Litsy

#12Booksof2024 March is for #tob2024 - here are the books from last year's shortlist that stuck with me - though I'm not sure they are all universal favorites and may be another sign that my reading trended to the surreal this year...

Andrew65

Andrew65 Amazing where our reading takes us. 3d

BarbaraBB Great choice for March 3d

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Larkken

Open Throat: A Novel | Henry Hoke

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I've been...Not great?.. in posting my reads lately, & I'm not sure what's worth posting now 🤪
Case in point: March! Well, at least my fav (tagged) should get a shout out. Spot on cougar narration, man! If they were to do things like narrate, that is.
+ I'm impressed I got through so many #tob2024/#LitsyToB24 selections! I plan to continue with those lists, but possibly not very diligently, given that the tournament-immediacy is, um, over.

BarbaraBB Haha no hurry indeed! However, CampLitsy is approaching 😀😀 8mo

Larkken @BarbaraBB exactly! So many new shinies to get into instead 😇😍 8mo

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Larkken

Boys Weekend | Mattie Lubchansky

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Newly transitioned, non-binary Sammie goes on a debauched bachelor‘s weekend for their best friend from before they transitioned. They contend with micro- and macro aggressions as they try to figure out if these relationships are worth saving - literally saving, as it turns out, since the weekend happens at the site of an apocalyptic cults‘ bid to awaken their eldritch god. So… lots going on. The part with the clones felt most thought-out. ⬇️

Larkken I am confused (? Conflicted?), however, by this book‘s inclusion in #tob2024. What were the judges thinking? It‘s unlike anything else on the bracket, is uneven in its dealing with some themes, and is really unlikely to go far, given the historical decisions made by judges. This feels like a one-off, a “hey, why not?” And I feel like it deserves better than a footnote in a literary contest. Or is that unfair, and placing these kinds of books in ⬇️ (edited) 10mo

Larkken The public discourse should be a POINT of the #tob? What do y‘all think? I don‘t think it‘s a perfect book, but that also shouldn‘t necessarily be the point of the tourney, and it does have some great themes even if I think other authors/books/formats have done them in a way I thought held together better or at least that I appreciated more. 10mo

TieDyeDude I've never heard of the Tournament of Books. Is that a new thing? I have the same conflicting thoughts about the Oscars, though. Is it patronizing to put a movie on the ballot that has no chance of winning but deserves recognition, or is it “an honor just to be nominated“? 10mo

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Larkken @TieDyeDude Tob has been around for a while, but I've only started reading books from it in the past couple of years bc they are always outside my comfort zone and I usually find a new author to obsess over from every year. Here's the website if you're curious https://www.tournamentofbooks.com. However, I've been enjoying even more the ersatz #LitsyToB crew that's been active... Due to general disaffection with the official short list, 🔽 10mo

Larkken @Megabooks @squirrelbrain and @BarbaraBB organized a vote and a separate shortlist ? and a mini readalong camp last summer. It's been fun integrating my "find authors outside my go-to list" quest with the comradery of the litsy fam. (edited) 10mo

Larkken @TieDyeDude but also, yes! You're right, my feelings are very similar to how I feel about the Oscars. I'm impatient with both groups for having "go-to" authors/directors but then annoyed at the token genre picks that are elevated to being worth recognition -why just them? 10mo

Hooked_on_books I liked seeing this on the TOB list because it‘s topical and different. I‘m glad they included it. But I agree, I don‘t want it to suffer from tokenism, and I‘m concerned it will, especially since it‘s going up against the National Book Award winner in the first round. That seems a little unfair. I‘m really curious to read the judgement for the pairing and see how the judge deals with this. 10mo

Larkken @Hooked_on_books oh man, I didn‘t realize Blackouts was a winner in other award venues already. I hadn‘t gotten to it yet myself. That will be… interesting 🤨 10mo

BkClubCare The ToB is unashamedly absurd - the whole point is that you CANNOT pick a “winner”! Read the history and explanation; I never try to take any of it too seriously. Yes, highlighting obscure offerings to the “battles” is somewhat what they want to do to make it all very interesting to discuss books for book-sake. I am enjoying the tourney this week very much even if I was half enthused about a few titles. 10mo

Larkken @BkClubCare yeah, fair, the absurdity is fun, also I like to read the judgements and feel inadequate in how think about books (🙃 kidding! Mostly). But also I think tokenism in any form is damaging. To me, it‘s like saying that the majority of *something* that is like the one example chosen is generally forgettable, but this one thing can be elevated as somehow worthy. And to that, I absolutely balk. (edited) 10mo

BkClubCare @Larkken - okay, I can accept and ponder that. Or,also,maybe? I would have zero exposure and most of the ToB crowd, if you will, would welcome the introduction to these works of art. I appreciate the opening of my mind, introduction to new ideas and perspectives. I certainly understand that this is not meant to be “hey look, this is the best of Xyz”! Celebrate it as an example. (edited) 10mo

BkClubCare Plus, the commentariat really tends to try and keep it informed, respectful, considerate of all angles of analysis. I learn so much and this challenges me and my reading motivations. 10mo

Larkken @BkClubCare the judges and the thoughtful interaction with the books is def my fav part! No complaints on that score - I love how much I learn about the books and even why I engaged with a book how I did just by reading the judgements et al. Even when it‘s a genre or a book I know fairly well, my reading is always deepened by the experience! 🥰 9mo

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Larkken

The Rachel Incident: A novel | Caroline O'Donoghue

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Today brings you a tale of 2 #toblonglist titles because for both I found the MC to be extremely relatable… but for the tagged, this meant the 20-something self-involvedness & resulting life implosion was cringe but i rooted for her; & yet the American Mermaid mc is making me want to hide in shared shame and bail... Weird how that shared characteristic is affecting me so differently. Does AM get more fun, all yall who've read it for #tob2024?

Larkken Otherwise, this looks like a clear case of #litsytob2024 supremacy over the official Tob list😅 10mo

BarbaraBB @Larkken 🙌🏽 10mo

squirrelbrain Hooray - #litsytob2024 for the win! I haven‘t read AM, but loved The Rachel Incident. 10mo

Larkken @squirrelbrain i thought RI did as well as anything I‘ve read depicting the complicated feelings over an unwanted pregnancy and its loss and then I loved that it ended on a sweet note, so def a win for me ☺️ 10mo

BkClubCare Same!! I gave RI a 5⭐️ but just couldn‘t seem to get into AM and yet… yet! It seemed like one I would like! My reading mojo is super confused anymore. 10mo

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BkClubCare

The Bee Sting: A Novel | Paul Murray

pan

Bleak. One bad decision and consequence after another. Too too long; I suffered through, though, to the bitter ambiguous WTH ending. Listened at 2x speed. People seem to think it brilliant literature but I want a refund. #ToB2024 Book 5 of the year.

Ruthiella I‘m on the fence about this one. I liked but didn‘t love Skippy Dies and everyone raves about it. 11mo

Suet624 I‘m with you. 11mo

dabbe #hailthebail! 🩶🖤🩶 11mo

38 likes3 comments

Larkken

The Guest: A Novel | Emma Cline

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At heart, this is a book about the hustle from a morally ambivalent working girl trying to leave the life but it has some interesting subtext about classism and multiple plays on “staying afloat” that was clever. More interesting than pure hot girl problems would be on their own, anyway. #tob2024
Photo is of the Hamptons, which is where internet peoples say it is set, though I assumed Long Island? Lol. Less posh there, I guess.

Larkken #52bookclub24 time frame spans a week or less @Kristy_K, @LaraReads, @KarenUK, @Hooked_on_books, @BarkingMadRead, @Crazeedi, @brittanyreads, @Magpiegem, @BookBelle84, @Larkken, @jenniferw88, @julesG, @Deblovestoread, @MidnightBookGirl, @Librarybelle, @triplem80, @Tove_Reads, @Read4life, @Bluebird, @BarbaraBB, @eeclayton, @hissingpotatoes, @Book_Lover95, @TheAromaofBooks
11mo

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 11mo

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BkClubCare

Chain-Gang All-Stars | Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

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Put me in the camp of being FOR this book; style, drama, footnotes ❤️, characters, etc. Capturing the pics of books “recommended” at the conclusion of the ebook so I can reference for adding to my tbr. (And always curious, WHY THESE?) I am having such conflicted motivation to read right now, not really a slump, but, the “is it me?” Question on why I can‘t seem to get into Wellness, for example? And The Bee Sting? 😩
#ToB2024

BkClubCare No pie, book 2 of 2024, ebook. 11mo

LeafingThroughLife I‘ve been having that “Is it me?” feeling a lot lately, too. I keep reading books that I recognize as well written but they‘re still leaving me a little cold. Definitely starting to get a complex about it. 😬 11mo

BarbaraBB They are both such chunksters and both family dramas. I‘d choose a weird short book if I were you! 11mo

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BkClubCare @BarbaraBB - I am craving a funny romance! 💘 11mo

BkClubCare @LeafingThroughLife - let‘s start a club 😂 11mo

BarbaraBB Have you read this one already? It could do the trick

Lovesick Blossoms

11mo

BkClubCare @BarbaraBB - 😉 TY, have yet to get/find a copy. 11mo

BkClubCare No pie, book 2 of 2024, ebook. 11mo

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BkClubCare

Chain-Gang All-Stars | Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

Up next #eBook #ToB2024 #WiaN2024 Category: Shoes 👟

30 likes1 stack add

BkClubCare

The Book of (More) Delights: Essays | Ross Gay

Day 1 New Year

Rouge and Wellness for #LitsyToB24
The Bee 🐝 Sting for #ToB2024
The Book of (More) Delights for me 😊

Litfluence 37k, Happy New Year! Happy Reading 📚

BkClubCare Goals: 100 books, better tracking 🤣, more commenting/sharing, thoughtful reviews (edited) 12mo

BarbaraBB What a great start of the year! 12mo

squirrelbrain Some great books to start with! 12mo

38 likes3 comments

BkClubCare

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store | James McBride

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Always a fun ride with McBride doing the storytelling. I had a bit of length- and character-quantity fatigue, though. Still!! Always willing to go where this author leads - I was just in a hurry to finish and my hurry-it-up experience suffered under my own hubris.

#ToB2024 #PieinLit #LitPie #Audiobook

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