Welcome to Litsy!

These beauties came in the mail with that sweet note. Glee! 😀 #usedbooks #bookmail

Bought this book while we were in Dublin. It takes a bit to adjust to the writing - you‘re being told everything from a kid‘s point of view. It‘s not stream of consciousness, but it jumps around, like how a child would tell a story. We see young Patrick Clarke growing up in 1960‘s North Dublin, running with his pack of friends. It‘s not heavy on plot, but gently tells us about his parents‘ marriage through the eyes of a child. Funny, sad, great!

Honestly it took me a while to get into this book and I wasn‘t sure I‘d like it, but I‘m glad I stuck with it in the end. It was very subtle in the way it built up quite a painful Bildungsroman story and it isn‘t a book to judge early! Lot of respect for Roddy Doyle as a planner of intricate stories where you don‘t realise how complex they are till afterwards. Excited to hear him speak in two weeks!

2 weeks till the Booker festival in London and I‘m realising quite how little I‘ve read by all the authors I‘m booked to hear speak. Time to do some very serious revision. Other than audiobooks (where my only option is to read the stuff I‘ve paid for) all my physical reading is gonna be these authors for the next two weeks. Never read a grown ups book by Roddy Doyle and I‘ve been getting into Irish fiction recently so I‘m excited to read this!

At first I did not get this book. It was a disconnected narrative of a 10-year old boy who loves to beat up people. In fairness, the book improves toward the end but still I did not get the point. I don't know how people at the Booker choose their winners. Maybe because it has a different and unique writing style and format. 2 stars and additional 1 star for the effort.

#awesomeautumnbooks #strangetitles

No one can tell a story that is both heartbreaking and hilarious like Roddy Doyle can. #funnybooks #augustphotochallenge

No one can tell a story that is both heartbreaking and hilarious like Roddy Doyle can. #funnybooks #augustphotochallenge