Welcome to Litsy!

Set in post-reunification Germany, Nila‘s Afghan parents & Nila struggle to find their cultural place in Berlin. Nila is coming of age in techno clubs and a drug-fuelled lifestyle of self-loathing & an obsession with her older American boyfriend. Her struggle to find her place & the cultural expectation that she be a good girl were all excellent. The messy narrative surrounding Nila & Marlowe less so. Overall this is an intriguing, absorbing read

I am beyond frustrated by this book. It has such rich material—fish out of water, racism, stranger in your own land—and it‘s just kind of a mess. Plus, there‘s an explosive event near the end that was so gripping, I really wish the book had been set around it, but instead it‘s squandered. What is this doing on the #WP25 short (or long) list?

This is a soft pick. It is incredibly well written, in parts it was over my head with cultural & historical references, sometimes fascinatingly so & sometimes it began to feel too much & meaningless. It did some truly interesting things with form in the second half of the book - with repetition & alternating pov between paragraphs - giving you real time variances between the two protagonists. But the relationship! I felt so disturbed ⬇️

Read because of the #womensprizeforfiction shortlist, but this one was really not for me. Strong, evocative writing but utter aimless characters and plot.

Halfway through this serious overview of nazism & terrified by the parallels that can be drawn between today & the 30s. On AH's bday, let's remember that he was a good public speaker, but a lazy, incompetent statesman w/ a short attention span who relied on a handful of high-ups + everyday Germans as part of an organic whole. They figured out what needed doing to reach the goals he had set out, then carried it out independently & zealously.

I kind of want this to win the Women's Prize. I do think The Safekeep is better and still have no idea why it didn't win the Booker.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Yesterday my son & I enjoyed another #makingmemories day in NYC.The cold,damp,& rain did not deter us! We took a 6:10 a.m. Amtrak train to the Metro North line which let us out at Grand Central Station.Breakfast for me was 2 mini bacon quiches & Starbucks coffee. Perfect start to my day! The MET exhibit was truly breathtaking. I love how the drawings, etchings, & oil paintings took us through Friedrich‘s artistic & spiritual life chronologically.

Won this in a contest. It was a hard read, but not for the way it was written. It‘s about a witch trial in medieval Europe and, unlike my usual fantasy fare, I cannot split my mind and read it dispassionately. This stuff really happened. Anyway, I highly recommend it. Especially if you like creative prose. Sangarcía‘s method really adds to the intensity of a story that we probably think we know well. Also timely, atc.

Another uncomfortable read from the Women‘s Prize list—this was just shortlisted, while I was in the middle of reading it. Nila is the “good girl” who relocates to Berlin with her Afghani family, both parents successful but forced to work in fast food in their new country. Shes miserable and constantly trying to escape her own skin by engaging in damaging behaviors with substances and unhealthy relationships. A rocky coming of age. Good audio.

Nila,the daughter of doctor refugees from Afghanistan,grows up in poverty in Berlin because both parents cannot work in their profession.she hides her identity,saying she‘s Greek or Israeli&instead of studying for college,goes to raves&techno clubs.One night she meets Marlowe&is mesmerised by the older man whose debut novel made him an Indy celebrity.lots of drugs,sex,art,books,self hate,hate for Germany&its racism,Islamophobia,oppression of women