Welcome to Litsy!

Anne Tyler wrote this one, her 12th novel, over 30 years ago—and it‘s still a masterpiece in my book! Saint Maybe is a rollercoaster ride where love, guilt, family, self-sacrifice and second chances can turn our lives upside down and all around, yet still allow us to land back on our feet again. The tagline from its vintage movie adaptation sums it up quite well: “Sometimes life leads us to where we least expect it and most need to go.” 😍🙌🏻

I‘ve never really got Anne Tyler and found the books I‘d read forgettable, but then I read a really good interview with her in The Guardian and realised I‘ve been approaching her books all wrong; looking for something exciting and maybe challenging when that isn‘t the point. So I gave this one a go, loved it and realised the problem clearly was me after all! It was sad, but not too sad, funny but in a quiet, wry way, and extremely comforting.

I have conflicting feelings about this one. The characters are well drawn and much of their behavior believable. But the ending felt awkward to me, like she could have gone on writing for a few more generations but her publisher made her stop. It will make you think about what forgiveness means, however, and the intersection of one life with so many others. Overall, a pick.

"Now they were passed from hand to hand like babies in an old folks' home."

Tea (with milk, not lemon) is my #favehotdrink. #autumnreads @Tiffy_Reads

So. This book is probably one of the saddest most depressing books I have ever read but it was also beautiful in its own way. The story of a man's promising future marred by loss and penance, it's told over multiple decades that's confusing to follow at first but you get used to it. The religious overtones were a bit much but necessary to the overall plot and in the end, they become background noise to the rest of the story (which was nice)

Well that was disappointing...2 out of 5 stars for me...it seemed to drag on and then the ending was horrible.

My current read...

I finished my first library ebook today!

Such a wonderful book about family, love, atonement, forgiveness, and so much more. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks so much to @Liberty for recommending this one- otherwise I probably never would have come across it.

Running out time on my first library book through Overdrive... so I guess I will start this one too, despite the fact that I have 4 other books going right now. 😜

@Liberty recommended this recently as her favorite Anne Tyler novel. Read A Spool of Blue Thread last year and wanted to read more, but didn't know where to start. Thanks Lib! ? I enjoyed this just as I did the other. A sweeping family novel that spans decades, involves triumphs and regrets and causes pause to think about our own lives and family. Definitely a "my style" book. Character driven and just tells a tale. Loved it.

#mylastbookstacked is also a @Liberty recommendation.

I love Anne Tyler so, so much, and of all her wonderful books, this one is my favorite. I reread it a few weeks ago, and it holds up. ❤📚🤘🏻#recommendsday #catsoflitsy