Welcome to Litsy!

Catching up on #DaysDevotedTo #days5to9
Dolours & Marian Price, both #redheads were active with the IRA & committed untold acts of violence including bombings,assassinations & “disappearing” #people.
You‘ve Change -#healthylifestyle ; Fellowship Point a saga of #familystories ; The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak & Magic #tea ; Sienna #artmusem- we are seeing this exhibit sometime soon at the NYC MET.

Finally reading this before the show comes out!

This is an incredible book about the Troubles in Northern Ireland, using the disappearance of Jean McConville as the framework to show the key players on both sides of the divide.
It was tough to know who to root for by the end. Nearly everybody was both a victim and a villain, but Jean left ten kids behind and they, like so many other Irish children, paid the price.

This has been on my TBR for a while. Starting now on audio.

One of the best nonfiction books I‘ve read recently. Really well written and researched. I knew very little about this conflict, and I feel like I learned a lot. I wouldn‘t say this is a flaw, but the book doesn‘t aim to be a comprehensive history of the Troubles. It focuses primarily on the culture of secrecy and fear that the IRA cultivated in Northern Ireland, highlighting several key figures. The backstory of the cover image is amazing.

Loving these new monthly wrap up graphics from Storygraph. You can really tell I had a major reading slump during the middle of the month, which resulted in me only finishing 4 total books in August. My top read was Say Nothing (will post a separate review soon!).

By coincidence, I started listening to this #nonfiction book revolving around the conflict and violence in Northern Ireland while reading Flynn Berry‘s novel about two sisters and a more modern story involving the IRA. This one is loosely organized around the 1972 abduction and disappearance of Jean McConville, a mother of ten. It details many of the incidents of that time period almost to the present. Fascinating, sad and well-researched!

Readers who enjoyed this might also enjoy:

-- Four Shots In The Night by Henry Hemming
--There Will Be Fire by Rory Carroll
-- Anatomy of a Killing by Ian Cobain
-- Peacerunner by Penn Rhodeen

A very readable book about the N Irish conflict that destroyed lives and split a society in half. The bk focuses on the 'disappearance' of a Belfast mother by the IRA +follows the protagonists over the subsequent decades incl 2 particular members . It also reflects on the role of politicians esp Gerry Adams. A page turner + v informative but I'm unsure if the horror took 2nd place in favour of a thrilling read. An interesting reading experience.

#TLT #ThreeListThursday

1) tagged book & his book on the Sackler family, Empire of Pain.

2) Neurotribes,(Steve Silberman)

3).Mothers in the Fatherland: Women, the Family and Nazi Politics (Claudia Koonz)

So many more!

Joining #12Booksof2023 late, but this was my January pick, interweaving the stories of several individuals and one kidnapping to describe the Troubles and some of their aftermath.

#12Booksof2023 March

A book about a mother raising her 10 children alone who goes missing in 1972 at the high of The Troubles.

How was this possible? How did this impact her children? What else was happening in Northern Ireland that got more attention that a missing person?

Richly detailed account of “The Troubles” conflict and its aftermath in Northern Ireland. I had little background knowledge about the era, but this helped to fill in some gaps. Keefe brings it to life with personal accounts of some of the victims and key actors. I can see why PTSD must have been commonplace with the violence and coercion perpetrated by both sides. Unfortunately, it resonates with the current Israeli/Palestinian conflict. ☹️

I was slow moving with this, but it was a great read. A recommendation from a friend whose daughter lives in Ireland.

I remember hearing about the Troubles in the 90s as a kid but definitely didn‘t comprehend how complex the situation was.

Reading from afar, I can‘t help but wonder how much is still felt there now.

Fascinating and engaging account of the disappearance of Jean McConville in 1972, spiraling out to include the wider context of the PIRA, The Troubles, and the aftermath of the Good Friday Agreement. Thoroughly researched, well written, and the audio is beautifully narrated by Matthew Blaney. Highly recommended!

Today's audio walk included a visit to the migrating swans 🦢 Hard to tell, but there are 24 swans in this picture (and a bunch of geese). We live right on a major migratory path, so Spring and Fall always bring an abundance of winged wildlife to town.

LOVING this book so far. Impeccably written and researched, and the narration is fantastic. I've been taking extra long walks to keep listening.

Beautiful fall day for an audio walk with Sprocket

Beautiful fall day for an audio walk with Sprocket

This will be one of my favorite nonfiction reads of this year. The author manages to tie all the events together to give the reader a front row seat to this one moment during The Troubles. Highly recommend this one. #bookspin @thearomaofbooks

It's been a LONG time since I've posted one of my #the52bookclub23 prompts, but I'm trying to do better!

This book was well-written and well-researched; I'd definitely recommend this to history buffs or anyone interested in learning about the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, my interest was marginal -- since my grandfather was born there, I feel like I should know more about “where I came from“ -- so it started to drag near the end.

Posting from a new format so hoping the picture can be seen. I‘m about a quarter of the way through and it‘s incredible. I‘m not always one for nonfiction but this book is incredible.

This March favorite was actually a reread for me and I loved it just as much the 2nd time around. #2023ReadingBracket

In 1972, widow and mother of 10, Jean McConville, is dragged away from her home by masked people. This books looks at how an incident like this could disappear because of everything else that happened in Northern Ireland at that time and how this effected her children.

We also get an insight into IRA at the time and some of its prominent figures and I must admit that I thought they would be older than late teens/ early twenties.

#BookReport

I finished Say Nothing and read I‘m a Fan

I‘m currently reading Demon Copperhead

#WeeklyForecast

Continue reading Say Nothing and maybe even finish it.

I want to read I‘m a Fan, and after that I think Demon Copperhead will keep me busy for the rest of the week.

#BookReport

I continued my reading of Say Nothing.

I decided to stick with my plan even though the Longlist for the Women‘s Prize for Fiction was announced. So I read A Spoonful of Murder and I‘m almost finished with I Am Half-Sick of Shadows

#WeeklyForecast

Continue my reading of Say Nothing

I‘m just about to start A Spoonful of Murder and I want to read that.

Then I think I‘ll get to I Am Half-Sick of Shadows.

But the Women‘s Prize for Fiction Longlist is announced on Tuesday, and depending on what‘s on there and how easy I can get my hands on some of those, there might be some changes.

#BookReport

I finished Road Ends

I‘ve started Say Nothing and plan to take my time with it. I‘m also currently reading In the Time of the Butterflies.

#WeeklyForecast

I want to start Say Nothing. Apparently the Irish readathon is happening in March, and even though I‘m not participating, it‘s a good excuse to read this.

I‘ve started Road Ends. I had some book hangover after Tree, but Lawson is such an excellent writer that she pulls you in no matter what.

I think In the Time of the Butterflies is next up.

Delicious!!!

I learned so much from this book that I never knew! I gasped in shock many times and was completely engrossed. The human toll really was incredible.

Highly recommended to anyone that wants to understand one more corner of the world a bit better. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cheating again for May with a nonfiction favorite and a fiction favorite. I loved Unlikely Animals on audio.

#12DaysofChristmas. #12booksof2022

One of the best books I read in May 2022 and an excellent reminder to read more nonfiction! This account of the IRA and the conflict in Northern Ireland and its delicate peace process was interesting and educational.

12Bookof2022

Another excellent read by one of my favorite nonfiction authors.

I knew very little about the conflict in Northern Ireland. The way this book is written pulls the reader into the conflict giving accurate background information while also weaving in and out of the victim's life before the crime occurs. It felt like reading a novel, which is why I love PRK's writing.

One of the books that I have enjoyed the most. It offers an accurate account of the conflict in Northern Ireland and a very personal portrait of the people involved. It has the pace of a novel even though it is presenting historical facts based on research and interviews. I strongly recommend it.

Out of the three books I‘ve read by Keefe, this was my least favorite - still good, but it was harder to follow. The first half of the book was excellent but something happens in the second half that didn‘t connect the dots for me. I‘m glad to have read it and maybe would reread it again to see if it was me, not the author.

Tagged book has been on TBR for a long time! Found at the library in their sale nook!Never know what might be found there.

So enjoyed this session with Patrick Radden Keefe! He spoke for a bit then took several audience questions. Such an interesting person! I met him afterward and got the tagged book signed. I haven‘t read it yet, but was impressed by Rogues and Empire of Pain. He‘s an incredible journalist! And he was super nice. #southernfestivalofbooks #nashville

This is a very good and well researched book about some of the known key characters of the Irish troubles that began again in the 1970s in earnest. It‘s too bad all history books aren‘t this engaging, if they were, maybe more people would learn from it.

Some short #Booker2022 Longlist books leave some room for some other light night reading 😂. I‘m wondering how this will make as a companion piece between The Colony and Small Things Like These. I couldn‘t wait any longer to start this one after some recent Litsy comments. #BlameItOnLitsy

Current audiobook.

#ireland #history

Such a wonderful coincidence that I read two books about the history of Northern Ireland in a row and in such a perfect order (previous one is The Yellow House). I Love this book very much.
Now I learn the history related to the Cause, partition of the Ireland, the Trouble and the Good Friday Agreement and become a bit obsessive of the history thereof and want to know more about all that!!
Highly recommend!!

Another great week. Mary J. was the perfect book after finishing Say Nothing. 5 🌟s for both. The other two were good but not great. I need to finish Longings next for #LMPBC and read my Obama section for the month.

Say Nothing was my May #Bookspin

#MarvellousMayUpdate

Had a lovely 3 day weekend with lots of reading time. Say Nothing is an exceptional piece of nonfiction. I was riveted by the individual stories and learned so much about the Troubles. Troubles seems too small a word for this explosive time in Northern Ireland.

Loved Tookie and The Sentence and I am loving The Book of Longings for #LMPBC.

Read for #Booked2022 Spring - Written by a Journalist. It was interesting to see how the disparate threads would match up in this nonfiction account of an abduction and subsequent murder in N. Ireland in 1972 backgrounded by the rise of the Provisional IRA. It was a difficult book to digest at times because it‘s a complicated situation which has morphed now, decades later into an all too fragile peace. I thought it was excellent, tragic & honest.

Jean McConville was 38 when she disappeared, and she had spent nearly half her life either pregnant or recovering from childbirth.

Took a mental health day today. It‘s grey, windy and rainy so a good day for a fascinating book, a cozy blanket and hot tea.

Happy Friday!