Welcome to Litsy!

This almost was a 'so-so', but the wonderful descriptive prose and beautiful world that Collins created saved it for me and kept me reading. I much preferred The Binding and I think because The Grand Jeux was so mysteriously described throughout, it was actually distracting, because I kept feeling like I was at a loss for info. If the author's note about The Glass Bead Game had come first rather than post script, I would have felt more settled.

#AutumnPlease #Day29 #Betrayal My gorgeous signed copy of this Bridget Collins is perfect for this prompt! #Scarathlon #SpookyGhostClub 6pts

It‘s my birthday tradition to buy myself a book. It has to be one I have never heard of. I couldn‘t decide so I got three. Happy birthday to me!

I‘m not sure exactly how I feel about this book. It made me feel a bit stupid because I didn‘t understand what the grand jeu was. It‘s never really explained. Is it magic? Is it math, music? Also, the world wasn‘t really explained that well. I also guessed the twist way ahead of time. So I‘m not sure if you‘re supposed to guess it or if I‘m very clever 🤷🏻‍♀️. Overall, the book was interesting but I would have been okay not reading it.

Sorry for the awkward photo!

Has anyone ever had a book stain their fingers?!

This is the 2nd night I‘ve noticed my fingers have black spots on them from reading this book.

I just got it a couple weeks ago from B&N (who I normally don‘t order hardcovers from)

I always take the covers off my hardbacks.

Is this normal? 🤔🤔🤔🤔

My days have been (too) busy lately and the weekend was no exception. Of course that calls for a migraine coming in. So I‘ve decided to cancel all plans for the evening and spend some time reading in my hammock instead. Quite a good decision, I guess.

Whew. Did I not enjoy this. Part of it is me. I‘m in a mood. And I didn‘t understand that I was reading speculative fiction and Drama, with a capital “D”. So, coming in with more genre fiction expectations the world building was nonsensical and vague, the characters seemed either intense and unlikable or ridiculous and one note. To be fair, I‘ve never read The Glass Bead Game. Maybe that would change how I felt.

I am posting one book per day from my to-be-read collection. No description and providing no reason for wanting to read it, I just do. Some will be old, some will be new - don‘t judge me I have a lot of books.
Join the fun if you want. This is day 168.
#bookstoread
#tbrpile
#bookstagram

3/5 this book was quite underwhelming, and im so disappointed that I didn‘t love it because I really wanted to after having LOVED The Binding. It‘s a slow burner with quite a confusing end if I‘m being honest, and I finished the book with so many questions being left unanswered. I do have to give credit to the amazing world building, and beautiful aesthetic that it created. The characters were so interesting too. However it was still a let down.

Well, Publisher‘s Weekly doesn‘t like this book but I enjoyed the writing even as I must admit the story felt somewhat unfinished—the author doesn‘t always provide explanation for things she introduces. As for the plot—a disgraced, exiled government official is sent back to the school where he excelled, as a student, at the ‘grand jeu‘, the highest form of art in the country. Unfortunately, he can‘t escape politics or his past. I was entertained.

What an amazing cover!!!!

I got these reading trackers and they have made me more proactive in my progress!!!

Finally have the perfect mask for these times 😁😁😁

Honestly, I preferred The Binding. I liked the concept of this but just didn't gel with the characters. I thought Leo was so self absorbed and selfish most of the time. I would stil read others by her but not as keen as I was...

So I'm finding this less readable than The Binding but getting more out of it as I keep going.
There's more of a story now, rather than setting the scene. I'm puzzled as to what the actual game involves...

What a cover 😍😍😍.
I read The Binding last year, so was stoked to get this as a Christmas gift. Then persuaded a book club to read this month 😂😊😊😊
Hoping.its a good one...

I‘ve kinda hit a reading wall the last 2 days, finding it hard to concentrate, not sure why. So I‘ve been watching the true crime channel instead, just finished bingeing I‘ll Be Gone In The Dark series based on Michelle McNamaras brilliant book. But I got some pretty #bookmail to show you! This is the gorgeous signed edition of the tagged book from Waterstones. I love Waterstones, they have the best signed & special edition books🙌💗😍

When your local bookshop doesn‘t only provide you with a steady supply of books but also the prettiest handbags to put them in, that‘s when your credit card is getting into trouble. 😅😅

What‘s the weirdest not-a-book item you‘ve ever bought in a bookshop?? For me, it may have been a face mask but then that at least had books printed on it. 😂

Ooh, pretty cover 😍😍

1. Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud;

2. See 3;

3. The last one from a shop was The Wisdom of the Ancients by Neil Oliver, but this afternoon I placed an order for The Betrayals by Bridget Collins, which, like her last book, The Binding, has the most beautiful cover artwork!

# WeekendReads
@rachelsbrittain

I don‘t often do this because international shipping is expensive, but I just had to preorder this gorgeous edition of Bridget Collins‘ next book from @Waterstones!
I loved The Binding so much, and I can‘t wait to read this.