Welcome to Litsy!

Fourth candle of my #Hanukkahchallenge is a winter fairytale told in four different voices: the daughter of impoverished Jewish moneylender, a tzarina, her faithful servant and a peasant girl. The stories they tell bring to the forefront not the magic but the difficulties of women‘s lives in all walks of life. #reread #told_by_a_woman #iamthatjew

I really love how Novik describes winter and the cold in this book! It‘s so visceral, I found myself shivering while reading it!

#SundayFunday Happy December everyone and don‘t forget to tag me!

I DNFed this at 40%. I really tried but it just wasn‘t for me. It felt so relentlessly gloomy to me, which wasn‘t helped by the narrator of the audio. All of her voices sounded like variations on Eeyore.

#DNF

My favorite fantasy of the year (so far) is loosely based on rumplestiltskin. #silver #coverlove

@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

A fabulous fantasy! Well-plotted with great characters; with some elements of the Rumplestiltskin story. It‘s a little hard to follow on audio as there is little notice when the narrator changes- which is often! @MeganAnn thanks for the rec thru #auldlangspine

I‘m currently wrapping up Spinning Silver in which they have to fight to over come forces of winter to allow spring to come again- feels like a timely read!

@BookmarkTavern #sundayfunday

I listened to the audio and was interested in the set up of the story, but it was hard to follow and I missed much of the middle section. We switched perspectives in the story a lot, and there was nothing obvious to indicate when the switch happened. Add to that, many (though not all) Russian names I don‘t know and it remained difficult for me to figure out who we were following at various times. Cont in comments...

I hated how every POV was in first-person narration and you had to figure out who this “I“ is this time. I don't know if that was the reason why I couldn't relate to characters. Or was the writing style the reason? Writing was too detailed and wordy, and that made this pretty long read - even though there didn't happen that much. I ended up liking the romance in this book, but that only means the last pages.
I loved the world & magical atmosphere.

3✨This is one of those stories that POVs becomes confusing if you are not paying attention, and the audiobook made it just as difficult. However, the story about a girl stepping up because he dad was driving their family to poverty, and her story from there was interesting. It gave a Rumpelstiltskin vibe from turning silver to gold. This catches the attention of cruel creatures I had trouble picturing. Overall, I liked the story.

I only have 1 complaint about this: we initially start with the perspectives of Miryem & Wanda… then new perspectives get added & there‘s no demarcation -in the ebook atleast- of who is speaking so you have to read a ways into the page to say “oh it‘s Irina.”
But aside from that we have a great fairy tale retelling with a brave, mostly female, multi faith cast that becomes entangled in a fight between a Staryk Lord (scary fae) & a demon.

Sitting at right around 20 hours, I was hoping to get through more of Spinning Silver because it‘s due back soon but I started getting really into Blow Fly. I hadn‘t started any of these before 12/1 & all the “in progress” reads are pretty long so I‘m not shocked that I only had 1 finished.
#20in4 Thanks for hosting @Andrew65

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Interesting story. Well written, good character development.

After reading A Court of Thorns and Roses a little while ago, I realized a part of the way I was feeling about it could be summed up as: I really wanted to be rereading Spinning Silver instead. And SO I DID! What a good choice - I love the interwoven stories, the slowly revealed world, and the turns the plot takes. Fairytale retelling with a Jewish protagonist, real world and magic interwoven skillfully. Exactly right for me.

This was a February #roll100 title I finished in March and had been languishing on my TBR shelf for a few years now.

I enjoyed Uprooted: I freakin‘ LOVED Spinning Silver! I loved the strong female characters here who refused to allow their circumstances to dictate who they can be. Novik masterfully creates such unique voices that I instantly knew which POV I was reading and those threads are slowly spun together into something very special.

What a great start to my 2024 reading. I loved this book. A Rumplestiltskin retelling set in a feudal and magical Lithuania-ish country with a Jewish heroine, found family and adventure!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Borrowed this from the library (first time in years I've borrowed a physical book) and am enjoying it. Narrated in 1st person from the POVs of 3 (so far) different young women. Though the POV keeps changing, they don't get mixed up. Their lives are interlinked and they're all strong in their own ways, changing their lives for the better (at least Miryem and Wanda; I've only just met Irina). Still near the beginning but enjoying it.

I'm so mad at myself for letting this sit on my shelf for literal years before finally picking it up... it was so good!! Thank you @PuddleJumper and #roll100 for giving me the push I needed.
Naomi Novik's writing is always beautiful and this was the perfect retelling to be reading in the middle of winter.

Ive created my #roll100 list and these are my January books! I don't know if I'll manage all 3 of them, but im going to try to read at least two! @PuddleJumper

These are all of the #Roll100 reads I got done this year! I didn‘t quite finish all of my rolled books, and didn‘t even touch my December reads. The tagged is my favorite of these reads. Thanks for putting this together, @PuddleJumper ! I look forward to more TBR antics next year.

This month‘s #BOTM. Always so excited to get the free book of the year!

📙News of the World
🖊️Naomi Novik
🎥Naked Gun (the first one)
🎤Nicole Nordeman
🎶Never Alone (BarlowGirl)
#manicmonday #lettern

This was such a good read and not at all what I was expecting. But in a good way. As a fairytale retelling I was caught up in the character and the imagery this author brings to like.

A fun, different, and exciting read! I especially loved that the characters in this fairytale reimagining felt real: they had distinct personalities and histories that felt relevant to the time and setting. I liked exploring Wanda, Miryem, and Irina‘s stories, their different goals and drives. The Staryk and their magic were also very intriguing and different for me, but my favorite were their descriptions! Always icy!
❄️❄️❄️❄️.5/5

I'm so excited to dive into this story (and see if I enjoy it as much as Uprooted!) 💙

#LMPBC

My September #bookspin list! 📚🍂

@TheAromaofBooks

Uprooted & Spinning Silver are both fairy tale retellings. Uprooted is about Agnieszka who is sent to the Dragon (the local wizard) as his captive for ten years. In Spinning Silver Miryem takes on the Rumpeslstiltskin tale along with Wanda, Irina & the Staryk (creepy fey).
Both were good but I did like Spinning Silver better.
#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville
#Pantone2022 #ChicoryCoffee @Clwojick

“Thrice you shall turn silver to gold for me, or be changed to ice yourself.” And so the daughter of a Jewish moneylender is challenged by a king of ice & snow.

I read this 4 years ago, & the atmospheric descriptions, the variety of female characters, the interweaving of fairytale & Russian folklore continue to enchant me. Everything up to the end I adored. But I continue to dislike how Novik writes romances. That‘s a me thing, YMMV. 🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑

This #audiobook is so good. It's long, about 18 hours, but totally worth it. It's a combo of fairytales, set in Lithuania. It's a great story. I was very impressed.

#AuthorAMonth @Soubhiville

The biopsy came back clear! So the nibling and I are relaxing with some reading time! ❤️

I love fairy tales😻This is a perfect book to escape from real world & to get lost in fairy land. It is magical & charming. Good story line & strong female characters. Since the main character is a Jew, there is antisemitism aspects in the story. I like this aspect, & multiple POV. But it is lengthy compared with d story, could‘ve been shorter & crisp. Difficult to follow in audio cos of monotonous narration.
#bookspinbingo #AuthorAmonth #AAM2022

It‘s overcast outside. Perfect time for my #AwesomeAugust goal of reading outside! ❤️ Working on my #LMPBC book!

I have already bailed on my #bookspin for August. I was 2.5 hours in on audio and just did not care. I am planning two other #AuthorAMonth books by this author, so I am hoping something sticks! @TheAromaofBooks @Soubhiville

Loved it, as always 🥰

@ozma.of.oz It is on its way to you! Media mail, so it might take a few days.

I loved this book! Such a great fairytale reimagining. I flew through it in a couple of days while on holiday.

A winter‘s tale to kick off summer! A fast-paced fantasy through multiple perspectives. A perfect way to start my vacation.

I can't remember who recommended this but thank you. I now have this to go with Uprooted. This can be a sorry gift now from @TheWolfbehindTheEyes who gave me food poisoning lol. Feeling so so rough 🤢 Hope everyone else is OK. Happy reading and weekend littens

Reads like a fairytale! I loved the many interconnected elements, and it was great having a Jewish main character in the cast. The way the author expertly wove in themes of supportive and toxic family, good and evil (and neutral), magic, antisemitism, misogyny, poverty, and others really called back to folktales. My biggest complaint is that it took me a long time (an hour of listening) to realize the narrative was switching between characters.

I had some time to audio-art the other day! I haven't finished my CD project or caught up on my book journal, but I figured I'd work on this also unfinished project while listening to my current audiobook. Someone posted a pretty watercolor postcard on Litsy a while ago, and I thought it needed some fantasy elements in it, so here we are. #litsycrafters #Painting #AudioCrafting #Watercolor

It took me an hour to realize this book has two different girls as the POV characters! I don't know if I wasn't paying close enough attention (yes I know their family situations are both different, but I thought things had just changed suddenly), or if it's not very clear in the audiobook. 🤔

I wanted to love this! It's not bad, in fact I really liked the prose. But, I had a difficult time with it. Took me almost a week to finish—even skimmed the last few pages!

Maybe I expected too much because I loved Uprooted? Maybe because of the long chapters? Maybe because of the multi-POV (although they did have distinct voices)?

I don't know. I just didn't enjoy it. 😫

Here are all (most) of my #LMPBC books over the years!

I know I did an Agatha Christie round, but I can‘t find the book. I‘m wondering if I accidentally lent it to someone or it never got back to me 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

I‘ve also done multiple books some rounds, so I may have forgotten some. And I know one got completely lost in the mail, so I had to do a different book!

#shelfie

Spinning Silver, The Grey Bastards, American Gods and The Book Of The New Sun from BookOutlet!

3 For 2 sale!

I‘m always pleasantly surprised to find more boxes on my front porch.

The Annotated version of American Gods is so much better than I thought it would be. A lot of pictures. I loved The Grey Bastards! Can‘t wait to read Spinning Silver! Gene Wolfe has been on my TBR for awhile.

March #bookspin #doublespin #bookspinbingo list @TheAromaofBooks cancel #18 the orchard add Arab author.

This was my first book by Naomi Novik, and wow! Wow! This was a unique interweaving of the stories of several characters, and I was particularly impressed with how different all of the the characters' voices were as she switched perspectives between them. A great winter read as this is still the view out my window.

Thanks for tagging me @RamsFan1963 and @BethM ! My first #Two4Tuesday, belatedly: 1. No, but I was lucky enough to get some chocolates!
2. I like a good friends to lovers premise when it‘s done well. Or just a good friendship story even if it stays platonic!

Reading at a cafe—for the first time in I don‘t know when! I deactivated both my Facebook and Instagram today, as a sort of experiment. I want to be free of them. I want the space to think my own thoughts… and space to read books. This one is delicious.