Welcome to Litsy!

Finished the #ToB25 shortlist! Some were real winners, others less so. The History of Sound is one I wouldn‘t have picked up on my own but found it to be a lovely read. Looking forward to the discussion here and the official tournament.

Shockingly I didn‘t hate this! I think my expectations were super low, so any enjoyment I had was a bonus. Full of strange goings-on…magical creatures and such but in our world. Heavily focused on the relationships of the 3 teenage protagonists who have died but are brought back to life by some otherworldly beings. It‘s too long but the audiobook made it manageable. And it‘s my final read for #ToB25!

There's not a lot I can say about this one without giving spoilers, but I can say that I really appreciate how it's written, and I'm looking forward to discussing the ending with my book club. It's not my favorite from the #tob25 shortlist, but I do like it.

This was excellent. Happy to finally be pleased with a #tob25 entry after a couple letdowns in a row! It‘s cleverly pulled together and the writing is beautiful (would expect nothing less from a poet author).

Oh...kay. So, this is a...book. Longish, loosely interconnected stories that work to varying, universally cringey degrees, and do a self-consciously meta thing that doesn't really work for me. I'm intrigued by the form, and the characters are definitely complex underneath the stereotypes, so I am curious to read other work from this author, even as this one feels kind of hit-and-miss. #tob25

I would‘ve skipped over this one if it hadn‘t been on the #tob25 shortlist and I would have missed out big time. A coming of age story about Adina, a girl who never quite fits in. She knows why she is different, she is an alien sent to earth to report to her superiors. It sounds gimmicky and in other hands it could have been but instead this is a story that balances the loneliness and the beauty of growing up and experiencing the world. Loved it.

Another meh #tob25 entry. I‘m glad I listened to this one. This was tough to read so recently after Good Material, which I enjoyed MUCH more. It just didn‘t come together for me, though it had some funny moments.

I‘m 4 for 4 so far in the #ToB25! I‘d probably put this one last of the 4, but I surprised myself by enjoying this tale of girl boxers and their bouts in one tournament. Definitely outside my wheelhouse, which is what I love about the ToB.

Looks like I won't be moving for a while, so I might as well plan out some more reading!

What are some books from the #ToB25 Longlist that should have made the shortlist that I *must* pick up once I'm done with the shortlist? (I only have four more to go after I finish the two I'm on.)

I think I would have enjoyed this as a decent coming-of-age story, even without the alien “twist”. It did make me feel quite sad at times.
#ToB25