Welcome to Litsy!

I really liked this, thanks #tob2025 longlist! I was avoiding it based on the blurb, which made it sound like Rainy is pursuing a runaway wife through a dystopian landscape both twee and surreal. This is misleading, as Rainy‘s wife dies 80 pages in, and the surreal elements are mainly due to the unknown and therefore somewhat terrifying motives of others and not to an anthropomorphized Lake Superior.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ This was on the #ToB2025 long list, but it didn‘t really work for me. Set in dystopian version of the Great Lakes, MC and his wife take in a boarder who it turns out is on the run and that sets off a chain of unfortunate events. My issue was that it wasn‘t clear what the MC wanted other than avoiding bad things, so not really compelling. And the resolution seemed to come out of nowhere. 🤷‍♀️ Glad when it was done.

I‘m not ready for October to be over, but this is November‘s #bookspinbingo list! @TheAromaofBooks

Some authors have a way of stringing words together that make you catch your breath. Leif Enger is one of those authors.

I savored every word of this ugly/beautiful story about not giving in to despair.

Ugggghhh… Leif Enger is SO GOOD. This is absolutely gorgeous: beautifully written and beautifully human, as expected—but I was surprised (in a good way) by its exploration of topics of injustice in a post-apocalyptic landscape. A very different setting from Enger‘s other books, but I loved it just as much. And look at that amazing cover!

Another great Minnesota author. Leif Enger‘s latest novel is a dystopian tale of a near future where the rich have secluded themselves away from the slow collapse of society, and everyone else is just doing their best to survive and stay human. The book centers on Rainy, a house painter/musician, and the events that unfold after a stranger falls into their care. Surreal, touching, and deeply human. I highly recommend.

In post-apocalyptic Lake Superior area, some infrastructure remains, but the population is significantly reduced. Rainey and his wife are making their way when a stranger arrives, setting events in motion. There‘s definitely a plot here, but this is much more about the relationships between the characters. I really liked this, and I love the cover.

I listened to this as an audiobook. This is a difficult one for me to review because I liked the audio production and loved the protagonist but felt lost in the action of the story. The world as we know it is over and people must make their own way of life to survive. Rainey and his wife end up on a boat but tragedy strikes and a quest ensues. Many people and places feature along the way but I had trouble finding the meaning behind it all.