Welcome to Litsy!

I really liked this, thanks #tob2025 longlist! I was avoiding it based on the blurb, which made it sound like Rainy is pursuing a runaway wife through a dystopian landscape both twee and surreal. This is misleading, as Rainy‘s wife dies 80 pages in, and the surreal elements are mainly due to the unknown and therefore somewhat terrifying motives of others and not to an anthropomorphized Lake Superior.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was on the #ToB2025 long list, but it didn‘t really work for me. Set in dystopian version of the Great Lakes, MC and his wife take in a boarder who it turns out is on the run and that sets off a chain of unfortunate events. My issue was that it wasn‘t clear what the MC wanted other than avoiding bad things, so not really compelling. And the resolution seemed to come out of nowhere. 🤷‍♀️ Glad when it was done.

Some authors have a way of stringing words together that make you catch your breath. Leif Enger is one of those authors.

I savored every word of this ugly/beautiful story about not giving in to despair.

Ugggghhh… Leif Enger is SO GOOD. This is absolutely gorgeous: beautifully written and beautifully human, as expected—but I was surprised (in a good way) by its exploration of topics of injustice in a post-apocalyptic landscape. A very different setting from Enger‘s other books, but I loved it just as much. And look at that amazing cover!

Another great Minnesota author. Leif Enger‘s latest novel is a dystopian tale of a near future where the rich have secluded themselves away from the slow collapse of society, and everyone else is just doing their best to survive and stay human. The book centers on Rainy, a house painter/musician, and the events that unfold after a stranger falls into their care. Surreal, touching, and deeply human. I highly recommend.

In post-apocalyptic Lake Superior area, some infrastructure remains, but the population is significantly reduced. Rainey and his wife are making their way when a stranger arrives, setting events in motion. There‘s definitely a plot here, but this is much more about the relationships between the characters. I really liked this, and I love the cover.

I listened to this as an audiobook. This is a difficult one for me to review because I liked the audio production and loved the protagonist but felt lost in the action of the story. The world as we know it is over and people must make their own way of life to survive. Rainey and his wife end up on a boat but tragedy strikes and a quest ensues. Many people and places feature along the way but I had trouble finding the meaning behind it all.

This one got a few “bails” here on litsy so i‘m going to give it a try and see where i fall with it!

Here are my nominations for #CampLitsy24! All from authors I‘ve read & loved. I‘ve tagged my top pick on this post & the others in the comments.

📚I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger—I 💜 everything I‘ve read by Enger!
📚The God of the Woods by Liz Moore—this is either a perfect or a terrible book for me to pick: a girl named Barbara goes missing from summer camp 😬
📚The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
📚 Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino

I‘ve read all of Enger‘s earlier books— and this is the first one I listened to on audio. The performance is great… but I just didn‘t love this one the way I did his debut novel, PEACE LIKE A RIVER. Maybe I am just kind of over dystopian fiction? Rainy‘s love for his wife, Lark, propels this book forward for the most part. I loved her passion for books, and Sol was definitely a scene stealing character, but I had a hard time connecting with Rainy,

Speculative meanderings with the MC - not really in my wheelhouse.

This wasn‘t the reading experience of Peace Like A River, but to be fair I read it decades ago and no doubt my preferences have changed.

I had a Dr appt in the "big city" this afternoon, so I stopped at Barnes and Noble on the way home. I wanted the new Leif Enger book. Also found a Persuasion I don't have yet and some pretty metal butterfly bookmarks.

Honestly I'm not a huge fan of dystopia type novels...which this is...but at the same time Lark and Rainy were two characters that drew me in...until they didn't. There is a lot of moving parts and honestly whilst wasn't something I would've picked up on my own (I run a book club) I don't totally dislike the book. Left me feeling meh. 3 🌟

This hot-off-the-presses dystopian novel packs a huge punch. I‘m glad I didn‘t shy away from reading it. Read my full review here: https://debbybrauer.org/#i-cheerfully-refuse

Publication day: April 2.

#NetGalley #RBMedia #ICheerfullyRefuse

I work tomorrow and one of my tasks will be to get Tuesday's releases in the catalog.