Welcome to Litsy!

🌼 There‘s a lot. Series: Mostly it‘s Friends, Gilmore Girls, or The Office; Films: usually it‘s Forrest Gump or Under the Tuscan Sun.

🪻 Mancala! Still is my favorite.

🌹 I can‘t really recall any books I‘ve read revolving around a game, but the tagged duology mentions a board game the characters play, where the “sort-of” villain would win every time and toss the pieces everywhere for the losers to pick up.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

I really loved these characters. The imaginative descriptions were awe-inspiring. The plot was intriguing and the answers to all the questions about the MC were answered in such a way, that it felt like unwrapping a gift little by little. It ended on a heartbreaking cliffhanger, so I‘m glad I wasted no time in ordering the sequel. I‘m not ready to say bye to these characters just yet…

I‘ve spent all weekend, nonstop, surrounded by people. While I enjoyed myself for the most part, my introverted self is so grateful for some peace and quiet this morning.

“And that‘s how you go on. You lay laughter over the dark parts. The more dark parts, the more you have to laugh. With defiance, with abandon, with hysteria, any way you can.”

“‘A man should have squint lines from looking at the horizon… not just from reading in dim light.‘”

A moment to myself before CrossFit ☺️

Bailed on the last book I was reading, mostly because it was taking way too long for me to finish and it‘s due back at the library. It‘s a huge book with way too many slow parts, although I was intrigued by Elinor Glyn‘s life and work. Maybe I‘ll read it another time. But I was yearning to get lost in some fiction anyway, so here we are 😁

I really enjoyed the world building of this story. However, when we got to the romance, it was a bit too much too quickly when the characters also know they have serious issues to consider as well. In the end, there‘s no true resolution without continuing the story in the sequel.

#audiobook #YA #fantasy #Librofm

Lazlo is so adorable, I really loved this Strange the Dreamer 😃 Every characters were nicely fleshed out and felt alive.

This was beautiful, pure, mysterious and intriguing read. I loved the atmosphere and setting.

Story went forward super smoothly and things were revealed slowly. Pacing was faster at the end but didn't feel too slow even before that part. This managed to surprise me, and I really loved the last twist.

#SeriesLove23

“I admit, I prefer an open mind to a closed one.”

“The spirit grows sluggish when you neglect the passions.”

“Good people do all the things bad people do, Lazlo. It‘s just that when they do them, they call it justice.”

- Sarai

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Laini Taylor gave us an absolute gift when she wrote “Strange the Dreamer”. Her storytelling is lush with incredible world building and the plot is captivating with unique and flawed characters that will steal your heart. There are heavy themes of good vs. evil, however each side is morally gray with its own broken past. I still feel like the romance was a bit too insta-love for me, but the connection that Laini wrote was beautiful.

Strange the Dreamer booksleeve!!!

@Branwen

This super-fluffy Strange the Dreamer blanket deserves its own post. Probably my fave bookish item from a crate yet 💙💕💙💕💙💕💙💕

#wondrouswednesday @Eggs
Thanks for tagging me! 💕 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @The_Penniless_Author

1) I would gift younger Rae some fantasy with a good romance! The tagged, or maybe Priory.

2) The Bad Doctor by Ian Williams. It gives a really good idea of what rural general practice is like, & depicts OCD well too.

3) Robin Hobb!!!! (Although I'm sure I'd be so starstruck that I'd just mumble something incoherent and then scuttle off 🤣)

❤️❤️❤️

Sigh 😍😍😍 just me swooning over these gorgeous editions from owlcrate 📚📚📚

Forgot to post yesterday, it‘s been a busy weekend 😬

#Explosion 🧨💥💛🧡❤️ #InQuotes “🗣️💕”

#BookNerd 🤓📚💙

#InQuotes Day 18: #Explosion

#InQuotes @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
#Explosion

Some more recent #BookMail is these gorgeous editions of Strange The Dreamer & it‘s sequel Muse Of Nightmares from OwlCrate. With not just gorgeous dust jackets but also embossing on the hardcovers themselves. They came with two wooden bookmarks of Lazlo & Sarai with quotes on the other side. The tagged book comes with a signature plus a bound in letter from the author. They also have sprayed edges and a reversible dust jacket which aren‘t shown.

😍🤩🥳

My weekend is booked! I have Monday off for the holiday and I‘m taking Friday off because, why not?

Current plans: I want to make a dent in Strange the Dreamer and She Who Rides the Storm. The other books are just for fun.

Strategy: I have the StD audiobook queued up from Libby in case I want to take a knitting break.

There must be a #readathon somewhere around here, right?

My best reads of 2022 ⭐️🥂✨💛
Happy New Years Litsy

I can‘t believe I let this amazing book sit on my shelf for three years! I loved everything about the characters, story and world building. Eril-Fane and Azareen story was so heartbreaking. Lazlo is one of my new favorite MC. The ending had me in tears. I can‘t wait to start the next book.

I might already be in love with this book and I‘m only on page 21 ❤️❤️ If I ever setup up a dating profile it might have to say Looking for a Romantic Troglodyte 😂

Easily the best book I've read this year. That ENDING! Oh my goodness!
I can't give it 5 stars because of how long it took me to get into it. Still a 4.5 star rating because wow. The most amazing reading experience I've had in a long time..it more than made up for how long it took me to get used to such a complicated world.
I neeeeed to know what happens. I might put off getting the next book. So many things not working out in this storyline. 😱

That ending. I am seething.

Also my first 5 star ⭐️ of 2022! Loved it so much, beautiful story telling as always from Laini, I think I liked this one even more then Smoke & Bone

Starting this chunky chunkster ✨⭐️

#MarvellousMarch #Readathon
Book2 @Andrew65

The imagery conjured up by this author's world building is fantastic. The characters stick with you because they are complex. It's great for fantasy lovers and romance fans. I recommend the audiobook narrated by Steve West-- it's fantastic!

I have this thing where, if someone recommends a book to me, I tend to avoid reading it. I think this is because I'm afraid I won't like it and then the other person's attempt to connect through literature will fall flat and disappointment will be had all around. My elder child has been wanting me to read this one for ages, and I dragged my feet as usual. But once I finally read it, I quite enjoyed it, despite its being a bit "damsel-in-distress."

Audiowalking to the tagged book on this strangely summery (and achingly arid) winter day.

#two4tuesday @TheSpineView

1. To all those secret admirers out there who can't decide what gifts to shower me with... Waterstones vouchers will do nicely 😉😉😉

2. This is a tricky one, because every time I get invested in a love story SOMEONE ALWAYS DIES!!!! I've gone through about 6 or 7 in my head and none of them end well 😬😬

I'll tag the last book that made my mushy heart soar... I prefer romance when it's not the only plot point 💙

... and that's beautiful.

#strangethedreamer #lainitaylor

Like I'm a beautiful book you're about to open and plunder with your greedy mad eyes.

#strangethedreamer #lainitaylor

What's a horizon? Is it like the end of an aisle of books?

#strangethedreamer #lainitaylor

First book of the month!

#strangethedreamer #lainitaylor

These are the books I talk about and recommend most. Thanks for the tag @Kenyazero and @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks for the prompt!!

My #September pick for #12Booksin2021

I know I‘m very late to the game on this one but it is a wow of a book!

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
@Eggs
#Beginswith a dream

Day 1

Aaaand back to being positive! 😁💕

Next in my #12booksof2021 is May's choice Strange the Dreamer. This isn't my usual sort of fantasy novel. Usually, I like my fantasy to be gritty and excessively long-winded and about a million pages long. This was sweet and whimsical and romance-driven.

I absolutely loved it 💖💖💖

At the library last night we asked the teens to take pictures of some of the books and authors they are thankful for! I had to join in, of course, and this is the one I chose! I love Laini Taylor, and especially her Strange the Dreamer duology! What are some books you're thankful for? 💕📚

For 2022 after seeing everyone else's lists, I want to try some of the reading challenges. I've never really planned out my reading year before but I thought it might be an interesting goal. I'll probably try the #pop22 and then either the #booked2022 , #bookedreadingchallenge or #52booksin52weeks. My added goal is going to be to see if I can do most of the prompts with my existing tbr on my shelves. Excited to make my lists! #bookshelves

“The library knows its own mind,” old Master Hyrrokkin told him, leading him back up the secret stairs. “When it steals a boy, we let it keep him.“

#QuotsyOCT21 day 31: loot

This was an amazing book at the beginning but the further along we went the lower my rating became. Overall I read this book in a matter of hours, fell in love with Lazlo, and got super duper upset to where the sequel was heading off too. I won‘t be continuing this series 😝

September reading wrap up! This was a month of highs and lows. I had a five star rating and a one star rating all in one month.

Books read: 📖 📖 📖 📖
Average rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5

#wrapup #readingwrapup #september #ya #fantasy #romance #fivestars

1. Teaching band again after over a year absence due to Covid.
2. Tagged was just beautiful.
3. Just mentioned this in a previous post today, Lothaire from the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole.
4. Beautiful Fall weather!
#wondrouswednesday

Wow, this book is just beautiful and heartbreaking and I look forward to book 2 in the duology very much. A truly original fairy tale. 5⭐️ This is my #doublespin pick and another #bookspinbingo