Welcome to Litsy!

LOVED reading about the small village being ravaged by the plague and the difficult decision to close their gates and quarantine themselves from the rest of Derbyshire. The story is based on a real village Eyam and how they handled the Bubonic Plague in 1665-1666.

But oh how I hated the ending. The last 50 pages or so made me mad because they ruined an otherwise beautiful book.

Beginning=5 stars, Ending=2 stars. So overall a So-So from me.

The year is 1665, in the Plague year, modeled on the events in Eyam. Do look it up, history fascinates. The leaders in Eyam had the good sense to fully isolate the city to prevent the spread of disease.

Lots of death, lots of cruelty, lots of bravery too.

Image has symbolic meaning to the events of the novel. IYKYK. 👊🏼🤜🏼🕊️🤛🏼

Historical fiction at its very best! Lyrical writing, vivid imagery, and realistic characters helped place me right in the action of this village quarantined by the Plague in 1666 England. From the point of view of Anna, readers experience the sights, sounds, terrors, and small moments of joy while watching family and neighbors struggle, succumb to illness, hunt witches, and lose faith in God and fellow man. A contender for top of the year for me!

Resting this morning after a trip to see family yesterday and prepping to host the other side tomorrow for another Thanksgiving dinner. 📖 ☕️

Currently reading for book club on Monday. I‘m seriously loving it! Though the subject matter is tough to read, the writing is gorgeous.

What a lovely surprise on a Friday! Thanks from the bottom of my heart, @CBee. You didn't have to do this, but I'm glad you did! This book has been on my TBR since last month when we read our #BookedinTime books from the Restoration Period in England. I'll have to hide the Dr. Seuss bookmark because my husband adores Cat in the Hat! I promise to put the stickers to good use, and where oh where did you get the Pantone postcard? I love it! 💚🤗🩷🤗

I enjoyed the book but didn't love it. A plague that basically takes out an entire small village in the England countryside. I enjoyed the story although I found it got a bit wordy at times. It was interesting to see how people dealt with so much death and being quarantined within their village with no outside sources. The ending seemed kind of random to me.

@Cuilin #BookedInTime

I did end up listening to this one on audio but I‘ve also had a copy sitting on my shelf for a while. I ended up reading this one for #BookedInTime. It was an interesting story based on a true account of the plague hitting a small village in England. The book discussed a lot of what was happening & changing at the time with religion, fear of witches, understanding of disease. #bookspin book

Back home and it's a nice warm evening. Watched our little guy play soccer and now he is tucked in bed - now it's lemonade and a book for me. Slowly getting through this book and I'm enjoying it so far.

#Lemonade #BookAfterSoccer

Last morning getting this view while I read ☹️. Probably won't get much in because we want to get the kiddos into the water one last time before we pack up. Enjoying the book so far - particularly enjoying the time period it is in. It is nice to be reading a book from only one point of view as the last two books I read were both two.

It was a stormy day for the most part so I was able to finish my previous book. Now the skies have cleared and I'll get to enjoy a bit of time outside reading even though it's still quite windy. I'm not sure I'm up for another pandemic like book so quickly after The Pull Of The Stars but I'm going to dive into the tagged book anyways.

#BlackTea #WindyReading #Plague #BookedInTime

First off, it took me taking a pic for this very post to realize the cover was a plague bird mask and not just a random design ???‍♀️

What a great way to learn history-- a strong story and lots of Googling! This was one history "assignment' that I throughly enjoyed ??

Thank you @Cuilin for starting #BookedInTime bc I would've never picked this up on my own and I'm happy to discover this new-to-me author!

#HistoricalFiction

A small village is ravaged by the plague and the stress of it reveals the true nature of those affected. Based on the true events of a village who encircled itself from the world for the greater good. #BookedinTime

The family went out this morning to take out some books from the library for our upcoming trip to the cottage. The kiddos took out a few books each and I'm hoping to get a bit of reading time in for some challenges. The little guy mainly grabbed non-fiction once again - so there will be lots of learning about animals and dinosaurs!

#AuthorAMonth #ReadingTheAmericas2023 #BookedInTime #LibraryHaul #RaisingReaders #KidsBooks #PictureBooks

If any #BookedInTime readers come across "Branks" -- here is the lovely device. I came across this as a punishment to a wife who dared curse her husband in public for his constant drunkenness.

Damn, the 17th century was a harsh time.

"I used to love this season."

#FirstLineFridays
@ShyBookOwl

I never realized, or don't remember at all since history was never a strength for me, that the Puritans ruled in England and the King was exiled. I just remember learning they left for the new world to practice their religion as they saw fit and without persecution.

No wonder why I still have nightmares about it being time for my history final but I somehow managed to never attend class 😂

#BookedInTime

Starting this today for #BookedInTime

Year of Wonders has been on my shelf for years. Looking forward to finally reading it for #BookedinTime.

Gooood morning! Today is UNESCO's World Book Day, a day meant for spreading the love of books & reading. 🥰
What are you reading today?

Good morning 🌞 We have chocolate croissants and vanilla coffees on deck this fine Sunday morning. Lucas and I plan to read for as long as humanly possible, so my goal is to get through these two books.

🍋 Tagged
🍋 W.B.Yeats
🍋You‘ve Got Mail
🍋Youngbloods
🍋Yesterday(Beatles)
#manicMonday #letterY

Very pleased! I even exceeded my goal by 2 books 📚 this year, I‘m hoping to read 250 & write 2! ✍️

This was one of my top reads of 2004. I am looking back over my favorite 24 titles since I started keeping track in 1999 for #adventrecommends Geraldine brooks has become one of my all time favorite authors.

I loved this. It wasn't always a fun read but I'm blessed to not have experienced loss of this kind. Others may find it upsetting, I'm sure. As always, her historical writing is amazingly detailed and exquisitely executed.

#alphabetgame #lettery #letterz
This was fun Misty! Thanks!
Both of these books I enjoyed, but didn‘t love. Didn‘t have too many options for Y and Z!

This #letterY was my intro to Geraldine Brooks who has become a favorite of mine!

#AlphabetGame
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This novel, inspired by the true story of a plague stricken English village in the 1660s, is told from the perspective of a maid named Anna Frith. Superstitions and accusations run rampant as one person after another becomes ill and the death count rises. It‘s well written and researched, but it has an unexpected ending that‘s rather abrupt and puzzling. The ending doesn‘t ruin the story, though; it‘s well worth reading. Highly recommended.

Today I went to a parking lot sale at an antique market with my mom and brother and I found these books for 50¢ each.

A great novel with marvelous language and a plucky heroine who goes through great trials. Ending is a little different but overall it's worthwhile.

My first fiction of the new year will be this one off my shelf. It is about plague in England in 1666 and avoiding it.

#gratefulharvest #apples

Couldn‘t resist joining in with today‘s prompt. This is one I *really* want to read - one day! It‘s about Eyam during the Great Plague of 1666. For some reason the last year hasn‘t really felt like the time.

Curious to read this as cases of the Delta variant increase over here.

I loved this book until the end. It is based on the real-life 17th century English village that went into self-isolation to prevent the spread of plague to nearby villages. The hysteria, trauma & horror of such a situation is brilliantly & deftly imagined by the author. There is also humanity, compassion, & selflessness, particularly with the friendship between the main female characters. The ending, however, felt abrupt and out of place.

4⭐️ || The third pandemic-adjacent book I‘ve read this year (Hamnet and Station Eleven were the other two). A well-crafted work by a Pulitzer winning author.

Little bit late pandemic-wise, I know! But better late than never! As harrowing & downright heart wrenching & scary this tale is, I actually did enjoy reading it! I was amazed at some of the restriction similarities between then & now though I spose Geraldine might have just put them in as part of the story. Anyway, a good story all over. Although it's probably a good thing I didn't read it at the height of the pandemic last year!

Last week, I finished my re-read of this great work of historical fiction. It was just as compelling the second time—maybe even more so, due to the connections I could find to human experience in our current pandemic.

This was my January #bookspin title for #BookSpinBINGO.

Ready to begin #BookSpinBingo! Thank you for organizing, @TheAromaofBooks 💖

(When I posted my list originally, this is the book I tagged, and look! It‘s my #doublespin!)

Here it is: My #bookspin #doublespin #bookspinbingo list for January. I‘m looking forward to giving this a try!

Molly says “why did you wake me up to take this picture?” Well, cuz you match the book of course. 🥰

This was my #bookspin book for August. Geraldine Brooks certainly can write a compelling novel, even about as devastating a topic as the Plague. A little weird reading this during our current pandemic. The characters were so well developed and it was interesting to see their growth during the course of the book.

#Judge2020ByTheCover using titles from my shelves.
Super fun exercise! 🙈😂

Thanks for the tag @Laughterhp
@marleed

#2020challenge, but make it #bookfacefriday. Inspired by book club queen @reesewitherspoon 💁‍♀️📚🌸

(My bookstore does #bookfacefriday every single week!)

I enjoyed this one, almost as much as People of the Book.
Interesting historical fiction of the year 1666 and the Plague.

A young woman's struggle to save her family and her soul during the extraordinary year of 1666, when plague suddenly struck a small Derbyshire village. #fruitonthecover #boundtogetherjune

The epidemic may be different but it had such an eerie resemblance to the current Covid situation, with the quarantines, social distancing coupled with superstitions.

I tried to read this book twice, once reading myself then again through audiobook. Couldn‘t get past chapter 2 both times. Just wasn‘t my thing and it never will be. You might love it though and it could just be me not getting it. 🤷🏻‍♂️