Welcome to Litsy!

Such a good book and so much to think about… life, death, friendship, art, poverty.

Lu is a struggling photographer who inadvertently takes a photo of her neighbours‘ son falling from their rooftop. Should she sell it or not?

None of the characters were likeable but that made the book even more compelling. This is a debut novel and a I can‘t wait to see what this author does next.

Thanks so much for sending me this @BarbaraBB - I lived it!

It‘s here! @BarbaraBB 😘 Thank you!

It arrived on a different van to the usual post as it was an extra-special delivery! Love the card!

I‘m intrigued by The Discomfort of Evening - I recall both yours and @rockpools reviews and it sounds like quite a challenge! I always love following along with your NYRB book club reads and it‘s lovely that you have sent one of your faves. The tagged book sounds right up my street and has lots of Litten love!

Dreaming of warmer days in Florida last week... still chilly back here in Ohio 😣
I loved this book! Compelling and unexpected and perfect for a day by the pool ⛱
Thanks to @BarbaraBB for inspiring this purchase!

Not buying many physical books means I don't get much #bookmail but all of these just arrived to brighten my cold, snowy day. They make me so happy!

One picture, a million ethical questions! Should Lu take advantage of her friend's tragedy in the name of arts? #arts #photography #ethics #covercrush

This one is promising! #integrity #ethics #death # currentlyreading #covercrush

Day 4 of #12booksof2020

This one was longlisted for the #ToB a few years ago and on a whim I bought it because I loved the cover. I left it unread until earlier this year. Unexpectedly I was blown away by the writing. The book is about a broken starting artist but it‘s about so much more!

Presenting my year's 'icing on the cake'! 🍰
I get why the author says her protagonist, Lu, contains multitudes... #book52

“In order to remember, you must forget”
I liked this book but the middle section really dragged on for way too long. An exploration of motherhood, friendship, ambition and art. The writing was sharp, insightful and true to NY. Time & place was fabulous💕Thanks for the audio narration suggestion @Megabooks and for the book recommendation @BarbaraBB
#DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks

Julia Whelan is a rock star 🌟 Her narration is SO GOOD 🙌🏻💕I‘m at the mid-way point and I‘m totally intrigued. I don‘t think this will make my top 2020 list but it‘s very good. Curious to see where this book is going

Just started this one on the recommendation of both @BarbaraBB and @Megabooks 🥰It‘s also my #DoubleSpin @TheAromaofBooks 🙌🏻So far it‘s very compelling, I‘m a huge fan of narrator Julia Whelan 🎧💜

Thanks for the rec @BarbaraBB 💖

An interesting look at art, ambition, love, and death in 1990s Brooklyn. Lu Rile is trying to break into the art world, all while living with more established artists in a loft warehouse in DUMBO. When she catches a neighbor‘s son falling to his death on film, she has to decide between cashing in on her best work and maintaining her close relationship with his mother. 4⭐️

#bookspinBINGO

I spent last night & today with this book. A hard one to put down. The story of Lu a young artist/photographer in New York, & in her loft apartment there is a turn of events that changes her life. Some lovely writing & thoughts along the way. A review on the back says it will fill you with “ inspiration & longing” I agree, especially about the longing. Thanks @BarbaraBB for recommending this one.

Just opened my post box ... & Friday night just got exciting ❤️ I got it @BarbaraBB

#BookReport 20/20

I read two books this week, two good ones. Especially the tagged one. I can‘t resist recommending it again! It is so good, in plot and style, and deserves a lot more Litsy love 💕

This book! It needs way more attention and praise than it has been getting.
It‘s the story of a broken, starting artist who accidentally takes a picture of a boy falling to his death. The picture can be her entrance into NY‘s art scene but it is so controversial especially since she knows the boy‘s parents.
A great plot, and breathtaking writing, whether it‘s about grief, loneliness, art, or being a daughter. A fantastic debut. Read it!

Mini #bookhaul on my lunch break.... again....... Seriously, I should just get them to pay me in books, and cut out the middle man! 🤦‍♀️

In the latest episode of Keep the Channel Open, author Rachel Lyon and I talked about her debut novel SELF-PORTRAIT WITH BOY, her short story “Tripping Sunny Chaudhry,” drinking culture, and the selfishness and generosity of art-making. Listen & subscribe in your podcatcher of choice, or visit keepthechannelopen.com for full episodes, transcripts, and show notes.

(photo credit: Christopher Stella)

As a starving artist, Lu must make an ethical choice between success or friendship. Living in a dingy NYC loft in the 80s, a colorful cast of characters negotiate love, sorrow and loss. Lu, sometimes likable & sometimes sanctimonious, negotiates life with other destitute artists; the building itself even becomes one of the motley cast of characters. This #debut hooked me through vivid and evocative language. Thanks to #ToB for this one. 4⭐️

Unfortunately the chilly weather necessitated the cancellation of Pants-less Friday. 😔 I shall now assuage my disappointment with this fabulous #debut book (and a splash or ten of Malibu Rum).

“What I‘m saying, Lu: If you tell ‘em you don‘t belong, they‘ll believe you. They won‘t ask you back.”

Been thinking about this line all day.

This book was well-crafted and interesting. I have a hard time reading stories about visual artists, especially photographers—either there will be some lack of verisimilitude that pulls me out or else it‘ll be cut too close to the bone. This was the latter, especially because I spend so much time thinking about how and whether my art might hurt the people around me. Still, I read the second half of this in one sitting. It was quite compelling.

What I mean is that when you die a boy you remain a boy forever. What I mean is, have you heard the seagulls call at the water‘s edge in a gray rain? Have you picked up Simmons then the cries of a dead child? Have you felt the presence of an absence in the wailing of the wind? Because I have. I have.

Next

I enjoyed this read in spite of (or perhaps because of) my difficulty with the moral question that lies at the heart of the novel.

This was an amazing first novel by Rachel Lyon- I loved her main character, Lu, and the story she had to tell. It‘s about an aspiring photographer in New York who, by chance, takes a photograph of a boy falling to his death in the background of her self-portrait. She has to decide- tell the parents of the boy he is the feature of her debut photo- or make it the starting point of her artist career.

I can't seem to put this one down... 💕

The smallest my TBR has been in weeks!