Welcome to Litsy!

Another afternoon in the glorious sunshine.
I seem to be gravitating to books that our library calls “ relationships “ .
This spanned the late 50s to Covid times. One family. Lots I could relate to.
French braid, when you undo it the hair is in ripples for hours after.
“ that‘s how families work, too. You think you are free of them , but you are never really free, the ripples are crimped in forever”

I would agree with a lot of other reviews on this one. I felt it was fairly well written, about a multi-generational family that just never really did connect with one another, and I can definitely see how this might be an accurate portrayal of some families. But I also felt like the book never really went anywhere and it was just kind of unfulfilling and sad. Also didn‘t feel the audiobook reader “fit” the book, which didn‘t help.

Classic Anne Tyler; a quirky family that don‘t quite fit the norm, going about their fairly ordinary but sometimes stilted lives in the way Anne Tyler does so well. I did feel there were a lot of characters, and some of them felt interchangeable. That maybe it needed to be a little longer to get to know them better. I also wasn‘t sure the beginning/ending worked, but still, this was sweet and charming.

Love Anne Tyler and this lives up to her previous hugely.

I‘m always in need of🍷 ( I‘ve smashed 2 this fortnight. One in the dishwasher and the other was on the edge of the island as I wizzed into the kitchen) so whenever I see a nice and cheap set I grab them. These beautifully etched set of six were only $10! Can you see them? I may have not gone straight back to work after being on an interview panel last term because you know op shops. I figured it finished before schedule. Here is the result. Ha!

I very much enjoyed this novel spanning 60 to 70 years the life of the Garretts. Starting in 1950s up to and including Covid. The whole family were great characters and I enjoyed the family interactions.

I‘m usually a Tyler fan, but this one fell flat for me. It didn‘t help that I didn‘t like the narrator but I think it was more than that. The family saga just didn‘t quite hold together like hers usually do, and it didn‘t circle back to Serena like I expected, or even tie that first scene in very well. Just a so-so for me.

This was a solid “meh” for me. Usually I love the family dramas, but this one just fell flat for me. My biggest thought after finishing it was, I wished there was a family tree to keep everyone straight 🙄 I was doing okay until the “Robby‘s” came along and after that I heavily relied on context clues as to who this person was and which family they were from lol

Saturday audiobook while I wait for the car to charge. This book, which I‘d never heard of was a recommendation by my daughter who read it on a recent trip.
It‘s… quaint.

I‘m a PangoBooks convert now 🙌I placed my first order and I‘m starting there first now. You actually see the book you‘re buying instead of relying on the seller saying “like new” when in reality the spine is cracked. My four books are in pristine condition, exactly like the pictures I saw. I got these 4 books +shipping & tax for $27.46. AND my seller had a super quick turnaround, I got them within the week she dropped them off at USPS 🤩🥳

Didn't enjoy this Anne Tyler book as much as some of her earlier works. Many of the characters were unlikeable and few if any showed much vulnerability.

⭐⭐⭐⭐You think you're free of them, but you're never really free; the ripples are crimped in forever.” “Wasn't it amazing how resilient people were, how they persisted, how they kept trying to connect!” “This is what families do for each other—hide a few uncomfortable truths, allow a few self-deceptions. Little kindness and little cruelties.

Next book

Another one of Tyler's books to get me through long drives to my jobs over the last few weeks.
This one beginning in the 1950's and following a family's journey through to current day including Covid 19 and the lockdowns we all experienced.
I love Anne Tyler's writing and her poignant reminder of the passing of time. This book has many moments which are easily relatable to families including my own.
Enjoyable and easy to follow.

I‘ve definitely found a new favourite in Anne Tyler.
Loved the family dynamics in this, the way the characters are succinctly written and the idea that family members don‘t always like each other/get along and put up pretences. I really liked Mercy. It‘s got that slow, not a lot happening feel which I like in books anyway but it kept me turning the pages because of the characters, the dynamics & the writing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a story of multi-generational family dramas set near Baltimore. It's vintage Tyler-style storytelling and writing. She blends character development through everyday moments and significant events. But I couldn't connect with many of her subjects, which might be just my issues. The book's summary promised more hilarity than the author delivered. I prefer her last book, Redhead by the Side of the Road, over this. #thebibliophage2022

Just a shout out to local libraries 💕 I went to pick up this book I‘d reserved & it wouldn‘t let me check it out - I asked the librarian & it was because I had fines (I‘m usually pretty good at taking books back etc but having a newborn I‘ve not really kept on top of it) but she waivered them for me as she knows I‘m a regular & she saw me with the kids & said she knows what it‘s like. Just thought that was really kind of her 🤍

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I love family dramas and especially those that span generations. told through a series of vignettes from family members from 3 generations. A family who loves one another despite some dysfunction and stressed relationships. I definitely saw parts of my own extended family reflected here and I am sure most families will see something they relate to. I felt like I wanted just a **little** more from the ending but am satisfied with it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book 96

I had such a book hangover after reading French Braid! Tyler's writing is powerful because it's clear and succinct. Her characters and their relationships are rich. She makes astute observations that are so simplistic and relatable that they should be mundane.

This book was soooo boring. I didn't care for the characters at all. Mercy was the worst. It was mundane family life with the tiniest bit of drama thrown in. But not enough to write a book about. I only finished this for a book club I'm in.

Slow and character driven. Really no plot, but it was enjoyable.

This popped up on my library‘s skip the line loans, so I thought I‘d give it a try. While I appreciated aspects of it and I liked that it was a portrait of a family across generations, I frankly found it lackluster. I haven‘t read Tyler before and not sure I will again. I do love the cover, though—what a fabulous color!

This is a book that leaves you happy, I was completely satisfied and sometimes that is exactly what you need in your life.

This is the 1st Tyler book that resonated for me. I think it‘s 100% because I read her other book before I had lived enough life. She captures the quiet nuances of marriage & the the fraught relationships between children & their parents with such a gentle hand. I couldn‘t appreciate that before. If contemplative books bore you, skip this one. Truly nothing happens and there‘s no big reveal, but the quiet moments of connection make it worthwhile.

I‘ve read many of her books, but this one didn‘t grab me. It‘s the story of one family through the years, but not a very interesting one. Give me “This Is Us” anytime!

I was really looking forward to this book. While I liked the story, I didn't love it the way I thought I would. It tells the story of normal family dysfunction. The reader is taken back to a single family vacation that changes the course & relationships within a family for generations. ⭐⭐⭐💫
This wasn't remarkable to me. Beautiful but forgettable. Soft pick.

I really enjoyed this novel- it felt like intertwining short stories of generations of a family. Most of the characters‘ POV chapters I wanted to be so much longer (sign of a great book), and I was intrigued of how differently I perceived them from someone else‘s POV. Excellent and enjoyable.

First book by #AnneTyler. #FrenchBraid is a very well-crafted and quiet book about a family, with a focus on the matriarch. There were a lot of characters & names in this, but it didn‘t feel stressful.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️,75/5

Here‘s the perfect reading companion for Anne Tyler‘s latest release—my friend‘s French Bulldog Bowie! (We‘re dog sitting this week.) Oh, I loved this book! It helped me appreciate all our family BBQs and reunions, and the quirkiest relatives whom I later discovered had taught me many of life‘s most profound lessons. As Anne says: “No heroes, no villains; just your average people. I hope you‘ll grow fond of them, in spite of their obvious flaws.”

Anne Tyler is just reliably great. So funny and perceptive. French Braid tells the story of one Baltimore family from the 1950s to the present day.

I never thought I‘d be moved to tears by a salmon loaf, but Tyler can somehow use the most ordinary things to evoke such strong emotions. An absolute pleasure to read.

A years-long view of an extended family told through snippets of various members in different stages of life. Though a big undertaking, the chapters zoom in on the minutiae of the characters‘ everyday life in Anne Tyler‘s signature style.

Anne Tyler is magnificent. I fell in love with her books with A Spool of Blue Thread. This one is a close second to that one, although I‘ve only read 5. Tyler backlist, here I come!

All of my kids are now out of the house, and I really felt this:

“he had suffered a very serious loss in his life. Two losses, in fact. Two very dear children: Emily and Nicholas. It was true that these days there happened to be two very dear grown-ups who were also named Emily and Nicholas, but they weren‘t the same people.“

Spending this cold day cuddled up with my bff Anne! Each one of hers I‘ve read just speaks to me ♥️
I need to slowly chip away at her backlist.

(Part 1) I can't even rate this on Goodreads. I was so excited for this book for several reasons. First, it's Anne Tyler so how could it not be good, right? Second, Deep Creek Lake (where I live) is a setting in the beginning of the book and also a memory brought up throughout. Even though the shops and roads and such were entirely fictitious, it did give me a warm feeling to see "Deep Creek Lake" mentioned so many times in a book.

A new Anne Tyler makes for some very exciting #bookmail. Just might have to start this one right away.

Cute contemporary fiction #NewRelease following a Baltimore family for 60 years. Tyler has her style, and I find it enjoyable, however when it got to the third generation of cousins, I was a bit confused about who belonged to whom. The final chapter, set in 2020, is the most heartwarming pandemic-set fiction I have read so far. The #audiobook narration is great. 👍🏻

Hello, weekend! So ready for ya! This is my #libraryhaul from yesterday. Tagging the one that is cut off below ⬇️

#ARC #NetGalley #NowAvailable Families are complicated and the Garrett family especially so. This story follows Robin & Mercy as they raise their three children in 1950‘s Baltimore up until 2020 as their children are now grandparents living through the Coronavirus. This book was a little flat for me. Quiet and completive. I‘m sure fans of Anne Tyler will enjoy this book but I was hoping for more.

Todays book recommendation is from The Week Magazine.
French Braid by Anne Tyler
The Garretts take their first and last family vacation in the summer. They hardly ever leave home, but in some ways they have never been farther apart. Mercy is resisting her aspirations to be a painter, which means less time keeping house for her husband, Robin. Their daughters Alice and Lily. Their youngest, David, is already intent on escaping
#bookrecommendations

Starting a new #ARC #NetGalley Publishes this coming Tuesday, March 22!! And a Happy Purim to those who are celebrating today!! Those yummy looking hamantaschen were baked by my daughter 😁 SO DELICIOUS 😋

📘French Braid by Anne Tyler
🍐Pears
🪞Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr 🤩
🙌🏽 Today I am grateful for a relaxing and quiet night at home.

What a lovely prompt!
@Eggs