Welcome to Litsy!

I wasn‘t the reader for this and I knew that going in. But I‘m always open to new reading experiences, so I gave it a go after it made the #NYTTop10 list for 2024, as well as the #tob longlist. It‘s an alternate history of present day Mexico City, then Tenochtitlan, full of historical figures like Cortes and Moctezuma. I don‘t know enough about this period to know what was reimagined or not. I was lost most of the time.

In this sly novel, Cortes is in Tenoxchitlan facing off with Moctezuma. Is he prisoner or guest? We see the maneuverings of both sides as tension builds while the tone of the book stays light with much winking at the reader. I thought this was brilliant.

#TOBlonglist

Happy #tob2025 longlist week! I've not read a ton of them (no surprise given my comfort genres); what I have read is primarily thanks to litsy suggestions (😘 #camplitsy24). Not much that was a surprise tho -lots of repeat authors?- and James in particular seems like an obvious choice. But it was fantastic so... 🤷��♀�
My list by enjoyment in the reading is above fwiw! Highlighting the tagged bc James gets plenty love wo my help 😜

This was challenging because of the similar place names, which the author references. But a cool story of pre-Hispanic Mexico. The city and its rulers and people are very lively drawn, as are the bumbling Spanish. Enjoyed it once I got into it

The names in the book caused me to stumble and kept me from fully losing myself in the story.

I hesitate to call this a historical novel. It is a meta-fictional imagining and also a re-imagining of conquistador Hernan Cortez‘ meeting with Emperor Montezuma in 1519. What might have happened, what could have happened. It‘s also a slice of Mexico‘s (and more broadly Mesoamerica) rich yet complicated and contentious history. Not quite as entertainingly trippy as Sudden Death, IMO. A good companion to Laurent Binet‘s alt history“Civilizationsâ€�.

Part historical fiction, part satire, and part hallucinatory fever dream/drug trip, this is an interesting, challenging, layered read. It requires deep attention and patience, but is a rewarding experience if you're in the right head space.

"The withered fingers of the hands of great warriors sacrificed during the year's festivals swayed pleasingly like the branches of a small tree to the beat of some music he couldn't place, though in a possible future we would have recognized it. It was T.Rex's 'Monolith'"

https://youtu.be/KlRx_Ky7A6c?si=s5eND-rszXUmAxdv

Rainy day means driving to pick up the kids rather than walking. Which means I can fit in a few pages waiting for the bell!

#currentlyreading

Wrapping up March reading (spoiler alert: it was a good month) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qoup2uI0pT4

This stunning alternate history novel takes first place for my reading in March @CSeydel #BookBracket2024

My rating reflects the fact that my pea-brain struggled to penetrate this narrative, rather than the quality of the book itself. I could see while reading that this is clever writing. I normally love a fever-dream-like story like this. But at the moment I found this, coupled with a complex cast of characters a bit difficult to keep track of. Lots to appreciate if you have the mental bandwidth (which I presently do not).

I literally lost track of time finishing this fascinating book today. Enrigue reimagine the Spanish conquistadors (Caxtilteca) arrival in Tenoxitlan in the early 1500s, following a large cast of characters with complicated and clashing motivations, all leading up to a surprising conclusion that changes the historical narrative.

My #WeekendReads . Also hoping to start A Sweet Sting of Salt.

I cannot get over this view

Two very different books planned for this weekend's vacation #WeekendReads

Revenge on the colonizer. Tenochitlan survives. Hallucinatory farce. Aztec angst—Moctezuma as depressed warrior, overindulging in magic mushrooms & napping in his favorite feathered cloak. Lost in the palace. Sometimes feels like characters are wandering through research & exposition. Influence of interpreters. Clash of cultures. Bored and snarky warriors. Loneliness & splendor. Weakness of empire, ripe for conquest. Walls have ����. Tr. 2024.

Went to a speed dating night at my local bookstore and treated myself to some books after