Welcome to Litsy!

#ReadingAfrica update: 10 countries, with a mix of history, mystery, human rights, colonization issues, feminism, family.

This was my #Egypt book for #ReadingAfrica2022: I gave it a good try, and it is well written, but too complex as an audiobook. It describes the rise to power of Haphepshut, a consort and regent in patriarchal ancient Egypt, who unusually became Pharoah, navigating complex gender and family roles and power conflicts. I found the core issues intriguing, as well as reading about an unfamiliar history.
#Nonfiction2022 #Rulebreaker
#Booked2022 #Royal

I‘m calling my #bookspinbingo for the month, though I hope to also finish the tagged book today. A couple of bingos as well as my #Bookspin and #Doublespin, though I was hoping to knock out a few more But next: It‘s #Spooktober, my fave reading month of the year. List to follow soon! 🎃

#WindsofMarch @Eggs
Prompt: International Women's Day

In response to @ljuliel 's query about historical book preferences, I don't seek out historical fiction/NF history in particular (I like to read books written during the time period rather than modern books looking back), but I do have some individual books that I love. The tagged book, Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels about Gettysburg, and Nathaniel Philbrick's Mayflower are a few favorites.

#KeepLitsyActive #historybooks

#kindledeal #kindledeals #ebooksale

It's not entirely author Kara Cooney's fault, but there's really not enough here for a full book. The historical record on Hapshepsut, the woman king of Egypt who ruled alongside her nephew (her brother/husband's son with another woman) is slim, so Cooney does a lot of "might have" and "could have" educated guesswork to attempt to bring this ancient ruler out of obscurity. Fascinating stuff, but frustrating reading experience.

Super fascinating. Really enjoyed this. 🎧

This was a good read and I learned a lot. I appreciate that the author is honest about a lot of the book being conjecture, and while it‘s really slow in parts, I like that the author takes time to point out the facts, the assumptions, the guesses, and her conjectures. It‘s a fascinating and saddening tale of how difficult it was (and is) for women to hold power, and provides an interesting look at Egyptian history and historical record. 3.8/5

@CouronneDhiver You could win! http://dailyhive.com/vancouver/ancient-female-pharaoh-royal-bc-museum

Another generous #giveaway This one to celebrate @Wanderingwithwords milestone. #wwwmilestonega To enter post the top three books on your TBR.

This wasn‘t as good as I‘d hoped. I enjoyed learning about how Hatchepsut became Pharaoh & it was fascinating to read about her vast building projects & how she gradually masculinized her image to legitimize her position. But I was frustrated with repetitive writing & poor organization. The author repeatedly undercut her arguments with “perhaps” & “maybe,” presenting an interpretation & backpedaling, effectively saying nothing five different ways!

Annnnnd, now that I‘m caught up on my Litsy-ing, maybe I can catch up and get 60 pages of this one finished today! So far, I‘ve found this biography of Hatshepsut interesting but a little repetitive. Also: holy incest, Batman!!

This is my library‘s book club pick for March, pictured here with my husband‘s Egypt books and my awesome button from the British Museum.

The librarian said this was a last-minute substitution... she suddenly realized March was Women‘s History month and her initial pick for March featured a serial killer who targeted women. 🔪👱🏼‍♀️🚫😂 Good call on picking a different book!

I‘m interested to read this one instead... has anyone else read it?

Hey! we're Espresso Patronum and Tea-Riffic. I, Tea-Riffic, and currently reading this book and it's really good. Please check out our blog at www.thereadngcafe.blogspot.com

I enjoyed this biography of ancient Egypt's female Pharoah Hatshepsut. There's little information about her, but this book was engaging nonetheless. #setinthemiddleeast #maybookflowers

It took me a really long time to listen to this book. I had picked it up because I am a fan of Wilbur Smith, Pauline Gedge, Michelle Moran, etc. I got a really academic read, which is likely my fault. Throughout the book, the author repeats herself A LOT, which got irritating after a while. All in all, maybe a better pick for someone seeking a drier read.

New #bookreview at www.theirregularreaderblog.wordpress.com! The Woman Who Would be King details the rise of Hapsetshut, ancient Egypt's only female Pharoah!

"Hatshepsut has the misfortune to be antiquity's female leader who did everything right, a woman who could attach her wit and energy to a task so seamlessly that she made no waves of discontent that have been recorded.
For Hatshepsut, all that endured were the remnants of her success, props for later kings who never had to give her the credit she deserved"

#RiotGrams #BlackHistory

At first I didn't think that I would have anything for today's #readjanuary. That'll teach me to underestimate my collection! Didn't even have space for metaphorical #royals or royal-adjacent. 💕📚💕

This book did that thing where at the end you're like, "wait, tell me more about that!" It had its ups and downs. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I weren't rushing to finish #ReadHarder.

Hatshepsut was an impressive woman. She had all the skills, did all the right things, said all the right things, paid all the right people and it did her no good at all. Judging by recent events, the world has learned no lessons in the +2000 years since.

Don't biographies usually end at the death of the person? Why are there still two hours left in this audiobook?

I'm really struggling with this one. Non-fiction just really isn't my genre.

Hatshepsut is plotting to take over the ancient world and I'm just here drinking tea and writing a to do list.

Happy Sunday all!

"For Hatshepsut, all that endured were the remnants of her success, props for later kings who never had to give her the credit she deserved"

I thought reading about ancient Egypt would be escapism. I. Was. Wrong. There's no escaping this nightmare.

#NonfictionNovember

#BookMail Ordered this last week.

It's my #ReadHarder biography and my #BustleReads non-western history and, of course, #NonfictionNovember.

I do have some reservations, but I'm optimistic.

I just got this travel coffee mug from #fabfitfun and when you're 30 wks pregnant with #2, you need an every-day reminder that you might feel like a 🐳, but you're still #gorgeous! Nothing beats a pre-dawn wakeup to squeeze some reading in. #butfirstcoffee

Just starred reading the Woman who would be King by Kara Cooney. great read for any one interested in reading about a woman pharo in ancient Egypt.

"In Egypt, creation was an ongoing process, not a single origin story that happened once at the beginning of history..."

I am super cautious about my nonfiction, but this was a win for me! It had a few repetitive sections, but that seemed to be a stylistic choice. Otherwise it was fascinating! You don't often hear about female kings/queens without scandal or failure. Definitely pick this up!

I'm bailing, finally. I've kept it on my Kindle as a quick e-read to pick up here & there,but...I'm interested but not gripped, curious but not quite satisfied, liking but not loving it. With a busy work schedule and compacted reading life, I'm going to give priority to other books.

Good morning!

I am loving this book immensely. I started it months ago and then lent it to my mom when my dad went in for surgery and she needed something to keep her busy. It's nice to dig back in

This biography gave such detail into the ancient Egyptian world! A fascinating look at a successful (and most likely very smart) woman in power without turning her into a seductress or conniving bitch. Highly recommend for anyone interested in the ancient world. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really love learning about ancient Egypt, and Hatshepsut in all her enigmatic and mysterious glory is one of the highlights. You get all the awesome info you want, plus more, without getting super bogged down in technical drudgery. It's actually quite a fun nonfiction title to read.

In middle school I had a pet goldfish named after Hatshepsut, so I've always been interested in this fascinating Pharaoh. I enjoyed getting a deeper perspective on her story in this book. Recommended.

I can't find a single section less than 300 characters to quote but this entire paragraph is amazing! The authors preface is already blowing me away 💗

I love discussions of the uses of symbolism and power--especially when they're being used subversively.

Reading this for my Women's Lives Book Club, and it's pretty good so far (about 1/5 in). While some folks have been put off by the author's constant hedging of things with "We can't know for certain," I appreciate the difficulty of seeking narrative when you don't have much history to help you.

Read for Rachel Syme's WLClub. Hatshepsut came alive in this book. Dr.Cooney told her story with grace and a deep knowledge of her subjects, even though she was quite repetitive at times.

If a woman does not renounce ambition for ambition's sake, she will be viewed as two faced or selfish, her actions fueled by ulterior motives.