Charming Billy

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

pick

Youse guys! I am bawling 😭

Billy is a drunk who drank himself to death. But… really? Is this just a cautionary tale of the perils of alcoholism as a disease or, WHAT? The “what” had me baffled and tbh I am still but wow!!! The ending, the last paragraph was a WHAMMER. Some of it was my own inability to time pages to read with the time available — I was on that “can I read 1 more page?!” with 15 yet to go and circumstances made me wait. 😫 👇

BkClubCare Billy lost the ONE and married another, lived the many years and died a drunk. But why? Why did his wife put up with it? Why did he drink? What was to happen?! 1y

BkClubCare The upper left is wallpaper downloadable from The Natural Life - a lovely pretty things site; check ‘em out: (edited) 1y

BkClubCare https://www.naturallife.com/collections/stocking-stuffers?utm_medium=sms&utm_sou... 1y

Ruthiella Your review has me intrigued! 1y

BkClubCare @Ruthiella - pls, just commit to the bitter end. (The ending is amazing NOT bitter but the path is long? If that makes sense 🤣) (edited) 1y

40 likes5 comments

BkClubCare

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

“… began to scribble a note ✍️ on the corner of his paper place mat, all the while seeming to give the ladies beside us, his undivided attention.” I have been playing with my fountain 🖋️ pens lately, but that is not the coolest 😎 thing about this paragraph. It‘s the author talent to describe the action and the action itself. ✍️ ✉️ 📬

sarahbarnes I‘ve been wanting to read something by McDermott for a long time! 1y

BkClubCare @sarahbarnes - this was recommended to be a good entry point to her work. 1y

28 likes2 comments

BkClubCare

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

Copper was not in the “pose with a book” mood this morning. Starting this AS SOON AS I finish Wounded, hopefully today. I am beginning an Alice McDermot event. This title was rec‘d as best intro to her work.
#DogsofLitsy

BkClubCare Is “event” the right word? “Focus”? Anyway, hadn‘t read her and not sure I was aware of her. Talk is that her newest is PULITZER. 1y

Susanita I‘ve not read her yet, but her latest book sounds pretty interesting. She was interviewed on last week‘s The Book Case podcast. 1y

BkClubCare @Susanita - yeah? I don‘t listen to podcasts very often. Is this a good one? 1y

See All 8 Comments

Susanita @BkClubCare It‘s by Charlie Gibson of Good Morning America and his daughter Kate. They have a nice rapport and interview a variety of authors. What I especially like is that they usually also include an interview with an indie book seller. 1y

BkClubCare @Susanita - ty, I will look for it. I actually ha e become friends with a reader/on-air NPR “personality” and I can‘t seem to remember to listen to her book show 🤦🏻‍♀️ 1y

Suet624 I remember liking this story. 1y

BkClubCare @Suet624 - ty. My friend tells me that it sticks with you- she read it years ago. Sign of a good book? 1y

Suet624 Definitely 1y

37 likes1 stack add8 comments

azulaco

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

pick

Alice McDermott captures the complicated life of an alcoholic and those who loved him. Set in the Irish Catholic community of Queens in the mid-20th century, it‘s a portrait of a culture. Prompt 28 for #52BookClub23, #IncludesaFuneral.

azulaco @BookBelle84 @Librarybelle @read4life @cinfhen (edited) 2y

azulaco @ravenlee @britt_brooke @triplem80 (edited) 2y

azulaco @Smarkies @Bluebird @Deblovestoread @AshleyHoss820 @BarbaraBB 2y

See All 8 Comments

azulaco @jenniferw88 @squirrelbrain @KarenUK 2y

azulaco @LeeRHarry @CarolynM @LaraReads @rmaclean4 @Clwojick (edited) 2y

Cinfhen My bookclub is reading an Alice McDermott book in March - but I think I‘ll be away for the meeting date

Someone

squirrelbrain I‘ve never heard of this author. 🤔 2y

Librarybelle I‘ve not read anything by her…this one sounds intriguing 2y

19 likes8 comments

paisleyjess

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

so-so

Great use of language but I quickly got bored with the same events being told multiple times for no apparent reason.

TheSpineView

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

#MagnificentMarch @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
#Charming

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 📚❤️ 5y

OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚👍🏻 5y

57 likes2 comments

Greenebean

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

Switching up my reading genre!

Edit: I tried so hard, but unfortunately this book did not hold my interest. I had to bail 😭

30 likes2 stack adds

brittanyysunza

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

I can‘t wait to read on my lunch today! 📚❤️

DivineDiana

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

“ Not missing the irony of the drinks in their hands and the drink that had killed him, but redeeming,perhaps, the pleasure of a drink or two, on a sad, wet afternoon, in the company of old friends, from the miserable thing that a drink had become in his life.”
#wasted #getmovin #tbr

Cinfhen, eanderson

Cinfhen Another writer I still haven‘t gotten too...makes me wonder what the hell have I been reading?!?!? 7y

DivineDiana @Cinfhen So funny! 😂 Neither have I ! This is my husband‘s book. I do plan to read it, though! 😉 7y

emilyhaldi Lolol @Cinfhen 🤣🤣🤣 7y

See All 6 Comments

Centique @Cinfhen oh god, I was scrolling through today‘s posts thinking exactly the same thing when I read your comment 😂😂 I‘m sure this book has been on my TBR since 1998 @DivineDiana I thought I had read so many of the “big names” until I came to Litsy - today I‘ve seen so many I haven‘t gotten to! What a book ingenue I truly am 😋😝😝 7y

DivineDiana @Centique We have so much to learn! But as Martha says, “It‘s a good thing!” 😉 7y

Cinfhen I like the company I‘m in @Centique @DivineDiana 💕💕 7y

69 likes2 stack adds6 comments

SharonGoforth

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

Paid a visit to Half Price Books earlier today! 📚📚#nosuchthingastoomanybooks #bookhaul

Tamra Which AA novellas are included in the collection? 7y

SharonGoforth @tamra They‘re novels: 1) Clotel, or The President‘s Daughter by William Wells Brown (pub. 1853), 2) Iola Joy, or Shadows Uplifted by Frances E. W. Harper (1892), and 3) The Marrow of Tradition by Charles W. Chestnutt (1901). Chesnutt is the only one I‘ve heard of. 7y

Tamra @SharonGoforth wow, they are new to me! Thanks for posting, I‘ll seek them out. 7y

See All 6 Comments

SharonGoforth @Tamra You‘re welcome! I hadn‘t heard of them either. 7y

Nat_Reads I loved Clotel when I read it years ago! 7y

SharonGoforth @Nat_Reads Good to know!! 7y

77 likes1 stack add6 comments

Liberty

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

Went to see Alexandria Mariano-Lesnevich speak and picked up a few new friends. 📚❤️

TheBookStacker Celine! 💚 8y

161 likes2 stack adds1 comment

BrooklynBookGirl

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

pan

Beautiful writing, but it went on for far too long with no true resolution. However; I loved the authors detailing of Brooklyn and various parts of the city.

MES

Charming Billy: A Novel | Alice McDermott

Perfect way to pass the day: a well written page turner and AC in full force.

1 stack add

Welcome to Litsy!

Trending Hashtags

Trending Books