Welcome to Litsy!

August bookclub choice, enjoying the voice of the precocious Mattie Ross.

What a wonderful book borrowed from the library, I plan to buy a copy to keep for re-reading.

Donna Tartt's narration of this classic is excellent. I would recommend this title to anyone who loves character-driven stories, historical fiction, or the American west. True to it's name, the book is a gritty adventure story, told from the perspective of 14-year old Mattie Ross, a girl seeking vengeance for the murder of her father. I think pretty much anyone who picks up this book could enjoy it!

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs

Today is National Book Lovers Day. For those like me who still can't see any images when using the Litsy app, the prompt is to open a book, turn to a random page, and share a sentence.

Tagged book, page 81: "I do not know to this day why they let a wool-hatted crank like Owen Hardy preach the service."

Tag @RaeLovesToRead @AmyG @IndoorDame @IuliaC @BarbaraBB @CBee @dabbe and anyone else who wants to join in!

Nice New Yorker article on my (co-) favorite writer of all time.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/04/17/charles-portis-books

Well, this is a phenomenal book & all I can say is better late then never. I have no idea why it took me so long to read this master class in character, dialog, & sense of place. It is impossible to read the first paragraph & not fall in love with Mattie Ross, to not want to journey with her as she sets off to avenge her father‘s murder, & to not marvel at this wonder of a book. I expect this will become a regular reread for me. I loved it.

This is one of those rare instances when I‘ve seen the movie but haven‘t read the book…time to fix that.

☑️ I rarely read westerns but I loved True Grit and Lonesome Dove.
☑️🔎🕵️📚
☑️ I like watching the detective solve the mystery and I especially like ones involving libraries, bookstores, or books.
☑️ The cover. I‘ve bought several books because the cover was so beautiful.
#ThoughtfulThursday

I was surprised to learn that in the 1970s True Grit was regularly taught in schools alongside Twain and Whitman and all the other established classics. It makes sense, though; Portis pulls off a narrative tour de force here. Mattie Ross is one of my favorite MCs ever, a figure of unwavering self-assuredness and almost Biblical wrath wrapped up in the package of a 14-year-old girl bent on avenging her father's death.

I bought the tagged book on Friday at Gatsby‘s Books in Long Beach. It‘s a nice quiet used book shop…with a cat named Ruby!

I‘ve read the book but haven‘t seen either version of the movie. #beginswith #true

#beginswith #true saw both versions of the movie , I really should read the book!

I quite enjoyed Donna Tartt‘s narration of this book. She really brought the characters to life. Surprisingly, at least for me, there were some very humorous parts in the story. I can definitely see myself reading this one again. 4/5⭐️

True Grit-ty

I have to admit I only read this for a reading challenge but I was pleasantly surprised! I enjoyed Mattie Ross‘ bold, blunt, no-frills attitude. She‘s definitely one of the more memorable protagonists I‘ve read.

... and this also happens to work for today‘s #ForeverNovember prompt! #StartsWithT

#PopSugar2020 A Western

So I‘m not normally a huge fan of westerns, but wow! I was so intrigued by Mattie Ross - What a badass! I feel like I missed something in the audio, so now I want to go back and read the physical book. #NWC

With the start of November finally here.... who is starting one of these Westerns today?

Everyone is welcome in our groups. We would love to have you, if you are interested!

#NWC

@ElizaMarie @AsYouWish @jb72

Hello Littens and #NWC group. Here are the books for November for our Western genre. You are more than welcome to read one or all.

Everyone is welcome in our groups! We would love to have you.

@ElizaMarie @AsYouWish @jb72

Well it lived up its reputation. We all know the tale, a 14 year old girl hires the services of a US Marshal to pursue her fathers killer into the territories , being Indian land largely without laws accompanied by a Texas Ranger who has his own reason for hunting the killer. Evocatively written, Mattie as narrator has a distinctive voice which manages to evoke a time, place with characters who at times are larger than life, whilst very human.

A day late but I appreciate the tag @TheSpineView ! #wondrouswednesday

1) I don‘t know but when I was a teenager I was told by lots of people that I reminded them of Mattie Ross from True Grit. I have no idea if it was meant kindly. 🧐

2) Work, unfortunately. Then family (including the cat) and plans for the future. Can‘t retirement get here faster?

3) Touch.

Tonights bathtub read brought you by a young girl with lots of pluck and a cagey US Marshall who she talks into helping her bring the man who murdered her father to justice. Excellent book full of heart and adventure. 🐎🐎🐎🐎

1 Lonesome Dove

2 Pony Express

3 True Grit

#SundayFunDay @ozma.of.oz

😥 RIP. True Grit was sooo good.

I don‘t know if I would call this a good book. It‘s certainly dated, but Mattie‘s voice is distinctive, if not likeable. I probably won‘t ever pick it up again, and you could probably get away with watching the John Wayne movie and having more fun. I do, however, recommend Donna Tartt‘s afterward, which helped me see why some people do really love this book. ⭐️⭐️

Settling in for the night.

Grabbed a copy of True Grit (set in Arkansas) in this sweet little bookshop in Eureka Springs, Arkansas on our road trip. I love getting books as souvenirs.

Just got back from the library. Oops. #sorrynotsorry #mounttbr #librarylove #cantstopwontstop

I feel as though I frequently wish books were shorter but this is the rare case that I really wanted another hundred pages of Mattie and Rooster. #mrbook1inamillion #24b4monday #litstypartyofone

All of my adulting is done for the day so I am ready to settle in with a snack and finish this book. 70 pages in and I cannot believe it took me so long to pick this book up. #mrbook1inamillion #24b4monday #litsypartyofone

This morning before work I put together a tentative stack for #litsypartyofone #mrbook1inamillion knowing there was no way I would actually stick to it. True to form all of my library holds have been coming in all day and my Netgalley shelf is suddenly over flowing. The good news is I will have lots to choose from!

An old school western, this book. Raving reviews everywhere but I wasn‘t pulled in for one minute. I couldn‘t connect to the plot, the setting or the characters. Well, at least I can tick off #Arkansas for the #ReadingUSA2019 challenge!

I have heard people say this book was funny, or as engaging as Huck Finn. I thought it was ok, I am not a big fan of westerns, not was I a big fan of Huck Finn.

“I will go further and say all cats are wicked, though often useful. Who has not seen Satan in their sly faces?” 😼

Mattie has some very strong opinions on kittehs, to be sure. Not sure she‘s entirely wrong 😹

Had to put this quote over an old photo of Tilney - cause it does look like he‘s plotting something... #catsoflitsy

I‘m pretty lucky with the letter “T”
#alphabetbookishquiz @RealLifeReading

I'm starting to realize that I have an awful lot of books that are nearly finished. This is my third one today. One thing about this one... Do not read this right after watching The Hateful Eight. I kept expecting everyone to get their heads blown off. Otherwise, my RBG action figure thinks you should read this. If you haven't. We may be late to the party.

#bookclub

Really enjoyed it. I like how Portis turns the typical Western trop and has the main narrator be a 14 year-old female. Love the Cohen brothers adaptation as well. 4 ⭐️ #litsyatoz #lettert #t #weekendreads

Excellent in-flight entertainment.

Books for #24b4monday #readathon

#reread Reading this as #bookcougars are doing a #readalong for this book.

I am not a big fan of Westerns. I have enjoyed a Clint Eastwood film or two, and a novel here and there, but the genre has never captured my imagination. The Book Cougars podcast chose True Grit for this month‘s read along, and I finally decided to give this novel a try. Charles Portis has long been on my radar, since he is so admired by some of my favorite authors. His writing is superb. The characters, setting, and plot are perfectly unified.

I listened to the audio narrated by Donna Tartt. Yep, that Donna Tartt. The Goldfinch/Secret History Donna Tartt.

Now, Tartt is not a great narrator. Accents came and went and you could tell when she would come back from a break because it would take her awhile to figure out the characters‘ voices again.

But she has loved this book with her whole heart since childhood, as detailed in the essay included after, and I appreciated her enthusiasm.

At some point in my youth I placed Westerns in the mental file with Werther's Original under the heading "Stuff Old People Like".

Now I know that genres aren't good or bad, writing is, and this book is a classic for a reason.

I was continually in awe of the way 14-year-old Mattie Ross plowed under every obstacle through sheer unyielding stubbornness in her quest to bring her father's killer to justice.

Teared up a little at the end too.

"This ends my true account of how I avenged Frank Ross' blood over in Choctaw Nation when snow was on the ground."

#LastLine

The Christmas decor has to come down & I‘m just not ready!! 😭😭💕🎄📖💕

This was the first Western I ever read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a short section in the middle that dragged a bit, but the rest was thrilling. And our wise beyond her years hero, 14 year old Mattie, with her deadpan delivery and manner, is so much fun.
If you are wary of Westerns, this would be a great one to start with!

I reckon this is the first western I‘ve ever read! In fact, I know it is!
#ThisIsMyFirstRodeo