Even though I didn‘t particularly like these characters I was invested in the story and really enjoyed the dark humor. The chapters are narrated by ‘Lady‘ (a rich woman that recently kicked out her husband) and ‘S‘ (her secretive live in nanny). The questions the author examines about motherhood, identity, performance and art are really interesting but more than that, I just wanted to know what would happen next.
#BookReport 14/20
Three books this week but I was almost finished with the tagged one af the start of the week and I bailed on Stella. So it‘s not much. I am still holding on to my challenges but I start wondering if I should not just lose myself in thrillers and easy books to forget about reality!
I kind of liked this one. The two lying women and the boy in between. Both of the women make one stupid decision after the other and it‘s frustrating to read, I wanted to tell them what to do more than once. It‘s a good thing when a book does that, when it has such an effect on you. Especially these days it is good to be frustrated about something else beside our health and situation.
#Booked2020 #SetInHollywood
That book was so depressing and I hated almost everyone and everything they did.
Yay!!! Books! These look so great @Llanphear ! I cannot WAIT to dig in! Thank you!
#justabookswap
@TheBookKeepers
This one was kind of random, about the relationship between a mom and her “sitter.” The sitter is kind of nutty, trying to replicate her own mom; the employer has a mute son with his own issues. Enjoyed it though.
I am book hopping right now! Having a hard time settling for one book.
Appropriate book for a day spent thinking about my mother. Fortunately, my mom and I have a great relationship.
However, the mother/child relationships in this book are screwed up and dysfunctional. The parallels and differences between Lady and S are what makes this a great book. Plus I liked S‘s art project. Kooky. Fascinating read. 4⭐️
#MonthOfRereads #botmchallenge throwback
#NoFemmeber #California
A CA story with fascinating, complex and frustrating characters. Lady, single mum of 2 boys, is struggling to write a book. ‘S‘ is a live-in 'Sitter' and a secret performance artist. Both are self-obsessed & self-destructive with some serious mum-issues, both are deceiving themselves and others. Then Lady's teenage son, a selective mute, becomes both pawn and game player in their strange situation. A really compelling read.
Couldn‘t get into the writing style and the story didn‘t appeal to me. Not sure why I even ordered this one. 😜 Just not for me.
⭐⭐⭐
Different. I can't say that I liked this book but I also can't say I disliked it. It did take me way to long too finish reading but I did enjoy the differing view points of Lady and Esther.
#Recommendsday
One of my fav summer reads from last year.
https://wellreadneck.wordpress.com/2018/07/02/woman-no-17-edan-lepucki/
Sinister? Nah. Sexy? There‘s a lot of sex, but sexy? Nah. Noir? Sure. This might actually make a better movie than book. The themes regarding art and exploitation are also interesting, but Lepucki merely toys with the ideas. I don‘t think she took them far enough. I‘m rating it as a so-so, but I actually kind of liked it. It‘s unlike anything else I‘ve read this year.
Reading this book is like watching a train wreck. 1.) S is trying to become her mom? While living in someone else‘s home and caring for a two year old? Really? She‘s unstable. 2.) What is with Lady‘s obsession with her older son and detachment from her younger son? I assume all will be revealed, but she also seems unstable.
Snuggling up with my girls to read. #Edith #Chloe #catsoflitsy #tuxedokittiesoflitsy @MinDea They are cuddled together so tight (it did get cold for post-haircut ladies).
The view from my couch right now - #Edith and #Chloe both showing off their summer shaves. 😹 (We are still at the point where we laugh every time we look at them). #catsoflitsy #tuxedokittiesoflitsy @MinDea
Eating some leftover cake and ice cream from my son‘s 16th birthday party today (😍😕😢😳 - all the feelings about his age!!!) and settling in with a book - I love seeing my family but I‘m tired from cleaning and cooking and being social all day!
Seth stared at the painting in the same way he‘d stared at the photo, devoted and searching, like it might reveal the secret to life if he would only pay it the proper attention 📷
2-15-18: 9th finished book of 2018. 📖#️⃣9️⃣
Meh. Billed as suspenseful but really isn‘t. Plus, I disliked all the characters. Intensely.
This book really drew me in. Complex and interesting characters fumbling with their relationships and senses of self.
11-17-17: #novemberbythenumbers A story about motherhood and the intensity of female friendships set in LA? Added to my TBR pile! #️⃣1️⃣7️⃣ 📚 @JoeStalksBeck @Tiffy_Reads
#novemberbythenumbers #17
Fascinating, complex and ultimately frustrating characters. Lady, a mum of two, is separated and struggling to write a book. ‘S‘ is the live-in-sitter and a secret performance artist. Both are self-obsessed and self-destructive with mother-issues, both deceiving themselves and others. Lady's teen son, a selective mute, becomes both pawn and game player in their weird situation. Not perfect but a really compelling read.
So this was my second Book of the Month Club offering. It took me three months to finish the first, but it ended better than it started. I have been reading this one since June (it's now November) and I just have no motivation to finish. I don't care about the characters. At. All. It is well -written, but for me, story is everything. And I have zero desire to continue this one. This book has beaten me. But now I'll move on to better things.
3.5 🌟 read. For some reason I thought this was going to have some element of suspense to it but it didn‘t at all. It was a well-written story about selfish people, about motherhood, and about becoming our parents. At least that was my takeaway. I enjoyed the sharp humor of some of the characters the most and Lepucki‘s beautiful sense of place. This story is set in LA and you feel the city in her writing.
I always make too large a #stack for #readathon (I have another seven more books on my tablet), but I figure this way I have something ready for any reading mood that may strike. Also comics comics comics, always important for those moments when I'm running out of steam
13: The prompt is "genre." I can't pick a favorite genre! When I read a mystery, I wish I read mysteries all the time. When I read sci-fi, I wish I read sci-fi books all the time. True crime, romance, bizzaro fiction - I love it all! YAY BOOKS! #readathon #30DaysofReadathon
3.5 ⭐️ I've read a good number of novels with "flawed" characters this year, some of whom had little appeal to me, but the flawed characters in Woman No. 17 felt richer (in motivation, in background). The relationships between the characters kept me engaged and - at times - amused. At its core, a novel about daughters and their relationships with their mothers.
Okay, my May 2017 #BOTM selection...your Litsy rating is 45%...🤞🏼here we go!
My last read ended up as a DNF .... hoping this is as good as anticipated. 🤞🏻
Books read in August... those with green were five star reads. 22 of these were ARCs, so I think I was clearing the decks for group reads I have planned in September.
http://readingenvy.blogspot.com/2017/08/books-201-233-of-2017.html
The library gods have chosen for me and the next audiobook is one of the books I have had on my TBR for a long while. After reading historical, memoir and sci-fi, a contemporary fiction feels right. Although there is a toddler with dialogue which means an adult "voices" a toddler which is always a little painful/awkward. Hoping it isn't an impediment to a good book.
This was somewhere between a so-so and a pick, but I'll round up; it was a unique read and I'm feeling generous. The story moved along at a good clip and although I liked the mildly sinister tone, I never fell in love with the characters like I wanted to. #BOTM
This guy is happy to see me after a weekend away, and I'm happy to be getting into this book. Am about 1/3 in and liking it so far. #catsoflitsy #BOTM #sullivancat
Starting a new read tonight! Woman No 17 by Edan Lepucki
My favorite colors are pink and green - surprisingly for a chick lit nut most of the pinks I rustled up were lavender (or my husband's 😝). I feel like the tagged book was a good mix of both. ❤️#bookcolortag
Listened to this one, with two different narrators. It was a weird little story that I skipped for #botm (this was a good choice.) The publisher summary says this is a "noir novel of motherhood" and I think it's those two elements that are very awkward in their combined presentations here. Unlikeable women, bad mothers, wealthy LA, and some statement about art. Audio ARC from publisher.
When I say a word follows me around, I'm serious! I think this is the fifth book this year. (page late in novel but is not a spoiler... I listened to audio and did a search in google books) #jacaranda
Current listen while Winnie and Doyle wait for my husband to come home (they start waiting for him an hour beforehand.) #dogsoflitsy #audiobook
I was so on board with this book until the last 30 pages or so. I really hated the ending. A lot. Nothing felt resolved, and my favorite character in the whole book basically got kicked when he was down. Lady was terrible and still got rewarded in the end. And we don't even really see what happens to S. I just. Ugh. I was so disappointed in the end.
And I still want a whole book about Seth because he deserves much much better. I ❤ Seth.
#amreading #currentlyreading
Has anyone else read this one? I have around 60 pages left, and I am so morbidly fascinated with this book. S E T H I S T H E M O S T I N T R I G U I N G. I just want to spend a day with him and learn all about him and be his silent friend.
What are some other thoughts about this book?
This book wasn't for me. Lady was probably the most unlikeable character I've ever read about. She was so self-centered and negative. I couldn't take it. The storyline was interesting at first, but once I finished the novel I was unimpressed. 👎🏼🤷🏻♀️
Major mixed feelings about this one. Find out why today on ilayreading.com. what did you think of this book?
#review #blogpost #summerreads #literaryfiction
About 80 pages left of this one. Aiming to finish it by tomorrow :)
I'm on page 85, and just started struggling with this. Both Lady and S are somewhat shallow characters which makes it hard to sympathize or relate to them in any way. Hoping it gets better soon, or I might have to bail 🙎🏻