Welcome to Litsy!

Such a lovely tribute to a mother and grandmother. Strength and perseverance at its best.

On #Holocaust Remembrance Day as well as the week that Lunar New Year begins, I am starting this very important book by Iris Chang which details the massacre of Nanking by Japanese forces during #WWII. Much less well-known than the genocide in Europe, but no less horrifying.

Read this for work & thought I would mention it for two reasons. First, if you are interested in geography, mapmaking, the process of discovery, this offers a fascinating, albeit it scholarly, look at the subject (fair warning, it is definitely aimed at students/academics). More importantly, every time I read something like this, I marvel at people venturing out into the world without GPS, without knowing much about what is beyond the horizon.

I‘m on a roll with the tough memoirs of horrible lived experiences. This is a topic I had little to no knowledge of prior to reading this book: the oppression of the Uyghur people in China. Izgil, an intellectual, recalls his life under strict rule with lyrical writing, a sharp contrast to what he calls and his family endured. Constantly scared of reprimand, never knowing who may sell them out for owning the wrong book. Unbelievable but real.

The last #12DaysofChristmas post. Thank you for hosting @Andrew65

Fiction
The tagged was a highlight of my year. I will eagerly read anything by Yangsze Choo

Non-fiction
Square Hauntings by Francesca Wade examines the lives of 5 extraordinary literary women in London between the wars.

It‘s no Joy Luck Club but I did enjoy it. There were a few parts where I lost interest but then it picked right back up.

I chose this book because my cousin gave me a reading challenge for Christmas. It‘s like an advent calendar with little gifts but each door has a challenge. This book satisfies having been untouched on my shelf for over a year. I picked it up at a thrift store near our house and I‘m at least the third owner. I love used books.

“This is not true, she has a good heart. It‘s only her mind that is rotten.”

Ahhh, applicable to so many!

My pick for favourite book of February for #12Booksof2024

@andrew65

I‘m posting one book a day from my massive collection. No description, no reason for why I want to read it (some I‘ve had so long I don‘t even remember why!). Feel free to join in!

#ABookADay2024

I absolutely love it! @BookmarkTavern
Thank you so much!!!

#StuffedStockingSwap #SSS @avanders