Welcome to Litsy!

December was a good reading month for me, and I have several excellent books to choose among. But I expect nothing is going to stick with me like this story about an orphan boy raised by a giant snake.

That wraps #12Booksof2024 for me. It's been fun reviewing my 2024 reading and fun seeing everyone else's picks too. Thanks to @Andrew65 for hosting!

(2023) Numamushi is an infant victim of war, orphaned, badly burned, and floating down the river when he is taken in by a giant white snake who teaches him to shed his skin, hunt mice and frogs, and stay hidden. Things become complicated when Numamushi grows older and befriends a human stranger. It's a literary fairy tale that draws from Japanese folklore; also a novella about family, trauma, and growing up, and one of my favorite reads this year.