Welcome to Litsy!

I really wanted to like this book. The first chapter was captivating, but after that I found it so disjointed it was hard to follow. The writing was uninspiring to me and the frequent sex scenes seemed contrived.

The plot of this book is not what you‘d expect based on the blurb, the school integration is not as central as you would expect. Basically this book is about how families are hard. And racism and sexuality and sexism and colorism and boundaries, and yea it‘s a lot but outside of some pacing issues (for me personally), I liked it. Was pulled in by the cover so good work to the cover artist.

Readathon final stats:
Finished up : The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Audio 100% : What‘s Mine and Yours
Read 100% : Heartstoppers Vol 4
Audio 30% : Wolves of the Calla
Read 45% : The Yiddish Policemen‘s Union.
Read : days 9/17-9/25 Dracula #DraculaDaily
#Readathon #SuperSeptember

Readathon final stats:
Finished up : The Greatest Beer Run Ever
Audio 100% : What‘s Mine and Yours
Read 100% : Heartstoppers Vol 4
Audio 30% : Wolves of the Calla
Read 45% : The Yiddish Policemen‘s Union.
Read : days 9/17-9/25 Dracula #DraculaDaily
#Readathon #SuperSeptember

I really enjoyed this #OneMarylandOneBook choice! The character dynamics were fantastic. So many strong personalities with such different views. Families can be hard! I loved each story and how it all came together in the end. I also loved that it wasn‘t wrapped up in a neat little bow at the end, like life. #SuperSeptember

Day 2 #SuperSeptember readathon. I‘m happy with my progress so far! 📚

Starting of this #SuperSeptember readathon with an audio #Volksmarch
36% in and really enjoying this #OneMarylandOneBook choice!

The ending just didn't do it for me.

This book is a little hard to describe. Mainly, it follows two families in North Carolina, and there are things that tie them together, but mostly their stories are separate. There are a lot of good things here—great characters with good development, interesting life stories, but I‘m not sure the book holds together as a novel. I‘m giving it a low pick because there‘s a lot of quality here, but I think it needed more work.

Look at me, finishing BOTM books within a year of getting them… I may actually complete the BOTM reading challenge for a change.🤪

There is a lot of jumping around in this book— from multiple POVs and back and forth and back again in time—so it takes a bit of getting used to, but I thought the writing was excellent and I enjoyed following these two families through the years. The ending left something to be desired, but such is life.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So excited and surprised to receive this lovely book! Thank you @Kaylamburson ❤️I‘m already into it & loving the descriptions of the bakery: “he made pretty knots of dough for the morning buns, sprinkled them with sugar.” 👩‍🍳 #litsylove Eliot says thanks for the bookmarks too @Librarybelle & @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I loved the cards!

I loved the first chapter, and I read the rest of the book hoping to experience more of that without luck. There's a lot going on between all the characters and time hops, and it ultimately didn't engage me.

Robbie wanted to make them laugh, wanted to help them see how good it was to all be together. There was too much you couldn‘t control in life, too many terrible things. They should be happy, even if only for a little while, even if just for right now 🌾

This one was just okay for me. I thought it was well written and it had a unique storyline. It had some twists in the story that were entertaining. I do think this came together well. The varying stories of two different families and how they were intertwined through the years was interesting. There were just parts for me that were slow which made it hard to stay fully interested in this one.

Just started this book today and it seems like it‘s going to be a good one! Anyone read it? Thoughts?

WMAY is the story of two families with absent fathers who clash over race, identity, and parenthood when their growing North Carolina town begins to integrate schools in the area. To be honest, I found this book confusing - the story is not told in chronological order, and the cover summary is misleading. But while the purpose of each character‘s narration is not always obvious, this is not a book that seeks to provide obvious answers.

I feel as though this was 2 books in one. There‘s switching of POVs, years, events that make it hard to really get attached to a character. Because of trauma, there are a lot of hard characters and they are difficult to root for. Coster has good story lines and writing style, but it didn‘t settle down enough for me.

I wasn‘t sold on this at first, but ended up loving it. The back and forth with characters and over time was a bit wonky for me at first but when all the characters came together and the events made sense in my pea-brain I was hooked! Those who enjoy family sagas will probably appreciate this one.

A little slow to start but very interested in the characters

This book was marketed differently than it is actually written. The writing is okay but the storyline isn‘t. I didn‘t care much for this one.

I didn't love this book--I felt that it didn't deliver on the main conflict and it couldn't decide which characters to focus on. #moremehthanyeah ⭐⭐⭐/5

This book is pitched as though it is about school integration. That plot line felt like it was woven in as an afterthought by the author. The non-linear timeline & never ending cast of characters were difficult to keep sorted. Nothing felt genuine, not the characters or their actions. Not even the unlikeable Laney Mae. There were several partially developed stories that may have been good individually but together in one novel they didn't work.

Another great morning with the @todayshow and @readwithjenna bookclub.

These discussions are always wonderful and @naimacoster ‘s discussion was fantastic.

“What‘s Mine and Yours” is a beautiful story set in the Piedmont area of North Carolina

It is a story about the challenges of being a parent and loving your children while trying to raise them under difficult situations. Parents who are trying to be a moral compass in challenging times. I found the characters relatable and loved the setting of the story since I live in this area of North Carolina.

Book 39/150.

This was mostly terrible people doing terrible things. I did like Diane, but that was it. None of it felt meaningful to me. I can‘t decide if the “twist” was supposed to be a twist or not, because it was so obvious. Meh. #BotM

A lovely family drama about time, mother‘s and children, race and love. Some characters and themes could have been more developed, and the ending came suddenly, but overall a compelling read. #botm

A quick, light read with racial undertones. Some characters weren‘t as developed as I would have liked them to be and I saw the plot twist coming. Overall a good read.

My #BOTM pretties have arrived! 📚

review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#whats-mine-and-yours

Had my kid hold the book for me. I did like this! I‘m have to go with a so-so rating because I felt like there were specific ways that it could have improved. I wanted to dive a little deeper. It was a problem of too many characters. But overall it was a lovely book and one I‘d recommend for anyone who appreciates a good family saga.

Shoot, had I dove into this book without reading anything about it, I would have enjoyed it more. I anticipated a novel about contemporary integration of schools and its impact on two families which happens, but not until almost 4/5ths of the book. I kept waiting for what was reported to happen, rather than fully connecting with the story as it unfolded. ...I don‘t think this is the fault of the writing or the author ...or this reader ;)

My first #botm #bookmail! Gotta admit, that blue box is pretty exciting.

My birthday was yesterday and my sister got me a BOTM subscription. My first choice was the tagged book. I‘ve never tried #botm before and think it sounds like so much fun. Any tips for making the most of it?

Confirmed March #readwithjenna pick! And by extension, seems like a safe bet that this will be available through #BOTM

I adored the author‘s earlier Halsey Street, but this one was a bit disappointing. Lovely scenes, but the narrative as a whole lacked coherence and had several timelines and POVs and was a bit hard to follow. #ARC #Netgalley