Welcome to Litsy!

John Irving definitely had a plan when he wrote this novel. I was intrigued by the title and the plot. It has more religious overtones than I expected. I found some of the characters quite interesting. I laughed in certain situations and felt tears in my eyes in others. Owen and Johnny were best friends and I respected their bond. The chapters carried on forever! I will remember the VW and headmaster story for a long time. I gave a 4.5/5 rating

Gettin‘ real tired of the posts about “Sam Hell”…

Great book, but super long chapters.

30 book recommendations in 30 days...

Day 13: I went through a phase in life where I read this one once a year. Owen Meany is a character that will stay with me for a very long time. I didn't enjoy the adult life sections as much, but overall there is so much to think about with this novel. #30recsin30days

Winterreadathon #winterreadathondailychallenge #Jan2
Amelia Bedelia & Junie B. Jones series had us belly laughing when my son was little- he loved these characters! #
I remember laughing out loud at different points when I read the tagged book.
#funnybooks

#12booksof2022 June pick.Published in 1989 , it quickly became a favorite of many readers .I was an Irving fan , but avoided it.MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE OWEN SPOKE IN CAPS! Maybe it is because this book talks a lot about faith , which I don‘t really have a good relationship with!😄And while I loved it , it is STILL NOT MY FAVORITE IRVING!😄Another factor, sometimes you want a book you deliberately didn‘t read by a fave in case something happens.🤷‍♀️

Everyone seems to rave but it was really just ok to me. Much too long, too much religion and too much political stuff. This really wasn't a highly rated one for me.

#LetterP was the hardest so far in the #alphabetgame because there are so many excellent candidates. In the end, I chose the tagged book because Mary Renault and Jane Austen have already had their moment in the spotlight.

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Pg 423/645... about 65% thru
Things are starting to fall into place... 🤔
I will say I do dislike how long the chapters are.

Hope this is good, I've seen a lot about it. Most people in my groups have had good things to say, but some said it's tedious 🤔

#outlier For many, this book is their favorite Irving , honestly, I put it off.So much church ,SO MANY CAPITAL LETTERS! Owen , the voice, is a great character & so much of life ,loss, & friendship are in these pages .I did love it.Irving never is afraid to show death can come in an unexpected moment, things like the Vietnam war & the political climate can change your life plan & world view. That faith can be inspired from a person & not a church🔽

Reading this , published in 1989.Sometimes the life lessons are in fiction.Americans so often get the Democracy they deserve due to lack of interest .

How could I resist the beautiful kitty?? 😻😻

1. Tagged
2. Littens!
3. May book club selections

#wondrouswednesday

The 10th book towards my target of 50. Every time I read this book, I take away something new, whilst many reviews focus on the religious element of the narrative, this book is so much more to me. Friendship, love and loss are the prevailing factors I feel. This quote sums it up perfectly ‘When someone you love dies, and you're not expecting it, you don't lose her all at once; you lose her in pieces over a long time.‘ Such a beautiful book.

This year I have challenged myself to read 50 books, most of which will be first time reads but this book has to be added to the list. Words can‘t really express how much I adore this book. Picking it up is like a conversation with an old friend. If you haven‘t read it, I highly recommend you do so and soon.

Thanks for the tag, @TheRiehlDeal
It‘s all about what the other person likes/wants to read. If asked to recommend, I respond with questions: fiction or nonfiction? Shorter or chunkier? Are you Ok with sadness or do you need a happy ending? But if the person is open to it, I‘ll recommend:
📚 My Own Country: A Doctor‘s Story
📚 The Worst Hard Time
📚 A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
📚 The Phantom Tollbooth
📚 John Irving, particularly the tagged ❤️❤️

I had no preconceived notions about this book before I read it. It is one that will stick with me for a long time. From the opening sentence, I was hooked. There are humorous moments and tragic moments. It took me quite some time to finish it, but it was well worth it.

“I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice…”

#weeklyforecast this week has some exciting changes. Finished the tagged for book group, and quite enjoyed it (despite it being a bit verbose), and (AGAIN) a narrator I didn‘t particularly like.

Vanishing Half was delivered 3 weeks earlier than expected, and is so good it‘s prevented other progress, which meant playing catch-up on the #NarniaReadalong (AGAIN) this morning.

Morning knitting, reading, and hot chocolate.

#knittersoflitsy

The first paragraph of this book is one of the finest ever written.

Also, Cara Cara oranges are a delight.

Ebook on sale today. This is one I‘ve been wanting for awhile but its length is too much for me in an ebook. But thought I‘d post in case anyone else would like it

This book kept popping up in conversations or random postings. So decided to put it on my list to read for 2021 and I‘m engrossed before first 100 pages. And I have no idea where this story is going!

1) my mother gave me her original 1955 Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindberg,who she greatly admired. I treasure it, torn cover and all.
2 A Prayer for Owen Meany- a bookclub pick- thought I would hate it & never would have read it otherwise. But I laughed & cried...
3) Untamed. She seemed way too narcissistic for me. Never finished it.
Tagging any Litten who wants to participate.
Thanks for the tag @Kdgordon88 !
#wondrouswednesday

My top 15 reads of the year! A Prayer for Owen Meany wins top spot, and has become an all-time favorite. Looking forward to reading more Irving. Wish I hadn‘t waited so long.

Did any of your favorites make my list?!

#bestof2020

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Completed my December #DoubleSpin - there were many moments in which John‘s commentary is suited for today. I‘m glad I finished this novel, but not one I‘ll hang on to for future re-reads...

Book 158 An extremely well-written, character-driven, setting-rich novel. Told ex post facto, through the perspective of his best friend, John Wheelwright, it's a very appropriate read for Christmas-time. About a quarter of the book is political--about the Reagan administration and the Vietnam War-- and requires serious slogging through. It was not an easy read and would benefit from revision, in my opinion, but I highly recommend.

#fridayfeelings

Thanks for the tag @sprainedbrain 🥰

Several books have made me cry, but the two that came to mind first are the tagged and Marley & Me.

Have you played? @Chrissyreadit @TheSpineView

A Prayer For Owen Meany
Of Mice and Men
Tell the Wolves I'm Home
Anxious People

#FridayFeelings
@Cuilin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It‘s impossible to articulate how much I loved this. Owen Meany - tiny, awkward, and shrill - completely imprints on your being. He‘s annoyingly brilliant, unintentionally funny, and just so goddamned endearing and wise. This coming of age, told through the eyes of Meany‘s best friend John, is intricate and absurd. It‘s a story of friendship mostly, but also of conviction and fate. Holy freaking book hangover. A favorite, for sure!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Timely! 😣 This quote refers to the Reagan administration, but could easily be from 2020.

🎧🚶🏼‍♀️ Last soccer practice of the season for my 8 year old! I‘m getting a walk in on the greenway. It‘s a beautiful evening! 🌙

#audiowalk

My October reads! Most of them were audiobooks but I‘m thrilled to have removed Owen Meany from my dust collecting bookshelf! #TBRCrew @jessinikkip @jb73 @AkashaVampie @AsYouWish @AnansiGirl @ElizaMarie @Catherine_Willoughby @MissAimz_55 @Squidgwet @Bookworm54 @katy4peas

After being on my TBR for several years this one took me a solid month to read, but it‘s a chunkster and I think I slowed down at the end because I didn‘t want to know the ending 😢 I‘m definitely a character driven reader and this book may be the most character driven book I‘ve read. So much hype and I was NOT disappointed!

This quote hit me hard! 😂

#wondrouswednesday

Thanks for the tag @TheSpineView

Tagged
I don‘t really do decorations, so instead, an image from one of my fave Halloween movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas by Tim Burton.

My Friday night plans!

I was in a bit of a reading rut this month. I zipped through some shorter books over the weekend and now I‘m making great progress on my current (tagged) read. These are the books that helped me through. ❤️

#TBRCrew @jessinikkip @jb73 @AkashaVampie @AsYouWish @AnansiGirl @ElizaMarie @Catherine_Willoughby @MissAimz_55 @Squidgwet @Bookworm54 @katy4peas

I got the books you sent today and the pretty card! @Soubhiville 🥳🥳 I love birds and I used to have parakeets! @CaliforniaCay this is my book collection so far! I'm ecstatic to say the least. I could cry over the kindnesses done for me. I am beginning to feel more like myself now. Idk who that girl was that had no books. Thx so much 😘😘😘 @chrissyreadit @ruthiella @catiewithac

I'm not much of a re-reader, but #3Books I've reread! We all know how I feel about A Prayer For Owen Meany! 😉

My September TBR pile. Audiobooks TBD, I‘ll probably just wing that! I wish I had more of my personal books in the pile but apparently I have a thing for library books 😂 The tagged book is the one I most look forward to. #TBRCrew @jessinikkip @jb73 @AkashaVampie @AsYouWish @AnansiGirl @ElizaMarie @Catherine_Willoughby @MissAimz_55 @Squidgwet @Bookworm54 @katy4peas

1. CLEANING! No question.
2. I still think about the tagged book from time to time even though it wasn‘t a 5⭐️ read.
3. I‘ve been told (in my thinner days) that I resembled Julia Stiles, so I‘ll go with her.
#wonderouswednesday @Eggs

Or your wife...#bookloverproblems

“I am doomed to remember a boy with a wrecked voice - not because of his voice, or because he was the smallest person I ever knew, or even because he was the instrument of my mother‘s death, but because he is the reason I believe in God; I am a Christian because of Owen Meany.” Re-reading a favourite. Hooks you from the first sentence!