Welcome to Litsy!

Was feeling like a thoroughly English gothic thriller for October. A young man is about to come into a large inheritance after the untimely passing of his cousin, when he is paid a visit by said cousin‘s beautiful Italian widow (Italian? Then she must be up to no good). Du Maurier does an excellent job swathing cousin Rachel‘s friendly visit (or is it murderous plotting??) in ambiguity.

....for Ambrose's sake, and for the sake of everybody who knew and loved him, here on the estate and in the county, I must ask you not to spread your views to others. It would cause distress and pain to all of them, and if such a whisper ever got to his widow, wherever she may be, you would cut a miserable figure in her eyes, and she would be well within her rights to bring a case against you for slander.

Nice cover, but when does Rachel show up?

This is well written - Philip is not sure if he should trust his cousin Rachel - did she kill his cousin Ambrose? Is she trying to kill him and inherit everything? He loves her - he loves her not! The ending is somewhat open - which I liked. At times it dragged, enough to keep it from being a pick.

#BookSpinBingo

Make a great day - 🙂

June update for #BookSpinBingo and #AlphabeticalBingo -

Thanks for hosting @TheAromaofBooks and @Clwojick

Make a great day everyone - 😊

Here's my #MugLove23 from @Daisey
I've been wanting to read My Cousin Rachel and I'm excited to try the coffee!

@Cinfhen @TheKidUpstairs

📚 tagged
✍️ Michael Connelly
📺 The Magic Roundabout, Madeline
👩‍🎤 Minnie Riperton
🎵 Manic Monday!
#ManicMonday #LetterM @CBee

Playing catch-up. Also I have been waking early with the spring sunshine, so taking the opportunity to catch up on my #litsylove corro!

While I enjoyed this book, it definitely did not have the charm or the atmosphere that I adored in Rebecca.

Just like Rebecca, I definitely enjoyed the second half alot more than the first but I feel like this one fell a bit short. While it is very interesting and intriguing at times, I felt the ending fell a bit flat.

I will admit that Daphne du Maurier definitely has a way with words and I can appreciate her writing even.

These were the books I finished in August for the #192025 challenge. I‘ve completed 12 of the 106 prompts so far.
@Librarybelle

An unreliable narrator, along with other unreliable characters adds to the suspense in this gothic novel.

This is my #1951 entry for the #192025 challenge, my 3rd book finished for the #AwesomeAugust readathon, and my #BookSpin selection for the month.

@Librarybelle @Andrew65 @TheAromaofBooks

“There are some women, Philip, good women very possibly, who through no fault of their own impel disaster. Whatever they touch, somehow turns to tragedy.”

#AlphabetGame My favourite #letterM
An absorbing read, loved the tension, menace, and air of ambiguity throughout the novel.

I‘ve enjoyed her novels! #cousinsday #julyjam
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs

I‘ve only ever read Rebecca. Just recently I watched some documentaries about Daphne and her life and that got me interested in her writing. This book I can see reflected in her life and I‘ve really enjoyed it. About to watch the movie. I‘ve got another of her books to read and some short stories. A very interesting lady. Perhaps born in the wrong time.

Haven‘t read this one ,thrift store find .It‘s a book club edition but still love the #vintage ones!

Oh, @JamieArc - what a wonderful #littlechristmasswap #lcs package. This book is so beautiful. You absolutely should not worry that I generally prefer paperbacks. If all HCs were this gorgeous, that wouldn't be the case. And all snacks that I love! Thank you so much and best wishes for you and yours in 2022. 💜

Thanks for hosting and organizing, @bookish_wookish

Looks like I'm going against popular opinion, but I didn't rate this one. I absolutely love Rebecca & Jamaica Inn, but this one is spoiled for me by Philip Ashley. It's no wonder his birthday fell on 1st April as the man is the biggest fool ever. I've heard of the adage 'Love is blind' but he takes the cake & the whole bakery too. 2⭐

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2036143485

1,421 pts #TBRReads #WinterGames2021 #MistletoeManiacs

This was my favorite read of March. I came away surprised by how much I enjoyed this audio book. Thanks to @Soubhiville and #AuthorAMonth. Going to give Rebecca another try one of these days.

#12Booksof2021 #3rdBookof2021 #March @Andrew65

Loved this book and I recommend it all the time. 💚

Now THIS is a novel! I love that it keeps me guessing the whole time (even now that I've finished it), that du Maurier doesn't assume her reader isn't paying attention and so doesn't repeat details over and over, and the reserved yet deeply tense interactions between the characters.

First pass at a library purge. We're in need of a deep, whole-house declutter, and I know the books are going to take several passes (but will probably be easier than the craft supplies).

My guiding questions:

1) Will I read this book again?
2) Do I want to give this book as a gift to someone else?
3) Does this book hold an emotional significance to me or my family members?

I‘m surprised that I got to this book so late considering how much I love Rebecca. Better late…

(Published in 1951)

#currentlyreading

I can‘t think of anything related to #abusivespouse except for this novel where Rachel was suspected to have slowly killed her husband 😅 #conflictedworlds @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

My #bookspin for August just arrived in the mail today!!

Nala doesn‘t want to share space with my book!

March was a good reading month with only one Bingo scored for #BookSpinBingo. The best of the bunch is tagged for #AuthorAMonth. I will have to go retry Rebecca and read Jamaica Inn. I read 7 books for #MGMarch which wasn‘t planned but enjoyed. Still reading my March #DoubleSpin The Once and Future Witches. On to April...

Oh. My. Word.

I'm now going to read du Maurier's entire back catalog. I can't believe it took me so long to discover her.

What an ending! And it still didn't answer everything, & I'm perfectly okay with that. That seems to be a theme for her.

I still rank Rebecca as the best of the three I've read. But this was fantastic.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This. Is. So. Good!

Halfway through & I kinda see where it might be going, but then I'm not sure because it's du Maurier. And there's a Rachel Weiss/Sam Clafin movie? Oh, boy.

#Authoramonth @Soubhiville

Woah. I have been doing laundry I didn‘t need to do for the last hour just to hear what happens!! #AuthorAMonth2021

A gorgeous day for an audio walk. This book is so creepy.

❤️

This was so good! Jealousy, mystery, deceit abound as a grand estate and the future heir‘s life hangs in the balance. I can see why this novel has stood the test of time and I will definitely read more by this classic author. Apparently there is a movie too, I will search for that. Thanks for the push to read her, @Soubhiville ! #Authoramonth #BookspinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

#marvellousmarchreadathon @Andrew65
#bookspinbingo @TheAromaofBooks
#authoramonth2021 @Soubhiville
1* My Cousin Rachel was brilliant and well-written, with just enough twists to stir up a lot of questions...psychologically suspenseful! Ebook
2* The Attenborough was good NF-audiobook

I almost bailed on this book. It is a slow burn, but it is worth it. The final chapters are increasingly claustrophobic and the book becomes impossible to put down. All-in-all a twisty, gothic, psychological thriller. Cannot shake the ending!

I really enjoyed this particular Du Maurier. I love that as the reader you‘re never a hundred percent sure about Rachel. I listened to this on audio, which was superb, but I will need to pick up a physical copy. #AuthorAMonth #BookSpinBingo

Loved it..... Slow paced and unsettling, but in the best of ways! A creeping uneasiness is evident as cousin Rachel comes into young Philip‘s life after his guardian dies. The atmosphere Du Maurier creates with her simple yet beautiful prose is so absorbing. And love the ambiguousness, that somehow leaves you in no doubt..... Jonathan Pryce‘s narration is top notch too....
#pop21 #advanced #longestonTBR

#AuthorAMonth2021 @Soubhiville #DoubleSpin #BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

I read Rebecca for the first time last year and absolutely loved it. I was very excited to explore more by this author this month.

As with Rebecca, I loved this book as well! 💚 It's such an atmospheric gothic tale that seemingly appears as if nothing much is happening when really there's so much going on behind the scenes so to speak. Excellent work of literature.

This was my first Daphne du Maurier, but it won‘t be the last. The tale surrounding Phillip, Ambrose, and Rachel was mysterious, dark, and twisty. Poor Phillip is so naive - I just want to hit him with the book for being so dense.

I‘m liking March‘s #AuthorAMonth a lot already!

Thank you so much, @TheAromaofBooks !!

I am excited to read this!

My intent was to finish this grid in 2020 and start anew in ‘21, but Netflix binging got in my way. That top row - so glad I‘ve read! Because I was often selecting from my own shelves in 2020, I prioritized books with older publishing dates, often they were my 5* reads!

5* = Loved It, want non-reader IRL friends to read. I do/will own a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Average C

Honestly, I don‘t know how Daphne Du Maurier could have written this any better. 1951, a female writing about a complicated early 19th century woman from the perspective of a sheltered man raised in a male household. There‘s just so much there, there. ...I like to read HF, but I think it‘s important to also read authors from the past.

It certainly had psychological intrigue and a little mystery, but the ending twist wasn‘t enough of a shocker for the rest of the fairly slow novel to be worth it. I read this because I loved her Rebecca novel, but this didn‘t compare for me.

This was a fascinating story that kept me wondering throughout. I feel like it is a perfect fall read. In considering comparisons to Rebecca, I feel this one took longer to really draw me in, but both set a mood and build an amazing sense of anticipation.

#audiobook

It has been a good day. I accomplished several things around the house, enjoyed a beautiful walk while continuing to listen to this intriguing book, grilled a delicious supper, and am settling in for an evening of more reading.

#audiowalk #audiobook

There are so many books on my TBR list.... but here are #3books that are at the bottom 😢 there are so many books and so little time. I frequently see these on my shelf and think “I should read that soon,” but there‘s always another book that catches my attention first...

#3books #thativerecommendedtoothers

When I‘m asked which book of an author would I recommend, I‘d go with these instead of the more well-known titles of the author..although those are also very good reads!

My Cousin Rachel instead of Rebecca
A Ladder To The Sky instead of The Heart‘s Invisible Furies
A Little Stranger instead of Fingersmith

My first Litsy post (hi!) and first read of the 2020 Reading Rush. I found My Cousin Rachel moody and delicious. Having seen both major film adaptations, I knew what was in store. Even still, du Maurier expertly manipulated my emotions from start to finish. I went through the cycle of enchantment, trust, betrayal, distrust, and back again along with Philip, our youthful, naïve, and emotionally unstable main character. What a ride!

#thereadingrush

It wasn‘t as good as Rebecca, taking longer to grab my attention and being more predictable in some ways, and with a convenient plot point at the end (under spoiler tag). Louise is about the only character who can be truly trusted, but all of them are intriguing. #bookspin @TheAromaofBooks

“They used to hang Men at Four Turnings in the old days.” #FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl