Welcome to Litsy!

I wanted so badly to love this but I just struggled. It may be where I am at the moment but bit I was just caught in what was heartbreakingly sad story of toxic parenting echoing through multiple generations.

TW for eating disorders, abuse, grief. Tale of 3 adult sisters, victims of childhood trauma, dealing with the incarceration of the eldest and what happens to her two teen daughters. Each woman must confront her own trauma in order to move forward and help the next generation. https://cannonballread.com/2023/05/the-care-and-feeding-of-ravenously-hungry-gir...

This was a difficult read because there were some strong examples of child abuse in the book, but the family member's stories were portrayed really well. It's kind of a heart-in-your-throat book and there were times when I didn't feel forgiving towards certain characters. The book left me feeling drained but understood.

#JoysofJune #Readathon 2nd book read @Andrew65

Please check trigger warnings before reading this book.
This book covers a lot of family trauma and how times of crisis are particularly exacerbating. I liked the narrating from different POV‘s but wished we could‘ve heard from the main character‘s daughters. Some points were a bit underdeveloped for me but I still really liked this book and would definitely recommend it.

A story of pervasive family trauma and surviving. All 3 sisters have a hunger for something in their life that they‘re missing and they all cope in destructive ways to sate that hunger. When the reliable, eldest sister goes to jail, can the remaining two be there for her daughters? Can they find ways to fill the hunger inside and face the past in order to save their present & futures? main theme: mothering, pls check TW (also, this cover!!!)

This was a fascinating story about a family falling apart due to the parents being arrested for fraud. How the other members have to help the teenage daughters cope with the family being in disgrace in there community. Well written and a good family saga.

You do a lot of thinking in jail.

#FirstLine#Fridays @ShyBookOwl

I don‘t know. It was hard for me to get involved with one of the main characters because she just wasn‘t very likable and I think that turned me off in the beginning and made it hard for me to get into the book. It was one of those books with different narrators and I do enjoy seeing things from different perspectives.

The story of three sisters as one sister, traditionally the stable, upstanding one, heads to jail and the other two have to pick up the pieces for her teen age daughters, I didn‘t connect emotionally as much as I wanted too and I think that was a function of the choice of narration. Still a pick, just with reservations. Full review at https://booknaround.blogspot.com/2020/12/review-care-and-feeding-of-ravenously.h...

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Better start the book for tomorrow‘s book club!

A book about how abuse, neglect and loss in childhood can leave scars that affect families for years to come. About mothers and daughters and the, sometimes difficult, relationships between them.

You do a lot of thinking in jail.

#firstlinefridays @ShyBookOwl

A touching story or mothers and daughters, the importance of friendships, complex family dynamics, secrets coming to light, and how decisions impact and affect differently in same families. But the big theme here is mothering. Which I loved! Gray does a good job weaving the storylines back and forth in time and creating interest while she reveals the whole story. Compared to The Mothers and I definitely got thoes vibes! #bookreview #bookstagram

A mini review:

This had all the elements of a book that I should have loved. It is a complex dark family drama filled with secrets and past regrets. The story is told by three sisters and that's the biggest problem, all the voices sound the same. It was really hard to tell them apart. Even though it had some of my favorite elements they just didn't work in this book.

Full review on the blog: http://melaninatedbookshelf.com/review-ag-tcfrhg/

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Decent book. Worth reading. I enjoyed the audiobook narrators although I did have to listen on 1.3x speed. Some of the characters were a little one-note and I thought the plot was a little predictable. But I enjoyed the relationships and the different perspectives and trying to handle the baggage that is passed down through families.

I finished this audiobook yesterday and I ended up really enjoying it.

The family dynamics in this one are complex and the scars from childhood still have their hooks planted firmly in the lives of these now adult, siblings. Family secrets are revealed, past crimes come to light, and through it all each sibling is trying to break the chains of the past to help the next generation have a better chance.

I also love this cover. 💛

Only $1.99!

3-25-20: My 26th finished book of 2020! #thecareandfeedingofravenouslyhungrygirls #anissagray 🌟🌟🌟🌟 👍🏼📖#️⃣2️⃣6️⃣

💙🌹

This is another ARC I got after the book was out. I finished it awhile ago, but forgot to post about it on here. It's not the type of thing I usually read, overall I found it rather boring and depressing. It's just not my kind of thing.

It is well written though. It's a family drama. A little bit of a Lifetime movie feel to it. I just usually don't like realistic stories. I like stories with some element of weirdness to it.

#litsyAtoZ
#BookC

Not a lot of plot really, but a very well-written description of a family in turmoil.

You can see my entire review on Goodreads, but overall I didn't really enjoy this book. I give it 2.5 stars. I didn't care for the way the story was told, or find much sympathy for many of the characters.
I'm clearly in the minority in this, but that's okay. This wasn't a book for me.

I'm almost 50% through and really struggling with this. Rave reviews on Goodreads, but I don't get it. Good thing I won it for free, I guess. 🙁

Bookmail with a book and book kit 📖 #thecareandfeedingofravenouslyhungrygirls#anissagray#Berkley pub#bookmailisthebest

Berkeley/Penguin Random House is celebrating the paperback release with a USA Giveaway.

GOOD LUCK!!

ENTER HERE: https://tinyurl.com/w3fpvqa

@berkleypub
@penguinrandomhouse @penguinrandomhouse

I started #Jumpstart2020 a day late. Still going back and forth about how I want to measure my goals but I'm thinking at the end I want to average at least 50 pages a day. So far, I'm 20 pages behind.

Our October Book Club book is Anissa Gray's The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, an amazing novel in alternating perspectives. Focusing on three sisters formed in a childhood of tragedy and loss, the book delves into the women's lives, into their relationships, into who they've become and who they decide to be.⠀
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Listen to the episode, and then join us throughout October to discuss this amazing book!

I want to thank Cindy & Brittany for the wonderful bookmail!

Brittany sent the #dollarscoregiveaway prize plus two bookmarks in the lovely swirl tissue paper. Thank you! 🥰

Cindy sent the ARC, a postcard from Jerusalem, a bookmark, and a bracelet to protect me from the evil eye, which lord knows I need now! 😘

I feel so loved!

My mri is today, and it was a nightmare getting it approved, but I‘m going at 11, & hopefully we can plan the surgery.

I listened to this book and expected to love it, but I never felt invested. It may be my own fault. I don't know, but I found it very meh.

#CoverCrush #7Covers7Days

Would you like to show us some of your favorite book covers @bookladyreads ? No explanation needed. Post a photo of that moving cover art and tag one Litten each day for the week. Can‘t wait to see what you got! Have fun!!💕

Day Six:
The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray
Cover Art by Alice Lindstrom
Cover Design by Emily Osborne

Wow. Re-reading Anissa Gray's The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls highlighted so much for me. Watching this trio of sisters begin to understand both the beauty and the ugliness of their shared childhood was even richer the second time through. I can't wait to talk about this one for our October episode of Unabridged!

I wanted to love this book but I just never got there. I think when you read so many books a character has to grab your attention to really make a lasting impression & unfortunately all the characters just bled into each other. Plus the story felt like a bad Oxygen Channel TV movie. An upstanding community couple is incarcerated after embezzling funds from a local charity they run. The story focuses on the aftermath from different family members.

Took my book and appetite with me this morning. Found a new favorite breakfast/coffee spot. If I‘m being honest I enjoyed breakfast more than the book. It‘s ok, but the writing and plot is a little choppy🤷🏼‍♀️

Up next #SundayReads Thanks to @Hooked_on_books for gifting me this gorgeous title and cover ❤️Hope book is as beautiful inside 🤞🏽

Althea & her husband are sent to jail after stealing from a charity. The fallout affects their twin daughters & Althea‘s 2 sisters Viola & Lillian. The result is a tense novel, a study of women‘s strength & the ripple effect of pain & suffering. The writing keeps a quick pace & pulls the reader into the family drama. I would recommend, though it felt like we only skimmed the surface of character motivations, which kept it from becoming a favorite.

My August 2019 books read, part 2. The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls was a favorite. I listened to the audiobook and the talent of the narrators didn‘t hurt. Dear Edward is 4.5 stars. It comes out in 2020. Definitely plan to read it.

It‘s the first day of school and now the house seems is so quiet and peaceful without children. The boys are finally in school at the same time (PM kindergarten schedule last year made things rather tricky!). And I‘m celebrating with drip coffee (from a Singapore brand), almond biscuits from Marks and Spencer, and a great read. Happy first day of school everyone!

The title and cover alone should provoke you to pick up this book. #DBF2019

COUNTDOWN TO THE DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL!!

https://wellreadneck.wordpress.com/2019/08/23/care-and-feeding-of-ravenously-hun...

When a Michigan couple is sent to jail for stealing from their own charity, their sisters and daughters must try to deal with the fallout. Touches on eating disorders, abuse, and fraught mother-daughter relationships. I liked it but on some level it felt incomplete; I wanted more from almost all the characters.

July Wrap-up 📚

I did a little better this time around, finally knocking a few off my TBR that had been sitting there for far too long (🙈). I also figured out that I‘m starting to take an interest in more books written in verse, which has been fun finding ones that interest me. Hoping next month will be just as productive!! .

I had high hopes for this book. This story showed the complex relationships within families and also how families come together during difficult times. However, the characters were underdeveloped. Although Lillian seemed to find her voice and her strength as she faced her past, I wanted more from Viola, Kim, and Baby Vi. I think the story may have been stronger written solely from Lillian‘s perspective.

“I keep wondering how you have compassion for your own self when you go against what‘s good in you.”

Wasn‘t wowed by this but it was still a strong story. Family drama, prison, eating disorders... all kinds of interesting story elements.

Thus ends the last book of #lmpbc with @BennettBookworm @Mem_ugh and @kstadt929 ! The verdict is that we expected to like this book more than we did. I found several of the characters compelling and the author had no shortage of engaging plot threads. Somehow, though, it was less than the sum of its parts. The book felt unfocused and I wish it was more... just more, I guess. Disappointing. Storytelling matters and Gray hasn‘t mastered it yet.

Awesome read. That sparked a light back into reading enjoyment. I‘ve been fighting through a lull, and this was an awesome read to get me back into the groove of constant reading, which is good since half a dozen holds came in from the library at the same time.

I keep wondering how you find compassion for your own self when you go against what‘s good in you.

The reverberations of incarceration are felt throughout a family when a couple is sent to prison. I really wanted to love this book, but it felt a bit forced to me and thus fell somewhat flat. Also, some of the characters felt stock. I did like the focus on the female characters and the multiple perspectives.

#dogsofLitsy #Bindi

The downside of snacking while reading is some of the distractions that can occur. 😂

#dogsofLitsy #Bindi

Really engaging, really well-written story about three generations of trauma, grief and wanting. The focus is primarily on three sisters, raised by an absent and abusive father, and how each of them has internalized their childhood as adults now responsible collectively for the eldest sister‘s teenage daughters after she is imprisoned. TW for eating disorders and physical abuse.