Welcome to Litsy!

🐭🪤

A portrait of loneliness & the power of connection. I loved this story of an English woman who returns to the UK after 60 years in Australia. Her path crosses w/a little mouse & unexpected connections follow. It reminds me of an even lovelier Man Called Ove. It was a reminder to look deeper than 1st impressions. It‘s one I‘d love to reread in the future. “The pleasantness of Sunday has come apart and lies in pieces at the feet of Monday.”

Not quite what I thought it would be, but exactly the book it needed to be. The tone is a bit quieter, a bit more solemn overall, but the sense of community found via the catalyst of looking after a mouse was indeed present. I didn't realize how much of the book would be centred on loss, grief, trauma; memories and nostalgia and how those can be a wound or a comfort. 1/2

MOOD. 😂

It‘s a wrong book, wrong time situation. My ‘bail‘ is directly related to my current inability to focus on anything requiring any brainpower. I actually enjoyed the half of this book that I read, and maybe I‘ll pick it up again, but for now, back to the library.

Finished Sipsworth on a #readathon date with my husband while he was finishing up A Man Called Ove! A perfect pairing. ❤️ I wanted a book that would make me feel like I did when I read A Man Called Ove years ago, and this did that. A touching story where we get to know and love the characters and relish connection and hope. #deweysreadathon

Listened to this on a cross country drive with my husband. We both enjoyed the light heartwarming tale. It starts slowly with a declining woman who is utterly alone and awaiting death. But with the arrival of the titular mouse she finds herself and her community again.

I loved how Helen‘s backstory was sparingly revealed and that though it slowly dawns on Helen & reader she has grown lonely, she isn‘t an overly sentimental woebegone character.

I wasn‘t crazy about the end (perhaps too twee?) but I‘m hard to satisfy.

#bookhaul Part 2

PLEASE take my DNF with a grain of salt!

This story centers around an elderly woman's relationship with a mouse. I am TERRIFIED of mice. But since I've heard such wonderful things about this book (it's been frequently described as a “warm hug“), I thought I would try it -- it would slot in perfectly for the #52bookclub24 #includesapersonalphobia prompt.

Except...the moment the mouse appeared, I started hyperventilating. Oops! 😂

I read this book because I saw Ann Patchett recommend it on social media. She was right! This is a story about a lonely old woman who meets a mouse that will leave you uplifted and inspired to treat everyone with kindness and dignity. 💟

May Reads.
5🌟
Sipsworth: Simon Van Booy 📖
4.5🌟
Clear: Carys Davis 🎧
4🌟
Wandering Souls: Cecile Pin 📖
Doppelganger: Naomi Klein 🎧
3🌟
Land of Milk and Honey: C Pam Zhang 🎧
All Our Yesterdays: Joel H Morris 📖
The Fraud: Zadie Smith 🎧
2.5 🌟
The Lost Bookshop: Evie Woods 📖

#Womensnonfictionprize
#WalterScottPrize

Charming tale of an elderly woman who finds a way to reconnect with the world in an unusual way. Loved this book that was sweet but not cloying. 5 🌟. It was the best read of 2024 for me so far! Highly recommend.

“She stands over the coffee table, slurping hot liquid with the faint but impassioned voice of Dido lamenting from the hall table.“

I love music but I am clueless about a LOT of it. Had to go look up Dido and fell into a rabbit hole. Eminem?! Huh. 🥸🤪🤩

#DogsofLitsy #CopperBopper #naptime 🏎️📖🎶🎤

Nomination for #CampLitsy2024, two of four. @squirrelbrain @Megabooks @BarbaraBB

Background photo is of pretty flowers at the garden center that I will probably go back and buy soon. (Buy the flowers, not the garden center.)

I have met this author - he‘s terrific! I have pre-ordered this; pubs on May 7. OH - and look! 👀 Ann Patchett endorses 🥰