Welcome to Litsy!

#bannedbooksunday Book#1 this week. This book was banned in a Virginia school as part of 21 books they removed due to "sexually explicit content". In response to the ban King wrote a tweet recommending people read books that get banned to find out why they don't want you to read it.

So short and beautiful. It's a slow rise to a new normal, it's a test of truth and loyalty. I like how the main character is a mess and he's aware of it. Love how as the story unfolds, the reader sees how different his life had been compared to his commanding officer's. And that makes the ending such a lovely surprise.

There is so much to enjoy in this book. The First Nation perspective, the heroine, the magic system. I wish the plot was a tad more propulsive because of it's target audience. Nevertheless I do think this will be one that the sort of kid who reads Watership Down and Lord of the Rings at 11 will absolutely love. As an adult reader I enjoyed myself, which was a surprise because boarding school books are not my fave, I will read on in the series.

My comfort reads often involve Thursdays: the Thursday Next series, and the Thursday Murder Club series. Or Becky Chambers (no Thursdays there, that I know of 😉).

#Naturalitsy #MidWinterSolace @AllDebooks @TheBookHippie @Chrissyreadit

#MidwinterSolace #LitSolace

Our #FridayNightshare is to recommend your go-to comfort reads. Seems appropriate for this scary week.

The tagged is my go-to contemporary read. My comfort classics are Sense & Sensibility and David Copperfield.

What are yours?

@Chrissyreadit @TheBookHippie

Hello Valloweeners! I hope you all have been having as much fun as I have shopping for your #Valloween matches! We haven't posted anything up to this point aside from the #ValloweenSwap itself, so I thought I'd take this opportunity to post some of my favorite books that align with the Valloween theme. Out of all of these, a long-time favorite is the Kushiel's Legacy series. So good! What are some of your favorites? Everyone is invited to play!

I *nearly* bailed on this ‘hardboiled detective‘ novel from the #ToBlonglist but persevered and, about 30% in, found myself caring for one of the MCs which turned the book around.

It could also be called speculative fiction as it‘s set in an alternative 1920s USA, where First Nations people live side by side with Blacks and whites, but still with the KKK on the rise and a ritualistic murder on a rooftop setting the whole town on edge.

Many might not know his name, but may have heard his voice! Simon Vance has narrated many an #audiobook from the Temeraire series to the Aubrey/Maturin series to the Dune series! His voice is grand in style, comfortable in both male and female voices and dialects. When I listen to his stories I‘m transported inside the narrative thanks to his voice.

His in-house recording studio burned along with his house in the Eaton, California fires. ⬇️

Interesting premise and I liked reading how ancient Romans lived, the public baths, the smell (omg, the smell - you could practically experience it coming off the pages with the descriptions), disease and war. Too bad the main character was so unlikeable. She had her own morals, like no drinking, no spanking children, etc., but then would give into them, almost like, “Oh well, when in Rome…” Ending felt flat and predictable too.

What did I just read? I had been wanting to read this book for a while. It was a huge letdown for me. I won't be continuing this series. I rated this book a 2 out of 5 stars.