Litsy

Bibliophile: An Illustrated Miscellany | Jane Mount

#BibliophileAdventCalendar #Day2

The #AdventPromptoftheDay is:
🎄What excellent book club book did you read this year?
🎄Do you follow a celebrity one?

Join the fun! Answer in the comments ⬇️ or post and tag 💜

@WanderingBookaneer @Cupcake12 @Karisa @AmyG @TheBookHippie @Erinreadsthebooks @Bookperson96 @tpixie @purpleypumpkin @thebookgeekfrau @xicanti @Jeg

BookishMarginalia I used to read the #OprahBookClub picks once upon a time. Now I dabble in different picks as the mood strikes. My fave book club read this year is from my Monday book club:

Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Wisdom for Collective Well-Being

RaeLovesToRead I've only just heard about the Audacious book club and now I am excited! 🥰 2d

lil1inblue @RaeLovesToRead Tell me more.... 🤓 2d

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RaeLovesToRead @lil1inblue It's Roxane Gay's book club! 2d

lil1inblue I read so many good books this year; it's hard to pick. But this is one that I wish I had read with a group, because it was soooo good:

Now in November

AmyG No clue what book that is. I used to read Oprah‘s, too. Now I find that I am wnjoying some of Jenna Bush‘s books. 2d

lil1inblue @RaeLovesToRead OMG, now I'm excited, too! *runs to google* 2d

dabbe What a fun game! I enjoyed finishing the #noplacelikeholmes buddy read where we read the whole canon. I also enjoyed finished the #shardlakebr where we read all the Matthew Shardlake books by C.J. Sansom. And I loved all the books we read this year with the #hashtagbrigade, led by the invincible @BarkingMadRead. 🩵☃️🩶 2d

TheBookHippie @RaeLovesToRead oh I‘m so in for this. 2d

TheBookHippie I have tried IRL Bookclub 😵‍💫🫣 they don‘t read the book and get together to bash their partners and I want no part of that. 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 back in the day I would check out Oprah but it‘s been a long long long time. My favourite “bookclub” is my #SUNDAYBUDDYREAD and I think our November book was my favorite

Life with Picasso

(edited) 2d

TheBookgeekFrau I read Flowers for Algernon for an IRL bookclub. Haven't followed a celebrity book club since the OG Oprah one. I have to say I kind of resent those book club seals on book covers; they interfere with the esthetic 😤 As for the trivia question yeah, no clue 😂 2d

Karisa @TheBookHippie That was my experience too! So awkward showing up as the only one that wanted to talk about the book. 🤓😂🤣 2d

Karisa I‘ve read so many great ones this year with Litsy people! Life with Picasso, 1984, Fearless, Woodworking, Wild Dark Shore, and The Death of the Author are some that first come to mind. Always a great discussion with the book groups on Litsy! 🥰💗🥰💗 2d

TheBookHippie @Karisa SOLIDARITY. 2d

lil1inblue @karisa @TheBookHippie I'm glad I'm not alone in my IRL book club experience. ? Not only do they not read or discuss the book, but it always ends up being a book I'm meh about reading. I much prefer litsy "clubs". ? 2d

TheBookHippie @lil1inblue THAT TOO!! 2d

Karisa @lil1inblue 🎯 🥰 2d

WanderingBookaneer @TheBookHippie and @Karisa : I run a book club, Books on Tap, that meets at a local brewery. We don‘t have assigned books. People just share what they read during the past month. Some of us bring books to hand out after we‘ve read them. 2d

TheBookHippie @WanderingBookaneer I want to join. ♥️ 2d

Karisa @WanderingBookaneer That‘s the way to do it! 😊🥰 2d

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick The tagged is probably the best of book club fiction that I read this year. I don't really follow many of the celebrity ones. If I happen to choose one they've selected, great, but I tend to like things a little weird and they're usually very standard books.

Migrations: A Novel

Cupcake12 I loved reading this book club read. I don‘t normally like historical reads but this captured my heart from the start. I dolly the Happy Place Book club by Fearne Cotton - a tv presenter, podcaster in the UK.

The Air Raid Book Club: A Novel

tpixie @WanderingBookaneer that‘s a cool 😎 sounding Bookclub!! 1d

tpixie I generally don‘t read celebrity book club books although I did just love Sarah Jessica Parker‘s imprint book I Am You that a few of my recent post about. My in real life Bookclub also doesn‘t stand focus or go as in depth because I would like to go with a Bookclub, but I‘ve continued because it‘s the only social thing I do each month. I get much more out of my #LitsyBuddyReads and @litsybookclub books. 1d

43 likes24 comments

Karisimo

Tombland | C. J. Sansom

@dabbe thank you for the mail! This was so so fun to open and explore!!! I love it! Thanks again for hosting this buddy read and introducing me to the series! #shardlakebr

dabbe YAY! So glad you joined, and I loved your comments during our discussions. 🖤🕵️‍♂️💛 4d

21 likes1 comment

Deblovestoread

Kristin Lavransdatter: (penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) | Sigrid Undset

#ChunksterChallenge2025

It may be the only challenge I finish this year but it‘s a good one. Mostly thanks to @dabbe and the Shardlake buddy read and @BarbaraJean for the tagged buddy read.

@Amiable

Amiable Great job on persevering to the end! That one‘s a super chunkster! 4w

Amiable I don‘t think I‘m going to hit the “colossal” category this year, so yay to you! 4w

dabbe That colossal one is HUGE! 🤣😱🤣 So glad you were in on the #shardlakebr, my friend! 🧡🍁♥️ 4w

Ruthiella Nice work! 👍📚 4w

55 likes4 comments

dabbe

Tombland | C. J. Sansom

#shardlakebr #shardlaked #shardlakians @LitsyEvents

Hi, Tagged Shardlakians! Last call: As a thank you for going on this Shardlake journey with me, I have a little token I'd like to mail to you. Whether you finished all books or not, if interested, please fill out the information in the survey link: https://forms.gle/kpRanX93ZQowZKaM9 by this Thursday, 11/6. I will be the only one who sees it.

Thanks! 🖤#forevershardlaked🖤

Daisey, Cuilin, Amiable, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, BookWrym

Amiable Aww! I‘ve only read 2 of them. So far. 1mo

dabbe @Amiable 🧡💜💛 1mo

Librarybelle I have the series staring at me, waiting for me to continue with it. It‘s so good…I will get to them! 😂 1mo

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lil1inblue 🩶🖤🩶 1mo

PurpleyPumpkin I had so much fun on this journey even though I STILL haven‘t finished the series! But I will. 😉 The discussions were great. Thanks so much for organizing this and for keeping things going. 😘 1mo

Mollyanna That is so kind. I really enjoyed reading this series with everyone. 1mo

dabbe @Amiable @Librarybelle @lil1inblue @PurpleyPumpkin @Mollyanna No worries whatsoever. The series will still be there whenever you want! I'm just glad you all joined in for the fun of those crazy Tudor times! 🤣🤩😍 4w

Karisimo I missed the last discussion but I did read them all and I‘m so thankful you brought it to my attention- I enjoyed it thoroughly!!! 4w

dabbe @Karisimo YAY! Glad you were able to finish them all. That last one was quite the doozy! 🧡🍁🤎 4w

44 likes9 comments

AnneCecilie

Tombland | C. J. Sansom

pick

The last book in the crime series with Shardlake.

It‘s 1549 and Shardlake is sent to Norwich by Lady Elizabeth to help a distant relative of hers that‘s accused of murdering his wife. So off Shardlake and Nick are to find out what happened.

To be honest, what I remembered from my first reading was the middle part where Shardlake, Nick and Barak are at a camp. I didn‘t remember how they got there and what happened after.

AnneCecilie So apparently the middle part made an impression on me. I‘ll put some more spoilery thoughts under spoiler #ShardlakeBR @dabbe (edited) 1mo

AnneCecilie With the ending I feel that Sansom in a way is telling us that the trio continues to solve cases. I also wished better for Josephine and I‘m glad that Shardlake is taking care of her daughter. 1mo

dabbe Fab review! Glad you read these with our Shardlakian group! 🧡💜💛 1mo

54 likes3 comments

dabbe

Tombland | C. J. Sansom

#shardlakebr #shardlaked #shardlakians

Hi, Shardlakians! If you have been tagged, it is because you contributed at least once to one or more of our Shardlake discussions. As a thank you, I have a little token I'd like to mail to you for your participation. If interested, please fill out the information in this survey link: https://forms.gle/kpRanX93ZQowZKaM9 by this Friday, 10/24. Thanks! 🖤#forevershardlaked🖤

Librarybelle I plan to get back to this series…if I can ever get back to reading! Thanks for hosting this. I‘m so glad I got introduced to Shardlake. 1mo

LiseWorks So, the link doesn't work. 1mo

dabbe @Librarybelle I hear ya! I'm two books behind in Nancy Drew and 1 book behind in Christie. Our pets have been taking up our time as I'm sure yours have as well. Plus, I'm just kind of in a slump in general. State of our country perhaps. 🧡💜💛 1mo

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dabbe @LiseWorks Thanks for the heads up! I fixed it. 🧡💜💛 1mo

kwmg40 @dabbe Thank you! I loved this buddy read. It motivated me to read these largish tomes and I really enjoyed the discussions. 1mo

dabbe @kwmg40 You just made my day! 🧡💜💛 1mo

Librarybelle @dabbe Agreed. I‘m so disgusted by what is happening in the country and juggling medical care for Zeke (and Xander, though his heart condition is easier to manage) and now balance an outside the home temp job with my other work obligations. Sigh…audiobooks seem to be my go to at the moment. 1mo

lil1inblue Thanks for hosting this! I really enjoyed the series, as well as the rabbit holes it sent me down. I don't know that I would have made it through the whole thing if it weren't for the buddy read and the discussions! ❤️ 1mo

dabbe @Librarybelle Oh, boy, you're juggling a lot. Hang in there, m'dear. 🖤🐾🐾🐾🐾🖤 1mo

dabbe @lil1inblue Aww, this also made my day! TY, m'dear! 🧡💜💛 1mo

42 likes10 comments

dabbe

Tombland | C. J. Sansom

#shardlakebr

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks I was disappointed that our main character, Shardlake, never found the love of his life. Other than that, it was a good ending for Barack. 2mo

Bookwomble Sherlockians? Shardlakians? 😁 2mo

dabbe @Bookwomble Oopsie daisy! 😂 2mo

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dabbe @LiseWorks IKR? It's promising that he might find something with Liz ... maybe ... but it's not a heart-palpating love. 2mo

AnneCecilie I‘m happy that Shardlake and Tamasin became friends again. I hope that they all start working together again. 2mo

kwmg40 I too am happy that Shardlake and Tamasin reconciled. I liked Barak and Overton, mostly because their characters developed in interesting ways. 2mo

dabbe @AnneCecilie I was so happy to see this, too. He and Barak need each other. 1mo

dabbe @kwmg40 They both grew up the most, didn't they? 1mo

33 likes8 comments

dabbe

Tombland | C. J. Sansom

#shardlakebr

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks All were good. The last one was a bit long. 2mo

AnneCecilie Thinking about it after reading them all one after another, I feel that in a way they‘re all one book. The first has the dissolution of the monasteries and over the next books we see how “normal” peoples situation decreases and in the end there‘s no other option than revolt. When you have nothing left to loose, you‘ll fight for you betterment (edited) 2mo

dabbe @AnneCecilie You bring up an excellent point. I can't help but wonder if Sansom had lived, how he would have carried this series forward. Would he have seen Shardlake through to his older years? To Queen Elizabeth being on the throne? Sad that we'll never know. 💔 (edited) 2mo

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AnneCecilie I‘m not sure, most crime series ends after 8 or 10 books, but I would have loved one final case with all three. I loved the dynamic between them in earlier books. Something was missing for me when Barak wasn‘t in them as much. I always thought Shardlake retired and moved out of the city, most have mixed that up with one of the earlier books when I talks about his dead. 2mo

lil1inblue Looking back, I think Dark Fire (we meet Barak!) and Heartstone were my favorites. Tombland is my least favorite, though still a low pick. I did read somewhere online that he did want to continue the series through Elizabeth becoming Queen. I think a novel set when Mary was Queen would have been fascinating (a total flip on the religious stuff). 2mo

Mollyanna I enjoyed all of them but Dark Fire was my favorite by far. We meet Barak, still have Cromwell around manipulating things, Richard Rich kind of in his place…. Plus I am fascinated by Greek fire and the potential of it. 2mo

kwmg40 I don't think I can pick a favourite. I loved every single book in this series. 2mo

kwmg40 @dabbe Thank you so very much for leading this buddy read. I really enjoyed it! 2mo

dabbe @LiseWorks Agree! 🎯♥️🎯 1mo

dabbe @lil1inblue Those are my two favorites as well! #greatminds A book with “Bloody Mary“ at the helm would have been fascinating! 1mo

dabbe @Mollyanna Totally agree! 🎯♥️🎯 1mo

dabbe @kwmg40 YAY! 🤩 1mo

dabbe @kwmg40 Aww, you just made my day! I only wish there were more of them! 😍 1mo

33 likes13 comments

dabbe

Tombland | C. J. Sansom

#shardlakebr

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks I knew they wouldn't win. Sad to say, but rich men seem to have all the power. They tried, though, and I think the two brothers were naive 2mo

dabbe @LiseWorks @AnneCecilie I sure was rooting for them, even though I knew the English army would come in and kick some serious ass. 🧡💜💛 (edited) 2mo

AnneCecilie The Kett brothers, they had the most to lose. But I also think about Natty and Simon. And I had hoped for better for Josephine 2mo

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dabbe @AnneCecilie Agree 💯. 2mo

lil1inblue I didn't know about Kett's rebellion before reading this book, and I found the history fascinating. But I'm also in a rebellious mood. 😉 2mo

Mollyanna I was really intrigued by the Kett rebellion. Samsom also did such a great job of blending the real and fictional. 2mo

kwmg40 I found the historical setting very interesting, so much so that I hope I can visit Norwich and surrounding areas on my next trip to England. 2mo

dabbe @lil1inblue Same, my friend, same. 💙✊🏻💙 1mo

dabbe @Mollyanna He was a maestro at that, wasn't he? And a guru on this time period! 🧡💜💛 1mo

dabbe @kwmg40 I hope to on my first trip to England! 😂 1mo

kwmg40 @dabbe I hope you'll get a chance to visit England! My younger daughter has been living in London several years and my older one just moved there a couple of months ago, so I expect I'll be going there more frequently. 1mo

dabbe @kwmg40 Just a “wee“ bit envious! What a lovely place to live with all of the culture, history, and kind people! 🧡💜💛 1mo

37 likes12 comments

dabbe

Tombland | C. J. Sansom

#shardlakebr
#tombland

Well, we made it! Boy, was this one intense. Thoughts, Shardlakians?

LiseWorks I do think it was too long. And yes, I always read the notes at the end of the book. 2mo

OutsmartYourShelf Thanks for hosting the readalong & for the questions @dabbe

I probably won't finish this one until next month as in the midst of Halloween readathons. I'm definitely finding it a slog to finish. (edited) 2mo

dabbe @LiseWorks @OutsmartYourShelf I read an article about Sansom when he wrote this last book. He knew he was dying, and I think he pushed himself to say ALL the things he wanted to say before he couldn't say them anymore. This one's bittersweet for me because of that. And also because I, too, think it was way too long and tried to do way too much. 2mo

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dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf You're welcome! I'm so glad you came on this journey with us! 💛💜🧡 2mo

AnneCecilie I loved this one as well. Actually the part I remembered best from my first read was the middle part. 2mo

dabbe @AnneCecilie For me, it was the Boleyn story I remembered the most the second time around. 🧡💜💛 (edited) 2mo

AnneCecilie I had completely forgotten that and why Shardlake was in Norwich to begin with. 2mo

lil1inblue This was probably my least favorite, which was disappointing because the historical piece was probably the most interesting to me of all the books. I did a lot of internet reading about Kett's rebellion. But I loathed the mystery, and the pacing was torturously slow for me. 2mo

Mollyanna I too think it was a bit long. The perspective on Samson‘s frame of mind is helpful. I, too, did not know about the Kett rebellion. I may have to go and do some independent research on it. This was a great readathon @dabbe Thank you so much for hosting and putting together these questions. 2mo

kwmg40 This was indeed a very long book but I didn't find it a slog. I enjoyed all of it and was sad when I was nearing the end, knowing that there would be no more Shardlake stories. 2mo

dabbe @lil1inblue As a second read, I couldn't agree more. This one was a major slog for me. He tried to do way too much. 🧡💜💛 (edited) 1mo

dabbe @Mollyanna Aww, thank you! It was fun to revisit these with all of you wonderful Shardlakians! 🧡💜💛 1mo

dabbe @kwmg40 Glad you felt this way. I did the first time I read it, so I don't know why I felt so weary with this last one this time around. Maybe the rebellion hit a little too close to home--I'm so weary about what's going on in this country in just 9 months. 🧡💜💛 1mo

kwmg40 @dabbe I can understand how you feel. When reading the earlier books, I couldn't help thinking that some of our current world leaders seem awfully like Henry VIII. Hugs to all my American friends. ❤ ❤ ❤ 1mo

dabbe @kwmg40 It's completely surreal living here now. Thanks for the hugs. 🧡💜💛 1mo

31 likes15 comments

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