hangs together, but I really liked the humor in it. 2mo
67 likes3 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

My first book for #readingoceania24 and it‘s a great one! I learned a lot about the people and culture of Oceanic islands.

My favourite quote: we are a ‘Sea of Islands rather than islands in a far sea‘.

I‘m using this for #tonga, and it would also work for #papuanewguinea or #fiji.

Thank you so much for sending it to me, Holly, and I enjoyed reading along with you. I‘m so lucky that you sent me two books that I would never otherwise have read.

BarbaraBB What a great kick-off! 2mo
Librarybelle Hooray!! 2mo
Hooked_on_books Hooray! I‘m glad you liked it! I give so much credit to Basically Books for stocking this book for me to find. I thought it was terrific, too. What a great way of looking at Oceania he had. 2mo
squirrelbrain Such a good book to read first for this challenge @Hooked_on_books 2mo
69 likes4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
Swimming Home: A Novel | Deborah Levy
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Pickpick

Thank you for sending this to me Katie @youneverarrived - I loved it!

This is only the third book that I‘ve read by this author but now I want to read her whole backlist, particularly the non-fiction. I don‘t think it‘s as weird / trippy as Hot Milk but I certainly didn‘t see the ending coming.

I also loved the setting - Nice and its environs - you could really feel the sultry heat.

Megabooks Stacking! 2mo
BarbaraBB I enjoyed this too 2mo
youneverarrived So glad you liked it! She writes settings so well doesn‘t she? They always shine through. I still haven‘t read it yet but will move it up the tbr. I‘m going to read her first autobiography once I‘ve finished reading my current books. 2mo
62 likes2 stack adds3 comments
blurb
squirrelbrain
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I was going to read the tagged #netgalley #arc next, but not sure I can cope with this.

Each ‘chapter‘ is only a few paragraphs long (also annoying in its own way!) and this sentence appears at every chapter change, so it‘s there 2 or 3 times on every page…. 😠

I‘ll delete it and download it again - if it‘s still the same I‘m giving up.

MicheleinPhilly Not to mention that paragraph is laughably bad. 2mo
squirrelbrain I hadn‘t even read the paragraph @MicheleinPhilly 🤣 - hmmm might just decide not to read this one…. It does sound a bit of a ‘millennial‘ book. 🤔 2mo
rockpools Oh for goodness sake! Why put out an ARC if it‘s unreadable? Although @MicheleinPhilly is right - maybe they don‘t actually *want* you to read on! 2mo
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MicheleinPhilly @squirrelbrain @rockpools Like WTF is a “life couch”? Is that what you lie on when you‘re talking to your life coach? 🥴 #dadjokes 2mo
Megabooks Yikes! 2mo
squirrelbrain I looked up life couch on Google and it said ‘Are you sure you don‘t mean life coach?‘ 🤣 There is such a thing, apparently, but v obscure and it means a couch where you think about life decisions. Or maybe I‘m not twenty two anymore more….. 🤷‍♀️ @MicheleinPhilly @rockpools 2mo
Birdsong28 Email Allen and Ullwin as they might have a better copy as I had an issue with an arc once and I emailed the publisher and they sent me another one. To be honest it was one they sent me via email so I knew who to contact but it might be worth asking. 📚📖 2mo
squirrelbrain Thanks @Birdsong28 - a similar thing happened recently with Wellness and I deleted it, re-downloaded it and it was fine. I‘m not sure I even want to read this one now though, after reading that first paragraph! 🤣 2mo
Hooked_on_books Wow, that would drive me crazy! 2mo
CarolynM I assume you didn‘t bother with this in the end. Probably a good decision, it is, indeed, a “millennial” book. 2d
squirrelbrain No I didn‘t @CarolynM - I kept seeing great reviews for it, so I was torn but it sounds like I made the right choice! 2d
56 likes11 comments