Improvement | 
panThis book was too disjointed for me. Even though I read it in two days, the plot not only jumped point of view but also time. I get that characters evolved or “improved“ but in the end all their stories didn't come together enough for me.
so-soPeople at crossroads in their lives, and how a decision can ripple across to affect other people‘s actions and paths in the world. To me, loosely yet intricately linked stories in feel, rather than a novel. Couldn‘t muster up energy to invest in the characters; in my head I could see the meaning of the title, but didn‘t hit my heart.
First day back to work after a few days skiing. Bookmail makes it all ok and I won this one with Readers First - look at the 3 wonderful authors who are praising it (and Shamsie on the front cover, Groff on the inside!) - sounds good to me!
so-soHey #litsywalkers! Finally warm here, well, warm-ish, but it's slush central so I did a combo run/walk on the treadmill with lots of stretching as my hip was sore. I finished this audiobook today, interlinked stories, but I don't think the sum was greater than the parts. Some characters felt completely irrelevant and I failed to really get a butterfly effect impact-- the paths their lives took didn't seem to matter in relation to the others.
I didn't take a picture while I was running on a treadmill at the gym today, so here is a picture of istanbul from when I was there a few months ago. Istanbul is one of the settings in this book which is my current audio choice for #litsywalkers. Gotta be honest though i'm half through and not really blown away by it. Only a few hours to go though so I might as well finish it 😁
Got a short walk/run combo in this morning now that I've got membership to a gym with treadmills! Good thing too... snowed about 6 inches overnight and still falling, with highs of -7 starting tomorrow night into Thursday. #litsywalkers
so-soNot the best thing I‘ve read lately....but it moves. Lots of loose ends, if you don‘t mind that. A bit out of the ordinary if you‘re in the mood for something different. I wasn‘t a real fan of the German trio and their storyline kind of bogged down the book for me.
Not sure why I have four books going at the moment. Three are library books and not sure I will get them finished. Reader problems!
#RiotGrams Day 2 - Library Love! I had a library book due back today (convenient) so I rounded up a few things to borrow from @iowacitypubliclibrary. June 2018 is a heavy galley month so instead of books I stocked up on some classical music. ICPL has a great music collection as well as books (obviously), DVDs, and wall art.
I got this book in the mail today and didn't know why. This book won the 2018 Pen/Faulkner and NBCC award for 2017. I scoured my ipad to see if I ordered it used (no, plus it looks new) or maybe I won it. Finally went to the Book Riot web page and I did enter to win 1 of 10 free copies given away by the publisher. Don't think they ever notified me that I won and no letter with the book. But I'm happy. Free book!
so-soI can tell that Joan Silber is a short story writer as this book felt more like inter connected vignettes than a full bodied novel. I liked the writing very much and enjoyed the voice of Reyna but I was never fully invested in the others stories. It‘s a one sitting read, which was perfect because I‘m not sure I would have returned to this book if it was much longer. Between a pick & so-so. Thanks @TrishB for surprising me with this book😘
pickOutdoor table, beautiful day, delicious coffee, good book. What more could a girl ask for?! This was more interconnected short stories than a novel with a single narrative, and the writing is absolutely lovely.
My second library grab. I almost checked it out a couple of weeks ago but decided I had too many books already, then I saw @LauraBeth 'a review & added it to my #TBR Now we'll see if I get to it.?????
I took a work-at-home break to run to the library & then made a fast late lunch. I've been wanting to make the 'deviled avocado' I helped develop at my local coffee shop at home-so I yesterday I made jalapeño hummus. It turned out pretty good!
Decided to give this book a try 🌞trying to start May with a healthy smoothie 🍑🍌passion fruit & protein powder🍹
#SurpriseBookMail is THE BEST #BookMail 🤩🤩🤩Thank you sooooo much @TrishB for filling my mailbox with joy❣️❣️❣️Ever since @Reggie reviewed this book I‘ve had my eye on it💗🙌🏻Love it all....the card, book flags, bookmarks xx #FeelingBlessed
so-soI‘m sorry to say this book was just okay for me. It‘s possible I was expecting more because it was a PEN/Faulkner award winner. The writing was fine but 5 days after finishing the book I couldn‘t tell you anything about the characters.
This is my favorite paragraph of the book.
Yesterday I finished Improvement. Last night I dreamt about it. Today I‘m finding it difficult to start something new.
pickBy the end of this, I valued the rich tapestry that Silber had spun. These are stories with characters who are inter-woven because of a butterfly-effect chain of decisions - BUT - the book is not about that. That‘s more of the gimmick (and I don‘t use that word to demean the writing here) to be able to examine relationships (across cultural and racial divides), family, love, atonement for past transgressions. So much depth to appreciate here.
I‘ve realized what is driving me crazy about this book. Every single female character just sits around and waits for their man. Either waiting for him to get out of prison, waiting for him to come home from work, waiting for him to just show up. Really? Show up for yourself and stop waiting around for a man to show up. Why aren‘t men ever waiting for women? 🤔
Well this is an opening paragraph that speaks to my ❤️.
so-soAn interesting short novel. The main character makes a decision to protect herself and her son and the novel explores the other lives that were touched by “the ramifications of her decision”. This was just so-so for me. My biggest beef was the idea that all of the resulting events were the “fault” or “responsibility” of the main character‘s choice. The other characters‘ choices, I would argue, were the consequential ones.
“Ready to go to the library whenever you are.”
This is shaping up to be a one-sitting read, err, listen. I love multiple storylines with casually intersecting characters. It gives me the feeling that I‘m a tiny speck in a large, busy world.
Congratulations to Joan Silber, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction! So deserved. ♥️🎉🍾
A couple of weeks ago I read Improvement where one of the characters, Monika, does provenance research, trying to figure out which art was stolen, usually by the Nazis. She had no idea before her mother had her, her mother spent a summer in Turkey stealing and swindling artifacts to sell to museums. In Our Short History, the MC‘s grandparents are captured by the Nazis in Hungary but her dad escapes. Later on at a museum they find a family 👇🏼
This might sounds cuckoo, but I‘m sure some of you will relate. Sometimes my TBR pile stresses me! This is one of several bookcases & the others have stacks 2 deep. I‘ve accumulated books at a faster rate than I‘ve read. As a bookseller, I‘ve so many ARCs & rec‘d 100s in the mail. Estimate 1000 books in my home unread. What if I don‘t get to them all? And all the good new books that come out every day! #bookloverproblems #ithinkineedastrategy
pickThis book is about an aunt named Kiki and her niece and how the decisions they make have far reaching effects for all involved. This was very much the butterfly flapping it‘s wings and causing hurricanes in people‘s lives. Silber has this quiet and understated style of writing about real people at difficult crossroads in their lives. A quietly beautiful book that‘s worth a read.
#TBRtemptation post 7! #BEA17 edition! This book has an expected release date in November. It focuses on a single mother in Harlem, her eccentric aunt, and the unexpected implications of their decisions. Kiki sees what's happening to her niece Reyna--boyfriend Boyd is pulling Reyna into a smuggling scheme that will hurt Reyna & her son, 4-year-old Oliver. When Reyna pulls back from Boyd, the ripples are intricate. #blameLitsy #blameMrBook 😎
