Litsy

11.22.63 | Stephen King

so-so

So glad to reach the final page! I‘m sorry all you SK fans but this book was NOT to my liking. Sentimental overwritten mush! This was much more of a time travel/love story than an alternative historical fiction. It wasn‘t what I was expecting and it dragged on far too long. 2.5 stars out of 5.

Kalalalatja, CarolynM, Reviewsbylola, emilyhaldi

Birdsong28 I didn't like how this ended as it just felt like I read the book for nothing to be resolved. Not a King fan anyway I just read it because the story sounded good. 6y

Sha0102 @Birdsong28 I felt the same way when I read Under the dome. Great book murdered by an awful ending. Humpf And I'm SK fan.....😣 6y

Cinfhen I agree about the ending @Birdsong28 I appreciate the concept of butterfly effect and “fucking harmonies” but geez...we got take 5 (edited) 6y

See All 18 Comments

Reviewsbylola Nooooooooooooo Cindy! Stop!! 😭😱 6y

emilyhaldi Lol, I should have known better! If @Reviewsbylola and I love it, that probably means you will hate 😂 6y

Simona 😂My favorite types of reviews are with pis... off undertones, but still respectful to the others readers... 6y

Andrew65 Well done on completing a #Chunkster!!! 6y

Rebesta Did you read/like The Talisman? That‘s one of my favs by SK. I‘m wondering if I should add this to my list. 6y

Cinfhen I haven‘t read The Talisman @Rebesta my opinion of this book seems to be unpopular most people here on Litsy loved this king novel. 6y

Cinfhen Thanks @Andrew65 Sorry @Reviewsbylola @emilyhaldi I wanted to love this one but it‘s true, when it comes to books we aren‘t always in sync 😥it was better than #Dunces!!! 6y

Cinfhen Thanks @Simona I know I need to be careful, this is STEPHEN KING I‘m dissing 🙄😂 6y

Andrew65 @Cinfhen We all have different tastes where books are concerned which makes Litsy and book discussions even more interesting. Be boring if we all had the same reaction to all books. Vive la difference! 6y

Kalalalatja I can see all your points and the bad parts, but I really liked it anyway 😅 6y

Rebesta I‘ll grab it from the library later this fall and see how it is. 6y

CarolynM I think you're being generous. 6y

Cinfhen Perfect plan @Rebesta 6y

TrishB I love everyone‘s differing opinions 😁 and we‘re all old enough to make our own minds up and not be offended 😘 6y

TrishB Still love King 💜😁 6y

119 likes1 stack add18 comments

Cinfhen

Stepford Wives | Ira Levin

#StepfordSummerParty FINAL QUESTION

5. Let‘s talk about the ending! Did you like that it‘s left to your own imagination? Do you think Bobbie had a physical hand in eliminating Joanna? Any other final thoughts/ comments? THANK YOU ALL for the funniest 4 days 😘😘

And to all who did not join, sorry we clogged your feed with endless 70s nostalgia 🕺☮️

mabell Thank so much for an awesome time @Cinfhen ! You were the perfect Stepford hostess, and I have had so much fun!!! 💃👯🕺😘 6y

Cinfhen I‘m so glad @mabell Thank you!! 6y

peaKnit I really enjoyed this quick and nostalgic read, I probably missed out if I wasn‘t lured in by the 70‘s recipes😂 I would not have chosen this book on my own...for no reason really...so thank you! 6y

See All 55 Comments

peaKnit I felt like Bobbie was definitely part of the plan in the end (once she turned to the dark side) at least to trick her into trusting long enough to be caught by the men. 6y

Pamwurtzler I did like the way it ended - that contributed to the creepy factor. In the alternate ending that exists in my head, Bobbi and Joanna get away and then someone infiltrates the club to find out what‘s going on. 6y

Pamwurtzler Thanks @Cinfhen for hosting this! It was a fun few days! 6y

TheBookgeekFrau The 70s nostalgia was GOLDEN!!!! I really enjoyed it as a non-participant 😊😊 6y

mabell I like the version that exists in your head @Pamwurtzler ! Get away! Expose the evil plot! 😂 6y

DebinHawaii Thank you for hosting! It was good nostalgic fun. Brilliant job! In one sense I really liked the slight ambiguity of the ending & how chilling it was. I think Royal reading the Men in Groups book & cleaning his pipe & that last line... and Ruthanne!s 'or I won't enjoy the weekend' ...😱 So powerful! But it drives me a bit nuts too. I want to know if Walter had any regrets or second thoughts, what the kids thought, etc... So many ??? 🤔😆so it ... 6y

Cinfhen I thought Levin was a genius at setting a mood without any words or gory details @peaknit @Pamwurtzler @mabell in so few pages he manages to convey so much. The book alludes that Bobbie holding the huge butcher knife may have been the one to silence Joanna. That was heartbreaking. I like @Pamwurtzler alternate ending too 6y

DebinHawaii ...was probably the right way to end the book. It would have been a different story with more explanations and reasoning behind it. And I do think Bobbie went to the dark side (as much as a robot can) but probably in a way of 'helping' the men and Joanna to achieve this 'perfect' life. 6y

Cinfhen I‘m glad you enjoyed as an “outsider” @C.Perone 💕💕💕 6y

Cinfhen I remember feeling terrible when Bobbie‘s boys tell Joanna how much they prefer the new Bobbie. The one who stays home, bakes cookies and doesn‘t yell😢😢😢 6y

Cinfhen I too would probably have never picked up this book @peaknit so I‘m glad to share this with you all @Pamwurtzler @DebinHawaii you guys made this party a blast 6y

Librarybelle This was so much fun, @Cinfhen ! Thank you! I was so hoping Joanna would escape; part of me thinks that Ruthanne may get away (crossing fingers on that one!). Yes, Bobbie did go to the dark side...the men coached the robot to take care of Joanna. I wanted to scream at Joanna not to trust Bobbie, not to go towards her. I do wish the Men‘s Association was exposed. Sigh... 6y

TrishB I enjoyed watching from the sidelines 👍🏻 6y

mabell @Cinfhen Bobbie's boy saying that just about broke my heart. Is Levin saying that no matter the age, boys/men only look for the necessities from women - feed me, keep a nice home? 6y

CoffeeAndABook I thought the ending was brilliant!! So heartbreaking that it was probably Bobbie who wielded the knife. I think it‘s highly symbolic to what is actually happening. The men leisurely standing by, letting the women do the dirty work of slaughtering each other. Isn‘t it so chillingly true? Isn‘t a huge part of the pressure women feel and the frenzie of „being it all“ mostly because we‘re so hard on each other, always in competition with each other?? 6y

Cinfhen Good point @mabell @CoffeeAndABook 6y

Cinfhen Thanks @TrishB you‘ll have to join my 2019 summer party....book TBD 6y

Cinfhen I feel like RuthAnne is definitely the next victim @Librarybelle 😫and yes, so typical: men have their perfect robot kill her best friend (edited) 6y

CoffeeAndABook Wow, yes, @mabell , that might be exactly what he‘s saying ... and I agree, it was very sad coming from Bobbie‘s son. 6y

CoffeeAndABook And @Cinfhen I‘d also like to thank you - this was a fabulous buddyread, reading this book was such an enrichment, your party was the best!! ☀️👗🍸🌸 I loved being a part of it (except yesterday 😢I was completely booked), you were the perfect host, thoughtful and fun!! I‘d do some #daytimedrinking with you again in a heartbeat 😘🍷🍷 6y

bookandbedandtea Despite my usual desire for information, I liked that we aren't shown the transformation and are left to assume that the men had Bobbie do their dirty work. It increased the menace of an already disturbing story. Thanks for hosting this @Cinfhen I doubt I'd have read it otherwise and I truly enjoyed it. 6y

Bookzombie Thank you for hosting this @Cinfhen ! It was a blast to reread. I like the way that Levin left this to our imagination. I think the book would have had to be quite different if he had wrapped it up in some other way. I don‘t think I thought about Bobbie taking out Joanna when I read it the first time. It makes sense though. The women are programmed to be devoted to their husbands and do their bidding, I think. 6y

Bookzombie I‘m going to have to rewatch the movies. I was on Wikipedia and there were also three TV movies. Revenge of the Stepford Wives, The Stepford Children, and The Stepford Husbands. I feel like I remember seeing The Stepford Children when I was a kid. 6y

Cinfhen You girls were the best BuddyRead buddies🙌🏻 thanks so much @Bookzombie @bookandbedandtea and here‘s to plenty more #daydrinking experiences @CoffeeAndABook 🍷🍷🍷🍷 6y

mabell @Bookzombie @Librarybelle Yes, doing the husbands' bidding, or Bobbie thinking "I'm so much better. I want to help Joanna be her best too" 6y

TrishB Will look forward to it 👍🏻 6y

Cinfhen I was thinking about the children @Bookzombie especially the daughters.....what happens to them? (edited) 6y

Bookzombie @Cinfhen I know! Maybe they think they can train them since they are all young. They will follow their mom‘s patterns. Or maybe they plan to replace them when they are older? So disturbing. 6y

GripLitGrl Excellent points @CoffeeNBooks @mabell i do love have you were left to come to you own conclusions on what happened it made it that much better of a read. especially since some of it's still relevant today. Sorry i was late to questions. Thanks for hosting this super fun buddy read @Cinfhen i dont think i would've read the book if it weren't for you. Had a blast partying with all of you👗🍸#StepfordSummerParty 6y

Cinfhen 😘😘 @GripLitGrl you have a permanent invite to all my parties 6y

Mdargusch Oh my gosh! This has been so much fun @Cinfhen - thank you for hosting such a great party! As for Bobbie, I‘m assuming those dirty men could program her to do whatever they wanted! Of course they would rather have a robot kill her. 🤖🤖🤖 6y

Mdargusch Ps, I hope I‘m invited to your next party! 6y

Cinfhen After bailing on #LoneDove and #Dunces and struggling with #GWTW Im glad we found a book to bond over @Mdargusch 💜 6y

Cinfhen And the WHOLE DARGUSCH family is on my VIP list @Mdargusch 🤩 6y

Bookzombie I wonder about the friends from New York. Won‘t those friends wonder about the change in Joanna? Are they just going to cut off contact? Also, her parents were mentioned. Her mom even tells Joanna she could take a page out of the neighbor‘s book or something like that. What about the rest of the world? 6y

RealLifeReading I joined in pretty late but it was such fun all the same! Thank you so much @Cinfhen for this! The book has been on my TBR for a far too long time and this was the kick I needed to actually read it. I think I was scarred by the Nicole Kidman movie 😂😂 6y

Reviewsbylola It‘s funny, because I remember the movie being much more clear cut. Having that ending already in my head, I kind of filled in Levin‘s ambiguousness that way. 😂 6y

CarolynM I think the atmosphere of the book, the menace and creeping dread, came from not knowing what was really going on, knowing something was very wrong with these people but not how or why. The ambiguity of the ending was consistent. Also, I think it's that not knowing the details that makes your mind keep turning it over once you've finished reading. 6y

CarolynM @Cinfhen @mabell @CoffeeAndABook I think the view expressed by Bobbie's children is probably a fairly accurate representation of the way children see their mothers (and fathers and other care givers for that matter). Their immaturity means they relate everything to their own comfort and convenience. I think Levin included this bit very deliberately to highlight the immaturity of the desire for a "perfect" wife. 6y

CarolynM Thank you so much @cinfhen for throwing such a fun party. It's been a blast! I've only thrown in a couple of comments in the discussion because I didn't have a lot to add to the excellent points already made by the others. It's been lovely to read and party with such an interesting and insightful group. (edited) 6y

mabell @CarolynM What a terrific point! I love that! It's a very plausible explanation! 6y

SledgeReader This has been so much fun! I wish I hadn‘t been derailed today with summer Sunday realities! @Cinfhen is a fabulous hostess! I won‘t say “perfect” because that‘s the last thing I want to put on my friends after reading Stepford Wives. 🤪 it was heartbreaking to see Bobbie‘s role in the demise of Joanna. (I think she did it, Friends. It was a BIG knife.) And I think the process perpetually repeats itself. 6y

GripLitGrl @Cinfhen 😊 thanks so much I'll be at all the ones i can make it to! They are too fun to pass up💕💕 6y

erzascarletbookgasm I know the 2004 film was different from the book (saw the film years ago), so like @Pamwurtzler I was hoping for a different ending. 😆But I like how the book ended, Levin is brilliant. I think the ending is my favourite part- the horror of it, the living doll wives can be ‘programmed‘ or persuaded to do what the husbands command. 6y

erzascarletbookgasm In my interpretation, Bobbie killed Joanna, and those men (forgot their names) just stood to watch/wait and prepare to clean up the mess by getting the car ready! 6y

erzascarletbookgasm I had a fabulous time with this party! All the buddy readers are fun and interactive, provided much excellent points & views. Thanks so much Cindy, you‘ve been a terrific host, well organised, interesting discussion topics, with fun prelude before the discussion day. Make sure I‘m in your next party‘s guest list! 😘 6y

Cinfhen More insightful comments @CarolynM I‘m so glad your library had a copy!! And I‘m soooo happy you joined the party! I look forward to our next party @erzascarletbookgasm @RealLifeReading @SledgeReader and all my buddy readers...my party planning wheels are spinning🤗🤗🤗 6y

batsy @CarolynM Nicely put about Bobbie's son's comment and relating that to the immaturity of the men's thinking. How terrifying it is when grown men with power and physical strength think like children. 6y

batsy Thank you Cindy & everyone, I had a blast ? I didn't know what to expect with the book & it was riveting. I do think Bobbie might have been a "tool" in the elimination of Joanna :( To me, the ending was chilling & effective. Aside from the overt feminist issues he was dealing with, I also think that Levin captured a lot of the underlying anxieties of 70s-era American society; changing social norms, politics, environment. All in this slim book! 6y

mhillis I like ambiguous endings so it worked for me. Thanks for hosting such a great party!! 6y

asiriusreader @Cinfhen An awesome party! Thanks for being such a perfect host. I hope that I can join in the fun on the next one! I agree with all of you who said Bobbie likely wielded the knife against Joanna. Only makes sense, given that she was now a robot controlled by the men who needed a dirty job done. I wonder who did the ‘jobs‘ when the husbands would have their wives at home for a weekend? Did they always have a wife do it? And I also wonder about ... 6y

asiriusreader ...the Stepford daughters. What fates awaited them? Again, thanks @Cinfhen !! 6y

72 likes55 comments

kricheal

The Giveaway: The True Story of One Soul's Journey | Malini Pamela Benda

Thanks for posting this great giveaway @Cinfhen #shelfspacegiveaway I really like certain books from stacks 2, 4 and 5.

Cinfhen Too bad you can‘t customize!! 😂😂good luck and if u win u can always share the titles u aren‘t feeling 🧡 6y

kricheal @Cinfhen Right?! In my head I was I thinking ooh I'd like to check out this one, and that one, and oh I heard great things about that! Yeah but HARD pass on Dunces. 6y

Cinfhen I‘m with you on #Dunces 😝 6y

60 likes3 comments

JenlovesJT47

Scarlett: The Sequel to Margaret Mitchell's Gone with the Wind | Alexandra Ripley

For those who love Gone With the Wind, the sequel (not written by Margaret Mitchell!) is on sale today for $3.99. There are mixed reviews and feelings about this book, but personally, coming from someone whose favorite book is GWTW, I‘ve always really enjoyed this one. It‘s been awhile since my last reread so I‘m happy I stumbled across this!

#sale
#kindle
#GWTW
#gonewiththewind
#Scarlett

👒💚👒💚👒💚👒💚👒💚👒💚👒💚👒💚👒

Wife I read this when it first came out. I can‘t really remember anything about it. 🤷🏼‍♀️ 7y

Cinfhen Dargusch girls where do you stand on the sequel??? For or against?!? @Mdargusch @emilyhaldi @Reviewsbylola 7y

Cinfhen And no, I‘m NOT reading it!!!!! 7y

See All 17 Comments

benchley1 I really didnt like this book, the miniseries was epic, so bad and so good. The Rhett Butler book though I loved 7y

Mdargusch Of course I read this and I think any GWTW fan probably should. But it doesn‘t compare to the original. 7y

Zelma I read this as a teenager and loved it. It felt epic and over dramatic and like a soap opera. I know it‘s nothing like GWtW but it was still a lot of fun. 7y

Reviewsbylola I like that this was endorsed by MM‘s estate. I thought it was well written and I enjoyed it but it wasn‘t what I would have personally wanted Scarlett‘s life to evolve into. It‘s way better than any other GWTW “knock off”, that‘s for sure! @Cinfhen 7y

Cinfhen Nice to know it met with both of your seals of approval @Mdargusch @Reviewsbylola 7y

emilyhaldi Lol @Cinfhen but I haven‘t read it either- you sure you don‘t want to do a buddy read?! 7y

Cinfhen Ha better chance reading this one than ever reading #Dunces again @emilyhaldi 7y

emilyhaldi Ouch @Cinfhen that hurts!! 💔 7y

Cinfhen Sorry 🙈 @emilyhaldi and sorry for hijacking your post, Jen💕How‘s the baby doing???? 7y

emilyhaldi It‘s ok!! @Cinfhen I‘ve hated on quite a few of your fav books too- we can still be friends 😄 and hi!!! Jen 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 I have been known to hijack a few posts in my time here on litsy😬 7y

JenlovesJT47 @Cinfhen @emilyhaldi lol no worries! I always welcome a dialogue about GWTW! I understand the mixed feelings about this one but I always liked it. I‘ve never been able to finish Rhett Butler‘s People or the one about Mammy. And Jace is doing better, hopefully coming home in a couple of days! 💚 7y

Cinfhen Glad to hear he‘s improving, I bet you can‘t wait 🤗🤗🤗 7y

Mdargusch I hope he gets home soon! 💙 I just finished The attachments and I ended up loving it! You gave me a great list of books! 7y

JenlovesJT47 @Mdargusch awesome, I‘m glad you liked it! I remember staying up til 5 in the morning one day to read that. I just started The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie today. And thank you! He was supposed to come home today but not gonna happen, going crazy here! Hopefully he gets home within the next few days. 💚 7y

78 likes1 stack add17 comments

Maria514626

A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole

pick

The funniest book I've ever read. Explosions of laughter. The writing is exquisite. #dunces

41 likes1 stack add

emilyhaldi

A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole

pick

This book is obviously a pick for me 😁 Thank you to all you #dunces readers who joined me in the readalong!! What I'm really interested in hearing from you is this-

Whether you liked the book or not, why do you think it was awarded a Pulitzer Prize?? 🏆 and do you think it was deserved??

LauraJ, Daisey, Maria514626, britt_brooke, tjwill, DivineDiana, LeahBergen, swishandflick, Reviewsbylola, Mdargusch, batsy, TheBookStacker, vivastory, Meredith3, Lisaw13, BarbaraBB

vivastory Thanks for hosting the buddy read! It was just the incentive needed to read what is one of the funniest books I've ever read. I think it's definitely Pulitzer worthy. Most literary awards are for books about more "serious" subject matter. It takes a lot of work to produce a novel that is funny & worth multiple readings. Especially when all that's available for paper is Big Chief! 7y

DivineDiana A bit behind, but I‘ll answer when I finish! 😬🙂👍🏻 7y

LauraJ New Orleans is such a unique American city. And Toole has captured its people perfectly. Definitely worthy of a Pulitzer. 7y

See All 11 Comments

britt_brooke I think it deserved the Pulitzer partially because Ignatius J. Reilly is a literary masterpiece himself. Toole miraculously combined intelligence and humor with eccentric characters and a fascinating backdrop. I don‘t know how he pulled it off, but I‘m grateful he did. It‘s such a unique book. 💚 7y

britt_brooke Thank you so much for hosting @emilyhaldi - I‘d been meaning to reread this for s long time. So happy I finally did! 7y

Mdargusch Thanks for organizing! I think the Pulitzer also might‘ve been awarded since this book really looked at all socioeconomic levels and various races and covered them all with the same respect. It covered all the emotions too. 7y

BarbaraBB I think it is quite unique to write a humorous book that is able to stand the test of time. I didn‘t like the book but looking back I think that it was caused by that same humor: it is pretty hard to understand all jokes in a language not your own. Maybe I missed a bit of why you all loved Ignatius so much! Thanks for hosting, Emily 💕! 7y

Maria514626 Thanks so much for hosting, @emilyhaldi I‘ve had this on my TBR shelf for years. This readalong got me going. Thank you! I have never laughed so often and hard at a book. 7y

Maria514626 I think it‘s worthy of a Pulitzer. It‘s superbly written. It‘s not just ha-ha funny. It‘s intricate and detailed. This is one of the very few books I wouldn‘t listen to. I did try. The reader was not good. But more than that, I missed too much of the story. I wanted to read every word. I didn‘t want to miss anything. (edited) 7y

Reviewsbylola I‘ve been thinking about this since book club. I think the amazing way Toole gave voices to so many different people from different walks of life. He really knew how to flesh out a character. And the setting of New Orleans was like its own character. 7y

batsy Thank you for hosting! Honestly, I would have just not read it for another ten years if there wasn't a buddy read to motivate me. I agree with @Mdargusch about the reasons for the Pulitzer. Without preaching or moralising, he deftly shone a light on American society. It's very rare to pull off a good satire, being laugh-out-loud funny while looking at the undercurrents of society. 7y

87 likes11 comments

Reviewsbylola

A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole

pick

“When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: all the dunces are in confederacy against him.”

I finished the #dunces readalong with three minutes of dance class to go. It was just as fun as I remembered. Ignatius, Mrs Reilly, Jones . . . they all had me laughing out loud. What a fun character study.

emilyhaldi

LeahBergen I loved it! ❤️❤️ 7y

Aims42 I‘m reading it for the first time and I‘m really enjoying it!! Only 100 pages in so far 7y

Mdargusch Great photo! Yes it was definitely a great character study. 7y

See All 8 Comments

MarriedtoMrT Great picture! 7y

Maria514626 It doesn‘t look like there‘s a mention of his valve on this page. 😆 7y

Reviewsbylola It‘s gotta be there somewhere. Must have been cut off. 😂😂😂 @Maria514626 7y

emilyhaldi 👏🏻🤗💕 7y

sudharshan 👏👏👏👏👏 7y

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tjwill

A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole

pick

I usually read more plot-driven books, so it wasn‘t totally my style, but I‘m so glad I read this. It had many laugh out loud ridiculous parts, and so many crazy characters. Ignatius is a fantastic example of an anti-hero; his paranoid antics are sure to disgust and amuse. I‘m glad for the #dunces readalong to encourage me to finally read it! @emilyhaldi @britt_brooke

Carolyn11215 I need to reread this! It‘s been more than 20 years!! 7y

britt_brooke Nice review! Glad it was a pick! 😁 7y

Mdargusch I‘m so glad you liked it! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 7y

See All 6 Comments

emilyhaldi Lol, it is quite disgusting and amusing 😆 and a different read for sure! So glad that you joined the readalong ❤️ 7y

tjwill @Carolyn11215 It was a fun read! @britt_brooke Thank you! @Mdargusch It made me laugh a lot! I had to refrain from talking about it in public to explain my giggling. @emilyhaldi Thanks for hosting the readalong! 7y

Reviewsbylola I‘m so glad you liked it!! I‘m currently reading last week‘s section. 7y

63 likes6 comments

tjwill

A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole

This post contains spoilers

show me

Miss Trixie is a hoarder? And is going to take the fall for “Gloria”? 😱😬 #dunces

7 likes

tjwill

A Confederacy of Dunces | John Kennedy Toole

The #pressure of Ignatius‘ valve is often too much to handle. He enjoys mentioning his neurotic digestive issues. 🤢 #quotsymarch18 @TK-421 #dunces

DivineDiana It is so strange that the author chose this to define the life of Ignatius! 😬 7y

Zelma Ugh, this one of the reasons I couldn‘t deal with this book. His ridiculous and gross valve. 7y

Maria514626 He‘s such a weirdo. 😂 His valve is a literary device(?) used to demonstrate his grossness. 7y

tjwill @DivineDiana @Zelma @Maria514626 It‘s definitely bizarre and gross, and the perfect symbol for his hypochondria. And laziness, I should add! (edited) 7y

emilyhaldi It is certainly interesting how much Toole chose to focus on the valve! 🤔 7y

41 likes5 comments

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